Green-Eyed Lady – Sugarloaf | Top 40 Chart Performance, Story and Song Meaning
Chart Performance: Pop (#3); 1970
Story Behind The Song By Ed Osborne
An exercise in a classical scale practice book used by Jerry Corbetta provided the inspiration for his band’s biggest hit, Green-Eyed Lady. Jerry co-founded his soon-to-be-hit-bound band in Denver, Colorado out of the remains of the Moonrakers.
Jerry and his musician mates called their new group Chocolate Hair, recorded some demos, and sent the tapes off to Liberty Records. Among the tracks was the classical scale-based tune sporting some lyrics whipped up in the studio.
The keyboard-driven Green Eyed Lady barely made it onto the band’s debut album. Soon, however, it was gathering air spins in Portland, Oregon under Chocolate Hair’s new name, Sugarloaf.
(Apparently, the record execs were concerned about possible racial fallout from “Chocolate Hair” so a ski mountain outside of Boulder provided a new name. Green-Eyed Lady picked up steam throughout the Northwest, then spread nationally, peaking at #3 in the fall of 1970.
This content and the Song Meaning article was created and written by Top 40 Contributing Editor Ed Osborne. © 2025 Ed Osborne. All Rights Reserved. In addition to these song meaning articles, Ed has written our “Year in Music 1960s-1990s” articles.
Produced by:
- J.C. Phillips
Lyrics Written by:
- Jerry Corbetta
- J.C. Phillips
- David Riordan
Ed Osborne
Hi. I got my first record at age two and never looked back, spending a decades-long career in radio and the music business. Even after years of reading about and listening to all types of music, I am still fascinated by it. Apart from that, I’m endlessly intrigued by art, nature, and the inner lives of people (and dogs).