Today in Music (1948): Nat King Cole “Nature Boy” hit #1

Nature Boy Nat “King” Cole with Frank DeVol’s Orchestra

Writer(s): Eden Ahbez (see lyrics here) First Charted: April 17, 1948 Peak: 18 BB, 17 BA, 18 DG, 16 HP, 14 GA, 18 SM, 2 RB (Click for codes to charts.) Sales (in millions): 1.0 US Airplay/Streaming (in millions): -- radio, 15.9 video, 33.83 streaming

Awards: Click on award for more details.

About the Song: Nat Cole was born on March 17, 1917 in Montgomery, Alabama. He started out as a jazz pianist and formed the King Cole Trio in 1939 with Oscar Moore and Wesley Prince, later Moore and Johnny Miller. Cole became “one of the most popular singers in recording history.” PM “Nature Boy” was one of his four chart-toppers. Of course, he also sang the most iconic rendition of Mel Torme’s “The Christmas Song (Chestnuts Roasting on an Open Fire).” Eden Ahbez, born in 1908, wrote the autobiographical song about living in a cave in the Palm Springs area. SM The Brooklyn yogi TY2 was “one of the strangest songwriters of the pre-hippie era…a beatnik poet” SF who lived on $3 a week in Los Angeles in the 1940s. SF The narrator is “a strange and enchanted lad who espoused this beautiful philosophy to the singer one day: ‘The greatest thing you’ll ever learn is just to love and be loved in return.’” TY2 Ahbez reportedly left the song at the stage door of a California theater where Cole was playing. TY2 Cole tried the song a few times in his show and then decided to record it. TY2 The record company struggled to find Ahbez to secure the publishing rights. They finally located him living under the first L in the Hollywood sign. SF Instead of working with his trio, he recorded it with an orchestra conducted by Frank DeVol, who was Capitol Records in-house arranger. To give the song more of a small jazz combo feel, DeVol scaled the instruments back to just a piano, strings, and a flute. SM The song was featured in the 1948 movie The Boy with Green Hair. Cole’s version of “Nature Boy” was one of four to chart in 1948. His went to #1, but Frank Sinatra (#7), Sarah Vaughan (#9), and Dick Haymes (#11) all had successful versions as well. PM Resources: SM Sharon Mawer Charts (1900-1968) SF Songfacts TY2 Don Tyler (2007). Hit Songs, 1900-1955. McFarland & Company, Inc.: Jefferson, North Carolina. Page 302. PM Joel Whitburn (1986). Pop Memories 1890-1954. Record Research, Inc: Menomonee Falls, WI. Pages 87-9 and 557. Related Links: First posted 4/21/2025.

 

Tori Amos From the Choirgirl Hotel released

From the Choirgirl Hotel Tori Amos

Released: May 4, 1998 Peak: 5 US, 6 UK, 10 CN, 8 AU Sales (in millions): 1.0 US, 0.1 UK Genre: alternative rock singer/songwriter

Tracks: Song Title [time] (date of single release, chart peaks) Click for codes to charts. Spark [4:13] (4/20/98, 49 BB, 32 A40, 13 AA, 13 MR, 16 UK, 25 CN, 50 AU, 28 DF) Cruel [4:07] (8/24/98, 32 DF) Black-Dove (January) [4:38] Raspberry Swirl [3:58] (8/24/98, 20 CN, 57 AU) Jackie’s Strength [4:26] (9/15/98, 54 BB, 12 CN, 32 DF) i i e e e [4:07] Liquid Diamonds [6:21] She’s Your Cocaine [3:42] (32 DF) Northern Lad [4:19] Hotel [5:19] Playboy Mommy [4:08] Pandora’s Aquarium [4:45] All songs written by Tori Amos. Total Running Time: 54:11 Other Songs from the Era: Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas (4/20/98, “Spark” UK EP1) Purple People (4/20/98, “Spark” UK EP1) Bachelorette (4/20/98, “Spark” UK EP1) Cooling (4/20/98, “Spark UK EP2) Do It Again (4/20/98, “Spark UK EP2) Never Seen Blue (9/15/98, “Jackie’s Strength” EP) Belulah Land (9/15/98, “Jackie’s Strength” EP)

Rating: 3.687 out of 5.00 (average of 13 ratings) Awards: (Click on award to learn more).

