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Releases

By Item

This section of my website attempts to list the core Nat King Cole records: that is, those albums and singles released during Nat's own lifetime. If you want to know "what records might he have known were released?" literally, here is the section for you.

Albums

Nat's records were often said to be more singles oriented, with the implication being that he had more success at his several hundred 78 rpm records and 45 rpm singles than he had at albums. A listen to his albums show the belief to be often mistaken, and an oversimplification when true, both in terms of creative and commercial success. He had a number of top charting albums, in fact, with some album tracks counting among his best work. In recent eras, collecting albums is also more readily accomplished than collecting a load of singles, and whereas many of his singles remain hard to find, his albums have all been reissued in recent times. Here is a complete listing of Nat's principal original album releases, with dates, track listings, and in many cases, other information as well, such as covers and reviews.

Singles

Nat King Cole might have had more charting singles than any other artist in the history of Capitol Records. Certainly he ranks among the top few artists as far as successful singles go. Collecting this part of his catalog is difficult. There remains no comprehensive compilation of his singles, such as Capitol produced for Frank Sinatra, and many are simply not available. Collecting what there is available would entail buying collections with a great deal of repeats. All I can do for you is to give you the best listing of his singles that I can. This list begins with the first year LPs were commercially available, thus making the distinction between "albums" and "singles." In the early years here, when 78 rpm and 45 rpm were both available, I'd prefer to include only 45 rpm singles, but I don't have that specific information. Where available, the catalog number of the single preceeds the track listings.

Records

From nearly the beginning of commercial recordings until the debut of the vinyl LP and 45 rpm single in 1948, almost every commercial release was on a 78 rpm shellac disc simply called a record. This list attempts to document the massive catalog of commercial records - 78 rpm shellac records - Nat was pressed upon.