Angel of the Morning
Encyclopedia
"Angel of the Morning" is a popular song that has been recorded numerous times, and has been a charting hit single for several artists including Juice Newton
, Merrilee Rush
, Nina Simone
, P.P. Arnold, Olivia Newton-John
, The Pretenders
/Chrissie Hynde
, Dusty Springfield
, Mary Mason
, Melba Montgomery
, and Billie Davis
.
-born songwriter Chip Taylor
, "Angel of the Morning" was originally offered to Connie Francis
to sing, but she turned it down because she thought that it was too risqué for her career. Taylor produced a recording of the song with his protégée Evie Sands
but the financial straits of Cameo-Parkway Records
, who had Sands on their roster, reportedly either prevented that version's release or its distribution. Other early recordings of "Angel of the Morning" were made in 1967 by Danny Michaels for Lee Hazelwood's LHI label and by UK vocalist Billie Davis
.
"Angel of the Morning" finally became a hit in the spring and summer of 1968 via 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 last-named group proceeded to record the album Going to Memphis at American Sound Studios, an association which led to Rush's discovery by Tommy Cogbill who'd been hoping to find the right voice for the song "Angel of the Morning" - he'd kept a tape of the demo
of that song constantly in his pocket for several months. Rush recorded "Angel of the Morning" and the tracks which would comprise her Angel of the Morning album with the American Sound houseband although the single and the album would be credited to the group Merrilee Rush & the Turnabouts. The "Angel of the Morning" single was released in February 1968 to reach the Top Ten on the Billboard Hot 100
that June peaking at #7. A #1 hit in Canada, Australia and New Zealand, "Angel of the Morning" also afforded Rush a hit in the Netherlands (#4). "Angel of the Morning" earned Rush a Grammy
nomination for Best Contemporary-Pop Vocal Performance, Female
. Rush would cut a new version of the song for her 1977 eponymous album release. Rush's version of "Angel of the Morning" would be featured on the soundtrack of the 1999 film Girl, Interrupted
- whose time frame is 1967-68 - in which composer Chip Taylor's niece Angelina Jolie
had a starring role.
In the United Kingdom, where the Merrilee Rush version had failed to reach the Top 50 stalling at #55, "Angel of the Morning" reached #29 in August 1968 via a rendition by P.P. Arnold who had sung background on the 1967 Billie Davis version; Arnold's version was produced by Andrew Loog Oldham
. In 1977 Mary Mason
also had a UK Top 30 hit with her version (in fact a medley
of two Chip Taylor songs: "Angel of the Morning - Any Way That You Want Me"), which made #27. British act Guys 'n' Dolls had a hit in the Netherlands in 1977 with "Angel of the Morning", their version reaching #11 on the Dutch chart.
The most successful C&W
version of the song - tying with the Juice Newton
version discussed in the paragraph below - is the 1978 release by Melba Montgomery
which reached #22 on the Billboard C&W chart
. Previously "Angel of the Morning" had appeared on the Billboard C&W chart via a rendition by Connie Eaton
(#34/ 1970).
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, released on Capitol Records
. Newton remade the song at the suggestion of Steve Meyer, Capitol's national promotion director. Newton's version reached #4 on the Billboard Hot 100
, #22 on the Billboard country music chart
, and spent three weeks at #1 on the Billboard adult contemporary chart in April of that year. 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 of the song were sold in the United States, and the single reached the top ten in a number of other countries, including Canada and Australia. In the UK, this recording reached #35 on the UK Singles Chart, marking the song's third appearance on that chart without becoming a truly major hit. Newton recorded the song again in 1998 for her The Trouble with Angels album.
Reggae
artist Shaggy released a single titled "Angel
" that featured Rayvon
in 2001. The song was a reworked version of "Angel of the Morning" and featured new lyrics, turning it into an apology and homage to his lady love, instead of the original's tone of a one-night stand. This song spent one week at #1.
Swedish singer Jill Johnson
released "Angel of the Morning", with lyrics in English, in 2007 from her cover album Music Row
. This version peaked at #30 at the Swedish singles chart.
version of the song is featured in the soundtrack of the movie, Girl, Interrupted
. The Rush version is also played during a scene in the 1978
film Fingers
, where it is used to accentuate the conflicted nature of the main character played by Harvey Keitel
. The song was performed live by Chrissie Hynde
in a 1995 episode of Friends
titled "The One with the Baby on the Bus", and that version also appears in that show's soundtrack album. The song also makes an appearance in the 1996
film Jerry Maguire
, with Tom Cruise
's titular character singing what appears to be the original version, enthusiastically if badly. More recently, Conan O'Brien
has referenced the track, during periodic ironic pledges to cease his show's use of arbitrary & stupid humor in which he presents a gorilla dressed as a nurse who uses an old-fashioned abdominal exerciser while enjoying the song. In "Branch Closing
", an episode of The Office
, Michael Scott
sings "Levinson in the morning" to his supervisor, Jan Levinson.
Juice Newton's version can be heard during Drew Barrymore's first scene in the film Charlie's Angels
.
Juice Newton's version can be heard in the film Charlie Wilson's War
. Near the start of the film, it is also sung by Emily Blunt
.
The Toyota Highlander
"Kid Cave" commercial, aired from late 2010, features a young boy who is embarrassed by his parents' singing of the song while he is riding with them in a car.
Juice Newton
Judith Kay "Juice" Newton is an American Pop music and Country singer, songwriter and guitarist...
