South Pacific (soundtrack)

This article is about the 1958 record release. For the 2001 film and soundtrack, see South Pacific (2001 film).
South Pacific
Soundtrack album by
Various artists
ReleasedMarch 1958
Recorded1958
GenreShow tunes
Length45:58
LabelRCA Victor
ProducerP.O.
Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
Allmusic[1]

The Original Soundtrack to the film South Pacific was released by RCA Victor in 1958. The film was based on the 1949 musical South Pacific by Rodgers and Hammerstein. The composers had much say in this recording, with many of the songs performed by accomplished singers rather than the actors in the film.[1] Mitzi Gaynor and Ray Walston (who had played Luther Billis in the original national tour and in the original London production) were the only two leading performers who did their own singing in the film (and on the soundtrack album). The roles of Emile DeBecque, Bloody Mary and Joe Cable were sung by Giorgio Tozzi, Muriel Smith (who had played the role in the original London production) and Bill Lee, respectively.

The album became a major success, reaching No.1 in both the US and the UK. In the US, the album stayed at No.1 for seven months - the fourth longest run ever.[1] In the UK, the album remained in the top five for 27 consecutive weeks before reaching No.1 in November 1958. It stayed at the top for a record-breaking 115 weeks (the first 70 of these consecutively—including the whole year of 1959), and remained in the top five for 214 weeks.[2] As of 2006, the album has sold 1,803,681 copies in the United Kingdom.[3]

Track listing

The songs on the soundtrack LP and CD are arranged in the order that they appear in the Broadway musical, not in the order in which they appear in the film.

Side One

  1. "South Pacific Overture" (3:03)
  2. "Dites-moi" (1:19)
  3. "A Cockeyed Optimist" (1:45)
  4. "Twin Soliloquies" / "Some Enchanted Evening" (5:53)
  5. "Bloody Mary" (1:57)
  6. "My Girl Back Home" (1:42)
  7. "There Is Nothin' Like a Dame" (3:50)
  8. "Bali Ha'i" (3:41)

Side Two

  1. "I'm Gonna Wash That Man Right Outa My Hair" (2:56)
  2. "I'm in Love with a Wonderful Guy" (3:23)
  3. "Younger Than Springtime" (4:59)
  4. "Happy Talk" (3:46)
  5. "Honey Bun" (1:48)
  6. "You've Got to Be Carefully Taught" (1:15)
  7. "This Nearly Was Mine" (2:12)
  8. "Finale" (2:58)

Chart positions

Chart Year Peak
position
Billboard 200[4] 1958 1
1959
UK Albums Chart[2] 1958 1
1959
1960
1961

Certifications and sales

Region Certification Certified units/sales
Norway — 7,000[5]
United Kingdom (BPI)[6] Platinum 1,803,681[3]
United States (RIAA)[8]
Original Cast 		Gold 2,000,000[7]
United States (RIAA)[9] Gold 500,000^
Summaries
Worldwide — 8,000,000[10]

^ Shipments figures based on certification alone.

References

  1. ^ a b c "AllMusic - Record Reviews, Streaming Songs, Genres & Bands". AllMusic.
  2. ^ a b Official Charts - South Pacific UK Chart run
  3. ^ a b Harris, Bill (17 November 2006). "Queen rules – in album sales". Jam!. Archived from the original on 29 June 2012. Retrieved 19 October 2020.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link)
  4. ^ "AllMusic - Record Reviews, Streaming Songs, Genres & Bands". AllMusic.
  5. ^ Erikson, Espen (May 25, 1963). "Norse Warm Up To Album Product". Billboard. Vol. 75, no. 21. p. 46. Retrieved February 13, 2022.
  6. ^ "British album certifications – Soundtrack – South Pacific". British Phonographic Industry. Retrieved February 13, 2022.
  7. ^ "Columbia Gives Stereo-Like touch To All-Time LP Hits Including "South Pacific"" (PDF). Cash Box. June 16, 1962. p. 38. Retrieved February 13, 2022.
  8. ^ "American album certifications – Soundtrack – South Pacific". Recording Industry Association of America.
  9. ^ "American album certifications – Rogers & Hammerstein – South Pacific". Recording Industry Association of America. Retrieved February 12, 2022.
  10. ^ Murrells, Joseph (1985). Million selling records from the 1900s to the 1980s : an illustrated directory. Arco Pub. p. 113. ISBN 0668064595.