Till The Clouds Roll By was the first MGM soundtrack record, released in 1947 as MGM-1 by M-G-M Records (later called MGM Records, without the dashes).  The label was a new venture for the studio and the soundtrack album was a new genre.  The “soundtrack album” of songs taken directly from the original studio pre-recordings did not come into existence until MGM formed “M-G-M Records” in 1946.  The “Billboard” magazine from February 22, 1947, notes that MGM Records was set to release its first shipment of 78 rpm discs on March 1, 1947. In today’s parlance, the album “dropped” on Tuesday, March 11, 1947. 

Prior to 1947, the only movie soundtrack performances available to the public were a couple of 78s from RCA Records featuring selections from Walt Disney’s Snow White And The Seven Dwarfs (1937), and a few commemorative 78s in 1933 with parts of Max Steiner’s ground-breaking score for King Kong (RKO – 1933). But neither of these were released as “cast” or “soundtrack” albums as we know them today.

All of Judy’s MGM musicals from 1946 through the end of her tenure with the studio in 1950 had MGM Records soundtracks created to complement them.  The soundtracks were quite popular, as evidenced by the many re-releases throughout the years.  Since it was the first MGM Records album and a popular soundtrack filled with popular stars, Till The Clouds Roll By has more re-releases than most of the other MGM soundtrack albums that followed.  

The images here feature the following:  Various versions of the MGM soundtrack album (official and bootleg); sheet music; newspaper ads and articles; CD releases; and VHS/DVD/laserdisc releases.