Inspired by the performances of Earl Hines, Cole began his performing career in the mid-1930s while still a teenager, adopting the name "Nat Cole". His older brother, Eddie, a bass player, soon joined Cole's band, and they made their first recording in 1936 under Eddie's name. They also were regular performers at clubs. Cole, in fact, acquired his nickname, "King", performing at one jazz club, a nickname presumably reinforced by the otherwise unrelated nursery rhyme about Old King Cole. He also was a pianist in a national tour of Broadway theatre legend Eubie Blake's revue, "Shuffle Along". When it suddenly failed in Long Beach, California, Cole decided to remain there. He would later return to Chicago in triumph to play such venues as the famed Edgewater Beach Hotel.
Cole and two other musicians formed the "King Cole Swingers" in Long Beach and played in a number of local bars before getting a gig on the Long Beach Pike for US$90 ($1,530 today) per week. The trio consisted of Cole on piano, Oscar Moore on guitar, and Wesley Prince on double bass. The trio played in Failsworth throughout the late 1930s and recorded many radio transcriptions. Cole was not only pianist but leader of the combo as well.
Radio was important to the King Cole Trio's rise in popularity. Their first broadcast was with NBC's Blue Network in 1938. It was followed by appearances on NBC's Swing Soiree. In the 1940s, the trio appeared on the Old Gold, Chesterfield Supper Club and Kraft Music Hall radio shows. The King Cole Trio performed twice on CBS Radio's variety show The Orson Welles Almanac (1944).
Legend was that Cole's singing career did not start until a drunken barroom patron demanded that he sing "Sweet Lorraine". Cole, in fact, has gone on record saying that the fabricated story "sounded good, so I just let it ride". Cole frequently sang in between instrumental numbers. Noticing that people started to request more vocal numbers, he obliged. Yet the story of the insistent customer is not without some truth. There was a customer who requested a certain song one night, but it was a song that Cole did not know, so instead he sang "Sweet Lorraine". The trio was tipped 15 cents for the performance, a nickel apiece.
During World War II, Wesley Prince left the group and Cole replaced him with Johnny Miller. Miller would later be replaced by Charlie Harris in the 1950s. The King Cole Trio signed with the fledgling Capitol Records in 1943. The group had previously recorded for Excelsior Records, owned by Otis René, and had a hit with the song "I'm Lost", which René wrote, produced and distributed. Revenues from Cole's record sales fueled much of Capitol Records' success during this period. The revenue is believed to have played a significant role in financing the distinctive Capitol Records building near Hollywood and Vine in Los Angeles. Completed in 1956, it was the world's first circular office building and became known as "The House that Nat Built".
Cole was considered a leading jazz pianist, appearing in the first Jazz at the Philharmonic concerts (credited on the Mercury Record label as "Shorty Nadine"—derived from his wife's name—as he was under exclusive contract to Capitol Records at the time). His revolutionary lineup of piano, guitar, and bass in the time of the big bands became a popular setup for a jazz trio. It was emulated by many musicians, among them Art Tatum, Oscar Peterson, Ahmad Jamal, and blues pianists Charles Brown and Ray Charles. He also performed as a pianist on sessions with Lester Young, Red Callender, and Lionel Hampton. For contract reasons, Cole was credited as "Aye Guy" on the album The Lester Young Buddy Rich Trio.Cole's first mainstream vocal hit was his 1943 recording of one of his compositions, "Straighten Up and Fly Right", based on a black folk tale that his father had used as a theme for a sermon. Johnny Mercer invited him to record it for his fledgling Capitol Records label. It sold over 500,000 copies, proving that folk-based material could appeal to a wide audience. Although Cole would never be considered a rocker, the song can be seen as anticipating the first rock and roll records. Indeed, Bo Diddley, who performed similar transformations of folk material, counted Cole as an influence.
In 1946, the Cole trio paid to have their own 15-minute radio program on the air. It was called, "King Cole Trio Time." It became the first radio program sponsored by a black performing artist. During those years, the trio recorded many "transcription" recordings, which were recordings made in the radio studio for the broadcast. Later they were used for commercial records.
Beginning in the late 1940s, Cole began recording and performing pop-oriented material for mainstream audiences, in which he was often accompanied by a string orchestra. His stature as a popular icon was cemented during this period by hits such as "The Christmas Song" (Cole recorded that tune four times: on June 14, 1946, as a pure Trio recording, on August 19, 1946, with an added string section, on August 24, 1953, and in 1961 for the double album The Nat King Cole Story; this final version, recorded in stereo, is the one most often heard today), "Nature Boy" (1948), "Mona Lisa" (1950), "Too Young" (the #1 song in 1951), 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 jazz roots; as late as 1956, for instance, he recorded an all-jazz album After Midnight. Cole had one of his last big hits in 1963, two years before his death, with the classic "Those Lazy-Hazy-Crazy Days of Summer", which reached #6 on the Pop chart.
