Earth Angel
Encyclopedia
"Earth Angel" is an American
doo-wop
song
, originally released by The Penguins
in 1954 on the Dootone label (Dootone 348), as the B-side
to "Hey Señorita." The song became a major hit for The Crew-Cuts
in 1955, reaching the Billboard charts on January 29, 1955. It peaked at #3 on the Disk Jockey chart, #8 on the Best Seller, and #8 on the Juke Box chart. The flip side, "Ko Ko Mo (I Love You So)
," also charted.
The song was originally recorded as a demo
at Ted Brinson's garage studio in South Los Angeles
in October 1954, with producer Dootsie Williams
. "Earth Angel" quickly outstripped its A-side in popularity and reached #1 on the Billboard R&B chart for three weeks in early 1955 and #8 on the pop chart
. Covered many times since, the love song
would prove to be the only Top 40 hit from the group.
The version of "Earth Angel" recorded by The Penguins ranked #151 on Rolling Stone
's list of the 500 Greatest Songs of All Time. In 2004, it was one of 50 recordings chosen by the Library of Congress
to be added to the National Recording Registry
.
singer Curtis Williams.
According to one of the most reputable sources, it was started by Belvin and then evolved through variously titled songs recorded by Hodge and Williams. In turn they were influenced by "Dream Girl," Belvin's #2 R&B hit as one half of Jesse
and Marvin
, which contained many of the same vocal inflections used in "Earth Angel." The "Will you be mine?" hook was borrowed from the #9 R&B hit of the same name by the Swallows. A very similar song in terms of its piano introduction and chord progression is the song "I Know" recorded in 1953 by The Hollywood Flames
, a group in which Hodge and Williams were both members for a time. The chord changes, known as the 50s progression
, are also similar to the Rodgers and Hart
song, "Blue Moon
," which was popular with many doo-wop groups. The coda of Earth Angel, with the repeatedly harmonized word "You-oo... you-oo... you-oo... you-oo," had previously been heard in The Dominoes' #5 R&B cover of "These Foolish Things (Remind Me Of You)
."
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
doo-wop
Doo-wop
The name Doo-wop is given to a style of vocal-based rhythm and blues music that developed in African American communities in the 1940s and achieved mainstream popularity in the 1950s and early 1960s. It emerged from New York, Philadelphia, Chicago, Baltimore, Newark, Pittsburgh, Cincinnati and...
song
Song
In music, a song is a composition for voice or voices, performed by singing.A song may be accompanied by musical instruments, or it may be unaccompanied, as in the case of a cappella songs...
, originally released by The Penguins
The Penguins
The Penguins were an American doo-wop group of the 1950s and early 1960s, best remembered for their only Top 40 hit, "Earth Angel ", which was one of the first rhythm and blues hits to cross over to the pop charts...
in 1954 on the Dootone label (Dootone 348), as the B-side
A-side and B-side
A-side and B-side originally referred to the two sides of gramophone records on which singles were released beginning in the 1950s. The terms have come to refer to the types of song conventionally placed on each side of the record, with the A-side being the featured song , while the B-side, or...
to "Hey Señorita." The song became a major hit for The Crew-Cuts
The Crew-Cuts
The Crew-Cuts were a Canadian vocal quartet, that made a number of popular records that charted in the United States and worldwide. They named themselves after the then popular crew cut haircut, one of the first connections made between pop music and hairstyle...
in 1955, reaching the Billboard charts on January 29, 1955. It peaked at #3 on the Disk Jockey chart, #8 on the Best Seller, and #8 on the Juke Box chart. The flip side, "Ko Ko Mo (I Love You So)
Ko Ko Mo (I Love You So)
"Ko Ko Mo " is a 1955 popular song written by Forest Gene Wilson, Jake Porter, and Eunice Levy. Wilson and Levy made the first recording of the song. Well-known cover recordings were made by The Crew-Cuts and by Perry Como...
," also charted.
