Near You

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

"Near You"
Single by George Jones and Tammy Wynette
from the album Golden Ring
B-side"Tattletale Eyes"
ReleasedNovember 1976 (US)
RecordedDecember 12, 1974
GenreCountry
Length2:21
LabelEpic 50314
Songwriter(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)

Background

The recording by Francis Craig (the song's composer) with orchestra member Bob Lamm on vocals 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]Billboard ranked it as the No. 1 song overall for 1947.[3]

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.

In 2019, "Old Town Road", by Lil Nas X featuring Billy Ray Cyrus, surpassed "Near You" for song with most consecutive weeks in the number-one position with 19 weeks.

George Jones and Tammy Wynette

In 1977, "Near You" became a number-one country hit as a duet 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. Whitburn, Joel (1973). Top Pop Records 1940-1955. Record Research.
  3. "Number One Song of the Year: 1946-2015". Bobborst.com. Archived from the original on 2018-04-20. Retrieved 2016-05-13.
  4. Whitburn, Joel (2004). The Billboard Book Of Top 40 Country Hits: 1944-2006, Second edition. Record Research. p. 182.
  5. Whitburn, Joel (1986). Pop Memories 1890–1954. Menomonee Falls, Wisconsin: Record Research, Inc. p. 44. ISBN 0-89820-083-0.
  6. "Instrumentally Yours - Grady Martin | Songs, Reviews, Credits". AllMusic. Retrieved 2016-05-13.
  7. "Texaco Star Theater / The Milton Berle Show". Classicthemes.com. 1981-07-10. Retrieved 2016-05-13.
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