Non-Capitol Transcriptions (1938-1945)

Nat Cole (v, p), Oscar Moore (v, g), Wesley Prince (v, b)

Nat Cole (v) on a-c, e-g; Oscar Moore (v) on a-c, e-g; Wesley Prince (v) on a-c, e-g.

Session Dating

Many of the early transcription sessions are not definitively dated. Where there is disagreement among sources, this discography will report variations and supply rationale for the dating of sessions.

While the 1991 Vintage Jazz Classics box says 'probably October 1938', both Klaus Teubig and Roy Holmes provide a date of September 1938, and that is used here.

In cases of disagreement, this discography usually follows Teubig, though not always.

Keystone Reissues

Several of the Standard and Davis & Schwegler transcriptions were purchased and subsequently reissued by the Keystone Broadcasting System, another transcription company. While efforts are made to document these Keystone reissues, they will appear only in the session notes; new issues will not be created for the Keystone transcription discs.

KBS 408
"Mutiny in the Nursery"
"F.D.R. Jones"
"The Sheik of Araby"
"With Plenty of Money and You"

KBS 444
"The Blue Danube"

Composers

The composers for several of the songs heard on Standard transcriptions cannot be determined. In most cases, they are probably works by Cole; until this can be confirmed, however, such compositions will be credited to 'unknown'.

Nat Cole (v, p), Oscar Moore (v, g), Wesley Prince (v, b)

Nat Cole (v) on b-d; Oscar Moore (v) on b-d; Wesley Prince (v) on b-d.

Nat Cole (v, p), Oscar Moore (v, g), Wesley Prince (v, b)

Nat Cole (v) on a-e, g; Oscar Moore (v) on a-e, g; Wesley Prince (v) on a-e, g.

Keystone Reissues

KBS 432
"Flea Hop"
"Chopsticks"
"Patty Cake, Patty Cake"

KBS 444
"The Wiggly Walk"
"Liza"
"Caravan"

Nat Cole (v, p), Oscar Moore (v, g), Wesley Prince (v, b)

Keystone Reissues

All titles reissued on KBS 111, KBS 159, and KBS 201N.

Location

Several sources list Radio Recorders as the venue for this session, although it should be deemed tentative.

Commercial Releases

In addition to the transcription discs pressed by Davis & Schwegler (and later, Keynote), D&S also pressed these sides (and those of the following two sessions) on commercial 78 rpm releases (D&S 108 through D&S 119).

There is some uncertainty about which sides were coupled together, however. The following appear together for at least some pressings:

116/118
112/122 (not a King Cole Trio recording)
108/114

An acetate with no label (seen online), also pairs 116 & 117.

Nat Cole (v, p), Bonnie Lake (v), Oscar Moore (v, g), Wesley Prince (v, b)

Nat Cole (v) on a-b, d; Bonnie Lake (v) on a-c; Oscar Moore (v) on a-b; Wesley Prince (v) on a-b.

Dating

Some sources suggest the January 1939 sessions all stem from January 14, 1939. Since this is unlikely, the sessions are presented here as three standalone dates, with only the first bearing a date of January 14.

Location

As with the previous session, some sources place this and the following date at Radio Recorders in Hollywood. Both the Teubig discography and the VJC booklet claim this session was arranged by Bonnie Lake and took place 'across the street from the NBC facilities'. If geographically close to NBC Studios, then Radio Recorders is not likely.

Keystone Reissues

All titles appeared on KBS 159N and KBS 166. Teubig says all titles were also issued on KBS 118, while the VJC notes say KBS 288.

Composers

Hap Kauffman, who co-wrote "I Lost Control Of Myself", was an early manager of the King Cole Trio.

Juanelda Carter (v), Nat Cole (v, p), Oscar Moore (v, g), Wesley Prince (v, b)

Juanelda Carter (v) on a-c; Nat Cole (v) on a, d; Oscar Moore (v) on d; Wesley Prince (v) on d.

Date

Refer to previous session.

Location

Refer to previous session.

