"Angel of the Morning" | ||||
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Single by Evie Sands | ||||
B-side | "Dear John" | |||
Released | 1967 | |||
Genre | Pop | |||
Length | 3:19 | |||
Label | Cameo | |||
Songwriter(s) | Chip Taylor | |||
Producer(s) |
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Evie Sands singles chronology | ||||
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"Angel of the Morning" is a popular song written by Chip Taylor, originally recorded by Evie Sands but which first charted with a version by Merrilee Rush. The song has been covered by many artists including Chrissie Hynde, Dusty Springfield, P. P. Arnold, Connie Eaton, Mary Mason, Guys 'n' Dolls, Melba Montgomery, Olivia Newton-John and most recognizably by Juice Newton.
The song was composed in 1967 by Chip Taylor, who said of it: "I wrote 'Angel of the Morning' after hearing the Rolling Stones song 'Ruby Tuesday' on the car radio when I was driving into New York City. I wanted to capture that kind of passion." [1]
"Angel of the Morning" was originally offered to Connie Francis, but she turned it down because she thought that the lyrical message was too risqué for her image. [2]
Taylor produced the first recording of the song with Evie Sands, but the financial straits of Cameo-Parkway Records, which had Sands on their roster, led to a highly limited single release and no promotion.
The second recording was by UK vocalist Billie Davis, made in 1967 by Danny Michaels for Lee Hazlewood's LHI label. P.P. Arnold provided backup vocals for that version and later released a version herself.
"Angel of the Morning" | ||||
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Single by Merrilee Rush & the Turnabouts | ||||
from the album Angel of the Morning | ||||
B-side | "Reap What You Sow" | |||
Released | February 7, 1968 | |||
Recorded | January 1968 | |||
Studio | American Sound Studios, Memphis | |||
Genre | Pop, country | |||
Length | 2:58 | |||
Label | Bell | |||
Songwriter(s) | Chip Taylor | |||
Producer(s) | ||||
Merrilee Rush singles chronology | ||||
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Audio | ||||
"Angel of the Morning" on YouTube |
The song became a hit in 1968 through a recording by Merrilee Rush, made that January at American Sound Studios in Memphis, with Chips Moman and Tommy Cogbill producing. Rush had come to Memphis through the group she fronted, the Turnabouts, being the opening act for a Paul Revere and the Raiders tour. While in Memphis, the Raiders recorded the album Goin' to Memphis at American Sound Studios, an association which led to Rush's discovery by Tommy Cogbill, who had been hoping to find the right voice for "Angel of the Morning" — he had kept a tape of the demo of that song constantly in his pocket for several months.
Rush recorded the song, and the tracks which would fill out her Angel of the Morning album, with the American Sound house band, even though the single and the album were credited to the group Merrilee Rush & the Turnabouts. [3]
The single version was released in February 1968, and reached the Top 10 on the Billboard Hot 100 that June, peaking at No. 7, also reaching No. 1 in Canada, [4] Australia, and New Zealand, and No. 4 in the Netherlands. The song earned Rush a Grammy nomination for Best Contemporary-Pop Vocal Performance, Female. Rush recorded a new version of the song for her 1977 eponymous album release. (Rush's version of "Angel of the Morning" was featured on the soundtrack of the 1999 film Girl, Interrupted , set in 1967 and 1968, in which author-composer Chip Taylor's niece Angelina Jolie had a starring role.)
Chart (1968) | Peak position |
---|---|
Canada RPM Top Singles [5] | 1 |
Netherlands (Single Top 100) [6] | 5 |
US Billboard Hot 100 [7] | 7 |
US Adult Contemporary ( Billboard ) [8] | 32 |
US Cash Box Top 100 [9] | 3 |
Chart (1968) | Rank |
---|---|
Canada [10] | 70 |
US Billboard Hot 100 [11] | 28 |
US Cash Box [12] | 45 |
"Angel of the Morning" | ||||
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Single by Juice Newton | ||||
from the album Juice | ||||
B-side | "Headin' for a Heartache" | |||
Released | February 1981 | |||
Recorded | September 4, 1980 | |||
Genre | Country, soft rock [13] [14] | |||
Length | 4:10 3:57 (7-inch) | |||
Label | Capitol 4976 | |||
Songwriter(s) | Chip Taylor | |||
Producer(s) | Richard Landis | |||
Juice Newton singles chronology | ||||
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Audio | ||||
"Angel of the Morning" on YouTube |
The highest-charting and best-selling version in the United States was recorded and released in 1981 by country-rock singer Juice Newton for her album Juice. Newton re-interpreted the song at the suggestion of Steve Meyer, who promoted Capitol Records singles and albums to radio stations and felt a version of "Angel of the Morning" by Newton would be a strong candidate for airplay. [15] Newton would state that she would never have thought of recording "Angel of the Morning," and even though she immediately recognized the song when Meyer played it for her: "I [hadn't been] really aware of that song because...when [it] was popular I was listening to folk music and R&B and not pop, and that was a very pop song." [16]
Newton's version reached No. 4 on the Billboard Hot 100, No. 22 on the Billboard country music chart, and spent three weeks at No. 1 on the Billboard adult contemporary chart in April of that year. [17] [18] The recording also earned Newton a Grammy nomination, in the same category as Rush's 1968 hit. More than 1 million units of Newton's single were sold in the United States, and it reached the Top 5 in a number of other countries, including Canada (number 1), Australia (number 2), South Africa (number 3), Switzerland (number 4) and New Zealand (number 5). Notably, Newton's video for "Angel of the Morning" was the first country music video aired on MTV, debuting the day the network launched, in 1981. In the UK, the recording reached No. 43 on the UK Singles Chart, marking the song's third appearance on that chart without becoming a major hit. [19] Newton recorded the song again in 1998 for her album The Trouble with Angels.
