Angel Eyes (1946 song)

"Angel Eyes" is a 1946 popular song composed by Matt Dennis, with lyrics by Earl Brent. It was featured in the 1953 film Jennifer. First edition by Dorsey Bros Music a Div. of Music Sales Corp (ASCAP) 1946 (Renewed).

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Composition

Because of its colourful harmonic changes, "Angel Eyes" is a very popular jazz standard which has inspired many original interpretations. Several performers have recorded different versions of the song, including Bill Henderson, Chet Baker, Don Ellis, Kenny Burrell, Pat Metheny, Frank Sinatra, Shirley Bassey, Sonny Stitt, Neil Sedaka, Ella Fitzgerald, Duke Pearson, Hank Crawford, Earl Grant, Jim Hall, James Anthony, Wayne Shorter, The Modern Jazz Quartet, Dave Brubeck, Paul Desmond, Charles Neville, Oscar Peterson, Sting and Duke Ellington. Ella Fitzgerald, who recorded "Angel Eyes" at least four times, named it as her all-time favorite song. In 1971, when Sinatra held what he intended to be his farewell concert (and the end to his show business career), he closed with "Angel Eyes". His retirement lasted only two years.

Selected recorded versions

• Herb Jeffries (1947)
• Ella Fitzgerald - The Last Decca Years 1949-1954 (1952)
• Nat King Cole (1953)
• Benny Carter (1954)
• The Four Freshmen – Four Freshmen and 5 Trombones (1955)
• Johnny Mathis - Johnny Mathis (1956)
• Bob Thompson/His Orchestra & Chorus - Just For Kicks (1958)
• Jack Jones (1959, remastered in 1997)
• Stan Kenton, June Christy & The Four Freshmen - Road Show (1959)
• Ella Fitzgerald - Ella Fitzgerald Sings Songs from "Let No Man Write My Epitaph" (1960)
• Carmen McRae – Book of Ballads (1960)
• Anita O'Day - Waiter, Make Mine Blues (1960), Verve Jazz Masters 49 (2010)
• Dick and Kiz Harp - At the 90th Floor, 90th Floor Records (1960)
• Shirley Bassey - Shirley Bassey (1961)
• Mark Murphy, - Rah! (1961)
• Neil Sedaka - Circulate (1961)
• Earl Grant - Beyond The Reef (1962)
• Dave Brubeck - Angel Eyes (1966)
• Frank Sinatra - Frank Sinatra Sings for Only the Lonely (1958), Sinatra at the Sands (1966)
• Nancy Wilson - Welcome to My Love (1968)
• June Christy - Impromptu (1977)
• Willie Nelson with Ray Charles - on the Willie Nelson album Angel Eyes (1984)
• Cheryl Bentyne - on Rob Wasserman's album Duets, MCA Records (1988)
• Jimmy Scott - All the Way (1992)
• Gary Thomas - Till We Have Faces, JMT (1992)
• Rebecka Törnqvist - A Night Like This, EMI Records (1993)
• Roberta Flack - Roberta (1994)
• Sting - Leaving Las Vegas soundtrack (1995)
• Moe Koffman - Devil's Brew (1996)
• Sue Raney - Breathless! (1997 compilation)
• George Shearing - Favorite Things (1997)
• Barry Manilow - Manilow Sings Sinatra (1998)
• Chris Connor - Warm Cool: The Atlantic Years (2000)
• Aleka Kanellidou - Back to Jazz (2000)
• Royce Campbell - Trioing (2002)
• k.d. lang - We All Love Ella: Celebrating the First Lady of Song (2007 compilation)
• Laura Weinbach - La Nuit (2007)
• Charles Neville - Safe in Buddha's Palm (2007)
• Kat Edmonson - Take To The Sky (2009)
• Willie Nelson - American Classic (2009)
• Daniel Matto - I'm Old Fashioned (2010)
• Mr. Hudson (2010)
• Tony DeSare - Angel Eyes (feat. Edward Decker) (2010)
• James Anthony - Shades of Blue (2013)
• Fonseca with the Sinfónica Nacional de Colombia orchestra - Sinfónico (2014)

A version of the song appeared on the compilation album Jaffa Music EP (2008). The song was also sampled by Nas in his single "The Message" from It Was Written (1996), and by Sadistik in his single "Angel Eyes", from the 2008 album The Balancing Act.

Links

• "Angel Eyes" – Steyn's Song of the Week, February 9, 2014.