BRIAN 10.8.2 -- Windows

Non-Capitol Transcriptions (1938-1945)

by Jordan Taylor & G.E. Hewitt

Page generated on 3/12/22


Nat King Cole
Introduction

This section features all of Cole's non-Capitol transcription recordings. Consisting primarily of sessions for Standard (1938-1941), Davis & Schwegler (1930-1940), and MacGregor (1941-1945), also included here are jukebox-only recordings made for Cinematone and AMMOR, as well as one recently unearthed private recording. Of note, the earliest of these transcriptions are the first recordings made by the King Cole Trio. (Photo: the King Cole Trio in a publicity shot for NBC radio, circa late 1938.)


Date: September 1938
Location: RCA Victor Studios, 1016 N. Sycamore Avenue, Hollywood
Label: Standard

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

a. PMS 026354-1rt Mutiny In The Nursery(Johnny Mercer) - 2:50
b. PMS 026354-1rt F.D.R. Jones(Harold Rome) - 3:10
c. PMS 026354-1rt The Sheik Of Araby(Ted Snyder, Francis Wheeler, Harry B. Smith) - 2:15
d. PMS 026354-1rt The Blue Danube(Johann Strauss II) - 2:50
e. PMS 026355-1rt Button, Button(Clay A. Boland, Bickley 'Bix' Reichner) - 2:52
f. PMS 026355-1rt Jingle Bells(J. S. Pierpont) - 2:28
g. PMS 026355-1rt Swanee River(Stephen Foster) - 2:26
h. PMS 026355-1rt With Plenty Of Money And You(Harry Warren, Al Dubin) - 2:13
All titles on:
Standard Transcription DiscX-76 — X-76   (1938)
Vintage Jazz Classics CD BoxVJC-1026,1027,1028,1029-2 — The Complete Early Transcriptions Of The King Cole Trio: 1938-1941   (1991)
Resonance LP/CD BoxHLP 9042/HCD 2042 — Hittin' The Ramp: The Early Years (1936-1943)   (2019)

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'.


Date: October 1938
Location: RCA Victor Studios, 1016 N. Sycamore Avenue, Hollywood
Label: Standard

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

a. PMS 026387-1rt Don't Blame Me(Jimmy McHugh, Dorothy Fields) - 2:24
b. PMS 026387-1rt Lullaby In Rhythm(Edgar Sampson, Walter Hirsch, Clarence Profit, Benny Goodman) - 2:46
c. PMS 026387-1rt Dark Rapture(Edgar Sampson, Manny Kurtz, Benny Goodman) - 2:46
d. PMS 026387-1rt By The River Ste. Marie(Harry Warren, Edgar Leslie) - 2:11
Savoy Jazz CDZDS 1205 — Nat King Cole and The King Cole Trio   (1989)
All titles on:
Standard Transcription DiscY-132 — Y-132   (1938)
Vintage Jazz Classics CD BoxVJC-1026,1027,1028,1029-2 — The Complete Early Transcriptions Of The King Cole Trio: 1938-1941   (1991)
Resonance LP/CD BoxHLP 9042/HCD 2042 — Hittin' The Ramp: The Early Years (1936-1943)   (2019)

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


Date: November 1938
Location: RCA Victor Studios, 1016 N. Sycamore Avenue, Hollywood
Label: Standard

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

a. PMS 026419-1rt The Wiggly Walk(Al Jacobs, Dave Oppenheim, Jack Palmer) - 2:49
b. PMS 026419-1rt Flea Hop(Al Jacobs, Dave Oppenheim, Jack Palmer) - 2:41
c. PMS 026419-1rt Chopsticks(Jack Lawrence, Elliot Daniels) - 2:42
d. PMS 026419-1rt Patty Cake, Patty Cake(Thomas 'Fats' Waller, Andy Razaf, J. C. Johnson) - 2:41
e. PMS 026420-1rt Blue Skies(Irving Berlin) - 2:07
f. PMS 026420-1rt Liza(George Gershwin, Ira Gershwin, Gus Kahn) - 2:58
g. PMS 026420-1rt Three Blind Mice(Traditional) - 2:05
h. PMS 026420-1rt Caravan(Duke Ellington, Juan Tizol, Irving Mills) - 2:15
All titles on:
Standard Transcription DiscX-79 — X-79   (1938)
Vintage Jazz Classics CD BoxVJC-1026,1027,1028,1029-2 — The Complete Early Transcriptions Of The King Cole Trio: 1938-1941   (1991)
Resonance LP/CD BoxHLP 9042/HCD 2042 — Hittin' The Ramp: The Early Years (1936-1943)   (2019)

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"


Date: January 14, 1939
Location: Radio Recorders, 7000 Santa Monica Boulevard, Hollywood
Label: Davis & Schwegler

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

a. rt There's No Anesthetic For Love(Marshall Walker) - 3:10
Davis & Schwegler 78DS 108 — There's No Anesthetic For Love   (1939)
Universal CD/DVD Box 0600753597767 (EU) — Nat King Cole: His Musical Autobiography   (2015)
b. rt Dixie Jamboree(Lyle Griffin, Charles Callender) - 3:00
Davis & Schwegler 78DS 109 — Dixie Jamboree   (1939)
c. rt Ta-De-Ah(Betty Johnson, Charlie Bourne) - 2:35
Davis & Schwegler 78DS 110 — Ta-De-Ah   (1939)
d. rt Riffin' At The Bar-B-Q(Nat Cole) - 2:00
Davis & Schwegler 78DS 111 — Riffin' At The Bar-B-Q   (1939)
Universal CD/DVD Box 0600753597767 (EU) — Nat King Cole: His Musical Autobiography   (2015)
All titles on:
Davis & Schwegler Transcription DiscDST-3 — DST-3   (1939)
Savoy Jazz CDZDS 1205 — Nat King Cole and The King Cole Trio   (1989)
Vintage Jazz Classics CD BoxVJC-1026,1027,1028,1029-2 — The Complete Early Transcriptions Of The King Cole Trio: 1938-1941   (1991)
Resonance LP/CD BoxHLP 9042/HCD 2042 — Hittin' The Ramp: The Early Years (1936-1943)   (2019)

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.


Date: January 1939
Location: Hollywood
Label: Davis & Schwegler

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

a. rt Harlem Swing(Bonnie Lake) - 2:29
Davis & Schwegler 78DS 112 — Harlem Swing   (1939)
Universal CD/DVD Box 0600753597767 (EU) — Nat King Cole: His Musical Autobiography   (2015)
b. rt I Lost Control Of Myself(Irwin 'Hap' Kaufman, Nat Cole) - 3:18
Davis & Schwegler 78DS 113 — I Lost Control Of Myself   (1939)
c. rt The Land Of Make Believe(Betty Johnson, Charlie Bourne) - 2:48
Davis & Schwegler 78DS 114 — The Land Of Make Believe   (1939)
d. rt That Please-Be-Mine-able Feeling(Reginald Sloan) - 2:16
Davis & Schwegler 78DS 115 — That Please-Be-Mine-able Feeling   (1939)
All titles on:
Davis & Schwegler Transcription DiscDST-3 — DST-3   (1939)
Davis & Schwegler Transcription DiscDST-4 — DST-4   (1939)
Vintage Jazz Classics CD BoxVJC-1026,1027,1028,1029-2 — The Complete Early Transcriptions Of The King Cole Trio: 1938-1941   (1991)
Resonance LP/CD BoxHLP 9042/HCD 2042 — Hittin' The Ramp: The Early Years (1936-1943)   (2019)

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.


