Oklahoma! is the original
soundtrack albumA soundtrack album is any album that incorporates music directly recorded from the soundtrack of a particular feature film or television programme. 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...
of the
1955The year 1955 in film involved some significant events.-Events:* November 3 - The musical Guys and Dolls, starring Marlon Brando and Frank Sinatra, debuts.* June 27 - The last ever Republic serial, King of the Carnival, is released....
Academy Award-winning
filmFilm encompasses individual motion pictures, the field of film as an art form, and the motion picture industry. Films are produced by recording images from the world with cameras, or by creating images using animation techniques or visual effects....
Oklahoma!The 1943 musical play Oklahoma!, written by composer Richard Rodgers and lyricist/librettist Oscar Hammerstein II , was adapted into a musical film in 1955, starring Gordon MacRae, Shirley Jones , Rod Steiger, Charlotte Greenwood, Gloria Grahame, Gene Nelson, James Whitmore and Eddie Albert...
, an adaptation of the musical play
of the same nameOklahoma! 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
certifiedMusic recording sales certification is a system of certifying that a music recording has shipped a certain number of copies.Almost all countries follow variations of the RIAA certification categories, which are named after the precious materials gold, platinum and diamond...
"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 RecordsCapitol Records is a major United States-based record label owned by EMI and located in Los Angeles and New York City as part of Capitol Music Group...
label, but only in mono at first.
Oklahoma! is the original
soundtrack albumA soundtrack album is any album that incorporates music directly recorded from the soundtrack of a particular feature film or television programme. 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...
of the
1955The year 1955 in film involved some significant events.-Events:* November 3 - The musical Guys and Dolls, starring Marlon Brando and Frank Sinatra, debuts.* June 27 - The last ever Republic serial, King of the Carnival, is released....
Academy Award-winning
filmFilm encompasses individual motion pictures, the field of film as an art form, and the motion picture industry. Films are produced by recording images from the world with cameras, or by creating images using animation techniques or visual effects....
Oklahoma!The 1943 musical play Oklahoma!, written by composer Richard Rodgers and lyricist/librettist Oscar Hammerstein II , was adapted into a musical film in 1955, starring Gordon MacRae, Shirley Jones , Rod Steiger, Charlotte Greenwood, Gloria Grahame, Gene Nelson, James Whitmore and Eddie Albert...
, an adaptation of the musical play
of the same nameOklahoma! 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
certifiedMusic recording sales certification is a system of certifying that a music recording has shipped a certain number of copies.Almost all countries follow variations of the RIAA certification categories, which are named after the precious materials gold, platinum and diamond...
"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 RecordsCapitol Records is a major United States-based record label owned by EMI and located in Los Angeles and New York City as part of Capitol Music Group...
label, but only in mono at first. However, as with the 1956 film soundtracks of
Carousel and
The King and IThe 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.
The film soundtrack album of
Oklahoma! was later issued on CD, again by Capitol, then on
Broadway AngelAngel 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.
One notable difference between the original version of the movie 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 main title sequence 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 releaseThe roadshow theatrical release is a practice in which a film opens in a special limited number of theaters in large cities like Los Angeles, New York, Chicago and San Francisco for a specific period of time before it spreads to nationwide release , and is shown only once or twice a...
of the movie, plus the
opening creditsIn a television program, motion picture, or videogame, 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 exactly as heard in the film.
In 1956, less than a year after the first mono Capitol soundtrack LP was released -
Goddard LiebersonGoddard 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 RecordsColumbia Records is an American record label founded in 1888.Columbia is the oldest surviving brand name in pre-recorded sound, being the first record company to produce pre-recorded records as opposed to blank cylinders. Columbia Records went on to release records by an array of notable singers,...
produced an LP featuring
Nelson EddyNelson Ackerman Eddy was an American singer and movie star 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...
and a supporting cast, with the chorus and orchestra directed by
Lehman EngelLehman Engel was an American composer and conductor of plays, television, and film. He also conducted many Broadway musicals, both on stage and on records....
. 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.
Track listing for the LP version
All songs composed by
Oscar Hammerstein IIOscar Greeley Clendenning Hammerstein II was an American writer, 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", and much of his work is part of the unofficial Great...
and
Richard RodgersRichard 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 MacRae
Albert Gordon MacRae was an American actor and singer, best known for his appearances in the Rodgers and Hammerstein musicals, Oklahoma! and Carousel .-Early Life:...
) – 2:36
- "The 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 Mae Jones is an American singer and actress of stage, film and television. She starred as wholesome characters in a number of well-known musical films, such as Oklahoma!, Carousel, and The Music Man. She won the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress for playing a prostitute in Elmer...
, Charlotte 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 Nelson
Gene Nelson was an American dancer, actor, screenwriter, and director.-Biography:Born Leander Eugene Berg in Seattle, Washington, he was inspired to become a dancer by watching Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers movies when he was a child...
, Greenwood, The Men's Chorus) – 2:36
- "I Cain't Say No
I 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 Grahame was an American 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 Day
Many 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 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 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 SteigerRodney Stephen "Rod" Steiger was an American actor known for his performances in such films as In the Heat of the Night, Waterloo, The Pawnbroker, On the Waterfront, and Doctor Zhivago.-Early life:...
) – 4:16
- "Out of My Dreams" (performed by Jones) – 2:25
- "The 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. Flippen is best remembered as a gruff-faced actor usually playing a police officer or weary criminal in many movies of the 1940s and 1950s....
, James WhitmoreJames Whitmore was an American film actor.-Early life:Born as James Allen Whitmore, Jr. 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, and spent his senior year at the...
, Grahame, Mixed Chorus) – 2:58
- "All Er Nothin'
All Er Nuthin is a tune from the musical play Oklahoma! written by composer Richard Rodgers and lyricist/librettist Oscar Hammerstein II....
" (Grahame, Nelson) – 2:59
- "Oklahoma!
"Oklahoma" is the title song from and the finale to the Broadway musical Oklahoma!, both so 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
The latest CD expanded edition contained more than twice the amount of music listed here, and runs nearly 80 minutes.
Named performers
By order of appearance on soundtrack.
- Gordon MacRae
Albert Gordon MacRae was an American actor and singer, best known for his appearances in the Rodgers and Hammerstein musicals, Oklahoma! and Carousel .-Early Life:...
– Curly McLain
- Shirley Jones
Shirley Mae Jones is an American singer and actress of stage, film and television. She starred as wholesome characters in a number of well-known musical films, such as Oklahoma!, Carousel, and The Music Man. She won the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress for playing a prostitute in Elmer...
– Laurey Williams
- Charlotte Greenwood
Frances 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 Nelson
Gene Nelson was an American dancer, actor, screenwriter, and director.-Biography:Born Leander Eugene Berg in Seattle, Washington, he was inspired to become a dancer by watching Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers movies when he was a child...
– Will Parker
- Gloria Grahame
Gloria Grahame was an American 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 Steiger
Rodney Stephen "Rod" Steiger was an American actor known for his performances in such films as In the Heat of the Night, Waterloo, The Pawnbroker, On the Waterfront, and Doctor Zhivago.-Early life:...
– Jud Fry
- Jay C. Flippen
Jay C. Flippen is best remembered as a gruff-faced actor usually playing a police officer or weary criminal in many movies of the 1940s and 1950s....
– Ike Skidmore
- James Whitmore
James Whitmore was an American film actor.-Early life:Born as James Allen Whitmore, Jr. 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, and spent his senior year at the...
– Andrew Carnes