Near You

"Near You"
Single by George Jones and Tammy Wynette
from the album Golden Ring
B-side	"Tattletale Eyes"
Released	November 1976 (US)
Format	7"
Recorded	December 12, 1974
Genre	Country
Length	2:21
Label	Epic 50314
Writer(s)	Francis Craig, Kermit Goell
Producer(s)	Billy Sherrill
George Jones and Tammy Wynette singles chronology
"Golden Ring" (1976) "Near You" (1976) "Southern California" (1977)

"Near You" is a popular song written and originally recorded by Francis Craig in 1947,^[1] with lyrics by Kermit Goell, that has gone on to become a pop standard.

Background

The recording by Francis Craig (the song's composer) was released by Bullet Records as catalog number 1001. It first reached the Billboard Best Sellers chart on August 30, 1947, and lasted 21 weeks on the chart, peaking at number one. On the "Most Played By Jockeys" chart, the song spent 17 consecutive weeks at number one, setting a record for both the song and the artist with most consecutive weeks in the number-one position on a US pop music chart.^[2] In 2009, hip-hop group The Black Eyed Peas surpassed Craig's record for artist with most consecutive weeks in the number-one position with the songs "Boom Boom Pow" and "I Gotta Feeling". However, their record was accomplished with combined weeks of two #1 songs - one succeeding the other in the top position. Billboard ranked it as the No. 1 song overall for 1947.^[3]

George Jones & Tammy Wynette

In 1977, "Near You" became a number-one country hit for the duo of George Jones and Tammy Wynette.,^[4] one of the more unlikely compositions the two country legends ever sang together. Recorded in the winter of 1974, its atypical arrangement showed that country fans still had an appetite for any music performed by the estranged couple, who had been country music's "First Couple" in the early seventies. In fact, it was their second consecutive #1 single since their divorce in 1975; they had only managed to top the charts once during their six year marriage with "We're Gonna Hold On" in 1973.

Other versions

Other recordings of the song that charted on the Billboard best seller in 1947 include:^[2]

• The Andrews Sisters (Decca Records catalog number 24171) entered the chart on October 3 and peaked at number four.
• Elliot Lawrence (Columbia Records catalog number 37838) entered the chart on October 3 and peaked at number nine. This was Lawrence's only charting hit.
• Larry Green (RCA Victor Records catalog number 20-2421) entered the chart on October 10 and peaked at number three.
• Alvino Rey (Capitol Records catalog number 452) entered the chart on October 17 and peaked at number nine in its only week on the chart. This was Rey's last charting hit.
• Roger Williams recorded the song in 1958, and it charted on the Billboard Hot 100 singles chart, peaking at number ten. *Jerry Lee Lewis recorded an instrumental version of the song in 1959. It has also been recorded by Marlene Dietrich, Nat King Cole, Grady Martin^[5] and Andy Williams.
• "Near You" was used by Milton Berle as the closing song on his Texaco Star Theater, and became his theme song for many years thereafter.^[6]

References

1. Gilliland, John (1994). Pop Chronicles the 40s: The Lively Story of Pop Music in the 40s (audiobook). ISBN 978-1-55935-147-8. OCLC 31611854. Tape 4, side A.
2. Whitburn, Joel (1973). Top Pop Records 1940-1955. Record Research.
3. http://www.bobborst.com/popculture/songoftheyear/
4. Whitburn, Joel (2004). The Billboard Book Of Top 40 Country Hits: 1944-2006, Second edition. Record Research. p. 182.
5. http://www.allmusic.com/album/mw0001443273
6. Classic Themes' Texaco Star Theater page

External links

• Lyrics of this song at MetroLyrics