The Christmas Song

~ Release by Nat King Cole (see all versions of this release, 23 available)

Annotation

1963 reissue of Cole's 1960 The Magic of Christmas with a new cover art and "The Christmas Song" (Fourth Recording, recorded in 1961) replacing "God Rest Ye Merry, Gentlemen".

Annotation last modified on 2012-12-12 03:30 UTC.

Tracklist

1▼12" Vinyl
#TitleRatingLength
A1The Christmas Song
producer:
Lee Gillette
piano:
Nat King Cole (on 1961-03-30)
vocals:
Nat King Cole (on 1961-03-30)
conductor:
Ralph Carmichael (on 1961-03-30)
orchestrator:
Charles R. Grean and Pete Rugolo
part of:
Billboard Hot 100: 2025-12-27 (number: 6), Billboard Hot 100: 2026-01-03 (number: 6), Billboard Hot 100: 2025-12-20 (number: 8), Billboard Hot 100: 2025-12-13 (number: 9), Billboard Hot 100: 2025-12-06 (number: 18) and Billboard Hot 100: 2025-11-29 (number: 29)
cover recording of:
The Christmas Song (Chestnuts Roasting on an Open Fire) (on 1961-03-30)
lyricist:
Robert Wells (songwriter) (in 1945-07) and Mel Tormé (“The Velvet Fog”) (in 1945-07)
composer:
Mel Tormé (“The Velvet Fog”) (in 1945-07)
publisher:
Chappell/Morris Ltd., MPL Music Publishing Inc., Sony/ATV Music Publishing Australia Pty Ltd., Sony/ATV Tunes LLC (ASCAP), Warner Chappell, Warner Chappell Ltd., Warner Chappell Music (holding behind all publishing activities of Warner Music Group, 2019–), Warner/Chappell Music Australia Pty. Ltd. and Edwin H. Morris & Co., Inc. (a division of MPL Communications Inc.) (from 1946 to present)
3.753:08
A2Deck the Hall
producer:
Lee Gillette
lead vocals:
Nat King Cole (in 1960)
conductor:
Ralph Carmichael (in 1960)
arranger:
Edith Bergdahl and Nat King Cole
part of:
Billboard Hot 100: 2026-01-03 (number: 20), Billboard Hot 100: 2025-12-20 (number: 23), Billboard Hot 100: 2025-12-27 (number: 25), Billboard Hot 100: 2025-12-13 (number: 29) and Billboard Hot 100: 2025-12-06 (number: 45)
recording of:
Deck the Halls
lyricist:
Thomas Oliphant (musician, artist and author)
composer:
[traditional] (special purpose artist)
is based on:
Nos Galan (Talhaiarn, “Goreu pleser ar Nos Galan”)
1:06
A3Adeste Fideles
producer:
Lee Gillette
vocals:
Nat King Cole (in 1960)
conductor:
Ralph Carmichael (in 1960)
arranger:
Edith Bergdahl and Nat King Cole
recording of:
Adeste fideles (original latin version) (in 1960)
lyricist and composer:
John Francis Wade (from 1740 until 1743)
52:26
A4O Tannenbaum
producer:
Lee Gillette
vocals:
Nat King Cole (in 1960)
conductor:
Ralph Carmichael (in 1960)
arranger:
Edith Bergdahl and Nat King Cole
recording of:
O Tannenbaum (O Fir Tree, original German version)
lyricist:
Ernst Anschütz (in 1824)
composer:
[traditional] (special purpose artist) (from 1500 until 1600)
version of:
Es lebe hoch der Zimmermannsgeselle
3:00
A5O, Little Town of Bethlehem
producer:
Lee Gillette
vocals:
Nat King Cole (in 1960)
conductor:
Ralph Carmichael (in 1960)
arranger:
Edith Bergdahl and Nat King Cole
recording of:
O Little Town of Bethlehem (traditional carol with the tune “St. Louis”, as commonly sung in the U.S.)
lyricist:
Phillips Brooks (in 1868)
composer:
Lewis Henry Redner (in 1868)
is based on:
St. Louis (hymn tune)
2:18
A6I Saw Three Ships
producer:
Lee Gillette
vocals:
Nat King Cole (in 1960)
conductor:
Ralph Carmichael (in 1960)
arranger:
Edith Bergdahl and Nat King Cole
recording of:
I Saw Three Ships
lyricist and composer:
[traditional] (special purpose artist)
part of:
