Angels Among Us

"Angels Among Us" is a song written by Don Goodman and Becky Hobbs and recorded by the American country music band Alabama. The song was released in December 1993 as a Christmas single from the band's 1993 album Cheap Seats. It charted twice on the Hot Country Songs charts. The song features backing vocals from the Sanctuary Choir and Young Musicians Choir of the First Baptist Church of Fort Payne, Alabama.[2] Hobbs also recorded the song on her album The Boots I Came to Town In.

"Angels Among Us"
Single by Alabama
from the album Cheap Seats
B-side"Santa Claus (I Still Believe in You)"[1]
ReleasedDecember 1993
GenreInspirational country
Length4:09
LabelRCA Nashville #62643
Songwriter(s)Don Goodman
Becky Hobbs
Producer(s)Teddy Gentry[2]
Alabama singles chronology
"T.L.C. A.S.A.P."
(1993)		 "Angels Among Us"
(1993)		 "The Cheap Seats"
(1994)

Alabama lead singer Randy Owen has said that the band received "hundreds of letters from all over the world saying that the song was a blessing."[3] Owen performed the song at the funeral of Dale Earnhardt, Sr. in 2001, with whom he shared a personal friendship.[4] A live recording of the song is included on Angels Among Us: Hymns and Gospel Favorites, released in 2014.

Critical reception

Tom Roland of New Country magazine wrote that "even when the members of the band get schmaltzy with the kiddie chorus[…]they stop short of going overboard."[5]

Cover versions

Becky Hobbs included the song on her 1994 album The Boots I Came to Town In.

On December 24, 2012, singer and actress Demi Lovato released a cover of the song to support the victims of the Newtown shootings.[6]

On December 5, 2017, country singers Scotty McCreery, Carly Pearce, Sara Evans, Lucy Hale, Tegan Marie, RaeLynn, Jillian Jacqueline, Brennley Brown, CB30 and Temecula Road, all performed the cover to support the St. Jude Children's Research Hospital.[7]

Kristin Chenoweth sang the song with The Tabernacle Choir at Temple Square in a 2018 Christmas concert.[8]

Chart performance

"Angels Among Us" debuted on the Hot Country Songs charts dated for the week ending December 25, 1993. The song spent six weeks on the charts and peaked at number 51 in January 1994. On the chart dated for the week ending December 31, 1994, it re-entered and went on to peak at number 28 in January 1995.[1]

Chart (1993–1994) Peak
position
U.S. Billboard Hot Country Singles & Tracks 51
Chart (1994–1995) Peak
position
U.S. Billboard Hot Country Singles & Tracks 28
Chart (1996) Peak
position
U.S. Billboard Bubbling Under Hot 100 22

References
  1. Whitburn, Joel (2008). Hot Country Songs 1944 to 2008. Record Research, Inc. pp. 19–20. ISBN 978-0-89820-177-2.
  2. Cheap Seats (CD booklet). Alabama. RCA Records. 1993. 66296-2.CS1 maint: others (link)
  3. Overall, Rick (24 June 1996). "Alabama energized: Country giants get creative". Jam!. Retrieved 6 August 2010.
  4. Owen, Randy (2008). Born Country. Harper One. pp. 222–6.
  5. Roland, Tom (March 1994). "Album reviews: Cheap Seats". New Country. 1 (1): 48–49. ISSN 1074-536X.
  6. "Demi Lovato – Angels Among Us". YouTube. Retrieved July 3, 2018.
  7. "Angels Among Us Music Video – United In Voice". YouTube. Retrieved August 17, 2018.
  8. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J4HKb4xAhqU. Retrieved December 10, 2019. Missing or empty |title= (help)
This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.