This standard is a poignant ballad about two lovers who have drifted apart and are now “Just Friends.” Red McKenzie and His Orchestra introduced “Just Friends” in October of 1931 with “Time on My Hands” on the flip side.

However, it was not McKenzie’s cover that put “Just Friends” on the charts. In February of 1932, Russ Columbo, one of the most popular singers of the era, performing with Leonard Joy’s Orchestra, took the song to the charts for three weeks where it peaked at number fourteen. In April of the same year, Ben Selvin and His Orchestra put “Just Friends” on the charts for two weeks, also climbing to number fourteen. Selvin was a violinist who made more recordings than any other bandleader.

“Just Friends” is the most often recorded song written by Klenner and Lewis, a team who seems to have shared a common interest in words. Sam M. Lewis wrote the lyrics to “Street of Dreams” (1931) and John Klenner wrote the lyrics to “Down the River of Golden Dreams” (1930) and “On the Street of Regret” (1942).