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Nat 'King' Cole Stardust - The Complete Capitol Recordings 1955-1959 Vol.1 (11-CD Deluxe Box Set)

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This is the first of two Bear Family boxes devoted to Nat King Cole, the second covers his final... more

Nat 'King' Cole: Stardust - The Complete Capitol Recordings 1955-1959 Vol.1 (11-CD Deluxe Box Set)


This is the first of two Bear Family boxes devoted to Nat King Cole, the second covers his final five years of recording (1960-1964) and together will form the definitive statement of the last and most amazing decade of one of the greatest stars of all time

Nat King Cole (1919-1965) was the most popular male singer of his generation, and, along with Bing Crosby, Frank Sinatra and Elvis Presley, one of the four best known male vocalists of all time. Making Cole's story all the more remarkable, he began his career not as a pop singer but as one of the greatest of all jazz pianists. Yet by the time he had made the transition from jazz to pop, he had sold more records and racked up more hit singles than anyone in the immediate post-war era, even Frank Sinatra. He was also the first Afro-American pop music superstar - and still the greatest.

This Bear Family box contains Cole's complete recordings, all done for Capitol Records, of the years 1955-1959. The 11 CDs and 298 tracks contain a combination of Nat King Cole's most famous and most obscure work.

The set includes all the material for no less than 16 classic Nat King Cole albums: The two piano-centric albums of 1955-'56: 'The Piano Style' (with Nelson Riddle) and 'After Midnight' (with Sweets Edison, Juan Tizol, Willie and Stuff Smith) as well as the 'bonus session' for 'Penthouse Serenade.' The 1955 albums with Nelson Riddle, 'Night Lights' and the 'bonus session' for 'Two In Love.' The two classic albums with Gordon Jenkins, 'Love Is The Thing' (1956) and 'The Very Thought Of You' (1958), as well as the spiritual album with Gordon Jenkins, 'Every Time I Feel The Spirit' (1958). Nat's great jazz-ballad album with Billy May, 'Just One Of Those Things.' King Meets Count! Nat King Cole's classic meeting with the Count Basie Orchestra, 'Welcome To The Club' (1958), and another great album of swinging standards from the same year arranged by Dave Cavanaugh, 'Tell Me All About Yourself.' Two best-selling albums recorded for the Latin-American market of classic Latin songs sung in Spanish,
'Cole Espanol' (1958) and 'A Mis Amigos' (1959). Two masterpiece albums with Nelson Riddle, 'To Whom It May Concern' and his magnificent album of W. C. Handy classics, 'St. Louis Blues,' both from 1958. The rock-inspired material that was later collected in the 'Looking Back' compilation LP, issued here for the first time without the dreadful overdubbed rhythm sections that were added after Nat King Cole died in 1965.

In addition to these classic albums, the box contains nearly a hundred singles, which range from major hits like Ballerina, Looking Back and Non Dimenticar to some of the rarest recordings in his career, including many selections previously only heard as singles and EPs. All selections are presented without the overdubs that were often artificially imposed in the mid-'60s.

The 208-page hardcover book contains the most complete discography by Russ Wapensky, Jordan Taylor, Michel Ruppli & Richard Weize ever done of Nat King Cole's Capitol recordings in this period, along with hundreds of rare photographs of recording sessions from the Capitol archive, and reproductions of album and EP covers, and other Cole memorabilia and paraphernalia. The comprehensive liner notes are the work of Will Friedwald, that well-known Famous Author Dude.


Article properties: Nat 'King' Cole: Stardust - The Complete Capitol Recordings 1955-1959 Vol.1 (11-CD Deluxe Box Set)

  • Interpret: Nat 'King' Cole

  • Album titlle: Stardust - The Complete Capitol Recordings 1955-1959 Vol.1 (11-CD Deluxe Box Set)