Song Titles

Titles are reported here as they first appeared in the Catalog of Copyright Entries, between 1937 and 1939, which differs from how they appear on the earliest transcription and/or 78 labels and subsequent CD issues.

For example, "You're So Different" becomes "You're So Diff'rent", while "Let's Get Happy" is displayed as "Let's Get Happy Tonight".

Composers

Most sources credit Sammy Fain and Mitchell Parrish as the composers of "You're So Diff'rent". However, there is a Davis & Schwegler copyright of this tune from 10 November 1938 credited to Nat Leslie.

Keystone Reissues

All titles appear on KBS 107, KBS 113, and KBS 166.

Nat Cole (v, p), Oscar Moore (v, g), Wesley Prince (v, b)

Nat Cole (v) on b-c, e, g; Oscar Moore (v) on b-c, e, g; Wesley Prince (v) on b-c, e, g.

Song Titles

"Ol' Man Mose Ain't Dead" appears as "Old Man" in the initial copyright registration.

Keystone Reissues

KBS 432
"Ol' Man Mose Ain't Dead"

KBS 511
"Honey"

Nat Cole (v, p, cel), Oscar Moore (v, g), Wesley Prince (v, b)

Nat Cole (v) on a, c, e, g-h, (cel) on f; Oscar Moore (v) on a, c, e, g-h; Wesley Prince (v) on a, c, e, g-h.

Pauline Byrns, Vince Degen, Howard Hudson, Mack McLean, Bill Seckler (v), Nat Cole (p, cel), Oscar Moore (g), Wesley Prince (b), Pauline And Her Perils (acc)

Nat Cole (p) on a-b, d-h, (cel) on c.

Dating

All previous Cole discographies date the 'Pauline and Her Perils' session(s) from April 1939. However, according to Victor/Bluebird expert J.E. Knox, the matrix numbers indicate it's more likely to have been the latter part of May. This appears to be confirmed by John R. Bolig's The Victor Black Label Discography – Victor 25000, 26000, 27000 Series.

As reported here, matrix numbers in the 036240 series were recorded in Hollywood in early June 1939.

If the RCA matrix sequencing theory is correct, the dates of several King Cole Trio transcription sessions for Standard may require adjustment. Until further evidence can corroborate this theory, however, the usual dates are utilized by this discography.

Keystone Reissues

The four titles with master number PMS 036218 appear on KBS 286.

The KBS number is not currently known for the four titles with master number PMS 036219.

Acknowledgements

The above information regarding Victor master numbers comes courtesy of Adrian Daff, discographer of Pauline and Her Perils/Six Hits and A Miss/The Starlighters, and is quoted directly from his own work.

Nat Cole (v, p, cel), Oscar Moore (v, g), Wesley Prince (v, b)

Nat Cole (v) on b-c, e, g, (cel) on f; Oscar Moore (v) on b-c, e, g; Wesley Prince (v) on b-c, e, g.

Dating

Possibly from June 1939. See notes from April 1939 session with Pauline and Her Perils.

Keystone Reissues

All titles with master number PMS 036258 appear on KBS 511.

KBS 48 & 120
"You're My Life"

KBS 122 & 234N
"Black Spider Stomp"

The VJC notes say "Hoy Soy" was issued on KBS 48 & 120. Teubig says no to 120, but he also fails to include "Hoy Soy" on KBS 48.

Composers

There is a copyright registration for "You're My Life" from late 1938 credited to Milton Harrison Lees, Jr., although it cannot be determined if this is the same composition that Cole recorded.

Nat Cole (v, p), Oscar Moore (v, g), Wesley Prince (v, b)

Nat Cole (v) on a-b; Oscar Moore (v) on a-b; Wesley Prince (v) on a-b.

The Dreamers (v), Nat Cole (p, cel), Oscar Moore (g), Wesley Prince (b)

Nat Cole (cel) on f.

Personnel

The Dreamers consisted of Ormonde Wilson, General White, Leonard Bluett, and Carl Jones.

Dates

Possibly recorded over two sessions.

Keystone Reissues

KBS 48 & 120
"Music'll Chase Your Blues Away"
"I'll Gather Up My Memories"
"A Fool's Affair"
"Jump, Jack, Jump"

KBS 122 & 234N
"I Knew A Time"
"Mine You'll Always Be"
"Doin' The Bow Wow"
"Lilla Mae"

Matrix Numbers

Teubig assigns master number 061324-1 for all eight titles, while the numbers reported here (PMS 042205-1 & PMS 042228-1) are as they appear in the notes of the Naxos set, which are more consistent with other Standard numbers.

Spike Jones (pro), Nat Cole (v, p), Oscar Moore (v, g), Wesley Prince (v, b), Bill Bower (vn)

Nat Cole (v) on e; Oscar Moore (v) on e; Wesley Prince (v) on e.

Though these discs have never been found, according to Cole scholar Gord Grieveson, the session paperwork was filed with the Los Angeles AFM local. The documentation apparently includes the above performances and also lists violinist Bill Bower, though it is unclear what role he played on this date. It is also not known which of these titles are instrumental and which feature vocals. At minimum, it can be assumed that "I Like To Riff" featured unison vocals, while "I Want The Waiter With The Water" and "Jumpin' Jive" are also possibilities.

Nat Cole (p)

Date

"Trompin'" is the only recording for Cinematone known to survive. It may well have been recorded at the earlier session; however, it was likely part of a second undocumented session, along with other performances that remain unknown.

Leon Rene (pro), Nat Cole (v, p), Oscar Moore (v, g), Wesley Prince (v, b), Lee Young (d)

Nat Cole (v) on a-b, d; Oscar Moore (v) on a-b, d; Wesley Prince (v) on a-b, d.

These recordings are often cited as the Trio's first commercial recordings, which is not quite accurate. Similar to the recordings for Cinematone in the previous year, AMMOR's discs were intended only for jukeboxes and not for commercial sale.

Master Numbers

The Savoy release (600) assigned new matrix numbers: 521 & 522 becomes 598 & 599, respectively.

Dates

Some sources date this session April 18, 1940. For now, this session displays Teubig's dating.

Nat Cole (v, p), Oscar Moore (v, g), Wesley Prince (v, b)

Nat Cole (v) on a-c; Oscar Moore (v) on a-c; Wesley Prince (v) on a-c.

Nat Cole (v, p), Maxine Johnson (v), Oscar Moore (g), Wesley Prince (b)

Nat Cole (v) on g, i-j, l; Maxine Johnson (v) on a, c, h, k.

Label

This was the final Trio session for Davis & Schwegler, who folded shortly after these sides were recorded. Subsequently, Keystone purchased all of the Trio's D&S masters, and began reissuing them. As such, the songs from this session were first issued by Keystone.

Keystone Reissues

KBS 173 was reissued as KBS 192N.

KBS 85 was reissued as KBS 282.

Personnel

Maxine Johnson was sometimes referred to as Maxene.

Nat Cole (v, p), Oscar Moore (v, g), Wesley Prince (v, b)

Nat Cole (v) on c, g, i; Oscar Moore (v) on i; Wesley Prince (v) on i.

Dating

Based on Victor master number sequence, possibly recorded sometime shortly after 11 November (055158).

Composers

Teubig says McHugh-Adamson wrote "You Send Me", but that is not the same song recorded here.

Several sources credit "Pogo Stick Bounce" to Eden Ahbez, composer of "Nature Boy". Cole himself stated that Ahbez brought him two other songs at the same time as "Nature Boy", one of which was called 'Pogo Stick'. Ahbez scholar Brian Chidester believes that this session's "Pogo Stick Bounce" is not the work of Eden Ahbez.

Nat Cole (v, p), Oscar Moore (v, g), Wesley Prince (v, b)

Nat Cole (v) on a-b, d, f, h; Oscar Moore (v) on a-b, d, h; Wesley Prince (v) on a-b, d, h.

