Singles
Here is a listing of Nat's principal original releases on 45 rpm vinyl singles. Where available to me, the catalog number of the single preceeds the track listings.
1949
- 606 - Lush Life / Lillian
- 641 - I Used To Love You / Bopkick
- 642 - 'Tis Autumn / Yes Sir, That's My Baby
- 643 - For All We Know / Don't Cry, Cry Baby
- 680 - Who Do You Know In Heaven / It's Easy To See
- 705 - I Get Sentimental Over Nothing / Your Voice
- 716 - Land Of Love / I Miss You So
- 749 - You Can't Lose A Broken Heart / Nalani
- 787 - My Baby Just Cares For Me / Mule Train
- 818 - It Was So Good While It Lasted / Bang Bang Boogie
- 852 - Don't Shove, I'm Leaving / The Horse Told Me
1950
- 847 - Can I Come In For A Second? / For You My Love
- 889 - Baby Won't You Say You Love Me / I Almost Lost My Mind
- 915 - Calypso Blues / Twisted Stockings
- 1010 - Mona Lisa / The Greatest Inventor Of Them All
- 1036 - Exactly Like You / My Mother Told Me
- 1068 - I'll Never Say 'Never Again' Again / A Little Bit Independent
- 1133 - Home (When Shadows Fall) / Tunnel of Love
- 1184 - Orange-Colored Sky / Jam-bo
- 1203 - Frosty The Snowman / Little Christmas Tree
- 1270 - Get To Gettin' / Time Out For Tears
- 1365 - Jet / The Magic Tree
- 1401 - Always You / Destination Moon
1951
- 1449 - Too Young / That's My Girl
- 1468 - Red Sails In The Sunset / Little Girl
- 1501 - Song Of Delilah / Because Of Rain
- 1565 - My Brother / Early American
- 1747 - Make Believe Land / I'll Always Remember You
- 1808 - Unforgettable / My First And Last Love
- 1815 - I Still See Elisa / It's OK For TV
- 1863 - Walkin' / I'm Hurtin'
- 1893 - Miss Me / Here's To My Lady
- 1925 - Weaver Of Dreams / Wine, Women and Song
1952
- 1968 - You Weren't There / You Will Never Grow Old
- 1994 - Summer Is a-Comin' In / Easter Sunday Morning
- 2069 - What Does It Take / Somewhere Along The Way
- 2130 - Walkin' My Baby Back Home / Funny (Not Much)
- 2212 - Because You're Mine / I'm Never Satisfied
- 2230 - The Ruby And The Pearl / Faith Can Move Mountains
- 2309 - Strange / How Do I Go About It
- 2346 - Pretend / Don't Let Your Eyes (Go Shopping for Your Heart)
1953
- 2389 - Blue Gardenia / Can't I
- 2459 - I Am In Love / My Flaming Heart
- 2498 - Angel Eyes / Return To Paradise (June)
- 2540 - A Fool Was I / If Love Is Good For Me
- 2610 - Lover Come Back To Me / That's All
- 2616 - The Little Boy That Santa Claus Forgot / Mrs. Santa Claus
- 2687 - Answer Me My Love / Why?
- 2803 - Make Her Mine / I Envy
1954
- 2949 - Unbeleivable / Hajji Baba
- 2985 - Open Up The Doghouse / Long Long Ago
- 3027 - Darling, Je Vous Aime Beaucoup / The Sand And The Sea (February)
- 2754 - Alone Too Long / It Happens To Be Me (April)
- 3095 - If I May / A Blossom Fell
- 2897 - Smile / It's Crazy (August)
1955
- 3136 - My One Sin / I'd Rather Have The Blues
- 3456 - That's All There Is To That / My Dream Sonata
- 3234 - Forgive My Heart / Someone You Love (September)
- 3305 - I'm Going To Laugh You Right Out Of My Life / Toyland
1956
- 3328 - Ask Me / Nothing Ever Changes (My Love For You) (January)
- 3390 - Too Young To Go Steady / Never Let Me Go (March)
- 3551 - Night Lights / To The Ends Of The Earth (September)
- 3619 - Ballerina / You Are My First Love
1957
- 3702 - China Gate / When Rock and Roll Come To Trinidad
- 3737 - Send For Me / My Personal Possession
- 3782 - The Song Of Raintree County / With You On My Mind
- 3860 - Back In My Arms / Angel Smile
1958
- 3939 - Looking Back / Do I Like It?