, Merrilee Rush
Merrilee Rush
-Career:As a girl, Merrilee studied classical piano for 10 years. In 1960, Rush auditioned for a band, directed by her first husband, that played sock hops. Next, she was part of Merrilee and Her Men, doing covers of male pop hits. Then she joined a Seattle rhythm and blues group called Tiny Tony...
, Nina Simone
Nina Simone
Eunice Kathleen Waymon , better known by her stage name Nina Simone , was an American singer, songwriter, pianist, arranger, and civil rights activist widely associated with jazz music...
, P.P. Arnold, Olivia Newton-John
Olivia Newton-John
Olivia Newton-John AO, OBE is a singer and actress. She is a four-time Grammy award winner who has amassed five No. 1 and ten other Top Ten Billboard Hot 100 singles and two No. 1 Billboard 200 solo albums. Eleven of her singles and 14 of her albums have been certified gold by the RIAA...
, The Pretenders
The Pretenders
The Pretenders are an English rock band formed in Hereford, England in March 1978. The original band consisted of initiator and main songwriter Chrissie Hynde , James Honeyman-Scott , Pete Farndon , and Martin Chambers...
/Chrissie Hynde
Chrissie Hynde
Christine Ellen "Chrissie" Hynde is an US musician best known as the leader of the rock/new wave band the Pretenders. She is a singer, songwriter, and guitarist, and has been the only constant member of the band throughout its history.-Early life and career:Hynde is the daughter of a part-time...
, Dusty Springfield
Dusty Springfield
Mary Isobel Catherine Bernadette O'BrienSources use both Isabel and Isobel as the spelling of her second name. OBE , known professionally as Dusty Springfield and dubbed The White Queen of Soul, was a British pop singer whose career extended from the late 1950s to the 1990s...
, Mary Mason
Mary Mason
Mary Mason is a British singer who scored a minor hit in the UK Singles Chart in 1977 with a medley of Chip Taylor's "Angel of the Morning" / "Any Way You Want Me", reaching #27 and spending six weeks in the chart. Earlier in the year, Mason took part in the A Song For Europe contest, with the song...
, Melba Montgomery
Melba Montgomery
Melba Montgomery is an American country music singer. She is best known for duet hit recordings in the 1960s with country music singer George Jones....
, and Billie Davis
Billie Davis
Billie Davis is an English female singer who had hits in the 1960s, and is best remembered for the UK hit version of the song, "Tell Him" and "I Want You to Be My Baby" ....
.
Original and charting versions
Written and composed by New YorkNew York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
-born songwriter Chip Taylor
Chip Taylor
James Wesley Voight , better known by his stage name as Chip Taylor, is an American songwriter, who is noted for writing the songs "Angel of the Morning" and "Wild Thing." He is the brother of actor Jon Voight and geologist Barry Voight...
, "Angel of the Morning" was originally offered to Connie Francis
Connie Francis
Connie Francis is an American pop singer of Italian heritage and the top-charting female vocalist of the 1950s and 1960s. Although her chart success waned in the second half of the 1960s, Francis remained a top concert draw...
to sing, but she turned it down because she thought that it was too risqué for her career. Taylor produced a recording of the song with his protégée Evie Sands
Evie Sands
Evie Sands is a Brooklyn-born singer, songwriter and guitarist, whose career began as a young teenager in the mid-1960s...
but the financial straits of Cameo-Parkway Records
Cameo-Parkway Records
Cameo-Parkway Records was the parent company of Cameo Records and Parkway Records, which were major American Philadelphia-based record labels from 1956 and 1958 to 1967...
, who had Sands on their roster, reportedly either prevented that version's release or its distribution. Other early recordings of "Angel of the Morning" were made in 1967 by Danny Michaels for Lee Hazelwood's LHI label and by UK vocalist Billie Davis
Billie Davis
Billie Davis is an English female singer who had hits in the 1960s, and is best remembered for the UK hit version of the song, "Tell Him" and "I Want You to Be My Baby" ....
.
"Angel of the Morning" finally became a hit in the spring and summer of 1968 via a recording by Merrilee Rush
Merrilee Rush
-Career:As a girl, Merrilee studied classical piano for 10 years. In 1960, Rush auditioned for a band, directed by her first husband, that played sock hops. Next, she was part of Merrilee and Her Men, doing covers of male pop hits. Then she joined a Seattle rhythm and blues group called Tiny Tony...
made that January at American Sound Studios in Memphis with Chips Moman
Chips Moman
Lincoln Wayne "Chips" Moman is an American record producer, guitarist, and songwriter. As a record producer, Moman is known for recording Elvis Presley, Bobby Womack, Carla Thomas, and Merrilee Rush, as well as guiding the career of the Box Tops in Memphis, Tennessee during the 1960s...
and Tommy Cogbill
Tommy Cogbill
Thomas Clark Cogbill, and known as Tommy Cogbill was an American bassist and record producer.Tommy Cogbill was born in Johnson Grove, Tennessee. He was a highly sought-after session and studio musician who appeared on many now-classic recordings of the 1960s and 1970s, especially those recorded in...