The song was originally recorded as a 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...
at Ted Brinson's garage studio in South Los Angeles
South Los Angeles
South Los Angeles, often abbreviated as South L.A. and formerly South Central Los Angeles, is the official name for a large geographic and cultural portion lying to the southwest and southeast of downtown Los Angeles, California. The area was formerly called South Central, and is still widely known...
in October 1954, with producer Dootsie Williams
Dootsie Williams
Dootsie Williams is an American record producer, and record label owner who released early records by Redd Foxx and The Penguins.-Career:Williams was a leader of the Harlem Dukes band in the 1940s. While performing at gigs, he came up with the idea to record other artists.In 1949, Williams founded...
. "Earth Angel" quickly outstripped its A-side in popularity and reached #1 on the Billboard R&B chart for three weeks in early 1955 and #8 on the pop chart
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...
. Covered many times since, the love song
Love song
A love song is about falling in love and the feelings it brings. Anthologies of love songs often contain a mixture of both of these types of song. A bawdy song is both humorous and saucy, emphasizing the physical pleasure of love rather than the emotional joy...
would prove to be the only Top 40 hit from the group.
The version of "Earth Angel" recorded by The Penguins ranked #151 on Rolling Stone
Rolling Stone
Rolling Stone is a US-based magazine devoted to music, liberal politics, and popular culture that is published every two weeks. Rolling Stone was founded in San Francisco in 1967 by Jann Wenner and music critic Ralph J...
's list of the 500 Greatest Songs of All Time. In 2004, it was one of 50 recordings chosen by the Library of Congress
Library of Congress
The Library of Congress is the research library of the United States Congress, de facto national library of the United States, and the oldest federal cultural institution in the United States. Located in three buildings in Washington, D.C., it is the largest library in the world by shelf space and...
to be added to the National Recording Registry
National Recording Registry
The National Recording Registry is a list of sound recordings that "are culturally, historically, or aesthetically important, and/or inform or reflect life in the United States." The registry was established by the National Recording Preservation Act of 2000, which created the National Recording...
.
Authorship
The song was originally credited to The Penguins' baritoneBaritone
Baritone is a type of male singing voice that lies between the bass and tenor voices. It is the most common male voice. Originally from the Greek , meaning deep sounding, music for this voice is typically written in the range from the second F below middle C to the F above middle C Baritone (or...
singer Curtis Williams.
According to one of the most reputable sources, it was started by Belvin and then evolved through variously titled songs recorded by Hodge and Williams. In turn they were influenced by "Dream Girl," Belvin's #2 R&B hit as one half of Jesse
Jesse Belvin
Jesse Lorenzo Belvin was an American R&B singer, pianist and songwriter popular in the 1950s, whose success was cut short by his death in a car crash aged 27.-Career:...
and Marvin
Marvin & Johnny
Marvin & Johnny was the stage name of the 1950s American doo-wop duo. It featured Marvin Phillips and Emory "Johnny" Perry , who recorded the early doo-wop single, "Cherry Pie."-Career:...
, which contained many of the same vocal inflections used in "Earth Angel." The "Will you be mine?" hook was borrowed from the #9 R&B hit of the same name by the Swallows. A very similar song in terms of its piano introduction and chord progression is the song "I Know" recorded in 1953 by The Hollywood Flames
The Hollywood Flames
The Hollywood Flames were an American R&B vocal group in the 1950s, best known for their hit, "Buzz Buzz Buzz".They formed as The Flames in 1949, in Watts, Los Angeles, at a talent show where members of various high school groups got together. The original members were Bobby Byrd , David Ford,...
, a group in which Hodge and Williams were both members for a time. The chord changes, known as the 50s progression
50s progression
The 50s progression is a chord progression and turnaround used in Western popular music. As the name implies, it was common in the 1950s and early 1960s and is particularly associated with doo-wop...
