"My Special Angel" is a popular

song A song is a musical composition performed by the human voice. The voice often carries the melody (a series of distinct and fixed pitches) using patterns of sound and silence. Songs have a structure, such as the common ABA form, and are usu ...

by Jimmy Duncan, published in

1957 Events January * January 1 – The Saarland joins West Germany. * January 3 – Hamilton Watch Company introduces the first electric watch. * January 5 – South African player Russell Endean becomes the first batsman to be Dismissal (cricke ...

. It was first recorded by the Sonny Land Trio and released by them in 1957, and was a crossover hit that year for Bobby Helms. "My Special Angel," which Bobby Helms recorded at

Bradley Studios Quonset Hut Studio is the nickname given to Bradley Studios, an independent recording studio complex established in 1954 in Nashville, Tennessee by brothers Harold and Owen Bradley. The first commercial recording studio facility in what would la ...

in Nashville, Tennessee in July 1957, peaked at number seven on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100 chart and spent four weeks at number one on the US Country music chart. The single made the R&B chart as well, topping out at number eight. Backing vocals were sung by the Anita Kerr Singers.

Charts

Bobby Helms version

Malcolm Vaughan

The Vogues version

Album appearances

The song was the lead off track on the 1957 album ''Sings To My Special Angel'' (Decca DL 8638). It appeared on the 1959 compilation album ''The Original Hit Performances! The Late Fifties'' (Decca DL 4005), and on the 1976 oldies compilation ''American Graffiti Vol. III'' (MCA2-8008). Also in 1976, the song was included in a 3-LP box set compilation from Candlelite Music, ''Country Music Cavalcade: Nashville Graffitti''.

Other notable cover versions

*In the United Kingdom, a version recorded by

Malcolm Vaughan Malcolm Vaughan (22 March 1929 – 9 February 2010) was a Welsh traditional pop singer and actor. Known for his distinctive tenor voice, he had a number of record chart, chart hit record, hits in the United Kingdom during the 1950s. Biography B ...

spent 14 weeks on the charts, peaking at number three in 1957. *The song was revived in

1968 Events January–February * January 1968, January – The I'm Backing Britain, I'm Backing Britain campaign starts spontaneously. * January 5 – Prague Spring: Alexander Dubček is chosen as leader of the Communist Party of Cze ...

the Vogues The Vogues are an United States, American Pop music, pop/rock and roll group from Turtle Creek, Pennsylvania, a suburb of Pittsburgh. The original lineup consisted of Bill Burkette (lead baritone), Don Miller (baritone), Hugh Geyer (first tenor) ...

, with their version reaching number seven on the Hot 100 chart and faring even better on the

Easy Listening chart The Adult Contemporary chart is published weekly by ''Billboard (magazine), Billboard'' magazine and lists the most popular songs on adult contemporary music, adult contemporary radio stations in the United States. The chart is compiled based on ...

, where it spent two weeks at number one in October 1968.

Other cover versions

The Four Preps The Four Preps are an American popular music male quartet. In the 1950s and 1960s, the group amassed eight gold singles and three gold albums. Their million-selling signature tunes included " 26 Miles (Santa Catalina)", " Big Man", "Lazy Summer ...

on their album ''How To Succeed in Love (If You’re Really Trying)'' (1958). *

Keely Smith Dorothy Jacqueline Keely (March 9, 1928The reference work ''The Encyclopedia of Native Music: More Than a Century of Recordings from Wax Cylinder to the Internet'' gives Smith's date of birth as March 9, 1932. – December 16, 2017), professio ...

on her album ''Because You’re Mine'' (1962). *

Bill Haley William John Clifton Haley (; July 6, 1925 – February 9, 1981) was an American rock and roll musician. He is credited by many with first popularizing this form of music in the early 1950s with his group Bill Haley & His Comets and million-sel ...

on his album ''Bill Haley and His Comets'' (1960) Warner Bros. WS-1378. *Bobby Vinton on his album "The Greatest Hits of the Golden Groups" (1963)

References

External links

* * {{authority control 1957 singles 1968 singles Bobby Helms songs The Vogues songs Songs written by Jimmy Duncan (songwriter) 1957 songs Song recordings produced by Dick Glasser Reprise Records singles