Natalie Cole Unforgettable With Love 1991 Elektrarar Top Today

You can find a standard Unforgettable... with Love LP for $20-$40. The Elektrarar "Top" pressing, however, regularly fetches $400 to $800 at auction. Why?

It’s the sound. On standard pressings, the title track "Unforgettable"—where Natalie’s modern vocal is woven together with Nat’s 1961 recording—can sound slightly compressed. On the Elektrarar, the soundstage is breathtaking. Nat’s voice comes from the center-left with a warm tube echo; Natalie’s response sits in the right channel with airy, live-room reverb. You hear the tape hiss of the original 1961 session underneath the 1991 digital overlay. It’s a ghostly, gorgeous artifact.

Furthermore, tracks like "The Very Thought of You" and "Mona Lisa" reveal the work of arranger Nelson Riddle’s orchestra in stunning relief. The brass has bite without harshness; the bass clarinet on "L-O-V-E" purrs with analog warmth.

If you go hunting for this record, beware. Because the Elektrarar Top pressing is so rare, counterfeits exist. Look for the "SR/2" stamp in the deadwax—that indicates the Specialty Records Corporation pressing plant, where the top-tier Elektrarar runs were exclusively made. Also, the original 1991 pressing came with a poly-lined inner sleeve printed with a poem by Natalie’s mother, Maria Cole. Without that, it’s incomplete. natalie cole unforgettable with love 1991 elektrarar top

If you want to find the rare, “top-tier” pressing of Unforgettable... With Love, look for these identifiers:

| Feature | Standard Reissue (Rhino) | Rare 1991 Elektra "Top" | | :--- | :--- | :--- | | Label | Rhino Records or Elektra (new logo) | Elektra (old "butterfly" or "target" logo) | | Catalog # | R2 61049 | 9 61049-2 (CD) / 61049-1 (LP) | | Disc Matrix | IFPI codes present | No IFPI; text etched directly in hub | | Sound | Loud, modern master | Dynamic, quiet floor, wider soundstage | | Price (Mint) | $5–15 | $75–450 |

Before 1991, Natalie Cole was already a star. The daughter of the legendary Nat King Cole, she had dominated the R&B charts in the 1970s with hits like "This Will Be (An Everlasting Love)" and "I've Got Love on My Mind." However, the late 1980s brought personal struggles with addiction and a waning commercial foothold. You can find a standard Unforgettable

Unforgettable... With Love was a gamble. Producer Tommy LiPuma convinced her to record an album of standards—songs her father had famously sung. The twist? They would use state-of-the-art 1991 digital recording technology to overdub Natalie’s voice alongside her father’s 1961 recording of the title track.

The result was seismic.

The 1991 pressing features a low-end authority that vanished in subsequent reissues. The acoustic bass is round, woody, and present without booming. This is a hallmark of the "Top" rating—where the EQ curve was set for high-end home stereos (Think Nakamichi or Denon systems of the era), not for earbuds. In collector forums, a “1991 Elektra RAR TOP”

This is the secret sauce for collectors.

In collector forums, a “1991 Elektra RAR TOP” copy of Unforgettable… with Love almost always refers to one of two holy grails:

In the world of record collecting, few phrases trigger a dopamine hit quite like the one we’re dissecting today: “Natalie Cole Unforgettable with Love 1991 Elektra Rar Top.”

At first glance, it looks like a messy search query or an eBay title stuffed with keywords. But look closer. Each word is a clue pointing toward one of the most fascinating, tragic, and commercially brilliant albums of the 1990s—and a specific high-end collectible that audiophiles and Natalie Cole fans desperately seek.

Let’s break down the chain.