The Nearness of You

It's not the pale moon that excites me
That thrills and delights me, oh no
It's just the nearness of you

It isn't your sweet conversation
That brings this sensation, oh no
It's just the nearness of you

When you're in my arms and I feel you so close to me
All my wildest dreams come true

I need no soft lights to enchant me
If you'll only grant me the right
To hold you ever so tight
And to feel in the night the nearness of you

The first big-selling version was recorded on April 28, 1940, by the Glenn Miller Orchestra, with a vocal by Ray Eberle (Bluebird).[2][3] This recording first reached the Billboard Best Seller chart on July 20, 1940, and lasted eight weeks on the chart, peaking at No. 5.[4]

Other popular versions around that time were recorded by Kay Kyser's orchestra (vocal: Harry Babbitt, Columbia catalog number 35488),[2][5] by Dinah Shore with Paul Weston's orchestra (Bluebird),[2][3] and by Eddy Howard with Lou Adrian's orchestra (Columbia).[2][6]

In 1953, Bob Manning reached No. 16 on the pop charts with this song[7][8]

The 1956 Ella Fitzgerald and Louis Armstrong album of duets, Ella & Louis, included a version of this song with Fitzgerald soloing vocally while Armstrong soloed both vocally and on trumpet. Accompaniment was provided by the small combo of the Oscar Peterson Trio featuring Peterson on piano, Ray Brown on bass, and Herb Ellis on guitar, joined by Buddy Rich on drums. The album reached No. 1 on the Billboard magazine jazz chart and the top 10 of its pop chart.[9]

German musician Marc Secara recorded the song with the Berlin Jazz Orchestra for the album You're Everything (2008). This was arranged for big band by Steve Gray.[10]

• Louis Armstrong with Ella Fitzgerald – Ella and Louis[11]
• Ella Fitzgerald on her 1989 Pablo Records release All that Jazz
• Connee Boswell with Blueberry Hill (Decca)[12]
• James Taylor on American Standard (2020)
• Al Jarreau on his 2004 album, "Accentuate The Positive"
• Pat Boone
• Seal on his 2017 album, "Seal Standards"
• Will Downing & Gerald Albright from their 1998 album, "Pleasures of the Night"
• Michael Brecker and James Taylor with Herbie Hancock – Nearness of You (2000)[11]
• Hash Brown (Philips, 1963) with I Got My Job Through The New York Times[13]
• Chick Bullock with Fools Rush In (recorded April 26, 1940, Vocalion)[14]
• Larry Clinton (Victor, 1940) [15]
• Cy Coleman with You Call It Madness (MGM) [16]
• Bing Crosby recorded in 1954[17] for his radio show[18]
• Sammy Davis Jr. with Mad Ball (Brunswick, 1957) [19]
• Bill Doggett (1970 King) with "Moon Dust"[20]
• Bill Doggett with Honey (King)[21]
• Lou Donaldson with Mack the Knife (Blue Note)[22]
• The Flamingos (1965 Philips) with Don't Cheat On Me[13]
• Johnny Hartman - For Trane (Blue Note, 1995) (rec. 1972)[23]
• Woody Herman with "Johannesburg" (recorded June 25, 1950, Capitol) [24]
• Johnny Hodges – Wings and Things (1964)[11]
• Eddy Howard with "Fools Fall in Love" (Columbia)[6]
• Etta James (album Time After Time)
• Harry James (recorded May 1940, Varsity) with "Mister Meadowlark"[25]
• Joni James (MGM, 1956) with "Let There Be Love"[16]
• Marie Knight (Diamond, 1963)[26] and Apex[27] both with "Walk Away"[26][27]
• Kay Kyser (recorded April 30, 1940, Columbia) with "Blue Lovebird"[5]
• Annie Lennox (island records) on "Nostalgia" - 2004
• Guy Lombardo (Decca) with "Blue Lovebird"[12]
• Bob Manning (Capitol),[28] Australian Capitol,[29][28] UK Capitol (1953)[30]
• Warne Marsh – A Ballad Album (1983)[11]
• Mat Mathews Quintet (released 1952 by Brunswick) with "Bag's Groove"[31]
• Leon Merian - 1957[32]
• Glenn Miller – 1940[11]
• Gerry Mulligan – Pleyel Jazz Concert Vol. 1 (1954)[11]
• Willie Nelson on his American Classic album (2009)
• Charlie Parker with the Woody Herman Orchestra – 1951[11]
• Joe Pass on Virtuoso No. 4 (1983, recorded in 1973)
• Joshua Redman and Brad Mehldau on Nearness (2016)
• Della Reese on An Evening with Della Reese, 1958[33]
• The Roommates (1963, Philips) with "Don't Cheat On Me"[13]
• George Shearing and Nancy Wilson – The Swingin's Mutual (1960)[11]
• Dinah Shore (recorded June 25, 1940, Bluebird) with "Maybe"[3]
• Frank Sinatra in 1947, then during the Nice 'n' Easy (1960) sessions
• Tab Smith (Checker)[34][35] and Quality[36] both with "Because of You"[34][35][36]
• Reinhold Svensson (Discovery, 1950) with "Strike Up the Band"[37]
• Three Sounds with "One for Renee" (Blue Note)[22]
• Steve Turre with James Carter and Mulgrew Miller – TNT (2000)[11]
• Sarah Vaughan – 1949[11]
• Vic West (Planet, 1957) with "This Love of Mine"[38]
• Sheena Easton for her 1993 album No Strings and the OST for Indecent Proposal
• Norah Jones ended her 2002 album Come Away with Me with this song.
• Kandace Springs on her 2020 album The Women Who Raised Me.
• Kuh Ledesma
• RJ Jacinto on his 2017 album, "Songs I Grew Up With"

• List of 1930s jazz standards