, are also similar to the Rodgers and Hart
Rodgers and Hart
Rodgers and Hart were an American songwriting partnership of composer Richard Rodgers and the lyricist Lorenz Hart...
song, "Blue Moon
Blue Moon (song)
"Blue Moon"'s first crossover recording to rock and roll came from Elvis Presley in 1956. His cover version of the song was included on his self-titled debut album Elvis Presley....
," which was popular with many doo-wop groups. The coda of Earth Angel, with the repeatedly harmonized word "You-oo... you-oo... you-oo... you-oo," had previously been heard in The Dominoes' #5 R&B cover of "These Foolish Things (Remind Me Of You)
These Foolish Things (Remind Me Of You)
"These Foolish Things " is a standard with words by Eric Maschwitz and music by Jack Strachey. Harry Link, an American, sometimes appears as a co-writer, but his input was probably limited to changes to suit the U.S. market. It is one of a group of 'Mayfair Songs', like "A Nightingale Sang in...
."
Cover versions
- Gloria MannGloria MannGloria Mann was an American pop singer born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Mann scored two hits on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 in 1955. The first was a version of "Earth Angel", which reached #18. Later that year, "Teen Age Prayer" peaked at #19; this featured Sid Bass leading the backing orchestra...
's version reached #18 in 1955 - Johnny TillotsonJohnny TillotsonJohnny Tillotson is an American singer and songwriter. He enjoyed his greatest success in the early 1960s, when he scored 9 top-ten hits on the pop, country and adult contemporary billboard charts including "Poetry In Motion" and the self-penned "It Keeps Right On A-Hurtin'"...
's 19601960 in music-Events:*January 14 – Elvis Presley is promoted to Sergeant in the U.S. Army*February 6 – Songwriter Jesse Belvin dies in an automobile accident in Los Angeles...
version reached #57 - The CrestsThe CrestsThe Crests were a New York R&B doo-wop group of the late 1950s and early 1960s. Their most popular song was "16 Candles", which rose to number 2 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart in 1959. It sold over one million copies, earning a gold disc. The interracial group had three black members , one Puerto...
recorded a version for their 1960 album: The Crests Sing All Biggies - Bobby VintonBobby VintonBobby Vinton is an American pop music singer of Polish origin. In pop music circles, he became known as "The Polish Prince".-Early life:...
covered a version in 1963 - The VoguesThe VoguesThe Vogues are an American vocal group from Turtle Creek, Pennsylvania, a suburb of Pittsburgh. The original group consisted of Bill Burkette , Don Miller , Hugh Geyer and Chuck Blasko .-Career:...
recorded a version that reached #42 in 19691969 in music-Events:Perhaps the two most famous musical events of 1969 were concerts. At a Rolling Stones concert in Altamont, California, a fan was stabbed to death by Hells Angels, a biker gang that had been hired to provide security for the event... - Elvis PresleyElvis PresleyElvis Aaron Presley was one of the most popular American singers of the 20th century. A cultural icon, he is widely known by the single name Elvis. He is often referred to as the "King of Rock and Roll" or simply "the King"....
covered this song in Germany and it was released on the 1984 album A Golden Celebration - New EditionNew EditionNew Edition is an R&B group formed in Boston in 1978. The group reached its height of popularity during the 1980s. They were the progenitors of the boy band movement of the 1980s and 1990s and led the way for groups like New Kids on the Block, Boyz II Men, Backstreet Boys and 'N Sync...
reached #21 with a 19861986 in musicThis is a list of notable events in music that took place in the year 1986.-January-June:*January 23 – The first induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame takes place...
version - SlapstickSlapstick (band)Slapstick was a punk-ska fusion band formed in Chicago by a group of friends from the Elgin area. The group took some cues from the seminal ska/punk outfit Operation Ivy and the guttural punk vocals of Crimpshrine, but developed their own unique style. The group was active from 1993 to 1996 on...
