DINAH Shore’s hands, spotted and freckled from years of playing tennis and cooking, betrayed her age.

But her athlete’s confidence and performer’s grace camouflaged her 67 years as she strode smiling into the room.

One reason for the smile is that after five years of retirement, she is working again. Shore was in Japan for a series of concerts in Tokyo.

"One day I woke up and realized all I had to do was play tennis. Then I thought about the day before, and I realized all I had done was play tennis ... and the day before that it was golf. Then I realized it was time to go back to work," she said.

Shore, who describes herself as a pop singer, said her concerts are a mixture of old standbys such as "Buttons and Bows" and traditional Japanese ballads — "they’re so expressive and they have an undertone of suffering."

She has also tried to blend some of her old favorites with the contemporary music of artists like Billy Joel, Randy Newman and Bob Seger.

"I understand what they’re trying to say," Shore said of composers of new music.

"Contemporary songs, new artists and the lives they are leading are so ... different and there is so much tragedy in some of the songs you cannot ignore them.

"Singers enjoy suffering."

But there is no trace of suffering or unhappiness on her face, only the familiar ear-to-ear sunshine smile.

She has been using what she calls her "lucky instrument" for 44 years. "I haven’t known anything else," she said.

She began her career in 1940 with a three-year stint on "The Eddie Cantor Show." Shore recalls that Cantor told her, "When you’re running a good race, don’t turn around to see how the fellow behind is doing. Keep your eye on the track."

Shore said from that day she never worried about being replaced.

And since then, Shore has chalked up Emmys for her talk show, "Dinah’s Place," and awards such as "Woman of the Year," "Mother of the Year" and "Most Cooperative" performer.

"I owe my success to good clean living," she joked.

Her philosophy of staying alive in show business is simple. "You just move — always. Because if you don’t move you haven’t grown and you haven’t learned anything."

Shore, whose slight Southern accent is a reminder of her Tennessee youth, has not always had a lot to smile about. She has survived two divorces, one ending a marriage to actor-director George Montgomery that had been touted as "Hollywood’s sturdiest marital rock" for 17 years.

Montgomery packed his bags and moved out of their home three days before their 18th wedding anniversary. Shore drove to her Burbank studio to perform. She insisted on doing her show live.

Another divorce ended an 11-month marriage to Maurice F. Smith, a Miami building contractor. And she endured the press’ speculations about her relationship with actor Burt Reynolds.

Shore has little to say about her relationships. "It reminds me of a song about the search for the ideal man. Yes, I’m looking for a knight in shining armor to come and carry me off — so far he hasn’t turned up. However, I haven’t given up," she said.