Let There Be Love

Let There Be Love is Joni James debut album, recorded in 1953 and released by MGM Records at the end of the year. It was released in a four-disc 10-inch 78-rpm record box, in both a two-disc 7-inch 45-rpm extended-play foldout album and a four-disc 45-rpm regular-play box and on a 10-inch 33⅓-rpm album. The serial number, 222, coincidentally included James's lucky number, "22," which appeared in many of her record serial numbers all over the world. The album is the first to present its songs as a book in music, opening with "Let There Be Love" and closing with "I'll Be Seeing You", with the songs telling a story start to finish. The memorable cover was done at M-G-M Pictures Studios in Culver City by artist Russ Gale. From the album a single of "Let There Be Love" and "You're Nearer" was shipped to radio stations. Then, by public demand, a single of "You're My Everything and "You're Nearer" was released. This album offered Joni's second recording of "Let There Be Love," which had been released in an earlier version in 1952 as her first single on Sharp Records in Chicago, then going to M-G-M Records for further distribution. Both recordings were arranged and conducted by Lew Douglas.