The CREW CUTS - 'Earth Angel' - 78rpm 1955

[gotikkott]

the crew-cuts are racists)

Penguins much better imho

[RadioCarino]

I like the Crew Cuts. After all, their version of Sh-boom is excellent. But this song is not in the same league as The Penguins version. Nice 78 record though.

[sauquoit13456]

On this date in 1955 {Jan. 29th} "Earth Angel" and the flip-side "Ko Ko Ko" both entered Billboard's Top 100 chart; both eventually would make the Top 10, "Earth Angel" peaked at No. 3 and "Ko Ko Ko" reached No. 6 {Also, two other versions of "Earth Angel" charted in 1955, The Penguins (the original & best) took it to No. 8 and Gloria Mann reached No. 18}

[haroof]

Garbage cover.

The Penguins' version is so much better it's not even close.

[calimar28]

I like this version a lot.

[gustavvson]

The Crew Cuts were Canadian

[gustavvson]

The Penguins were the Original. I can't decide which one I like better between the Crew Cuts and the Penguins. Both versions were done exceptionally.

[trumpsahead]

I don't remember ever hearing this version, or if I did it's no wonder I can't remember: I certainly would have blocked it from memory; damn abomination by any standards. Crew Cuts were good but not for this song; Penguins owned it.

[artemisx123]

"Also recorded by the Penguins!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!" You gotta be kidding!! This version is a disgraceful cover of an original rock and roll song - in fact, arguably THE definitive rock and roll song of all-time. THE PENGUINS!!

Go, and sin no more.

[78s4FR]

@artemisx123 Yup, the Penguins coming up soon!

[cf1934]

@artemisx123 That's your opinion! Who cares!

[cf1934]

@artemisx123 I couldn't stand the Penguins version!

[chattershatter]

thanks

[RetroCaptain]

Good Day,

Very clean copy of this classic hit!

It has reputed to be one of the 1st ? song? or group (The Crew Cuts) to go into "rock&roll" charts back in 1955. (Canada)

I could be wrong. I listened to a radio-documentary on them a few years ago.

This song still gets airplay on a local radio station. CKOT.

Your changer in good shape. Just need a drop of "3 in 1" oil each pivot etc once a year. ...Plus new stylus! NO ..."WD 40" crap..(spray-on "oil").

....to it,...I say

"Play long & Prosper"

[78s4FR]

I certainly plan to, Cap'n!. 3in1 is definately down there keeping my bearings fresh

[rawtata]

@RetroCaptain

Ruddy Maugeri of the crew cutts is my great uncle.. i remember as a child going to my great grandmothers, seeing the gold albums on her wall... he sadly passed away a few yrs ago @ 73

[JDC160]

@rawtata did you everyone else like ray perkins and stuff?

[NovaJake360]

@rawtata You are really one of the luckiest persons alive in my book.

[JDC160]

@rawtata i mean the whole qaurtet?

[ronnieneo]

My first love of this song was in the back to the future movie, i have since grabbed a copy by the crew cuts (78rpm) for a cheap £4.00. in a second hand store. But would dearly love a copy by the penguins also, (better in my opinion).

[SnitchKillers]

Crew Cuts. Were they known for covering songs?

[Gandalf1948]

The orginal was by the Penguins, and their version is so much better. This version, as another poster noted, was recorded simply because the Penguins were a black group, and many radio stations would not play it simply for that reason. There are many, many examples of this insanity, but the best may well be Pat Boone's cover of Fats Domino's "Aint That A Shame". Terrible!

[patricktol22]

this plate is quite crooked when you look at it!

[gunnarstorm]

FEELING THIS!!!

[Wulvez]

Yay!!! Took me so long to find this song I used to listen to as a kid. THIS VERSION, I mean!!! So glad! Than k you <3

[123pelerin]

compared to the Penguins version it sounds like 1920s music

[0mgDanny]

and by the way, the band barely made any money with the song, they're agent took it all.

[0mgDanny]

the man signing is my great uncle

[DJExDriver]

Love this song!

[nufee08]

The Penguins did the original Earth angel The Chords did Sh-boom . Much better than the Cover group Crew cuts. They even tried to do a Nappy Brown number.Don't be angry What a joke.nufee08

[antzam614]

I actually like Sh-Boom better by the crew cuts than the chords but as far as earth angel goes, I personally think Marvin Berry and the Starlighters aced that song.

[ale00x]

Chuck, c'est ton cousin, Marvin, tu cherchais un nouveau son, écoute sa!!!

[stlgtrace]

Oh, I don't know. The Crew Cuts' version is fine its own way!

[DickAllen4HOF]

My understang is this Crew Cuts version is the original and that the Penguins later rerecorded it. That is important to know as the Crew Cuts have taken alot of historical heat for their cover of ShhBoom. The practice of White Groups imeadiatly being used to cover a black song was wrong. Nevertheless, Black artists at the time often put out their own versions of other black songs.

[flammasherman]

One of my favourites, the B side Ko Ko Mo is brilliant too.Great to hear it as you would have heard it new,your BSR Ful-Fi pickup carteridge still going stong as well !.

[peugeotrider2012]

Thanks for posting this song.I'm only 31 and I dig this kind of music.That's a real nice record player

[0mousse0]

@peugeotrider2012 im only 16 and i dig this <3

[moonrayz4]

The song was not covered by the Penguins, rather the Penguins had the original and the Crew Cuts sanitized the song in this cover version for wider white audience appeal :)

[78s4FR]

I didn't know which came first. Thanks for that

[TopazDupree]

@moonrayz4 The Penguins recording went to #8 pop & #1 R&B in 1954/55. The Crew Cuts cover version went to #2 in 1955. Back then, some radio stations would only play the cover versions by white groups of popular songs. I had the pleasure of meeting both The Penguins and The Crew Cuts back in 1954. I still have their autographs.

[misterfreehugs]

@moonrayz4 Why are you saying sanitized as if the The Penguins original version had to be cleaned off just because they're black.....? That was racist and the wrong word to use.

[JordansFilms1]

@misterfreehugs Because back then that's how it was seen. He didn't really mean it, that's just how the world worked in the fifties. Also, it seemed as though he was poking fun at the crazy amount of racism from that time.

[moonrayz4]

@misterfreehugs

This grossly misses the nuance of my point: My point was a commentary on the racist times when black artists were commonly mistreated financially by record companies and producers, radio stations, etc. "Sanitized" in this context means to make the music less spicy, less soulful and more bland and boring: It was perceived by the music industry that the white audiences preferred softer, gentler, less syncopatic, less sensual music. It was a shameful aspect of US music history.

[sarahcorine]

Its so old, but i love it alot.