Eve, the Apple of My Eye
Encyclopedia
"Eve, the Apple of My Eye" is a single by the Irish
indie rock
quintet, Bell X1, taken from the band's second album Music in Mouth
.
It was eventually released on 11 June 2004 in Ireland
and 14 June 2004 in the UK
, having been originally scheduled for release on 28 May in Ireland and 7 June in the UK. It entered the Irish Singles Chart
on 17 June 2004, spending two weeks there and peaking at number 18. The single included a cover of the Justin Timberlake
song "Like I Love You
".
Outside Ireland it is best known in the United States
where it featured as background music in a scene from one of their television shows, The O.C.
(featuring Damien Rice
). Called "Never", it was released on the Neither Am I
album, before being rewritten and retitled "Eve, the Apple of My Eye" for their second album, Music In Mouth. As "Never" it was performed at a 2FM
session and released on a four-tracker as the third track on a record that included "Expensive Silence", "Then Go" and "Deliverance".
television series The O.C in which two of the female characters, played by Mischa Barton
and Olivia Wilde
, shared a lesbian
kiss.
Paul Noonan later commented that they initially "thought someone was taking the piss" after receiving an e-mail from the show through their Hotmail
account to seek permission.
This incident gave the band a wider appeal. They embarked on their debut US tour in 2003 as a consequence. "Eve, the Apple of My Eye" subsequently went on to feature on the music compilation, Music from the OC: Mix 4. However the band were also on the receiving end of some "rather ridiculous" hate email from some angry America
n Christian
s. Noonan said:
With increased record sales, David Geraghty
later said to Ed Power of the Irish Independent
: "The OC thing was a huge deal and we have no regrets about doing it. It opened doors for us abroad".
As a result of The O.C. being broadcast in hundreds of countries Bell X1 were reported to have made lots of money from the royalties.
—"A fair whack of the punters finally got what they wanted as the familiar piano strains of "Eve, The Apple Of My Eye" rang out, summoning screams of 'Oh my GOD, I LOVE this song!' from Abercrombie-clad teens everywhere".
A live performance of the song witnessed by the Irish Independent in 2009 was "delivered so movingly it's likely to raise goose-pimples".
journalists Neil Dunphy and Una Mullally named it number 46 in their 2008 "ultimate playlist representing the top-50 Irish songs of all time", reminding readers that it was "chiefly known in the States as the soundtrack to that lesbian kiss in The OC".
Republic of Ireland
Ireland , described as the Republic of Ireland , is a sovereign state in Europe occupying approximately five-sixths of the island of the same name. Its capital is Dublin. Ireland, which had a population of 4.58 million in 2011, is a constitutional republic governed as a parliamentary democracy,...
indie rock
Indie rock
Indie rock is a genre of alternative rock that originated in the United Kingdom and the United States in the 1980s. Indie rock is extremely diverse, with sub-genres that include lo-fi, post-rock, math rock, indie pop, dream pop, noise rock, space rock, sadcore, riot grrrl and emo, among others...
quintet, Bell X1, taken from the band's second album Music in Mouth
Music In Mouth
Music in Mouth is the second studio album from Irish band Bell X1, released on 18 July 2003 in Ireland and on 21 July in the UK. It was produced by Jamie Cullum ....
.
It was eventually released on 11 June 2004 in Ireland
Republic of Ireland
Ireland , described as the Republic of Ireland , is a sovereign state in Europe occupying approximately five-sixths of the island of the same name. Its capital is Dublin. Ireland, which had a population of 4.58 million in 2011, is a constitutional republic governed as a parliamentary democracy,...
and 14 June 2004 in the UK
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...
, having been originally scheduled for release on 28 May in Ireland and 7 June in the UK. It entered the Irish Singles Chart
Irish Singles Chart
The Irish Singles Chart is Ireland's music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by the Irish Recorded Music Association and compiled on behalf of the IRMA by Chart-Track. Chart rankings are based on sales, which are compiled through over-the-counter retail data captured...
on 17 June 2004, spending two weeks there and peaking at number 18. The single included a cover of the Justin Timberlake
Justin Timberlake
Justin Randall Timberlake is an American pop musician and actor. He achieved early fame when he appeared as a contestant on Star Search, and went on to star in the Disney Channel television series The New Mickey Mouse Club, where he met future bandmate JC Chasez...
song "Like I Love You
Like I Love You
"Like I Love You" is the first single from Justin Timberlake's solo debut album Justified, featuring a rap from hip hop duo Clipse. Released in 2002, the Neptunes-produced single peaked at #11 on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100. It also peaked at #2 in the United Kingdom, with Dilemma keeping the song...
".
Outside Ireland it is best known in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
where it featured as background music in a scene from one of their television shows, The O.C.
The O.C.
The O.C. is an American teen drama television series that originally aired on the Fox television network in the United States from August 5, 2003, to February 21, 2007, running a total of four seasons...
Original
"Eve" was originally written and performed when Bell X1 were JuniperJuniper (band)
Juniper were an Irish rock band from County Kildare, most widely-known today as a precursor to Damien Rice and Bell X1. The band consisted of Rice , Paul Noonan, Brian Crosby, Dominic Philips and David Geraghty...
(featuring Damien Rice
Damien Rice
Damien Rice is an Irish singer-songwriter, musician and record producer who plays guitar, piano, clarinet and percussion....
). Called "Never", it was released on the Neither Am I
Neither Am I
Neither Am I is the debut studio album by Irish band Bell X1, released on October 13, 2000. It features a number of songs previously written and recorded with Damien Rice, the lead singer of the band's former incarnation, Juniper, and with producer and Crowded House bassist, Nick Seymour.-Track...
album, before being rewritten and retitled "Eve, the Apple of My Eye" for their second album, Music In Mouth. As "Never" it was performed at a 2FM
RTÉ 2fm
RTÉ 2fm, or 2FM as it is more commonly referred to, is Raidió Teilifís Éireann's second national radio station. It broadcasts popular music programming aimed at a young Irish audience.- History :...
session and released on a four-tracker as the third track on a record that included "Expensive Silence", "Then Go" and "Deliverance".
