Photos Courtesy of the Louis Armstrong House Museum

On July 12, Verve Records will deliver Louis in London, the last great performance by one of the most influential figures in jazz music, Louis Armstrong. Ahead of the historic release, the artist’s venerable track “What a Wonderful World” received 5x Platinum status by the RIAA, a monumental moment marked by the release of Amstrong’s official performance video of the staple track to mark the milestone achievement, recorded at BBC on July 2, 1968. Watch below. 

 “What a Wonderful World” remains one of the globe’s most beloved songs. Inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame in 1999, it is considered a top-selling track of all time, with international prestige: 5x Platinum in Canada, 1.5 Platinum in Germany, and Platinum in the UK, Denmark, Italy, France, and Spain. The latest honor via RIAA was accepted by trumpeter and President of the Louis Armstrong Educational Foundation, Wynton Marsalis, for the late Louis Armstrong/the Louis Armstrong Estate.

Today’s video release for  “What a Wonderful World” captures Armstrong’s live performance at the end of the 1960s, weeks after the aforementioned song hit the No. 1 spot on the UK charts, later climbing the ranks to the UK’s biggest-selling single in 1968. The drop represents the latest in a string of previews stemming from Louis in London. The 13-song collection includes six previously unreleased tracks, “(Back Home Again) In Indiana,” “You’ll Never Walk Alone,” “Ole Miss,” “Blueberry Hill,” and more. 

Read our initial coverage of the LP announcement. Scroll down to watch the 1968-captured “What a Wonderful World.” 

Tracklist:

When It’s Sleepy Time Down South

(Back Home Again) In Indiana

A Kiss To Build a Dream On

Hello, Dolly!

Mame

You’ll Never Walk Alone

Ole Miss

Blueberry Hill

Mack The Knife

Rockin’ Chair

The Bare Necessities

What a Wonderful World

When The Saints Go Marching In