The Nearness Of You – JOHN GARY***

The Nearness Of You/You Stepped Out Of A Dream/My Foolish Heart/Softly As I Leave You/Who Can I Turn To/Hawaiian Wedding Song/Time After Time/On The Street Where You Live/Beautiful/I Wish You Love/Dear Heart/The Sound Of Music

The Nearness Of You was easy listening balladeer John Gary's highest placed LP. He continued to place albums in the lower reaches of the US album chart for the rest of the decade. Later generations scarcely remember him. (US:11)

"Vocalist John Gary had much in common with the laid-back vocal styles of Perry Como and Andy Williams. Unfortunately he never gained the reputation or financial stability they did. In the 1960s Gary covered a wide variety of music that appealed to the easy listening audience. Somehow he got lost in the shuffle when record companies began signing anything Beatle-like. The Nearness Of You consists of tried and true standards."

"I experienced such a rush of past memories when I played this disc. I was taken back to a time when John's music was such a wonderful way to slow down and just enjoy life."

"John Gary once described himself as a 'baritone with a freakish range'. It was just this 'range' that first caught my ear. There are many examples on this album to bear out his description. His tenor range is strongly evident in several cuts, among them is Hawaiian Wedding Song. The vocal strength that John possessed was absolutely amazing. He seemed to be able to effortlessly hold a note for an eternity."

"Classic Gary cuts are all here, delivered in that warm, intimate, passionate style that set him apart from all of the rest - and he must have recorded just about every important love ballad that ever came from Broadway and film during his heyday in the 60s."

"His astounding three octave range won over millions of listeners in the mid-60s, despite the British Invasion and made his records sell worldwide. Sadly, he never reached stardom like a Frank Sinatra or Tony Bennett."

"John's reading of On The Street Where You Live from My Fair Lady is filled with emotion, and a lovely ending with one of John's trademark high notes."