Use in television
The song was famously used in a scene of United States teen dramaTeen drama
A teen drama is a dramatic television series with a major focus on teenage characters. The genre was relatively non-existent for the first 45 years of television; it came into prominence in the early 1990s...
television series The O.C in which two of the female characters, played by Mischa Barton
Mischa Barton
Mischa Anne Marsden Barton is a British-American fashion model, film, television, and stage actress, best known for her role as Marissa Cooper in the American television series The O.C..-Early life:...
and Olivia Wilde
Olivia Wilde
Olivia Wilde is an American actress and fashion model. She began acting in the early 2000s, and has since appeared in a number of film and television parts, including roles in the serial-drama The O.C. and The Black Donnellys. She portrayed Dr...
, shared a lesbian
Lesbian
Lesbian is a term most widely used in the English language to describe sexual and romantic desire between females. The word may be used as a noun, to refer to women who identify themselves or who are characterized by others as having the primary attribute of female homosexuality, or as an...
kiss.
Paul Noonan later commented that they initially "thought someone was taking the piss" after receiving an e-mail from the show through their Hotmail
Hotmail
Windows Live Hotmail, formerly known as MSN Hotmail and commonly referred to simply as Hotmail, is a free web-based email service operated by Microsoft as part of its Windows Live group. It was founded by Sabeer Bhatia and Jack Smith and launched in July 1996 as "HoTMaiL". It was one of the first...
account to seek permission.
This incident gave the band a wider appeal. They embarked on their debut US tour in 2003 as a consequence. "Eve, the Apple of My Eye" subsequently went on to feature on the music compilation, Music from the OC: Mix 4. However the band were also on the receiving end of some "rather ridiculous" hate email from some angry America
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
n Christian
Christian
A Christian is a person who adheres to Christianity, an Abrahamic, monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth as recorded in the Canonical gospels and the letters of the New Testament...
s. Noonan said:
"We actually got irate emails from some ChristianIn 2008, a Bell X1 gig on their US tour was attended by members of the cast. Noonan said:ChristianityChristianity is a monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus as presented in canonical gospels and other New Testament writings...
folks linking us with that behaviour."
"A couple of them came to see us play the Viper RoomViper RoomThe Viper Room is a nightclub located on the Sunset Strip in West Hollywood, California. It was opened in 1993 and was partly owned by actor Johnny Depp until 2004. The club became known for being a hangout of Hollywood elite, and was the site where actor River Phoenix died of a drug overdose on...
in LALos Angeles, CaliforniaLos Angeles , with a population at the 2010 United States Census of 3,792,621, is the most populous city in California, USA and the second most populous in the United States, after New York City. It has an area of , and is located in Southern California...
... and we didn't know who they were."
With increased record sales, David Geraghty
David Geraghty
David Geraghtyis a Choice Music Prize-nominated. He is a solo artist, producer and a member of Irish band Bell X1.-Early career:...
later said to Ed Power of the Irish Independent
Irish Independent
The Irish Independent is Ireland's largest-selling daily newspaper that is published in both compact and broadsheet formats. It is the flagship publication of Independent News & Media.-History:...
: "The OC thing was a huge deal and we have no regrets about doing it. It opened doors for us abroad".
As a result of The O.C. being broadcast in hundreds of countries Bell X1 were reported to have made lots of money from the royalties.
Track listings
- CDS CID 856
- "Eve, the Apple of My Eye" - (4:05)
- "Ten Paces" - (-)
- "Like I Love You" - (4:06)
- "Eve, the Apple of My Eye" - (video)
- CDS (Promo) CIDDJ856
- "Eve, the Apple of My Eye" - (4:05)
- "Eve, the Apple of My Eye" - (3:35) (radio edit)
- 7" Apple Green Vinyl IS856/9866800
- "Eve, the Apple of My Eye" - (4:04)
- "Like I Love You" - (4:06)
Live performance
George Whyte in his Irish Independent review of the December 2006 concert at the Point TheatrePoint Theatre
The Point Theatre was a concert and events venue in Ireland, that ran from 1988–2007, enjoyed by in excess of 2 million people. It was located on the North Wall Quay of the River Liffey, amongst the Dublin Docklands...
—"A fair whack of the punters finally got what they wanted as the familiar piano strains of "Eve, The Apple Of My Eye" rang out, summoning screams of 'Oh my GOD, I LOVE this song!' from Abercrombie-clad teens everywhere".
A live performance of the song witnessed by the Irish Independent in 2009 was "delivered so movingly it's likely to raise goose-pimples".
Legacy
Sunday TribuneSunday Tribune
The Sunday Tribune was an Irish Sunday broadsheet newspaper published by Tribune Newspapers plc. It was edited in its final years by Nóirín Hegarty, who changed both the tone and the physical format of the newspaper from broadsheet to tabloid. Former editors include Conor Brady, Vincent Browne,...
journalists Neil Dunphy and Una Mullally named it number 46 in their 2008 "ultimate playlist representing the top-50 Irish songs of all time", reminding readers that it was "chiefly known in the States as the soundtrack to that lesbian kiss in The OC".
Chart performance
| Chart (2004) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Irish Singles Chart Irish Singles Chart The Irish Singles Chart is Ireland's music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by the Irish Recorded Music Association and compiled on behalf of the IRMA by Chart-Track. Chart rankings are based on sales, which are compiled through over-the-counter retail data captured... |
18 |