Date: January 1939
Location: Hollywood
Label: Davis & Schwegler

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

a. rt Dancing In The Street(Arthur Norris) - 3:06
Davis & Schwegler 78DS 116 — Dancing In The Street   (1939)
Universal CD/DVD Box 0600753597767 (EU) — Nat King Cole: His Musical Autobiography   (2015)
b. rt You're So Diff'rent(Nat Leslie) - 3:01
Davis & Schwegler 78DS 117 — You're So Diff'rent   (1939)
c. rt I Wouldn't Have Known It(Marie Bryant, Nat Cole) - 2:31
Davis & Schwegler 78DS 118 — I Wouldn't Have Known It   (1939)
d. rt Let's Get Happy Tonight(Dan Arons) - 2:18
Davis & Schwegler 78DS 119 — Let's Get Happy Tonight   (1939)
All titles on:
Davis & Schwegler Transcription DiscDST-5 — DST-5   (1939)
Vintage Jazz Classics CD BoxVJC-1026,1027,1028,1029-2 — The Complete Early Transcriptions Of The King Cole Trio: 1938-1941   (1991)
Resonance LP/CD BoxHLP 9042/HCD 2042 — Hittin' The Ramp: The Early Years (1936-1943)   (2019)

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.


Date: February 1939
Location: RCA Victor Studios, 1016 N. Sycamore Avenue, Hollywood
Label: Standard

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

a. PMS 036010-1rt Undecided(Charlie Shavers, Sydney Robin) - 2:26
b. PMS 036010-1rt 'Tain't What You Do(Sy Oliver, James Oliver 'Trummy' Young) - 2:53
c. PMS 036010-1rt Do You Wanna Jump, Children?(Jimmy Van Heusen, Willie Bryant, Victor Selsman) - 2:47
d. PMS 036010-1rt Riffin' In F Minor(Nat Cole) - 2:07
e. PMS 036011-1rt Ol' Man Mose Ain't Dead(Sammy Cahn, Saul Chaplin) - 3:30
f. PMS 036011-1rt Blue Lou(Edgar Sampson, Irving Mills) - 3:01
g. PMS 036011-1rt Honey(Seymour Simons, Haven Gillespie, Richard Whiting) - 2:06
h. PMS 036011-1rt Russian Lullaby(Irving Berlin) - 2:07
All titles on:
Standard Transcription DiscX-82 — X-82   (1939)
Vintage Jazz Classics CD BoxVJC-1026,1027,1028,1029-2 — The Complete Early Transcriptions Of The King Cole Trio: 1938-1941   (1991)
Resonance LP/CD BoxHLP 9042/HCD 2042 — Hittin' The Ramp: The Early Years (1936-1943)   (2019)

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"


Date: April 1939
Location: RCA Victor Studios, 1016 N. Sycamore Avenue, Hollywood
Label: Standard

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

a. PMS 036126-1rt Georgie Porgie(Louis Herscher, Harold Raymond, Nat Simon) - 2:19
b. PMS 036126-1rt The Limp(unknown) - 2:49
c. PMS 036126-1rt Snug As A Bug In A Rug(Frank Loesser, Matty Malneck) - 2:29
d. PMS 036126-1rt Liebestraum(Franz Liszt) - 3:17
e. PMS 036127-1rt Fidgety Joe(Frank Loesser, Matty Malneck) - 2:52
f. PMS 036127-1rt Two Against One(L. Wolfe Gilbert, Benny Meroff, Lew Pollack) - 2:57
g. PMS 036127-1rt Some Like It Hot(Remo Biondi, Frank Loesser, Gene Krupa) - 3:04
h. PMS 036127-1rt I Like To Riff(Nat Cole) - 2:27
All titles on:
Standard Transcription DiscX-85 — X-85   (1939)
Vintage Jazz Classics CD BoxVJC-1026,1027,1028,1029-2 — The Complete Early Transcriptions Of The King Cole Trio: 1938-1941   (1991)
Resonance LP/CD BoxHLP 9042/HCD 2042 — Hittin' The Ramp: The Early Years (1936-1943)   (2019)

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.


Date: April 1939
Location: RCA Victor Studios, 1016 N. Sycamore Avenue, Hollywood
Label: Standard

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)

a. PMS 036218-1rt Crazy Rhythm(Joseph Meyer, Roger Wolfe Kahn, Irving Caesar) - 2:00
Standard Transcription DiscY-140 — Y-140   (1939)
b. PMS 036218-1rt Moonglow(Will Hudson, Edgar DeLange, Irving Mills) - 2:55
Standard Transcription DiscY-140 — Y-140   (1939)
c. PMS 036218-1rt Don't Let That Moon Get Away(James Monaco, Johnny Burke) - 2:45
Standard Transcription DiscY-140 — Y-140   (1939)
d. PMS 036218-1rt My Blue Heaven(Walter Donaldson, George Whiting) - 1:35
Standard Transcription DiscY-140 — Y-140   (1939)
e. PMS 036219-1rt I Was Doing All Right(George Gershwin, Ira Gershwin) - 2:15
Standard Transcription DiscY-142 — Y-142   (1939)
f. PMS 036219-1rt I Can't Get Started(Vernon Duke, Ira Gershwin) - 2:40
Standard Transcription DiscY-142 — Y-142   (1939)
g. PMS 036219-1rt Old Man Moon(Hoagy Carmichael) - 2:15
Standard Transcription DiscY-142 — Y-142   (1939)
h. PMS 036219-1rt Carry Me Back To Old Virginny(James Bland) - 2:10
Standard Transcription DiscY-142 — Y-142   (1939)
All titles on:
Vintage Jazz Classics CD BoxVJC-1026,1027,1028,1029-2 — The Complete Early Transcriptions Of The King Cole Trio: 1938-1941   (1991)
Resonance LP/CD BoxHLP 9042/HCD 2042 — Hittin' The Ramp: The Early Years (1936-1943)   (2019)

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.


