Oklahoma! (soundtrack)
Encyclopedia
Oklahoma! is the original soundtrack album
of the 1955 film Oklahoma!, an adaptation of the musical play of the same name
. The soundtrack charted #1 on the Billboard Pop Album Chart in 1956 and has been in continual print. It was certified
"gold" by the RIAA on July 8, 1958 and "multi-platinum" on April 1, 1992.
It was originally released as a 42 minute album on the Capitol Records
label, but only in mono at first. However, as with the 1956 film soundtracks of Carousel and The King and I
(also issued by Capitol on LP), because the film's soundtrack had been recorded in then state-of-the-art stereo, it was possible for Capitol to issue a stereo version of the album in 1958. And again as with Carousel because of a difference between mono and stereo grooves, it was necessary to cut a very brief section of the music on the stereo release.
In 1956, less than a year after the first mono Capitol soundtrack LP was released - Goddard Lieberson
of rival Columbia Records
produced a studio cast LP of Oklahoma! featuring Nelson Eddy
and a supporting cast, with the chorus and orchestra directed by Lehman Engel
, and using the original orchestrations. The Columbia LP "Nelson Eddy in Oklahoma" (CL 828) was promoted as the "complete score" because it included the song "Lonely Room" and a track, "Entrance of Ensemble", which had not previously been released from the score.
and Richard Rodgers
.
on CD in the Broadway Classics series, and finally on Angel in a much expanded CD edition containing virtually all the music. It is the best-known recording of Oklahoma! ever made, even eclipsing the fame of the pioneering 1943 original Broadway cast album of the show.
The latest CD expanded edition contained more than twice the amount of music listed here, and runs nearly 80 minutes, with only a very brief reprise of "I Cain't Say No" and the numbers actually left out of the film omitted. Even the ballet music was included.
One notable difference between the original version of the film soundtrack album and the expanded edition is that the original album contains a new overture specifically created for the recording, and not the overture and opening credits
music as heard in the actual film. The expanded edition of the soundtrack, issued in 2001, contains both the overture that was heard before the opening credits in the original roadshow theatrical release
of the film, plus the opening credits music exactly as heard in the Todd-AO release of the film.
Soundtrack album
A soundtrack album is any album that incorporates music directly recorded from the soundtrack of a particular feature film or television program. In some cases, not all the tracks from the movie are included in the album; however there are rare cases of songs in the trailers that do not appear in...
of the 1955 film Oklahoma!, an adaptation of the musical play of the same name
Oklahoma!
Oklahoma! is the first musical written by composer Richard Rodgers and librettist Oscar Hammerstein II. The musical is based on Lynn Riggs' 1931 play, Green Grow the Lilacs. Set in Oklahoma Territory outside the town of Claremore in 1906, it tells the story of cowboy Curly McLain and his romance...
. The soundtrack charted #1 on the Billboard Pop Album Chart in 1956 and has been in continual print. It was certified
Music recording sales certification
Music recording sales certification is a system of certifying that a music recording has shipped or sold a certain number of copies, where the threshold quantity varies by type and by nation or territory .Almost all countries follow variations of the RIAA certification categories,...
"gold" by the RIAA on July 8, 1958 and "multi-platinum" on April 1, 1992.
It was originally released as a 42 minute album on the Capitol Records
Capitol Records
Capitol Records is a major United States based record label, formerly located in Los Angeles, but operating in New York City as part of Capitol Music Group. Its former headquarters building, the Capitol Tower, is a major landmark near the corner of Hollywood and Vine...
label, but only in mono at first. However, as with the 1956 film soundtracks of Carousel and The King and I
The King and I (1956 film)
The King and I is a 1956 musical film made by 20th Century Fox, directed by Walter Lang and produced by Charles Brackett and Darryl F. Zanuck. The screenplay by Ernest Lehman is based on the Richard Rodgers and Oscar Hammerstein II musical The King and I, based in turn on the book Anna and the King...
(also issued by Capitol on LP), because the film's soundtrack had been recorded in then state-of-the-art stereo, it was possible for Capitol to issue a stereo version of the album in 1958. And again as with Carousel because of a difference between mono and stereo grooves, it was necessary to cut a very brief section of the music on the stereo release.
