Green Eyes (Aquellos Ojos Verdes)

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"Green Eyes (Aquellos Ojos Verdes)"
Song by Jimmy Dorsey and His Orchestra vocals by Helen O'Connell and Bob Eberly[1]
LanguageSpanish, English
English titleGreen Eyes
A-side"María Elena"
Written1929
ReleasedApril 1941 (1941-04)
RecordedMarch 19, 1941 (1941-03-19)
LabelDecca 3698
Songwriter(s)Adolfo Utrera, Nilo Menéndez
Lyricist(s)1931 English lyrics: Eddie Rivera, Eddie Woods
Jimmy Dorsey and His Orchestra vocals by Helen O'Connell and Bob Eberly[1] singles chronology
"Yours"
(1941) 		"Green Eyes (Aquellos Ojos Verdes)"
(1941) 		"My Sister and I"
(1941)

"Green Eyes" is a popular song, originally written in Spanish under the title "Aquellos Ojos Verdes" ("Those Green Eyes") by Adolfo Utrera and Nilo Menéndez in 1929. The English translation was made by Eddie Rivera and Eddie Woods in 1931.

Spanish version[edit]

The song, a bolero, was written in 1929 and recorded in Cuba the same year. It was the only major hit, both originally in Cuba and then again in the Latin community in New York for Cuban pianist Nilo Menéndez. The lyrics were supplied by Cuban tenor Adolfo Utrera.[2]

English version[edit]

The English version of the song was written in 1931 but did not become a major hit till ten years later when recorded by the Jimmy Dorsey orchestra. The recording was made on March 19, 1941 with vocals by Helen O'Connell and Bob Eberly[1] and released by Decca Records as catalog number 3698. The flip side was "Maria Elena." The record first reached the Billboard charts on May 9, 1941 and lasted 21 weeks on the chart, peaking at #1.[3] Since "Maria Elena" was also a #1 hit, this was a major double-sided hit recording.

Other recordings[edit]

Parodies[edit]

  • Allan Sherman recorded a version of the song titled "Green Stamps", a parody of S&H Green Stamps. During the recording session (according to the liner notes on the album), Sherman had a talk with the college types who hadn't heard of "Green Eyes." He said it was, like the Bossa Nova, once a red-hot tune by Helen O'Connell. He asked, "Any of you remember red-hot Helen O'Connell?" (About half did.)

Recorded versions[edit]

See also[edit]

References[edit]

  1. ^ a b Gilliland, John (1994). Pop Chronicles the 40s: The Lively Story of Pop Music in the 40s (audiobook). ISBN 978-1-55935-147-8. OCLC 31611854. Tape 2, side A.
  2. ^ Josephine Powell Tito Puente: When the Drums Are Dreaming 2007 Page 21 2007 "Fellow Cuban Adolfo Utrera, a well-known tenor part of a core of singers recording consistently with Enric Madriguera, supplied the lyrics. Cugat wasn't pleased when his orchestra arrived in New York and the song had gained national recognition."
  3. ^ Whitburn, Joel (1973). Top Pop Records 1940-1955. Record Research.
  4. ^ "Green Eyes / Tangerine by Cass Elliot". YouTube. Archived from the original on 2021-12-21.
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