Nat King Cole’s velvety voice is synonymous with Christmas. When the holiday season arrives, his renditions of Christmas classics fill homes and hearts worldwide. But the story behind perhaps his most iconic Christmas song, “The Christmas Song” (often subtitled “Chestnuts Roasting on an Open Fire”), is as warm and engaging as the music itself. This article delves into the fascinating origins and evolution of this timeless holiday staple, along with exploring the different recordings Nat King Cole made, solidifying his place as a Christmas music legend.
The genesis of “The Christmas Song” is a tale of summer heat and holiday dreams. Picture a sweltering July day in 1945, in California’s San Fernando Valley. Songwriter Mel Tormé, pictured here in the 1940s, recounted the story:
Mel Torme in the 1940s
As Tormé described, seeking respite from the oppressive heat, he visited his collaborator Bob Wells. Entering Wells’s home, Tormé discovered a notepad on the piano with four lines penned in pencil:
Chestnuts roasting on an open fire
Jack Frost nipping at your nose
Yuletide carols being sung by a choir
And folks dressed up like Eskimos
Wells, clad in tennis shorts and a t-shirt, explained he’d written the lines to escape the heat by imagining the coolness of Christmas. Tormé, recognizing the lyrical charm, suggested they turn it into a song. Incredibly, “The Christmas Song” was born in about 45 minutes. Their excitement led them to Tormé’s manager, Carlos Gastel, and then to Johnny Burke, and finally to Nat King Cole. Cole was immediately captivated.
However, it took a year before Nat King Cole could record “The Christmas Song”. His first recording finally emerged in the fall of 1946, marking the beginning of a long and fruitful relationship between Nat King Cole and Christmas music.
Nat Cole himself offered further insight into his initial encounter with the song in a 1961 interview with jazz journalist Leonard Feather. He recalled Mel Tormé bringing the song to him while he was performing at the Trocadero. Despite the summer heat mirroring the typical recording season for Christmas songs, Cole initially felt the song needed more than his trio could offer.
Nat King Cole in the late 1940s
Music historian Will Friedwald adds to the narrative, noting that both Cole and his manager Gastel, who encouraged Cole to broaden his repertoire beyond jazz and blues, instantly loved the song. While Cole had previously favored performing with just his trio, he felt “The Christmas Song” warranted a string arrangement. Surprisingly, Capitol Records initially resisted this idea, preferring Cole to stick with his trio sound. “Capitol was adamantly against the idea,” Cole explained, “so I cut it first with the trio.”
Nat “King” Cole ultimately recorded “The Christmas Song” four distinct times, each version offering a unique nuance to the holiday classic.
His first recording on June 14, 1946, in New York City, featured the classic King Cole Trio: Nat on piano and vocals, Oscar Moore on guitar, and Johnny Miller on bass. This intimate and jazzy rendition captured the song’s essence in its purest form.
The King Cole Trio in 1945
Two months later, on August 19, 1946, also in New York, Cole recorded a second version. This time, he included strings, a harp, and subtle drums alongside the King Cole Trio. The arrangement was crafted by Charles Randolph Grean, then known as Charlie Grean. This version began to move towards the lush, orchestral sound that would become iconic.
Seven years later, on August 24, 1953, in Los Angeles, Cole recorded a third iteration. This version featured a larger string ensemble, arranged by Pete Rugolo. Rugolo’s arrangement expanded upon Grean’s foundation, adding layers of strings for a richer, more resonant sound, reflecting Cole’s growing mainstream popularity.
Finally, in 1961, in Los Angeles, Nat King Cole recorded the definitive, and most widely recognized, version of “The Christmas Song.” This recording reused the 1953 Grean/Rugolo arrangement but with an even larger string section and Ralph Carmichael conducting the orchestra. This stereophonic version became the ubiquitous Nat King Cole Christmas song, the one most listeners instantly recognize.
“The Christmas Song” – The Trio Version (1946)
Composed by Mel Tormé and Bob Wells, initially arranged by The King Cole Trio.
Recorded June 14, 1946, by The King Cole Trio for Capitol Records.
Personnel: Nat “King” Cole (piano & vocals), Oscar Moore (guitar), Johnny Miller (bass).
Nat Cole – summer 1946
Musicality: This original recording showcases the song’s inherent beauty in its most unadorned state. Listeners can appreciate the melodic contours, the sophisticated harmonies, and Nat Cole’s understated yet deeply expressive vocal delivery. Oscar Moore’s subtle “Jingle Bells” quote at the coda is a charming touch. The trio’s intimacy and simplicity highlight the song’s core elements without any embellishment.
