| "Angel" | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Single by Eric Clapton | |
| from the album Old Sock | |
| Released | March 4, 2013 |
| Genre | Pop rock |
| Length | 3:54 |
| Label | Polydor |
| Songwriter(s) | J.J. Cale |
| Audio | |
| "Angel" by Eric Clapton on YouTube | |
"Angel" is a pop rock song written by the American recording artist J.J. Cale. [1] The British rock musician Eric Clapton covered the song and released his take on the track in 2013 on his studio album Old Sock for Polydor Records. The title was also released as a digital download single on March 4, 2013.
Cale wrote the song in 1981 and kept the publishing rights for the title for Really Crazy Mamas Music, administered by Broadcast Music Incorporated. [2] For his track-by-track commentary on the Old Sock release in 2013, Clapton explained: "When we did this other album that was just called Clapton , we had tracks in the can, which was another thing to do with why this came to be, this album because I had about three songs, maybe more, actually, that I thought were up to scratch to release and so... Part of that thing in killing time was to complement these tracks, and "Angel" was one of them, that we'd done a couple of years previously. We'd never really resolved it, so we kinda re-did it again. But we had J.J.'s voice on there and everything. And so it was another hommage to him, with him on it. And I liked the song a lot". [3]
The song was never released by Cale in 1981 and was not released on the 2010 Clapton studio album. Editor's from the official Clapton fan club Where's Eric! do believe, that the first recording was made in late 2005 or early 2006, when Clapton and Cale began to work on their collaborative effort The Road to Escondido . [4] Clapton, however, did explain in the Old Sock interview, that he recorded the song with Cale in 2009 or 2010. [3] The promotional single "Angel" was released as a digital download on March 4, 2013. [5] In addition to promote the Old Sock studio effort, the song was made available for airplay around the world. [6] The recording was produced by Eric Clapton himself along with his long-time collaborator record producer Simon Climie. Also, Doyle Bramhall II as well as Justin Stanley produced the title, which is the second song on Old Sock. [7]
The track was chosen by the coffee company Starbucks as "Pick of the Week" starting on March 5, 2013. "Angel" was made available for Starbucks customers via the entertainment section of the Starbucks Digital Network while in the store or through the Starbucks app. [8] Music critic Philip Majorins from PopMatters thinks, that "Angel" stands out for the "erratic evolution of styles represented" on Old Sock, noting the song seems to keep up the "consistent and reassuring sunny mood" of the album. Majorins calls the title a "joy of the collaborative interplay", which make the studio album a "satisfying but languid party". [9] In Romania, the single was downloaded over two and a half thousand times while on chart for nine weeks and was presented with a silver disc, peaking at position 11 on the country's digital download single chart, which is compiled by the International Federation of the Phonographic Industry. [10]
| Chart (2013) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Romania (IFPI) [10] | 11 |
| Region | Certification |
|---|---|
| Romania (IFPI Romania) [10] | Silver |
John Weldon "J. J." Cale was an American guitarist, singer, and songwriter. Though he avoided the limelight, his influence as a musical artist has been acknowledged by figures such as Mark Knopfler, Neil Young, Waylon Jennings, and Eric Clapton, who described him as one of the most important artists in rock history. He is one of the originators of the Tulsa sound, a loose genre drawing on blues, rockabilly, country, and jazz.
Doyle Bramhall II is an American guitarist, producer and songwriter best known for his work with Eric Clapton and Roger Waters. He is the son of the songwriter and drummer Doyle Bramhall.
"Cocaine" is a song written and recorded in 1976 by singer-songwriter J. J. Cale. The song was popularized by Eric Clapton after his version was released on the 1977 album Slowhand. J. J. Cale's version of "Cocaine" was a number-one hit in New Zealand for a single week and became the seventh-best-selling single of 1977.
Eric Clapton is the debut solo studio album by English rock musician Eric Clapton, released in August 1970 by Atco and Polydor Records.
Naturally is the debut studio album by J. J. Cale released on October 25, 1971.
"After Midnight" is a rock song by J. J. Cale, first released in 1966. Eric Clapton later covered it for his eponymous album, released in 1970. Clapton's rendition became a success, prompting Cale to re-record the song for Cale's 1971 album Naturally. In 1987, Clapton later re-recorded the song for a Michelob beer commercial and then released the re-recording as a single. "After Midnight" has been considered one of Clapton's signature songs throughout his career. Other artists covered the song in later years.
