For those of a certain age, the songs of Johnny Mathis are embedded in our romantic hearts. "Chances Are," "Wonderful Wonderful," "It's Not for Me To Say," "Misty" and other hits, which used to be called "make-out music," remain beautiful reminders of youthful innocence, love and affection.

But those songs were all released in the late 1950s. And while they and the man with the angelic voice who sang them have remained popular for decades – Mathis was still scoring No. 1 hits as late as 1978 – 50 years is a long time. And the music industry has changed greatly over the years.

Consequently, some will probably be surprised that, at 72, Johnny Mathis recently released a new album, "A Night To Remember," on the same record label he's been on since 1956 (Columbia Records). Mathis is also in the middle of a nationwide tour that will bring him to the Community Center Theater on Thursday night. And he has a new interactive Web site that is decidedly 21st century.

It's that distinctive singing voice that keeps him going, and he sounds remarkably younger than his years.

The singer, however, is aware of the changes brought by time.

"It's a very, very strange thing to hear yourself when you're 19, when I first started singing, and then to hear yourself now," says Mathis in a recent phone interview from his office in Burbank. "You don't know what to think. You say," he laughs, " 'Well, it sort of sounds the same.' "

Getting more serious, Mathis credits "a wonderful teacher I had when I was young. She told me that I'd probably want to sing all my life and to really take care of my voice. I haven't done anything extraordinary, other than to make sure I don't do anything detrimental, like smoking or drinking too much.

"I think physical exercise is what helps me the most," says the former world-class high jumper from San Francisco State University. (He was invited to the U.S. Olympic Trials in 1956 but decided to pursue his singing career instead.) He doesn't high jump anymore – "Oh my goodness," he says when asked about it – but he goes to the gym for an hour five days a week and then plays golf.

He's also attending to his career. His new album, "A Night To Remember," showcases that still-amazing voice on what executive producer Jay Landers calls, in the liner notes, "Johnny Mathis' favorite slow-jam, R&B/ pop love songs of the late '60s, '70s and '80s."

A collection of older songs with new guest artists, "A Night To Remember" includes duets with saxmen Kenny G (one of Mathis' golfing buddies) on the Grover Washington Jr.-Bill Withers hit "The Two of Us" and Dave Koz on "We're in This Love Together," originally recorded by Al Jarreau.

Guest vocalists on the album include gospel singer Yolanda Adams, who has a lovely interchange with Mathis on the Stylistics hit "You Make Me Feel Brand New," up-and-coming singer Mone't on "Always," and Gladys Knight on the title cut.

"It's just so much fun to sing nowadays with people who sing well," says Mathis about his guest stars. "And it helps younger people know who I am when they see me with Mone't, Yolanda and Dave Koz."

Neither Mathis' enduring talent nor his guest artists have led him to crack one of the biggest problems facing older artists today: the lack of radio airplay.

"Radio is impossible," Mathis says. "There are a couple of stations that play my music," but not many.

Sacramento radio is a case in point. While there aren't many stations with formats that could conceivably include Mathis, the two that might have not been responsive.

Mix 96 (KYMX FM), which features pop and rock tunes going back to the 1970s, plays Mathis only during the holiday season, when his Christmas songs like "It's Beginning To Look a Lot Like Christmas" get some airplay.

"He's a little bit outside the range of what we normally play," says program director Bryan Jackson.

The same is true with Smooth Jazz 94.7 (KSSJ FM), where "at Christmas time, we sometimes play Johnny Mathis," says program director Lee Hansen. But even though a station staple like Dave Koz performs on Mathis' new album, KSSJ hasn't played anything from "A Night To Remember."

Call The Bee's Bruce Dancis, (916) 321-1112.