Studio Album · No. 7
St. Louis Blues Songwriting Credits by Nat King Cole
Produced by Lee Gillette
Holds writing credit on 0 of 12 tracks
Authorship Breakdown 0 / 12 documented
Scored across the 12 tracks with documented writers, by whether Nat King Cole carries a lyricist or composer credit.
Share of the 12 tracks where a band member is credited, by role.
By the Numbers
The authorship of St. Louis Blues is unusually simple: it is a single-songwriter tribute, with W.C. Handy credited on every track as the composer of the music and lyrics. Nat King Cole writes nothing here - he is the interpreter, applying his baritone to Handy's blues standards while Nelson Riddle supplies the orchestral arrangements. A handful of songs list additional lyricists alongside Handy, such as Andy Razaf on 'Stay,' Spencer Williams and Martha E. Koenig on 'Careless Love,' and George A. Norton on 'Memphis Blues,' but Handy remains the constant credit. The opening overture is the lone exception to the all-Handy rule, pairing Riddle's original film love theme with Handy's 'Hesitating Blues.'
St. Louis Blues is a 1958 studio album by Nat King Cole, tied to the Paramount film of the same name in which Cole portrayed the composer W.C. Handy. It is a full W.C. Handy songbook: every song on the record was written by Handy, the self-styled 'Father of the Blues,' with Cole serving purely as interpreter rather than author. The orchestra was arranged and conducted by Nelson Riddle, whose film love theme opens the album as an overture that flows into Handy's 'Hesitating Blues,' and the sessions were produced by Lee Gillette. Cole sings Handy standards including 'Beale Street Blues,' 'Careless Love,' 'Memphis Blues,' 'Yellow Dog Blues,' and the title song 'St. Louis Blues,' backing his warm baritone with Riddle's lush charts. Recorded at Capitol Studios in late January 1958 and issued that May on Capitol, it is a tribute record built entirely around one songwriter's catalog.
Track Listing & Credits 12 tracks
| # | Title | Lyricist(s) | Composer(s) | Producer(s) | Performers |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |
Overture (Introducing Love Theme)/Hesitating Blues
|
Nelson RiddleW.C. Handy | Nelson RiddleWilliam Christopher Handy | Lee Gillette | Nat King Cole (Vocals) |
| 2 |
Harlem Blues
|
W.C. Handy | William Christopher Handy | Lee Gillette | Nat King Cole (Vocals) |
| 3 |
Chantez Les Bas
|
W.C. Handy | William Christopher Handy | Lee Gillette | Nat King Cole (Vocals) |
| 4 |
Friendless Blues
|
W.C. HandyMercedes Gilbert | William Christopher HandyMercedes Gilbert | Lee Gillette | Nat King Cole (Vocals) |
| 5 |
Stay
|
W.C. HandyAndy Razaf | William Christopher HandyAndy Razaf | Lee Gillette | Nat King Cole (Vocals) |
| 6 |
Joe Turner's Blues
|
W.C. HandyWalter Hirsch | William Christopher HandyWalter Hirsch | Lee Gillette | Nat King Cole (Vocals) |
| 7 |
Beale Street Blues
|
W.C. Handy | William Christopher Handy | Lee Gillette | Nat King Cole (Vocals) |
| 8 |
Careless Love
|
W.C. HandyMartha E. KoenigSpencer Williams | William Christopher HandyMartha E. KoenigSpencer Williams | Lee Gillette | Nat King Cole (Vocals) |
| 9 |
Morning Star
|
W.C. HandyMack David | William Christopher HandyMack David | Lee Gillette | Nat King Cole (Vocals) |
| 10 |
Memphis Blues
|
W.C. HandyGeorge A. Norton | William Christopher HandyGeorge A. Norton | Lee Gillette | Nat King Cole (Vocals) |
| 11 |
Yellow Dog Blues
|
W.C. Handy | William Christopher Handy | Lee Gillette | Nat King Cole (Vocals) |
| 12 |
St. Louis Blues
|
W.C. Handy | William Christopher Handy | Lee Gillette | Nat King Cole (Vocals) |