Nat King Cole’s ‘The Christmas Song’ Anniversary Brings New Releases
The celebration includes three album editions, a book about the Cole family’s Christmas traditions and a new holiday film.
Nat King Cole’s 1946 recording of “The Christmas Song” turns 80 this year, with anniversary releases spanning music, publishing and film. Three editions of the album arrive October 30, while a new book and Hallmark Channel holiday movie are also planned.
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The album editions include a limited Holiday Sparkling Series pressing from Capitol/UMe, made with gold-glitter, liquid-filled vinyl designed to create a snow-globe effect. Its tracklist includes “Joy to the World,” “Deck the Halls” and “The Christmas Song.” Two audiophile editions are also due: UMe’s Vinylphyle and Interscope-Capitol’s Definitive Sound Series.
The song was written by Mel Tormé and Robert Wells during a hot Southern California summer in 1945. Cole and his trio first recorded it the following year; he returned to the song several times, with the 1961 stereo version becoming the best-known recording. The Library of Congress added that version to the National Recording Registry in 2022.
Running Press will publish Christmas with Nat King Cole: A Legacy of Merry Music and Holiday Memories on October 27. Written by Allison McGevna, with a foreword by Cole’s daughters Timolin and Casey Cole, the illustrated book covers the history of the song and the family’s holiday memories, traditions and recipes.
The Hallmark Channel movie Hearts All Aglow premieres December 18. Its story follows a music historian seeking an interview with a singer and a New York attorney trying to recover a piece of sheet music autographed by Cole. The film features “The Christmas Song” and other songs by Cole.
The anniversary year also marks 70 years since The Nat King Cole Show debuted on November 5, 1956. Cole was the first Black man to host a nationally broadcast network television series.
Order the liquid-filled vinyl edition of Nat King Cole’s The Christmas Song here.
