Al Jolson in Songs He Made Famous

Al Jolson in Songs He Made Famous
Al Jolson in Songs He Made Famous
Studio album by Al Jolson
Released	1946
Label	Decca
Al Jolson chronology

Al Jolson in Songs He Made Famous (also known as simply Al Jolson Album^[1] and later as Al Jolson, Vol. 1^[2]) is a studio album recorded by Al Jolson for Decca. It was released in 1946 as a set of four 78-rpm phonograph records (catalog no. 469).

Seven of the eight included songs were featured in the biographical musical film The Jolson Story released in the same year.

Release

The album was originally released as a set of four 10-inch 78-rpm phonograph records (cat. no. A-469).^[3]

Content and reception

On this album, Jolson sings eight of his best-known songs. On the first two sides, that were recorded earlier, he is accompanied by an orchestra directed by Carmen Dragon and on all the other sides by an orchestra directed by Morris Stoloff.^[4]^[3]

Seven of the eight songs (all except "Sonny Boy") were featured in the film The Jolson Story released on screen^[4] in the same year 1946.

Professional ratings
Review scores
Source	Rating
Billboard	positive^[4]

Billboard reviewed the album in its issue from December 21, 1946, writing: "It's a Jolsoniana nicety, rich in nostalgic needling appeal from start to finish, and proves Jolson is a song seller without peer of his school. [...] [N]ow with the movie coming up, it's a set of spinnings rich in merchandising appeal."^[4]

The album reached number one on Billboard's Best-Selling Popular Record Albums chart.^[1]

33-rpm and 45-rpm re-releases

Later, the album was made available on 33 rpm (one 10-inch LP, cat. no. DL 5026)^[5] and 45 rpm (a set of four 7-inch records, cat. no. 9-9).^[6]

Track listing

Set of four 10-inch 78-rpm records (Decca A-469)^[3]

Side 1
No.	Title	Writer(s)	Note(s)	Length
1.	"April Showers"	Louis Silvers—B. G. DeSylva	featured in Columbia Picture The Jolson Story

Side 2
No.	Title	Writer(s)	Note(s)	Length
1.	"Swanee"	George Gershwin—Irving Caesar	featured in Columbia Picture The Jolson Story

Side 3
No.	Title	Writer(s)	Note(s)	Length
1.	"California, Here I Come"	Joseph Meyer—Al Jolson—B. G. DeSylva	featured in Columbia Picture The Jolson Story

Side 4
No.	Title	Writer(s)	Note(s)	Length
1.	"Rock-a-Bye Your Baby with a Dixie Melody"	Jean Schwartz—Sam Lewis—Joe Young	featured in Columbia Picture The Jolson Story

Side 5
No.	Title	Writer(s)	Note(s)	Length
1.	"You Made Me Love You (I Didn't Want to Do It)"	James V. Monaco—Joe McCarthy	featured in Columbia Picture The Jolson Story

Side 6
No.	Title	Writer(s)	Note(s)	Length
1.	"Ma Blushin' Rosie (Ma Posie Sweet)"	John Stromberg—Edgar Smith	featured in Columbia Picture The Jolson Story

Side 7
No.	Title	Writer(s)	Length
1.	"Sonny Boy"	Al Jolson—B. G. DeSylva—Lew Brown—Ray Henderson

Side 8
No.	Title	Writer(s)	Note(s)	Length
1.	"My Mammy"	Walter Donaldson—Sam Lewis—Joe Young	featured in Columbia Picture The Jolson Story

10-inch LP (Decca DL 5026)^[5]

Side 1
No.	Title	Length
1.	"April Showers"
2.	"Swanee"
3.	"California, Here I Come"
4.	"Rock-a-Bye Your Baby with a Dixie Melody"

Side 2
No.	Title	Length
1.	"You Made Me Love You (I Didn't Want to Do It)"
2.	"Ma Blushin' Rosie (Ma Posie Sweet)"
3.	"Sonny Boy"
4.	"My Mammy"

Charts

Chart (1947)	Peak position
US Billboard Best-Selling Popular Record Albums^[1]	1

References

1 2 3 "Best-Selling Popular Record Albums". Billboard. February 8, 1947. Retrieved May 5, 2026.
↑ "Best Selling Pop Albums". Billboard. December 23, 1950. Retrieved May 5, 2026.
1 2 3 "Al Jolson – In Songs He Made Famous – 4 x Shellac (10", 78 RPM, Album), 1946". 1946. Retrieved May 5, 2026 – via Discogs.
1 2 3 4 "Album reviews". Billboard. December 21, 1946. Retrieved May 5, 2026.
1 2 "Al Jolson – In Songs He Made Famous – Vinyl (LP, 10", Reissue), 1949". 1949 – via Discogs.
↑ "Al Jolson - In Songs He Made Famous". May 5, 1950 – via Discogs.

[Billboard_8_Feb_1947-1] 1 2 3 "Best-Selling Popular Record Albums". Billboard. February 8, 1947. Retrieved May 5, 2026.

[Billboard_23_Dec_1950-2] "Best Selling Pop Albums". Billboard. December 23, 1950. Retrieved May 5, 2026.

[Decca_A-469-3] 1 2 3 "Al Jolson – In Songs He Made Famous – 4 x Shellac (10", 78 RPM, Album), 1946". 1946. Retrieved May 5, 2026 – via Discogs.

[Billboard_21_December_1946-4] 1 2 3 4 "Album reviews". Billboard. December 21, 1946. Retrieved May 5, 2026.

[Decca_DL_5026-5] 1 2 "Al Jolson – In Songs He Made Famous – Vinyl (LP, 10", Reissue), 1949". 1949 – via Discogs.

[6] "Al Jolson - In Songs He Made Famous". May 5, 1950 – via Discogs.

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Al Jolson
Albums	Al Jolson in Songs He Made Famous (1946) Al Jolson Souvenir Album (1947) Al Jolson, Volume 3 (1948) Jolson Sings Again (1949) Al Jolson Souvenir Album, Volume 4 (1949)
Songs	"The Spaniard That Blighted My Life" "You Made Me Love You" "Sister Susie's Sewing Shirts for Soldiers" "My Mammy" "Rock-a-Bye Your Baby with a Dixie Melody" "Tell That to the Marines" "Swanee" "Avalon" "April Showers" "Juanita" "California, Here I Come" "I'm Sitting on Top of the World" "When the Red, Red Robin (Comes Bob, Bob, Bobbin' Along)" "Back in Your Own Backyard" "There's a Rainbow 'Round My Shoulder" "Sonny Boy" "Liza (All the Clouds'll Roll Away)" "Let Me Sing and I'm Happy" "You Are Too Beautiful" "The Anniversary Song" "Alexander's Ragtime Band" "Carolina in the Morning" "When I Leave the World Behind"
Related articles	Discography The Jolson Story Jolson Sings Again You Ain't Heard Nothin' Yet