The Best of Marlene Dietrich is a compilation album by German-American singer and actress Marlene Dietrich, released by EMI Records in August 1985 .[1] The collection features twenty songs originally recorded by Dietrich during the 1960s, drawing from various studio albums and single releases. It includes eleven tracks from the 1960 album Wiedersehen mit Marlene, and four songs from the 1964 album Die neue Marlene, recorded in London with German-language repertoire.
The compilation also incorporates material from Dietrich's single releases, including the 1965 single "Where Have All the Flowers Gone?" / "Blowin' in the Wind" and three additional tracks that appeared as B-sides and on EPs: "Die Welt War Jung," "Cherchez La Rose," and "Dejeuner Du Matin." These recordings represent different phases of Dietrich's work from the early to mid-1960s, showcasing her transition between musical styles and languages during this period. The compilation received a positive review from Music Week, which described Dietrich's voice as evocative and highlighted her rendition of "Where Have All the Flowers Gone?" as a standout track.
Album details
EMI Records included eleven of the 13 songs from the album Wiedersehen mit Marlene in their studio versions. This album was recorded in August 1960, following her controversial and emotionally charged concert tour in West Germany.[2] Produced by her longtime musical director Burt Bacharach, it was marketed as a live album but actually featured studio recordings from Cologne that were later overdubbed with audience applause from her tour performances. It was first released on the Electrola label in Germany and subsequently issued by Capitol Records in the United States with a slightly altered track listing.[3]
The album also features the two songs from the single "Where Have All the Flowers Gone?" / "Blowin' In The Wind" (His Master's Voice – POP 1379) - the former being a folk song composed by Pete Seeger in 1955, inspired by the Cossack folk song "Koloda-Duda" and set to an Irish melody,[4] which would later be inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame in 2002.[5] According to Billboard, Dietrich first recorded the song in English in 1963 in London under Norman Newell's direction, though dissatisfied with the results, she subsequently re-recorded the vocals in Paris before the single's eventual Australian release in December 1965.[6][7] The song received a "B" rating from Cash Box in its April 18, 1964 edition.[8] According to Record Mirror, Dietrich's previously mentioned single was a professionally executed release. The reviewer noted that with Bacharach providing a delicate arrangement, Dietrich delivered a pleasant and gentle rendition of the Pete Seeger song that was very effective. The flip side, "Blowin' In The Wind," was described as equally familiar.[9]
Additionally, the compilation featured four tracks from the album Die neue Marlene: "Sch, Kleines Baby," "Wenn Der Sommer Weider Einzieht," "Ich Werde Dich Lieben," and "Wenn Die Soldaten." Recorded in London, the original album marked a departure from her previous work by focusing on a repertoire of German-language songs, including folk adaptations. Notably, it was largely arranged without Bacharach, a shift that signaled a new artistic direction and inspired its title, which translates to The New Marlene.[10]
The three remaining songs were released as singles and on EPs in the 1960s. "Die Welt War Jung (Le Chevalier De Paris)" was featured as the B-side to "Sag Mir Wo Die Blumen Sind" (Electrola – E 22 180). Additionally, "Cherchez La Rose" and "Dejeuner Du Matin" were included on the 1962 French EP Marlène (La Voix De Son Maître – EGF 597).
Music Week reviewed the compilation positively, describing it as capturing the "legendary lady in her full throaty glory." The publication highlighted the selection of early-1960s recordings, including the German-language version of her signature song "Falling in Love Again", "Lili Marlene", and her "moving rendition" of Pete Seeger's "Where Have All the Flowers Gone?". The review noted that Dietrich's voice was "marvellously evocative of classic old movies and inter-war cabaret clubs". It concluded that the preponderance of German-language material would not deter older generations from purchasing what it deemed "an excellent memento of a unique star".[11]
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