The Nearest Thing To Heaven was a sizable hit for Bunny Walters in 1974. It reached #10 in the New Zealand charts. It was also his last hit.
Background The song was composed by Tony Macaulay, Gary Sulsh, and Stuart Leathwood. The song was originally recorded by Ben Thomas, released in the UK on Bell Records BELL 1272 in 1972.Discogs - Ben Thomas (10) – The Nearest Thing To Heaven The version recorded by Bunny Walters was released in 1974 on Impact IR 1084. The B side contained "Songs We Sang Together" which was also composed by Tony Macaulay. This version that Walters recorded was produced by Alan Galbraith,45Cat - Bunny Walters - Discography and was the one that became the hit.TVNZ, Wed, Dec 14 - Iconic Maori singer Bunny Walters, best known for hit 'Brandy', dies after illness This single followed his previous release, the Bernie Allen arranged "Helena", which even though a gold disc entry,45Cat - Bunny Walters - DiscographyNew Zealand herald, 30 June 1973 - (Article by John Berry wasn't a hit.
Chart performance The September 7, 1974, issue of Billboard recorded the song at No. 10 in New Zealand.Billboard, September 7, 1974 - Page 55 Billboard Hits of the World, New Zealand That was the highest position it reached during a nine-week run on the chart.NZ Music.net - Bunny Walters, BioCharts.org.nz - October 11, 1974 Walters didn't have any more chart hits after that.NZ Music.net - Bunny Walters, Bio
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