The Nat King Cole Story


The Nat King Cole Story is a 1961 album by Nat King Cole. The album was a retrospective of Cole's recording career, designed to present many of his earlier hits in new recordings featuring stereo sound. Cole is accompanied on the re-recordings by many of the notable arrangers and bands that had appeared with him on the original records.
Of particular note is Cole's re-recording of "The Christmas Song". This was Cole's fourth, and final, recording of the song, and also the first version recorded in stereo. This recording of the song was subsequently added to a 1963 reissue of Cole's 1960 LP The Magic of Christmas, and remains one of Cole's best-known recordings and among the most-played Christmas tunes on radio each December.
This compilation also marks the last time Cole would record with a Trio. In addition to The Christmas Song, referenced above, the album includes Cole's recreations in stereo of five of his early Trio hits, including "Straighten Up and Fly Right", "Sweet Lorraine", "It's Only a Paper Moon", "(Get Your Kicks on) Route 66" and "For Sentimental Reasons", in addition to "Orange Colored Sky", a re-recording of a song originally done in 1950 in conjunction with the Stan Kenton Orchestra.
At the 4th Annual Grammy Awards, The Nat King Cole Story was nominated for the Grammy Award for Album of the Year.

Track listing

Disc 1
  1. "Straighten Up and Fly Right" – 2:36
  2. "Sweet Lorraine" – 3:22
  3. "It's Only a Paper Moon" – 2:57
  4. "(Get Your Kicks on) Route 66" – 2:56
  5. "(I Love You) For Sentimental Reasons" – 3:04
  6. "The Christmas Song (Merry Christmas to You)" – 3:11
  7. "Nature Boy" – 2:53
  8. "Lush Life" – 3:46
  9. "Calypso Blues" – 3:25
  10. "Mona Lisa" – 3:27
  11. "Orange Colored Sky" – 2:33
  12. "Too Young" – 3:24
  13. "Unforgettable" – 3:27
  14. "Somewhere Along the Way" – 3:00
  15. "Walkin' My Baby Back Home" – 2:42
  16. "Pretend" – 2:45
  17. "Blue Gardenia" – 3:04
  18. "I Am in Love" – 2:33
Disc 2
  1. "Answer Me, My Love" – 2:56
  2. "Smile" – 2:53
  3. "Darling, Je Vous Aime Beaucoup" – 2:48
  4. "The Sand and the Sea" – 2:41
  5. "If I May" – 2:57
  6. "A Blossom Fell" – 2:41
  7. "To the Ends of the Earth" – 2:25
  8. "Night Lights" – 2:48
  9. "Ballerina" – 2:41
  10. "Stardust" – 3:14
  11. "Send for Me" – 2:30
  12. "St. Louis Blues" – 2:25
  13. "Looking Back" – 2:26
  14. "Non Dimenticar" – 3:07
  15. "Paradise" – 3:11
  16. "Oh Mary, Don't You Weep" – 1:55
  17. "Ay, Cosita Linda" – 2:14
  18. "Wild Is Love" – 2:48

2011 reissue

In 2011, the Analogue Productions label reissued the album as a 2-disc hybrid SACD set and a 5-disc 45 rpm vinyl set. Both versions feature a new stereo mix of the entire album by Steve Hoffman and Kevin Gray, while the SACD also includes a discrete three-channel mix of most songs. Two bonus tracks are also included on both versions.

Personnel

Performance

Production