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Marlene Dietrich Overseas

Marlene Dietrich Overseas
Studio album by
Marlene Dietrich
Released1952
GenreTraditional pop
Length25:08
LabelColumbia Records
Marlene Dietrich chronology
Marlene Dietrich Sings
(1947) 		Marlene Dietrich Overseas
(1952) 		Rosie and Marlene
(1953)

Marlene Dietrich Overseas (official title including subtitle: Marlene Dietrich Overseas — American Songs In German For The O.S.S) is a Marlene Dietrich album, issued on 10" LP by Columbia Records (catalogue number LP GL105), released in 1952. All the vocals are in German, translated by Lothar Metzl (except for "Lili Marlene") and the orchestra was conducted by Jimmy Carroll.[1]

Overseas has its origins in Dietrich's contributions to the U.S. war effort during World War II. As an American citizen, she recorded American songs in German for the Office of Strategic Services (OSS) to be broadcast to German audiences as part of American propaganda efforts. After the war, Dietrich kept her copies of the original recordings and later played them for Columbia’s Mitch Miller, who, impressed, had her re-record the songs in the studio.

The album was reissued on 12" LP by Columbia as Lili Marlene (Columbia GL 4-17) with the addition of the following tracks: "Das Hobellied", "Du Liegst Mir im Herzen", "Muss i denn" and "Du Hast die Seele Mein". The eight songs were re-released in CD on a compilation album, Art Deco: The Cosmopolitan Marlene Dietrich.[2]

Background

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Marlene Dietrich’s album Overseas traces back to her contributions during World War II, when she became one of the first celebrities to support the U.S. war effort after America entered the conflict in 1941.[3] She sold more war bonds than any other star and toured extensively, performing for hundreds of thousands of soldiers across the U.S. and later for Allied troops in Europe and North Africa.[4] Despite the danger of appearing so close to German lines, she explained her actions simply as being done “out of decency”.[5] Her performances mixed film songs, her musical saw, and even a comedic “mindreading” act taught to her by Orson Welles.[6]

In 1944, Dietrich’s involvement deepened through her work with the OSS. She was the only artist informed that her German-language recordings would be used in the Musak project, a series of propaganda broadcasts meant to weaken enemy morale.[7] Among the songs was “Lili Marleen,” already beloved by soldiers on both sides of the war. For her contributions, Major General William J. Donovan, head of the OSS, personally expressed his gratitude, emphasizing the importance of Dietrich’s artistry and dedication to the Allied cause.[8]

The original recordings were largely forgotten after the war, but Dietrich retained her copies and later played them for Mitch Miller, the head of A&R at Columbia Records. Impressed by the material, Miller commissioned Dietrich to re-record the songs in the studio.[9]

Critical reception

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Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic[9]
Billboard70/100[1]
Down Beat[10]
The Encyclopedia of Popular Music[11]

The album received favorable reviews from music critics. Billboard magazine rated the album 70 out of 100, describing the repertoire as modest but praising its cover design. They highlighted Dietrich enduring presence and charm even in the recorded tracks.[1] The magazine also praised the reissue titled Lili Marlene, highlighting the striking cover photo of Dietrich, which they considered a strong visual draw for record store displays. The review noted that the singer performed the songs in her trademark "talk-sing" style, with a sultry, husky voice, singing in German a set of standards (mostly American), ranging from the haunting title track "Lili Marlene" to "Annie Doesn't Live Here Anymore". The magazine described the record as an unusual and appealing release for disc jockeys.[12] On April 20, 1959, Billboard featured the cover of Lili Marlene as its Album Cover of the Week.[13]

Cashbox praised the reissue album Lili Marlene, highlighting Marlene Dietrich's throaty, sultry voice. The review stated that she sang with conviction and feeling on songs such as "Time on my Hands", "Taking a Chance on Love", and the dramatic title track. The magazine also noted the excellent cover photo as an attraction and considered the record a strong specialty release.[14] The Down Beat critic praised the album eight German-language tracks. He noted that despite her limited vocal power, Dietrich compensates with sensual delivery, Jimmy Carroll's effective arrangements, and the novelty of hearing familiar melodies with German lyrics. According to him, most of these lyrics differ in meaning from the English originals, making the rough translations on the album cover a valuable bonus.[10]

