For the First Time (Mario Lanza album)

Last updated
For the First Time
For the First Time (Mario Lanza album).jpg
Soundtrack album by
Mario Lanza
Released1959
Label RCA Victor
Mario Lanza chronology
Seven Hills of Rome
(1958)		For the First Time
(1959)

For the First Time is a soundtrack album by tenor Mario Lanza containing songs featured in the 1959 Corona Films production For the First Time that he starred in. The album was released by RCA Victor in the same year. [1]

Contents

Release

The album was released on the RCA Victor record label in 1959 – to coincide with the release of the film.

The album was available on LP, catalog numbers LCS-2338 (stereo) and LM-2211 (mono). [1]

There was also an EP titled For the First Time (cat. no. EPA-4344). It had a relatively short runtime, with only five songs across its two sides. [2]

Reception

Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
Billboard positive ("Spotlight" pick) [3]

Billboard chose the album for its "Spotlight winners of the week" section, listing it one of the albums with the "strongest sales potential". The review stated: "The tunes are melodic, and Lanza wraps them up pleasantly and lyrically. A good cover shot of Mario Lanza [...] and sound are plus factors." [3]

The album peaked at number 7 on Billboard's stereo LPs chart [4] and at number 13 on the mono one. [5]

Track listing

LP (RCA Victor LM-2338) [1]

All the tracks are taken from the soundtrack of the Corona Films production For the First Time . [6]

Side 1
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."Come prima"Panzeri–Taccani–Di Paola3:23
2."Tarantella"Stoll2:19
3."O sole mio"Di Capua2:27
4."Neapolitan Dance"Stoll1:38
5."Hofbrauhaus Song"Bette–Hauff1:32
6."O, mon amour"Asso–Monnot1:14
7."Mazurka"Stoll1:27
8."Pineapple Pickers"Stoll1:40
Side 2
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."Vesti la giubba"Leoncavallo – Pagliacci3:31
2."Finale"Verdi – Othello4:36
3."Act I"Verdi – Aida4:32
4."Ich liebe dich"Grieg2:31
5."Ave Maria"Schubert3:02


EP (RCA Victor EPA-4344) [2]

Side 1
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."Come prima"Panzeri–Taccani–Di Paola 
2."Pineapple Pickers"Stoll 
Side 2
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."O, mon amour"Asso–Monnot 
2."O sole mio"Russo–Di Capua 
5."Hofbrauhaus Song"Bette–Hauff 

Charts

Chart (1959)Peak
position
US Billboard Top LPs – Best Selling Monophonic LPs [5] 13
US Billboard Top LPs – Best Selling Stereophonic LPs [4] 5

EP

Chart (1959)Peak
position
US Billboard Best Selling Pop EPs [7] 2

References

  1. 1 2 3 "Mario Lanza – For The First Time (Original Soundtrack) – Vinyl (LP, Mono), 1959". 1959 – via Discogs.
  2. 1 2 "Mario Lanza – For The First Time – Vinyl (7", 45 RPM), 1959". 1959 – via Discogs.
  3. 1 2 "Reviews of this week's LPs". Billboard . 17 August 1959.
  4. 1 2 "Billboard". Billboard . 14 December 1959.
  5. 1 2 "Billboard". Billboard . 21 December 1959.
  6. ↑ Album's labels.
  7. ↑ "Billboard Best Selling Pop EPs". Billboard . 1 August 1960.
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