White Christmas is the biggest-selling single of
all-time, with Bing Crosby's original selling over 100 million copies,
but Nat's The Christmas Song has a good argument at being the best.
Written by the singer Mel Torme and his partner Bob Wells in 1945, Cole
did the original version the next year, and re-recorded it several
times. The version we hear these days is one done in 1961 to have it in
stereo. It was also at that time added to his existing Christmas album,
originally titled The Magic Of Christmas, but re-named after his most
famous holiday song after that.
It's such a
favourite, that Cole's voice is now associated with Christmas, his
gorgeous tones immediately calling up that feeling of warmth. The rest
of this album is mostly typical holiday standards and carols, from
Adeste Fideles to Joy To The World to The First Noel, Cole joined by
choral voices and an orchestra conducted by Ralph Carmichael. Each song
is stirring, and immediately puts you in a sentimental, Christmas Past
mood, recalling childhood and family memories. It's partly due to the
old-fashioned treatments of course, but I still argue that Cole's voice,
an amazing instrument, affects us in a special way. I can feel the
stress leaving my mind when I listen to him.
For
this reissue, some bonus cuts have been added, including God Rest Ye
Merry Gentleman, which was the cut dropped off the album when The
Christmas Song was added, and a non-album holiday single, Buon
Natale/The Happiest Christmas Tree, the latter a cute novelty number
from 1959. = Plus there's another of those edits where his daughter
Natalie was added to his original vocals, creating a posthumous duet.
This was done to The Christmas Song in 1998, and given how familiar we
are with the original, it's very successful and seamless. This is the
ultimate album for those late nights just before Christmas, when the
children are nestled all snug in their beds.
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