I Don't See Me in Your Eyes Anymore
Encyclopedia
"I Don't See Me in Your Eyes Anymore" is a popular
song
, written by Bennie Benjamin
and George David Weiss
and published in 1949. The song was popularized that year by Gordon Jenkins and the Stardusters
and by Perry Como
.
The song received renewed popularity in 1974, when country
singer Charlie Rich
released a cover version he had recorded during the mid-1960s. Rich's rendition reached No. 1 on the Billboard Hot Country Singles
chart in June 1974, crossing the Top 50 Of the "Hot 100" survey and peaking in the top ten of the "Easy Listening" chart.
as catalog number
24576 and first reached the Billboard magazine charts on March 25, 1949 and lasted 21 weeks on the chart, peaking at No. 6.
was released by RCA Victor Records as catalog numbers 20-3347 (78 rpm) and 47-2892 (45 rpm). It was the flip side of "Forever and Ever
." It first reached the Billboard magazine charts on May 6, 1949 and lasted 15 weeks on the chart, peaking at No. 11.
subsidiary, Groove Records
, and association with producer Chet Atkins
, one of the architects of the Nashville Sound
. Like many of Atkins-produced songs of the era, "I Don't See Me ..." featured choral backing and strings, a style prominent on other Rich recordings of the time. Allmusic reviewer Stephen Cook said that Rich's musical style "landed somewhere between the raw sound of his Sun hits ... and the pop crossover tone of his Epic
smashes."
Although recorded in the mid-1960s, "I Don't See Me ..." was never released as a single. Then, in 1973, Rich had million-selling hits with "Behind Closed Doors" and "The Most Beautiful Girl
," and it wasn't long before several of his older recordings made during his tenures at RCA, Mercury
and Sun records
— "I Don't See Me ..." included — were released as singles to country radio.
Released in April — around the time his Epic single "A Very Special Love Song
" was wrapping up its run in popularity — "I Don't See Me ..." quickly became Rich's fifth No. 1 song overall, and third in the first six months of 1974 alone.
(on January 24, 1949, released by MGM Records
as catalog number 10373), by Buddy Clark
(on January 4, 1949, released by Columbia Records
as catalog number 38408), and in the United Kingdom
by Vera Lynn
and Sam Browne
(on February 5, 1949, released by British Decca Records
as catalog number F 9127). The song hit #1 in the British sheet music charts (no record charts published until 1952).
The song was featured on the Fun Lovin' Criminals
track "There was a time" from their 2001 album "Loco".
Popular music
Popular music belongs to any of a number of musical genres "having wide appeal" and is typically distributed to large audiences through the music industry. It stands in contrast to both art music and traditional music, which are typically disseminated academically or orally to smaller, local...
song
Song
In music, a song is a composition for voice or voices, performed by singing.A song may be accompanied by musical instruments, or it may be unaccompanied, as in the case of a cappella songs...
, written by Bennie Benjamin
Bennie Benjamin
Claude A. Benjamin was a songwriter, often teaming with George David Weiss. He was born on November 4, 1907 in Christiansted on the island of St. Croix . At the age of twenty, he moved to New York City. There, he studied the banjo and guitar with Hy Smith...
and George David Weiss
George David Weiss
George David Weiss was an American songwriter and former President of the Songwriters Guild of America.-Career:...
and published in 1949. The song was popularized that year by Gordon Jenkins and the Stardusters
Gordon Jenkins
Gordon Hill Jenkins was an American arranger, composer and pianist who was an influential figure in popular music in the 1940s and 1950s, renowned for his lush string arrangements...
and by Perry Como
Perry Como
Pierino Ronald "Perry" Como was an American singer and television personality. During a career spanning more than half a century he recorded exclusively for the RCA Victor label after signing with them in 1943. "Mr...
.