Chart (1981) | Peak position |
---|---|
Australia (Kent Music Report) [20] | 2 |
Austria (Ö3 Austria Top 40) [21] | 7 |
Canada RPM Top Singles [22] | 1 |
Germany (Official German Charts) [23] | 23 |
South Africa (Springbok Radio) [24] | 3 |
Switzerland (Schweizer Hitparade) [25] | 4 |
New Zealand (Recorded Music NZ) [26] | 5 |
UK Singles (Official Charts Company) [27] | 43 |
US Billboard Hot 100 [28] | 4 |
US Adult Contemporary ( Billboard ) [29] | 1 |
US Hot Country Songs ( Billboard ) [30] | 22 |
US Cash Box Top 100 [31] | 2 |
Chart (1981) | Rank |
---|---|
Australia (Kent Music Report) [32] [33] | 26 |
Canada [34] | 8 |
New Zealand [35] | 50 |
US Billboard Hot 100 [11] | 25 |
US Cash Box [36] | 21 |
Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
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Australia (ARIA) [37] | Gold | 50,000^ |
^ Shipments figures based on certification alone. |
In 1968, a rendition by P. P. Arnold, [38] who had sung background vocals on the 1967 Billie Davis version, reached No. 29 in the UK in August 1968.
In 1969, soul artist Bettye Swann included a version of the song on her album The Soul View Now; released as a single, it reached No. 109 on the US charts.[ citation needed ]
In 1970, a rendition by Connie Eaton reached No. 34 on the Billboard C&W charts. In 1971 Nina Simone recorded the song for her album of cover versions Here Comes the Sun. In 1977, Mary Mason also had a UK Top 30 hit with her version, which was actually a medley of two Chip Taylor songs, "Angel of the Morning" and "Any Way That You Want Me", reaching No. 27. [39]
Also in 1977, the British act Guys 'n' Dolls had a hit in the Netherlands with the song, their version reaching No. 11 on the Dutch charts.[ citation needed ]
In 1978, a release by Melba Montgomery reached No. 22 on the Billboard C&W chart.
In 1994, a rendition of the song was released as a single by the Pretenders.[ citation needed ]
The 2001 song "Angel", released by American reggae artist Shaggy featuring Barbadian singer Rayvon, heavily interpolates the melody of "Angel of the Morning". [40] It reached No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 for the week ending March 31, 2001. [41]
Juice Newton is an American pop and country singer, songwriter, and musician. Newton has received five Grammy Award nominations in the Pop and Country Best Female Vocalist categories – winning once in 1983 – as well as an ACM Award for Top New Female Artist and two consecutive Billboard Female Album Artist of the Year awards. Newton's other awards include a People's Choice Award for "Best Female Vocalist" and the Australian Music Media's "Number One International Country Artist".
"Suspicious Minds" is a 1968 song written and first recorded by the American songwriter Mark James. After this recording failed commercially, it was recorded by Elvis Presley with the producer Chips Moman. Presley's version reached No.1 on the US Billboard Hot 100, his 18th and final no. 1 single on that chart. In 1999, the 1969 recording by Elvis Presley on RCA Victor Records was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame.
"If" is a song written by American singer-songwriter David Gates in 1971. Originally popularized by his group Bread, "If" charted at No. 4 on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 when released as a single in 1971 and No. 6 in Canada. It also spent three weeks at No. 1 on the U.S. Easy Listening chart, and one week at the top of the Canadian AC chart.
"Angel" is a song by Jamaican reggae artist Shaggy featuring additional vocals from Barbadian singer Rayvon. Sampling the 1973 song "The Joker" by American rock band Steve Miller Band and interpolating the 1967 song "Angel of the Morning" written by Chip Taylor, it was released to radio on 9 January 2001 as the follow-up to Shaggy's international number-one hit, "It Wasn't Me". "Angel" also proved to be successful, reaching number one in 12 countries, including Australia, Germany, Ireland, the United Kingdom, and the United States.
