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Angel of the Morning

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"Angel of the Morning"
Single by Evie Sands
B-side"Dear John"
Released1967
GenrePop
Length3:19
LabelCameo
Songwriter(s)Chip Taylor
Producer(s)
Evie Sands singles chronology
"The Love of a Boy"
(1966) 		"Angel of the Morning"
(1967) 		"Billy Sunshine"
(1967)

"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 Juice Newton.

Origin and early recordings

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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.

Merrilee Rush version

[edit]
"Angel of the Morning"
A-side label of U.S. single
Single by Merrilee Rush & the Turnabouts
from the album Angel of the Morning
B-side"Reap What You Sow"
ReleasedFebruary 7, 1968
RecordedJanuary 1968
StudioAmerican (Memphis, Tennessee)
GenrePop, country
Length2:58
LabelBell
Songwriter(s)Chip Taylor
Producer(s)
Merrilee Rush singles chronology
"How's the Weather on Your Street"
(1967) 		"Angel of the Morning"
(1968) 		"That Kind of Woman"
(1968)
Audio
"Angel of the Morning" on YouTube

The song became a hit in 1968 through a recording by Merrilee Rush, made that January at the American Sound Studio 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.)

Charts

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Weekly charts

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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

Year-end charts

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Chart (1968) Rank
Canada[10] 70
US Billboard Hot 100[11] 28
US Cash Box[12] 45

Juice Newton version

[edit]
"Angel of the Morning"
Single by Juice Newton
from the album Juice
B-side"Headin' for a Heartache"
Released1981
Recorded1980
GenreCountry, soft rock[13][14]
Length4:10
3:57 (7-inch)
LabelCapitol 4976
Songwriter(s)Chip Taylor
Producer(s)Richard Landis
Juice Newton singles chronology
"You Fill My Life"
(1980) 		"Angel of the Morning"
(1981) 		"Queen of Hearts"
(1981)
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 that a version of the song by Newton would be a strong candidate for airplay.[15] Newton stated that she would never have thought of recording "Angel of the Morning", even though she immediately recognized the song when Meyer played it for her: "I [had not 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 one million copies 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.

Charts

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Weekly charts

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Chart (1981) Peak
position
Argentina (CAPIF) [20] 5
Australia (Kent Music Report)[21] 2
Austria (Ö3 Austria Top 40)[22] 7
Canada RPM Top Singles[23] 1
Germany (GfK)[24] 23
Israel (IBA)[25] 37
Portugal (AFP)[26] 4
South Africa (Springbok Radio)[27] 3
Switzerland (Schweizer Hitparade)[28] 4
New Zealand (Recorded Music NZ)[29] 5
UK Singles (Official Charts Company)[30]
43
US Billboard Hot 100[31] 4
US Adult Contemporary (Billboard)[32] 1
US Hot Country Songs (Billboard)[33] 22
US Cash Box Top 100[34] 2

Year-end charts

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Chart (1981) Rank
Australia (Kent Music Report)[35][36] 26
Canada[37] 8
New Zealand[38] 50
US Billboard Hot 100[11] 25
US Cash Box[39] 21

Certifications

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Region Certification Certified units/sales
Australia (ARIA)[40] Gold 50,000^
United Kingdom (BPI)[41] Silver 200,000‡

^ Shipments figures based on certification alone.
‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone.

Other versions

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In 1968, a rendition by P. P. Arnold,[42] 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.[43]

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".[44] It reached No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 for the week ending March 31, 2001.[45]

Chip Taylor version

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  • In 1972, Taylor released a version on Buddah 325. It reached No. 101 in the Record World survey.[citation needed]
  • In 1999, a version by Taylor appeared on the KGSR fundraiser CD Broadcasts Vol. 7.[46]
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See also