The song received renewed popularity in 1974, when country
Country music
Country music is a popular American musical style that began in the rural Southern United States in the 1920s. It takes its roots from Western cowboy and folk music...
singer Charlie Rich
Charlie Rich
Charles Rich was an American country music singer and musician. A Grammy Award winner, his eclectic-style of music was often hard to classify in a single genre, playing in the rockabilly, jazz, blues, country, and gospel genres.In the latter part of his life, Rich acquired the nickname The Silver...
released a cover version he had recorded during the mid-1960s. Rich's rendition reached No. 1 on the Billboard Hot Country Singles
Hot Country Songs
Hot Country Songs is a chart published weekly by Billboard magazine in the United States.This 60-position chart lists the most popular country music songs, calculated weekly mostly by airplay and occasionally commercial sales...
chart in June 1974, crossing the Top 50 Of the "Hot 100" survey and peaking in the top ten of the "Easy Listening" chart.
Gordon Jenkins
The recording by Gordon Jenkins was released by Decca RecordsDecca Records
Decca Records began as a British record label established in 1929 by Edward Lewis. Its U.S. label was established in late 1934; however, owing to World War II, the link with the British company was broken for several decades....
as catalog number
Catalog numbering systems for single records
This article presents the numbering systems used by various record companies for single records.- Capitol :...
24576 and first reached the Billboard magazine charts on March 25, 1949 and lasted 21 weeks on the chart, peaking at No. 6.
Perry Como
The recording by Perry ComoPerry Como
Pierino Ronald "Perry" Como was an American singer and television personality. During a career spanning more than half a century he recorded exclusively for the RCA Victor label after signing with them in 1943. "Mr...
was released by RCA Victor Records as catalog numbers 20-3347 (78 rpm) and 47-2892 (45 rpm). It was the flip side of "Forever and Ever
Forever and Ever (song)
"Forever and Ever" is a popular song.The English lyrics were written by Malia Rosa in 1948 to the music of a German song, "Fliege mit mir in die Heimat" written by the Austrian songwriter Franz Winkler.It was originally recorded by Gracie Fields....
." It first reached the Billboard magazine charts on May 6, 1949 and lasted 15 weeks on the chart, peaking at No. 11.
Charlie Rich
Rich's version came about during his stint at RCA's rhythm and bluesRhythm and blues
Rhythm and blues, often abbreviated to R&B, is a genre of popular African American music that originated in the 1940s. The term was originally used by record companies to describe recordings marketed predominantly to urban African Americans, at a time when "urbane, rocking, jazz based music with a...
subsidiary, Groove Records
Groove Records
Groove Records was founded by Billboard reporter Bob Rolontz in 1953 as a rhythm and blues label. The label tried hard to break into the R&B market. Piano Red was its first hit but Mickey and Sylvia was its first big seller. The label also recorded King Curtis, Arthur Crudup, Brook Benton and...
, and association with producer Chet Atkins
Chet Atkins
Chester Burton Atkins , known as Chet Atkins, was an American guitarist and record producer who, along with Owen Bradley, created the smoother country music style known as the Nashville sound, which expanded country's appeal to adult pop music fans as well.Atkins's picking style, inspired by Merle...
, one of the architects of the Nashville Sound
Nashville sound
The Nashville sound originated during the late 1950s as a sub-genre of American country music, replacing the chart dominance of honky tonk music which was most popular in the 1940s and 1950s...
. Like many of Atkins-produced songs of the era, "I Don't See Me ..." featured choral backing and strings, a style prominent on other Rich recordings of the time. Allmusic reviewer Stephen Cook said that Rich's musical style "landed somewhere between the raw sound of his Sun hits ... and the pop crossover tone of his Epic
Epic Records
Epic Records is an American record label, owned by Sony Music Entertainment. Though it was originally conceived as a jazz imprint, it has since expanded to represent various genres. L.A...
smashes."