Date: May 1939
Location: RCA Victor Studios, 1016 N. Sycamore Avenue, Hollywood
Label: Standard

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

a. PMS 036258-1rt Moon Song(Arthur Johnston, Sam Coslow) - 3:02
Standard Transcription DiscX-90 — X-90   (1939)
b. PMS 036258-1rt Baby, Won't You Please Come Home(Charles Warfield, Clarence Williams) - 2:12
Standard Transcription DiscX-90 — X-90   (1939)
c. PMS 036258-1rt Sweet Lorraine(Mitchell Parish, Cliff Burwell) - 3:16
Standard Transcription DiscX-90 — X-90   (1939)
d. PMS 036258-1rt Rosetta(Earl Hines, Henri Woode) - 2:05
Standard Transcription DiscX-90 — X-90   (1939)
Mercury 788900-12 — I Found A New Baby / Rosetta   (1948)
e. PMS 036259-1rt Trompin'(Milt Roberts, Garet Romero) - 2:34
Standard Transcription DiscX-89 — X-89   (1939)
f. PMS 036259-1rt You're My Life(unknown) - 2:47
Standard Transcription DiscX-89 — X-89   (1939)
g. PMS 036259-1rt Hoy Soy(unknown) - 2:27
Standard Transcription DiscX-89 — X-89   (1939)
h. PMS 036259-1rt Black Spider Stomp(Nat Cole, Oscar Moore) - 2:51
Standard Transcription DiscX-89 — X-89   (1939)
Savoy Jazz CDZDS 1205 — Nat King Cole and The King Cole Trio   (1989)
All titles on:
Vintage Jazz Classics CD BoxVJC-1026,1027,1028,1029-2 — The Complete Early Transcriptions Of The King Cole Trio: 1938-1941   (1991)
Resonance LP/CD BoxHLP 9042/HCD 2042 — Hittin' The Ramp: The Early Years (1936-1943)   (2019)

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.


Date: June 1939
Location: RCA Victor Studios, 1016 N. Sycamore Avenue, Hollywood
Label: Standard

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

a. PMS 034643-1rt Take 'Em(unknown) - 2:19
b. PMS 034643-1rt Scategoria(unknown) - 2:25
c. PMS 034643-1rt Rhythm Serenade(unknown) - 2:29
d. PMS 034643-1rt Rib Town Shuffle(unknown) - 2:42
All titles on:
Standard Transcription DiscY-146 — Y-146   (1939)
Vintage Jazz Classics CD BoxVJC-1026,1027,1028,1029-2 — The Complete Early Transcriptions Of The King Cole Trio: 1938-1941   (1991)
Resonance LP/CD BoxHLP 9042/HCD 2042 — Hittin' The Ramp: The Early Years (1936-1943)   (2019)

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


Date: August 1939
Location: RCA Victor Studios, 1016 N. Sycamore Avenue, Hollywood
Label: Standard

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

a. PMS 042205-1rt Music 'll Chase Your Blues Away(unknown) - 1:57
Standard Transcription DiscP-101 — P-101   (1939)
b. PMS 042205-1rt I'll Gather Up My Memories(unknown) - 3:26
Standard Transcription DiscP-101 — P-101   (1939)
c. PMS 042205-1rt A Fool's Affair(unknown) - 3:27
Standard Transcription DiscP-101 — P-101   (1939)
d. PMS 042205-1rt Jump, Jack, Jump(Charles 'Lucky' Roberts) - 2:43
Standard Transcription DiscP-101 — P-101   (1939)
e. PMS 042228-1rt I Knew A Time(unknown) - 3:02
Standard Transcription DiscY-103 — Y-103   (1939)
f. PMS 042228-1rt Mine You'll Always Be(unknown) - 3:13
Standard Transcription DiscY-103 — Y-103   (1939)
g. PMS 042228-1rt Doin' The Bow Wow(unknown) - 2:39
Standard Transcription DiscY-103 — Y-103   (1939)
h. PMS 042228-1rt Lilla Mae(unknown) - 2:14
Standard Transcription DiscY-103 — Y-103   (1939)
All titles on:
Vintage Jazz Classics CD BoxVJC-1026,1027,1028,1029-2 — The Complete Early Transcriptions Of The King Cole Trio: 1938-1941   (1991)
Resonance LP/CD BoxHLP 9042/HCD 2042 — Hittin' The Ramp: The Early Years (1936-1943)   (2019)

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.


Date: September 28, 1939
Location: Cinematone Studios, Los Angeles
Label: Cinematone

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

a. I Know That You Know(Vincent Youmans, Anne Caldwell)
b. Liza(George Gershwin, Ira Gershwin, Gus Kahn)
c. Stompin' At The Savoy(Edgar Sampson, Chick Webb, Benny Goodman)
d. I Want The Waiter With The Water(Kay Werner, Sue Werner)
e. I Like To Riff(Nat Cole)
f. Jumpin' Jive(Fred Froeba, Jack Palmer, Cab Calloway)
All titles unissued.

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.


Date: Summer or Fall 1939
Location: Cinematone Studios, Los Angeles
Label: Cinematone

Nat Cole (p)

a. Trompin'(Milt Roberts, Garet Romero) - 1:48
Resonance LP/CD BoxHLP 9042/HCD 2042 — Hittin' The Ramp: The Early Years (1936-1943)   (2019)

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.


Date: February 1940
Location: Decca Studios, 5505 Melrose Avenue, Hollywood
Label: Ammor

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

a. AM521 I Like To Riff(Nat Cole) - 2:40
Ammor 78108 — I Like To Riff / On The Sunny Side Of The Street   (1940)
Varsity 788340 — I Like To Riff / On The Sunny Side Of The Street   (1940)
Savoy 78600 — On The Sunny Side Of The Street / I Like To Riff   (1946)
Universal CD/DVD Box 0600753597767 (EU) — Nat King Cole: His Musical Autobiography   (2015)
b. AM522-2 On The Sunny Side Of The Street(Jimmy McHugh, Dorothy Fields) - 2:37
Ammor 78108 — I Like To Riff / On The Sunny Side Of The Street   (1940)
Varsity 788340 — I Like To Riff / On The Sunny Side Of The Street   (1940)
Savoy 78600 — On The Sunny Side Of The Street / I Like To Riff   (1946)
c. AM523-2 Black Spider Stomp(Nat Cole, Oscar Moore) - 2:36
Ammor 78109 — Black Spider / By The River Ste. Marie   (1940)
d. AM524-2 By The River Ste. Marie(Harry Warren, Edgar Leslie) - 2:22
Ammor 78109 — Black Spider / By The River Ste. Marie   (1940)
Universal CD/DVD Box 0600753597767 (EU) — Nat King Cole: His Musical Autobiography   (2015)
All titles on:
Savoy Jazz CDZDS 1205 — Nat King Cole and The King Cole Trio   (1989)
Resonance LP/CD BoxHLP 9042/HCD 2042 — Hittin' The Ramp: The Early Years (1936-1943)   (2019)

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.


