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Mario Lanza: A Discography
English Recordings
by Derek McGovern

Picture
Picture
Listen to the 24-year-old Lanza (above) in one of his earliest recordings in English. This is a live radio performance of the demanding "Ah, Moon of My Delight" from Lehmann's 1896 song cycle In a Persian Garden on CBS's Great Moments in Music, 26 December 1945. The conductor is George Sebastian.
  • On the Forum: The Best of Everything? Mario's Coke Performances

  • On the Forum: Ah, Moon of My Delight

  • On the Forum: Song of India

  • On the Forum: The Immortal Serenade

  • On the Forum: The Lord's Prayer

English Recordings
Where multiple versions exist, I've highlighted what I consider the best rendition(s) in bold. In the case of significant recordings (irrespective of whether Lanza recorded the song once or multiple times), the best CD reproduction of the rendition can be located by "rolling over" the text. 

Note: If you're new to Lanza, and are looking for a good collection of his English-language recordings, I would recommend either the 2004 BMG/Collectables "twofer" release: Christmas Hymns and Carols/You Do Something to Me (which also includes Lanza's magnificent 1949 rendition of "Che Gelida Manina" and his best recording of the Italian song "Lolita") or the three-CD set The Mario Lanza Collection (BMG, 1991).  You'll find my amazon.com reviews of both these sets by clicking on the aforementioned titles. Inquiries about specific recordings can also be made at our forum  (regardless of whether you're a member) by posting on our "Miscellaneous Lanza-related comments and questions" discussion thread.


A

Ah, Moon of My Delight

  • 1945 Live radio broadcast: Great Moments in Music

Ah, Sweet Mystery of Life

  • 1951 Coca-Cola Radio Show

All Alone/What'll I Do?

  • 1946 Live radio broadcast: Great Moments in Music

All the Things You Are

  • 1951 two versions:
    MGM outtake Be My Love: Mario Lanza's Greatest Performances at MGM (Rhino, 1998)
    for Because You're Mine; Coca-Cola Radio Show
  • 1956 Cavalcade of Show Tunes album

All Ye Thankful People Come

  • 1945 Live radio broadcast

Alone Together

  • 1952 Coca-Cola Radio Show

Among My Souvenirs

  • 1952 Coca-Cola Radio Show

And Here You Are

  • 1952 Coca-Cola Radio Show

And This Is My Beloved

  • 1956 Lanza on Broadway album

April in Paris

  • 1952 Coca-Cola Radio Show

Arrivederci Roma

  • 1957 RCA Serenade: A Mario Lanza Songbook (SonyBMG 2009)
    (in Italian and English; see Italian Songs Discography for Lanza's all-Italian version)

Away in a Manger

  • 1951 RCA
  • 1959 RCA

Azuri's Dance

  • 1959 RCA

B

The Bayou Lullaby

  • 1949 The Toast of New Orleans soundtrack
  • 1950 RCA

Be My Love

  • 1949 two duet versions with Kathryn Grayson for The Toast of New Orleans soundtrack
  • 1950 two versions:
    RCA Lanza: Greatest Hits (BMG, 1995)
    and a pre-recorded version on Hedda Hopper's radio show
  • 1951 Coca-Cola Radio Show

Beautiful Love

  • 1952 Coca-Cola Radio Show

  • Because

    • 1950 two versions: one RCA take and a much superior soundtrack recording (not available on CD) for The Great Caruso
    • 1951 two versions: one RCA and one Coca-Cola Radio Show

    Because You're Mine

    • 1951 three versions for Because You're Mine soundtrack, two of them as duets with Doretta Morrow, soprano
    • 1952 RCA Lanza: Greatest Hits (BMG, 1995)
    • 1957 two versions (both viewable in our Multimedia section): live London Palladium performance and The Christophers TV program
    • 1958 Royal Albert Hall recital

    Begin the Beguine

    • 1952 Coca-Cola Radio Show

    Behold!

    • 1957 RCA

    Beloved

    • 1952 Outtake for The Student Prince soundtrack
    • 1953 The Student Prince soundtrack The Mario Lanza Collection (BMG, 1991)
    • 1959 RCA

    • Besame Mucho

      • 1952 Coca-Cola Radio Show

      The Best Things in Life Are Free

      • 1952 Coca-Cola Radio Show

      Blue Skies

      • 1946 Live radio: Great Moments in Music

      Bonjour, Ma Belle

      • 1958 Albert Hall Recital

      Boom Biddy Boom Boom

      • 1950 two versions: one for The Toast of New Orleans soundtrack and one for RCA
      • 1951 Coca-Cola Radio Show

      C

      Call Me Fool

      • 1953 RCA

      Charmaine

      • 1952 Coca-Cola Radio Show

      Come Dance With Me

      • 1957 two versions: RCA recording in April and Seven Hills of Rome soundtrack in June

      Come Prima

      • 1958

      Cosi Cosa

      • 1948 Elgin Watch Thanksgiving Show (live radio broadcast)
      • 1951 Coca-Cola Radio Show

      D

      Danny Boy

      • 1952 Coca-Cola Radio Show

      Day In, Day Out

      • 1952 Coca-Cola Radio Show, two similarly rendered takes (only one of which has been released commercially)

      Deck the Halls

      • 1956 RCA, Christmas Hymns and Carols
      • 1959 RCA, Lanza Sings Christmas Carols

      Deep In My Heart, Dear

      • 1946 Live radio version with Winifred Smith, soprano
      • 1952 four versions: three takes for The Student Prince with Ann Blyth, soprano (of these, the soundtrack version is the best; only a small portion of the recording is available on CD, however) and one (solo) radio version.
      • 1959 RCA (with Norma Giusti)

      The Desert Song

      • 1951 Coca-Cola Radio Show
      • 1959 RCA (with Judith Raskin)

      Diane

      • 1951 Coca-Cola Radio Show

      Do You Wonder?

      • 1956

      The Donkey Serenade

      • 1952 Coca-Cola Radio Show
      • 1956 Cavalcade of Show Tunes album

      Drink! Drink! Drink!

      • 1952 soundtrack for The Student Prince
      • 1959 RCA

      Drinking Song from The Vagabond King

      • 1959

    E

    Earthbound

  • 1956 RCA Mario Lanza: Original Album Classics (5-CD set)(SonyBMG 2009)

  • Ergo Bibamus (from the soundtrack to The Student Prince) (not available on CD)

    • 1952

    F

    Falling In Love With Love

    • 1956 Lanza on Broadway album

    The First Noel

    • 1951 two versions: one for RCA; the other for the Coca-Cola Radio Show
    • 1959

    Fools Rush In

    • 1952 Coca-Cola Radio Show

    For You Alone

    • 1950 RCA (unreleased commercially)
    • 1951 two versions:
      RCA version You'll Never Walk Alone (BMG, 1995)
      and Coca-Cola Radio show

    Funiculì Funiculà (in English)

    • 1951 Coca-Cola Radio Show

    G

    Giannina Mia

    • 1956

    God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen

    • 1956 RCA
    • 1959 RCA

    Golden Days

    • 1946 with Robert Weede, Baritone, Celanese Radio Show
    • 1952 soundtrack for The Student Prince
    • 1959 RCA

    Guardian Angels

    • 1951 two versions: RCA rendition and Coca-Cola Radio Show
    • 1959 RCA

    Gypsy Love Song

    • 1956 Cavalcade of Show Tunes album

    H

    Halloween Suite

    • 1948 Hollywood Bowl concert

    Hark! The Herald Angels Sing

    • 1956 RCA
    • 1959 RCA

    The Hills of Home

    • 1952 two renditions for Coca-Cola Radio Show; the unreleased version is marginally superior

    The House on the Hill

    • 1945 live radio broadcast
    • 1958 Albert Hall recital

    I

    I Know, I Know, I Know

    • 1948 That Midnight Kiss soundtrack
    • 1949 two versions: one for RCA; the other on a radio broadcast)

    I Love Thee

    • 1950 RCA
    • 1951 Coca-Cola Radio Show
    • 1958 Non-soundtrack version recorded for the official soundtrack album For the First Time (the actual film version was only a partial take)

    I Never Knew

    • 1952 Coca-Cola Radio Show

    I Saw Three Ships

    • 1956
    • 1959

    I Want a Kiss

    • 1959

    I’ll Be Seeing You

  • 1952 Coca-Cola Radio Show Mario Lanza: Original Album Classics (5-CD set) (SonyBMG 2009)

  • I’ll Never Love You

    • 1949 three versions recorded for The Toast of New Orleans (two of them featured in the film)
    • 1950 RCA
    • 1951 Coca-Cola Radio Show

    I’ll See You Again

    • 1952 Coca-Cola Radio Show

    I’ll See You In My Dreams

    • 1952 Coca-Cola Radio Show

    I’ll Walk With God

    • 1952 soundtrack for The Student Prince Mario Lanza: You'll Never Walk Alone (BMG, 1995)
    • 1959 RCA

    I’m Falling In Love With Someone

    • 1945 RCA test record
    • 1951 two versions: Coca-Cola Radio Show
    • 1958 two live versions: Royal Albert Hall recital and Saturday Spectacular TV Show

    I’ve Got You Under My Skin

    • 1951 Coca-Cola Radio Show

    I’ve Told Ev’ry Little Star

    • 1956 Cavalcade of Show Tunes album

    If

    • 1951 Coca-Cola Radio Show

    If I Loved You

  • 1952 Coca-Cola Radio Show Mario Lanza: Original Album Classics (5-CD set) (SonyBMG 2009)


  • If You Are But a Dream

    • 1951 Coca-Cola Radio Show

    If You Were Mine

    • 1953: two versions for RCA, one of which remains unreleased

    It Came Upon a Midnight Clear

    • 1956 RCA
    • 1959 RCA

    J

    A Jug of Wine

    • 1945 (with Frances Yeend, sop.) Live radio broadcast: Great Moments in Music

    Joy to the World

    • 1956 RCA
    • 1959 RCA

    K

    A Kiss

    • 1952 Coca-Cola Radio Show

    A Kiss in the Dark

    • 1952 Coca-Cola Radio Show

    Continue English Recordings, page 2


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