  • Label Bear Family Records

  • Genre Pop

  • Edition 2 Deluxe Edition
  • Preiscode KL
  • Artikelart Box set

  • EAN: 4000127163424

  • weight in Kg 3.1
Cole, Nat 'King' - Stardust - The Complete Capitol Recordings 1955-1959 Vol.1 (11-CD Deluxe Box Set) Box set 1
01 I'd Rather Have The Blues (The Blues From...) Nat 'King' Cole
02 I Hear My Music Nat 'King' Cole
03 My Heart Stood Still (1) Nat 'King' Cole
04 My Heart Stood Still (2) Nat 'King' Cole
05 I Never Knew Nat 'King' Cole
06 Tea For Two Nat 'King' Cole
07 Nothing Ever Changes My Love For You Nat 'King' Cole
08 Breezin' Along With The Breeze Nat 'King' Cole
09 Someone You Love Nat 'King' Cole
10 What Can I Say After I Say I'm Sorry Nat 'King' Cole
11 Takin' A Chance On Love Nat 'King' Cole
12 Don't Blame Me Nat 'King' Cole
13 It Could Happen To You Nat 'King' Cole
14 I Surrender Dear (1) Nat 'King' Cole
15 I Surrender Dear (2) Nat 'King' Cole
16 Little Girl Nat 'King' Cole
17 Imagination Nat 'King' Cole
18 April In Paris Nat 'King' Cole
19 Love Walked In Nat 'King' Cole
20 I See Your Face Before Me Nat 'King' Cole
21 Stella By Starlight Nat 'King' Cole
22 I Didn't Know What Time It Was Nat 'King' Cole
23 If I Could Be With You (One Hour Tonight) Nat 'King' Cole
24 Autumn Leaves (english version) Nat 'King' Cole
25 I Get A Kick Out Of You Nat 'King' Cole
26 Intro to: We Are Americans Too Nat 'King' Cole
27 We Are Americans Too Nat 'King' Cole
Cole, Nat 'King' - Stardust - The Complete Capitol Recordings 1955-1959 Vol.1 (11-CD Deluxe Box Set) Box set 2
01 There Will Never Be Another You Nat 'King' Cole
02 My Dream Sonata Nat 'King' Cole
03 Let's Fall In Love Nat 'King' Cole
04 Love Is A Many Splendoured Thing Nat 'King' Cole
05 Ask Me Nat 'King' Cole
06 Just One Of Those Things Nat 'King' Cole
07 I Want To Be Happy Nat 'King' Cole
08 You Are My Sunshine Nat 'King' Cole
09 Up Pops Love Nat 'King' Cole
10 Take Me Back To Toyland Nat 'King' Cole
11 Love Me As Though There Were No Tomorrow Nat 'King' Cole
12 Too Young To Go Steady Nat 'King' Cole
13 Dreams Can Tell A Lie Nat 'King' Cole
14 Back In My Arms Nat 'King' Cole
15 Mr. Juke Box Nat 'King' Cole
16 Dame Crazy Nat 'King' Cole
17 I Just Found Out About Love Nat 'King' Cole
18 I Got Love Nat 'King' Cole
19 My Personal Possession Nat 'King' Cole
20 Stay Nat 'King' Cole
21 Believe Nat 'King' Cole
22 That's All There Is To That Nat 'King' Cole
23 Night Lights Nat 'King' Cole
24 The Shadows Nat 'King' Cole
25 To The Ends Of The Earth Nat 'King' Cole
26 I Promise You Nat 'King' Cole
27 The Way I Love You Nat 'King' Cole
28 Never Let Me Go (from film 'Scarlet Hour') Nat 'King' Cole
Cole, Nat 'King' - Stardust - The Complete Capitol Recordings 1955-1959 Vol.1 (11-CD Deluxe Box Set) Box set 3
01 Unfair Nat 'King' Cole
02 Make Me Nat 'King' Cole
03 Sometimes I Wonder Nat 'King' Cole
04 Once Before Nat 'King' Cole
05 I'm Willing To Share This With You Nat 'King' Cole
06 I Need A Plan Nat 'King' Cole
07 The Story's Old Nat 'King' Cole
08 You Can Depend On Me Nat 'King' Cole
09 Candy Nat 'King' Cole
10 Sweet Lorraine Nat 'King' Cole
11 It's Only A Paper Moon Nat 'King' Cole
12 (Get Your Kicks On) Route 66 Nat 'King' Cole
13 Don't Let It Go To Your Head Nat 'King' Cole
14 You're Looking At Me Nat 'King' Cole
15 You're Looking At Me (alt.) Nat 'King' Cole
16 Just You, Just Me Nat 'King' Cole
17 I Was A Little Too Lonely (And You Were A...) Nat 'King' Cole
18 How Little We Know Nat 'King' Cole
19 Should I? Nat 'King' Cole
20 Ballerina Nat 'King' Cole
21 Caravan Nat 'King' Cole
22 Lonely One Nat 'King' Cole
23 Blame It On My Youth Nat 'King' Cole
24 What Is There To Say Nat 'King' Cole
Cole, Nat 'King' - Stardust - The Complete Capitol Recordings 1955-1959 Vol.1 (11-CD Deluxe Box Set) Box set 4
01 Sometimes I'm Happy Nat 'King' Cole
02 I Know That You Know Nat 'King' Cole
03 When I Grow Too Old To Dream Nat 'King' Cole
04 Two Loves Have I Nat 'King' Cole
05 True Blue Lou Nat 'King' Cole
06 Like Someone In Love Nat 'King' Cole
07 I'm Shooting High Nat 'King' Cole
08 Tangerine Nat 'King' Cole
09 One Sun Nat 'King' Cole
10 You Are My First Love Nat 'King' Cole
11 Maybe It's Because I Love You Much Too Much Nat 'King' Cole
12 Love Letters Nat 'King' Cole
13 I Thought About Marie Nat 'King' Cole
14 Where Can I Go Without You? Nat 'King' Cole
15 Stardust Nat 'King' Cole
16 Love Is The Thing Nat 'King' Cole
17 It's All In The Game Nat 'King' Cole
18 When I Fall In Love Nat 'King' Cole