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 last-named group proceeded to record the album Going to Memphis at American Sound Studios, an association which led to Rush's discovery by Tommy Cogbill who'd been hoping to find the right voice for the song "Angel of the Morning" - he'd kept a tape of the demo
Demo (music)
A demo version or demo of a song is one recorded for reference rather than for release. A demo is a way for a musician to approximate their ideas on tape or disc, and provide an example of those ideas to record labels, producers or other artists...
of that song constantly in his pocket for several months. Rush recorded "Angel of the Morning" and the tracks which would comprise her Angel of the Morning album with the American Sound houseband although the single and the album would be credited to the group Merrilee Rush & the Turnabouts. The "Angel of the Morning" single was released in February 1968 to reach the Top Ten on the Billboard Hot 100
Billboard Hot 100
The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday...
that June peaking at #7. A #1 hit in Canada, Australia and New Zealand, "Angel of the Morning" also afforded Rush a hit in the Netherlands (#4). "Angel of the Morning" earned Rush a Grammy
Grammy Award
A Grammy Award — or Grammy — is an accolade by the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences of the United States to recognize outstanding achievement in the music industry...
nomination for Best Contemporary-Pop Vocal Performance, Female
Grammy Award for Best Female Pop Vocal Performance
The Grammy Award for Best Female Pop Vocal Performance is the latest in a series of awards recognizing superior vocal performance by a female in the pop category, the first of which was presented in 1959. The award goes to the artist...
. Rush would cut a new version of the song for her 1977 eponymous album release. Rush's version of "Angel of the Morning" would be featured on the soundtrack of the 1999 film Girl, Interrupted
Girl, Interrupted (film)
Girl, Interrupted is a 1999 drama film about a teenager's 18-month stay at a mental institution, starring Winona Ryder, Brittany Murphy, Angelina Jolie, Whoopi Goldberg and Vanessa Redgrave, with Jolie winning an Academy Award for her performance....
- whose time frame is 1967-68 - in which composer Chip Taylor's niece Angelina Jolie
Angelina Jolie
Angelina Jolie is an American actress. She has received an Academy Award, two Screen Actors Guild Awards, and three Golden Globe Awards, and was named Hollywood's highest-paid actress by Forbes in 2009 and 2011. Jolie is noted for promoting humanitarian causes as a Goodwill Ambassador for the...
had a starring role.
In the United Kingdom, where the Merrilee Rush version had failed to reach the Top 50 stalling at #55, "Angel of the Morning" reached #29 in August 1968 via a rendition by P.P. Arnold who had sung background on the 1967 Billie Davis version; Arnold's version was produced by Andrew Loog Oldham
Andrew Loog Oldham
Andrew Loog Oldham is an English producer, talent manager, impresario and author. He was manager and producer of The Rolling Stones from 1963, and was noted for his flamboyant style.-Biography:...
. In 1977 Mary Mason
Mary Mason
Mary Mason is a British singer who scored a minor hit in the UK Singles Chart in 1977 with a medley of Chip Taylor's "Angel of the Morning" / "Any Way You Want Me", reaching #27 and spending six weeks in the chart. Earlier in the year, Mason took part in the A Song For Europe contest, with the song...
also had a UK Top 30 hit with her version (in fact a medley
Medley (music)
In music, a medley is a piece composed from parts of existing pieces, usually three, played one after another, sometimes overlapping. They are common in popular music, and most medleys are songs rather than instrumental. A medley which is a remixed series is called a megamix, often done with tracks...
of two Chip Taylor songs: "Angel of the Morning - Any Way That You Want Me"), which made #27. British act Guys 'n' Dolls had a hit in the Netherlands in 1977 with "Angel of the Morning", their version reaching #11 on the Dutch chart.
The most successful C&W
Country music
Country music is a popular American musical style that began in the rural Southern United States in the 1920s. It takes its roots from Western cowboy and folk music...
version of the song - tying with the Juice Newton
Juice Newton
Judith Kay "Juice" Newton is an American Pop music and Country singer, songwriter and guitarist...
version discussed in the paragraph below - is the 1978 release by Melba Montgomery
Melba Montgomery
Melba Montgomery is an American country music singer. She is best known for duet hit recordings in the 1960s with country music singer George Jones....
which reached #22 on the Billboard C&W chart
Hot Country Songs
Hot Country Songs is a chart published weekly by Billboard magazine in the United States.This 60-position chart lists the most popular country music songs, calculated weekly mostly by airplay and occasionally commercial sales...
. Previously "Angel of the Morning" had appeared on the Billboard C&W chart via a rendition by Connie Eaton
Connie Eaton
Connie Eaton was a country music singer. Eaton was a native of Nashville, Tennessee and began her recording career as a teenager in the late 1960s, recording for Chart Records. Chart was the label that established Lynn Anderson as a major country singer and Eaton was considered by the country...
(#34/ 1970).
The highest-charting and best-selling version in the United States was recorded and released in 1981 by country-rock singer Juice Newton
Juice Newton
Judith Kay "Juice" Newton is an American Pop music and Country singer, songwriter and guitarist...
for her album Juice, released on Capitol Records
Capitol Records
Capitol Records is a major United States based record label, formerly located in Los Angeles, but operating in New York City as part of Capitol Music Group. Its former headquarters building, the Capitol Tower, is a major landmark near the corner of Hollywood and Vine...
. Newton remade the song at the suggestion of Steve Meyer, Capitol's national promotion director. Newton's version reached #4 on the Billboard Hot 100
Billboard Hot 100
The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday...
, #22 on the Billboard country music chart
Hot Country Songs
Hot Country Songs is a chart published weekly by Billboard magazine in the United States.This 60-position chart lists the most popular country music songs, calculated weekly mostly by airplay and occasionally commercial sales...
