"Looking Back" | ||||
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Single by Nat King Cole | ||||
B-side | "Do I Like It?" | |||
Released | 1958 | |||
Genre | Easy listening | |||
Length | 2:10 | |||
Label | Capitol | |||
Songwriter(s) | Brook Benton, Belford Hendricks, Clyde Otis | |||
Nat King Cole singles chronology | ||||
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"Looking Back" is a song written by Brook Benton, Belford Hendricks, and Clyde Otis and performed by Nat King Cole. It reached number 2 on the U.S. R&B chart and number 5 on the U.S. pop chart in 1958. [1]
The single's B-side, "Do I Like It?" reached number 67 on the U.S. pop chart in 1958. [2]
The song was ranked number 31 on Billboard's Year-End Hot 100 singles of 1958. [3]
Nathaniel Adams Coles, known professionally by his stage name Nat King Cole, was an American singer, jazz pianist, and actor. Cole's career as a jazz and pop vocalist started in the late 1930s and spanned almost three decades where he found success and recorded over 100 songs that became hits on the pop charts.
Benjamin Franklin Peay, known professionally as Brook Benton, was an American singer and songwriter whose music transcended rock and roll, rhythm and blues, and pop music genres in the 1950s and 1960s, with hits such as "It's Just a Matter of Time" and "Endlessly".
"If I Give My Heart to You" is a popular song written by Jimmy Brewster, Jimmie Crane, and Al Jacobs. The most popular versions of the song were recorded by Doris Day and by Denise Lor; both charted in 1954.
"Again" is a popular song with music by Lionel Newman and words by Dorcas Cochran. It first appeared in the film Road House (1948), sung by Ida Lupino. An instrumental rendition was used in the movie Pickup on South Street (1953). By 1949, versions by Vic Damone, Doris Day, Tommy Dorsey, Gordon Jenkins, Vera Lynn, Art Mooney, and Mel Tormé all made the Billboard charts.
"(Get Your Kicks on) Route 66" is a popular rhythm and blues song, composed in 1946 by American songwriter Bobby Troup. The lyrics relate a westward roadtrip on U.S. Route 66, a highway which traversed the western two-thirds of the U.S. from Chicago, Illinois, to Los Angeles, California. The song became a standard, with several renditions appearing on the record charts.
"When I Fall in Love" is a popular song, written by Victor Young (music) and Edward Heyman (lyrics). It was introduced in Howard Hughes' last film One Minute to Zero as the instrumental titled "Theme from One Minute to Zero". Jeri Southern sang on the first vocal recording released in April 1952 with the song's composer, Victor Young, handling the arranging and conducting duties. The song has become a standard, with many artists recording it; the first hit version was sung by Doris Day released in July 1952.
"Too Young" is a popular song, with music written by Sidney Lippman and lyrics by Sylvia Dee. A recording of the song was released by Nat King Cole in 1951, which reached No. 1 in the United States and became the best-selling song of the year. The song was an early attempt by music labels to appeal to the younger demographics and its success later led to a boom in music that catered to the young. Another successful version was released by Donny Osmond in 1972.
"Pretend" is a popular song, written in 1952 by Dan Belloc, Lew Douglas, Cliff Parman and Frank Levere.
"The Christmas Song" is a classic Christmas song written in 1945 by Robert Wells and Mel Tormé.
"Ramblin' Rose" is a 1962 popular torch song written by brothers Noel Sherman (words) and Joe Sherman (music) and popularized by Nat King Cole. The recording by Nat King Cole reached No. 2 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart in 1962.
"Smoke Gets in Your Eyes" is a show tune written by American composer Jerome Kern and lyricist Otto Harbach for the 1933 musical comedy Roberta. The song was sung in the Broadway show by Tamara Drasin. It was first recorded by Gertrude Niesen, with orchestral direction from Ray Sinatra, Frank Sinatra's second cousin, on October 13, 1933. Niesen's recording of the song was released by Victor, with in the B-side "Jealousy", a song featuring Isham Jones and his Orchestra. The line "When your heart's on fire, smoke gets in your eyes" apparently comes from a Russian proverb.
"It's All in the Game" is a pop song whose most successful version was recorded by Tommy Edwards in 1958. Carl Sigman composed the lyrics in 1951 to a wordless 1911 composition titled "Melody in A Major", written by Charles G. Dawes, who was later Vice President of the United States under Calvin Coolidge. It is the only No. 1 single in the U.S. to have been co-written by a U.S. Vice President or a Nobel Peace Prize laureate.
"Unforgettable" is a popular song written by Irving Gordon. The song's original working title was "Uncomparable,” however, the music publishing company asked Gordon to change it to "Unforgettable.” The song was published in 1951.
"I Had the Craziest Dream" is a popular song which was published in 1942. The music was written by Harry Warren, the lyrics by Mack Gordon.
"(I Love You) for Sentimental Reasons" is a popular song written by Ivory "Deek" Watson, founding member of the Ink Spots and of the Brown Dots, and William "Pat" Best, founding member of the Four Tunes.
"Straighten Up and Fly Right" is a 1943 song written by Nat King Cole and Irving Mills and one of the first vocal hits for the King Cole Trio. It was the trio's most popular single, reaching number one on the Harlem Hit Parade for ten nonconsecutive weeks. The single also peaked at number nine on the pop charts. "Straighten Up and Fly Right" also reached number one for six nonconsecutive weeks on the Most Played Jukebox Hillbilly Records.
"Loving You" is a song written by Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller and performed by Elvis Presley with backup vocals provided by The Jordanaires. It reached No. 15 on the U.S. country chart, #20 on the U.S. pop chart, and #24 on the UK Singles Chart in 1957. It was featured on his 1957 album Loving You. It was featured in Presley's 1957 movie Loving You. The single's A-side, "(Let Me Be Your) Teddy Bear" reached No. 1 on the U.S. pop, country, and R&B charts and #3 on the UK Singles Chart in 1957.
"Send for Me" is a song written by Ollie Jones and performed by Nat King Cole featuring the McCoy's Boys. It reached No. 1 on the U.S. R&B chart and No. 6 on the U.S. pop chart in 1957. The song was arranged by Billy May.
"That's All There Is to That" is a song written by Clyde Otis and Kelly Owens and performed by Nat King Cole featuring The Four Knights. It reached #15 on the U.S. R&B chart and #16 on the U.S. pop chart in 1956. The song reference's Ethel Barrymore's phrase to rebuff curtain calls, "That's all there is, there isn't any more".
Billboard magazine only charted Christmas singles and albums along with the other popular non-holiday records until the 1958 holiday season when they published their first section that surveys only Christmas music.