Download Instrumental   This jazz standard has quite the history. Written in 1934 for the musical Dames, it’s an absolutely wonderful piece of music with a chord progression that is delightful to play.  Lots of augmented fifths and diminished 7ths in a jazz score.  And the melody line is smooth like butter.  “I Only Have Eyes for You” is just one of the best songs ever.

But it didn’t start out that way.  Dick Powell and Ruby Keeler introduced the song in Dames,  but it was just horrible (sorry, but it was).  But the beauty of the song was there, and it was  25 years before somebody recognized that fact.  Finally, in 1959, The Flamingos recorded a version that was close to what the song should have been.  The addition of the background vocals “sha bop sha bop” was really not a good thing, and certainly unnecessary.  Just play it straight, please.  Without all the “bebop” additions, the song sells itself.  It’s beautiful – ya don’t have to screw with it!  And Art Garfunkel should have stayed away from it completely.

This is our version and it’s always worked for a crowd that was ready to dance close.  And “close dancing” is ALWAYS a good thing… especially on Valentine’s Day.