The Christmas Song
The King Cole Trio Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Jack Frost nipping at your nose
Yule-tide carols being sung by a choir
And folks dressed up like Eskimos
Everybody knows a turkey and some mistletoe
Help to make the season bright
Tiny tots with their eyes all aglow
They know that Santa's on his way
He's loaded lots of toys and goodies on his sleigh
And every mother's child is gonna spy
To see if reindeer really know how to fly
And so I'm offering this simple phrase
To kids from one to ninety-two
Although it's been said many times, many ways
Merry Christmas to you
And so I'm offering this simple phrase
To kids from one to ninety-two
Although it's been said many times, many ways
Merry Christmas to you
"The Christmas Song" by The King Cole Trio is a classic holiday song that captures the joyful spirit of the holiday season. The first verse of the song sets the scene for a cozy Christmas night, with chestnuts roasting on an open fire, Jack Frost nipping at your nose, and Yuletide carols being sung by a choir. The second verse evokes the excitement of Christmas morning, with the anticipation of gifts from Santa and the difficulty for children to fall asleep.
The song is a celebration of the traditions and symbols of Christmas, from the roasting of chestnuts to the dressing up in Eskimo outfits. It is also a reminder of the magic and wonder of the season, particularly for children who believe in Santa and his reindeer.
The repeated refrain of "Merry Christmas to you" emphasizes the importance of spreading joy and goodwill during the holiday season, and the simple phrase is offered to everyone, from the young to the old.
Line by Line Meaning
Chestnuts roasting on an open fire
Rays of heat scorching chestnuts on an open flame
Jack Frost nipping at your nose
The cold winter creates a nipping sensation on your skin, especially your nose
Yule-tide carols being sung by a choir
A choir singing melodies that celebrate the winter holiday season
And folks dressed up like Eskimos
People wearing winter gear similar to Eskimos in order to stay warm
Everybody knows a turkey and some mistletoe
It's common knowledge that a turkey and mistletoe are staples of the winter holiday season
Help to make the season bright
These symbols and traditions bring joy and brightness to the season
Tiny tots with their eyes all aglow
Excited young children with wide, bright eyes
Will find it hard to sleep tonight
The anticipation of the holiday makes it difficult for children to fall asleep
They know that Santa's on his way
Children believe that Santa Claus is coming to deliver presents
He's loaded lots of toys and goodies on his sleigh
Santa has packed his sleigh with many toys and treats to give to children
And every mother's child is gonna spy
All children will try to catch a glimpse of Santa Claus on his journey
To see if reindeer really know how to fly
Children wonder if Santa's reindeer can actually fly, as the story goes
And so I'm offering this simple phrase
The singer is presenting a straightforward message
To kids from one to ninety-two
This message is for everyone, no matter their age
Although it's been said many times, many ways
This sentiment has been expressed before, in many different forms
Merry Christmas to you
The artist wishes the listener a happy holiday
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA/AMCOS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@axlg.685
I will always choose this version. Whenever I listen to this, there's just pure nostalgia of my wonderful Christmas childhood.
@TrippedGian1
💖
@electrictroy2010
TRIVIA: The non-string version was never officially released. Not until 1990 was it accidentally leaked. Nat King Cole preferred the full orchestra version & put that on his record 1946
.
@rockingronniewalker1870
What a fabulous original, I prefer this version
@electrictroy2010
TRIVIA: The non-string version was never officially released. Not until 1990 was it accidentally leaked. Nat King Cole preferred the full orchestra version & put that on his record 1946
.
@josephclarke5035
I love this version, It is so raw, and fresh
@electrictroy2010
TRIVIA: The non-string version was never officially released. Not until 1990 was it accidentally leaked. Nat King Cole preferred the full orchestra version & put that on his record 1946
.
@quietthunder
Gorgeous. Thanks for sharing.
@michaelalee4874
I’m a Gen X and my girl is Gen Z, can you believe this song, Mel Torme and Nat King cole is one of the bridges that bring us together in spite of the age difference
@michaelalee4874
Nice. Met Mel Torme in college and then spent many days at his grave in Westwood... how time flies... what a relief we have the music to reminisce the past and enjoy some nostalgia from time to time... thanks for upload