Date: May 1940
Location: RCA Victor Studios, 1016 N. Sycamore Avenue, Hollywood
Label: Standard

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

a. PMS 049670-1rt Slew Foot Joe(unknown) - 2:09
b. PMS 049670-1rt 1-2-3-4(Milt Gabler, Gordon Jenkins, George Abbott) - 2:04
c. PMS 049670-1rt Crazy 'Bout Rhythm(unknown) - 1:59
d. PMS 049670-1rt Off The Beam(unknown) - 2:10
e. PMS 049670-1rt King Cole Blues(unknown) - 2:01
f. PMS 049670-1rt Jivin' With The Notes(unknown) - 1:56
All titles on:
Standard Transcription DiscP-110 — P-110   (1940)
Trip LPJT-VII — The King Cole Trio   (1972)
Vintage Jazz Classics CD BoxVJC-1026,1027,1028,1029-2 — The Complete Early Transcriptions Of The King Cole Trio: 1938-1941   (1991)
Resonance LP/CD BoxHLP 9042/HCD 2042 — Hittin' The Ramp: The Early Years (1936-1943)   (2019)

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


Date: July 22, 1940
Location: Hollywood
Label: Davis & Schwegler

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

a. DST 283rt I'm A Perfect Fool Over You(Sebastian Apollo) - 2:33
Keystone Transcription DiscKBS 173 — KBS 173   (1940)
b. DST 283rt Never Mind, Baby(Hal Hampton) - 1:40
Keystone Transcription DiscKBS 173 — KBS 173   (1940)
c. DST 283rt Lovely Little Person(Al Heath, Buddy Leroux) - 2:19
Keystone Transcription DiscKBS 173 — KBS 173   (1940)
d. DST 283rt Goin' To Town With Honey(E.E. Watters) - 2:18
Keystone Transcription DiscKBS 173 — KBS 173   (1940)
e. DST 283rt Syncopated Lullaby(Felix De Cola) - 1:48
Keystone Transcription DiscKBS 173 — KBS 173   (1940)
f. DST 283rt Fallin' In And Out Of Love(unknown) - 1:47
Keystone Transcription DiscKBS 173 — KBS 173   (1940)
g. DST 284rt Let's Do Things(Virginia Ferragamo) - 1:57
Keystone Transcription DiscKBS 85 — KBS 85   (1940)
Swing House (UK) LPSWH-12 — Pieces Of Cole   (1979)
Prism Leisure Corporation (DE) CDDBCD 15 — It's Almost Like Being In Love   (1989)
h. DST 284rt Love Me Sooner(unknown) - 2:30
Keystone Transcription DiscKBS 85 — KBS 85   (1940)
Swing House (UK) LPSWH-12 — Pieces Of Cole   (1979)
Prism Leisure Corporation (DE) CDDBCD 15 — It's Almost Like Being In Love   (1989)
i. DST 284rt Jumpy Jitters(Gale Hunt, Jack Green) - 1:48
Keystone Transcription DiscKBS 85 — KBS 85   (1940)
Swing House (UK) LPSWH-12 — Pieces Of Cole   (1979)
Prism Leisure Corporation (DE) CDDBCD 15 — It's Almost Like Being In Love   (1989)
j. DST 284rt Nothing Ever Happens(Laurence Morgan) - 2:32
Keystone Transcription DiscKBS 85 — KBS 85   (1940)
Swing House (UK) LPSWH-12 — Pieces Of Cole   (1979)
Prism Leisure Corporation (DE) CDDBCD 15 — It's Almost Like Being In Love   (1989)
k. DST 284rt Sentimental Blue(John Chamberlain Lawrence) - 2:41
Keystone Transcription DiscKBS 85 — KBS 85   (1940)
Swing House (UK) LPSWH-12 — Pieces Of Cole   (1979)
Prism Leisure Corporation (DE) CDDBCD 15 — It's Almost Like Being In Love   (1989)
l. DST 284rt What'cha Doin' To My Heart(Tim M. George) - 1:33
Keystone Transcription DiscKBS 85 — KBS 85   (1940)
Swing House (UK) LPSWH-12 — Pieces Of Cole   (1979)
Prism Leisure Corporation (DE) CDDBCD 15 — It's Almost Like Being In Love   (1989)
All titles on:
Savoy Jazz CDZDS 1205 — Nat King Cole and The King Cole Trio   (1989)
Resonance LP/CD BoxHLP 9042/HCD 2042 — Hittin' The Ramp: The Early Years (1936-1943)   (2019)

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.


Date: Mid-November 1940
Location: RCA Victor Studios, 1016 N. Sycamore Avenue, Hollywood
Label: Standard

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

a. PMS 055164-1rt Early Morning Blues(Nat Cole) - 2:50
Trip LPJT-VII — The King Cole Trio   (1972)
b. PMS 055164-1rt Bedtime (Sleepy Moan)(Nat Cole) - 2:40
Trip LPJT-VII — The King Cole Trio   (1972)
c. PMS 055164-1rt Honey Hush(Nat Cole) - 2:15
Trip LPJT-VII — The King Cole Trio   (1972)
d. PMS 055164-1rt French Toast(unknown) - 2:10
Trip LPJT-VII — The King Cole Trio   (1972)
e. PMS 055164-1rt Vine Street Jump(unknown) - 2:35
Trip LPJT-VII — The King Cole Trio   (1972)
f. PMS 055165-1rt B Flat Blues(unknown) - 2:30
Trip LPJT-VII — The King Cole Trio   (1972)
g. PMS 055165-1rt You Send Me(unknown) - 2:05
Trip LPJT-VII — The King Cole Trio   (1972)
h. PMS 055165-1rt Love Is My Alibi(unknown) - 3:10
Trip LPJT-VII — The King Cole Trio   (1972)
i. PMS 055165-1rt Gone With The Draft(Earl Dramin, Wesley Prince, Nat Cole) - 2:10
j. PMS 055165-1rt Pogo Stick Bounce(unknown) - 2:15
Trip LPJT-VII — The King Cole Trio   (1972)
All titles on:
Standard Transcription DiscP-126 — P-126   (1940)
Vintage Jazz Classics CD BoxVJC-1026,1027,1028,1029-2 — The Complete Early Transcriptions Of The King Cole Trio: 1938-1941   (1991)
Resonance LP/CD BoxHLP 9042/HCD 2042 — Hittin' The Ramp: The Early Years (1936-1943)   (2019)

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.


Date: February 1941
Location: RCA Victor Studios, 1016 N. Sycamore Avenue, Hollywood
Label: Standard

