The Magic of Christmas (Nat King Cole album) explained

The Magic of Christmas is a 1960 album by Nat King Cole, arranged and conducted by Ralph Carmichael.

This was Cole's only complete album of Christmas songs, although he had recorded several holiday singles earlier in his career. One of these, "The Christmas Song", originally recorded in 1946, was re-recorded for the 1961 album The Nat King Cole Story.

It is the best-selling Christmas album released in the 1960s, and was certified by the RIAA for shipments of 6 million copies in the U.S.^[2] The 1963 version reached number 1 on Billboard Christmas Albums chart and remained for two weeks.

Track listing

Side one

1. "Deck the Halls" (Traditional)
2. "Adeste Fideles (O, Come All Ye Faithful)" (John Francis Wade)
3. "God Rest Ye Merry, Gentlemen" (Traditional)
4. "O Tannenbaum" (Traditional)
5. "O, Little Town of Bethlehem" (Phillip Brooks, Lewis Redner)
6. "I Saw Three Ships" (Traditional)
7. "O Holy Night" (Adolphe Adam, John Sullivan Dwight)

Side two

1. "Hark, the Herald Angels Sing" (Felix Mendelssohn, Charles Wesley)
2. "A Cradle in Bethlehem" (Alfred Bryan, Larry Stock)
3. "Away in a Manger" (Traditional)
4. "Joy to the World" (Lowell Mason, Isaac Watts)
5. "The First Noel" (William B. Sandys)
6. "Caroling, Caroling" (Alfred Burt, Wihla Hutson)
7. "Silent Night" (Franz Gruber, Josef Mohr)

• All tracks, save for "A Cradle in Bethlehem" and "Caroling, Caroling", are credited on the LP label as being adapted by Nat King Cole and Edith Bergdahl.^[3]
• The album was reissued in 1963 as The Christmas Song, with the title track added as the leadoff to Side 1 and "God Rest Ye Merry, Gentlemen" omitted.^[4]
• An alternate, all-English performance of "O, Come All Ye Faithful" was recorded during the album sessions and first released in 1990 on the compilation album Cole, Christmas, & Kids.^[5]

Personnel

• Nat King Cole – lead vocals
• The Ralph Carmichael Chorus – background vocals^[5]
• Ralph Carmichael – arranger, conductor

Orchestra members^[1]

• Piano: Milton Raskin
• Guitar: John Collins
• Bass played by: Lloyd Lunham
• Arco Bass: Bob Stone
• Drums: Lee Young
• Percussion: John Cyr (A3, A5, A7, B2, B6), Ralph Hansell (A1-A2, A4, B1, B4), Dale Anderson
• Harp: Kathryn Thompson
• Violins: Harold Dicterow (A3, A5, A7, B2, B6), Dave Frisina (A3, A5, A7, B2, B6), Nate Kaproff (A1-A2, A4, B1, B4), Joe Livoti (A1-A2, A4, B1, B4), Emanuel Moss (A1-A2, A4, B1, B4), Lou Raderman (A3, A5, A7, B2, B6), Isadore Roman (A1-A2, A4, B1, B4), Victor Arno, Emil Briano, James Getzoff, Alex Murray, Erno Neufield, Ralph Schaeffer, Joseph Stepansky, Jerry Vinci, Israel Baker
• Violas: Milt Thomas (A1-A2, A4, B1, B4), Alvin Dinkin (A3, A5, A7, B2, B6), Ray Menhennick (A1-A2, A4, B1, B4), Gary Nuttycombe (A3, A5, A7, B2, B6), Al Harshman, Lou Kievman
• Cellos: Dave Filerman (A3, A5, A7, B2, B6), Armand Kaproff (A1-A2, A4, B1, B4), Ed Lustgarten (A1-A2, A4, B1, B4), Emmett Sargeant, Joseph Saxon

On A1-A2, A4, B1, B4:

• Trumpet: Ray Linn, Joe Triscari, George Werth
• Trombone: Jim Henderson, Tommy Shepard, Lloyd Ullate
• Reeds: Lloyd W. Hildebrand, Jules Jacob, Harry Klee, Arthur Smith

The Christmas Song reissue

In 1999 The Magic of Christmas was reissued under the title The Christmas Song, with several added tracks including an alternate version of "The Christmas Song" with Cole's daughter, and with new cover art.^[6] This version of the album was placed at number 38 on Rolling Stones top 65 greatest Christmas albums of all time.^[7]

Charts

Weekly charts

Chart (1960–2024)! scope="col"

Peak position
Finnish Albums (Suomen virallinen lista)[8]	30
Icelandic Albums (Tónlistinn)[9]	23
Italian Albums (FIMI)[10]	26
Lithuanian Albums (AGATA)[11]	11

Year-end charts

Chart (2019)! scope="col"

Position
US Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums (Billboard)[12]	79
Chart (2020)	Position
US Billboard 200[13]	187
US Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums (Billboard)[14]	71
Chart (2021)	Position
US Billboard 200[15]	177
US Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums (Billboard)[16]	64
Chart (2022)	Position
US Billboard 200[17]	179
US Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums (Billboard)[18]	60
Chart (2023)	Position
US Billboard 200[19]	179
US Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums (Billboard)[20]	57

External links

• Session details

Notes and References

1. Web site: Nat King Cole with Ralph Carmichael Orchestra. Capitol Tower, Los Angeles, CA: July 5-7, 1960. Jazz Disco. 30 May 2021.
2. Web site: Chart Watch Extra: Christmas Albums, From Bing to Buble . Grein. Paul. . December 19, 2012 . December 19, 2012.
3. Book: Cole, Nat King. The Magic of Christmas (Liner Notes). Capitol Records. 1960.
4. Book: Cole, Nat King. The Christmas Song (Album Notes). Capitol Records. 1963.
5. Book: Cole, Nat King. Cole, Christmas and Kids (Liner Notes). Capitol Records. 1990.
6. Web site: A Pile o' Cole's Nat King Cole website – The Magic of Christmas . Apileocole.alongthehall.com . 2012-02-29.
7. Edwards. Gavin. 2019-11-30. 40 Essential Christmas Albums. 2021-12-24. Rolling Stone. en-US.
8. Web site: Albumit 52/2022. Musiikkituottajat. fi. January 1, 2023.
9. Web site: Tónlistinn – Plötur – Vika 52 – 2023. Plötutíðindi. is. The Music – Albums – Week 52 – 2023. December 31, 2023. December 31, 2023. https://web.archive.org/web/20231231203410/https://plotutidindi.is/tonlistinn/. live.
10. Web site: Album – Classifica settimanale WK 52 (dal 22.12.2023 al 28.12.2023). Federazione Industria Musicale Italiana. it. December 30, 2023.
11. Web site: 2022 52-os savaitės klausomiausi (Top 100). AGATA. lt. December 30, 2022. December 31, 2022.
12. Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums – Year-End 2019. Billboard. October 2, 2021.
13. Top Billboard 200 Albums – Year-End 2020. Billboard. December 5, 2020.
14. Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums – Year-End 2020. Billboard. October 2, 2021.
15. Top Billboard 200 Albums – Year-End 2021. Billboard. December 3, 2021.
16. Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums – Year-End 2021. Billboard. December 3, 2021.
17. Top Billboard 200 Albums – Year-End 2022. Billboard. December 4, 2022.
18. Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums – Year-End 2022. Billboard. December 4, 2022.
19. Top Billboard 200 Albums – Year-End 2023. Billboard. November 23, 2023.
20. Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums – Year-End 2023. Billboard. November 23, 2023.