Anita Boyer (v), Nat Cole (v, p), Johnny Miller (v, b), Oscar Moore (v, g)

Anita Boyer (v) on a-e; Nat Cole (v) on b, (p) on a-e; Johnny Miller (v) on b, (b) on a-e; Oscar Moore (v) on b, (g) on a-e.

Label Credit

The ensemble is credited as "Anita Boyer & Her Tomboyers".

Composers

See note from previous session regarding "Let's Try Again".

Teubig credits "You Started All Over Again" to Emery Deutsch and Jimmy Rogan. However, it is likely that he confused this composition with the earlier "You Started Something".

Nat Cole (v, p), Oscar Moore (v, g), Wesley Prince (v, b), Al Spieldock (d)

Nat Cole (v, p), Oscar Moore (g), Wesley Prince (b)

Nat Cole (v) on a-c.

Dates

As with earlier transcriptions for Davis & Schwegler and Standard, the MacGregor transcriptions are notoriously difficult to date precisely, and there is considerable variation among the sources.

Though it will conflict with most of the previously published sources, the MacGregor sessions are dated here by the assigned matrix numbers. Although most sources generally adhere to this, several sessions are out of order.

Teubig mistakenly assigns matrix 572 instead of 550, which may have resulted in him dating the session as January or February 1944.

The Music & Arts set dates it May 23, 1944.

Roy Holmes gives a date of November 1943. Based on the matrix number assigned, Holmes' date seems closest. In most instances, however, Teubig's dates adhere more closely to what is reported here.

Nat Cole (v, p), Johnny Miller (v, b), Oscar Moore (v, g)

Nat Cole (v) on a, c-d; Johnny Miller (v) on d; Oscar Moore (v) on d.

Dates

Holmes and Teubig both date this session December 1943 (Teubig says circa). The Music & Arts set gives a date of May 12, 1944.

Composers

A 1943 copyright registration for "Solid Potato Salad" lists only De Paul and Ray. A registration from the following year, however, adds Hughie Prince.

MacGregor Repressings

All titles appeared later on LB. 1375

Ida James (v), Nat Cole (p), Oscar Moore (g), Johnny Miller (b)

Dates

Teubig = ca. December 1943
Holmes = December 1943
M&A = May 7, 1944

MacGregor Repressings

LB. 1352

Nat Cole (v, p), Oscar Moore (g), Johnny Miller (b)

Nat Cole (v) on a, c.

Dates

Teubig says January or February 1944, but also mistakenly lists the matrix number as 563, which may account for the latter date.

M&A gives a date of May 22, 1944, but also seems to have a typo in the matrix number, saying 653.

Holmes gives a date of December 1943.

Nat Cole (v, p), Johnny Miller (v, b), Oscar Moore (v, g)

Nat Cole (v) on a-b, d; Johnny Miller (v) on a, d; Oscar Moore (v) on a, d.

Dates

Teubig = January or February 1944
M&A = March 7, 1944, with matrix #652
Holmes = March 7, 1944

Nat Cole (v, p, cel), Oscar Moore (g), Johnny Miller (b)

Nat Cole (v) on a-b, d, (cel) on a.

Dates

Teubig & Holmes = January 1944
Music & Arts = May 24, 1944

MacGregor Repressings

LB. 603

Nat Cole (v, p), Ida James (v), Johnny Miller (v, b), Oscar Moore (v, g)

Nat Cole (v) on d; Johnny Miller (v) on d; Oscar Moore (v) on d.

Dates

Teubig & Holmes = January 1944
Music & Arts = May 22, 1944

MacGregor Repressings

LB. 409
LB. 611
LB. 1389

Ida James (v), Nat Cole (p), Oscar Moore (g), Johnny Miller (b)

Dates

Teubig & Holmes = January 1944
Music & Arts = May 12, 1944

MacGregor Repressings

LB. 14
LB. 410
LB. 602
LB. 114

Anita O'Day (v), Nat Cole (p), Oscar Moore (g), Johnny Miller (b)

Dates

Teubig & Holmes = February (circa for Teubig) 1944
Music & Arts = May 26, 1945

MacGregor Repressings

LB. 1412

Nat Cole (v, p), Oscar Moore (g), Johnny Miller (b)

Nat Cole (v) on a-c.