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

a. PMS 055457-1rt Jumpin' With The Mop(unknown) - 2:20
Resonance LP/CD BoxHLP 9042/HCD 2042 — Hittin' The Ramp: The Early Years (1936-1943)   (2019)
b. PMS 055457-1rt Jam Man(unknown) - 2:00
Resonance LP/CD BoxHLP 9042/HCD 2042 — Hittin' The Ramp: The Early Years (1936-1943)   (2019)
c. PMS 055457-1rt Let's Try Again(Biff Hammond, Billy Moore, Jr.) - 3:00
Resonance LP/CD BoxHLP 9042/HCD 2042 — Hittin' The Ramp: The Early Years (1936-1943)   (2019)
d. PMS 055457-1rt Scotchin' With The Soda(W. Jack Riley) - 2:25
Resonance LP/CD BoxHLP 9042/HCD 2042 — Hittin' The Ramp: The Early Years (1936-1943)   (2019)
e. PMS 055457-1rt Fudge Wudge(unknown) - 3:45
Resonance LP/CD BoxHLP 9042/HCD 2042 — Hittin' The Ramp: The Early Years (1936-1943)   (2019)
f. PMS 055458-1rt Smokey Joe(unknown) - 2:00
Resonance LP/CD BoxHLP 9042/HCD 2042 — Hittin' The Ramp: The Early Years (1936-1943)   (2019)
g. PMS 055458-1rt Windy City Boogie Woogie(unknown) - 2:20
Resonance LP/CD BoxHLP 9042/HCD 2042 — Hittin' The Ramp: The Early Years (1936-1943)   (2019)
h. PMS 055458-1rt Gone With The Draft(Earl Dramin, Wesley Prince, Nat Cole) - 2:25
Resonance LP/CD BoxHLP 9042/HCD 2042 — Hittin' The Ramp: The Early Years (1936-1943)   (2019)
i. PMS 055458-1rt This Side Up(Nat Cole) - 2:40
j. PMS 055458-1rt Ode To A Wild Clam(unknown) - 2:25
Resonance LP/CD BoxHLP 9042/HCD 2042 — Hittin' The Ramp: The Early Years (1936-1943)   (2019)
All titles on:
Standard Transcription DiscP-144 — P-144   (1941)
Vintage Jazz Classics CD BoxVJC-1026,1027,1028,1029-2 — The Complete Early Transcriptions Of The King Cole Trio: 1938-1941   (1991)

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.


Date: February 25, 1941
Location: C.P. MacGregor Studios, 729 S. Western Avenue, Hollywood
Label: MacGregor

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

a. AMM o253rt Let's Try Again(Biff Hammond, Billy Moore, Jr.) - 3:03
MacGregor Transcription DiscLB. 2293 — LB. 2293   (1941)
Music & Arts CD BoxCD-911 — The King Cole Trio: The Macgregor Years, 1941-1945   (1995)
Resonance LP/CD BoxHLP 9042/HCD 2042 — Hittin' The Ramp: The Early Years (1936-1943)   (2019)
b. AMM o253rt Whatcha Know Joe(James Oliver 'Trummy' Young) - 2:07
MacGregor Transcription DiscLB. 2293 — LB. 2293   (1941)
Music & Arts CD BoxCD-911 — The King Cole Trio: The Macgregor Years, 1941-1945   (1995)
Resonance LP/CD BoxHLP 9042/HCD 2042 — Hittin' The Ramp: The Early Years (1936-1943)   (2019)
c. AMM o253rt Lazy River(Hoagy Carmichael, Sidney Arodin) - 1:40
MacGregor Transcription DiscLB. 2293 — LB. 2293   (1941)
Music & Arts CD BoxCD-911 — The King Cole Trio: The Macgregor Years, 1941-1945   (1995)
Resonance LP/CD BoxHLP 9042/HCD 2042 — Hittin' The Ramp: The Early Years (1936-1943)   (2019)
d. AMM o253rt Georgia On My Mind(Hoagy Carmichael, Stuart Gorrell) - 2:38
MacGregor Transcription DiscLB. 2293 — LB. 2293   (1941)
Music & Arts CD BoxCD-911 — The King Cole Trio: The Macgregor Years, 1941-1945   (1995)
Resonance LP/CD BoxHLP 9042/HCD 2042 — Hittin' The Ramp: The Early Years (1936-1943)   (2019)
e. AMM o253rt Rockin' Chair(Hoagy Carmichael) - 3:08
MacGregor Transcription DiscLB. 2293 — LB. 2293   (1941)
Music & Arts CD BoxCD-911 — The King Cole Trio: The Macgregor Years, 1941-1945   (1995)
Resonance LP/CD BoxHLP 9042/HCD 2042 — Hittin' The Ramp: The Early Years (1936-1943)   (2019)
f. AMM o254rt A Little Jive Is Good For You(Ralph Yaw, Ralph Waters) - 3:35
MacGregor Transcription DiscLB. 2294 — LB. 2294   (1941)
Music & Arts CD BoxCD-911 — The King Cole Trio: The Macgregor Years, 1941-1945   (1995)
Resonance LP/CD BoxHLP 9042/HCD 2042 — Hittin' The Ramp: The Early Years (1936-1943)   (2019)
g. AMM o254rt My Prodigal(Marjorie Lloyd, Alvino Rey) - 3:19
MacGregor Transcription DiscLB. 2294 — LB. 2294   (1941)
h. AMM o254rt Where Is Our Love(Carl Fischer, Bill Carey, Larry Cotton) - 2:26
MacGregor Transcription DiscLB. 2294 — LB. 2294   (1941)
i. AMM o254rt You've Changed(Carl Fischer, Bill Carey) - 2:57
MacGregor Transcription DiscLB. 2294 — LB. 2294   (1941)
Music & Arts CD BoxCD-911 — The King Cole Trio: The Macgregor Years, 1941-1945   (1995)
Resonance LP/CD BoxHLP 9042/HCD 2042 — Hittin' The Ramp: The Early Years (1936-1943)   (2019)
j. AMM o254rt You Started All Over Again(unknown) - 2:00
MacGregor Transcription DiscLB. 2294 — LB. 2294   (1941)

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".


Date: April or May 1941
Location: Washington DC.

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

a. #1 The Romany Room Is Jumpin'(Nat Cole) - 2:30
b. #2 The Romany Room Is Jumpin'(Nat Cole) - 2:30
Both titles on:
Resonance LP/CD BoxHLP 9042/HCD 2042 — Hittin' The Ramp: The Early Years (1936-1943)   (2019)

Date: November or December 1943
Location: C.P. MacGregor Studios, 729 S. Western Avenue, Hollywood
Label: MacGregor

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

a. MMo 550rt This Will Make You Laugh(Irene Higginbotham) - 3:34
b. MMo 550rt Do Nothin' Till You Hear From Me(Duke Ellington, Bob Russell) - 2:26
c. MMo 550rt The Old Music Master(Hoagy Carmichael, Johnny Mercer) - 2:26
Sounds Rare LPSR 5003 — The "Cool" Cole   (1981)
d. MMo 550rt After You've Gone(Henry Creamer, Turner Layton) - 3:00
All titles on:
Mark56 Records LP739 — Early 1940s   (1976)
LaserLight CD Box15 915 — Nat King Cole – The Trio Recordings   (1991)
Music & Arts CD BoxCD-911 — The King Cole Trio: The Macgregor Years, 1941-1945   (1995)

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.