19 Ain't Misbehavin' Nat 'King' Cole
20 When Sunny Gets Blue Nat 'King' Cole
21 At Last Nat 'King' Cole
22 Stay As Sweet As You Are Nat 'King' Cole
23 When Rock And Roll Came To Trinidad Nat 'King' Cole
24 China Gate Nat 'King' Cole
25 Blue Moon Nat 'King' Cole
26 With You On My Mind Nat 'King' Cole
27 Don't Try Nat 'King' Cole
Cole, Nat 'King' - Stardust - The Complete Capitol Recordings 1955-1959 Vol.1 (11-CD Deluxe Box Set) Box set 5
01 Send For Me Nat 'King' Cole
02 Let's Make More Love (I Want Your Love) Nat 'King' Cole
03 Don't Get Around Much Anymore Nat 'King' Cole
04 The Song Is Ended (But The Melody Lingers On) Nat 'King' Cole
05 You'll Never Know Nat 'King' Cole
06 Just For The Fun Of It (alt.) Nat 'King' Cole
07 The Song Of Raintree County Nat 'King' Cole
08 Who's Sorry Now? (mono) Nat 'King' Cole
09 Who's Sorry Now? (stereo) Nat 'King' Cole
10 These Foolish Things (Remind Me Of You) Nat 'King' Cole
11 Once In A While Nat 'King' Cole
12 Just For The Fun Of It Nat 'King' Cole
13 Just One Of Those Things Nat 'King' Cole
14 I Should Care Nat 'King' Cole
15 The Party's Over Nat 'King' Cole
16 A Cottage For Sale Nat 'King' Cole
17 I Understand Nat 'King' Cole
18 When Your Lover Has Gone (mono) Nat 'King' Cole
19 When Your Lover Has Gone (stereo) Nat 'King' Cole
20 There's A Gold Mine In The Sky Nat 'King' Cole
21 Around The World Nat 'King' Cole
22 An Affair To Remember (Our Love Affair) Nat 'King' Cole
23 Fascination Nat 'King' Cole
24 How Did I Change? Nat 'King' Cole
25 It's None Of My Affair Nat 'King' Cole
26 Angel Smile Nat 'King' Cole
27 Nothin' In The World Nat 'King' Cole
Cole, Nat 'King' - Stardust - The Complete Capitol Recordings 1955-1959 Vol.1 (11-CD Deluxe Box Set) Box set 6
01 Overture: Love Theme/Hesitating Blues Nat 'King' Cole
02 Harlem Blues Nat 'King' Cole
03 Chantez Les Bas Nat 'King' Cole
04 Friendless Blues Nat 'King' Cole
05 Stay Nat 'King' Cole
06 Joe Turner's Blues Nat 'King' Cole
07 Beale Street Blues Nat 'King' Cole
08 Careless Love Nat 'King' Cole
09 Morning Star Nat 'King' Cole
10 Memphis Blues Nat 'King' Cole
11 Yellow Dog Blues Nat 'King' Cole
12 St. Louis Blues Nat 'King' Cole
13 Make It Last Nat 'King' Cole
14 Thank You, Pretty Baby Nat 'King' Cole
15 Looking Back Nat 'King' Cole
16 Just As Much As Ever Nat 'King' Cole
17 Do I Like It? Nat 'King' Cole
18 I Wish I Knew Way To Your Heart Nat 'King' Cole
19 This Is All I Ask Nat 'King' Cole
20 The More I See You Nat 'King' Cole
21 I Found A Million Dollar Baby (In A Five...) Nat 'King' Cole
22 Making Believe You're Here Nat 'King' Cole
23 My Heart Tells Me (Should I Believe My...) Nat 'King' Cole
24 Don't Blame Me Nat 'King' Cole
25 Cherchez La Femme Nat 'King' Cole
26 The Very Thought Of You Nat 'King' Cole
27 Paradise Nat 'King' Cole
Cole, Nat 'King' - Stardust - The Complete Capitol Recordings 1955-1959 Vol.1 (11-CD Deluxe Box Set) Box set 7
01 Cachito Nat 'King' Cole
02 Noche De Ronda Nat 'King' Cole
03 Maria Elena Nat 'King' Cole
04 Lisbon Antigua (english) Nat 'King' Cole
05 Acercate Mas (Come Closer To Me) (english) Nat 'King' Cole
06 Tu Mi Delirio (You Are My Obsession) Nat 'King' Cole
07 El Bodeguero (Grocer's Cha Cha) Nat 'King' Cole
08 Come To The Mardi Gras (1) Nat 'King' Cole
09 Come To The Mardi Gras (2) Nat 'King' Cole
10 Te Quiero Dijiste (Magic Is The Moonlight) Nat 'King' Cole
11 Arrivederci Roma (Goodbye To Rome) Nat 'King' Cole
12 Quizas, Quizas, Quizas (Perhaps, Perhaps,...) Nat 'King' Cole
13 Las Mananitas Nat 'King' Cole
14 Adelita Nat 'King' Cole
15 Acercate Mas-1 (Come Closer To Me) (spanish) Nat 'King' Cole
16 There Is No Greater Love Nat 'King' Cole
17 Magnificent Obsession Nat 'King' Cole
18 Cherie I Love You Nat 'King' Cole
19 Impossible Nat 'King' Cole
20 But Beautiful Nat 'King' Cole
21 For All We Know Nat 'King' Cole
22 Too Much Nat 'King' Cole
23 Lovesville Nat 'King' Cole
24 Can't Help It Nat 'King' Cole
25 I Got Love Nat 'King' Cole
26 She's Funny That Way Nat 'King' Cole
27 Anytime, Anyday, Anywhere Nat 'King' Cole
28 I Want A Little Girl Nat 'King' Cole
29 Mood Indigo Nat 'King' Cole
Cole, Nat 'King' - Stardust - The Complete Capitol Recordings 1955-1959 Vol.1 (11-CD Deluxe Box Set) Box set 8
01 The Blues Don't Care Nat 'King' Cole
02 Avalon Nat 'King' Cole
03 Baby, Won't You Please Come Home? Nat 'King' Cole
04 The Late, Late Show Nat 'King' Cole
05 Welcome To The Club Nat 'King' Cole
06 Look Out For Love Nat 'King' Cole
07 Wee Baby Blues Nat 'King' Cole
