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.
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.)
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 Billboardcountry music chart, and spent three weeks at No. 1 on the Billboardadult 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.
^ Shipments figures based on certification alone. ‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone.
Other versions
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]
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
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]
In popular media
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. [47] It is also featured in the ending scene and into the ending credits of the 2020 film Promising Young Woman[48] and in the 2007 film Charlie Wilson's War.
The song plays a central role in Graeme Simsion's 2016 novel The Best of Adam Sharp.[50]
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.[51]
