| Nature BoyNat “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:
Related Links:First posted 4/21/2025. |