Natalie Cole lost her father, Nat "King" Cole, when she was just fifteen years of age.  But a little more than a quarter-century after his untimely passing, Natalie paid the ultimate tribute to Nat when her studio album Unforgettable...With Love celebrated his rich oeuvre.  Anchored by a virtual duet with him of his classic "Unforgettable," the album was Natalie's first to embrace her legacy.  The 1991 LP and duet went on to earn a collective seven Grammy Awards, reach No. 1 on the Billboard 200, and attain a 7x Platinum certification.  Craft Recordings recently acquired Cole's Elektra catalogue from Warner Music Group, and that acquisition will bear fruit this Friday, February 4, when the label reissues and remasters Unforgettable...With Love on vinyl, digital/streaming, and an expanded CD for its slightly belated 30th anniversary.

Natalie experienced success right out of the gate as she set out to carve a path distinct from that of her famous father and family.  Her first album, 1975's Inseparable, picked up two Grammys and yielded two R&B chart-toppers.  One of those, "This Will Be (An Everlasting Love)," also went to the top ten of the Pop chart, establishing the young artist as a musical force with which to be reckoned.  By 1991, Cole had weathered the changing tides of R&B and soul with such further hits as "Someone That I Used to Love," "Pink Cadillac," and "Miss You Like Crazy."  When she signed to Elektra after a tenure at EMI/Manhattan, she envisioned a high-concept album that would reconnect with her jazz vocal roots.

Produced by Tommy LiPuma, David Foster, and André Fischer, Unforgettable found Cole putting her own stamp on Nat signature songs including "Nature Boy," "L-O-V-E," "Mona Lisa," and "Orange Colored Sky."  She was joined by her uncle Ike Cole on piano and supported by orchestrations that would have made Nelson Riddle proud.  The centerpiece, of course, was the duet of "Unforgettable" which was derived from her father's isolated vocal track from 1951.  Brimming with romance and nostalgia, peaked at No. 14 on the Hot 100 and also went to No. 3 AC and No. 10 R&B as well as hitting charts around the world.  "Unforgettable" was recognized at the Grammys as Song of the Year and Record of the Year, while Unforgettable the album hit No. 1 on the Billboard 200 and was awarded Album of the Year.  It remains the best-selling album of Natalie's career.  For the rest of her life, she regularly performed American popular standards alongside her R&B hits, returning to the milieu on such albums as Stardust (1996), Ask a Woman Who Knows (2002), and Still Unforgettable (2008).  Before her passing in 2015 at the age of 65, Natalie released 23 studio albums, selling over 30 million records, worldwide.

Craft's 180-gram double-vinyl edition features the original album's 22 tracks, while the CD version adds the B-sides "At Last" and "Cottage for Sale" as bonus tracks.  Cole's official webstore offers a limited, 1,000-unit purple pressing of Unforgettable...With Love while Barnes and Noble has a white variant and Target has a pink edition.  Target's LP is out now. The CD arrives this Friday, February 4 from Craft Recordings, with vinyl to follow on March 25.  You'll find the track listings and pre-order links below.

Natalie Cole, Unforgettable...With Love (Elektra 61049, 1991 - reissued Craft Recordings, 2022)

CD: Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada
Black Vinyl LP: Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada
Purple Vinyl: NatalieCole.com
White Vinyl: Barnes & Noble
Pink Vinyl: Target

1. The Very Thought Of You
2. Paper Moon
3. Route 66
4. Mona Lisa
5. L-O-V-E
6. This Can't Be Love
7. Smile
8. Lush Life
9. That Sunday That Summer
10. Orange Colored Sky
11. A Medley Of: For Sentimental Reasons, Tenderly & Autumn Leaves
12. Straighten Up And Fly Right
13. Avalon
14. Don't Get Around Much Anymore
15. Too Young
16. Nature Boy
17. Darling, Je Vous Aime Beaucoup
18. Almost Like Being In Love
19. Thou Swell
20. Non Dimenticar
21. Our Love Is Here To Stay
22. Unforgettable
23. At Last (*)
24. Cottage For Sale (*)

(*) CD bonus tracks