08 Madrid Nat 'King' Cole
09 To Whom It May Concern Nat 'King' Cole
10 Love-Wise Nat 'King' Cole
11 In The Heart Of Jane Doe Nat 'King' Cole
12 My Heart's Treasure Nat 'King' Cole
13 You're Bringing Out The Dreamer In Me Nat 'King' Cole
14 Give Me Your Love Nat 'King' Cole
15 Coo Coo Roo Coo Coo Paloma Nat 'King' Cole
16 Non Dimenticar (Don't Forget) Nat 'King' Cole
17 Bend A Little My Way Nat 'King' Cole
18 This Morning It Was Summer Nat 'King' Cole
19 A Thousand Thoughts Of You Nat 'King' Cole
20 For You Nat 'King' Cole
21 Crazy She Calls Me Nat 'King' Cole
22 Until The Real Thing Comes Along Nat 'King' Cole
23 You Are My Love Nat 'King' Cole
Cole, Nat 'King' - Stardust - The Complete Capitol Recordings 1955-1959 Vol.1 (11-CD Deluxe Box Set) Box set 9
01 Ain't Gonna Study War No More Nat 'King' Cole
02 Everytime I Feel The Spirit Nat 'King' Cole
03 Standin' In The Need Of Prayer Nat 'King' Cole
04 Go Down, Moses Nat 'King' Cole
05 Steal Away Nat 'King' Cole
06 I Couldn't Hear Nobody Pray Nat 'King' Cole
07 I Want To Be Ready Nat 'King' Cole
08 Nobody Knows The Trouble I've Seen Nat 'King' Cole
09 In The Sweet By And By Nat 'King' Cole
10 Sweet Hour Of Prayer Nat 'King' Cole
11 Oh Mary, Don't You Weep Nat 'King' Cole
12 I Found The Answer Nat 'King' Cole
13 The Best Thing For You Would Be Me Nat 'King' Cole
14 Dedicated To You Nat 'King' Cole
15 (I Would Do) Anything For You Nat 'King' Cole
16 This Is Always Nat 'King' Cole
17 I Had The Craziest Dream Nat 'King' Cole
18 I Wish I Knew Nat 'King' Cole
19 Be Still My Heart Nat 'King' Cole
20 As Far As I'm Concerned Nat 'King' Cole
21 Lorelei Nat 'King' Cole
22 This Holy Love Nat 'King' Cole
23 Peace Of Mind Nat 'King' Cole
24 You Made Me Love You (I Didn't Want To Do It) Nat 'King' Cole
25 Tell Me All About Yourself Nat 'King' Cole
26 When You Walked By Nat 'King' Cole
27 You've Got The Indian Sign On Me Nat 'King' Cole
28 My Life Nat 'King' Cole
29 If You Said No Nat 'King' Cole
30 That's You Nat 'King' Cole
31 Something Happens To Me Nat 'King' Cole
32 Sweethearts On Parade Nat 'King' Cole
33 When You Belong To Me Nat 'King' Cole
Cole, Nat 'King' - Stardust - The Complete Capitol Recordings 1955-1959 Vol.1 (11-CD Deluxe Box Set) Box set 10
01 Unfair Nat 'King' Cole
02 You're My Thrill Nat 'King' Cole
03 Laughable Nat 'King' Cole
04 For The Want Of A Kiss Nat 'King' Cole
05 Again (mono) Nat 'King' Cole
06 Again Nat 'King' Cole
07 I Must Be Dreaming Nat 'King' Cole
08 The Night Of The Quarter Moon Nat 'King' Cole
09 Midnight Flyer Nat 'King' Cole
10 Sweet Bird Of Youth Nat 'King' Cole
11 The World In My Arms Nat 'King' Cole
12 Time And The River Nat 'King' Cole
13 Whatcha' Gonna Do Nat 'King' Cole
14 In A Mellow Tone Nat 'King' Cole
15 Perfidia Nat 'King' Cole
16 Nadie Me Ama Nat 'King' Cole
17 Aquellos Ojos Verdes Nat 'King' Cole
18 Fantastico Nat 'King' Cole
19 El Choclo Nat 'King' Cole
20 Suas Maos Nat 'King' Cole
21 Capullito De Aleli Nat 'King' Cole
22 Nao Tenho Lagrimas (Come To The Mardi Gras) Nat 'King' Cole
23 Caboclo Do Rio Nat 'King' Cole
24 Ay Cosita Linda Nat 'King' Cole
25 Ansiedad Nat 'King' Cole
26 Yo Vendo Unos Ojos Negros Nat 'King' Cole
27 Brazilian Love Song Nat 'King' Cole
28 Ninguem Ma Ama (portugese) Nat 'King' Cole
Cole, Nat 'King' - Stardust - The Complete Capitol Recordings 1955-1959 Vol.1 (11-CD Deluxe Box Set) Box set 11
01 Back In My Arms Nat 'King' Cole
02 Unfair Nat 'King' Cole
03 One Sun Nat 'King' Cole
04 There's A Gold Mine In The Sky Nat 'King' Cole
05 Around The World Nat 'King' Cole
06 An Affair To Remember (Our Love Affair) Nat 'King' Cole
07 Fascination Nat 'King' Cole
08 Nothin' In The World Nat 'King' Cole
09 Thank You, Pretty Baby Nat 'King' Cole
10 Just As Much As Ever Nat 'King' Cole
11 Bend A Little My Way Nat 'King' Cole
12 I Had The Craziest Dream Nat 'King' Cole
13 I Wish I Knew Nat 'King' Cole
14 Be Still My Heart Nat 'King' Cole
15 You Made Me Love You (I Didn't Want To Do It) Nat 'King' Cole
16 Sweethearts On Parade Nat 'King' Cole
17 You're My Thrill Nat 'King' Cole
18 For The Want Of A Kiss Nat 'King' Cole
19 Again Nat 'King' Cole
20 I Must Be Dreaming Nat 'King' Cole
21 Midnight Flyer Nat 'King' Cole
22 Sweet Bird Of Youth Nat 'King' Cole
23 The World In My Arms Nat 'King' Cole
24 Time And The River Nat 'King' Cole
25 Brazilian Love Song Nat 'King' Cole
Nat King Cole "Some performers - like myself - have to be loud and rambunctious. But Nat was... more
"Nat 'King' Cole"

