The Composer had the biggest hit single

"Near You" is a popular song written by Francis Craig with lyrics by Kermit Goell.

The song was published in 1947.  The recording by Francis Craig (the song's composer) 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 music chart at that time. "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.  Five different  versions of the song appeared in the top ten songs in 1947, all of them in the Top Five. Here are some of the best versions; pick your favorite.

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     THE #1 VERSION OF THE SONG, BY THE COMPOSER HIMSELF,
           WITH HIS VERY POPULAR ORCHESTRA IN 1947

THIS ONE, BY THE ANDREWS SISTERS, PEAKED AT #2 IN THE CHARTS:

THIS ONE, BY THE ORCHESTRA OF ELLIOTT LAWRENCE, REACHED #4

IN THAT YEAR (1947), FRANK SINATRA AND DORIS DAY WERE COHOSTS ON THE POPULAR WEEKLY SHOW "YOUR HIT PARADE", WHICH SURVEYED THE TOP SONGS EACH WEEK.  THIS SONG WAS SO POPULAR THAT THEY TOOK TURNS SINGING IT EACH WEEK. HERE, FRANK INTRODUCES DORIS THE WEEK THAT THE SONG REACHED #3. HER TURN TO DO THE SINGING HONORS:

    AND A FEW OTHER VERSIONS OF A SONG THAT HAS BECOME A STANDARD

HOW ABOUT A DOO-WOP VERSION BY A DUTCH GROUP CALLED "BLUE DIAMONDS"?

ROGER WILLIAMS HAS ALWAYS DONE  A GREAT JOB ON STANDARDS. HIS TAKE: