Nat King Cole - Dear Lonely Hearts (2020) [Hi-Res]

Nat "King" Cole scored a Top 40 pop hit and a Top Ten easy listening hit with the Ray Charles-styled "Dear Lonely Hearts" in the fall of 1962, and he quickly went into the studio to cut this album of similar material to take advantage of its success. The theme was romantic longing, and the titles included "Miss You," "Why Should I Cry Over You?," "Oh, How I Miss You Tonight" and "Lonesome and Sorry"; the musical approach was rhythm-ballad, with strings and a prominent female chorus. The album was a considerable commercial success, spending more than eight months in the charts and generating a second chart entry in "All Over the World." Although Cole sang with his customary agreeableness, the lack of memorable songs and only adequate arrangements of Belford Hendricks made it one of his lesser efforts. ~ William Ruhlmann