Latest Updates - Nat "King" Cole

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Comment by MR B PAGE:

Track 7-Composed by J & N Sherman.

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Comment by jimbo2021:

Trivia from Wikipedia on the fourth and last studio recording of "The Christmas Song (Merry Christmas To You)" by Nat King Cole..


Fourth recording

Recorded at Capitol Studios, New York City, March 30, 1961. This rendition, the first recorded in stereo,[13] is widely played on radio stations during the Christmas season, and has become the most popular/familiar version of this song.[4] Label credit: Nat King Cole (Nat King Cole, vocals; Hank Jones, pianist; John Collins, guitarist; Charlie Harris, bassist; Lee Young, drummer; Charlie Grean, Pete Rugolo and Ralph Carmichael, orchestral arrangement; Ralph Carmichael, orchestra conductor).[13][15] The instrumental arrangement is nearly identical to the 1953 version,[13] but Cole's vocals are deeper-sounding and more focused. Originally done for The Nat King Cole Story (a 1961 LP devoted to stereo re-recordings of Cole's earlier hits), this recording was later included in a reissue of Cole's 1960 album The Magic of Christmas replacing "God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen". Retitled The Christmas Song, the album was issued in 1963 as Capitol W-1967(mono) / SW-1967(stereo) and today is available both on compact disc and streaming on iTunes. This recording of "The Christmas Song" has also been included on numerous compilation albums of Christmas pop standards (for example, WCBS-FM's Ultimate Christmas Album Volume 3). An alternate take of the 1961 recording, featuring a different vocal and missing the solo piano on the instrumental bridge, appears on the Deluxe Edition of the 2014 compilation The Extraordinary Nat King Cole.[13] There were several covers of Nat Cole's original record in the 1940s. The first of these was said to be by Dick Haymes on the Decca label, but his was released first – not recorded first. The first cover of "The Christmas Song" was performed by pop tenor and bandleader Eddy Howard on Majestic. Howard was a big Cole fan, and also covered Nat's versions of "I Want to Thank Your Folks" and "(I Love You) For Sentimental Reasons", among others.

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Comment by jimbo2021:

[YouTube Video]

01

THE CHRISTMAS SONG
(Merry Christmas To You)

Nat King Cole
With Orchestra and Chorus
Conducted by Ralph Carmichael


Words & music by
Mel Torme

Words by
Robert Wells

Orchestrated by
Charles Grean
and Pete Rugolo

Produced by
Lee Gillette

Capitol Records

3:09

Recorded at Studio A, Capitol Studios in
New York City on Thursday, March 30, 1961