The Nearness of You
"The Nearness of You" is a popular song written in 1937 by Hoagy Carmichael with lyrics by Ned Washington. Intended for an unproduced Paramount film titled Romance In The Rough, the studio's publishing division Famous Music reregistered and published the song in 1940. It was first recorded by Chick Bullock and his Orchestra on Vocalion. Despite numerous accounts to the contrary, the song was never scheduled for and does not appear in the 1938 Paramount film Romance in the Dark.It is also heard in the 1940 recording In the Mood by Glenn Miller and His Orchestra, with vocals by Ray Eberle, and by many others.
The song is on the Grammy-Award-winning album Come Away with Me by Norah Jones, at Track 14.

Lyrics
It's not the pale moon that excites meThat thrills and delights me, oh noIt's just the nearness of you
It isn't your sweet conversationThat brings this sensation, oh noIt's just the nearness of you
When you're in my arms and I feel you so close to meAll my wildest dreams come true
I need no soft lights to enchant meIf you'll only grant me the rightTo hold you ever so tightAnd to feel in the night the nearness of you

Covers
The first big-selling version was recorded on April 28, 1940, by the Glenn Miller Orchestra, with a vocal by Ray Eberle (Bluebird). This recording first reached the Billboard Best Seller chart on July 20, 1940, and lasted eight weeks on the chart, peaking at No. 5.Other popular versions around that time were recorded by Kay Kyser's orchestra (vocal: Harry Babbitt, Columbia catalog number 35488), by Dinah Shore with Paul Weston's orchestra (Bluebird), and by Eddy Howard with Lou Adrian's orchestra (Columbia).In 1953, Bob Manning reached No. 16 on the pop charts with this songThe 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.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.

Other versions
Al Jarreau on his 2004 album, Accentuate The Positive
Annie Lennox on Nostalgia (Island Records) 2014
Barbra Streisand on her 1967 album Simply Streisand
Bill Doggett (1970 King) with "Moon Dust"
Bill Doggett with "Honey" (King), 1954
Bing Crosby recorded in 1954 for his radio show
Bob Manning (Capitol), Australian Capitol, UK Capitol (1953)
Charlie Parker with the Woody Herman Orchestra – 1951
Chick Bullock with Fools Rush In (recorded April 26, 1940, Vocalion)
Connee Boswell with "Blueberry Hill" (Decca)
Cy Coleman with "You Call It Madness" (MGM) 
Della Reese on An Evening with Della Reese, 1958
Dinah Shore (recorded June 25, 1940, Bluebird) with "Maybe"
Eddy Howard with "Fools Fall in Love" (Columbia)
Ella Fitzgerald on her 1989 Pablo Records release All that Jazz
Etta James (album Time After Time)
Frank Sinatra in 1947, then during the Nice 'n' Easy (1960) sessions
George Shearing and Nancy Wilson – The Swingin's Mutual (1960)
Gerry Mulligan – Pleyel Jazz Concert Vol. 1 (1954)
Glenn Miller – 1940
Guy Lombardo (Decca) with "Blue Lovebird"
Harry James (recorded May 1940, Varsity) with "Mister Meadowlark"
Hash Brown (Philips, 1963) with "I Got My Job Through The New York Times"
James Taylor on American Standard (2020)
Jo Stafford for her 1956 album Ski Trails with Paul Weston and His Orchestra
Joe Pass on Virtuoso No. 4 (1983, recorded in 1973)
Johnny Hartman - For Trane (Blue Note, 1995) (rec. 1972)
Johnny Hodges – Wings and Things (1964)
Joni James (MGM, 1956) with "Let There Be Love"
Joshua Redman and Brad Mehldau on Nearness (2016)
Julie Benko on her 2022 album Hand in Hand.
Kandace Springs on her 2020 album The Women Who Raised Me.
Kay Kyser (recorded April 30, 1940, Columbia) with "Blue Lovebird"
Keely Smith on her 1959 album Swingin' Pretty with Nelson Riddle and His Orchestra
Kuh Ledesma
Larry Clinton (Victor, 1940) 
Leon Merian - 1957
Little Jimmy Scott on his 2017 album I Go Back Home (feat. Joe Pesci)
Lou Donaldson with "Mack the Knife" (Blue Note)
Louis Armstrong with Ella Fitzgerald – Ella and Louis
Marie Knight (Diamond, 1963) and Apex both with "Walk Away"
Mat Mathews Quintet (released 1952 by Brunswick) with "Bag's Groove"
Michael Brecker and James Taylor with Herbie Hancock – Nearness of You (2000)
Norah Jones ended her 2002 album Come Away with Me with this song.
Pat Boone
RJ Jacinto on his 2017 album, Songs I Grew Up With
Reinhold Svensson (Discovery, 1950) with "Strike Up the Band"
Rick Nelson on his 1963 album Ricky Nelson sings "For You"
Ruben Studdard on his 2014 album, Unconditional Love
Sammy Davis Jr. with "Mad Ball" (Brunswick, 1957) 
Sarah Vaughan – 1949
Seal on his 2017 album, Seal Standards
Sheena Easton for her 1993 album No Strings and the OST for Indecent Proposal
Steve Turre with James Carter and Mulgrew Miller – TNT (2000)
Tab Smith (Checker) and Quality both with "Because of You"
The Flamingos (1965 Philips) with "Don't Cheat On Me"
The Roommates (1963, Philips) with "Don't Cheat On Me"
Three Sounds with "One for Renee" (Blue Note)
Vic West (Planet, 1957) with "This Love of Mine"
Warne Marsh – A Ballad Album (1983)
Will Downing & Gerald Albright from their 1998 album, Pleasures of the Night
Willie Nelson on his American Classic album (2009)
Woody Herman with "Johannesburg" (recorded June 25, 1950, Capitol)

See also
List of 1930s jazz standards


== References ==