The Magic of Christmas | ||||
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Studio album by | ||||
Released | 1960 | |||
Recorded | July 5–7, 1960 | |||
Studio | Capitol (Hollywood)[1] | |||
Genre | Christmas music | |||
Length | 31:00 | |||
Label | Capitol | |||
Producer | Lee Gillette | |||
Nat King Cole chronology | ||||
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Review scores | |
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Source | Rating |
AllMusic | [2] |
The Magic of Christmas is a 1960 album by Nat King Cole, arranged and conducted by Ralph Carmichael.[3]
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.[4] The 1963 version reached number 1 on Billboard's Christmas Albums chart and remained for two weeks.
Side one
Side two
Orchestra members[1]
On A1-A2, A4, B1, B4:
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.[8] This version of the album was placed at number 38 on Rolling Stone's top 65 greatest Christmas albums of all time.[9]
No. | Title | Length |
---|---|---|
1. | "Nat's Christmas Wishes" | 0:16 |
2. | "The Christmas Song" | 3:14 |
3. | "Deck The Hall" | 1:08 |
4. | "Adeste Fideles" | 2:24 |
5. | "God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen" | 1:32 |
6. | "O Tannenbaum" | 3:03 |
7. | "O Little Town of Bethlehem" | 2:21 |
8. | "I Saw Three Ships" | 1:28 |
9. | "O Holy Night" | 3:02 |
10. | "Hark! The Herald Angels Sing" | 1:51 |
11. | "A Cradle in Bethlehem" | 3:27 |
12. | "Away in a Manger" | 2:01 |
13. | "Joy to the World" | 1:28 |
14. | "The First Noel" | 2:01 |
15. | "Caroling, Caroling" | 2:03 |
16. | "Silent Night" | 2:11 |
17. | "Buon Natale (Means Merry Christmas to You)" (featuring Anthony Hamilton) | 1:36 |
18. | "All I Want For Christmas (Is My Two Front Teeth)" | 2:31 |
19. | "The Happiest Christmas Tree" | 1:45 |
20. | "The Christmas Song" (featuring Natalie Cole) | 3:44 |
Total length: | 43:00 |
Weekly charts[edit]
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Year-end charts[edit]
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Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
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Denmark (IFPI Danmark)[38] | Gold | 10,000‡ |
United States (RIAA)[39] | 6× Platinum | 6,000,000^ |
^ Shipments figures based on certification alone. |