Near You

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

"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.

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.^{[citation needed]}

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]

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.
(RCA Victor Records catalog number 20-2421) entered the chart on October 10 and peaked at number three.
Two Ton Baker (Mercury Records catalog number 5066) entered the chart at the same time as Green, and peaked at number twelve, staying for five weeks.^[5]
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 (1958), Nat King Cole (1962), Pat Boone (1965), Grady Martin^[6] and Andy Williams (1959).

Popular culture[]

In addition, "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.^[7]

References[]

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

External links[]

Lyrics of this song at MetroLyrics
Francis Craig - Near You on YouTube
George Jones & Tammy Wynette - Near You on YouTube

[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.

[Whitburn-2] Jump up to: ^a ^b 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.

[allmusic-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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show v t George Jones singles
Singles	"No Money in This Deal" "Why Baby Why" "Achin', Breakin' Heart" "Seasons of My Heart" "Too Much Water" "Just One More" "Don't Stop the Music" "Color of the Blues" "White Lightning" "The Window Up Above" "Tender Years" "She Thinks I Still Care" "I'll Share My World with You "The Race Is On" "Love Bug" "Walk Through This World with Me" "If My Heart Had Windows" "A Good Year for the Roses" "Loving You Could Never Be Better" "A Picture of Me (Without You)" "The Grand Tour" "The Door" "He Stopped Loving Her Today" "I'm Not Ready Yet" "If Drinkin' Don't Kill Me (Her Memory Will)" "Still Doin' Time" "Same Ole Me" "Shine On (Shine All Your Sweet Love on Me)" "I Always Get Lucky with You" "Tennessee Whiskey" "You've Still Got a Place in My Heart" "She's My Rock" "Hallelujah, I Love You So" "Who's Gonna Fill Their Shoes" "The One I Loved Back Then (The Corvette Song)" "Somebody Wants Me Out of the Way" "Wine Colored Roses" "The Right Left Hand" "I Turn to You" "I'm a One Woman Man" "I Don't Need Your Rockin' Chair" "Choices" "Funny How Time Slips Away"
Collaborative singles	"We Must Have Been Out of Our Minds" (w/ Melba Montgomery) "Let's Invite Them Over" (w/ Melba Montgomery) "What's in Our Heart" (w/ Melba Montgomery) "Blue Moon of Kentucky" (w/ Melba Montgomery) "We're Gonna Hold On" (w/ Tammy Wynette) "God's Gonna Get'cha (For That)" (w/ Tammy Wynette) "Golden Ring" (w/ Tammy Wynette) "Near You" (w/ Tammy Wynette) "Maybellene" (w/ Johnny Paycheck) "Two Story House" (w/ Tammy Wynette) "You Better Move On" (w/ Johnny Paycheck) "Yesterday's Wine" (w/ Merle Haggard) "C.C. Waterback" (w/ Merle Haggard)
Guest singles	"A Few Ole Country Boys" (w/ Randy Travis) "A Good Year for the Roses" (w/ Alan Jackson) "You Don't Seem to Miss Me" (w/ Patty Loveless) "A Country Boy Can Survive (Y2K version)" (w/ Chad Brock and Hank Williams, Jr.)
Related articles	Albums discography Singles discography Discography with Tammy Wynette Awards

show v t Tammy Wynette singles
Albums discography Singles discography
1960s	"Apartment No. 9" "Your Good Girl's Gonna Go Bad" "My Elusive Dreams" (with David Houston "I Don't Wanna Play House" "Take Me to Your World" "It's All Over" (with David Houston) "D-I-V-O-R-C-E" "Stand by Your Man" "Singing My Song" "The Ways to Love a Man" "I'll See Him Through"
1970s	"He Loves Me All the Way" "Run, Woman, Run" "The Wonders You Perform" "We Sure Can Love Each Other" "Good Lovin' (Makes It Right)" "Bedtime Story" "Take Me" (with George Jones) "Reach Out Your Hand (And Touch Somebody)" "My Man (Understands)" "'Til I Get It Right" "The Ceremony" (with George Jones) "Kids Say the Darndest Things" "Another Lonely Song" "We're Gonna Hold On" (with George Jones) "(We're Not) The Jet Set" (with George Jones) "We Loved It Away" (with George Jones) "Woman to Woman" "(You Make Me Want to Be a) Mother" "I Still Believe in Fairy Tales" "'Til I Can Make It on My Own" "Golden Ring" (with George Jones) "You and Me" "Near You" (with George Jones) "(Let's Get Together) One Last Time" "One of a Kind" "Southern California" (with George Jones) "Womanhood" "They Call It Makin' Love" "No One Else in the World"
1980s	"He Was There (When I Needed You)" "Starting Over" "Two Story House" (with George Jones) "A Pair of Old Sneakers" (with George Jones) "Crying in the Rain" "Another Chance" "You Still Get to Me in My Dreams" "A Good Night's Love" "Sometimes When We Touch" (with Mark Gray) "Your Love" "Talkin' to Myself Again"
1990s	"Justified and Ancient (Stand by the JAMS)" (The KLF featuring Tammy Wynette) "Silver Threads and Golden Needles" (with Loretta Lynn and Dolly Parton) "Every Breath You Take" (with Sting)