As a piano player, he formed a jazz trio in 1938 that played Los Angeles nightclubs, one of the first jazz trios featuring guitar and piano. Prior to this he had played music since he was a child and had worked with bands since he was sixteen. He was raised in Chicago and exposed to the abundant jazz scene there. He was heavily influenced by pianist Earl "Fatha" Hines.
Later he became more popularly known as a singer and crooner and his work became more orchestrated.
His first mainstream vocal hit was in 1944 with Straighten Up and Fly Right, based on a black folk tale that his father had used as a theme for a sermon. Although hardly a rocker, the song's success proved that an audience for folk-based material existed. It is considered a predecessor to the first rock and roll records. Indeed, Bo Diddley, who performed similar transformations of folk material, counted Cole as an influence.
Beginning in the late 1940s, Cole began recording and performing more pop-oriented material for mainstream audiences, often accompanied by a string orchestra. His stature as a popular icon was cemented during this period with such hits as The Christmas Song (1946), Nature Boy (1948), Mona Lisa (1950), and his signature tune Unforgettable (1951). While this shift to pop music led some jazz critics and fans to accuse Cole of selling out, he never totally abandoned his musical roots; as late as 1956, for instance, he recorded an all-jazz album, After Midnight. In 1991, Mosaic Records released the Complete Nat King Cole Trio Recordings on Capitol, which contained 349 songs on twenty-seven LPs or eighteen CDs.
Throughout the 1950s Cole continued to rack up hit after hit, including Smile, Pretend, A Blossom Fell, and If I May. Most of his pop hits were collaborations with famed arranger/conductor Nelson Riddle. It was with Riddle that Cole released his first ten-inch long-play album in 1953 entitled Sings for Two in Love. Several more albums followed, including the Gordon Jenkins arranged Love Is the Thing, which reached number one on the album charts in April 1957.
Inspired by a trip to Havana, Cuba in 1958, Nat went back there that same year and recorded Cole Espanol, an album sung entirely in Spanish and Portuguese. The album was a hit not only in the U.S., but in Latin America as well. The album was so popular, that two others followed: A mis amigos in 1959, and More Cole Espanol in 1962.
Musical tastes were changing in the late 1950s, and despite a successful stab at rock n' roll with Send for Me, Cole's ballad singing had grown old to younger listeners. Like contemporaries Dean Martin, Frank Sinatra and Tony Bennett, Nat found that the pop singles chart had been almost entirely taken over by youth oriented acts. In 1960, Nat's longtime collaborator Nelson Riddle, left Capitol Records for Frank Sinatra's newly formed Reprise Records label. The two parted ways with one final hit album Wild Is Love, based on lyrics by Ray Rasch and Dotty Wayne. Nat would later re-tool the concept album into an off-Broadway production called I'm With You.
As the 1960s progressed, Nat once again found success on the American singles chart, starting with the country/pop flavored hit Ramblin' Rose in August of 1962. Three more hit singles followed: Dear Lonely Hearts, Those Lazy, Hazy, Crazy Days of Summer, and That Sunday, That Summer. Nat's final album was entitled L.O.V.E, and was recorded in late 1964. It was released just prior to his death and reached number four on the Billboard Albums chart in the spring of 1965. A "Best Of" album went gold in 1968. His 1957 song When I Fall in Love was a chart topping hit for the U.K. in 1987.
Cole was the first African-American to have his own radio program. He repeated that success in the late-1950s with the first truly national television show starring an African-American. In both cases, the programs were ultimately canceled because sponsors shied away from a black artist. Cole fought racism all his life, refusing to perform in segregated venues. In 1956, he was attacked on stage in Birmingham, Alabama by members of the White Citizens' Council who apparently were attempting to kidnap him. Despite injuries, Cole completed the show but vowed never to perform in the South again.
On 23rd August 1956, Cole spoke at the Republican National Convention in the Cow Palace, San Francisco, California. He was also present at the Democratic National Convention in 1960, to throw his support behind President John F. Kennedy. Cole was also among the dozens of entertainers recruited by Frank Sinatra to perform at the Kennedy Inaugural gala in 1961. Nat King Cole frequently consulted with President Kennedy (and later President Johnson) on the issue of civil rights. Yet he was dogged by critics, who felt he shied away from controversy when it came to the civil rights issue. Among the most notable was Supreme Court Justice Thurgood Marshall, who was upset that Cole didn't take stronger action after the 1956 on-stage attack.
In 1948, Cole purchased a house in the all-white Hancock Park neighborhood in Los Angeles, California. The property owners association told Cole they didn't want any undesirables moving in, to which Cole retorted "Neither do I. And if I see anybody undesirable coming in here, I'll be the first to complain."
He and his second wife, Maria Ellington, were married in Harlem's Abyssinian Baptist Church by Adam Clayton Powell, Jr. They had five children, including twin girls. Daughter Carol Cole, and son Kelly Cole were adopted. Kelly Cole died in 1995. Nat's daughter, Natalie Cole, and his younger brother, Freddie Cole are also singers.
Natalie and her father had an unexpected hit in the summer of 1991. The younger Cole mixed a 1961 recording of her father's rendition of Unforgettable with her own voice, creating an electronic duet. Both the song and the album of the same name won several Grammy awards the following year.