Nat King Cole

"Some performers - like myself - have to be loud and rambunctious. But Nat was just Nat."
- Sammy Davis, Jr.


On December 20, 1954, a little more than a week before the start of the period covered by this box set, Nat King Cole and his musical director Nelson Riddle recorded A Blossom Fell. The song would be one of Cole's big hits of 1955; in 1956 it would become the lead track of his album 'Ballads Of The Day,' a popular compilation of successful singles. Empirical evidence suggests that Cole and his producer, Lee Gillette, regarded A Blossom Fell as one of the singer's all-time greatest hits. Cole would land more than a hundred songs on various hit charts over a 25-year period in his lifetime alone yet A Blossom Fell was one of the 36 songs they chose to re-record in stereo in 1961, for the retrospective album, 'The Nat King Cole Story.'

A Blossom Fell was in many ways, a typical Nat King Cole song. Like many of his hits in the '50s and '60s, it was a European import. Cole must surely hold the record, you should forgive the expression, for doing more foreign-born songs than any other American entertainer – with the possible exception of Louis Armstrong. In this particular case, the song came from England, where it had been written by three rather obscure authors named Harold Cornelius, Dominic John and Howard Barnes. (The only other fact I have been able to find out about them is that they also wrote one other song that Cole put on the charts: the 1955 Dreams Can Tell A Lie. This tune was neither anywhere near as good a song nor, correspondingly, nearly as big a hit as A Blossom Fell.)

For most of his career, not only did a significant portion of Cole's material come from outside the United States, a large percentage of his market resided there as well. Around the same time A Blossom Fell was released in America, Cole's disc also charted in the song's native country, where Cole's version climbed considerably higher than rival recordings by home-grown crooners, Dickie Valentine and Ronnie Hilton.

The song is also an archetypical Nat King Cole hit in that, with no disrespect intended to Mr. Valentine and Mr. Hilton, I doubt that anyone would remember this particular song – and many others - were it not for Cole. In a sense, this was the opposite of the traditional path into The Great American Songbook. In many cases, the original source of the great songs is irrelevant; only scholars and music nerds would care that All The Things You Are was introduced by a singer no one has ever heard of (even in 1939) in a show called 'Very Warm For May' that quickly flopped. A Blossom Fell is precisely the reverse scenario: we care about the song only because Nat Cole had a hit with it. We would have no reason to remember the song were it not for Cole; he not only put it on the map, he was the whole map.

Even though it has been recorded by a handful of other singers, the song's only cred comes from the Cole-Riddle hit recording. The Austrian jazz singer Simone Kopemajer recently included it on an album because, as she told me, she loved the Cole performance of it. To Frau Kopemajer, Blossom represents a slice of the Great American Songbook and of the Cole canon – I don't think she was aware that the song had actually originated in Europe.

But in contrast to All The Things You Are - which is, admittedly, an unfair standard of excellence to compare it to - A Blossom Fell is by no means a classic example of songwriting. The lyric pivots on two points, the first being the use of plants as a metaphor. Cole would sing other songs that used variations on this idea, most notably the famous Blue Gardenia (1953), the obscure Sweet William (1952), and the classic Autumn Leaves (which he would perform for the first of many times later in 1955).

The lyric also employs another time-honored conceit of songwriters: the idea that gypsies, being fortune-tellers, are a race of mystics who have the inside dope on fate. While many of the ethnic stereotypes of Tin Pan Alley had disappeared by the postwar era, the preconceived idea regarding gypsies was apparently alive and well. In songs like Golden Earrings and The Gypsy (and even Cole's own, earlier That Ain't Right), lovers evaluate their affairs based on tell-tale signs read by gypsies in tea leaves and crystal balls.

I have no idea if the tradition presented in A Blossom Fell is a genuine gypsy custom, or if it was invented wholly for the song. In fact, it's kind of an awkward idea, one of those concepts that's so goofy, I would almost like to think it really was part of the folklore of real-life Romany. According to the lyric, if two lovers are sitting beneath a tree, exchanging vows of affection, and a blossom happens to fall off a branch and touch the lips of one of the two lovers, it means he or she isn't telling the truth when he or she says he loves him or her.

It's an awkward idea to express in song, and make no mistake, it is very awkwardly expressed. The song opens, "A blossom fell / From off a tree / It settled softly / On the lips you turned to me." That's the A section, and the last two lines are very cumbersome. They make little sense when you read them in print, especially considering that even if this is a genuine gypsy tradition, it's certainly one that not many people would be familiar with. As the late Sammy Cahn once observed, it's a mortal sin for a lyricist to put something in a line that has to be explained: a songwriter's job is to make his point immediately understandable, and if it's deep and profound, like Cole Porter or Alan Jay Lerner, so much the better.

The most obvious point was that only a really top drawer vocal artist - a Cole, a Sinatra, a Clooney, a Holiday - could take a lyric like this and not only make it crystal clear, but sing it so compellingly that millions of listeners would want to rush out and buy the single. As he so often did, Cole compensates for any inadequacies a text might have - he puts over exactly what the lyricist wanted to say even on those frequent occasions where the lyric is lacking. The lyric needs help, and it gets it.