covered this song on their 1997 self titled albumSlapstick (album)Slapstick is a compilation of every song recorded by Chicago ska-punk band Slapstick. It was released by Asian Man Records in 1997. Tracks 7-20 were originally located on Slapstick's only full length album, Lookit!-Track listing:... - Aaron NevilleAaron NevilleAaron Neville is an American soul and R&B singer and musician. He has had four top-20 hits in the United States along with four platinum-certified albums...
covered this song on his 2003 album, Orchid In the Storm - Death Cab for CutieDeath Cab for CutieDeath Cab for Cutie is an American alternative rock band formed in Bellingham, Washington in 1997. The band consists of Ben Gibbard , Chris Walla , Nick Harmer and Jason McGerr ....
recorded a version for the 2005 album, Stubbs the Zombie: The Soundtrack - the bella morta released a cover of Earth Angel on their 2006 album, Bleed The Grey Sky Black
- Blink-182Blink-182Blink-182 is an American rock band consisting of vocalist and bass guitarist Mark Hoppus, vocalist and guitarist Tom DeLonge, and drummer Travis Barker. They have sold over 27 million albums worldwide since forming in Poway, California in 1992...
- The FleetwoodsThe FleetwoodsThe Fleetwoods were a singing trio from Olympia, Washington, United States; formed in the late 1950s. They were responsible for eleven hit songs, beginning with "Come Softly to Me"...
- Tiny TimTiny Tim (musician)Tiny Tim , , born in Manhattan, was an American singer and ukulele player. He was most famous for his rendition of "Tiptoe Through the Tulips" sung in a distinctive high falsetto/vibrato voice.-Rise to fame:Born to Lebanese parents in 1932, Khaury displayed musical talent at a very young age...
- Green DayGreen DayGreen Day is an American punk rock band formed in 1987. The band consists of lead vocalist and guitarist Billie Joe Armstrong, bassist and backing vocalist Mike Dirnt, and drummer Tre Cool...
often includes the song in a live medleyMedley (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...
which begins with their original song "King For A Day," morphing into The Isley BrothersThe Isley BrothersThe Isley Brothers are a highly influential, successful and long-running American music group consisting of different line-ups of six brothers, and a brother-in-law, Chris Jasper...
', "Shout", and breaks into a smaller medley including, but not limited to, "Earth Angel," The Jackson 5The Jackson 5The Jackson 5 , later known as The Jacksons, were an American popular music family group from Gary, Indiana...
's "I'll Be There," and Ben E. KingBen E. KingBenjamin Earl King , better known as Ben E. King, is an American soul singer. He is perhaps best known as the singer and co-composer of "Stand by Me", a U.S...
's "Stand by MeStand by Me (song)"Stand by Me" is the title of a song originally performed by Ben E. King and written by King, Jerry Leiber, and Mike Stoller, based on the spiritual "Lord Stand by Me,", plus two lines rooted in Psalms 46:2-3...
," and then back into "Shout"
Cultural references
- In Back to the FutureBack to the FutureBack to the Future is a 1985 American science-fiction adventure film. It was directed by Robert Zemeckis, written by Zemeckis and Bob Gale, produced by Steven Spielberg, and starred Michael J. Fox, Christopher Lloyd, Lea Thompson, Crispin Glover and Thomas F. Wilson. The film tells the story of...
, Marvin Berry and the Starlighters played the song during the "Enchantment Under the Sea" high-school dance. Due to the time-travelling plot of the films, this scene was "replayed" in Back to the Future Part IIBack to the Future Part IIBack to the Future Part II is a 1989 American science fiction comedy film and the second installment of the Back to the Future trilogy. It was directed by Robert Zemeckis, written by Zemeckis and Bob Gale, and starred Michael J. Fox, Christopher Lloyd, Thomas F. Wilson and Lea Thompson...
. - A scene from the Family GuyFamily GuyFamily Guy is an American animated television series created by Seth MacFarlane for the Fox Broadcasting Company. The series centers on the Griffins, a dysfunctional family consisting of parents Peter and Lois; their children Meg, Chris, and Stewie; and their anthropomorphic pet dog Brian...
season finaleSeason finaleA season finale is the final episode of a season of a television program...
