Airdate on Treasure Island Oldies – December 2000
With the holiday season just around the corner, a trip down memory lane of Christmas classics would not be complete if one didn’t recognize a tune that first charted in mid 40s.
For many this song epitomizes the spirit of Christmas. It’s hard to believe that a Los Angeles recording session on a steamy August afternoon in 1946 would produce such a monumental Christmas hit.
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Many Christmas classics were recorded during the summer season. As mentioned, our featured Christmas song falls into that category.
This classic proved to be the third hit for an artist who had previous chart success with “Straighten Up And Fly Right” in 1944 and “(I Love You) For Sentimental Reasons” in November of 1946.
After hearing that, it’s no secret who the artist is … the legendary Nat King Cole, who took Mel Torme’s/Robert Wells’ “The Christmas Song” and made it a perennial favorite.
Often referred to as “Chestnuts roasting on an open fire,” the song was recorded in the then new Capitol Recording Studios in Los Angeles on a hot August afternoon and credited as being recorded by the King Cole Trio featuring Nat King Cole’s vocals and piano, Oscar Moore on guitar, and Johnny Miller on bass. A few days later strings were added making it the first full orchestra recording in Nat King Cole’s career.
So freshen up that eggnog, put your arm around your sweetie, and snuggle up in front of the fireplace as you listen to “The Christmas Song,” this week’s Tom Locke moment in time.
YouTube video of this song:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6Rg69vEJgGU
This “Moments In Time” story is yet another example of a “golden oldie” or forgotten favorite that earned its place in the evolution of Rock & Roll.
