Upon release, the album received mixed reviews. It was noted for its sensuous and intimate vocal style, but also described as a collection of familiar standards with only moderate potential. While it was highlighted as suitable for family listening, critics pointed out certain vocal limitations.
The album has been reissued multiple times over the years, retaining the same tracklist, though the song order and titles may vary between editions. In 2022, Geffen Records released a digital deluxe edition of the album. This expanded version included supplemental tracks featuring Dietrich's recordings originally made for other labels, such as Dot Records.
Background
Marlene Dietrich's association with Decca Records began in 1933 with the release of her first single for the label, "Assez" (catalog M 452). In 1940, Decca Records compiled Dietrich’s recordings into the box set Decca Presents Marlene Dietrich, initially released as three 10-inch 78 RPM shellac singles. The songs were recorded in Los Angeles under the direction of conductor Victor Young, with sessions taking place on two separate dates of December 1939. In 1948, Decca expanded this collection as Marlene Dietrich Souvenir Album, a 10-inch 78 RPM LP with two new tracks "Lili Marleen" and "Symphonie", recorded in New York with the orchestra conducted by Charles Magnante on September 7, 1945.[2]
The album Marlene Dietrich compiles those recordings from Dietrich's work during World War II and her postwar cabaret performances in Las Vegas and London. Many tracks originated from her USO tours for Allied troops, where she became renowned for singing "Lili Marlene" in both German and English.[3]
Decca expanded the compilation by adding two songs from Dietrich's film A Foreign Affair (1948)– "Black Market", which Billboard praised as demonstrating her "proficient" ability to "fill a tune about a black market with sex", and "Illusions", which the publication considered less impactful, released as a Shellac, 10", 78 RPM single (catalog no. 24582).[4] These additions brought the album's total to ten tracks, all originally released in the 1940s.
Release
The original album was released in 1957 in mono (catalog no. DL 78465)[1] and stereo (catalog no. DL 78465). Over the years it was reissued with the same tracklisting, but vary order: Lili Marlene (MCA Coral – COPS 1259), Original Favorites (MCA Records – 202 941-241), Stars Of The Forties (MCA Coral – 5C 052-95752), Ritratto Di... (Record Bazaar – RB86), among others. In June 1982, the album was reissued in the United States by MCA Records under the new title Her Complete Decca Recordings (catalog number MCA 1501). This re-release was made available in both LP and cassette tape formats.[5] The new edition featured modified cover art and an altered track sequence from the original 1957 version.
In 2022, Geffen Records released a digital deluxe edition of the album with eight bonus tracks.[6][7] "Kisses Sweeter than Wine" and its B-side "I May Never Go Home" was one of the tracks included on the album. Released after the album's original launch in 1958, the song received a rating of 76 (out of 100) from Billboard magazine, which wrote that they did not see Dietrich's recording as a serious attempt to break into the folk charts, but rather as a fascinating and well-crafted novelty piece. They appreciated her audacity in reinterpreting a popular hit through her unique and "continental" artistic lens (the "gypsy-ish flavor"), and felt that this uniqueness was its greatest asset, deserving of attention from the public and radio stations.[8] Of the other songs included on the album was the 1957 single, "Another Spring, Another Love" / "Near You" (Dot. catalog no. 15645). Cash Box magazine awarded the single a "B+" for the A-side and a "B" for the B-side. The review praised "Another Spring, Another Love," the theme from the film Witness for the Prosecution (1957), describing it as a "haunting mood number" and predicting it would get "heavy play" on the radio upon the film's release, calling it a "fine first showing" for Dietrich on the Dot label. Regarding the B-side, "Near You", the publication highlighted the innovative approach, noting that the artist "chants the standard against a rock and roll background", resulting in an "interesting coupling that deserves attention".[9]
The critic from Billboard magazine noted that Marlene Dietrich "still registers in the grooves" with the glamour associated with the artist. The review highlighted the selection of standards featured on the record, ranging from wartime songs like "Lili Marlene" to Cole Porter compositions such as "You Do Something to Me."The critic also remarked that the cover art would aid its appeal and assessed the album as having "moderate potential" for commercial success.[11]
Cash Box praised the album as featuring "some of the most celebrated" recordings of the actress-singer's career, delivered with her signature "sensuous and intimate vocal brand". The critic emphasized how Dietrich's distinctive renditions of wartime standards and Cole Porter classics captured her enduring appeal. The review noted these performances would "find their way to many a turntable" among her devoted fans, underscoring the album's targeted success.[13]
In a 1963 review for the St. Petersburg Times, critic Chick Ober highlighted Marlene Dietrich's self-titled album as "one of her best", particularly praising its striking color portrait of the artist. Ober noted the album's historical significance, featuring songs Dietrich performed for World War II troops alongside numbers from her Las Vegas and London shows. The review singled out her renditions of "Lili Marlene", "You Do Something to Me", "Falling in Love Again", and "You've Got That Look" as standout tracks.[3]
The album was featured in Nancy Jarrett's "Platter Patter" column in Lakeland Ledger, and in Norman Weiser's "Music for Family Listening" list in Family Weekly, where he commented: "While the glamorous granny's voice leaves much to be desired, Mom and Pop should like the item".[14][15]
In a contemporary review of the compilation Her Complete Decca Recordings, Cub Koda of AllMusic noted that while Marlene Dietrich recorded many of her signature songs multiple times for different labels, this particular compilation "catches her in fine form". He specifically highlighted the album's "excellent" reading of her biggest hit "Falling in Love Again".[10]
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