Angel in Blue

"Angel in Blue" is a song written by Seth Justman that was first released by the J. Geils Band on their 1981 album Freeze Frame. Released as a single in 1982, the song reached the Top 40.[1][2] Cissy Houston and Luther Vandross appear on the song as back up vocalists.[3][4]

"Angel in Blue"
Single by The J. Geils Band
from the album Freeze Frame
B-side"River Blindness"
ReleasedMay 26, 1982
Recorded1981
GenreRock
Length4:51
LabelEMI
Songwriter(s)Seth Justman
Producer(s)Seth Justman
The J. Geils Band singles chronology
"Flamethrower"
(1982)		 "Angel in Blue"
(1982)		 "I Do"
(1982)

AllMusic critic Stephen Thomas Erlewine describes the song as "terrific neo-doo wop."[5] Viglione praises it further, stating that it is "arguably the smartest lyric in the J. Geils Band catalogue" with a "strong melody," concluding that it is "four minutes and fifty-one seconds (on the album) of Peter Wolf reading Seth Justman's post-"Centerfold" wet dream."[3] Music critic Robert Christgau states describes the song as "slick get-'em-off trash" about "a whore with a heart of brass that I'm just a sucker for."[6] Mark Coleman of The Rolling Stone Album Guide finds the song to be "haunting."[7]

"Angel in Blue" was released as a single in 1982, following the Top 10 hits "Centerfold" and "Freeze Frame" from the Freeze Frame album.[1][3] It peaked at #40 on the Billboard Hot 100, remaining there for two weeks.[1] It also reached #55 in the UK.[8] The song also made the Billboard Singles Radio Action chart in a number of regions, including Buffalo, New York, Annapolis, Maryland, Nashville, Tennessee and Jacksonville, Florida.[9] "Angel in Blue" was also released on a number of J. Geils Band compilation albums, including Centerfold, The Very Best J. Geils Band Album Ever and Best of The J. Geils Band, as well as several multi-artist compilation albums.[3]

References
  1. Whitburn, J. (2010). The Billboard Book of Top 40 Hits (9th ed.). Random House. p. 263. ISBN 9780823085545.
  2. "Freeze Frame Awards". Allmusic. Retrieved 2012-09-04.
  3. Viglione, J. "Angel in Blue". Allmusic. Retrieved 2012-09-04.
  4. Seymore, C. (2005). Luther: The Life and Longing of Luther Vandross. HarperCollins. p. 312. ISBN 9780060779238.
  5. Erlewine, S.T. "Freeze Frame". Allmusic. Retrieved 2012-09-04.
  6. Christgau, R. "The J. Geils Band: Freeze-Frame". robertchristgau.com. Retrieved 2012-09-04.
  7. Coleman, M. (1992). DeCurtis, A.; Henke, J.; George-Warren, H. (eds.). The Rolling Stone Album Guide (3rd ed.). Random House. p. 276. ISBN 9780679737292.
  8. "J. Geils Band singles". The Official UK Charts Company. Retrieved 2012-09-04.
  9. "Billboard Singles Radio Action". Billboard Magazine. June 12, 1982. pp. 51, 53. Retrieved 2012-09-04.
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