The Angels (Circa ‘My Boyfriend’s Back’)
Listen/Download – The Angels – The Boy With the Green Eyes
NOTE: It was just brought to my attention that I posted the wrong MP3 link with Monday’s post. It has been corrected!
Greetings all.
The tune I bring you today is something I promised a while back when I posted another version of the same song by a group called Wool.
The tune in question is ‘The Boy With the Green Eyes’, the group singing it today is the Angels.
Yes, those Angels, the ones who sang the ne plus ultra of girl group oldies radio overkill, ‘My Boyfriend’s Back’.
When I picked up the Wool 45 and started to do some research I was very surprised to find out that the Angels had also recorded a version of the Neil Diamond-penned tune, mainly because I figured they had flamed out not long after their biggest hit in 1963, and because I couldn’t picture their sound changing quite so much.
I set out to find a copy of their version – which thankfully didn’t require much in the way of time or money – and when I got it was pleasantly surprised.
The Angels released their first 45 in 1962 for the Caprice label, and had their biggest hits in 1963 and 1964 for Smash, where they also released two LPs.
Through 1965, 1966 and 1967 they had a string of singles that ran the gamut from standard girl group pop to adult contemporary sounds (covers of ‘So Nice’ aka ‘Summer Samba’ and a medley that included the ‘Theme From a Summer Place’), none of which made a dent on the charts.
‘Boy With the Green Eyes’ was their last charting (barely) 45 from 1968, and it’s a real change of pace, straddling mainstream pop and the outer edges of pop psyche.
The Angels version of the song is – much more so than the Wool version – easily identifiable as a Neil Diamond cover, and their harmonies, mixed with a groovy arrangement (dig the acoustic guitar) makes for a very cool record.
Makes you wonder what they might have done had they continued on in a similar vein.
I hope you dig it, and I’ll be back next week.
Peace
Larry
PS Head over to Funky16Corners for insane, break-laden funkadelic action.
3 Comments
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Love your site. It’s appalling that there aren’t more comments, given how much great music and excellent writing there is here. I think most people do what I do – have a brief look through your notes and then grab some of the music if it looks interesting. I just don’t seem to have the time to read everything on the site although I’d love to because it’s always very well-written and extremely knowledgable and most importantly ENTHUSIASTIC. I recognise a fellow-music lover when I see one and your love for the music comes through loud and clear.
Also happy to see you have such wide tastes, what with the FunkyCorners blog ‘n all….
I feel I should talk about the music some more but it would take me weeks to discuss the various great things I’ve found here. For instance the Dolly Parton – I went looking for it jagain ust now but couldn’t find it – perhaps it’s on FunkyCorners. What an amazing song. Who’d have thought?
I love both versions of the song! Wasn’t the other band called Wool?
Speaking of Neil Diamond, have you heard the version of Love to Love by the Serendipity Singers? I think you’d dig it.
Small Town Girl
It was Wool (better fix that, heh heh…). I was writing and all I could remember was the giant sheep on their album cover. Apparenty going back and checking my own work was out of the question.
Thanks
Larry