, and spent three weeks at #1 on the Billboard adult contemporary chart in April of that year. 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 of the song were sold in the United States, and the single reached the top ten in a number of other countries, including Canada and Australia. In the UK, this recording reached #35 on the UK Singles Chart, marking the song's third appearance on that chart without becoming a truly major hit. Newton recorded the song again in 1998 for her The Trouble with Angels album.
Reggae
Reggae
Reggae is a music genre first developed in Jamaica in the late 1960s. While sometimes used in a broader sense to refer to most types of Jamaican music, the term reggae more properly denotes a particular music style that originated following on the development of ska and rocksteady.Reggae is based...
artist Shaggy released a single titled "Angel
Angel (Shaggy song)
"Angel" is a 2001 number one hit song by reggae artist Shaggy featuring Rayvon. It was the follow-up to Shaggy's U.S. number-one hit "It Wasn't Me". "Angel" reached number one in the U.S...
" that featured Rayvon
Rayvon
Rayvon is a Barbadian reggae singer, known for his work with Shaggy.-Singles:*1992 "Big Up" *1994 "No Guns, No Murder" Hi.*1995 "In The Summertime" #5 UK...
in 2001. The song was a reworked version of "Angel of the Morning" and featured new lyrics, turning it into an apology and homage to his lady love, instead of the original's tone of a one-night stand. This song spent one week at #1.
Swedish singer Jill Johnson
Jill Johnson
Jill Anna Maria Johnson, , is a Swedish country- and pop-singer and songwriter. She performed the Melodifestivalen 1998 winning song Kärleken är, and represented Sweden at the Eurovision Song Contest 1998 with that song, which finished 10th with 53 points. In 2003 she again entered Melodifestivalen...
released "Angel of the Morning", with lyrics in English, in 2007 from her cover album Music Row
Music Row (Jill Johnson album)
Music Row is a cover album by Jill Johnson, recorded in Nashville and released on 28 November 2007. The album sold platinum in Sweden.-Track listing:#Rhythm Guitar - 3.20#Jolene - 3.30...
. This version peaked at #30 at the Swedish singles chart.
Versions by Chip Taylor
- In 1996, Taylor released a version on the album Hit Man.
- In 1999, a version by Taylor appeared on the KGSRKGSRKLZT is a radio station broadcasting an Regional Mexican format. Licensed to Bastrop, Texas, USA, the station serves the Austin area. The station is currently owned by Emmis Communications. The station is also broadcast on HD radio. It builds itself as La Z 107.1, -History:The station went on the...
fundraiser CD Broadcasts Vol. 7.
- In 2004, Taylor released a version of the song with his singer/songwriterSongwriterA songwriter is an individual who writes both the lyrics and music to a song. Someone who solely writes lyrics may be called a lyricist, and someone who only writes music may be called a composer...
partner Carrie RodriguezCarrie RodriguezCarrie Luz Rodriguez is a Mexican-American singer-songwriter and the daughter of Texan singer-songwriter David Rodriguez and well-known Texas painter Katy Nail, and is the granddaughter of prolific Texas essayist Frances Nail. She sings and plays the fiddle, mandobird and tenor guitar...
on the album of the same name.
Non-charting cover versions
- In 1968 the American singer Joya Landis recorded a late rocksteadyRocksteadyRocksteady is a music genre that originated in Jamaica around 1966. A successor to ska and a precursor to reggae, rocksteady was performed by Jamaican vocal harmony groups such as The Gaylads, The Maytals and The Paragons. The term rocksteady comes from a dance style that was mentioned in the Alton...
/early reggaeReggaeReggae is a music genre first developed in Jamaica in the late 1960s. While sometimes used in a broader sense to refer to most types of Jamaican music, the term reggae more properly denotes a particular music style that originated following on the development of ska and rocksteady.Reggae is based...
version of this song in Jamaica for producer Arthur "Duke" Reid and his Treasure Isle label. The UK release (Trojan TR-622) had "Love Letters" by Phyllis DillonPhyllis DillonPhyllis Dillon was a Jamaican ska and reggae singer who recorded for Duke Reid's lucrative Treasure Isle record label in the late 1960s and early 1970s.-Life and career:...
and Alton EllisAlton EllisAlton Nehemiah Ellis, OD, was a Jamaican musician best known as one of the innovators of rocksteady music and was often referred to as the "Godfather of Rocksteady". In 2006, he was inducted into the International Reggae And World Music Awards Hall Of Fame.-Biography:Ellis was born in 1938 and...
as the B-side. It also appeared on the compilation albumCompilation albumA compilation album is an album featuring tracks from one or more performers, often culled from a variety of sources The tracks are usually collected according to a common characteristic, such as popularity, genre, source or subject matter...
Soul Of Jamaica a.k.a. Come Rock With Me In Jamaica, and on the TrojanTrojan RecordsTrojan Records is a British record label founded in 1968. It specialises in ska, rocksteady, reggae and dub music. The label currently operates under the Sanctuary Records Group. The name Trojan comes from the Croydon-built Trojan truck that was used as Duke Reid's sound system in Jamaica...
compilation album, Tighten Up, Volume 1 (both 1968).
- Soul singer Bettye SwannBettye SwannBettye Swann is an American soul music singer, best known for her 1967 hit song "Make Me Yours".-Career:...
had a single release of "Angel of the Morning" in 1969.
