In 1954, Capitol Records released the 10" LP collection Eight Top Pops, compiling eight songs that had appeared on singles by
Nat King Cole during 1952. The first two, "Somewhere Along the Way" and "Walkin' My Baby Back Home," were the biggest hits, both reaching number eight in Billboard. "Because You're Mine,"
Cole's cover of the
Mario Lanza movie song (done in a far more relaxed style than
Lanza's, of course), was also a major hit, reaching number 16. "Faith Can Move Mountains" and "The Ruby and the Pearl" were somewhat less successful, but still lodged in the Top 30, as did the B-sides "Funny (Not Much)" and "I'm Never Satisfied." The only one of the eight songs not to earn a chart placing was "A Weaver of Dreams," the B-side of the single "Wine, Women and Song." In 1963, Capitol expanded Eight Top Pops into the 12" LP
Top Pops by adding two tracks at the end of either side of the original release. These four songs all came from an EP recorded by
Cole in 1954, on which he covered hits by other performers, including
Doris Day's "If I Give My Heart to You," the De Castro Singers' "Teach Me Tonight," and
Perry Como's "Papa Loves Mambo." On the various tracks,
Cole addresses charts written by his conductors
Les Baxter,
Billy May,
Nelson Riddle, and
Pete Rugolo, varying the mood from lightly romantic to lightly melancholic, but always remaining as smooth a crooner as ever. ~ William Ruhlmann