, "Meet the QuagmiresMeet the Quagmires"Meet the Quagmires" is the eighteenth episode of the fifth season of the animated comedy series Family Guy. It originally aired on Fox on May 20, 2007. The episode features Peter after he goes back in time, in order to live the single life a little longer, before he met his wife, Lois...
", which directly parodied the dance from Back to the Future, also featured the song and was followed, instead of Johnny B. GoodeJohnny B. Goode"Johnny B. Goode" is a 1958 rock and roll song written and originally performed by American musician Chuck Berry. The song was a major hit among both black and white audiences peaking at #2 on Billboard magazine's Hot R&B Sides chart and #8 on the Billboard Hot 100.The song is one of Chuck Berry's...
, by Never Gonna Give You UpNever Gonna Give You UpA group of London dance producers, called The Rickrollerz made a house music cover version of "Never Gonna Give You Up" on that day, and in honor of that event....
. In the episode, "Earth Angel" is sung by Luke Adams. - In 1986's Karate Kid II, it was playing at the dance Kumiko took Daniel-san to in Okinawa.
- In the musical, "Jersey BoysJersey BoysJersey Boys is a jukebox musical with music by Bob Gaudio, lyrics by Bob Crewe and book by Marshall Brickman and Rick Elice. It is a documentary-style musical, based on one of the most successful 1960s rock 'n roll groups, the Four Seasons...
," it was sung by the actor playing Tommy DeVitoTommy DeVito (musician)Tommy DeVito is an American musician and singer, best known as a founding member and the lead guitarist of the rock band The Four Seasons....
. - In Superman IIISuperman IIISuperman III is a 1983 superhero film and the third film in the Superman film series based upon the long-running DC Comics superhero. Christopher Reeve, Jackie Cooper, Marc McClure and Margot Kidder are joined by new cast members Annette O'Toole, Annie Ross, Pamela Stephenson, Robert Vaughn and...
, the song was played in the high-school reunion dance with Clark Kent and Lana Lang. - In the 1998 mini-series The TemptationsThe Temptations (miniseries)The Temptations is a four-hour television miniseries broadcast in two-hour halves on NBC, based upon the history of one of Motown's longest-lived acts, The Temptations...
, the actors portraying The Distants (a predecessor of The TemptationsThe TemptationsThe Temptations is an American vocal group having achieved fame as one of the most successful acts to record for Motown Records. The group's repertoire has included, at various times during its five-decade career, R&B, doo-wop, funk, disco, soul, and adult contemporary music.Formed in Detroit,...
) perform "Earth Angel" a capella. - In the SmallvilleSmallville (TV series)Smallville is an American television series developed by writers/producers Alfred Gough and Miles Millar based on the DC Comics character Superman, originally created by Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster. The television series was initially broadcast by The WB Television Network , premiering on October...
episode "Relic," set in the 60's, the song can be heard in a scene between Jor-El and Louise. - In the Stephen King novel ItIt (novel)It is a 1986 horror novel by American author Stephen King. The story follows the exploits of seven children as they are terrorized by the eponymous inter-dimensional predatory life-form that exploits the fears and phobias of its victims in order to disguise itself while hunting its prey. "It"...
, in the lengthy flashback to the main characters' lives during the 1950s, Ben Hanscom hears the song in his head every time he sees his crush, Beverly. - In one of the final scenes of the play "Paradise Park" by Charles Mee, much of the cast sings Earth Angel in its entirety.
- In the ErfworldErfworldErfworld is a story-driven fantasy/comedy webcomic about a master strategy gamer stuck in a wargame. The first book, The Battle for Gobwin Knob was written by Rob Balder and illustrated by Jamie Noguchi. It was recognized as one of the top 10 graphic novels of 2007 by Time Magazine. The second...
summer update 015, the Transylvitians sing, among others, a song called "Erf Angel."