Track Listing

1. Smile
2. It's Only A Paper Moon
3. Straighten Up And Fly Right
4. (Get Your Kicks On) Route 66
5. (I Love You) For Sentimental Reasons
6. Nature Boy
7. Too Young
8. Unforgettable
9. Walkin' My Baby Back Home
10. Orange Colored Sky
11. Send For Me
12. A Blossom Fell
13. Quizas, Quizas, Quizas (Perhaps, Perhaps, Perhaps)
14. On The Street Where You Live
15. Almost Like Being In Love
16. Darling, Je Vous Aime Beaucoup
17. Mona Lisa
18. Ramblin' Rose
19. Let There Be Love
20. L-O-V-E
21. You Stepped Out Of A Dream
22. Just One Of Those Things
23. Let's Face The Music And Dance
24. Day In - Day Out
25. Thou Swell (live at The Sands, 1965)
26. When I Fall In Love
27. Unforgettable (virtual duet w/ Natalie Cole)
28. Stardust

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #4666 in Music
• Released on: 2005-01-25
• Number of discs: 1

Amazon.com
Commemorating the 40th anniversary of Nat King Cole's death in 1965, this compilation is the CD companion of an excellent DVD/documentary. Produced with the blessing of his estate, this disc is a thorough survey of his timeless genius--all recorded on the Capitol label. It captures his sumptuous and soothing tenor voice crooning on the pop tunes he made famous, like the ethereal "Nature Boy," the melancholy "Mona Lisa," and the bouncy "Straighten Up and Fly Right," and "Route 66." It also features Cole's often-overlooked skills as an Earl Hines-style pianist. "Quizas, Quizas, Quizas (Perhaps, Perhaps, Perhaps)," and "Darling, Je Vous Aime Beaucoup," attest to his international appeal, and see if you can keep a dry eye when you listen to Natalie Cole's posthumous, digitally-enhanced duet with her father on "Unforgettable." From strings to big bands, Nat King Cole is never out of style. --Eugene Holley, Jr.

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Customer Reviews

An "unforgettable" collection
With its broad scope and high quality repertoire, this new CD instantly becomes THE single-disc NKC collection to own. Besides all the obvious tunes, it's got songs from throughout his career, with excellent remastered recordings of top-notch performances. So often I scratch my head when I see so many and frequent 5-star customer ratings for products (5 stars for EVERYTHING), but this CD truly deserves the rating.

Let me count the ways The World of Nat King Cole is so swell. First and foremost, it presents the amazing talents of its subject in all their manifestations. His velvety singing is so well known, but this CD also gives us a chance to enjoy Nat's jazz piano playing too. The guy is so cooool - just for one small instance, listen to the way he sings "Cal-eye-fornia" on the second chorus of "Route 66." Then there's the fact that this disc, with its 28 songs (!) gives a pretty comprehensive look at the various stages Cole's career went through, from jazz leader to pop star. Next check out the sound quality. Considering most of these recording were made about a half-century ago, and it becomes staggering to hear how clear and intimate these songs sound today! Finally, I appreciate the design of the CD packaging and the very nifty CD booklet.

Trying Out the King? Start Here
If you're an avid Cole Collector, there's really nothing new here. However, if you're new to Nat King Cole's music, this is an excellant starting point. Not only are the Original versions of his influencial singles here (except Smile which is from his 1961 album "The Nat King Cole Story", and "Send For Me", which is a re-engineered version of the 1957 hit from the 1965 album "Looking Back")but there are also some gems from his LP releases as well, like On the Street Where You Live, from his "My Fair Lady" album, and "Let's Face the Music", from the '64 album of the same name. This album is pretty much a retread of the "Greatest Hits" package from 1994, and the "Capitol Collectors Series" from 1990, but with a few extra goodies. You've got a beautifully created booklet, with lots of rare photos of Nat with President Kennedy, Queen Elizabeth, and even relaxing at home with his kids. Good Stuff. Now, Capitol, where is the long awaited television documentary "The World Of Nat King Cole", that was supposed to accompany this CD? It has already aired in Great Britain, and is on DVD there. Why not here?

Capitol has outdone itself with the finest Nat King Cole single disc set ever offered
Over the years I have owned any number of Nat King Cole collections. Although I never failed to enjoy the music I found each of those vinyl LP's or compact discs to be flawed in some way. Collectors like myself have long been clamoring for something better. Finally in 2005 Capitol Records has seen fit to correct this egregious oversight.
Nearly three years in the making, "The World of Nat King Cole" provides the listener with nearly 80 minutes of the very best that this beloved and legendary performer has to offer. Please understand that this disc is not really intended to be a "greatest hits" package. That would be virtually impossible for Nat King Cole because just about every song he ever recorded had the potential to become a "greatest hit". Rather, "The World of Nat King Cole" provides the listener an outstanding overview of a recording career at Capitol that spanned nearly a quarter century. You'll hear several of his biggest numbers with the King Cole Trio. Songs such as "Straighten Up and Fly Right", "Nature Boy" and "Route 66" were huge hits in the early 1940's and remain popular to this day. If you are hoping to find some of Nat's biggest solo hits you certainly will not be disappointed. Enjoy once again all-time favorites like "Ramblin' Rose", "Too Young", "Walkin' My Baby Back Home" and so many others. But what distinguishes "The World of Nat King Cole" from so many other of the previous compilations is the inclusion of some of the best material from his LP's. I especially enjoyed a tune called "Let There Be Love", a terrific jazz number that was featured on the 1962 album "Nat King Cole Sings/George Shearing Plays". There is also a song from his "Live At The Sands" LP and three upbeat numbers backed by the swingin' Billy May Orchestra. Rounding out the collection is the remarkable 1991 recording of "Unforgettable" with his daughter Natalie Cole.
Kudos to the engineers at Capitol Records for the unbelievable remastering job on these songs. Each and every one of the songs on this disc is crystal clear. I was simply overwhelmed by the sound on songs like "Nature Boy", "Orange Colored Sky" and "L-O-V-E". It was literally like hearing many of these songs for the very first time! And I would be remiss if I failed to mention the outstanding 28 page booklet that is just packed with photos and facts about the man and his music. Whether you are a long time fan of Nat King Cole or sampling his music for the very first time this is the collection you want. "The World of Nat King Cole" stands head and shoulders above all the rest. Very Highly Recommended.