Although recorded in the mid-1960s, "I Don't See Me ..." was never released as a single. Then, in 1973, Rich had million-selling hits with "Behind Closed Doors" and "The Most Beautiful Girl
The Most Beautiful Girl
"The Most Beautiful Girl" is a song recorded by Charlie Rich and written by Bill Sherrill, Norris Wilson, and Rory Michael Bourke. The country & western ballad reached #1 in the United States in 1973 on three Billboard music charts: the pop chart ; the country chart ; and the adult contemporary...
," and it wasn't long before several of his older recordings made during his tenures at RCA, Mercury
Mercury Records
Mercury Records is a record label operating as a standalone company in the UK and as part of the Island Def Jam Motown Music Group in the US; both are subsidiaries of Universal Music Group. There is also a Mercury Records in Australia, which is a local artist and repertoire division of Universal...
and Sun records
Sun Records
Sun Records is a record label founded in Memphis, Tennessee, starting operations on March 27, 1952.Founded by Sam Phillips, Sun Records was known for giving notable musicians such as Elvis Presley , Carl Perkins, Roy Orbison, and Johnny Cash...
— "I Don't See Me ..." included — were released as singles to country radio.
Released in April — around the time his Epic single "A Very Special Love Song
A Very Special Love Song
"A Very Special Love Song" is the title of a 1974 song by country music singer Charlie Rich. The song was written by Billy Sherrill and Norro Wilson, songwriters who had also written Rich's 1973 hit, "The Most Beautiful Girl"...
" was wrapping up its run in popularity — "I Don't See Me ..." quickly became Rich's fifth No. 1 song overall, and third in the first six months of 1974 alone.
Other cover versions
Other recordings were made by Helen ForrestHelen Forrest
Helen Forrest was one of the most popular female jazz vocalists during America's Big Band era. She was born Helen Fogel to a Jewish family in Atlantic City, New Jersey on April 12, 1917...
(on January 24, 1949, released by MGM Records
MGM Records
MGM Records was a record label started by the Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer film studio in 1946, for the purpose of releasing soundtrack albums of their musical films. Later it became a pop label, lasting into the 1970s...
as catalog number 10373), by Buddy Clark
Buddy Clark
Buddy Clark was a popular American singer in the 1930s and 1940s.-Life and career:Clark was born Samuel Goldberg to Jewish parents in Dorchester, Massachusetts. He made his Big Band singing debut in 1934 with Benny Goodman on the Let's Dance radio program. In 1936 he started to perform on the...
(on January 4, 1949, released by Columbia Records
Columbia Records
Columbia Records is an American record label, owned by Japan's Sony Music Entertainment, operating under the Columbia Music Group with Aware Records. It was founded in 1888, evolving from an earlier enterprise, the American Graphophone Company — successor to the Volta Graphophone Company...
as catalog number 38408), and in the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
by Vera Lynn
Vera Lynn
Dame Vera Lynn, DBE is an English singer-songwriter and actress whose musical recordings and performances were enormously popular during World War II. During the war she toured Egypt, India and Burma, giving outdoor concerts for the troops...
and Sam Browne
Sam Browne (musician)
Sam Browne was an English dance band singer, who became one of the most popular British dance band vocalists of the 1930s. He is remembered for singing with Jack Hylton and with Ambrose and his Orchestra, at the Mayfair Hotel and Embassy Club, with whom he made many recordings from 1930 to 1942,...
(on February 5, 1949, released by British Decca Records
Decca Records
Decca Records began as a British record label established in 1929 by Edward Lewis. Its U.S. label was established in late 1934; however, owing to World War II, the link with the British company was broken for several decades....
as catalog number F 9127). The song hit #1 in the British sheet music charts (no record charts published until 1952).
The song was featured on the Fun Lovin' Criminals
Fun Lovin' Criminals
The Fun Lovin' Criminals is an American alternative hip hop / alternative rock group from New York City. Their musical style is primarily eclectic, covering styles such as hip hop, rock, funk, blues and jazz. Their songs often deal with life in New York City, as well as urban life in general...
track "There was a time" from their 2001 album "Loco".