Queen of Hearts is a country-pop song written by Hank DeVito, the pedal steel guitarist in Emmylou Harris's backing group The Hot Band. It was first recorded by Dave Edmunds on his 1979 album Repeat When Necessary. Edmunds' version was released as a single and reached number 11 in the UK and number 12 in Ireland that year, but failed to chart substantially elsewhere in the world. The most successful version of the song was recorded by Juice Newton in 1981 – her version reached number two in the United States and South Africa. Newton's version also reached the top 10 in Canada, Australia, Denmark, Switzerland and New Zealand.
Merrilee Rush is an American singer, best known for her recording of the song "Angel of the Morning", a top-10 hit which earned her a Grammy nomination for female vocalist of the year in 1968.
"'It's a Heartache'" is a song recorded by Welsh singer Bonnie Tyler. Written by Ronnie Scott and Steve Wolfe, and co-produced with David Mackay, the single was released in November 1977 through RCA Records. The song topped the charts in Australia, Canada, and numerous European countries, and reached No. 3 in the US and No. 4 in the UK. Worldwide, "It's a Heartache" sold around six million copies.
"To Sir with Love" is the theme from James Clavell's 1967 film To Sir, with Love. The song was performed by British singer and actress Lulu, and written by Don Black and Mark London. Mickie Most produced the record, with Mike Leander arranging and conducting. The song peaked at the top of the Billboard Hot 100, and became the best-selling single of 1967 in the United States.
"If I Were a Carpenter" is a folk song written by Tim Hardin in the 1960s, and re-recorded with commercial success by various artists including Bobby Darin, The Four Tops and Johnny Cash. Hardin's own recording of the piece appeared on his 1967 album Tim Hardin 2. It was one of two songs from that release performed by Hardin at Woodstock in 1969. The song, believed by some to be about male romantic insecurity, is rumored to have been inspired by his love for actress Susan Morss, as well as the construction of Hardin's recording studio.
"The Sweetest Thing (I've Ever Known)" is a country-pop song written by Otha Young for Juice Newton in the mid-1970s. Newton was known for charting hits on the Hot 100, Adult Contemporary, and Hot Country charts - and this song has the distinction of being the only single of hers to reach the top 10 on all three of those charts, peaking at #1 on two of them.
Juice is the sixth studio album and third solo album by American country rock singer Juice Newton. The album was released in February 1981 and was her first major international success.
Evie Sands is an American singer, songwriter and musician.
"Georgy Girl" is a song by the Australian pop/folk music group The Seekers. It was used as the title song for the 1966 film of the same title. Tom Springfield, who had written "I'll Never Find Another You", composed the music and Jim Dale supplied the lyrics. The song is heard at both the beginning and end of the film, with markedly different lyrics. It was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Original Song but the prize went to "Born Free".
"Husbands and Wives" is a song written and first recorded by American country music singer Roger Miller. Miller's original, from his album Words and Music, was released in February 1966 and was a crossover hit for him, reaching Top Ten on the U.S. country and Adult Contemporary charts, as well as Top 40 on the pop charts. Since the release of Miller's original, the song has been covered by several other artists, including The Everly Brothers, Ringo Starr, Neil Diamond, a duet between David Frizzell and Shelly West, Jules Shear, and Brooks & Dunn, whose version was a number-one country hit in 1998.
The American Sound Studio was a recording studio located in Memphis, Tennessee which operated from 1964 to 1972. Founded by Chips Moman, the studio at 827 Thomas Street came to be known as American North, and the studio at 2272 Deadrick Street came to be known as American East or the Annex.
"Angel on My Shoulder" is a song written and recorded by Shelby Flint that was released on a Valiant Records 45 rpm single in 1960 and on her self-titled debut album in 1961. The single reached No. 22 on the US Billboard Hot 100 singles chart in early 1961. It was Flint's only Top 40 hit.
Greatest Hits is the ninth album and first greatest hits collection by country pop singer Juice Newton. It was originally released by Capitol Records in 1984 with ten tracks taken from her albums Juice, Quiet Lies, and Dirty Looks. It was reissued in 1986 in an expanded 15-track edition titled Juice Newton's Greatest Hits . The album became a best seller and has been certified gold by the Recording Industry Association of America.
Emotions is a compilation album by country pop singer Juice Newton. It was released by Pair Records in 1994 and consists of 20 tracks taken from five of the six albums Newton recorded for RCA.
Anthology is a compilation album by country pop singer Juice Newton. It was originally released by Renaissance Records on October 13, 1998. The album covers her career from 1975 to 1989 and features 19 songs taken from her albums Juice Newton & Silver Spur, Juice, Quiet Lies, Can't Wait All Night, Old Flame, Emotion, and Ain't Gonna Cry. However, it includes the 1975 take of "The Sweetest Thing " from the first RCA album, not the 1981 hit version from Juice.
"Any Way That You Want Me" is a song written by Chip Taylor that was first released in September 1966 by Tina Mason as the B-side to her single "Finders Keepers". It has been covered by a number of artists, with the most successful version being by English rock band the Troggs.