How many times did Nat "King" Cole record "The Christmas Song?"

[Dean F.]

I know he first did it in 1946. I have both that version and a later one
with strings. But did Cole record the song any additional times? And for
that matter, when did he record the "strings" version?

Enquiring minds want to know!

[Mark Dintenfass]

Post by Dean F.
I know he first did it in 1946. I have both that version and a later one
with strings. But did Cole record the song any additional times? And for
that matter, when did he record the "strings" version?
Enquiring minds want to know!

This was discussed here a long time ago. My recollection is that there
are three versions and that the consensus was the first version is the
best.

[Dean F.]

Post by Mark Dintenfass
This was discussed here a long time ago. My recollection is that there
are three versions and that the consensus was the first version is the
best.

Three, huh? You wouldn't happen to recall what year the version with
strings came out?

[Dean F.]

Post by Dean F.
Three, huh? You wouldn't happen to recall what year the version with
strings came out?

Never mind, I found the thread in Google:

http://groups-beta.google.com/group/rec.music.rock-pop-r+b.1950s/browse_thread/thread/6b93a1eb9d5367e0/c3382644dfa5b56f?q=Christmas+Song+Nat+Cole&_done=%2Fgroup%2Frec.music.rock-pop-r%2Bb.1950s%2Fsearch%3Fgroup%3Drec.music.rock-pop-r%2Bb.1950s%26q%3DChristmas+Song+Nat+Cole%26qt_g%3D1%26searchnow%3DSearch+this+group%26&_doneTitle=Back+to+Search&&d#c3382644dfa5b56f

[Mark Dintenfass]

Post by Dean F.

Post by Mark Dintenfass
This was discussed here a long time ago. My recollection is that there
are three versions and that the consensus was the first version is the
best.

Three, huh? You wouldn't happen to recall what year the version with
strings came out?

From Songfacts.com.


Nat "King" Cole recorded and released four separate and distinctive
versions of the song, beginning in 1949, as by the King Cole Trio
(Capitol F-90036). The second version came along in 1954 (Capitol
F2955).

Nat King Cole recorded this, and Capitol Records released it in
December of 1960. It only stayed on the chart for a couple of weeks,
but became a gold record! It was re-released again in 1962, and became
a classic among holiday hits.

----------

I assume it's the last version. However, another site makes it '63.
When Roger gets through with his turkey dinner, I'm sure he'll
straighten us out.

[Roger Ford]

On Sat, 25 Dec 2004 17:16:49 -0600, Mark Dintenfass

Post by Mark Dintenfass

Post by Dean F.

Post by Mark Dintenfass
This was discussed here a long time ago. My recollection is that there
are three versions and that the consensus was the first version is the
best.

Three, huh? You wouldn't happen to recall what year the version with
strings came out?

From Songfacts.com.
Nat "King" Cole recorded and released four separate and distinctive
versions of the song, beginning in 1949, as by the King Cole Trio
(Capitol F-90036). The second version came along in 1954 (Capitol
F2955).
Nat King Cole recorded this, and Capitol Records released it in
December of 1960. It only stayed on the chart for a couple of weeks,
but became a gold record! It was re-released again in 1962, and became
a classic among holiday hits.
----------
I assume it's the last version. However, another site makes it '63.
When Roger gets through with his turkey dinner, I'm sure he'll
straighten us out.

Dean already refers to the thread that discussed all this before

http://groups-beta.google.com/group/rec.music.rock-pop-r+b.1950s/browse_thread/thread/6b93a1eb9d5367e0/c3382644dfa5b56f?q=Christmas+Song+Nat+Cole&_done=%2Fgroup%2Frec.music.rock-pop-r%2Bb.1950s%2Fsearch%3Fgroup%3Drec.music.rock-pop-r%2Bb.1950s%26q%3DChristmas+Song+Nat+Cole%26qt_g%3D1%26searchnow%3DSearch+this+group%26&_doneTitle=Back+to+Search&&d#c3382644dfa5b56f

There appear to be the three distinct versions that are discussed here
at length and in great detail with particularly illuminating info and
comments from both Bob Moke and Larry Davis,two guys whose expertise
in this field has been sorely missed on this group in recent times.

