The Anniversary Song

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"The Anniversary Song" is a popular song. Also known as "The Waves of the Danube"(Valurile Dunării), was written by Ion Ivanovici(born 1845 in Timişoara, died in September 28, 1902), a Romanian composer. This piece was created especially for the 1889 Paris Exposition and became a hit. As a popular song it is played by the brass orchestras in the city gardens all over Romania, at the weddings and all high society gatherings.

It was introduced in the western world by Al Jolson and Saul Chaplin and published in 1946 as their own composition.

The song was recorded by a number of artists in late 1946 or 1947, several of the versions making the Top 10 song charts.

The recording by Al Jolson was released by Decca Records as catalog number 23714. It first reached the Billboard magazine charts on February 7, 1947 and lasted 14 weeks on the chart, peaking at #2. ^[1]

The recording by Tex Beneke and the Glenn Miller Orchestra was released by RCA Victor Records as catalog number 20-2126. It first reached the Billboard magazine charts on February 21, 1947 and lasted 8 weeks on the chart, peaking at #3. ^[1]

The recording by Guy Lombardo was recorded on December 13, 1946 and released by Decca Records as catalog number 23799. It first reached the Billboard magazine charts on February 14, 1947 and lasted 10 weeks on the chart, peaking at #4. ^[1]

The recording by Dinah Shore was released by Columbia Records as catalog number 37234. It first reached the Billboard magazine charts on February 28, 1947 and lasted 8 weeks on the chart, peaking at #4. ^[1]

The recording by Andy Russell was released by Capitol Records as catalog number 368. It first reached the Billboard magazine charts on March 14, 1947 and lasted 2 weeks on the chart, peaking at #5. ^[1]