Dean Martin Celebrated With Animated 'Ain't That A Kick In The Head' Video

05-07-2025

() Across five decades, Dean Martin - the "King of Cool" - helped define American pop culture with his velvet baritone and easy-going charm. Now, Capitol Records and UMe are honoring Dino's legacy with a sleek new animated lyric video for "Ain't That A Kick In The Head," timed to mark both the milestone anniversaries of the song's recording (May 10th, 1960) and release of "Ocean's 11" (August 10, 1960), the Rat Pack's original 1960 heist flick.

The visuals channel the jet-set allure of early-'60s Las Vegas, when tuxedoed crooners headlined the Sands and the Strip glittered with swagger and sophistication. With a nod to Saul Bass's kinetic title design - the bold, minimalist graphics that helped redefine movie openers such as "Ocean's 11" - the clip delivers the Nelson Riddle-arranged classic to a fresh generation in swinging, stylized form.

Sammy Cahn and Jimmy Van Heusen wrote "Ain't That a Kick in the Head," specifically for "Ocean's 11," which Martin performs on stage in the film as Sam Harmon, a cocktail lounge crooner drawn into a daring Vegas scheme. On May 10, 1960, he recorded the song at Capitol Studios in Hollywood, backed by a bold, hard-swinging arrangement by Riddle. That particular day in the studio proved to be quite a significant one for Martin, as he also recorded his classic "You're Nobody 'Til Somebody Loves You."

Though "Kick" didn't chart at the time, its legend grew steadily in the decades that followed - bolstered by compilation albums like Capitol Collectors Series, Dino: The Essential Dean Martin, and other subsequent greatest hits collections, and film and television syncs that continue to impact popular culture, from classics like "Swingers" and "The Sopranos" to recent releases "Back In Action" and "Mickey 17." Today, it's widely considered one of Martin's signature numbers - a swaggering distillation of the style and spirit that defined his era. This new visual serves as a pitch-perfect salute to one of his most iconic recordings - and to the cinematic caper that inspired a modern-day franchise. It all proves that true charisma - the kind that shaped an era - never really goes out of style.

Dean Martin was the consummate entertainer whose easy-going charm and talent are cherished by multiple generations of fans worldwide. His unique musical voice, style, and charisma made him a giant cross-over star with box office smash movies and hit songs across a variety of genres. Martin conquered radio, television, movies, recordings, and now streaming, with his songs surpassing one billion total streams for the first time in 2024. Simply put, Dean Martin is an unstoppable icon.