"Little Green Apples" is a song written by Bobby Russell. Originally written for and released by American recording artistRoger Miller in 1968, it was also released as a single by American recording artistsPatti Page and O. C. Smith in separate occasions that same year. Miller's version became a Top 40 hit on the BillboardHot 100 chart and on the UK Singles Chart, while Page's version became her last Hot 100 entry and Smith's version became a No. 2 hit on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. The song earned Russell two Grammy Awards for Song of the Year and Best Country Song. In 2013, "Little Green Apples" was covered by English recording artist Robbie Williams featuring American recording artist Kelly Clarkson, which became a top 40 hit in Mexico.
Overview
According to Buzz Cason, who partnered Bobby Russell in the Nashville-based Rising Sons music publishing firm, Russell wrote both the songs "Honey" and "Little Green Apples" as "an experiment in composing", anticipating a potential market for true-to-life story songs...with more 'meat' in the lyrics standard" for current hits. Russell wrote "Little Green Apples" for Roger Miller to record and Miller made the first recording of the song on January 24, 1968 in a session at Columbia Recording StudioNashville produced by Jerry Kennedy. Released as the lead single from the albumA Tender Look at Love, "Little Green Apples" afforded Miller his final Top Ten C&W hit at #6 and also his final Top 40 crossover reaching #39 on the Hot 100 in Billboard. In the UK Miller's "Little Green Apples" reached #19 in the spring of 1968 – when it also reached #46 in Australia – and in the spring of 1969 the track returned to the UK chart reaching #39. Patti Page recorded "Little Green Apples" for her C&W-oriented album Gentle on My Mind whose title cut shared the Easy Listening Top Ten with Roger Miller's "Little Green Apples". Page's version of the latter was released as a single in June 1968 reaching #11 Easy Listening and affording Page the final Hot 100 appearance of her career at #96. O. C. Smith had recorded "Little Green Apples" at Columbia Studios LA for Hickory Holler Revisited, the parent album of his Top 40 hit "Son of Hickory Holler's Tramp". The track "Main Street Mission" was issued as the follow-up single, but as Buzz Cason recalls "a disc jockey in Detroit played the album cut of 'Little Green Apples' one morning". That single spin triggered "such a reaction and rash of phone requests prompt to call Steve Popovich, head of promotion for Columbia in New York ", and "Little Green Apples" replaced "Main Street Mission" as Smith's current single. Smith's version was a #2 hit on the Hot 100, behind "Hey Jude" by the Beatles. And likewise peaked at #2 on the R&B chart in Billboard and was certified Gold for domestic sales of one million units. The song won its composer Bobby Russell the 1969 Grammy Award for Song of the Year and the Grammy Award for Best Country Song.
Chart positions
Weekly charts
;Roger Miller version
Chart
Peak position
Australia
46
;Patti Page version
Chart
Peak position
;O. C. Smith version
Chart
Peak position
Australia
35
;Robbie Williams featuring Kelly Clarkson version
Chart
Peak position
Mexico Inglés Airplay
25
Year-end charts
;O.C. Smith version
Chart
Rank
US Billboard Hot 100
12
Other notable versions
The song has been covered by the following artists and groups:
Bobby Goldsboro on his 1968 album Honey
Burl Ives on his 1968 album The Times They Are A-Changin'
Vicki Lawrence on her 1973 album The Night the Lights Went Out in Georgia
Monica Zetterlund in 1969 as Gröna små äpplen, with Swedish lyrics written by ABBA's manager Stig Anderson. Both the performance and the lyrics won Swedish Grammy awards.