Myself I like the earliest Trio version best (that's the one used on
the current Christmas CD I have in my taxi that's wowing all the
customers! :-) but I do greatly like the second version (the Nelson
Riddle Orch backing) as well with Cole's much richer velvetty vocal

ROGER FORD
-----------------------
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Please delete same before responding.Thank you!

[SavoyBG]

From: Roger Ford

Don't know if my post ever showed up, but supposedly the version without the
strings was never released by Capitol. Even the first release in 1949 had the
strings dubbed in.

The Trio version with no strings didn't come out until the 1980s.




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[SavoyBG]

Post by SavoyBG
Even the first release in 1949 had the
strings dubbed in.

That should be 1946. Here's what supposedly happened:

Nat king Cole was primarily a jazz artist. When the song was brought to him, he
loved it but felt it didn't fit his style. His manager suggested he add a
string choir. Capitol recorded it both ways but released the 2nd version (with
strings). This version was a huge hit but unlike what most people believe, was
not a Christmas perennial. Capitol only issued it for probably 2 seasons while
a number of other artists recorded it. The same session in 1946 that produced
Xmas Song also contained another ballad "Sentimental Reasons" This became Nat
first pop hit. It was the Trio without strings but forever changed his career.
He became primarily a ballad singer from here promting Oscar Moore to leave the
group. In any case, the non-string 1st version remained unissued until Mosaic
put it out over 40 years later.
But the stringed '46 version is not the version that everyone knows & still
hears today. He did it again in 1953 (released in '54 on 45 & LP). This
includes strings but has the Trio's sound & is the least known version. He did
it again in '56 & lastly in 1961, both with strings. I believe it's the 56
version that appeared on his classic LP, "The Christmas Song" . That's the one
you always hear.





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[RandyPNY]

Post by SavoyBG
He did it again in 1953 (released in '54 on 45 & LP). This
includes strings but has the Trio's sound & is the least known version. He did
it again in '56 & lastly in 1961, both with strings. I believe it's the 56
version that appeared on his classic LP, "The Christmas Song" . That's the
one you always hear.

No, the one you always hear is the 1961 (stereo) version, originally
recorded for The Nat King Cole Story LP. That's the version that was later
used on the Christmas Song LP (1964). I don't know of any version recorded
by him in 1956. The single that was out at the time was the Nelson Riddle
version, first released in '54. (That was the version that appeared briefly
on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1960 and 1962).

- Randy

[S***@searchhawkmail.com]

Post by Mark Dintenfass

Post by Dean F.
I know he first did it in 1946. I have both that version and a later one
with strings. But did Cole record the song any additional times? And for
that matter, when did he record the "strings" version?
Enquiring minds want to know!

This was discussed here a long time ago. My recollection is that there
are three versions and that the consensus was the first version is the
best.

The 1961 version is definitive.

[SavoyBG]

Here's the story I get from a friend who is a Chrsitmas fanatic. He says that
the version without the strings was not released until around 40 years after it
was recorded....

Nat king Cole was primarily a jazz artist. When the song was brought to him, he
loved it but felt it didn't fit his style. His manager suggested he add a
string choir. Capitol recorded it both ways but released the 2nd version (with
strings). This version was a huge hit but unlike what most people believe, was
not a Christmas perennial. Capitol only issued it for probably 2 seasons while
a number of other artists recorded it. The same session in 1946 that produced
Xmas Song also contained another ballad "Sentimental Reasons" This became Nat
first pop hit. It was the Trio without strings but forever changed his career.
He became primarily a ballad singer from here promting Oscar Moore to leave the
group. In any case, the non-string 1st version remained unissued until Mosaic
put it out over 40 years later.
But the stringed '46 version is not the version that everyone knows & still
hears today. He did it again in 1953 (released in '54 on 45 & LP). This
includes strings but has the Trio's sound & is the least known version. He did
it again in '56 & lastly in 1961, both with strings. I believe it's the 56
version that appeared on his classic LP, "The Christmas Song" . That's the one
you always hear.





MY LISTS - http://hometown.aol.com/savoybg/myhomepage/index.html
SURVEYS - http://hometown.aol.com/savoybg1/myhomepage/index.html