Date: December 1943
Location: C.P. MacGregor Studios, 729 S. Western Avenue, Hollywood
Label: MacGregor

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

a. MMo 551rt Is You Is Or Is You Ain't My Baby(Billy Austin, Louis Jordan) - 2:34
Sounds Rare LPSR 5003 — The "Cool" Cole   (1981)
b. MMo 551rt I Can't Give You Anything But Love(Jimmy McHugh, Dorothy Fields) - 2:31
c. MMo 551rt Shoo Shoo Baby(Phil Moore) - 2:58
d. MMo 551rt Solid Potato Salad(Don Raye, Gene DePaul, Hughie Prince) - 2:00
e. MMo 551rt Miss Thing(Skippy Martin, Count Basie) - 2:07
Sounds Rare LPSR 5003 — The "Cool" Cole   (1981)
All titles on:
MacGregor Transcription DiscLB. 13 — LB. 13   (1943)
Mark56 Records LP739 — Early 1940s   (1976)
LaserLight CD Box15 915 — Nat King Cole – The Trio Recordings   (1991)
Music & Arts CD BoxCD-911 — The King Cole Trio: The Macgregor Years, 1941-1945   (1995)

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


Date: December 1943
Location: C.P. MacGregor Studios, 729 S. Western Avenue, Hollywood
Label: MacGregor

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

a. MMo 552rt No Love, No Nothin'(Harry Warren, Leo Robin) - 2:10
b. MMo 552rt Knock Me A Kiss(Andy Razaf, Mike Jackson) - 2:52
c. MMo 552rt I Can't See For Lookin'(Nat Cole [as Nadine Robinson], Dok Stanford) - 2:57
d. MMo 552rt People Will Say We're In Love(Richard Rodgers, Oscar Hammerstein II) - 2:30
e. MMo 552rt Shoo Shoo Baby(Phil Moore) - 2:19
All titles on:
MacGregor Transcription DiscLB. 4 — LB. 4   (1943)
Music & Arts CD BoxCD-911 — The King Cole Trio: The Macgregor Years, 1941-1945   (1995)

Dates

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

MacGregor Repressings

LB. 1352


Date: December 1943
Location: C.P. MacGregor Studios, 729 S. Western Avenue, Hollywood
Label: MacGregor

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

a. MMo 553rt Mexico Joe(Leon René, Johnny Lange) - 2:35
b. MMo 553rt Lester Leaps In(Lester Young) - 2:31
c. MMo 553rt Just Another Blues(Larry Markes, Dick Charles, Jimmy Paul) - 3:27
d. MMo 553rt Wild Goose Chase(Gene Gifford) - 2:25
All titles on:
Mark56 Records LP739 — Early 1940s   (1976)
LaserLight CD Box15 915 — Nat King Cole – The Trio Recordings   (1991)
Music & Arts CD BoxCD-911 — The King Cole Trio: The Macgregor Years, 1941-1945   (1995)

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.


Date: January 1944
Location: C.P. MacGregor Studios, 729 S. Western Avenue, Hollywood
Label: MacGregor

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

a. MMo 562rt Little Joe From Chicago(Mary Lou Williams, Henry Wells) - 2:20
Sounds Rare LPSR 5003 — The "Cool" Cole   (1981)
Giants Of Jazz LPGOJ 1031 — Any Old Time   (1985)
LaserLight CD Box15 915 — Nat King Cole – The Trio Recordings   (1991)
b. MMo 562rt Rhythm Sam(Bobby Troup) - 2:16
LaserLight CD Box15 915 — Nat King Cole – The Trio Recordings   (1991)
c. MMo 562rt Have Fun(unknown) - 2:36
d. MMo 562rt On The Sunny Side Of The Street(Jimmy McHugh, Dorothy Fields) - 2:31
LaserLight CD Box15 915 — Nat King Cole – The Trio Recordings   (1991)
e. MMo 562rt Indiana(James F. Hanley, Ballard MacDonald) - 1:55
Giants Of Jazz LPGOJ 1031 — Any Old Time   (1985)
LaserLight CD Box15 915 — Nat King Cole – The Trio Recordings   (1991)
All titles on:
Mark56 Records LP739 — Early 1940s   (1976)
Music & Arts CD BoxCD-911 — The King Cole Trio: The Macgregor Years, 1941-1945   (1995)

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


Date: January 1944
Location: C.P. MacGregor Studios, 729 S. Western Avenue, Hollywood
Label: MacGregor

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

a. MMo 563rt I Realize Now(Sidney Miller, Stanley Cowan) - 3:14
b. MMo 563rt Too Marvelous For Words(Richard Whiting, Johnny Mercer) - 2:20
Giants Of Jazz LPGOJ 1031 — Any Old Time   (1985)
c. MMo 563rt I May Be Wrong (But I Think You're Wonderful)(Harry Ruskin, Henry Sullivan) - 2:53
d. MMo 563rt You Must Be Blind(Nat Cole) - 3:02
All titles on:
MacGregor Transcription DiscLB. 32 — LB. 32   (1944)
Mark56 Records LP739 — Early 1940s   (1976)
LaserLight CD Box15 915 — Nat King Cole – The Trio Recordings   (1991)
Music & Arts CD BoxCD-911 — The King Cole Trio: The Macgregor Years, 1941-1945   (1995)

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

Dates

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

MacGregor Repressings

LB. 603


Date: January 1944
Location: C.P. MacGregor Studios, 729 S. Western Avenue, Hollywood
Label: MacGregor

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

a. MMo 564rt Close To You(Al Hoffman, Carl Lampl, Jerry Livingston) - 3:43
b. MMo 564rt On The Sunny Side Of The Street(Jimmy McHugh, Dorothy Fields) - 2:18
Giants Of Jazz LPGOJ 1031 — Any Old Time   (1985)
c. MMo 564rt Stormy Weather(Harold Arlen, Ted Koehler) - 2:05
d. MMo 564rt Who's Been Eatin' My Porridge?(Bobby Worth, Stanley Cowan) - 2:26
e. MMo 564rt Honeysuckle Rose(Thomas 'Fats' Waller, Andy Razaf) - 1:29
All titles on:
MacGregor Transcription DiscLB. 28 — LB. 28   (1944)
Music & Arts CD BoxCD-911 — The King Cole Trio: The Macgregor Years, 1941-1945   (1995)

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


Date: January 1944
Location: C.P. MacGregor Studios, 729 S. Western Avenue, Hollywood
Label: MacGregor

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

a. MMo 565rt My Heart Tells Me(Harry Warren, Mack Gordon) - 2:43
b. MMo 565rt Harlem Sandman(Jule Styne, Harold Adamson) - 2:40
c. MMo 565rt Speak Low(Kurt Weill, Ogden Nash) - 2:40
d. MMo 565rt Them There Eyes(Maceo Pinkard, Doris Tauber, William Tracey) - 1:39
e. MMo 565rt Hit That Jive, Jack!(Cambell 'Skeets' Tolbert, John Alston) - 1:46
All titles on:
MacGregor Transcription DiscLB. 14 — LB. 14   (1944)
Music & Arts CD BoxCD-911 — The King Cole Trio: The Macgregor Years, 1941-1945   (1995)

Dates

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

MacGregor Repressings

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


Date: February 1944
Location: C.P. MacGregor Studios, 729 S. Western Avenue, Hollywood
Label: MacGregor

