Angel Baby (Rosie and the Originals song)

"Angel Baby"
Song

"Angel Baby" was a 1960 single by Rosie and the Originals. The song was recorded independently on a two-track machine when lead singer Rosie Hamlin was only 15 years old. Initially unable to find a label willing to distribute the song because of its unpolished sound, the group convinced a San Diego department store to pipe their master through the listening booths in the record department. The response from listeners prompted Highland Records to sign the band and promote the single. The song reached #5 on the Billboard Hot 100 in December 1960 and remained on the charts for twelve weeks. On the R&B charts, "Angel Baby" also peaked at #5 and remained on that chart for eight weeks.

An elaboration of the meaning of the song (from SongMango.com) says that, "She (Rosie Hamlin) summed up and effectively had the last word in what we now know as the Doo-Wop era in Rock-N-Roll.

In a lucky accident the makeshift studio that “Angel Baby” was recorded in sported only a two-track tape machine. The acoustics were those of a metal-walled building. Yet, rather than being detriments, those two characteristics on recording day lent an otherworldliness to the vocals.

John Lennon recorded a version of the song in 1973, eventually released on the Lennon box set and Menlove Ave. In the intro, Lennon calls it one of his favorite songs and says, "send my love to Rosie, wherever she may be." Rosie called it her favorite cover of the song. [1]

Jeanette Jurado also did a cover that was featured in the 1995 feature film My Family. Black Rebel Motorcycle Club did a cover of this song as an iTunes bonus track on for their album Specter At The Feast. System of a Down covered the song live as part of their sole U.S. tour date of 2013 at the Hollywood Bowl in Los Angeles, CA on July 29, 2013.

External links

• History (Site Defunct prior to 10/12)
• Angel Baby at Songfacts