One might notice slight lyrical variations in this initial recording. Cole’s pronunciation of “by a choir” sounds somewhat like “by require,” and he uses “reindeers” as the plural of “reindeer.” These minor imperfections, likely overlooked in the initial recording process, add to the raw, almost demo-like charm of this first version. At the time, no one could have foreseen the song’s immense popularity. Cole himself initially felt the trio arrangement was lacking, stating, “As soon as they played it back, I knew it was wrong, and finally convinced them to let me remake it with a string section added.”
“The Christmas Song” – With Strings (1946)
Composed by Mel Tormé and Bob Wells, strings arranged by Charlie Grean.
Recorded August 19, 1946, by Nat “King” Cole Trio for Capitol Records in New York.
Personnel: Nat “King” Cole (piano & vocals), Oscar Moore (guitar), Johnny Miller (bass), strings, harp, and drums.
Musicality: Two months later, Cole returned to the studio, this time with the strings he envisioned. Initially, Nat Cole approached Russ Case, a renowned arranger, to write the string arrangement. However, due to contractual obligations, Case’s assistant, the talented Charlie Grean, took on the task. Grean’s arrangement is masterful in its minimalism, enhancing the song’s harmonic richness without overshadowing the King Cole Trio’s established sound. This version perfectly marries the trio’s intimacy with the warmth of strings, creating what many consider the definitive Nat “King” Cole rendition of “The Christmas Song.”
Interestingly, Cole’s minor lyrical quirks from the trio version are repeated in this recording. Despite these small details, this version became a hit, cementing “The Christmas Song” as a holiday evergreen, played countless times each Christmas season.
“The Christmas Song” – The Lush Version (1953)
Composed by Mel Tormé and Bob Wells, arrangement by Charlie Grean with additions by Pete Rugolo.
Recorded August 24, 1953, by Nat “King” Cole for Capitol Records in Los Angeles.
Personnel: Nat “King” Cole (piano & vocals), John Collins (guitar), Charlie Harris (bass), orchestra conducted by Nelson Riddle.
Nat King Cole Christmas Song CD Cover
Musicality: By 1953, “The Christmas Song” was a firmly established holiday classic. The era of high-fidelity LPs had arrived, and Nat King Cole had ascended to mainstream stardom. While his jazz piano roots were still evident, his recordings increasingly leaned towards a more polished, middle-of-the-road sound.
This 1953 recording is arguably Nat King Cole’s most flawless performance of “The Christmas Song.” It distills the best elements of the previous versions into a cohesive and refined whole. Notably, the slight lyrical imperfections are gone, replaced by a confident and professional delivery befitting a major recording artist at the peak of his career. Capitol Records provided top-tier production, further enhancing the song’s impact.
This version also subtly reveals the influence Nat Cole had on singers like Johnny Mathis, whose early recordings bear a clear stylistic debt to Cole’s vocal phrasing and warmth.
While Nat King Cole recorded “The Christmas Song” one final time in stereo in 1961, that version closely mirrors the 1953 recording. The arrangement was further expanded for stereo, with Ralph Carmichael conducting, and Paul Smith taking over piano duties while Cole focused solely on vocals. Guitarist John Collins again recreated Oscar Moore’s original parts. This 1961 version is the most ubiquitous today, but the 1953 recording captures a certain magic and refinement that makes it a standout in Nat King Cole’s Christmas song catalog.
These recordings, digitally remastered by Mike Zirpolo, allow listeners to appreciate the evolution of a Christmas classic and the enduring artistry of Nat King Cole.
Notes and Links:
(1) It Wasn’t All Velvet, by Mel Torme’ (1988) Viking, pages 83-84.
(2) Liner notes to the 1991 Mosaic set of CDs The Complete Capitol Recordings of the Nat King Cole Trio, written by Will Friedwald, page 28.
Explore More Christmas Classics:
Let It Snow! (1945 Woody Herman)
White Christmas (1967 Barbra Streisand)
Jingle Bells (1941 Glenn Miller)
Discover Nat King Cole’s Jazz Piano:
The Smell of Money (George Shearing and Nat King Cole)
Pete Rugolo’s Arranging Versatility:
Salute (1958 Stan Kenton and Pete Rugolo)