In a retrospective review Bruce Eder from AllMusic website wrote that Dietrich was in top form as a singer and entertainer during these sessions. He noted that the album offers a better sound quality than her wartime recordings, thanks to more advanced recording technology, and praised the material as a unique part of Dietrich's musical output.[9]

Commercial performance

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According to the Cashbox magazine of May 28, 1960, the reissued Philips LP Lili Marlene was selling well in the Benelux region. The singer was scheduled to perform in the Netherlands later that same month.[15]

Track listing

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No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."Lili Marlene"Hans Leip / Norbert Schultze3:09
2."Mean To Me / Sei lieb zu mir "Fred E. Ahlert / Roy Turk3:11
3."Annie Doesn't Live Here Anymore / Fraulein Annie wohnt schon lange nicht hier"Johnny Burke / Harold Spina / Joe Young2:58
4."The Surrey with the Fringe on Top / Schlittenfahrt "Oscar Hammerstein II / Richard Rodgers3:35
5."Time On My Hands / Sag' Mir "Adieu""Harold Adamson / Mack Gordon / Vincent Youmans3:13
6."Taking a Chance On Love / Das ich dich wiederseh"Vernon Duke / Ted Fetter / John Latouche2:35
7."Miss Otis Regrets / Mein Mann ist verhindert"Cole Porter3:47
8."I Couldn't Sleep a Wink Last Night / Ich hab' die ganze Nacht geweind"Jimmy McHugh / Harold Adamson2:40
Total length:25:08

See also

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References

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  1. ^ a b c "Reviews and ratings of new popular albums". Billboard. Nielsen Business Media, Inc. September 30, 1957. p. 32. ISSN 0006-2510. Retrieved 16 August 2025.
  2. ^ Stephen Thomas Erlewine. "Marlene Dietrich - Art Deco - The Cosmopolitan Marlene Dietrich - AllMusic Review". www.allmusic.com. Retrieved December 5, 2015.
  3. ^ "Thanks Soldier". MarleneDietrich.org. 2000. Archived from the original on 25 September 2011. Retrieved 20 February 2010.
  4. ^ "Rijckheyt – centrum voor regionale geschiedenis". www.rijckheyt.nl (in Dutch).
  5. ^ "A Soldier Lovingly Remembers Marlene Dietrich". Sister Celluloid. 27 December 2014.
  6. ^ Spoto 1992.
  7. ^ "A Look Back ... Marlene Dietrich: Singing For A Cause". Central Intelligence Agency. 23 October 2008. Archived from the original on 21 August 2014. Retrieved 20 March 2010.
  8. ^ McIntosh 1998, p. 59.
  9. ^ a b c Eder, Bruce. "Marlene Dietrich - American Songs in German for the OSS - AllMusic Review". www.allmusic.com. Retrieved December 5, 2015.
  10. ^ a b "Record Reviews" (PDF). Down Beat. Vol. 19, no. 17. 27 August 1952. p. 10. Archived (PDF) from the original on 16 August 2025. Retrieved 16 August 2025.
  11. ^ Larkin 2011, p. 1887.
  12. ^ "Review spotlight on albums..." (PDF). Billboard. 20 April 1959. p. 62. Archived (PDF) from the original on 16 August 2025. Retrieved 16 August 2025.
  13. ^ "Album cover of the week". Billboard. Nielsen Business Media, Inc. 20 April 1959. p. 58. ISSN 0006-2510. Retrieved 16 August 2025.
  14. ^ "Album Reviews" (PDF). Cashbox. May 9, 1959. p. 50. Archived (PDF) from the original on 16 August 2025. Retrieved 16 August 2025.
  15. ^ "Benelux" (PDF). Cashbox. Vol. XXI, no. 37. 28 May 1960. p. 47. Archived (PDF) from the original on 16 August 2025. Retrieved 16 August 2025.
  16. ^ Billboard Magazine - Advance Record Releases. Nielsen Business Media, Inc., August 9, 1952, p.40.

Bibliography

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