THE NEARNESS OF YOU
Music: Hoagy Carmichael- Lyrics: Ned Washington
Year: 1937
Origin of the song
In 1937, ‘The Nearness Of You’ was going to be included in the score of the film Romance in the rough, but the film wasn’t filmed and the song had to wait. In 1940, Glenn Miller’s orchestra, with Ray Eberle as a solo artist, recorded it for the label Bluebird. The disc got into the hit charts on 29 June of that year and reached fifth place.
With regard to the origins of the song, it seems that Hoagy Carmichael wrote the melody for a cinema adaptation of Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream, in which Mickey Rooney was to interpret the role of Puck with just 15 years old. Later, it became ‘The Nearness Of You’ with the lyrics of Ned Washington.
Even though many publications include it as part of the score of Romance in the dark, directed by H. C. Potter in 1938 and starring Gladys Swarthout, John Boles and John Barrymore, it is actually a mistake, probably because of the confusion with Romance in the dark with Romance in the rough.
Versions in the top charts
|
PERFORMERS |
DATE OF RECORDING |
DAY OF
ENTRANCE |
PERMANENCE WEEKS |
HIGH POSITION REACHED |
|
|
1940.04.28 |
1940.06.29 |
11 |
5 |
Ray Eberle (voc) |
|
|
Bob Manning |
1953.01.02 |
1953.04.11 |
6 |
16 |
Bob Manning (voc), Monty Kelly Orchestra |
Jazz. Outstanding performances
Instrumental
|
PERFORMERS |
DATE OF RECORDING |
MUSICIANS WHO TOOK PART IN THE RECORDING
|
|
1948.11.26 |
George Shearing (p), Jack Fallon (b), Norman Burns (d) |
|
|
1949.09.02 |
Ted Heath (dir), Bobby Pratt, Stan Roderick, Stan Reynolds, Ronnie Hughes (tp), Jackie Armstrong, Maurice Pratt, Jack Bentley, Jimmy Coombes (tb), Les Gilbert, Reg Owen (as), Tommy Whittle, Henry Mackenzie (ts), Dave Shand (bars), Dave Simpson (p), Jack Seymour (b), Jack Parnell (d) |
|
|
1951.07.22 |
Charlie Parker (as), Woody Herman (cl, dir), Roy Caton, Don Fagerquist, Johnny Macombe, Doug Mettome (tp), Jerry Dorn, Urbie Green, Fred Lewis (tb), Dick Hafer, Bill Perkins, Kenny Pinson (ts), Sam Staff (bars), Dave McKenna (p), Lawrence 'Red' Wooten (b), Sonny Igoe (d) |
|
|
1953.04.30 |
Chet Baker (tp), Gerry Mulligan (bars), Carson Smith (b), Larry Bunker (d) |
|
|
Lionel Hampton Quartet |
1953.09.02 |
Lionel Hampton (vib), Oscar Peterson (p), Ray Brown (b), Buddy Rich (d) |
|
1956.07.23 |
Nat Adderley (cnt), Cannonball Adderley (as), Junior Mance (p), Al McKibbon (b), Charles 'Specs' Wright (d) |
|
|
Warne Marsh Quartet |
1983.04.07 |
Warne Marsh (ts), Lou Levy (p), Jesper Lundgaard (b), James Martin (d) |
|
1988.01.03 |
Branford Marsalis (ss), Milt Hilton (b), Jeff 'Tain' Watts (d) |
|
|
Jessica Williams |
1992.02.16 |
Jessica Williams (p) |
|
Roy Hargrove Quintet |
1995.01.?? |
Roy Hargrove (tp, fis), Ron Blake (ss, ts), Stephen Scott (p), Rodney Whitaker (b), Gregory Hutchinson (d), David 'Fathead' Newman (ts, fl) |
|
Fred Hersch |
1998.10.13 |
Fred Hersch (p) |
|
2001.08.?? |
Lynne Arriale (p), Jay Anderson (b), Steve Davis (d) |
|
|
2001.09.?? |
Bill Charlap (p), Peter Washington (b), Kenny Washington (d) |
|
|
Bennie Wallace Trio |
2003.06.24 |
Bennie Wallace (ts), Kenny Barron (p), Eddie Gómez (b) |
Vocal
|
PERFORMERS |
DATE OF RECORDING |
MUSICIANS WHO TOOK PART IN THE RECORDING
|
|
1949.12.21 |
Sarah Vaughan (voc), Joe Lippman Orchestra |
|
|
1956.08.16 |
Ella Fitzgerald (voc), Louis Armstrong (voc, tp), Oscar Peterson (p), Herb Ellis (g), Ray Brown (b), Buddy Rich (d) |
|
|
1958.02.21 |
Helen Merrill (voc), Bobby Jaspar (fl), Bill Evans (p), George Russell (g), Oscar Pettiford (b), Jo Jones (d) |
|
|
1960.07.06 |
George Shearing (p), Ralph Peña (b), Vernel Fournier (d), Nancy Wilson (voc) |
|
|
1992.10.04 |
Abbey Lincoln (voc), Hank Jones (p) |
|
|
Nancy King & Glen Moore |
1993.03.?? |
Nancy King (voc), Warren Rand (as), Art Lande (p), Glen Moore (b), Gary Hobbs (d) |
|
2002.??.?? |
Norah Jones (voc, p) |
|
|
2006.05.?? |
Jeanette Lindström (voc), Palle Danielsson (b), Magnus Öström (d) |
On cinemas
The song 'The Nearness Of You' is included in the soundtrack of the following movies:
|
ORIGINAL TITLE |
TITLE IN SPAIN |
YEAR OF PRODUCTION |
PERFORMERS OF THE SONG IN THE FILM |
|
The Set-Up |
Nadie puede vencerme |
1949 |
Backgorund music |
|
Touch Of Larceny |
Operación Robinson |
1959 |
Jimmy Lloyd |
|
The Rat Race |
Perdidos en la gran ciudad |
1960 |
|
|
Girls! Girls! Girls! |
¡Chicas, chicas, chicas! |
1962 |
Stella Stevens (dubbed by Gilda Maiken) |
|
Ash Wednesday |
Miércoles de ceniza |
1973 |
Jerry Wright |
|
Paternity |
Un padre fuera de serie |
1981 |
|
|
Flashdance |
Flashdance |
1983 |
|
|
Terms Of Endearment |
La fuerza del cariño |
1983 |
|
|
Heartbum |
Se acabó el pastel |
1986 |
|
|
Major League |
Una mujer en la liga |
1989 |
Bill Medley |
|
Indecent Proposal |
Una proposición indecente |
1993 |
Sheena Easton |
|
Nobody’s Fool |
Ni un pelo de tonto |
1994 |
|
|
Basquiat |
Basquiat |
1996 |
|
|
Out To Sea |
Por rumbas y a lo loco |
1997 |
|
|
The Impostors |
Los impostores |
1998 |
Steve Buscemi with Gary DeMichele & Band |
|
Joe Gould’s Secret |
El secreto de Joe Gould |
2000 |
Charlie Parker with Woody Herman Orchestra |
|
Two Weeks Notice |
Amor con preaviso |
2002 |
Norah Jones |
|
Twisted |
Giro inesperado |
2004 |
Tierney Sutton |
|
Last Holiday |
Las últimas vacaciones |
2006 |
Ann Hampton Callaway |
|
Takers |
Ladrones |
2010 |
David J. Hahn |