In 1956, less than a year after the first mono Capitol soundtrack LP was released - Goddard Lieberson
Goddard Lieberson
Goddard Lieberson was the president of Columbia Records from 1956 to 1971, and from 1973 to 1975. He was also a composer, and studied with George Frederick McKay, at the University of Washington, Seattle....
of rival Columbia Records
Columbia Records
Columbia Records is an American record label, owned by Japan's Sony Music Entertainment, operating under the Columbia Music Group with Aware Records. It was founded in 1888, evolving from an earlier enterprise, the American Graphophone Company — successor to the Volta Graphophone Company...
produced a studio cast LP of Oklahoma! featuring Nelson Eddy
Nelson Eddy
Nelson Ackerman Eddy was an American singer and actor who appeared in 19 musical films during the 1930s and 1940s, as well as in opera and on the concert stage, radio, television, and in nightclubs. A classically trained baritone, he is best remembered for the eight films in which he costarred...
and a supporting cast, with the chorus and orchestra directed by Lehman Engel
Lehman Engel
Lehman Engel was an American composer and conductor of Broadway musicals, television and film.-Work in theatre, television and films:...
, and using the original orchestrations. The Columbia LP "Nelson Eddy in Oklahoma" (CL 828) was promoted as the "complete score" because it included the song "Lonely Room" and a track, "Entrance of Ensemble", which had not previously been released from the score.
Todd-AO vs. Cinemascope
A notable difference between the mono and stereo versions of the Capitol album is that the Cinemascope version of the film was used in the making of the mono version, while the Todd-AO version was used for the stereophonic release. Although the singing is the same in both, different inflections are noticeable in the brief spoken dialogue retained on the album, for instance, in the spoken portion of the song Pore Jud Is Daid.Named performers
By order of appearance on soundtrack.- Gordon MacRaeGordon MacRaeGordon MacRae was an American actor and singer, best known for his appearances in the film versions of two Rodgers and Hammerstein musicals, Oklahoma! and Carousel and films with Doris Day like Starlift.-Early life:Born Albert Gordon MacRae in East Orange, New Jersey, MacRae graduated from...
– Curly McLain - Shirley JonesShirley JonesShirley Mae Jones is an American singer and actress of stage, film and television. In her six decades of television, she starred as wholesome characters in a number of well-known musical films, such as Oklahoma! , Carousel , and The Music Man...
– Laurey Williams - Charlotte GreenwoodCharlotte GreenwoodFrances Charlotte Greenwood was an American actress and dancer. Born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, Greenwood started in vaudeville, and eventually starred on Broadway, movies and radio. Standing around six feet tall, she was best known for her long legs and high kicks...
– Aunt Eller Murphy - Gene NelsonGene NelsonGene Nelson was an American dancer, actor, screenwriter, and director.-Biography:Born Leander Eugene Berg in Astoria, Oregon, he moved to Seattle when he was one year old. He was inspired to become a dancer by watching Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers films when he was a child...
– Will Parker - Gloria GrahameGloria GrahameGloria Grahame was an American Academy Award–winning actress.Grahame began her acting career in theatre, and in 1944 she made her first film for MGM. Despite a featured role in It's a Wonderful Life , MGM did not believe she had the potential for major success, and sold her contract to RKO Studios...
– Ado Annie Carnes - Rod SteigerRod SteigerRodney Stephen "Rod" Steiger was an Academy Award-winning American actor known for his performances in such films as On the Waterfront, The Big Knife, Oklahoma!, The Harder They Fall, Across the Bridge, The Pawnbroker, Doctor Zhivago, In the Heat of the Night, and Waterloo as well as the...
– Jud Fry - Jay C. FlippenJay C. FlippenJay C. Flippen is an American character actor who often played police officers or weary criminals in many films of the 1940s/'50s....
