The Wizard of Oz | ||||
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Studio album by Various artists (Judy Garland with Victor Young and his orchestra) | ||||
Released | 1939 | |||
Recorded | July 28–29, 1939 | |||
Label | Decca | |||
Judy Garland chronology | ||||
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Singles from The Wizard of Oz | ||||
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The Wizard of Oz is an album of phonograph records released in 1939 on the Decca label. It featured songs from the Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer motion picture The Wizard of Oz starring Judy Garland. [6]
The recordings the album contained were not taken from the actual movie's soundtrack,they were recorded specially for this album on July 28–29,1939. [5]
The album included seven songs [3] spread over eight sides. [5] The music was played by the Victor Young Orchestra. [3]
The vocals on "Over the Rainbow" [3] and "The Jitterbug" were sung by Judy Garland. [7] These two are the only songs from The Wizard of Oz that Judy Garland recorded commercially. [8] Moreover,"The Jitterbug" was ultimately cut from the film. [9] [10]
The vocals on "Munchkinland","If I Only Had a Brain","If I Only Had a Heart","The Merry Old Land of Oz","We're Off to See the Wizard" were sung the Ken Darby Singers. [3] None of the other movie cast members participated in the recording. [5] The spoken part of the Scarecrow in the intro to "The Jitterbug" was performed by Harold Arlen. [5]
Review scores | |
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Source | Rating |
The School Musician | positive [3] |
The New Yorker | positive [4] |
The Musical Score of The Wizard of Oz &The Song Hits from Pinocchio | |
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Review scores | |
Source | Rating |
Billboard | 85/100 [11] |
Originally,in 1939,the album was released as a set of four 10-inch 78-rpm shellac records (catalog number:Decca Album 74). [12]
In 1947,it was reissued with a different cover (cat. no.:Decca A-558),also as a set of four 10-inch 78-rpm records. [7] [18]
The actual soundtrack recording would not be available on record until late 1956 when it was released on MGM Records [5] [19] to coincide with the first TV showing of the motion picture. [20] [21] (See The Wizard of Oz:The Original Cast Album .)
At the same time,Decca,too,re-released its album for the TV premiere,now adding a number of songs from Pinocchio to form the 12-inch long-play titled The Musical Score of The Wizard of Oz &The Song Hits from Pinocchio (cat. no.:Decca DL 8387). [11] [26] Billboard reviewed the LP in its issue from 10 November 1956,giving it 85 points out of 100 (which indicated an "excellent" rating) and writing:"M-G-M has produced a sound track version,but this,too,will come in for plenty of attention,in spite of lacking the other original cast artists. Cuttings were made by Decca at the time of the original release of the pic and they have a comparatively high quality of sound,considering. Flip side rates attention,too,with its group of selections,also featuring a much younger Miss Garland on songs from Pinocchio. This one should hold its own in the pre-holiday gift-buying market." [11]
4 x 10" 78 rpm (Decca Album 74)
All lyrics are written by E. Y. Harburg; all music is composed by Harold Arlen
No. | Title | Artist | Length |
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1. | "Over the Rainbow" | Judy Garland with Victor Young and his orchestra |
No. | Title | Artist | Length |
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1. | "The Jitterbug" | Judy Garland with Victor Young and his orchestra |
No. | Title | Artist | Length |
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1. | "Munchkinland, Part I" | Victor Young and his orchestra. Vocals under the direction of Ken Darby |
No. | Title | Artist | Length |
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1. | "Munchkinland, Part II" | Victor Young and his orchestra. Vocals under the direction of Ken Darby |
No. | Title | Artist | Length |
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1. | "If I Only Had a Brain" | Victor Young and his orchestra. Vocals under the direction of Ken Darby |
No. | Title | Artist | Length |
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1. | "If I Only Had a Heart (If I Only Had the Nerve)" | Victor Young and His Orchestra. Vocals under the direction of Ken Darby |
No. | Title | Artist | Length |
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1. | "The Merry Old Land of Oz" | Victor Young and his orchestra. Vocals under the direction of Ken Darby |
No. | Title | Artist | Length |
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1. | "We're Off to See the Wizard" | Victor Young and his orchestra. Vocals under the direction of Ken Darby |
Notes:
Decca's Album No. 74 contains seven of the tunes from M.G.M.'s production, "The Wizard of Os". The Jitterbug, Munchkinland, If I Only Had a Brain, If I Only Had a Heart, The Merry Old Land of Oz and We're Off to See the Wizard are played by Victor Young's Orchestra and sung by the Ken Darby Singers. Stand-out tune of the whole lot is, of course, Over the Rainbow as sung by Judy Oarland. Others have recorded this hit melody, but the vibrant Judy takes top honors.
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: CS1 maint: date and year (link)Those who go to movies will like the Decca album of tunes from "The Wizard of Oz" (set D-74, $1.90, in which Judy Garland sings...