Troubadour is the fourth studio album by J. J. Cale. Eric Clapton covered the song "Cocaine" on his 1977 album Slowhand, turning it into one of his biggest hits.
Simon Climie is an English singer-songwriter and producer. He is best known as the former lead singer of the UK duo Climie Fisher.
The Road to Escondido is a collaborative studio album by J. J. Cale and Eric Clapton. It was released on 7 November 2006. Contained on this album are the final recordings of keyboardist Billy Preston. The album is jointly dedicated to Preston and Brian Roylance.
5 is the fifth studio album by J. J. Cale. Released in 1979, it was his first album in three years. When the album was re-issued on CD, "Katy Kool Lady" was replaced by a new song listed as "Out of Style," though it was still listed as the former on the CD. "Out of Style" is also included on the 2007 album Rewind: The Unreleased Recordings under its proper title. There is still no U.S. domestic release of the song "Katy Kool Lady" on CD.
"Call Me the Breeze" is a rock song by J. J. Cale. It first appeared on his 1972 debut album, Naturally, as the opening track. The song consists of a 12-bar blues guitar shuffle and features the early use of a drum machine.
Roll On is the 14th studio album by J. J. Cale, released on February 24, 2009, by Rounder Records. All songs were written by Cale; they include "Who Knew", "Former Me", and "Roll On", the last of which is a collaboration with Eric Clapton. Some tracks were recorded at sessions at David Teegarden's studio, north of Tulsa, Oklahoma, in 2003.
To Tulsa and Back is the 13th album by J. J. Cale, released in 2004.
Old Sock is the nineteenth solo studio album by Eric Clapton. It includes the two new compositions "Gotta Get Over" and "Every Little Thing", as well as covers. Several notable musicians were involved in the album, including Steve Winwood, JJ Cale and Paul McCartney.
The Breeze: An Appreciation of JJ Cale is a collaborative studio album featuring Eric Clapton and a host of other musicians. It consists of covers of songs by J. J. Cale, who had died the previous year. It was named after Cale's 1972 single "Call Me the Breeze". It was produced by Clapton and Simon Climie. The guests invited on the album include Tom Petty, Mark Knopfler, Willie Nelson and John Mayer.
"Gotta Get Over" is a pop rock song written by Doyle Bramhall II, Nikka Costa and Justin Stanley. It was recorded by the British rock musician Eric Clapton for his 2013 studio album Old Sock. On February 14, 2013, the song was released as a digital download and CD single for Bushbranch and Surfdog Records. It features backing vocals by Chaka Khan.
"Every Little Thing" is a reggae pop song written by Doyle Bramhall II, Nikka Costa and Justin Stanley. It was recorded by the British rock musician Eric Clapton for his 2013 studio album Old Sock. As single release featuring the non-album track "No Sympathy" and remixes of the title by Damian and Stephen Marley.
"Circus Left Town", also known as "Circus" is a ballad written by the British recording artist Eric Clapton. The rock musician wrote the song about the last night he spent with his then four-year-old son Conor. Although Clapton played and recorded the song for his 1992 million seller live album Unplugged, he decided to release the title six years later as a re-recording for both his 1998 effort Pilgrim and as a single release. However, Clapton played the song live for his 1992 Eric Clapton World Tour, before it came out on any recording formats.
"Travelin' Light" is a song written and recorded by the Tulsa musician J.J. Cale. It was released in September 1976 on Cale's fourth studio album Troubadour under Shelter Records. It was also released as a single the same year. It was later covered by the British guitarist Eric Clapton for his 2001 studio album Reptile and helped to promote both the song and studio album on which "Travelin' Light" was first released. Athens, Georgia band Widespread Panic also covered it on their debut album, and it has continued to be a mainstay of their live show ever since.
Live in San Diego is the thirteenth live album by British rock musician Eric Clapton. It was released through Reprise Records as a live album on 30 September 2016 and as a 2-hour live DVD on 10 March 2017.
When we did this other album that was just called Clapton, we had tracks in the can, which was another thing to do with why this came to be, this album because I had about three songs, maybe more, actually, that I thought were up to scratch to release and so... Part of that thing in killing time was to complement these tracks, and "Angel" was one of them, that we'd done a couple of years previously. We'd never really resolved it, so we kinda re-did it again. But we had J.J.'s voice on there and everything. And so it was another hommage to him, with him on it. And I liked the song a lot.