Al Jolson in Songs He Made Famous
1946 studio album by Al Jolson
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Al Jolson in Songs He Made Famous (also known as simply Al Jolson Album[1] and later as Al Jolson, Vol. 1[2]) is a studio album recorded by Al Jolson for Decca. It was released in 1946 as a set of four 78-rpm phonograph records (catalog no. 469).
| Al Jolson in Songs He Made Famous | ||||
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| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | 1946 | |||
| Label | Decca | |||
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Seven of the eight included songs were featured in the biographical musical film The Jolson Story released in the same year.
Release
The album was originally released as a set of four 10-inch 78-rpm phonograph records (cat. no. A-469).[3]
Content and reception
On this album, Jolson sings eight of his best-known songs. On the first two sides, that were recorded earlier, he is accompanied by an orchestra directed by Carmen Dragon and on all the other sides by an orchestra directed by Morris Stoloff.[4][3]
Seven of the eight songs (all except "Sonny Boy") were featured in the film The Jolson Story released on screen[4] in the same year 1946.
Billboard reviewed the album in its issue from December 21, 1946, writing: "It's a Jolsoniana nicety, rich in nostalgic needling appeal from start to finish, and proves Jolson is a song seller without peer of his school. [...] [N]ow with the movie coming up, it's a set of spinnings rich in merchandising appeal."[4]
The album reached number one on Billboard's Best-Selling Popular Record Albums chart.[1]
33-rpm and 45-rpm re-releases
Track listing
Set of four 10-inch 78-rpm records (Decca A-469)[3]
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Note(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "April Showers" | Louis Silvers—B. G. DeSylva | featured in Columbia Picture The Jolson Story |
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Note(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Swanee" | George Gershwin—Irving Caesar | featured in Columbia Picture The Jolson Story |
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Note(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "California, Here I Come" | Joseph Meyer—Al Jolson—B. G. DeSylva | featured in Columbia Picture The Jolson Story |
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Note(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Rock-a-Bye Your Baby with a Dixie Melody" | Jean Schwartz—Sam Lewis—Joe Young | featured in Columbia Picture The Jolson Story |
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Note(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "You Made Me Love You (I Didn't Want to Do It)" | James V. Monaco—Joe McCarthy | featured in Columbia Picture The Jolson Story |
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Note(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Ma Blushin' Rosie (Ma Posie Sweet)" | John Stromberg—Edgar Smith | featured in Columbia Picture The Jolson Story |
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Sonny Boy" | Al Jolson—B. G. DeSylva—Lew Brown—Ray Henderson |
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Note(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "My Mammy" | Walter Donaldson—Sam Lewis—Joe Young | featured in Columbia Picture The Jolson Story |
10-inch LP (Decca DL 5026)[5]
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | "April Showers" | |
| 2. | "Swanee" | |
| 3. | "California, Here I Come" | |
| 4. | "Rock-a-Bye Your Baby with a Dixie Melody" |
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | "You Made Me Love You (I Didn't Want to Do It)" | |
| 2. | "Ma Blushin' Rosie (Ma Posie Sweet)" | |
| 3. | "Sonny Boy" | |
| 4. | "My Mammy" |
Charts
| Chart (1947) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| US Billboard Best-Selling Popular Record Albums[1] | 1 |