American actress/singer Jeanette MacDonald (1903 – 1965) recorded over 50 songs during her film career for RCA Victor and its foreign counterparts. Due to the limited statistics released to the public, it is not certain how many songs and singles she has released or their exact popularity in music charts, although she has officially recorded eight studio albums (five LPs) and released seven compilation albums. Despite soundtracks for musical films not becoming a concept until the 1940s, many of her singles were re-recordings of songs she had performed in the movies (a common practice other musical actors did at the time); her first "album" was the single "Dream Lover"/"March of the Grenadiers" (1930) on 78 rpm discs for The Love Parade. She also recorded a cover album of songs featured in Sigmund Romberg's Up in Central Park in 1945 with Robert Merrill, as well as non-English records during her 1931 European tour.
MacDonald performed in musicals alongside Maurice Chevalier, Allan Jones, and Nelson Eddy, although her films with Eddy are the most well-known today. The single "Ah! Sweet Mystery of Life"/"Indian Love Call" from Rose Marie (1936) received a gold record from RCA Red Seal. Her other popular (and/or well-remembered) singles were "Beyond the Blue Horizon", "San Francisco", and "Ave Maria". "Beyond the Blue Horizon" peaked at #9 in the charts and became MacDonald's signature song; she performed it professionally three times in her career.
MacDonald's first studio album was MacDonald in Song (1939), followed by Religious Songs (1945) and Operetta Favorites (1946). Her first LP was Romantic Moments (1950), followed by Favorites, Favorites in Hi-Fi (1959), Smilin' Through (1960) and Jeanette MacDonald Sings Songs of Faith and Inspiration (1963). Seven official compilation albums were released, such as Jeanette MacDonald 1929–1939 and A Tribute to Jeanette MacDonald volumes 1 and 2, but due to the varying copyrights on audio worldwide, unofficial albums in MacDonald's name have been released on CDs in European countries under public domain.
Albums Studio albums Title Year Album details Notes MacDonald in Songc. 1939 Also included a few songs with Bamboschek as piano accompaniment Religious Songs 1945 Also known as Jeanette MacDonald With Orchestra and Chorus Religious Songs Up in Central Park1945 A tribute album with Robert Merrill Operetta Favourites 1946 Re-released in 1950 Romantic Moments 1950 Favorites Favorites in Hi-Fi 1959 Smilin' Through 1960 Jeanette MacDonald Sings Songs of Faith and Inspiration1963
Compilation albums Title Year Album details Notes RefOperetta Favorites by Jeanette MacDonald and Nelson Eddy 1952 Jeanette MacDonald and Nelson Eddy (Vintage Series) 1966 From RCA Victor's Vintage Series Jeanette MacDonald Sings San Francisco And Other Silver Screen Favorites1970 Not to be confused with San Francisco and Other Jeanette MacDonald Favorites Singing Sweetheart1979 Peaked at number 51 in Australia. A Tribute to Jeanette MacDonald, vol. 1 A Tribute to Jeanette MacDonald, vol. 2 San Francisco and Other Jeanette MacDonald Favorites 1991 Jeanette MacDonald 1929–1939 Also known as Jeanette MacDonald: Succes Et Raretes, 1929–1939
Songs Singles Year Title Credits Notes 1930 "Dream Lover"/"March of the Grenadiers" From the movie The Love Parade"Always, In All Ways"/"Beyond the Blue Horizon" 1932 "One Hour with You"/"We Will Always Be Sweethearts" "Une heure près de toi"/"Coeur contre coeur" "Love Me Tonight"/"Isn't It Romantic?" "Veux-tu m'aimer"/"N'est-ce pas poétique" 1934 "The Merry Widow Waltz"/"Vilia" For the movie The Merry Widow "Tonight Will Teach Me to Forget"/"Try to Forget" 1935 "Italian Street Song"/"Ah! Sweet Mystery of Life" From Naughty Marietta 1936 "Indian Love Call"/"Ah! Sweet Mystery of Life" 1937 "Farewell to Dreams"/"Will You Remember?"
