Johnny Angel (song)

"Johnny Angel" is a song written and composed by Lyn Duddy and

The single premiered on an episode, "Donna's Prima Donna" of Fabares' sitcom, The Donna Reed Show, during the fourth season (episode 20).^[4] It also has a sequel song entitled "Johnny Loves Me", which tells the story of how the girl won Johnny's heart.

The song is an expression of a teenage girl's romantic longing for a boy who doesn't know she exists, to the point where she declines other boys' propositions for dates because she would rather concentrate on the boy she loves.

Although Fabares' career as an actress stayed strong for three decades, her career as a singer came to an end within a few years of "Johnny Angel" when she was unable to come up with another Top 20 hit. However, the song has become an oldies radio airplay favorite.

Reception

"Johnny Angel" hit number 1 on the

• It was featured in the 1990 film Mermaids, the film Andre and the episode "Halloween" in the TV-series My So-Called Life.
• The song was featured in a 1976 episode of Saturday Night Live hosted by Dyan Cannon, where Johnny Angel turns out to be three Hells Angels all named Johnny.
• In the song The Beat of Black Wings, which appears on Joni Mitchell's album Chalk Mark in a Rain Storm, the words Johnny Angel are sung at the end of several lines, in the same style as the Shelley Fabares cover, in an apparent reference to the Fabares version of the song.

Patti Lynn version

Background

Track listings

1. "Johnny Angel" - 2:16
2. "Tonight You Belong To Me" - 2:12

Chart performance

The Carpenters version

Background

The pop music duo the Carpenters recorded "Johnny Angel" and included it on their fifth studio album Now & Then in May 1973. Richard and Karen Carpenter produced it and was issued on the A&M record label. The song was included on Side "B" of the album as part of an oldies medley.

Other versions

• The tune had previously been recorded by Georgia Lee (singer) on the Decca label. It was also covered in French by Canadian singer Renée Martel in 1967.

References