Dates

Teubig = May 1944
Holmes = March 7, 1944
M&A = May 24, 1944

Anita Boyer (v), Nat Cole (p), Oscar Moore (g), Johnny Miller (b)

Dates

Teubig = July 1944
Holmes & M&A = April 1944

As Teubig notes, the August 1944 issue of Metronome mentioned that Anita Boyer 'may also transcribe several numbers with the Cole trio'. Contrary, then, to dates by Holmes in the Music & Arts set, July 1944 seems the most likely period for this and the following session.

Composers

Both Teubig and the Music & Arts set misattribute the composers for "I Never Knew", confusing it with the Gus Kahn-Ted Fio Rito song of the same name.

Anita Boyer (v), Nat Cole (v, p), Oscar Moore (g), Johnny Miller (b)

Nat Cole (v) on a.

Dates

Teubig = July 1944
Holmes = May 1944
M&A = April 1944

MacGregor Repressings

LB. 622

Nat Cole (v, p), Johnny Miller (v, b), Oscar Moore (v, g)

Nat Cole (v) on a-b, d, f, h-i; Johnny Miller (v) on f, i; Oscar Moore (v) on f, i.

Dates

All of the major sources believe this is from July 1944. That may very well be the case, although it probably took place during the start of August.

The August 5, 1944 issue of Billboard, with a dateline of July 29, says 'two recording dates have been set for C.P.P. MacGregor Transcriptions. King Cole Trio will cut nine tunes, and Nil Mendez [sic] will wax a group'.

There were a total of nine masters recorded on matrix MMo 608 & MMo 609, the only pairings from this period with that many tunes recorded.

As the trio recorded several masters for MacGregor (master numbers 608-609, 612-615), it's likely they all took place in the first week of August, just prior to the Trio leaving town on a tour (they opened in Milwaukee on August 11).

Nat Cole (p), Oscar Moore (g), Johnny Miller (b)

a, b;   c, d;   e, f  performed as medleys

Dates

Some sources place the date of this transcription session as November 21, 1944. Given the Trio's itinerary of the time — they were likely playing the Apollo Theater in Harlem that week of November — we have rejected that date.

MacGregor Repressings

One source claims this was initially pressed on LB. 47, but there is no indication to believe that this is accurate.

Nat Cole (p), Oscar Moore (g), Johnny Miller (b)

a, b;   c, d;   e, f  performed as medleys

Dates

See note from previous session. It's also a possibility these titles were recorded at the previous session.

Claire Barrie, Merna Barrie (v), Nat Cole (p), Oscar Moore (g), Johnny Miller (b), The Barrie Sisters (acc)

Personnel

Listed on the original label and subsequent reissues as "The Barrie Sisters", Merna and Claire are nevertheless most often seen as The Barry Sisters.

Dates

Though they were well out of town by this time, the August 26, 1944 Billboard mentioned this session and all five tunes recorded.

Nat Cole (v, p), Oscar Moore (g), Johnny Miller (b)

Nat Cole (v) on a, c-d.

Dates

See note from earlier MacGregor session (MMo 612).

MacGregor Repressings

1420

Nat Cole (v, p), Oscar Moore (v, g), Johnny Miller (b)

Nat Cole (v) on a-d; Oscar Moore (v) on a.

Dates

Teubig = c. July 1945
Holmes = April 1945
M&A = May 24, 1944

Songs

"Keep Knockin' On Wood" was registered with the copyright office on April 3, 1945.

Nat Cole (v, p), Oscar Moore (g), Johnny Miller (b)

Nat Cole (v) on a-d.

Dates

Teubig = c. July 1945
Holmes = May 1945
M&A = January 1945