"The Angel Song" by Great White

Song#:  4054

Date:  09/30/1989

Debut:  88

Peak:  30

Weeks:  21

Genre:  Hard Rock, Glam Metal

Pop Bits:  Great White broke through in a big way with their #5 gold selling remake of Ian Hunter's "Once Bitten, Twice Shy." The hit helped to send their album ...Twice Shy to #9 and go platinum. To keep up the momentum, this next single was issued out. The power ballad would make it to #18 at Rock while just cracking the Pop Top 30. Another single from the album, "House of Broken Love," would get to #7 at Rock, but halt at #83 on the Pop chart. Eventually, ...Twice Shy would reach the double-platinum mark.

ReduxReview:  With glam metal power ballads all over the airwaves, it was a no-brainer to push this out as the next single. It was a bit quieter compared to others and didn't have a forceful chorus, but the song set a soothing dark mood that seemed to grab some listeners. It wasn't strong enough to fly up to the Top 10, but its #30 showing was a valid result.

ReduxRating:  6/10

Trivia:  The band's next album, '91's Hooked, would be a #18 gold seller thanks to the #4 Rock/#53 Pop single "Call It Rock & Roll." After that, the band's fortunes would be in decline. They would record four albums that didn't fare all that well and in 2001 the band would split. Later in 2002, lead singer Jack Russell and lead guitarist Mark Kendall would get together and start to do some tour dates performing under the name Jack Russell's Great White. It was during the run of those shows that the band found their name in the headlines, but for tragic reasons. On February 20, 2003, as the band started their show at The Station nightclub in West Warwick, Rhode Island, sparks from pyrotechnics lit off by the band's manager unfortunately ignited unapproved/makeshift foam soundproofing the club had installed around the stage area. A fire quickly spread and in the end 100 people died including guitarist Ty Longley. Lawsuits, settlements, and prison terms for some involved would follow. The band would get back to performing six months later with their tour dates benefiting survivors and victims of the fire. The band would go through changes over the years and as of 2013 there were two versions of the band performing. Mark Kendall headed up Great White while Jack Russell formed Jack Russell's Great White.

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