Angel (Madonna song)

Infobox Single
Name = Angel


Artist = Madonna
from Album = Like a Virgin
B-side = "Into the Groove" (Australia, US 12")
"Burning Up" (United Kingdom)
"Angel (Dance Mix Edit)" (US 7")
Released = April 10, 1985 (Worldwide)
May 25, 1985 (Japan)
September, 1985 (UK)
Format = 12" Maxi Single
5" CD Single (Re-Issue)
7" Single
Genre = Pop
Label = Sire, Warner Bros.
Writer = Madonna
Steve Bray
Producer = Nile Rodgers
Certification = Gold (US, UK, France)
Last single = "Crazy for You" (1985)
This single = "Angel" (1985)
Next single = "Into the Groove" (1985)
Misc = Extra tracklisting
Album = Like a Virgin
Type = Studio
prev_track = "Material Girl"
prev_no = 1
this_track = "Angel"
track_no = 2
next_track = "Like a Virgin"
next_no = 3

"Angel" is the third single by American singer-songwriter Madonna from her 2nd studio album "Like a Virgin", and was released on April 10, 1985 by Sire Records.

ong history

One of Madonna's lesser known singles, "Angel" was released worldwide on April 10, 1985 and was written by Madonna and Steve Bray. The song was released after the phenomenal success of "Like a Virgin", "Material Girl" and "Crazy for You", with "Like a Virgin" and "Crazy for You" reaching the top spot on the Billboard Hot 100.

The B-side to the US pressing of "Angel"'s maxi-single was "Into the Groove", from Madonna's film "Desperately Seeking Susan". The song was not issued on the film's soundtrack, which contributed to "Angel"'s success in the US and in Australia, where it hit #1 for 4 weeks. In Europe, "Into the Groove" was released separately from "Angel", but in the U.S. "Into the Groove" never got a release as a 7" single.

"Angel" was not released in several European countries, including France. The song, released after "Into the Groove" and with "Burning Up" as its B-Side, managed to peak at number 5 in the UK, and in Spain almost hit the top spot, peaking at number 2. In Japan the song was another Top 5 hit for Madonna, reaching number 3. "Angel" marked Madonna's fifth Top 5 single on ChartJapan, which is otherwise known as the Japanese Foreign Singles Chart. In the UK, as well as 7" and 12" there was a shaped picture disc, with a plinth. With its double-stickered sleeve, it is currently valued at £50.

In Australia, Canada, and the U.S., "Angel" was backed by "Into the Groove" and peaked at number 1 in Australia and at number 5 in the US. On the US Billboard Hot 100, the single became the third official single from the album "Like a Virgin" debuting in the Top 50, at #48, the week of April 27, 1985. "Crazy for You" was still climbing to the top (it would hit #1 two weeks later), and "Material Girl" was falling from the top tier. In Australia, "Angel/Into the Groove" (as it was credited) was the second highest selling single of the year, with USA for Africa's "We Are the World" being the highest seller and Madonna's own "Crazy for You" finishing at Number 3.

In Canada the single just broke into the Top 20, peaking at number 19.

Music video

An official promo-only video for "Angel" was compiled of images from "Burning Up", "Borderline", "Lucky Star", "Like a Virgin" and "Material Girl" videos by Warner Bros. Records in the UK. There is no new performance from Madonna in this video. However, AOL's music website has a full length version of the video, though once again made up of clips from her previous videos. The video was included on the promotional-only video compilations "It's That Girl" and "She's Breathless".

The song was also performed on The Virgin Tour, but was cut from the final home video release "".

Credits

*Written by Madonna and Steve Bray
*Produced by Nile Rodgers
*Drum programming by Jimmy Bralower
*Guitar by Nile Rodgers
*Assorted synthesizers and bass synthesizer by Rob Sabino
*Background vocals by Madonna, Curtis King, Frank Simms and George Simms

Charts

Certifications

Official versions

Original versions

#Album Version 3:53

Remixes

#7" Edit/Fade 3:42
#Dance Mix Edit 4:56
#Extended Dance Remix 6:15

References

*"Chart Performance of Madonna Records - A Compiled History" (2004). "MLVC.ORG: Charts" Retrieved from http://charts.mlvc.org/CHThist.php on December 9, 2005.
*"Holiday" (2004). "Madonna: Single Summaries" Retrieved from http://www.madonnanation.com/charts/ on December 9, 2005.