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References

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  1. ^ Edmonton Journal August 8, 1997 "Chip Taylor: a hitman brings heart to Folk Fest" by Peter North p.C3
  2. ^ "'Deadpool' Director Tim Miller and Songwriter Chip Taylor on the Film's Soft-Rock Centerpiece, 'Angel in the Morning'". Billboard. Retrieved August 25, 2019.
  3. ^ Jones, Roben (2010). Memphis Boys: the story of American Studios (1st ed.). Jackson, Mississippi: University Press of Mississippi. pp. 126–130. ISBN 978-1-60473-401-0.
  4. ^ "Item Display – RPM v Library and Archives Canada". Collectionscanada.gc.ca. Retrieved October 1, 2016.
  5. ^ Canada, Library and Archives (July 17, 2013). "Image : RPM Weekly". Library and Archives Canada.
  6. ^ "Merrilee Rush – Angel of the Morning" (in Dutch). Single Top 100.
  7. ^ "Merrilee Rush Chart History (Hot 100)". Billboard.
  8. ^ "Merrilee Rush Chart History (Adult Contemporary)". Billboard.
  9. ^ "Cash Box Top 100 Singles, July 13, 1968".
  10. ^ "Item Display - RPM - Library and Archives Canada". www.collectionscanada.gc.ca. Archived from the original on October 20, 2012.
  11. ^ a b "Top 100 Hits of 1981/Top 100 Songs of 1981". musicoutfitters.com.
  12. ^ "Cash Box YE Pop Singles – 1968". tropicalglen.com. Archived from the original on October 9, 2016. Retrieved July 5, 2017.
  13. ^ "VH1's 40 Most Softsational Soft-Rock Songs". Stereogum. SpinMedia. May 31, 2007. Retrieved July 31, 2016.
  14. ^ "Soft Rock: AM Radio Hits" – via AllMusic.
  15. ^ Lewiston Daily, April 15, 1981, p. 4.
  16. ^ Kentucky New Era, p. 2.
  17. ^ Hyatt, Wesley (1999). The Billboard Book of No. 1 Adult Contemporary Hits (Billboard Publications), p. 250.
  18. ^ Whitburn, Joel (2004). The Billboard Book of Top 40 Hits, 8th Edition (Billboard Publications), page 454.
  19. ^ Newton UK Singles Chart info OfficialCharts.com. Retrieved September 12, 2009.
  20. ^ "Cash Box - International Best Sellers" (PDF). Cashbox (magazine). October 10, 1981. Retrieved October 28, 2024.
  21. ^ Kent, David (1993). Australian Chart Book 1970–1992 (Illustrated ed.). Sydney: Australian Chart Book. ISBN 0-646-11917-6.
  22. ^ "Juice Newton – Angel of the Morning" (in German). Ö3 Austria Top 40.
  23. ^ Canada, Library and Archives (July 17, 2013). "Image : RPM Weekly". Library and Archives Canada.
  24. ^ "Juice Newton – Angel of the Morning" (in German). GfK Entertainment charts.
  25. ^ 6 April 1981
  26. ^ Portuguese Charts Archive. 3 December 1981.
  27. ^ Currin, Brian (May 25, 2003). "SA Charts 1969 - 1989 Songs (A-B)". South African Rock Lists Website. Retrieved April 17, 2021.
  28. ^ "Juice Newton – Angel of the Morning". Swiss Singles Chart.
  29. ^ "Juice Newton – Angel of the Morning". Top 40 Singles.
  30. ^ "Juice Newton: Artist Chart History". Official Charts Company.
  31. ^ "Juice Newton Chart History (Hot 100)". Billboard.
  32. ^ "Juice Newton Chart History (Adult Contemporary)". Billboard.
  33. ^ "Juice Newton Chart History (Hot Country Songs)". Billboard.
  34. ^ "Cash Box Top 100 5/16/81". tropicalglen.com. Archived from the original on May 10, 2017. Retrieved July 5, 2017.
  35. ^ "National Top 100 Singles for 1981". Kent Music Report. January 4, 1982. p. 7. Retrieved January 11, 2022 – via Imgur.
  36. ^ "Forum – ARIA Charts: Special Occasion Charts – Top 100 End of Year AMR Charts – 1980s". Australian-charts.com. Hung Medien. Retrieved January 13, 2017.
  37. ^ "Item Display - RPM - Library and Archives Canada". www.collectionscanada.gc.ca. Archived from the original on October 20, 2012.
  38. ^ "The Official New Zealand Music Chart". THE OFFICIAL NZ MUSIC CHART.
  39. ^ "Cash Box YE Pop Singles – 1981". tropicalglen.com. Archived from the original on October 22, 2016. Retrieved July 5, 2017.
  40. ^ "Juicy Gold" (PDF). Cash Box. September 19, 1981. p. 7. Retrieved December 4, 2021 – via World Radio History.
  41. ^ "British single certifications – Juice Newton – Angel Of The Morning". British Phonographic Industry. Retrieved August 17, 2024.
  42. ^ Arnold UK Singles Chart info OfficialCharts.com. Retrieved September 12, 2009
  43. ^ Mason UK Singles Chart info OfficialCharts.com. Retrieved September 12, 2009.
  44. ^ Udovitch, Mim (February 15, 2001). "Q&A: Shaggy". Rolling Stone. Archived from the original on March 29, 2019. Retrieved March 29, 2019.
  45. ^ "Billboard Magazine: March 31, 2001 Issue". March 31, 2001. Retrieved March 16, 2024.
  46. ^ KGSR BROADCASTS CDS – Volume 7 Archived December 26, 2010, at the Wayback Machine. KGSR.com.
  47. ^ "' Deadpool playlist: How Juice Newton's Angel of the Morning, others songs made the soundtrack". Entertainment Weekly. February 14, 2016. Retrieved November 20, 2023.
  48. ^ "'Promising Young Woman Understands the Power of the Perfect Pop Song". Vanity Fair. December 24, 2020. Retrieved March 8, 2024.
  49. ^ "'The Blacklist' recap: Take care, dummy". Entertainment Weekly. April 17, 2021. Retrieved April 17, 2021.
  50. ^ Best of Adam Sharp Playlist Archived August 1, 2017, at the Wayback Machine, Penguin
  51. ^ Beth Harpaz. What Embarrasses a Teen? A Parent's Mere Existence, Associated Press, 20 December 2010
  52. ^ Martoccio, Angie (May 10, 2021). "Flashback: Chrissie Hynde Covers 'Angel of the Morning' on 'Friends'". Rolling Stone. Retrieved October 3, 2024.
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