I ONLY HAVE EYES FOR YOU
Music: Harry Warren – Lyrics: Al Dubin
Year: 1934
Origin of the song
On 1 September 1934 the musical film Dames was released in the US, produced by Warner Bros, directed by Ray Enright and Busby Berkeley and starring Ruby Keeler, Dick Powell, Joan Blondell, Zasu Pitts, Guy Kibee, and Hugh Herbert.
First Dick Powell and then him with Ruby Keeler sang ‘I Only Have Eyes For You’ in the film, which also played many times as background music.
Harry Warren and Al Dubin had kept a fruitful collaboration over the years. To them we owe great hits such as ‘You're Getting to Be a Habit with Me’ (1932), ‘I'll String Along with You’ (1934), ‘Lulu's Back in Town’ (1935), ‘Lullaby of Broadway’ (1935), ‘Summer Night’ (1936), and ‘September in the Rain’ (1937).
Harry Warren is also the author of ‘Nagasaki’ (1928), ‘I’m an Old Cowhand’ (1936) ‘Jeepers Creepers’ (1938), ‘Chattanooga Choo-Choo’ (1941), ‘At Last’ (1942), ‘Serenade in Blue’ (1942), ‘There Will Never Be Another You’ (1942), ‘You’ll Never Know’ (1943), ‘The More I See You’ (1945), and ‘On the Atchison, Topeka, and the Santa Fe’ (1946), which won the Oscar for year’s best song.
Versions in the top charts
|
PERFORMERS |
DATE OF RECORDING |
DAY OF
ENTRANCE |
PERMANENCE WEEKS |
HIGH POSITION REACHED |
|
|
1934.06.15 |
1934.08.11 |
12 |
4 |
Lew Sherwood (voc) |
|
|
1934.06.28 |
1934.07.28 |
8 |
2 (one week) |
Howard Phillips (voc) |
|
|
Jane Froman |
1934.09.?? |
1934.11.10 |
1 |
20 |
Jane Froman (voc), unidentified
orchestra |
|
1959.03.?? |
1959.06.01 |
13 |
3
|
Tommy Hunt, Terry Johnson,
Nate Nelson, Jake Carey, Paul Wilson, Zeke Carey (voc)
Ryhtm & Blues
charts |
Jazz. Outstanding peformances
Instrumental
|
PERFORMERS |
DATE OF RECORDING |
MUSICIANS WHO TOOK PART IN THE RECORDING
|
|
1944.01.31 |
Coleman Hawkins (ts), Roy Eldridge (tp), Teddy Wilson (p), Billy Taylor (b), Cozy Cole (d) |
|
|
1949.03.29 |
Erroll Garner (p), John Simmons (b), Alvin Stoller (d) |
|
|
1950.09.16 |
Oscar Peterson (p), Ray Brown (b) |
|
|
Howard Rumsey's Lighthouse All Stars |
1953.05.31 |
Bob Cooper, Stan Getz (ts), Jimmy Giuffre (bars), Teddy Charles (vib), Russ Freeman (p), Howard Rumsey (b), Shelly Manne (d) |
|
1954.11.15 |
Oscar Peterson (p), Herb Ellis (g), Ray Brown (b) |
|
|
Kenny Drew |
1957.02.?? |
Kenny Drew (p), Wilbur Ware (b) |
|
Sidney Bechet- Martial Solal Quartet |
1957.03.12 |
Sidney Bechet (ss), Martial Solal (p), Lloyd Thompson (b), Al Levitt (d) |
Vocal
|
PERFORMERS |
DATE OF RECORDING |
MUSICIANS WHO TOOK PART IN THE RECORDING
|
|
1935.02.04 |
Coleman Hawkins (ts), Theo Uden Mosman (p, dir), Henk Hinrichs, George van Helvoirt (tp), Marcel Thielmans (tb), Wim Poppink (cl, as, bars), André van den Ouderaa (cl, ts), Jack Pet (g), Tony Limbach (b), Kees Kronenburg (d), Anny de Reuver (voc) |
|
|
1945.08.27 |
Frank Sinatra, The Ken Lane Singers (voc), Axel Stordahl Orchestra |
|
|
1946.01.03 |
Billy Eckstine (voc), Kenny Dorham, Boonie Hazel, Shorty McConnell, Raymond Orr (tp), Chippy Outcalt, Robert Scott, Gerald Valentine (tb), Norris Turney, Bob Williams (as), Gene Ammons, Arthur Simmons (ts), Tate Houston (bars), Richard Ellington (p), Connie Wainwright (g), Bill McMahon (b,) Art Blakey (d) |
|
|
1946.02.05 |
Boyd Raeburn (ss, dir), Carl Groen, Ray Linn, Dale Pierce, Nelson Shelladay (tp), Hal Smith, Ollie Wilson, Britt Woodman (tb), Harry Klee (as, fl), Willie Schwartz (as, cl), Ralph Lea, Guy McReynolds, Lucky Thompson (ts), Hy Mandel (bars), Dodo Marmarosa (p), Dave Barbour (g), Harry Babasin (b), Jackie Mills (d), David Allen (voc) |
|
|
1952.03.26 |
Billie Holiday (voc), Charlie Shavers (tp), Flip Phillips (ts), Oscar Peterson (p), Barney Kessel (g), Ray Brown (b), Alvin Stoller (d) |
|
|
1959.03.03 |
