Songs from the Pen of Jerome Kern

Songs from the Pen of Jerome Kern[lower-alpha 1] is an album by Irene Dunne, released by Decca Records, which contained covers of six show tunes composed by Jerome Kern. It was re-released in 2011 with other songs that Dunne had sang in movies.

Songs from the Pen of Jerome Kern
Studio album by
Irene Dunne
Released
  • c. 1946 (78rpm LP)
  • 2011 (compilation CD)
RecordedJuly 16 – August 24, 1941 (1941-07-16 – 1941-08-24)
Length18:00
LabelDecca Records

Background

Irene Dunne began her career performing in musical theater before being invited to Hollywood to star in the musical Leathernecking.[4] Despite many genres in her filmography, she also sang in movies that were not musicals.[1] She often became associated with Jerome Kern's career, starring in Hollywood, musical adaptations that included songs he composed (Sweet Adeline,[5] Roberta,[6] Show Boat,[7] High, Wide, and Handsome,[8] and Joy of Living)[9] and had starred in The City Chap on Broadway years before in 1925.[10]

Between July 16 and August 24, 1941, Dunne recorded a compilation album performing six Kern-composed songs with Victor Young's orchestra.[11] The official release date is unknown but the album appeared in newspaper ads in 1946[2] and 1947;[3] it was also included among other Jerome Kern cover albums with popular singers and singing movie stars.[12]

In 2011, it was released in CD format (now named Sings Kern and Other Rarities) by audio remasters Sepia Records and included previously-unissued tracks recorded during the original release, as well as alternate takes and other songs (some not created by Kern) Dunne had performed in her movies.[13]

Track listing

Although eight songs were recorded between July and August 1941,[11] only six were published.[14]

Original track list
No.TitleWriter(s)Serial numberLength
1."Smoke Gets in Your Eyes"Otto HarbachDLA 2553[15]3:09
2."I've Told Ev'ry Little Star"Oscar Hammerstein IIDLA 2552[16]2:53
3."All The Things You Are"Hammersten IIDLA 2554[17]2:44
4."Why Was I Born?"Hammerstein IIDLA 2605[18]3:02
5."Babes in the Wood" DLA 2626[19]3:09
6."They Didn't Believe Me"Herbert ReynoldsDLA 2679[20]3:01
Total length:18:00

The six tracks were also released as three 10-inch records: "Smoke Gets in Your Eyes"/"I've Told Ev'ry Little Star",[21][22] "All the Things You Are"/"Why Was I Born?",[23] and "Babes in the Wood"/"They Didn't Believe Me".[24]

"All the Things You Are" was an originally-rejected track.[25] The other two tracks recorded but not included were "The Folks Who Live on the Hill" and "Make Believe".[26][27] They would later be included in the CD re-release.

2011 CD re-release
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
7."Lovely to Look At" (recording used in Roberta) 3:35
8."When I Grow Too Old to Dream"Oscar Hammerstein II3:29
9."Show Boat Exploitation Disc 1" ("Why Do I Love You?" from Show Boat) 3:22
10."Show Boat Exploitation Disc 2" (megamix) 3:24
11."I Have the Room Above Her" (from Show Boat, with Allan Jones) 3:46
12."Make Believe" (from Show Boat) 3:13
13."They Don't Believe Me" (alternate take) 2:42
14."Why Was I Born?" (alternate take) 2:57
15."The Folks Who Live on the Hill" (from High, Wide and Handsome)Hammerstein II3:01
16."All the Things You Are" (alternate take) 2:39
17."Smoke Gets in Your Eyes" (alternate take)Otto Harbach3:00
18."Babes in the Wood" (alternate take) 3:03
19."If Love Were All"Noel Coward1:51
20."Sing My Heart" (from Love Affair)Ted Koehler3:30
21."You Couldn't Be Cuter"Dorothy Fields1:05
Total length:01:02:49

Reception

No sales data has been released, but it was included in the Popular Albums section in a Paris Downstairs newspaper advert,[28] and Appeal-Democrat claimed that "the record shops are doing a landoffice [sic] business with her album".[29] However, critical reception was negative, with comparisons to Bing Crosby's Kern album that had a similar release time: "Crosby handles the Jerome Kern tunes with considerable more facility than Miss Dunne," wrote the Latrobe Bulletin,[30] and Betty Mead wrote, "Both Crosby and Irene Dunne present albums of Jerome Kern. Miss Dunne, unfortunately for her record, sounds better when you can see her [perform]."[14] Meanwhile, Michael Levin wrote, "Recalling Miss Dunne's charm was more pleasant to me than listening to her singing."[31]

Notes
  1. Also known as Irene Dunne in Songs from the Pen of Jerome Kern,[1] Songs by Jerome Kern,[2] Jerome Kern Songs,[3] Irene Dunne in Songs by Jerome Kern.
gollark: As planned.
gollark: Also, potatOS is perfect and without flaw.
gollark: PotatoNET is already in use. You CANNOT have the name. I'm using it twice.
gollark: It sends an incident report.
gollark: Oh, you mean how does it respond, right.

