Marilyn was a s serious about her singing as she was about her acting. She studied diligently under a number of voice coaches and singing tutors, and had two songs in her first role larger than a bit part, in Ladies of the Chorus (1948). As with her normal speaking voice, she developed an inimatable style of delivery laden with sexual overtones.

Coach Hal Schaefer, who started working with Marilyn on Gentlemen Prefer Blondes (1953) said, “She loved to sing, she sang well, and she just adored her idol, Ella Fitzgerald. The most important influence on Marilyn’s vocal art was in fact a recording I gave her called ‘Ella sings Gerschwin’…”

There were, however, people who refused to believe that Marilyn’s movie singing voice was actually her own. New York columnist Dorothy Kilgallen made allegations that her numbers in Gentlemen Prefer Blondes had been dubbed by another singer, only to be refuted by an affidavit sent by Fox studio chief Darryl Zanuck. Kilgallen responded, “It just floors me that a girl who can sing as well as Marilyn does on the Gentlemen Prefer Blondes soundtrack (okay, it’s not Dinah Shore, but it’s a competent professional job) just happened to pick up the talent recently.”

In October 1953 Marilyn signed a record deal with RCA, though this only led to three singles from There’s No Business Like Show Business (1954). An exclusivity clause in Marilyn’s contract resulted in Broadway star Dolores Gray being hired for the official soundtrack album. RCA also recorded Marilyn singing ‘A Fine Romance’, regarded by some as her finest singing performance, but not released until long after her death. Apart from this contract, Marilyn’s songs from her movies were released on soundtrack albums published by the respective studios.

Many Marilyn compilation albums have come out over the years, using a combination of material from the soudntrack cuts and origianal recording produced for release.

SONGS

Songs performed in movies

Ladies of the Chorus (1948)

Anyone Can See I Love You (download)

Every Baby Needs a Da-Da-Daddy

Ticket to Tomahawk (1950)

Oh, What a Forward Young Man You are

Niagara (1953)

Kiss (download)

Gentlemen Prefer Blondes (1953)

We’re Just Two Little Girls from Little Rock

When Love Goes Wrong

Bye Bye Baby

Diamonds are a Girl’s Best Friend

Four French Dances (cut from movie)

Down Boy (cut from movie)

When the Wild Wild Women Go Swimmin’ Down in the Bimini Bay (cut from movie)

River of No Return (1953)

River of No Return

I’m Going to File My Claim

One Silver Dollar

Down in the Meadow

There’s No Business Like Show Business (1954)

After You Get What You Want You Don’t Want It

Heatwave (download)

Lazy

There’s No Business Like Show Business

A Man Chases a Girl (download)

You’d Be Suprised

Bus Stop (1956)

That Old Black Magic

The Prince and The Showgirl (1957)

I Found a Dream (download)

Some Like It Hot (1959)

I’m Through with Love

I Wanna Be Loved By You (download)

Running Wild

Let’s Make Love (1960)

Let’s Make Love

Incurably Romantic (download)

Specialization

My Heart Belongs to Daddy


Songs performed live

1948 – at home of director Richard Quine: ‘Baby Won’t You Please Come Home’

1952 – Camp Pendleton: ‘Somebody Loves You’ and ‘Do it Again’

1953 – The Jack Benny Show: ‘Bye Bye Baby’

1954 – Korea Tour: ‘Do it Again’ (toned down to ‘Kiss Me Again’), ‘Diamonds Are a Girl’s Best Friend’, ‘Somebody Love Me’ and ‘Bye Bye Baby’

1954 – Romanaff’s Party: ‘Do It Again’

1955 – The Seven Year Itch wrap party: ‘Let’s Do It’

1962 – Kennedy birthday, Madison Square Garden: ‘Happy Birthday, Mr. President’ (download) and ‘Thanks, Mr. President’ (to the tune of ‘Thanks for the Memories’)

Song performed for auditions

‘Love Me or Leave Me’ – for Ladies of the Chorus (1948)

‘How Wrong Could I Be’ – for Ladies of the Chorus (1948)