- The New SeekersThe New SeekersThe New Seekers are a British-based pop group, formed in 1969 by Keith Potger after the break-up of his group, The Seekers. The idea was that the New Seekers would appeal to the same market as the original Seekers, but their music had rock as well as folk influences...
included "Angel of the Morning" on their self-titled debut albumThe New Seekers (album)The New Seekers is the debut album by UK-based pop group The New Seekers. It was released in January 1970, just a few months after the group was formed by producer Keith Potger.- Overview :...
(1969).
- Nina SimoneNina SimoneEunice Kathleen Waymon , better known by her stage name Nina Simone , was an American singer, songwriter, pianist, arranger, and civil rights activist widely associated with jazz music...
recorded the song in 1971 on Here Comes the SunHere Comes the Sun (album)Here Comes the Sun is a cover album by singer-pianist Nina Simone. It features songs recorded in the RCA studios with a full orchestra and backing vocals. Although Simone covers songs by among others Bob Dylan and George Harrison, most of the versions feature alternative arrangements...
.
- Norwegian singer Ellen Nikolaysen recorded the song for her 1973 English language album Freckles.
- Soul singer Thelma Jones recorded the song for her eponymous 1978 album.
- In 1995, Chrissie HyndeChrissie HyndeChristine Ellen "Chrissie" Hynde is an US musician best known as the leader of the rock/new wave band the Pretenders. She is a singer, songwriter, and guitarist, and has been the only constant member of the band throughout its history.-Early life and career:Hynde is the daughter of a part-time...
and The PretendersThe PretendersThe Pretenders are an English rock band formed in Hereford, England in March 1978. The original band consisted of initiator and main songwriter Chrissie Hynde , James Honeyman-Scott , Pete Farndon , and Martin Chambers...
sang their own version on the FriendsFriendsFriends is an American sitcom created by David Crane and Marta Kauffman, which aired on NBC from September 22, 1994 to May 6, 2004. The series revolves around a group of friends in Manhattan. The series was produced by Bright/Kauffman/Crane Productions, in association with Warner Bros. Television...
soundtrack album. The song was released as a single but did not chart.
- The short-lived British girl band ThunderbugsThunderbugsThunderbugs were a British girl group, briefly popular in 1999. Unlike most other girl groups, they played their own instruments. Their one hit, "Friends Forever", reached number 5 in the UK Singles Chart in September 1999. Their follow-up single, "It's About Time You Were Mine", failed to reach...
recorded an upbeat version of the song for their 1999 debut album, DeliciousDelicious (Thunderbugs album)Delicious is an album by short-lived British female band Thunderbugs. Its lead single, "Friends Forever", reached number 5 in the UK Singles Chart in September 1999.[1] Their follow-up single, "It's About Time You Were Mine", failed to reach the Top 40 in December 1999. Due to this flop, the album...
.
- In 2003 Maggie ReillyMaggie ReillyMaggie Reilly is a Scottish singer best known for her collaborations with the composer and instrumentalist Mike Oldfield...
recorded "Angel of the Morning" for her album Save It for a Rainy DaySave It for a Rainy Day- Track listing :# "Do You Really Want To Leave Me This Way"# "Forget About It"# "These Dreams"# "Goin' Back"# "Birds"# "True Colours"# "Save It For A Rainy Day"# "If You Leave Me Now"# "For One Kiss"# "You Can Close Your Eyes"# "So Far Away"...
.
- The Boston-based band Tijuana SweetheartTijuana SweetheartTijuana Sweetheart is an American all-female punk rock band from Boston, Massachusetts. The band was initially formed in 2005 by four employees of the gaming company Harmonix after Helen McWilliams sent around an email to the entire company...
(then named VAGIANT) released a cover on their debut album, Public Display of InfectionPublic Display of InfectionPublic Display of Infection is the debut album by Boston rock band Tijuana Sweetheart , released on October 21, 2007....
.
- The Atlanta-based band GirlymanGirlymanGirlyman is an American folk-rock band formerly based in Brooklyn, New York City, New York, now based in Atlanta, Georgia.Their self-released debut album, Remember Who I Am, sold 5,000 copies before it was re-released by Daemon Records, the independent record label run by Amy Ray of the Indigo...
released a cover on its 2007 live albumLive albumA live album is a recording consisting of material recorded during stage performances using remote recording techniques, commonly contrasted with a studio album...
, Somewhere Different Now.
Translated versions
There have been a number of non-English renderings of "Angel of the Morning":- in Dutch as "Vlinder van een zomer" a 1968 single by Willeke AlbertiWilleke AlbertiWilleke Alberti is a Dutch singer and actress, the daughter of entertainer and singer Willy Alberti.-Biography:...
.
- in French as "Au revoir et à demain" a 1967 single by Liliane Saint-Pierre.
- in Finnish as "Kaipuu" a 1968 single by Pertti Willberg and also as "Jos Itket Silloin" recorded by Pirjo Lehti for her 1985 Se On Rakkautta Oikeaa album.
- in Italian as "Gli occhi verdi dell'amore" which was a 1969 hit in Italy at #9 for I Profeti.
- in German as "Der Engel der Verdammten" by Juliane Werding on her 1975 album Wenn du denkst, dass du denkst, dan denskt du nur, du denskt and also as " "Ich bin dein Engel bis zum Morgen" a 1981 single by Suzanne Klee.
- in Spanish as "Ángel de la Mañana" by Enrique GuzmánEnrique GuzmánEnrique Guzmán is a Mexican singer. He is the father of Mexican singer Alejandra Guzmán by his former wife, actress and politician Silvia Pinal....
, in 1975.