Arranger-conductor Nelson Riddle does the same for the melody: he opens with a glorious string flourish that actually suggests the wind blowing threw leaves and branches in a cherry orchard with blossoms falling all over the place. The secondary voice on Blossom is valve trombonist Juan Tizol, who appears frequently on Cole's sessions in the mid-'50s, most prominently on the 1956 album 'After Midnight.' (When Cole remade the arrangement in 1961, he took the chart slightly slower and replaced the valve trombone with the customary slide instrument.) Yet Riddle doesn't deserve all the credit; Cole, more than nearly all other pop singers, had a unique capacity for improving any melody, for emphasizing the parts of the tune that worked and minimizing its shortcomings. It's no insult to Sinatra to say that, for all his musical strengths (including a remarkable sense of timing), that he had to take a backseat to Cole in the realm of pure melody. The only major singers who compete with Cole in this respect were Ella Fitzgerald and Sarah Vaughan. But neither of those grand divas was the interpreter that Cole was.

Bing Crosby or Carmen McRae could have sung A Blossom Fell and put the meaning across, but Cole does something I don't feel any other singer could have possibly done with it, and that is to make us believe it. Cole sings it as if he was imparting wisdom gained from actual experience, and he makes the words and music sound unique to his idiom. As much as I love Sinatra, I somehow don't think he could convince me that he exists in this particular world - a stylistic universe where liars can be readily identified by the blossoms sticking to their prevaricatin' lips. I don't mean that at all disingenuously: Cole makes you believe it in the most literal and direct way. There never would have been any Watergate or Monica-gate in this world, because Nixon and Clinton would have had blossoms all over their faces.

Nat Cole is the kind of talent that's hard to fully fathom in the world of 21st century popular culture - where almost nothing means what it's supposed to mean. Everything in the millennial era would appear to be ironic or sarcastic, a series of codes where meaning is hidden and nothing is obvious. Yet Cole is precisely the opposite: when he sings about blossoms falling on the lips of liars, he doesn't mean it metaphorically, he isn't singing symbolically, he means exactly what he sings.

In fact, the song is precisely suited to Cole, not Sinatra or anyone else, great as they may be, simply because in this world that he creates, Cole himself would never have a blossom stuck to his own lips. If the song has any kind of symbolism at all, it's that which describes the singer himself.

That, in fact, is the central tenet of Cole's music. Sinatra, contrastingly, was about singing great songs with multiple levels of meaning - songs with deep gray areas between black and white, like Glad To Be Unhappy. Even when Sinatra sings something simple, he makes it deeper and more complicated, and adds in gradations of feeling - Johnny Hodges-like microtones and emotional glissandos in between points A and B. Cole, on the other hand is more direct. Sinatra can take a simple song and make it profound; Cole takes a complex song and makes it simple...

Nat King Cole 1955-1959 Vol.1 (11-CD)
Read more at: https://www.bear-family.de/cole-nat-king-1955-1959-vol.1-11-cd.html
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5 Sep 2017

a real collection

what a nice box

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Nat 'King' Cole: Music Ages EP Series Art-Nr.: CD34114

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The Man and the Music by Fred Dellar & Mal Peachey
Frank Sinatra: The Man and the Music by Fred Dellar & Mal Peachey Art-Nr.: 0019036

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Pappa Was A Poor Man - No Regrets (7inch, 45rpm, PS)
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I Can Stand Tomorrow - Woman 7inch, 45rpm, PS
Jack Jersey: I Can Stand Tomorrow - Woman 7inch, 45rpm, PS Art-Nr.: 142303

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Untamed (LP)
Johnny Tame: Untamed (LP) Art-Nr.: LP202207320

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Indistinct Horizon (LP)
Johnny Tame: Indistinct Horizon (LP) Art-Nr.: LP202787320

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L-O-V-E The Complete Capitol Recordings 1960-1964 Vol.2 (11-CD Deluxe Box Set)
Nat 'King' Cole: L-O-V-E The Complete Capitol Recordings... Art-Nr.: BCD16717

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Nobody's Darlin' But Mine (5-CD Deluxe Box Set)
Jimmie Davis: Nobody's Darlin' But Mine (5-CD Deluxe Box Set) Art-Nr.: BCD15943

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Fighting Fire With Gasoline (CD)
The Kokomo Kings: Fighting Fire With Gasoline (CD) Art-Nr.: CDRBR5897

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Too Good To Stay Away From You (CD)
The Kokomo Kings: Too Good To Stay Away From You (CD) Art-Nr.: CDRBR5848

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Artificial Natural (CD)
Kokomo Kings: Artificial Natural (CD) Art-Nr.: CDGTR03

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L-O-V-E The Complete Capitol Recordings 1960-1964 Vol.2 (11-CD Deluxe Box Set)
Nat 'King' Cole: L-O-V-E The Complete Capitol Recordings... Art-Nr.: BCD16717

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The Memphis Blues Box - Original Recordings 1914–1969 (20-CD Deluxe Box Set)
Various: The Memphis Blues Box - Original Recordings... Art-Nr.: BCD17515

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Ann-Margret 1961 - 1966 (5-CD Deluxe Box Set)
Ann-Margret: Ann-Margret 1961 - 1966 (5-CD Deluxe Box Set) Art-Nr.: BCD16248

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Stardust - The Rare TV Performances (CD)
Nat 'King' Cole: Stardust - The Rare TV Performances (CD) Art-Nr.: CDRGM0412

