On March 27, 1949, Nat King Cole appeared for the first time on The Ed Sullivan Show and performed a song titled “Down In Mexico.” That performance is the latest addition to the show’s popular YouTube channel.

Cole appeared on The Ed Sullivan Show 13 times across its 23-year run. The 1949 appearance in which Cole performed “Down In Mexico” and other songs marked his debut on the show.

Though “Down in Mexico” is performed in English, the jazz singer and pianist has a deep history of performing Spanish-language music. In 1958, he released an album titled Cole Español. The majority of the 11 tracks on Cole Español were recorded by Armando Romeu Jr.’s orchestra at the Panart studio in central Havana. Romeu’s orchestra served as the house band of the famed Tropicana nightclub, where Cole made his debut on the outdoor stage in March of 1956. Bebo Valdés, the house pianist at Tropicana, lent his signature Afro-Cuban swing to “Cachito,” by the Mexican composer Consuelo Velazquez, and other numbers famous throughout Latin America. Cole later laid down his vocals at Capitol’s studio in Los Angeles. In the United States, Cole Español transcended mere novelty and quickly climbed to the Top Ten of the Billboard charts. It was voted number eight by radio DJs on a list of top spins for 1958.

In 1959, Cole released A Mis Amigos, which was recorded in Rio de Janeiro during a tour of Brazil. In 1962, Cole released his final Spanish album, More Cole Español.

Recently in Nat King Cole news, UMe has launched its new hi-fidelity vinyl series, Vinylphyle, with Cole’s The Christmas Song. Like the rest of the series, Cole’s holiday classic will be pressed on 180g black vinyl at RTI. The vinyl mastering for this release was handled by Joe Nino-Hernes at Sterling Sound.

Buy the Vinylphyle pressing of Nat King Cole’s The Christmas Song now.