Nat King Cole, “The Christmas Song”

Today on “Red’s Animated Advent Calendar”, roasting chestnuts on an open fire while folks dress up like Eskimos is probably neither environmentally or culturally sensitive, but Nat King Cole‘s Christmas classic reminds me of a simpler era every time I hear it!

Nat became a legend with his warm singing voice and a list of hits that spanned the Forties, Fifties and Sixties. He was a man who knew who he was and was most definite about what he liked and disliked in the music world. Rock’n’roll was not really to his liking, but he was most patient the night we talked backstage at Vancouver’s Denman Auditorium in 1958.

The Nat King Cole Trio first recorded “The Christmas Song” at WMCA Radio in New York City in 1946. Nat persuaded his label, Capitol Records, to re-record the song with strings, and that’s the version that became a massive hit on both the pop and R&B charts. “The Christmas Song” is the most-performed holiday tune of all time, and here’s a testament to the song’s durability: it’s #17 on Billboard magazine’s Hot 100 this week!

Perfect music for enjoying some turkey and mistletoe, this video of “The Christmas Song” was created by Fantoons Animation Studios for UMe, the global catalog company of Universal Music Group. I love the Christmas greeting from Nat at the end!