To celebrate Nat King Cole’s birthday, March 17, some of his rarest tracks are joining the digital age. Listen, HERE.
Capitol Records and Universal Music Enterprises (UMe) today announce Capitol Rarities (Vol. 1), a collection of 14 tracks by Nat King Cole, five of which will be available on streaming platforms for the first time ever. Sourced from Cole’s fruitful creative stretch between 1949 and 1952, highlights like “Tunnel of Love,” “I’ll Always Remember You” and “My First and My Last Love” feature all the effervescent swing and moonlit balladry that made Cole one of the most iconic performers ever to emerge from the jazz/pop sphere.
Bruce Resnikoff, UMe’s President & CEO, said, “As guardians of Nat King Cole’s legendary Capitol tapes, we look forward to making even more of his vast catalog of recordings available, from his biggest hits to deeper tracks that have been unavailable for decades. Whether you’re a long-time fan or just beginning to discover this incredible American talent, this series will provide much more insight into his repertoire from across his storied musical career. With more Nat King Cole projects in the works, I can’t wait to release even more material from the vaults.”
Even the most casual music listeners probably know one or two hits by memory — such is his ageless appeal — but Capitol Rarities (Vol. 1) provides deeper insights into the Book of Nat. While lesser known than Nat’s biggest chart hits, these early and currently unavailable hidden gems are astonishing high-quality recordings. Most haven’t been reissued in many years and, before this series, many had not been available digitally (and all are currently unavailable). The collection contains collaborations with some of the very best in the business — composers Frank Loesser, Jimmy Van Heusen and Johnny Burke, arrangers Nelson Riddle and Pete Rugolo, vocalists Alyce King and the Ray Charles Singers, and bongo player Jack Costanzo — it contains tender duets with his wife, Maria Cole.