- in Swedish as "En enda morgon" recorded by Elisabeth AndreassenElisabeth AndreassenElisabeth Gunilla Andreassen - also known as just "Bettan" - is a Swedish-Norwegian singer who has finished both first and second in the Eurovision Song Contest....
for her 1981 album Angel of the MorningAngel of the Morning (Elisabeth Andreassen album)Angel of the Morning, released in 1981, is the debut album of Norwegian singer Elisabeth Andreassen, and the first of several solo albums. Previously, she sang with Mats Rådberg on his album I'm the Singer, You're the Song...
and also as "Nattens sista ängel" recorded by WizexWizexWizex is a Swedish "dansband", formed in Osby, Sweden in 1973, with Kikki Danielsson as singer. The band has since had several front singers.Wizex finished 2nd in the Swedish Melodifestivalen 1978....
for their 1982 album Nattfjäril. These respective lyricists for these versions were Mats Rådberg and Roine CarlssonRoine CarlssonRoine Carlsson is a Swedish socialdemocratic politician.Carlsson was appointed Minister of defence in 1985 and was a member of the Swedish parliament 1985-1991....
.
Film and television
The Merrilee RushMerrilee Rush
-Career:As a girl, Merrilee studied classical piano for 10 years. In 1960, Rush auditioned for a band, directed by her first husband, that played sock hops. Next, she was part of Merrilee and Her Men, doing covers of male pop hits. Then she joined a Seattle rhythm and blues group called Tiny Tony...
version of the song is featured in the soundtrack of the movie, Girl, Interrupted
Girl, Interrupted (film)
Girl, Interrupted is a 1999 drama film about a teenager's 18-month stay at a mental institution, starring Winona Ryder, Brittany Murphy, Angelina Jolie, Whoopi Goldberg and Vanessa Redgrave, with Jolie winning an Academy Award for her performance....
. The Rush version is also played during a scene in the 1978
1978 in film
The year 1978 in film involved some significant events.-Events:* February 1 - Bob Dylan's film Renaldo and Clara, a documentary of the "Rolling Thunder Revue" tour premieres in Los Angeles, California....
film Fingers
Fingers (1978 film)
Fingers is a 1978 drama film directed by James Toback.-Synopsis:The film features Harvey Keitel as a pianist who also works for his loan shark father as a "collector"...
, where it is used to accentuate the conflicted nature of the main character played by Harvey Keitel
Harvey Keitel
Harvey Keitel is an American actor. Some of his most notable starring roles were in Martin Scorsese's Mean Streets and Taxi Driver, Ridley Scott's The Duellists and Thelma and Louise, Ettore Scola's That Night in Varennes, Quentin Tarantino's Reservoir Dogs and Pulp Fiction, Jane Campion's The...
. The song was performed live by Chrissie Hynde
Chrissie Hynde
Christine Ellen "Chrissie" Hynde is an US musician best known as the leader of the rock/new wave band the Pretenders. She is a singer, songwriter, and guitarist, and has been the only constant member of the band throughout its history.-Early life and career:Hynde is the daughter of a part-time...
in a 1995 episode of Friends
Friends
Friends is an American sitcom created by David Crane and Marta Kauffman, which aired on NBC from September 22, 1994 to May 6, 2004. The series revolves around a group of friends in Manhattan. The series was produced by Bright/Kauffman/Crane Productions, in association with Warner Bros. Television...
titled "The One with the Baby on the Bus", and that version also appears in that show's soundtrack album. The song also makes an appearance in the 1996
1996 in film
Major releases this year included Scream, Independence Day, Fargo, Trainspotting, The English Patient, Twister, Mars Attacks!, Jerry Maguire and a version of Evita starring Madonna.-Events:...
film Jerry Maguire
Jerry Maguire
Jerry Maguire is a 1996 American romantic comedy-drama film starring Tom Cruise and Cuba Gooding, Jr. It was written, co-produced, and directed by Cameron Crowe...
, with Tom Cruise
Tom Cruise
Thomas Cruise Mapother IV , better known as Tom Cruise, is an American film actor and producer. He has been nominated for three Academy Awards and he has won three Golden Globe Awards....
's titular character singing what appears to be the original version, enthusiastically if badly. More recently, Conan O'Brien
Conan O'Brien
Conan Christopher O'Brien is an American television host, comedian, writer, producer and performer. Since November 2010 he has hosted Conan, a late-night talk show that airs on the American cable television station TBS....
has referenced the track, during periodic ironic pledges to cease his show's use of arbitrary & stupid humor in which he presents a gorilla dressed as a nurse who uses an old-fashioned abdominal exerciser while enjoying the song. In "Branch Closing
Branch Closing
"Branch Closing" is the seventh episode of the third season of The Office . It was first aired on November 9, 2006 on NBC. It was written by Michael Schur and directed by Tucker Gates. It is the first episode to have a "Producer's Cut" on NBC.com, with deleted scenes edited into the full episode...
", an episode of The Office
The Office (US TV series)
The Office is an American comedy television series broadcast by NBC. An adaptation of the original BBC series of the same name, it depicts the everyday lives of office employees in the Scranton, Pennsylvania, branch of the fictional Dunder Mifflin Paper Company...
, Michael Scott
Michael Scott (The Office)
Michael Gary Scott is a fictional character on NBC's The Office, portrayed by Steve Carell, and based on David Brent from the original British version. Michael, the central character of the series, was the manager of the Scranton branch of paper and printer distribution company Dunder Mifflin Inc...
sings "Levinson in the morning" to his supervisor, Jan Levinson.
