Band leader and trumpeter Ralph Marterie was first to record the beautiful "Pretend" (Dan Belloc - Lew Douglas - Cliff Parman - Frank Levere) in 1952. The instrumental peaked at number sixteen on Billboard.

It was Nat King Cole who had the definitive hit with "Pretend" issued within a month of the instrumental version. The single reached number three on Billboard and number two in the U.K.