Cole performed in many short films, and played W. C. Handy in the film Saint Louis Blues. He also appeared in The Nat King Cole Story, China Gate, and The Blue Gardenia.
Nat King Cole was a heavy smoker of Kool menthol cigarettes, believing that smoking up to three packs a day gave his voice the rich sound it had (Cole would smoke several cigarettes in rapid succession before a recording for this very purpose). Cole died of lung cancer at St. John's Hospital in Santa Monica, California, on 15th February 1965. His funeral was held at St. Victor's Catholic Church in West Hollywood, and he was buried in Forest Lawn Memorial Park in Glendale, California. Cat Ballou, his final film, was released several months later.
Joe Turner's Blues
Nat King Cole Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
There was a terrible flood that year
People lost everything they had
Their crops, their live stock
That means their horses, their mules, cows
Goats and everything they had on their farm
They tell me, Joe Turner been here and gone
Lord, they tell me, Joe Turner been here and gone
They tell me, Joe turner been here and gone
Then they would go out hunting rabbits, 'coons and 'possoms
Anything they could catch
Sometimes they would catch something, then again they didn't
And when they would come home, they would find
Flour meat and molasses
In their homes and they would know that
Joe Turner had been there and left food for them
And they would start cryin' and singin' this song
They tell me, Joe Turner been here and gone
Lord, they tell me, that Joe turner been here and gone
They tell me, Joe Turner been here and gone
Then they would start out lookin' for wood
And stuff to make a fire
And they would look in their yards, and they would find axes, wood
That Joe Turner had brought there for them
Then they would get happy
And start singin' and cryin' this song
They would get happy and do a little boogie-woogie too
The lyrics to Nat King Cole's "Joe Turner Blues" describe life in the aftermath of a devastating flood in 1892. The flood destroyed everything that people had worked hard to acquire, including their crops and livestock. The people would sing the song to vent their frustration and pain, as well as to commemorate the presence of Joe Turner. According to the song, Joe Turner left flour, meat, and molasses in their homes, helping to alleviate some of their hunger. Turner also left wood and axes, which encouraged the people to start fires and feel a bit of warmth again.
The song is a reminder that even in the most difficult of times, people can come together and make it through with the help of friends and loved ones. By sharing what little they had, they could work together to survive. It is also a testament to the resilience of humanity in the face of hardship, as the people in the song do not give up hope.
Line by Line Meaning
This is a song was sung back in 18 and 92
The song tells the story of a time long ago, in 1892.
There was a terrible flood that year
A devastating flood occurred in that year, causing widespread damage and loss.
People lost everything they had
The flood caused the people to lose all of their possessions and livelihoods.
Their crops, their live stock
The flood destroyed the people's crops and livestock, depriving them of their source of food and income.
That means their horses, their mules, cows
The people lost their horses, mules, and cows, which were essential for their daily work.
Goats and everything they had on their farm
All their other livestock, including goats, as well as any tools and equipment they had on their farm were also lost in the flood.
And they would start cryin' and singin' this song
The people would express their sadness and sorrow through the singing of this song.
They tell me, Joe Turner been here and gone
The people believe that a man named Joe Turner has visited their area.
Lord, they tell me, Joe Turner been here and gone
The people express their amazement and disbelief at Joe Turner's apparent presence in their community.
Then they would go out hunting rabbits, 'coons and 'possoms
To survive, the people would have to hunt for food such as rabbits, raccoons, and possums.
Anything they could catch
They would catch whatever they could find to sustain themselves.
Sometimes they would catch something, then again they didn't
Their hunting expeditions were often not successful, leaving them hungry and desperate.
And when they would come home, they would find
Upon returning home from their hunts, they would discover some unexpected items.
Flour meat and molasses
They would find basic food items such as flour, meat, and molasses.
In their homes and they would know that
These items would be left in their homes as a sign of Joe Turner's visitation.
Joe Turner had been there and left food for them
The people believe that Joe Turner had visited their homes and provided them with food to help them survive.
Then they would start cryin' and singin' this song
Upon discovering the food, the people would express their joy and relief by singing this song.
They tell me, Joe Turner been here and gone
The repeated refrain emphasizes the people's belief in Joe Turner's presence and his generosity.
Lord, they tell me, that Joe turner been here and gone
The people are amazed at the help that Joe Turner has provided and can hardly believe that he was actually there.
Then they would start out lookin' for wood
Another necessity for survival was finding wood to build fires and cook food.
And stuff to make a fire
They would scour their surroundings for anything that could be used as kindling or fuel for a fire.
And they would look in their yards, and they would find axes, wood
In some cases, the people would find wood and tools that Joe Turner had brought to their yards, making their search easier.
That Joe Turner had brought there for them
The people believe that Joe Turner had provided them with these items to help them survive.
Then they would get happy
Finally finding wood and tools would make the people happy and relieved.
And start singin' and cryin' this song
Their joy and gratitude would be expressed through the singing of this song, as well as tears of happiness.
They would get happy and do a little boogie-woogie too
The people's happiness would be so great that they would even dance a little celebratory boogie-woogie.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, HANDY BROTHERS MUSIC CO.,INC.
Written by: WALTER HIRSCH, WILLIAM C HANDY
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
john
on A Blossom Fell
i want the song" I'll never settle for less" lyrics,would somebody be so kind to give it to me?