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

a. MMo 572rt Ain't Misbehavin'(Thomas 'Fats' Waller, Harry Brooks, Andy Razaf) - 2:23
b. MMo 572rt Penthouse Serenade(Will Jason, Val Burton) - 3:05
c. MMo 572rt Lonesome Road(Nathaniel Shilkret, Gene Austin) - 1:43
d. MMo 572rt I Can't Give You Anything But Love(Jimmy McHugh, Dorothy Fields) - 2:39
e. MMo 572rt Rosetta(Earl Hines, Henri Woode) - 2:11
All titles on:
MacGregor Transcription DiscLB. 45 — LB. 45   (1944)
LaserLight CD Box15 915 — Nat King Cole – The Trio Recordings   (1991)
Music & Arts CD BoxCD-911 — The King Cole Trio: The Macgregor Years, 1941-1945   (1995)

Dates

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

MacGregor Repressings

LB. 1412


Date: May 1944 (ca)
Location: C.P. MacGregor Studios, 729 S. Western Avenue, Hollywood
Label: MacGregor

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

a. MMo 581rt Besame Mucho(Consuelo Velazquez, Sunny Skylar) - 2:49
Giants Of Jazz LPGOJ 1031 — Any Old Time   (1985)
b. MMo 581rt Please Consider Me(Timmie Rogers) - 2:42
c. MMo 581rt That'll Just About Knock Me Out(Louis Jordan) - 2:37
Giants Of Jazz LPGOJ 1031 — Any Old Time   (1985)
d. MMo 581rt The Man I Love(George Gershwin, Ira Gershwin) - 2:27
Giants Of Jazz LPGOJ 1031 — Any Old Time   (1985)
All titles on:
MacGregor Transcription DiscLB. 27 — LB. 27   (1944)
LaserLight CD Box15 915 — Nat King Cole – The Trio Recordings   (1991)
Music & Arts CD BoxCD-911 — The King Cole Trio: The Macgregor Years, 1941-1945   (1995)

Nat Cole (v) on a-c.

Dates

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


Date: July 1944
Location: C.P. MacGregor Studios, 729 S. Western Avenue, Hollywood
Label: MacGregor

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

a. MMo 594rt I'll Remember April(Don Raye, Gene DePaul, Patricia Johnston) - 3:01
b. MMo 594rt I Never Knew (I Could Love Anybody Like I'm Loving You)(Tom Pitts, Roy K. Marsh, Raymond Egan, Paul Whiteman) - 1:23
c. MMo 594rt Don't Worry 'Bout Me(Ted Koehler, Rube Bloom) - 2:25
d. MMo 594rt I'll Be Around(Alec Wilder) - 2:32
e. MMo 594rt If I Had You(Ted Shapiro, Reg Connelly, Jimmy Campbell) - 2:43
All titles on:
MacGregor Transcription DiscLB. 53 — LB. 53   (1944)
Music & Arts CD BoxCD-911 — The King Cole Trio: The Macgregor Years, 1941-1945   (1995)

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.


Date: July 1944
Location: C.P. MacGregor Studios, 729 S. Western Avenue, Hollywood
Label: MacGregor

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

a. MMo 595rt Blues In The Night(Harold Arlen, Johnny Mercer) - 3:45
b. MMo 595rt It Had To Be You(Gus Kahn, Isham Jones) - 1:40
c. MMo 595rt I Don't Stand A Ghost Of A Chance(Victor Young, Ned Washington, Bing Crosby) - 2:41
d. MMo 595rt Don't Take Your Love From Me(Henry Nemo) - 1:31
e. MMo 595rt Blue Skies(Irving Berlin) - 1:23
All titles on:
MacGregor Transcription DiscLB. 54 — LB. 54   (1944)
Music & Arts CD BoxCD-911 — The King Cole Trio: The Macgregor Years, 1941-1945   (1995)

Nat Cole (v) on a.

Dates

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

MacGregor Repressings

LB. 622


Date: Early August, 1944
Location: C.P. MacGregor Studios, 729 S. Western Avenue, Hollywood
Label: MacGregor

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

a. MMo 608rt D-Day(Lew Spence) - 2:36
MacGregor Transcription DiscLB. 67 — LB. 67   (1944)
b. MMo 608rt Don't Blame Me(Jimmy McHugh, Dorothy Fields) - 2:59
MacGregor Transcription DiscLB. 67 — LB. 67   (1944)
c. MMo 608rt Smooth Sailin'(James) - 2:38
MacGregor Transcription DiscLB. 67 — LB. 67   (1944)
Sounds Rare LPSR 5003 — The "Cool" Cole   (1981)
d. MMo 608rt You're So Diff'rent(Nat Leslie) - 2:31
MacGregor Transcription DiscLB. 67 — LB. 67   (1944)
e. MMo 608rt Sweet Georgia Brown(Maceo Pinkard, Kenneth Casey, Ben Bernie) - 1:39
MacGregor Transcription DiscLB. 67 — LB. 67   (1944)
Sounds Rare LPSR 5003 — The "Cool" Cole   (1981)
f. MMo 609rt Wouldn't You Like To Know(Nat Cole, Jay Milton) - 2:17
MacGregor Transcription DiscLB. 68 — LB. 68   (1944)
Giants Of Jazz LPGOJ 1031 — Any Old Time   (1985)
LaserLight CD Box15 915 — Nat King Cole – The Trio Recordings   (1991)
g. MMo 609rt Barcarolle(Jacques Offenbach) - 4:00
MacGregor Transcription DiscLB. 68 — LB. 68   (1944)
Giants Of Jazz LPGOJ 1031 — Any Old Time   (1985)
LaserLight CD Box15 915 — Nat King Cole – The Trio Recordings   (1991)
h. MMo 609rt I Tho't You Ought To Know(Tommy Dilbeck, Cecil Carter) - 2:35
MacGregor Transcription DiscLB. 68 — LB. 68   (1944)
LaserLight CD Box15 915 — Nat King Cole – The Trio Recordings   (1991)
i. MMo 609rt Bring Another Drink(Roy Branker, Bob Bell) - 1:57
MacGregor Transcription DiscLB. 68 — LB. 68   (1944)
LaserLight CD Box15 915 — Nat King Cole – The Trio Recordings   (1991)
All titles on:
Music & Arts CD BoxCD-911 — The King Cole Trio: The Macgregor Years, 1941-1945   (1995)

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).


Date: Early August, 1944
Location: C.P. MacGregor Studios, 729 S. Western Avenue, Hollywood
Label: MacGregor

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

a. MMo 612rt Poor Butterfly(Raymond Hubbell, John Golden) - 2:17
Sounds Rare LPSR 5003 — The "Cool" Cole   (1981)
b. MMo 612rt These Foolish Things(Jack Strachey, Harry Link, Eric Maschwitz) - 2:30
Sounds Rare LPSR 5003 — The "Cool" Cole   (1981)
c. MMo 612rt Rosetta(Earl Hines, Henri Woode) - 1:53
LaserLight CD Box15 915 — Nat King Cole – The Trio Recordings   (1991)
d. MMo 612rt The Man I Love(George Gershwin, Ira Gershwin) - 2:32
LaserLight CD Box15 915 — Nat King Cole – The Trio Recordings   (1991)
e. MMo 612rt Liza(George Gershwin, Ira Gershwin, Gus Kahn) - 2:52
LaserLight CD Box15 915 — Nat King Cole – The Trio Recordings   (1991)
f. MMo 612rt I'm In The Mood For Love(Jimmy McHugh, Dorothy Fields) - 2:51
Sounds Rare LPSR 5003 — The "Cool" Cole   (1981)
LaserLight CD Box15 915 — Nat King Cole – The Trio Recordings   (1991)
All titles on:
MacGregor Transcription DiscLB. 71 — LB. 71   (1944)
Music & Arts CD BoxCD-911 — The King Cole Trio: The Macgregor Years, 1941-1945   (1995)

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.