Juice Newton's version can be heard during Drew Barrymore's first scene in the film Charlie's Angels
Charlie's Angels
Charlie's Angels is a television series about three women who work for a private investigation agency, and is one of the first shows to showcase women in roles traditionally reserved for men...
.
Juice Newton's version can be heard in the film Charlie Wilson's War
Charlie Wilson's War
Charlie Wilson's War is a 2007 American biographical comedy drama film recounting the true story of U.S. Congressman Charlie Wilson who partnered with "bare knuckle attitude" CIA operative Gust Avrakotos to launch Operation Cyclone, a program to organize and support the Afghan mujahideen in their...
. Near the start of the film, it is also sung by Emily Blunt
Emily Blunt
Emily Olivia Leah Blunt is an English actress best known for her roles in The Devil Wears Prada , The Young Victoria , and The Adjustment Bureau . She has been nominated for two Golden Globe Awards, two London Film Critics' Circle Awards, and one BAFTA Award...
.
The Toyota Highlander
Toyota Highlander
The Toyota Highlander is a midsize crossover SUV produced by Toyota. It is a taller, heavier version of the Toyota Camry.Announced in April 2000 at the New York Auto Show and arriving in late 2000 in Japan and January, 2001, in North America, the Highlander became the first car-based midsize SUV or...
"Kid Cave" commercial, aired from late 2010, features a young boy who is embarrassed by his parents' singing of the song while he is riding with them in a car.
Versions (English language) (chronology)
- 1961: Ali Merryweather (original recording), Davey & Goliath
- 1967: Evie SandsEvie SandsEvie Sands is a Brooklyn-born singer, songwriter and guitarist, whose career began as a young teenager in the mid-1960s...
(original recording), Billie DavisBillie DavisBillie Davis is an English female singer who had hits in the 1960s, and is best remembered for the UK hit version of the song, "Tell Him" and "I Want You to Be My Baby" .... - 1968: Merrilee RushMerrilee Rush-Career:As a girl, Merrilee studied classical piano for 10 years. In 1960, Rush auditioned for a band, directed by her first husband, that played sock hops. Next, she was part of Merrilee and Her Men, doing covers of male pop hits. Then she joined a Seattle rhythm and blues group called Tiny Tony...
and The Turnabouts, P.P. Arnold, Percy FaithPercy FaithPercy Faith was a Canadian-born American bandleader, orchestrator, composer and conductor, known for his lush arrangements of pop and Christmas standards. He is often credited with creating the "easy listening" or "mood music" format which became staples of American popular music in the 1950s and...
, Ray ConniffRay ConniffJoseph Raymond Conniff was an American bandleader and arranger best known for his Ray Conniff Singers during the 1960s.-Biography:... - 1969: Dusty SpringfieldDusty SpringfieldMary Isobel Catherine Bernadette O'BrienSources use both Isabel and Isobel as the spelling of her second name. OBE , known professionally as Dusty Springfield and dubbed The White Queen of Soul, was a British pop singer whose career extended from the late 1950s to the 1990s...
(TV performance on It's Lulu), Skeeter DavisSkeeter DavisMary Frances Penick , better known as Skeeter Davis, was an American country music singer best known for crossover pop music songs of the early 1960s. She started out as part of The Davis Sisters as a teenager in the late 1940s, eventually landing on RCA Records. In the late '50s, she became a solo...
, Bettye SwannBettye SwannBettye Swann is an American soul music singer, best known for her 1967 hit song "Make Me Yours".-Career:...
, the New SeekersThe New SeekersThe New Seekers are a British-based pop group, formed in 1969 by Keith Potger after the break-up of his group, The Seekers. The idea was that the New Seekers would appeal to the same market as the original Seekers, but their music had rock as well as folk influences...
, the TremeloesThe TremeloesThe Tremeloes are an English beat group founded in 1958 in Dagenham, Essex, and still active today.-Career:They formed as Brian Poole and the Tremoloes influenced by Buddy Holly and The Crickets...
, Connie EatonConnie EatonConnie Eaton was a country music singer. Eaton was a native of Nashville, Tennessee and began her recording career as a teenager in the late 1960s, recording for Chart Records. Chart was the label that established Lynn Anderson as a major country singer and Eaton was considered by the country... - 1970: AbbaAbbaABBA is the name of a former Swedish pop music group.Abba may also refer to:* ABBA , a self-titled album by the Swedish pop music group ABBA* "Abba ", a song by Christian pop and rock artist, Rebecca St...
- 1971: Nina SimoneNina SimoneEunice Kathleen Waymon , better known by her stage name Nina Simone , was an American singer, songwriter, pianist, arranger, and civil rights activist widely associated with jazz music...
- 1973: Olivia Newton-JohnOlivia Newton-JohnOlivia Newton-John AO, OBE is a singer and actress. She is a four-time Grammy award winner who has amassed five No. 1 and ten other Top Ten Billboard Hot 100 singles and two No. 1 Billboard 200 solo albums. Eleven of her singles and 14 of her albums have been certified gold by the RIAA...
- 1977: Merrilee Rush (re-recording for United Artists RecordsUnited Artists RecordsUnited Artists Records was a record label founded by Max E. Youngstein of United Artists in 1957 initially to distribute records of its movie soundtracks, though it soon branched out into recording music of a number of different genres.-History:...
