Angel of the Morning
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| "Angel of the Morning" | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Single by Evie Sands | ||||
| B-side | "Dear John" | |||
| Released | 1967 | |||
| Genre | Pop | |||
| Length | 3:19 | |||
| Label | Cameo | |||
| Songwriter(s) | Chip Taylor | |||
| Producer(s) |
| |||
| Evie Sands singles chronology | ||||
| ||||
"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.
Origin and early recordings[edit]
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" | |||
| 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 | ||||
| ||||
| 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.)
Charts[edit]
Weekly charts[edit]
| 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[edit]
| 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" | |||
| 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 | ||||
| ||||
| 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.
Charts[edit]
Weekly charts[edit]
| 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 |
Year-end charts[edit]
| 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 |
Certifications[edit]
| Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
|---|---|---|
| Australia (ARIA)[37] | Gold | 50,000^ |
| ^ Shipments figures based on certification alone. | ||
Other versions[edit]
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]
Chip Taylor version[edit]
- 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.[42]
In popular media[edit]
- The Juice Newton version of the song is featured in the opening credits scene of the 2016 film Deadpool. The sweet melody is an ironic contrast to the visual violence in the freeze-framed action scene. [43] It is also featured in the ending scene and into the ending credits of the 2020 film Promising Young Woman[44] and in the 2007 film Charlie Wilson's War.
- The Merrilee Rush version of the song is featured in the soundtrack of the films Girl, Interrupted (as noted above) and Violet and Daisy, as well as in the NBC Television series The Blacklist.[45]
- 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. Though released as a single, it did not chart.[citation needed]
- The song plays a central role in Graeme Simsion's 2016 novel The Best of Adam Sharp.[46]
- The Toyota Highlander "Kid Cave" commercial, aired from late 2010, featured a young boy who is embarrassed by his parents's singing of the song while he is riding with them in a car.[47]
See also[edit]
- 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.)
References[edit]
- ^ Edmonton Journal August 8, 1997 "Chip Taylor: a hitman brings heart to Folk Fest" by Peter North p.C3
- ^ "'Deadpool' Director Tim Miller and Songwriter Chip Taylor on the Film's Soft-Rock Centerpiece, 'Angel in the Morning'". Billboard. Retrieved August 25, 2019.
- ^ 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.
- ^ "Item Display – RPM v Library and Archives Canada". Collectionscanada.gc.ca. Retrieved October 1, 2016.
- ^ Canada, Library and Archives (July 17, 2013). "Image : RPM Weekly". Library and Archives Canada.
- ^ "Merrilee Rush – Angel of the Morning" (in Dutch). Single Top 100.
- ^ "Merrilee Rush Chart History (Hot 100)". Billboard.
- ^ "Merrilee Rush Chart History (Adult Contemporary)". Billboard.
- ^ "Cash Box Top 100 Singles, July 13, 1968".
- ^ "Item Display - RPM - Library and Archives Canada". www.collectionscanada.gc.ca. Archived from the original on October 20, 2012.
- ^ a b "Top 100 Hits of 1981/Top 100 Songs of 1981". musicoutfitters.com.
- ^ "Cash Box YE Pop Singles – 1968". tropicalglen.com. Archived from the original on October 9, 2016. Retrieved July 5, 2017.
- ^ "VH1's 40 Most Softsational Soft-Rock Songs". Stereogum. SpinMedia. May 31, 2007. Retrieved July 31, 2016.
- ^ "Soft Rock: AM Radio Hits" – via AllMusic.
- ^ Lewiston Daily Sun April 15, 1981, p. 4
- ^ Kentucky New Era p. 2
- ^ Hyatt, Wesley (1999). The Billboard Book of No. 1 Adult Contemporary Hits (Billboard Publications), page 250.
- ^ Whitburn, Joel (2004). The Billboard Book of Top 40 Hits, 8th Edition (Billboard Publications), page 454.
- ^ Newton UK Singles Chart info OfficialCharts.com. Retrieved September 12, 2009.
- ^ Kent, David (1993). Australian Chart Book 1970–1992 (Illustrated ed.). Sydney: Australian Chart Book. ISBN 0-646-11917-6.
- ^ "Juice Newton – Angel of the Morning" (in German). Ö3 Austria Top 40.
- ^ Canada, Library and Archives (July 17, 2013). "Image : RPM Weekly". Library and Archives Canada.
- ^ "Juice Newton – Angel of the Morning" (in German). GfK Entertainment charts.
- ^ Currin, Brian (May 25, 2003). "SA Charts 1969 - 1989 Songs (A-B)". South African Rock Lists Website. Retrieved April 17, 2021.
- ^ "Juice Newton – Angel of the Morning". Swiss Singles Chart.
- ^ "Juice Newton – Angel of the Morning". Top 40 Singles.
- ^ "Juice Newton: Artist Chart History". Official Charts Company.
- ^ "Juice Newton Chart History (Hot 100)". Billboard.
- ^ "Juice Newton Chart History (Adult Contemporary)". Billboard.
- ^ "Juice Newton Chart History (Hot Country Songs)". Billboard.
- ^ "Cash Box Top 100 5/16/81". tropicalglen.com. Archived from the original on May 10, 2017. Retrieved July 5, 2017.
- ^ "National Top 100 Singles for 1981". Kent Music Report. January 4, 1982. p. 7. Retrieved January 11, 2022 – via Imgur.
- ^ "Forum – ARIA Charts: Special Occasion Charts – Top 100 End of Year AMR Charts – 1980s". Australian-charts.com. Hung Medien. Retrieved January 13, 2017.
- ^ "Item Display - RPM - Library and Archives Canada". www.collectionscanada.gc.ca. Archived from the original on October 20, 2012.
- ^ "The Official New Zealand Music Chart". THE OFFICIAL NZ MUSIC CHART.
- ^ "Cash Box YE Pop Singles – 1981". tropicalglen.com. Archived from the original on October 22, 2016. Retrieved July 5, 2017.
- ^ "Juicy Gold" (PDF). Cash Box. September 19, 1981. p. 7. Retrieved December 4, 2021 – via World Radio History.
- ^ Arnold UK Singles Chart info OfficialCharts.com. Retrieved September 12, 2009
- ^ Mason UK Singles Chart info OfficialCharts.com. Retrieved September 12, 2009.
- ^ Udovitch, Mim (February 15, 2001). "Q&A: Shaggy". Rolling Stone. Archived from the original on March 29, 2019. Retrieved March 29, 2019.
- ^ "Billboard Magazine: March 31, 2001 Issue". March 31, 2001. Retrieved March 16, 2024.
- ^ KGSR BROADCASTS CDS – Volume 7 Archived December 26, 2010, at the Wayback Machine. KGSR.com.
- ^ "' Deadpool playlist: How Juice Newton's Angel of the Morning, others songs made the soundtrack". Entertainment Weekly. February 14, 2016. Retrieved November 20, 2023.
- ^ "'Promising Young Woman Understands the Power of the Perfect Pop Song". Vanity Fair. December 24, 2020. Retrieved March 8, 2024.
- ^ "'The Blacklist' recap: Take care, dummy". Entertainment Weekly. April 17, 2021. Retrieved April 17, 2021.
- ^ Best of Adam Sharp Playlist Archived August 1, 2017, at the Wayback Machine, Penguin
- ^ Beth Harpaz. What Embarrasses a Teen? A Parent's Mere Existence, Associated Press, 20 December 2010
