1st RECORDING OF: The Christmas Song - King Cole Trio (1946-- trio-only version, then-unissued)

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Composed by Mel Torme and Bob Wells in the heat of a 1945 summer day, the holiday standard received its first studio recording via this intimate June 1946 trio arrangement by Nat King Cole, accompanied only by Oscar Moore (guitar) and Johnny Miller (bass). Though Capitol Records was leery about possibly alienating Cole’s enthusiastic jazz following, he convinced them to allow a re-do with the added accompaniment of four strings, a harp, and drum. It was that second version--recorded in August--that was released and became a major late-1946 success https://youtu.be/c-RXKcc0sZs , while this initial trio-only track remained unissued in the U.S. until it was accidentally chosen for inclusion in the 1989 Rhino CD “Billboard Greatest Christmas Hits 1935-1954.”

Cole recorded his third studio version of “The Christmas Song” in the ‘50s backed by Nelson Riddle’s orchestra https://youtu.be/YlH9i6GN4yM and his fourth in the early ‘60s conducted by Ralph Carmichael https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n33TqJnQLCw

The Christmas Song (Merry Christmas To You) (Robert Wells-Mel Torme) by The King Cole Trio, recorded June 14, 1946

For hundreds of other ‘originals,’ please visit the fascinating playlist “FIRST RECORDING OF THE SONG…” (click here: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLx8kU_D2e4voMCx9SQkXFeSH7CnRO9j7x ) .
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