A tribute to American music icon Nat King Cole will arrive on bookstore shelves this autumn, titled Christmas With Nat King Cole: A Legacy of Merry Music and Holiday Memories by Allison McGevna.
“I feel so blessed to have been able to celebrate the King of Christmas and one of the greatest voices in music history”, McGevna said in her announcement post on Instagram (@alliemcgev).
Officially licensed by Nat King Cole’s estate, the cosy 144-page book includes a foreword from his daughters, Timolin and Casey Cole.
“It is all about the recording of his Christmas album which we all know and love, and of course, chestnuts roasting on an open fire,” McGevna said.
“There is nothing that gets you into the Christmas spirit more than the sound of that phrase.”
A celebration of his association with the holiday season, the book will also share the Cole family’s kitchen recipes and style tips from the “king of dapper himself.”
Starting out
Cole began his career as a jazz pianist in the 1930s after dropping out of high school to pursue music.
He formed The King Cole Trio in 1937, with Oscar Moore (guitarist), and Wesley Prince (bassist).
Their debut single, That Ain’t Right, reached number one on the Harlem Hit Parade (the original name for Billboard’s R&B Chart).
The trio were among Capitol Record’s most successful acts of the decade.
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Going solo
In 1950, Cole made the decision to transition from a jazz pianist to a solo pop vocalist, achieving mainstream success with songs such as Unforgettable, Mona Lisa and Too Young.
Only 10 years later, his triumphant solo career earned him a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame and in 1990, he received a posthumous Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award.
But the Rock and Roll Hall of Famer is most recognised as the King of Christmas.
The Christmas Song
Originally recorded in 1946, The Christmas Song would go on to become one of the most recognisable holiday hits of all time.
However, the classic melody was actually written in the unbearable heat of July, by song writing duo Robert Wells and Mel Torme.
Years later, in an interview with NPR, Mel’s son, James, reflected on the hot summer day when The Christmas Song was born.
“My father went to the house of his then-writing partner, a guy called Bob Wells. And Wells was nowhere to be seen. But there was a spiral pad at his piano.”
“There were a few lines sort of scribbled down in pencil, ‘chestnuts roasting on an open fire, Jack Frost nipping at your nose, yuletide carols being sung by a choir, and folks dressed up like eskimos.’”
When Bob entered the room, he proclaimed his distress from the heat, noting that he thought if he could just “write down a few lines of wintery verse” he “could psychologically get an edge over this heat.”
But Mel saw something more, he saw a hit.
“And about 45 minutes later, no more than that, the song was born.”
The pair rushed over to Nat King Cole’s house the same day, where the singer proclaimed it as “his song.”
In fact, Cole recorded the timeless tune 4 times over his career.
A love letter to the festive season
First recorded with the King Cole Trio in June 1946, Capitol Records insisted that the song should not include strings, anxious they might lose R&B listeners, Cole’s main audience.
However, after putting his foot down, strings were included in a recording 2 months later.
Despite Capitol Records’ concern, the string version reached #3 on the R&B music chart, with the original not seeing the light of day until 1989.
But that was only because it was accidentally included in Billboard’s Greatest Christmas Hits (1935-1954).
Cole recorded two more versions, the first in 1954, and the most recognised in 1961.
The latter would become the title track on the 1963 reissue of his only Christmas album, The Magic of Christmas.
Bringing classic Christmas into the 21st century
From behind-the-scenes access of his Christmas hits, to his family’s cherished memories with the man himself, Christmas with Nat King Cole promises to be the perfect book to devour this holiday season.
Pre-order is available here now.
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