- 4004 - Acertate Mas / Nothing In The World
- 4056 - Non Dimenticar / Bend A Little My Way
- 4125 - Madrid / Give Me Your Love (withdrawn due to legal issues)
- 4184 - I Must Be Dreaming / You Made Me Love You
1959
- 4248 - Midnight Flyer / Sweet Bird Of Youth
- 4301 - Buon Natale / The Happiest Christmas Tree
- 4325 - Time And The River / Whatcha Gonna Do
1960
- 4369 - That's You / Is It Better To Have Loved And Lost
- 4393 - Steady / My Love
- 4481 - World In My Arms / If I Knew
1961
- 4519 - Illusion / When It's Summer
- 4555 - The First Baseball Game / Goodnight Little Leaguer
- 4582 - Take A Fool's Advice / Make It Last
- 4623 - Capucchina / Let True Love Begin
- 4672 - Step Right Up / Magic Moments
1962
- 4714 - Look No Further / The Right Thing To Say
- 4804 - Ramblin' Rose / The Good Times
- 4870 - Dear Lonely Hearts / Who's Next In Line?
- 4919 - Nothing Goes Up / All Over The World
1963
- 4965 - Those Lazy-Hazy-Crazy Days of Summer / In The Cool Of The Day
- 5027 - That Sunday That Summer / Mr. Wishing Well
1964
- 5125 - My True Carrie, Love / A Rag, A Bone, A Hank Of Hair
- 5155 - I Don't Want To Be Hurt Anymore / People
- 5219 - Marnie / More and More of Your Amour
- 5261 - L-O-V-E / I Don't Want To See Tomorrow
Later singles
The following were issed posthumously by Capitol and may include overdubbing and other alterations not approved by Nat.
1965
- 5330 - LOVE / Kareha (Autumn Leaves) (Japanese version)
- 5331 - LOVE / Tu Sei Cosi Amabile (You Are So Amiable) (Italian version)
- 5332 - LOVE / Muetterlein (Answer Me) (German version)
- 5333 - Amor / Tu Eres Tan Amable (You Are So Amiable) (Spanish version)
- 5412 - The Ballad of Cat Ballou / They Can’t Make Her Cry
- 5486 - Wanderlust / You’ll See
- 5549 - Looking Back (reissue) / One Sun
1967
- 5683 - Let Me Tell You Babe / For Want of a Kiss
- 2088 - Thank You Pretty Baby / Brazilian Love Song
Notes about this selection
A load of words about the definition of "single" used here. From the time when Nat began recording (in 1936) until the era of the album as we know it (the long-play 12" vinyl record - LP - introduced in about 1949), records were simply known as records: two-sided 10" shellac discs that played at 78 revolutions per minute. With the debut of the long-play "album," similar updated technology was applied to make a two-sided 45 r.p.m. disc known as the "single," intended to phase out the shellac 78. This list begins with the first year LPs were commercially available, thus making a distinction between "albums" and "singles." In the early years here, when 78 r.p.m. and 45 r.p.m. were both available, I'd prefer to include only 45 r.p.m. singles, but I don't have specific enough information. Despite some uncertainty of overlapping formats, I believe this list does present what you could expect to have found on 45 r.p.m. singles.
Nat's recordings were often said to be more singles oriented. As far as successful singles go, Nat King Cole ranks among the top few artists in Capitol's history. Yet collecting this part of his catalog is difficult. Despite a Capitol box set titled as The Classic Singles, 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 at the moment. I hope this has been of interest.
Collectors note that Capitol singles acquired the prefix F in 1950 (such as, F-1808).
- the Cole-ctor laboring at this website