References
  1. "Irene as a singer". Irene Dunne Site. Archived from the original on March 16, 2020.
  2. "[advertizing section]". The Evening Times. November 27, 1946 – via Newspapers.com.
  3. "[advertizing section:] Investments in Pleasure". The Morning Call. March 19, 1947.
  4. "AFI|Catalog - Leathernecking". American Film Institute. Archived from the original on June 25, 2020.
  5. "AFI|Catalog - Sweet Adeline". American Film Institute. Archived from the original on June 25, 2020.
  6. "AFI|Catalog - Roberta". American Film Institute. Archived from the original on June 25, 2020.
  7. "AFI|Catalog - Show Boat". American Film Institute. Archived from the original on June 25, 2020.
  8. "AFI|Catalog - High, Wide and Handsome". Archived from the original on June 25, 2020.
  9. "AFI|Catalog - Joy of Living". American Film Institute. Archived from the original on June 25, 2020.
  10. Wes D. Gehring (2006). "The Early Years". Irene Dunne: First Lady of Hollywood. Scarecrow Press. p. 16. ISBN 9780810858640.
  11. "Discography of American Historical Recordings, s.v. "Irene Dunne (vocalist)"". Archived from the original on June 19, 2020.
  12. Woodward, Leroy (March 9, 1947). "Platter Clatter". The Owensboro Messenger – via Newspapers.com. INTERSTATE stands ready with the musical highlights on record, offering both albums and records. The albums include the following : BING CROSBY'S JEROME KERN SONGS, JEROME KERN SONGS [by] (FRED WARING), JEROME KERN SONGS (IRENE DUNNE), JEROME KERN (AL GOODMAN), JEROME KERN'S SHOW TUNES (AL GOODMAN), JEROME KERN'S MUSIC (CAPITOL ARTISTS)
  13. "IRENE DUNNE SINGS KERN AND OTHER RARITIES - SEPIA 1171". Sepia Records. Archived from the original on June 19, 2020.
  14. Mead, Betty (December 10, 1946). "In the Spin". The Daily Oklahoman. p. 13 – via Newspapers.com.
  15. "Decca matrix DLA 2553. Smoke gets in your eyes / Irene Dunne". Discography of American Historical Recordings, s.v. Archived from the original on April 24, 2019. Retrieved April 24, 2019.
  16. "Decca matrix DLA 2552. I've told ev'ry little star / Irene Dunne". Discography of American Historical Recordings, s.v. Archived from the original on April 24, 2019. Retrieved April 24, 2019.
  17. "Decca matrix DLA 2554. All the things you are / Irene Dunne". Discography of American Historical Recordings, s.v. Archived from the original on April 24, 2019. Retrieved April 24, 2019.
  18. "Decca matrix DLA 2605. Why was I born? / Irene Dunne". Discography of American Historical Recordings.
  19. "Decca matrix DLA 2626. Babes in the wood / Irene Dunne". Discography of American Historical Recordings. Archived from the original on May 15, 2020. Retrieved April 24, 2019.
  20. "Decca matrix DLA 2679. They didn't believe me / Irene Dunne". Discography of American Historical Recordings, s.v. Archived from the original on May 15, 2020. Retrieved April 24, 2019.
  21. "Decca 40016 (10-in. double-faced). (Album A-484)". Discography of American Historical Recordings, s.v.
  22. "Decca 18201 (10-in. double-faced). (Album A-294)".
  23. "Decca 18202 (10-in. double-faced). (Album A-294)".
  24. "Decca 18203 (10-in. double-faced). (Album A-294)".
  25. "Decca matrix DLA 2554. All the things you are / Irene Dunne". Discography of American Historical Recordings, s.v. Archived from the original on April 24, 2019. Retrieved April 24, 2019.
  26. "Decca matrix DLA 2604. The folks who live on the hill / Irene Dunne". Discography of American Historical Recordings, s.v. Archived from the original on April 24, 2019. Retrieved April 24, 2019.
  27. "Decca matrix DLA 2606. Make believe / Irene Dunne". Discography of American Historical Recordings, s.v. Archived from the original on April 24, 2019. Retrieved April 24, 2019.
  28. "Now in the Paris Downstairs Store..." Great Falls Tribune. February 14, 1947 – via Newspapers.com.
  29. "In Hollywood". Appeal-Democrat. November 6, 1945 – via Newspapers.com.
  30. "World of Music". Latrobe Bulletin. December 19, 1946 – via Newspapers.com.
  31. Levin, Michael (April 7, 1942). "Record Ramblings". Messenger-Inquirer – via Newspapers.com.
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