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]

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. 1 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

Preceded by
"Smoke! Smoke! Smoke! (That Cigarette)" by Tex Williams
Billboard Best Sellers in Stores number-one single
September 20December 6, 1947
Succeeded by
"Ballerina" by Vaughn Monroe
Preceded by
"Let My Love Be Your Pillow"
by Ronnie Milsap
Billboard Hot Country Singles number-one single
(George Jones and Tammy Wynette version)

February 5-February 12, 1977
Succeeded by
"Moody Blue"
by Elvis Presley
Preceded by
"Saying Hello, Saying I Love You, Saying Goodbye"
by Jim Ed Brown and Helen Cornelius
RPM Country Tracks number-one single
(George Jones and Tammy Wynette version)

March 5, 1977
Succeeded by
"Say You'll Stay Until Tomorrow"
by Tom Jones
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