About the Album: From the Choirgirl Hotel “doesn’t sound like ‘a typical’ Tori Amos album. She moved forward from the sound of Boys for Pele and returned to full group recordings for the first time since the aborted heavy metal type outfit. No heavy metal here though!” AD “Spark opens things strongly” AD with “the piano integrated successfully within a full band recording. The song gains in momentum as it goes along before reaching a stupendous middle section that's simply thrilling.” AD “Cruel is all drums, drum machines, weird noises, atmosphere. A great vocal though. And, that word. Atmosphere. The vocal makes it special. A beautiful vocal. That word again. Beautiful.” AD Black Dove is “a song bordering on genius – the vocals, the music, everything comes together. The song explodes in the middle section but returns againtowards the end, leaving you breathless. This would have made a great first single…to point people toward the fact that here we have Tori moving away altogether from her early piano dominated sound.” AD “Raspberry Swirl reintroduces the machines of ‘Cruel’ and nods in a dance direction. It’s a more fully integrated dance sound than the remix of ‘Professional Widow’ however. It’s integrated within a rock song! This is one of the most furious and exhilarating songs she’s ever done.” AD “Jackie’s Strength provides comfort to those who love Tori's earlier work, being a beautiful piano led ballad with wonderful vocals. 'Iiiee' wraps up the first half of the record being an atmospheric percussion led track with a haunting little tune where the lyrics become unimportant, this is all about the sound of the human voice.” AD “i i e e e, Liquid Diamonds and She’s Your Cocaine are not at all quiet, Piano singer-songstress types of songs, they sound almost industrial. Northern Lad contains one of Tori’s most heart-warming and heart-breaking vocal performances, ever.” AD “Hotel…will confound a few doubters with its sheer brilliant wall of rock noise. A stunning album, all told. Perfect from beginning to end, sequenced well, a modern classic growing in stature to rival the reputation of her debut.” AD Notes: “Purple People,” a B-side from “Spark,” was added to the Japanese edition of the album as a bonus track.

Review Sources: AD Adrian Denning Album Reviews WK Wikipedia Related DMDB Pages: First posted 6/3/2022; last updated 12/11/2024.

Shania Twain’s “You’re Still the One” hit #1 on the country chart

You’re Still the One Shania Twain

Writer(s): Shania Twain, Robert John “Mutt” Lange (see lyrics here) First Charted: January 24, 1998 Peak: 2 US, 3 RR, 18 AC, 6 A40, 11 CW, 10 UK, 7 CN, 14 AU, 8 DF (Click for codes to charts.) Sales (in millions): 2.0 US, 0.53 UK, 2.6 world (includes US + UK) Airplay/Streaming (in millions): 5.0 radio, 357.0 video, 508.26 streaming

Awards: Click on award for more details.

About the Song: Shania Twain’s self-titled debut album barely made a dent in the U.S. and her native Canada. 1995’s follow-up, The Woman in Me, exploded, giving her four #1’s on Billboard’s country chart. Come on Over proved even bigger in 1997, becoming one of the ten best-selling albums of all time. It was propelled by another three country chart-toppers and five more country top 10s. The biggest song from the album and Twain’s career was “You’re Still the One.” The third single from the album gave her a multi-format smash. Not only did it top the country chart, but the adult contemporary chart. It spent nine weeks at #2 on the Billboard Hot 100 and was a top 10 hit in Canada, Ireland, the Netherlands, New Zealand, and the United Kingdom. It went to #1 in Australia. Shortlist’s Dave Fawbert called it a “gorgeous song with a timeless melody.” WK The song was a response to criticism over Twain’s relationship with her much older producer, Mutt Lange. Twain said the pair never intended to write a song about their relationship, but were influenced by the criticism. RC She said in her memoir From This Moment On that she and Lange had written separate ideas for songs they later combined. She talks about they could have missed out on had they listened to critics. WK The song won Grammys for Best Country Song and Best Female Country Vocal Performance. It was also nominated for Record of the Year and Song of the Year. It was named Best Selling Country Single at the 1998 Billboard Music Awards in and Single of the Year at the 1998 Canadian Country Music Awards. Resources: DMDB encyclopedia entry for Shania Twain DMDB encyclopedia entry for Robert John “Mutt” Lange RC Rod Couch (2015). The Top 500 Songs of the Rock Era: 1955-2015. Page 74. Marsh ( SF Songfacts WK Wikipedia Related Links: First posted 2/12/2021; last updated 4/17/2024.