– Ike Skidmore - James WhitmoreJames WhitmoreJames Allen Whitmore, Jr. was an American film and stage actor.-Early life:Born in White Plains, New York, to Florence Belle and James Allen Whitmore, Sr., a park commission official, Whitmore attended Amherst Central High School in Snyder, New York, before graduating from The Choate School in...
– Andrew Carnes
Track listing for the LP version
All songs composed by Oscar Hammerstein IIOscar Hammerstein II
Oscar Greeley Clendenning Hammerstein II was an American librettist, theatrical producer, and theatre director of musicals for almost forty years. Hammerstein won eight Tony Awards and was twice awarded an Academy Award for "Best Original Song". Many of his songs are standard repertoire for...
and Richard Rodgers
Richard Rodgers
Richard Charles Rodgers was an American composer of music for more than 900 songs and for 43 Broadway musicals. He also composed music for films and television. He is best known for his songwriting partnerships with the lyricists Lorenz Hart and Oscar Hammerstein II...
.
- "Overture" (Instrumental) – 4:52
- "Oh, What a Beautiful Mornin'" (performed by Gordon MacRaeGordon MacRaeGordon MacRae was an American actor and singer, best known for his appearances in the film versions of two Rodgers and Hammerstein musicals, Oklahoma! and Carousel and films with Doris Day like Starlift.-Early life:Born Albert Gordon MacRae in East Orange, New Jersey, MacRae graduated from...
) – 2:36 - "The Surrey With the Fringe on TopThe Surrey With the Fringe On Top"The Surrey with the Fringe on Top" is a show tune from the 1943 Rodgers and Hammerstein musical, Oklahoma! It is the second song of the show, following the opening number, "Oh What a Beautiful Mornin'."...
" (performed by MacRae, Shirley JonesShirley JonesShirley Mae Jones is an American singer and actress of stage, film and television. In her six decades of television, she starred as wholesome characters in a number of well-known musical films, such as Oklahoma! , Carousel , and The Music Man...
, Charlotte GreenwoodCharlotte GreenwoodFrances Charlotte Greenwood was an American actress and dancer. Born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, Greenwood started in vaudeville, and eventually starred on Broadway, movies and radio. Standing around six feet tall, she was best known for her long legs and high kicks...
) – 4:53 - "Kansas City" (performed by Gene NelsonGene NelsonGene Nelson was an American dancer, actor, screenwriter, and director.-Biography:Born Leander Eugene Berg in Astoria, Oregon, he moved to Seattle when he was one year old. He was inspired to become a dancer by watching Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers films when he was a child...
, Greenwood, The Men's Chorus) – 2:36 - "I Cain't Say NoI Cain't Say NoI Cain't Say No is a song from the musical play Oklahoma! written by composer Richard Rodgers and lyricist/librettist Oscar Hammerstein II....
" (performed by Gloria GrahameGloria GrahameGloria Grahame was an American Academy Award–winning actress.Grahame began her acting career in theatre, and in 1944 she made her first film for MGM. Despite a featured role in It's a Wonderful Life , MGM did not believe she had the potential for major success, and sold her contract to RKO Studios...
) – 3:10 - "Many a New DayMany a New DayMany a New Day is a song from the musical Oklahoma!, written by Richard Rodgers and Oscar Hammerstein II."Many a New Day" is sung by Laurey immediately after Curly McLain leaves the scene with Gertie Cummings...
" (performed by Jones and Girls' Chorus) – 3:09 - "People Will Say We're in LovePeople Will Say We're in Love"People Will Say We're In Love" is a show tune from the Rodgers and Hammerstein musical Oklahoma! . In the original Broadway production, the song was introduced by Alfred Drake and Joan Roberts.-Plot context:...
" (performed by MacRae and Jones) – 4:21 - "Pore Jud is DaidPore Jud is Daid"Pore Jud Is Daid" is a song written by Richard Rodgers and Oscar Hammerstein II for the musical Oklahoma!.In this scene, Curly McLain, is visiting the threatening farmhand Jud Fry, who lives in an outbuilding that was once a smokehouse. He subtly insults Jud throughout, however Jud doesn't pick up...
