THE 1000 BEST SONGS IN THE WORLD EVER.

861-O. C. Smith-Little Green Apples.

1968-It has never charted in the UK.

Best Bit-At 1.12. Granny Smith must have been very proud of him.

‘Little Green Apples’ was written by Bobby Russell, (1940-1992) for the American Country Music singer Roger Miller, (1936-1992) who took his original version of the song to Number 39 on the American Billboard Hot 100 singles chart, and Number 19 in the UK, in 1968. Another recording by the American ‘Traditional Pop/Country’ American singer Patti Page, (1927-2013) also charted on Billboard in 1968, reaching Number 96, and giving Page her final ‘Hot 100’ chart entry. The most successful version of ‘Little Green Apples’ is this one, which was recorded by O. C. Smith, also in 1968, for his second studio Album ‘Hickory Holler Revisited.’ Smith had just achieved his first hit single with ‘The Son of Hickory Holler’s Tramp,’ (Billboard Number 40, and UK Number 2) and the follow up single ‘Main Street Mission,’ (Billboard Number 105) was stalling when, as Buzz Cason (the writing and business partner of this songs writer, see also best songs 875) recalled, ‘A disc jockey in Detroit played the Album cut of ‘Little Green Apples’ one morning.’ That single play of the record triggered such a reaction, and rush of phone requests, that it prompted the DJ to call Steve Popovich, (1942-2011) head of promotion for ‘Columbia Records,’ in New York, and ‘Little Green Apples’ replaced ‘Main Street Mission’ as Smith’s then current single.

O. C. Smith was born Ocie Lee Smith on June 21st, 1932, in Mansfield, Louisiana, United States, he died on November 23rd, 2001, of a heart attack at the age of 69. Smith signed his first recording contract in 1955 with ‘Cadence Records,’ where he released four singles without any success, he then signed with ‘MGM Records,’ but once again he failed to chart. Between 1961-1965 Smith was recruited by the ‘Count Basie Orchestra,’ (see also best songs 73) to be their vocalist, while at the same time continuing to pursue a solo career. Smith finally achieved a hit single in 1968 when his cover of ‘The Son of Hickory Holler’s Tramp,’ reached number 2 in the UK, and Number 40 on Billboard. In later years Smith became the pastor and founder of ‘The City Of Angels Church,’ in Los Angeles, California, where he ministered for 16 years. The discography of O. C. Smith includes 14 Albums released between 1966-2000, and approximately 26 singles issued between 1956-1987. In America on the Billboard Hot 100 singles chart, he achieved three top 40 singles, with ‘Little Green Apples,’ charting the highest at Number 2, while in the UK, he has charted twice, with ‘The Son of Hickory Holler’s Tramp,’ reaching Number 2, and ‘Together,’ from 1976, making Number 25.

‘Little Green Apples’ was the third single released from O.C. Smiths second Album ‘Hickory Holler Revisited,’ from 1968, the song was written by Bobby Russell, with the production credited to Jerry Fuller. Bobby Russell was born on April 19th, 1940, in Nashville, Tennessee, United States, he died on November 19th, 1992, of coronary artery disease, at the age of 52. Other notable songs written by Russell include the American, and Canadian 1972 Number 1 single ‘The Night the Lights Went Out in Georgia,’ which was first recorded by Vicci Laurence, who at that time was Russell’s wife. An even bigger success for Russell was writing the 1968 Billboard Number 1, and UK Number 2 hit ‘Honey’ for Bobby Goldsoro, (see also best songs 942) which in 2011, the ‘Rolling Stone’ magazine ranked the song as the second worst song of the 1960’s. Bobby Russell also had a career as a performer, releasing three Albums between 1968-1971, and 12 singles between 1966-1975, with two of those tracks reaching the Billboard Hot 100, with ‘Saturday Morning Confusion,’ making Number 28 in 1971.

The title of ‘Little Green Apples’ is based on the well known saying ‘Sure as God made little green apples.’ Buzz Cason, who worked closely with Bobby Russell has said that the song, and also ‘Honey,’ were ‘An experiment in composing,’ after they realised that there was a market for ‘slice-of-life stories with more ‘meat’ in the lyrics.’

‘And if that’s not lovin’ me, then all I’ve got to say, God didn’t make little green apples, and it don’t rain in Indianapolis in the summertime. And there’s no such thing as Doctor Seuss, or Disneyland, and Mother Goose, no nursery rhyme. God didn’t make little green apples, and it don’t rain in Indianapolis in the summertime.’