Roud Folk Song Index (number: 700)
1:25
A7O Holy Night
producer:
Lee Gillette
vocals:
Nat King Cole (in 1960)
conductor:
Ralph Carmichael (in 1960)
arranger:
Edith Bergdahl and Nat King Cole
recording of:
O Holy Night
lyricist:
John Sullivan Dwight (in 1855)
composer:
Adolphe Adam (French composer) (in 1847)
arrangement of:
O holy night (arr. John Ebenezer West)
translated version of:
Cantique de Noël “Minuit chrétiens” (French original of “O Holy Night”)
recording of:
O Holy Night (catch-all for arrangements)
composer:
Adolphe Adam (French composer)
arrangement of:
O Holy Night
2:55
B1Hark, the Herald Angels Sing
producer:
Lee Gillette
vocals:
Nat King Cole (in 1960)
conductor:
Ralph Carmichael (in 1960)
arranger:
Edith Bergdahl and Nat King Cole
recording of:
Hark! The Herald Angels Sing (Christmas carol)
additional lyricist:
George Whitefield (in 1753)
lyricist:
Charles Wesley (hymn writer) (in 1739)
composer:
Felix Mendelssohn (composer) (in 1840)
arranger:
William H. Cummings (in 1855)
part of:
The New English Hymnal (hymn book) (number: 26)
1:47
B2A Cradle in Bethlehem
producer:
Lee Gillette
vocals:
Nat King Cole (in 1960)
conductor:
Ralph Carmichael (in 1960)
recording of:
A Cradle in Bethlehem
writer:
Alfred Bryan (US songwriter) and Larry Stock
publisher:
Larry Stock Music Co. and Sony/ATV Tunes LLC (ASCAP)
3:25
B3Away in a Manger
producer:
Lee Gillette
vocals:
Nat King Cole (in 1960)
conductor:
Ralph Carmichael (in 1960)
arranger:
Edith Bergdahl and Nat King Cole
recording of:
Away in a Manger (Mueller variation)
additional lyricist:
Charles Hutchinson Gabriel (in 1892)
lyricist:
[anonymous] (special purpose artist)
writer:
[traditional] (special purpose artist)
composer:
Carl Mueller and James Ramsey Murray (in 1885)
1:58
B4Joy to the World
producer:
Lee Gillette
vocals:
Nat King Cole (in 1960)
conductor:
Ralph Carmichael (in 1960)
arranger:
Edith Bergdahl and Nat King Cole
recording of:
Joy to the World (Christmas carol)
lyricist:
Isaac Watts (hymn writer) (in 1719)
composer:
George Frideric Handel (German‐British baroque composer)
arranger:
Lowell Mason (in 1839)
31:22
B5The First Noel
producer:
Lee Gillette
vocals:
Nat King Cole (in 1960)
conductor:
Ralph Carmichael (in 1960)
arranger:
Edith Bergdahl and Nat King Cole
recording of:
The First Noël
publisher:
William B. Sandys (in 1823, in 1833)
additional lyricist:
Davies Gilbert (in 1823)
lyricist and composer:
[traditional] (special purpose artist)
additional arranger:
John Stainer (in 1871)
arranger:
Davies Gilbert (in 1823)
part of:
The New English Hymnal (hymn book) (number: 36)
arrangement of:
The First Nowell
part of:
Meet Me in St. Louis (1944 musical film soundtrack)
1:57
B6Caroling, Caroling
producer:
Lee Gillette
vocals:
Nat King Cole (in 1960)
conductor:
Ralph Carmichael (in 1960)
recording of:
Caroling, Caroling
lyricist:
Wihla Hutson
composer:
Alfred S. Burt (composer of Christmas carols)
publisher:
TRO Essex Music Ltd.
2:02
B7Silent Night
producer:
Lee Gillette
vocals:
Nat King Cole (in 1960)
conductor:
Ralph Carmichael (in 1960)
arranger:
Edith Bergdahl and Nat King Cole
recording of:
Silent Night (Christmas carol, English translation)
lyricist:
Josef Mohr (composer/author) (in 1816)
composer:
Franz Xaver Gruber (composer/author) (in 1818)
translator:
John Freeman Young (in 1859)
part of:
Roud Folk Song Index (number: 27088)
translated version of:
Stille Nacht, heilige Nacht
2:07