), Guys 'n' Dolls, Mary MasonMary MasonMary Mason is a British singer who scored a minor hit in the UK Singles Chart in 1977 with a medley of Chip Taylor's "Angel of the Morning" / "Any Way You Want Me", reaching #27 and spending six weeks in the chart. Earlier in the year, Mason took part in the A Song For Europe contest, with the song...
("Angel of the Morning"/"Any Way That You Want Me" medley) - 1978: Melba MontgomeryMelba MontgomeryMelba Montgomery is an American country music singer. She is best known for duet hit recordings in the 1960s with country music singer George Jones....
, Thelma Jones, Pat KellyPat Kelly (musician)Pat Kelly is a reggae singer whose career began in the late 1960s.- The Techniques :Kelly was born in Kingston in 1949. After leaving school, he spent a year studying electronics in Springfield, Massachusetts, United States during 1966, before returning to Jamaica... - 1981: Elisabeth AndreassenElisabeth AndreassenElisabeth Gunilla Andreassen - also known as just "Bettan" - is a Swedish-Norwegian singer who has finished both first and second in the Eurovision Song Contest....
, Juice NewtonJuice NewtonJudith Kay "Juice" Newton is an American Pop music and Country singer, songwriter and guitarist... - 1987: The TremeloesThe TremeloesThe Tremeloes are an English beat group founded in 1958 in Dagenham, Essex, and still active today.-Career:They formed as Brian Poole and the Tremoloes influenced by Buddy Holly and The Crickets...
- 1995: The PretendersThe PretendersThe Pretenders are an English rock band formed in Hereford, England in March 1978. The original band consisted of initiator and main songwriter Chrissie Hynde , James Honeyman-Scott , Pete Farndon , and Martin Chambers...
- 1998: Juice Newton (re-recording), Bonnie TylerBonnie TylerBonnie Tyler is a Welsh singer, most notable for her hits in the 1970s and 1980s including "It's a Heartache", "Holding Out for a Hero" and "Total Eclipse of the Heart".-Early life:...
- 1998: Gitte Haenning (Gitte Hænning) WEA Records Warner music Germany
- 1999: ThunderbugsThunderbugsThunderbugs were a British girl group, briefly popular in 1999. Unlike most other girl groups, they played their own instruments. Their one hit, "Friends Forever", reached number 5 in the UK Singles Chart in September 1999. Their follow-up single, "It's About Time You Were Mine", failed to reach...
- 2001: Maggie ReillyMaggie ReillyMaggie Reilly is a Scottish singer best known for her collaborations with the composer and instrumentalist Mike Oldfield...
- 2001: ShaggyShaggy (musician)Orville Richard Burrell , better known by his stage name Shaggy, is a Jamaican-American reggae singer and rapper. He is perhaps best known for his 1995 single "Boombastic" and 2000 single "It Wasn't Me"...
with Rayvon (Reggae, as "AngelAngel (Shaggy song)"Angel" is a 2001 number one hit song by reggae artist Shaggy featuring Rayvon. It was the follow-up to Shaggy's U.S. number-one hit "It Wasn't Me". "Angel" reached number one in the U.S...
") - 2003: The ShockerThe Shocker (band)The Shocker is an American punk rock band, featuring former L7 bassist Jennifer Finch performing vocals. The band also includes lead and rhythm guitarists, drums, and bass.-History:...
- 2006: Chip Davis & Carrie RodriguezCarrie RodriguezCarrie Luz Rodriguez is a Mexican-American singer-songwriter and the daughter of Texan singer-songwriter David Rodriguez and well-known Texas painter Katy Nail, and is the granddaughter of prolific Texas essayist Frances Nail. She sings and plays the fiddle, mandobird and tenor guitar...
- 2007: GirlymanGirlymanGirlyman is an American folk-rock band formerly based in Brooklyn, New York City, New York, now based in Atlanta, Georgia.Their self-released debut album, Remember Who I Am, sold 5,000 copies before it was re-released by Daemon Records, the independent record label run by Amy Ray of the Indigo...
, Jill JohnsonJill JohnsonJill Anna Maria Johnson, , is a Swedish country- and pop-singer and songwriter. She performed the Melodifestivalen 1998 winning song Kärleken är, and represented Sweden at the Eurovision Song Contest 1998 with that song, which finished 10th with 53 points. In 2003 she again entered Melodifestivalen...
, Vagiant - 2008: Barb JungrBarb JungrBarb Jungr is an English singer-songwriter, composer and writer, of Czech and German parentage. She is perhaps best known as a chansonnière, or singer of chansons—in the sense of classic, lyric-driven French songs; in the broader sense of European songs in the cabaret style; and in the even...
, Randy CrawfordRandy CrawfordRandy Crawford is an American jazz and R&B singer. She has been more successful in Europe than in the United States, where she has not entered the Billboard Hot 100 as a solo artist...
(with Joe SampleJoe SampleJoseph Leslie "Joe" Sample is an American pianist, keyboard player and composer.He is one of the founding members of the Jazz Crusaders, the band which became simply The Crusaders in 1971, and remained a part of the group until its final album in 1991 .- Biography :Sample began playing the piano...
) - 2011: Hanne BoelHanne BoelHanne Boel is a successful Danish singer. She covers a range of styles including pop, soul, gospel, rock, and jazz. Boel has had great success on the Scandinavian charts. Although she performs in English, her work is not well known in the U.K...
See also
- List of number-one singles in Australia during the 1960s
- List of number-one singles in 1968 (New Zealand)
- List of number-one adult contemporary singles of 1981 (U.S.)