Until 1975, Aretha Franklin had monopolised the R&B charts and Grammy awards for female singers - and then came Natalie. Although there were plenty of others like Melba Moore, Yvonne Fair, Dorothy Moore, Minnie Riperton among others - none made the sort of impression that Natalie Cole made with her run of 70's albums and singles.

Although only "This will be" charted in Australia, the next few years saw multiple hit albums, singles and Grammy awards, until personal and health issues forced Natalie to retreat for a while, regrouping in the mid 80's, after several lackluster releases and minimal chart success. It was a full decade in between Natalie Cole records for me, when i discovered a 12 inch funky stomper called "Dangerous" in 1985 which reignited my love for Natalie Cole.

Back in late 1975, "This will be" was something of a sensation, in part due to her family pedigree - which the media made the most of - always have done in her case. A second generation of pop star is always a welcomed story, and Natalie's own star quality and amazing voice allowed her to become an overnight success with this debut song. My love affair with Natalie Cole's voice has continued despite some big gaps in my finding her music.
Her run of 80's disco/pop hits ended around 1990 when she went a different route, and wound up with the biggest success of her career, with the "Unforgettable" album and single, winning her multiple Grammy awards and ushering in a new era of standards and traditional pop music. Natalie continues, despite more health issues, to record material from pop/rock/jazz/r&b and tour the world.

I discovered this rare version of "This Will Be" only recently, and it is a glorious extension on what is a sublime r&b/pop/jazzy melange that allowed Natalie to show off her impressive pipes and sensibilities with her very first hit record. Enjoy! I certainly did.

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