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Sun Blues Box 1950-1958 (10-CD Deluxe Box Set)
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Tracklist
Cole, Nat 'King' - Stardust - The Complete Capitol Recordings 1955-1959 Vol.1 (11-CD Deluxe Box Set) Box set 1
01 I'd Rather Have The Blues (The Blues From...)
02 I Hear My Music
03 My Heart Stood Still (1)
04 My Heart Stood Still (2)
05 I Never Knew
06 Tea For Two
07 Nothing Ever Changes My Love For You
08 Breezin' Along With The Breeze
09 Someone You Love
10 What Can I Say After I Say I'm Sorry
11 Takin' A Chance On Love
12 Don't Blame Me
13 It Could Happen To You
14 I Surrender Dear (1)
15 I Surrender Dear (2)
16 Little Girl
17 Imagination
18 April In Paris
19 Love Walked In
20 I See Your Face Before Me
21 Stella By Starlight
22 I Didn't Know What Time It Was
23 If I Could Be With You (One Hour Tonight)
24 Autumn Leaves (english version)
25 I Get A Kick Out Of You
26 Intro to: We Are Americans Too
27 We Are Americans Too
Cole, Nat 'King' - Stardust - The Complete Capitol Recordings 1955-1959 Vol.1 (11-CD Deluxe Box Set) Box set 2
01 There Will Never Be Another You
02 My Dream Sonata
03 Let's Fall In Love
04 Love Is A Many Splendoured Thing
05 Ask Me
06 Just One Of Those Things
07 I Want To Be Happy
08 You Are My Sunshine
09 Up Pops Love
10 Take Me Back To Toyland
11 Love Me As Though There Were No Tomorrow
12 Too Young To Go Steady
13 Dreams Can Tell A Lie
14 Back In My Arms
15 Mr. Juke Box
16 Dame Crazy
17 I Just Found Out About Love
18 I Got Love
19 My Personal Possession
20 Stay
21 Believe
22 That's All There Is To That
23 Night Lights
24 The Shadows
25 To The Ends Of The Earth
26 I Promise You
27 The Way I Love You
28 Never Let Me Go (from film 'Scarlet Hour')
Cole, Nat 'King' - Stardust - The Complete Capitol Recordings 1955-1959 Vol.1 (11-CD Deluxe Box Set) Box set 3
01 Unfair
02 Make Me
03 Sometimes I Wonder
04 Once Before
05 I'm Willing To Share This With You
06 I Need A Plan
07 The Story's Old
08 You Can Depend On Me
09 Candy
10 Sweet Lorraine
11 It's Only A Paper Moon
12 (Get Your Kicks On) Route 66
13 Don't Let It Go To Your Head
14 You're Looking At Me
15 You're Looking At Me (alt.)
16 Just You, Just Me
17 I Was A Little Too Lonely (And You Were A...)
18 How Little We Know
19 Should I?
20 Ballerina
21 Caravan
22 Lonely One
23 Blame It On My Youth
24 What Is There To Say
Cole, Nat 'King' - Stardust - The Complete Capitol Recordings 1955-1959 Vol.1 (11-CD Deluxe Box Set) Box set 4
01 Sometimes I'm Happy
02 I Know That You Know
03 When I Grow Too Old To Dream
04 Two Loves Have I
05 True Blue Lou
06 Like Someone In Love
07 I'm Shooting High
08 Tangerine
09 One Sun
10 You Are My First Love
11 Maybe It's Because I Love You Much Too Much
12 Love Letters
13 I Thought About Marie
14 Where Can I Go Without You?
15 Stardust
16 Love Is The Thing
17 It's All In The Game
18 When I Fall In Love
19 Ain't Misbehavin'
20 When Sunny Gets Blue
21 At Last
22 Stay As Sweet As You Are
23 When Rock And Roll Came To Trinidad
24 China Gate
25 Blue Moon
26 With You On My Mind
27 Don't Try
Cole, Nat 'King' - Stardust - The Complete Capitol Recordings 1955-1959 Vol.1 (11-CD Deluxe Box Set) Box set 5
01 Send For Me
02 Let's Make More Love (I Want Your Love)
03 Don't Get Around Much Anymore
04 The Song Is Ended (But The Melody Lingers On)
05 You'll Never Know
06 Just For The Fun Of It (alt.)
07 The Song Of Raintree County
08 Who's Sorry Now? (mono)
09 Who's Sorry Now? (stereo)
10 These Foolish Things (Remind Me Of You)
11 Once In A While
12 Just For The Fun Of It
13 Just One Of Those Things
14 I Should Care
15 The Party's Over
16 A Cottage For Sale
17 I Understand
18 When Your Lover Has Gone (mono)
19 When Your Lover Has Gone (stereo)
20 There's A Gold Mine In The Sky
21 Around The World
22 An Affair To Remember (Our Love Affair)
23 Fascination
24 How Did I Change?
25 It's None Of My Affair
26 Angel Smile
27 Nothin' In The World
Cole, Nat 'King' - Stardust - The Complete Capitol Recordings 1955-1959 Vol.1 (11-CD Deluxe Box Set) Box set 6
01 Overture: Love Theme/Hesitating Blues
02 Harlem Blues
03 Chantez Les Bas
04 Friendless Blues
05 Stay
06 Joe Turner's Blues
07 Beale Street Blues
08 Careless Love
09 Morning Star
