My Special Angel

"My Special Angel"
Single by Sonny Land Trio
B-side	"Someone To Take Your Place"
Released	July 1957
Recorded	1956
Genre	Traditional pop
Length	2:00
Label	Cue
Songwriter	Jimmy Duncan
Sonny Land Trio singles chronology
"My Special Angel" (1957) "Sock Hop" (1958)

"My Special Angel"
Side A of the original US single
Single by Bobby Helms
from the album Sings to My Special Angel
B-side	"Standing at the End of My World"
Released	August 26, 1957
Recorded	July 1957
Studio	Bradley Studios, Nashville, Tennessee
Genre	Country R&B
Length	2:57
Label	Decca
Songwriter	Jimmy Duncan
Bobby Helms singles chronology
"Fraulein" (1957) "My Special Angel" (1957) "Jingle Bell Rock" (1957)

"My Special Angel"
Side A of the original UK single
Single by Malcolm Vaughan
B-side	"The Heart of a Child"
Released	November 1957
Recorded	1957
Genre	Traditional pop
Length	2:47
Label	His Master's Voice
Songwriter	Jimmy Duncan
Malcolm Vaughan singles chronology
"Oh My Papa" (1957) "My Special Angel" (1957) "To Be Loved" (1958)

"My Special Angel"
Single by The Vogues
from the album Turn Around, Look at Me
B-side	"I Keep It Hid"
Released	August 1968
Genre	Pop
Length	2:57
Label	Reprise
Songwriter	Jimmy Duncan
Producer	Dick Glasser
The Vogues singles chronology
"Turn Around, Look at Me" (1968) "My Special Angel" (1968) "Till" (1968)

"My Special Angel" is a popular song by Jimmy Duncan, published in 1957.

It was first recorded by the Sonny Land Trio and released by them in 1957, and was a crossover hit that year for Bobby Helms. "My Special Angel", which Helms recorded at Bradley Studios in Nashville, Tennessee, in July 1957, ^[1] peaked at number seven on the Billboard Hot 100 chart ^[2] and spent four weeks at number one on the US country music chart. ^[3] The single made the rhythm and blues chart, as well, topping out at number eight. ^[4] Backing vocals were sung by the Anita Kerr Singers.

Charts

Bobby Helms version

Chart (1957)	Peak position
UK ( New Musical Express ) [5]	22
US Billboard Hot 100	7
US Billboard C&W Best Sellers in Stores	1
US Billboard R&B singles	8

Malcolm Vaughan version

Chart (1957–1958)	Peak position
UK ( New Musical Express ) [6]	3

The Vogues version

Chart (1968)	Peak position
Australia (Kent Music Report)	36
Canada RPM Top Singles [7]	6
US Billboard Hot 100 [8]	7
US Easy Listening ( Billboard ) [9]	1

Album appearances

The song was the lead off track on the 1957 album Sings To My Special Angel (Decca DL 8638). It appeared on the 1959 compilation album The Original Hit Performances! The Late Fifties (Decca DL 4005), and on the 1976 oldies compilation American Graffiti Vol. III (MCA2-8008). Also in 1976, the song was included in a 3-LP box set compilation from Candlelite Music, Country Music Cavalcade: Nashville Graffitti.

Other notable cover versions

• In the United Kingdom, a version recorded by Welsh singer Malcolm Vaughan spent 14 weeks on the charts, peaking at number three in 1957. ^[10]
• The song was revived in 1968 by the Vogues, with their version reaching number seven on the Hot 100 chart ^[11] and faring even better on the Easy Listening chart, where it spent two weeks at number one in October 1968.

See also

• List of CHUM number-one singles of 1957
• List of number-one country singles of 1957 (U.S.)
• List of number-one adult contemporary singles of 1968 (U.S.)

References

1. Snoddy, Glen (1972). "Nashville, The Recording Center" (PDF). Country Music Who's Who. Record World. Retrieved 10 May 2024.
2. Whitburn, Joel (2004). The Billboard Book of Top 40 Hits: Eighth Edition. Record Research. p. 282.
3. Whitburn, Joel (2004). The Billboard Book Of Top 40 Country Hits: 1944-2006, Second edition. Record Research. p. 156.
4. Whitburn, Joel (2004). Top R&B/Hip-Hop Singles: 1942-2004. Record Research. p. 252.
5. "Bobby Helms | full Official Chart history". Official Charts Company . Retrieved December 30, 2017.
6. "Malcolm Vaughn | full Official Chart history". Official Charts Company . Retrieved March 19, 2021.
7. Canada, Library Archives (1968-10-14). "Item Display - RPM - Library and Archives Canada". Collectionscanada.gc.ca. Retrieved 2021-03-15.
8. "The Vogues Chart History (Hot 100)". Billboard.
9. "The Vogues Chart History (Easy Listening)". Billboard .
10. Roberts, David (2005). British Hit Singles & Albums. London: Guinness World Records Ltd. p. 532. ISBN   1-904994-00-8.
11. Whitburn, Joel (2004). The Billboard Book of Top 40 Hits: Eighth Edition. Record Research. p. 663.

External links

• Sonny Land Trio - My Special Angel on YouTube
• Bobby Helms - My Special Angel on YouTube
• Malcolm Vaughan - My Special Angel on YouTube
• The Vogues - My Special Angel on YouTube