Date: Early August, 1944
Location: C.P. MacGregor Studios, 729 S. Western Avenue, Hollywood
Label: MacGregor

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

a. MMo 613rt Don't Blame Me(Jimmy McHugh, Dorothy Fields) - 3:13
Sounds Rare LPSR 5003 — The "Cool" Cole   (1981)
LaserLight CD Box15 915 — Nat King Cole – The Trio Recordings   (1991)
b. MMo 613rt Three Little Words(Bert Kalmar, Harry Ruby) - 2:15
Sounds Rare LPSR 5003 — The "Cool" Cole   (1981)
LaserLight CD Box15 915 — Nat King Cole – The Trio Recordings   (1991)
c. MMo 613rt Body And Soul(Johnny Green, Edward Heyman, Robert Sour, Frank Eyton) - 2:31
d. MMo 613rt How High The Moon(Nancy Hamilton, W. Morgan Lewis) - 2:25
Sounds Rare LPSR 5003 — The "Cool" Cole   (1981)
LaserLight CD Box15 915 — Nat King Cole – The Trio Recordings   (1991)
e. MMo 613rt I Got Rhythm(George Gershwin, Ira Gershwin) - 1:54
LaserLight CD Box15 915 — Nat King Cole – The Trio Recordings   (1991)
f. MMo 613rt Sweet Lorraine(Mitchell Parish, Cliff Burwell) - 2:38
LaserLight CD Box15 915 — Nat King Cole – The Trio Recordings   (1991)
All titles on:
MacGregor Transcription DiscLB. 72 — LB. 72   (1944)
Music & Arts CD BoxCD-911 — The King Cole Trio: The Macgregor Years, 1941-1945   (1995)

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.


Date: Early August, 1944
Location: C.P. MacGregor Studios, 729 S. Western Avenue, Hollywood
Label: MacGregor

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

a. MMo 614rt Someone's In The Kitchen With Dinah(Arny Freeman, Johnny Lange) - 2:25
b. MMo 614rt Basin Street Blues(Spencer Williams) - 3:02
c. MMo 614rt On The Sunny Side Of The Street(Jimmy McHugh, Dorothy Fields) - 1:48
d. MMo 614rt (I've Got Those) Mad About Him, Sad About Him, How Can I Be Glad Without Him Blues(Larry Markes, Dick Charles) - 1:52
e. MMo 614rt I've Heard That Song Before(Jule Styne, Sammy Cahn) - 2:15
All titles on:
MacGregor Transcription DiscLB. 73 — LB. 73   (1944)
Music & Arts CD BoxCD-911 — The King Cole Trio: The Macgregor Years, 1941-1945   (1995)

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.


Date: Early August, 1944
Location: C.P. MacGregor Studios, 729 S. Western Avenue, Hollywood
Label: MacGregor

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

a. MMo 615rt It Only Happens Once(Frankie Laine) - 2:30
Sounds Rare LPSR 5003 — The "Cool" Cole   (1981)
b. MMo 615rt Swingin' The Blues(Eddie Durham, Count Basie) - 2:00
Sounds Rare LPSR 5003 — The "Cool" Cole   (1981)
c. MMo 615rt Baby (Is What She Calls Me)(Kay Butler) - 2:35
d. MMo 615rt Baby, Won't You Please Come Home(Charles Warfield, Clarence Williams) - 2:14
Sounds Rare LPSR 5003 — The "Cool" Cole   (1981)
e. MMo 615rt Boogie A La King(Nat Cole) - 2:00
Sounds Rare LPSR 5003 — The "Cool" Cole   (1981)
All titles on:
MacGregor Transcription DiscLB. 74 — LB. 74   (1944)
LaserLight CD Box15 915 — Nat King Cole – The Trio Recordings   (1991)
Music & Arts CD BoxCD-911 — The King Cole Trio: The Macgregor Years, 1941-1945   (1995)

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

Dates

See note from earlier MacGregor session (MMo 612).

MacGregor Repressings

1420


Date: July 1945 (ca)
Location: C.P. MacGregor Studios, 729 S. Western Avenue, Hollywood
Label: MacGregor

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

a. MMo 716rt 'Tain't Me(Lem Davis, Jack Palmer) - 2:51
Sounds Rare LPSR 5003 — The "Cool" Cole   (1981)
b. MMo 716rt Laura(David Raksin, Johnny Mercer) - 3:09
Sounds Rare LPSR 5003 — The "Cool" Cole   (1981)
c. MMo 716rt Keep Knockin' On Wood(Lou Rogers, Sammy Lighter, Larry Ross) - 2:06
d. MMo 716rt If Yesterday Could Only Be Tomorrow(Robert Emmerich, Ruth Poll) - 2:43
e. MMo 716rt Blues And Swing(Nat Cole) - 1:09
All titles on:
LaserLight CD Box15 915 — Nat King Cole – The Trio Recordings   (1991)
Music & Arts CD BoxCD-911 — The King Cole Trio: The Macgregor Years, 1941-1945   (1995)

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.


Date: July 1945 (ca)
Location: C.P. MacGregor Studios, 729 S. Western Avenue, Hollywood
Label: MacGregor

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

a. MMo 717rt It's Only A Paper Moon(Harold Arlen, Billy Rose, E. Y. Harburg) - 2:55
Sounds Rare LPSR 5003 — The "Cool" Cole   (1981)
b. MMo 717rt What Can I Say After I Say I'm Sorry(Walter Donaldson, Abe Lyman) - 1:59
c. MMo 717rt I Wanna Turn Out My Light(Howard Leeds, Robert Wells [as Bob Levinson]) - 2:35
d. MMo 717rt You Call It Madness (But I Call It Love)(Gladys Dubois, Russ Columbo, Paul Gregory, Con Conrad) - 2:41
e. MMo 717rt If I Had You(Ted Shapiro, Reg Connelly, Jimmy Campbell) - 2:08
All titles on:
LaserLight CD Box15 915 — Nat King Cole – The Trio Recordings   (1991)
Music & Arts CD BoxCD-911 — The King Cole Trio: The Macgregor Years, 1941-1945   (1995)

Nat Cole (v) on a-d.

Dates

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


Sessions Reported: 40

Performances Reported: 234

Unique Songs Reported: 209

Unique Issues Reported: 66