" (performed by MacRae and Rod SteigerRod SteigerRodney Stephen "Rod" Steiger was an Academy Award-winning American actor known for his performances in such films as On the Waterfront, The Big Knife, Oklahoma!, The Harder They Fall, Across the Bridge, The Pawnbroker, Doctor Zhivago, In the Heat of the Night, and Waterloo as well as the...
) – 4:16 - "Out of My Dreams" (performed by Jones) – 2:25
- "The Farmer and the CowmanThe Farmer and the Cowman"The Farmer and the Cowman" is a song composed by Richard Rodgers and with lyrics by Oscar Hammerstein II for their musical Oklahoma!. It is sung primarily by Andrew Carnes, Aunt Eller, and Ike Skidmore. In various versions of Oklahoma!, the singing parts for Ike, Andrew, and Aunt Eller have been...
" (performed by MacRae, Greenwood, Nelson, Jay C. FlippenJay C. FlippenJay C. Flippen is an American character actor who often played police officers or weary criminals in many films of the 1940s/'50s....
, James WhitmoreJames WhitmoreJames Allen Whitmore, Jr. was an American film and stage actor.-Early life:Born in White Plains, New York, to Florence Belle and James Allen Whitmore, Sr., a park commission official, Whitmore attended Amherst Central High School in Snyder, New York, before graduating from The Choate School in...
, Grahame, Mixed Chorus) – 2:58 - "All Er Nothin'All Er Nuthin'"All Er Nuthin" is a tune from the musical play Oklahoma!, written by composer Richard Rodgers and lyricist Oscar Hammerstein II.This song is near the end of the musical, where the secondary characters Will Parker and Ado Annie Carnes decide to get married. Will is wary because he knows Ado is the...
" (Grahame, Nelson) – 2:59 - "Oklahoma!Oklahoma! (song)♥"Oklahoma" is the title song from, and the finale to, the Broadway musical Oklahoma!, named for the setting of the musical play.The music and lyrics were written by Richard Rodgers and Oscar Hammerstein II...
" (MacRae, Greenwood, Whitmore, Jones, Flippen, Mixed Chorus) – 3:18
CD Reissue
The film soundtrack album of Oklahoma! was later issued on CD, again by Capitol in a version identical to the stereo LP, then on Broadway AngelAngel Records
Angel Records is a record label belonging to EMI. It was formed in 1953 and specialised in classical music, but included an occasional operetta or Broadway score...
on CD in the Broadway Classics series, and finally on Angel in a much expanded CD edition containing virtually all the music. It is the best-known recording of Oklahoma! ever made, even eclipsing the fame of the pioneering 1943 original Broadway cast album of the show.
The latest CD expanded edition contained more than twice the amount of music listed here, and runs nearly 80 minutes, with only a very brief reprise of "I Cain't Say No" and the numbers actually left out of the film omitted. Even the ballet music was included.
One notable difference between the original version of the film soundtrack album and the expanded edition is that the original album contains a new overture specifically created for the recording, and not the overture and opening credits
Opening credits
In a motion picture, television program, or video game, the opening credits are shown at the very beginning and list the most important members of the production. They are now usually shown as text superimposed on a blank screen or static pictures, or sometimes on top of action in the show. There...
music as heard in the actual film. The expanded edition of the soundtrack, issued in 2001, contains both the overture that was heard before the opening credits in the original roadshow theatrical release
Roadshow theatrical release
A roadshow theatrical release was a term in the American motion picture industry for a practice in which a film opened in a limited number of theaters in large cities like Los Angeles, New York, Chicago, Houston, Atlanta, Dallas, and San Francisco for a specific period of time before the...
of the film, plus the opening credits music exactly as heard in the Todd-AO release of the film.
Chart positions
| Chart | Year | Peak position |
|---|---|---|
| UK Albums Chart UK Albums Chart The UK Albums Chart is a list of albums ranked by physical and digital sales in the United Kingdom. It is compiled every week by The Official Charts Company and broadcast on a Sunday on BBC Radio 1 , and published in Music Week magazine and on the OCC website .To qualify for the UK albums chart... |
1956 | 1 |
| 1957 |