Selected list of other songs Year Title Translation Album Credits Notes 1931"Dear, When I Met You" English Recorded in London with His Master's Voice "Reviens" "Good Night" "Pardon, Madame" 1933 "J'aime d'amour"French"The Merry Widow Waltz" Recorded in Paris with Disque Gramophone "Chanson de Vilya" 1939 "When I Have Sung My Songs" English Piano accompanist: Giuseppe Bamboschek MacDonald in Songs (1939) "Do Not Go, My Love" English "Annie Laurie" English "Comin' Thro' the Rye (Old Scotch Air)" English "From the Land of the Sky-Blue Water" English "Let Me Always Sing" English "Ave Maria" Latin From the opera Faust."Les Filles de Cadiz" French "Il était un roi de Thulé" French "Air des bijoux"French "The Jewel Song" "Je veux vivre dans ce rêve"French "Juliette's Waltz Song" "Depuis le jour" French From the opera Louise "Lover, Come Back to Me"English For New Moon "One Kiss"English 1941"Drink to Me Only with Thine Eyes"English For Smilin' Through "Smilin' Through"English "The Kerry Dance"English "Ouvre ton coeur"French "A Little Love, a Little Kiss"English "Land of Hope and Glory"English 1945"Agnus Dei (Lamb of God)" Religious Songs (1945)"O Lord Most Holy (Panis angelicus)" "Summer Serenade"English "Italian Street Song"English "Abide with Me"English Religious Songs (1945)"Nearer My God to Thee"English "The Holy City"English "Battle Hymn of the Republic"English "Carousel in the Park"English Up in Central Park (1945) "It Doesn't Cost You Anything to Dream"English "Close as Pages in a Book"English Duet with Robert Merrill "The Fireman's Bride"English1946"They Didn't Believe Me" English Operetta Moments (1946)Song from the musical The Girl From Utah "Giannina Mia" English Song from The Firefly "Smoke Gets in Your Eyes" English From Roberta "Sweetheart Waltz" English From Sweethearts"Romany Life"English From The Fortune Teller"Donkey Serenade"English From The Firefly"I Wish I May, I Wish I Might" English Featured in an audio adaptation of Cinderella by Michael Martin"Look at Me, Look at Me" English "Dancing the Waltz Tonight"English "Today I've Found Prince Charming"English "Mi chiamano Mimi" Italian "Un bel di vedremo" Italian 1947"I'll See You Again" English "Romance" English "Beau Soir" French "I Love You Truly"English "A Perfect Day"English "Springtide"English "Where There's Love"English Based on waltzes from Der Rosenkavalier and was featured in Three Daring Daughters "Summertime"English "The Man I Love"English "Zigeuner" English 1949"Tes yeux" "Vilia" English "If You Were Mine" English "Songs My Mother Taught Me" English1950"Only a Rose" EnglishFavorites "Les Filles de Cadiz" French"The Old Refrain" English "Beyond the Blue Horizon" English Favorites "Ciribiribin" English "One Night of Love" English "Indian Love Call" English "When You're Away" English Romantic Moments (1950) "One Alone" English "Parlez-moi d'amour" "Will You Remember?" English "Ah! Sweet Mystery of Life"English "San Francisco"English 1957"Indian Love Call" EnglishDuet with Nelson EddyFavorites in Hi-Fi (1959) "Ah! Sweet Mystery of Life"English"Wanting You" English"Will You Remember?" English 1958 "Giannia Mia" English "Beyond the Blue Horizon" English "Italian Street Song" English "The Breeze and I" English
Unreleased + Note that many of the tracks included were re-recordings of tracks that had been released to the public prior. Year Title Translation Credits Notes 1930 "Dream Lover" English 1933 "Only a Rose"English Recorded in Paris with Disque Gramophone1934 "J'aime d'amour"French"The Merry Widow Waltz" "Mon coeur est las, mon coeur est lourd""Tonight Will Teach Me to Forget" "Essayons d'oublier""Try to Forget" 1935"Chanson italienne""Italian Street Song" "Mélodie du rêve""Ah! Sweet Mystery of Life" 1936"Song of Love"English Later included on Jeanette MacDonald and Nelson Eddy (Vintage Series)1939"Depuis le jour"French "From the Land of the Sky-Blue Water"English Piano accompanyment by Gene Raymond "Let Me Always Sing"EnglishTwo takes were recorded on September 16 and October 5
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Studio albums