Carmen McRae (voc), Din Ahncy (p), Joe Benjamin (b), Charles Smith (d) |
|
|
1959.07.16 |
Joe Williams (voc), Jimmy Jones Orchestra |
|
|
1960.09.16 |
Etta Jones (voc), Oliver Nelson (ts), Lem Winchester (vib), Richard Wyands (p), George Duvivier (b), Roy Haynes (d) |
|
|
1961.11.14 |
Ella Fitzgerald (voc), Ronnie Lang (as), Nelson Riddle Orchestra |
|
|
René Marie |
2001.02.22 |
René Marie (voc), Chris Potter (ts, cl), Jeremy Pelt (tp), Mulgrew Miller (p), John Hart (g), Robert Hurst (b), Jeff 'Tain' Watts (d), Jeffrey Haynes (per) |
|
Michael Feinstein |
2002.05.10 |
Michael Feinstein (voc), George Shearing (p) |
|
Harry Connick, Jr. |
2003.05.22 |
Harry Connick, Jr. (voc, p,
dir), unidentified orchestra |
On cinemas
The song 'I Only Have Eyes For You' is included in the soundtrack of the following movies:
|
ORIGINAL TITLE |
TITLE IN SPAIN |
YEAR OF PRODUCTION |
PERFORMERS OF THE SONG IN THE FILM |
|
Dames |
Música y mujeres |
1934 |
Dick Powell; Dick
Powell and Ruby Keeler; background music |
|
The Woman In Red |
La mujer vestida de rojo |
1935 |
Gene Raymond |
|
Devil Dogs Of The Air |
Los diablos del aire |
1935 |
Background music; James Cagney |
|
My Dream Is You |
Mi sueño eres tú |
1949 |
|
|
Tea For Two |
Té para dos |
1950 |
Gordon MacRae |
|
Young Man With A Horn |
El trompetista |
1950 |
Phil Morrison Orchestra |
|
Money From Home |
El jinete loco |
1953 |
Dean Martin; background music |
|
Days Of Wine And Roses |
Días de vino y rosas |
1962 |
Background music |
|
American Graffiti |
American Graffiti |
1973 |
The Flamingos |
|
The Right Stuff |
Elegidos para la gloria |
1983 |
The Flamingos |
|
Heart Like A Wheel |
Corazón sobre ruedas |
1983 |
The Flamingos |
|
That’s Dancing! |
¡Esto sí es bailar! |
1985 |
Secuence of 'Dames' |
|
Twins |
Los gemelos golpean dos veces |
1988 |
Background music |
|
Betsy’s Wedding |
Boda pasada por agua |
1990 |
Background music |
|
My Girl |
Mi chica |
1991 |
The Flamingos |
|
Billy Bathgate |
Billy Bathgate |
1991 |
Background music |
|
One Good Cop |
Un buen policía |
1991 |
The Flamingos |
|
A Bronx Tale |
Una historia del Bronx |
1993 |
The Flamingos; The Complexions |
|
In The Line Of Fire |
En la línea de fuego |
1993 |
Background music |
|
Heart And Souls |
Corazones y almas |
1993 |
The Flamingos |
|
For Love Or Money |
Conserje a su medida |
1993 |
Anthony Higgins |
|
Corrina, Corrina |
Corina, Corina |
1994 |
Peter Cox & Niki Harris |
|
Milk Money |
Un regalo para papá |
1994 |
The Flamingos |
|
Just Cause |
Causa justa |
1995 |
André Previn, Joe Pass & Ray Brown; background music |
|
Hideway |
Asesino del más allá |
1995 |
Jeff Goldblum and Christine Lahti |
|
Miami Rhapsody |
Miami |
1995 |
Ella Fitzgerald |
|
My Fellow Americans |
Mis queridos compatriotas |
1996 |
Background music |
|
Hysteria |
Histeria |
1997 |
Lisbeth Scott & Lee Curreri |
|
Out To Sea |
Por rumbas y a lo loco |
1997 |
Louis Armstrong |
|
Pi |
Pi, fe en el caos |
1998 |
Stanley B. Herman |
|
Eyes Wide Shut |
Eyes Wide Shut |
1999 |
The Victor Silvester Orchestra |
|
Four Dogs Playing Poker |
Muerte a la carta |
2000 |
The Flamingos |
|
Space Cowboys |
Space Cowboys |
2000 |
Alison Eastwood |
|
Los otros |
Los otros |
2001 |
Nicole Kidman (a cappella) |
|
A. I. Artificial Intelligence |
Inteligencia Artificial |
2001 |
Dick Powell |
|
Enough |
Nunca más |
2002 |
Jon Joyce |
|
Something’s Gotta Give |
Cuando menos te lo esperas |
2003 |
The Flamingos; Michael Melvoin, John Guerin, Tony Dumas & Mitch Holder |
|
Spider-Man 2 |
Spider-Man 2 |
2004 |
The Peter Cincotti Trio |
|
Happy Feet |
Happy Feet, rompiendo el hielo |
2006 |
|
|
Night At The Museum: Battle Of The Smithsonian |
Noche en el museo 2 |
2009 |
|
|
J. Edgar |
J. Edgar |
2011 |
Kyle Eastwood, Joe Bagg, Kye Palma & Jason Harnell |