10 Memphis Blues
11 Yellow Dog Blues
12 St. Louis Blues
13 Make It Last
14 Thank You, Pretty Baby
15 Looking Back
16 Just As Much As Ever
17 Do I Like It?
18 I Wish I Knew Way To Your Heart
19 This Is All I Ask
20 The More I See You
21 I Found A Million Dollar Baby (In A Five...)
22 Making Believe You're Here
23 My Heart Tells Me (Should I Believe My...)
24 Don't Blame Me
25 Cherchez La Femme
26 The Very Thought Of You
27 Paradise
Cole, Nat 'King' - Stardust - The Complete Capitol Recordings 1955-1959 Vol.1 (11-CD Deluxe Box Set) Box set 7
01 Cachito
02 Noche De Ronda
03 Maria Elena
04 Lisbon Antigua (english)
05 Acercate Mas (Come Closer To Me) (english)
06 Tu Mi Delirio (You Are My Obsession)
07 El Bodeguero (Grocer's Cha Cha)
08 Come To The Mardi Gras (1)
09 Come To The Mardi Gras (2)
10 Te Quiero Dijiste (Magic Is The Moonlight)
11 Arrivederci Roma (Goodbye To Rome)
12 Quizas, Quizas, Quizas (Perhaps, Perhaps,...)
13 Las Mananitas
14 Adelita
15 Acercate Mas-1 (Come Closer To Me) (spanish)
16 There Is No Greater Love
17 Magnificent Obsession
18 Cherie I Love You
19 Impossible
20 But Beautiful
21 For All We Know
22 Too Much
23 Lovesville
24 Can't Help It
25 I Got Love
26 She's Funny That Way
27 Anytime, Anyday, Anywhere
28 I Want A Little Girl
29 Mood Indigo
Cole, Nat 'King' - Stardust - The Complete Capitol Recordings 1955-1959 Vol.1 (11-CD Deluxe Box Set) Box set 8
01 The Blues Don't Care
02 Avalon
03 Baby, Won't You Please Come Home?
04 The Late, Late Show
05 Welcome To The Club
06 Look Out For Love
07 Wee Baby Blues
08 Madrid
09 To Whom It May Concern
10 Love-Wise
11 In The Heart Of Jane Doe
12 My Heart's Treasure
13 You're Bringing Out The Dreamer In Me
14 Give Me Your Love
15 Coo Coo Roo Coo Coo Paloma
16 Non Dimenticar (Don't Forget)
17 Bend A Little My Way
18 This Morning It Was Summer
19 A Thousand Thoughts Of You
20 For You
21 Crazy She Calls Me
22 Until The Real Thing Comes Along
23 You Are My Love
Cole, Nat 'King' - Stardust - The Complete Capitol Recordings 1955-1959 Vol.1 (11-CD Deluxe Box Set) Box set 9
01 Ain't Gonna Study War No More
02 Everytime I Feel The Spirit
03 Standin' In The Need Of Prayer
04 Go Down, Moses
05 Steal Away
06 I Couldn't Hear Nobody Pray
07 I Want To Be Ready
08 Nobody Knows The Trouble I've Seen
09 In The Sweet By And By
10 Sweet Hour Of Prayer
11 Oh Mary, Don't You Weep
12 I Found The Answer
13 The Best Thing For You Would Be Me
14 Dedicated To You
15 (I Would Do) Anything For You
16 This Is Always
17 I Had The Craziest Dream
18 I Wish I Knew
19 Be Still My Heart
20 As Far As I'm Concerned
21 Lorelei
22 This Holy Love
23 Peace Of Mind
24 You Made Me Love You (I Didn't Want To Do It)
25 Tell Me All About Yourself
26 When You Walked By
27 You've Got The Indian Sign On Me
28 My Life
29 If You Said No
30 That's You
31 Something Happens To Me
32 Sweethearts On Parade
33 When You Belong To Me
Cole, Nat 'King' - Stardust - The Complete Capitol Recordings 1955-1959 Vol.1 (11-CD Deluxe Box Set) Box set 10
01 Unfair
02 You're My Thrill
03 Laughable
04 For The Want Of A Kiss
05 Again (mono)
06 Again
07 I Must Be Dreaming
08 The Night Of The Quarter Moon
09 Midnight Flyer
10 Sweet Bird Of Youth
11 The World In My Arms
12 Time And The River
13 Whatcha' Gonna Do
14 In A Mellow Tone
15 Perfidia
16 Nadie Me Ama
17 Aquellos Ojos Verdes
18 Fantastico
19 El Choclo
20 Suas Maos
21 Capullito De Aleli
22 Nao Tenho Lagrimas (Come To The Mardi Gras)
23 Caboclo Do Rio
24 Ay Cosita Linda
25 Ansiedad
26 Yo Vendo Unos Ojos Negros
27 Brazilian Love Song
28 Ninguem Ma Ama (portugese)
Cole, Nat 'King' - Stardust - The Complete Capitol Recordings 1955-1959 Vol.1 (11-CD Deluxe Box Set) Box set 11
01 Back In My Arms
02 Unfair
03 One Sun
04 There's A Gold Mine In The Sky
05 Around The World
06 An Affair To Remember (Our Love Affair)
07 Fascination
08 Nothin' In The World
09 Thank You, Pretty Baby
10 Just As Much As Ever
11 Bend A Little My Way
12 I Had The Craziest Dream
13 I Wish I Knew
14 Be Still My Heart
15 You Made Me Love You (I Didn't Want To Do It)
16 Sweethearts On Parade
17 You're My Thrill
18 For The Want Of A Kiss
19 Again
20 I Must Be Dreaming
21 Midnight Flyer
22 Sweet Bird Of Youth
23 The World In My Arms
24 Time And The River
25 Brazilian Love Song