Earth Angel
"Earth Angel (Will You Be Mine)" 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 #152 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.
Read more about Earth Angel: Authorship, Cover Versions, Cultural References
Famous quotes containing the words earth and/or angel:
“When he painted a road, the roadmakers were there in his imagination. When he painted the turned earth of a ploughed field, the gesture of the blade turning the earth was included in his own act. Wherever he looked he saw the labour of existence; and this labour, recognized as such, was what constituted reality for him.”
—John Berger (b. 1926)
“I’ve almost gained my heav’nly home; My spirit loudly sings;
The holy ones behold they come, I hear the noise of wings.
O come, angel band, Come and around me stand.
O bear me away on your snowy wings, To my immortal home.”
—T. Haskell, minister and hymn-writer. Published in Christian Harmony. “Angel Band,” l. 5-8.