The Cosmopolitan Marlene Dietrich is a compilation album by German-American actress and singer Marlene Dietrich, released in 1993 by Columbia/Legacy Records (catalog no. CK 53209). The album is part of Columbia/Legacy's "Art Deco" series, a collection dedicated to artists from the period between 1925 and 1941.
Comprising eighteen tracks, the work includes eight original recordings produced for the Office of Strategic Services (OSS) during World War II, supplemented by ten additional songs. The repertoire incorporates compositions such as "La Vie en Rose", "Falling in Love Again", and "Good for Nothin'", the latter originating from the Rosie and Marlene extended play (EP). Some sources identify it as a reissue of Dietrich's earlier 1951 album, Marlene Dietrich Overseas, with the addition of previously unreleased material.[1]
Release
Art Deco: The Cosmopolitan Marlene Dietrich was released as one of the five inaugural volumes of Columbia/Legacy's "Art Deco" series, dedicated to exploring the music of its namesake period (approximately 1925-1941). The collection was conceived to rescue and celebrate artists who, despite their influence, were underrepresented in record label catalogs. In addition to Dietrich's album, the series included the compilations Sophisticated Ladies (female singers), The Crooners (male singers), Can't Help Lovin' That Man (songs about men), and an overview titled This Is Art Deco, all released simultaneously. Each disc in the series was accompanied by an essay contextualizing the music within the artistic and technological movement of Art Deco, including the impact of the transition to electrical recording in 1925.[2]
Promotion
Legacy's marketing strategy targeted a sophisticated audience, from traditional upscale publications and a younger, sophisticated consumer, including the alternative and gay markets. The label employed print advertising campaigns and promotion on syndicated big band radio programs to promote all volumes in an integrated manner.[3]
AllMusic critic Stephen Thomas Erlewine described The Cosmopolitan Marlene Dietrich as "a terrific 18-track collection that showcases the seductive, sophisticated pop songs Dietrich recorded for Columbia Records", highlighting tracks such as "Lili Marlene", "Mean to Me", "Time on My Hands", "Taking a Chance on Love", "I Never Slept a Wink Last Night", "No Love, No Nothin'", and "Miss Otis Regrets".[4]
Writing for The Buffalo News, critic Mary Kunz described 'The Cosmopolitan Marlene Dietrich as a collection of "eighteen shining recordings" from the 1930s to the 1950s. She noted that Dietrich was entertaining in her jazzy English numbers, particularly in a duet with Rosemary Clooney, but considered her at her best in more world-weary performances, such as "Lili Marlene" and "Falling in Love Again". Kunz remarked that the album was able to turn "even the most respectable North Buffalo living room into something out of a Kurt Weill cabaret.[5]
In the Spartanburg Herald-Journal's music section on August 11, 1993, critic Jonathan Takiff featured the album, highlighting it as a "significant new compilation".[7]
1 2 Kunz, Mary (June 17, 1994). "Reviving the Ageless; Lena Horne Triumphs, and Vaudeville's Legends Live On". The Buffalo News. Buffalo, N.Y. p.G37. ISSN0745-2691.
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