On one level, Ted, your post is about a guy who composed a timeless song a long time ago. On a higher level, it is a master class in how to write a Substack post. When I start my Substack soon, I hope to someday write something half as interesting. I might fail, but at least you have shown how it’s done. Great post!
I am both enthralled and saddened by this piece. My father loved Nat King Cole so my childhood was filled with his music. Nature Boy takes on added depth once the story of its origin is added.
BTW, I've always hated the term one hit wonder! A composer or musician's life is difficult enough without having their shining moment demeaned and trivialized.
One of my flutes was owned by the flutist who played the beautiful solos on the original recording, Jules Kinsler. I didn't know that until long after he had passed and I never got to ask him about the session.
Thanks! I love so much that you shared this! I remember the song as a child, & my grandparents had the sheet music.
Poor guy - if he had just been born 30 years later he would have been woven right into the folk-beatnik scene & then folded into hippie culture. (I am imagining the Grateful Dead or Jefferson Airplane covering some of those neglected songs.)
The Danish explorer, Thor Heyerdahl, searched the world for his paradise, only to eventually find it between his two ears. Thor noted that, if you realize that paradise is within you, you won't have to travel far to find it. Eden Ahbez found his paradise, and Tom Waits got to share it with him for a quarter of a mile, maybe to take him further in the right direction. Thanks for educating me about 'Nature Boy'. This article was well worth reading.
Thanks for the correction, Jim. A simple Wikipedia search would have changed Thor's country of origin. My hazy memory from an early documentary called "Kon Tiki" resulted in the confusion. Most of my knowledge about the Norwegian explorer came from a book he wrote called "Fatu Hiva".
No prob, Tom! Am sure I make these kind of mistakes all the time. BTW, I've actually worked on a movie script based on FATU HIVA, which I'm doubtful will go forward.
And for more synchronicity, I've had this song (Nature Boy) stuck on repeat in my head for the past three days. Thankfully it's also one of my favorites. And I've mostly been sleeping, since I caught covid again. But this song sticks in my head and doesn't seem to be going anywhere. To see your article, I'm like "ok...what the heck is going on here ". I always had thought it was written by Nat King Cole. I'm friends with one of his descendents, whom is also on my mind since one of his dearest cousins committed suicide. Not really sure if there's a message here that I'm missing. Lots of coincidence.
Great piece on a one-of-a-kind song. I also love Alex Chilton's version, from the sessions for what came to be known as Big Star's Third/Sister Lovers. https://youtu.be/1phuIrU6sKY?si=4S_rmBunMXsLXuiQ
I have always loved this tune without having any idea what it was or who wrote it. I heard it in the movie "Moulin Rouge" (it WAS the movie, with "Children of the Revolution"). So much soul and pathos. It taps into an egoless undercurrent of humanity that is beautiful and strange and terrifying to people like me who burdened with hypersensitivity ;)
What a wonderful and rich story that further embellishes the beauty of this song and a perfect example of why A.I. has no place in artistic creation. Can you imagine if instead the backstory to 'Nature Boy' was "I did some algorithmic programming and this is the song my laptop generated"?
On one level, Ted, your post is about a guy who composed a timeless song a long time ago. On a higher level, it is a master class in how to write a Substack post. When I start my Substack soon, I hope to someday write something half as interesting. I might fail, but at least you have shown how it’s done. Great post!
Such a cool story and I love your version!
Paul McCartney said that "Nature Boy" inspired him to write "Mother Nature's Son."
I wonder if it also inspired the Kinks’ “Phenomenal Cat”.
I am both enthralled and saddened by this piece. My father loved Nat King Cole so my childhood was filled with his music. Nature Boy takes on added depth once the story of its origin is added.
BTW, I've always hated the term one hit wonder! A composer or musician's life is difficult enough without having their shining moment demeaned and trivialized.
Same! Grew up with NKC and Nature Boy was my father’s favourite too. I still have the albums.
One of my flutes was owned by the flutist who played the beautiful solos on the original recording, Jules Kinsler. I didn't know that until long after he had passed and I never got to ask him about the session.
Thanks! I love so much that you shared this! I remember the song as a child, & my grandparents had the sheet music.
Poor guy - if he had just been born 30 years later he would have been woven right into the folk-beatnik scene & then folded into hippie culture. (I am imagining the Grateful Dead or Jefferson Airplane covering some of those neglected songs.)
I'm glad Donovan & Brian Wilson sought him out...
Brian looks about 13 in that pic.
Indeed. I was thinking, "Who's the kid?", until I realized who it must be!
When I saw the title of this post, I thought "Eden Ahbez." I was not disappointed.
The Danish explorer, Thor Heyerdahl, searched the world for his paradise, only to eventually find it between his two ears. Thor noted that, if you realize that paradise is within you, you won't have to travel far to find it. Eden Ahbez found his paradise, and Tom Waits got to share it with him for a quarter of a mile, maybe to take him further in the right direction. Thanks for educating me about 'Nature Boy'. This article was well worth reading.
Norwegian explorer, that is!
Thanks for the correction, Jim. A simple Wikipedia search would have changed Thor's country of origin. My hazy memory from an early documentary called "Kon Tiki" resulted in the confusion. Most of my knowledge about the Norwegian explorer came from a book he wrote called "Fatu Hiva".
No prob, Tom! Am sure I make these kind of mistakes all the time. BTW, I've actually worked on a movie script based on FATU HIVA, which I'm doubtful will go forward.
Too bad about the movie not going forward. Thor's premise was a shortcut to figuring out how to live your best life.
And for more synchronicity, I've had this song (Nature Boy) stuck on repeat in my head for the past three days. Thankfully it's also one of my favorites. And I've mostly been sleeping, since I caught covid again. But this song sticks in my head and doesn't seem to be going anywhere. To see your article, I'm like "ok...what the heck is going on here ". I always had thought it was written by Nat King Cole. I'm friends with one of his descendents, whom is also on my mind since one of his dearest cousins committed suicide. Not really sure if there's a message here that I'm missing. Lots of coincidence.
Great piece on a one-of-a-kind song. I also love Alex Chilton's version, from the sessions for what came to be known as Big Star's Third/Sister Lovers. https://youtu.be/1phuIrU6sKY?si=4S_rmBunMXsLXuiQ
Have known the song since young, and have always appreciated Nat "King" Cole's voice.
Wonderful amount of fill in for the aftermath, which largely eluded me.
The song, not unlike Charles Lederer and Luther Davis 's Sands of Time, from Kismet, with its lyric,
"And all that there is to know, only lovers know.". spells out a similar path.
What a wonderful article!!!
Such a fantastic story!
I have always loved this tune without having any idea what it was or who wrote it. I heard it in the movie "Moulin Rouge" (it WAS the movie, with "Children of the Revolution"). So much soul and pathos. It taps into an egoless undercurrent of humanity that is beautiful and strange and terrifying to people like me who burdened with hypersensitivity ;)
It is a great song, and your piece adds to the haunting quality of both melody and lyrics. Thank you for telling this story.
What a wonderful and rich story that further embellishes the beauty of this song and a perfect example of why A.I. has no place in artistic creation. Can you imagine if instead the backstory to 'Nature Boy' was "I did some algorithmic programming and this is the song my laptop generated"?
Fabulous. Loved 'Nature Boy' on first hearing as a young boy, never forgotten. Thanks for the story.