There's a Honky Tonk Angel (Who'll Take Me Back In)

"There's a Honky Tonk Angel (Who'll Take Me Back In)"
"There's a Honky Tonk Angel (Who'll Take Me Back In)"
	Cover with the track titles flipped
Single by Elvis Presley
A-side	"I Got a Feelin' in My Body"
Released	July 1979
Recorded	15 December 1973
Studio	Stax
Genre	Country
Length	3:02
Label	RCA
Songwriter(s)	Troy Seals; Denny Rice;
Producer(s)	Felton Jarvis (original); Joan Deary (reissue);
Elvis Presley singles chronology

"Honky Tonk Angel"
"Honky Tonk Angel"
	Cover of the German release
Single by Cliff Richard
B-side	"(Wouldn't You Know It) Got Myself a Girl"
Released	5 September 1975
Recorded	20 June 1974
Studio	Morgan Studios
Genre	Country
Length	3:03
Label	EMI
Songwriter(s)	Troy Seals; Denny Rice;
Producer(s)	Bruce Welch; Hank Marvin; John Farrar;
Cliff Richard singles chronology

"There's a Honky Tonk Angel (Who'll Take Me Back In)"
"There's a Honky Tonk Angel (Who'll Take Me Back In)"
Single by Conway Twitty
from the album Honky Tonk Angel
B-side	"Don't It Let Go To Your Heart"
Released	January 1974
Recorded	October 29, 1973
Studio	Bradley's Barn, Mt. Juliet, Tennessee
Genre	Country
Length	2:57
Label	MCA
Songwriter(s)	Troy Seals; Denny Rice;
Producer(s)	Owen Bradley
Conway Twitty singles chronology

"There's a Honky Tonk Angel (Who'll Take Me Back In)" is a song best known for the 1974 recording by American country music artist Conway Twitty, who took it to number 1 on the Hot Country Singles chart.^[1] The song was written by Troy Seals and Denny Rice and originally released on Troy Seals' 1973 debut album Now Presenting Troy Seals.^[2]

Conway Twitty version[]

Twitty's version was released in January 1974 as the first single from the album Honky Tonk Angel. The song was Twitty's 10th number one on the U.S. country singles chart as a solo artist and 13th overall. It stayed at number one for one week and spent 12 weeks on the chart in all.^[1]

Personnel[]

Conway Twitty — vocals
The Nashville Sounds — vocals
Harold Bradley — 6-string electric bass guitar
Ray Edenton — acoustic guitar
Johnny Gimble — fiddle
John Hughey — steel guitar
Tommy Markham — drums
Grady Martin — electric guitar
Bob Moore — bass
Hargus "Pig" Robbins — piano^[3]

Chart performance[]

Chart (1974)	Peak position
US Hot Country Songs (Billboard)^[4]	1
Canadian RPM Country Tracks	1

Cliff Richard version[]

One of Cliff Richard's producers, Bruce Welch, heard the song and considered that it would make a good 'comeback' single after disappointing chart performances in 1973 and 1974.^[5] A version was then arranged for Cliff Richard by John Farrar, with a string arrangement by Nick Ingman.

British singer Cliff Richard released a version as a single in 1975, however after being on sale for a short time in the UK and promoting it with TV appearances, it was withdrawn from the UK market after Richard found out that 'honky-tonk angel' is an American slang term for a prostitute.^[5]

While recording the song, Cliff Richard incorrectly assumed that the song's lyrics were about a Chinese lady from Hong Kong aka a Honky, unaware that the phrase 'honky-tonk angel' was used in America as a synonym for 'prostitute'.^[6] Some of his fans and friends, aware of the true meaning of the song's title, expressed surprise that he had chosen to cover the song, given his Christian beliefs. When the singer himself learnt the meaning of the slang term, he decided to make a television announcement about the withdrawal of the record and refused to promote it, even though the single was expected to perform well. Richard's longtime label EMI eventually agreed to withdraw the single at his request.^[5]

The single was originally released in September 1975 with the B-side "(Wouldn't You Know It) Got Myself a Girl". Since its withdrawal, "Honky Tonk Angel" has appeared as a bonus track on the CD release of I'm Nearly Famous (2001) and on two official compilations: The Singles Collection (EMI, 2002) and Lost & Found (From the Archives) (EMI, 2009).

Elvis Presley version[]

Elvis Presley covered the track in 1975 and first released it on his Promised Land album, however it was released as the B-side of the posthumous single "I Got a Feelin' in My Body": a posthumous single in 1979, ^[7]^[8] which peaked at number 6 on the Hot Country Singles chart.^[7]^[8] Along the way, the song titles on the cover sleeve were reversed accordingly. The track was recorded at Stax Records, 15 December 1973.

Other cover versions[]

A cover by Dobie Gray is on his 1973 album Loving Arms.

References[]

^ Jump up to: ^a ^b Whitburn, Joel (2004). The Billboard Book Of Top 40 Country Hits: 1944-2006, Second edition. Record Research. p. 361.
^ Troy Seals (1973). Now Presenting Troy Seals (LP album). US: Atlantic.
^ The Conway Twitty Collection (Media notes). Conway Twitty. Universal City, California: MCA Records. MCAD4-11095.CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
^ "Conway Twitty Chart History (Hot Country Songs)". Billboard.
^ Jump up to: ^a ^b ^c Ewbank, Tim; Hildred, Stafford (2008). Cliff: An Intimate Portrait of a Living Legend. Random House. pp. 229–230.
^ Sandall, Robert (21 March 1993). "The straight man". The Sunday Times.
^ Jump up to: ^a ^b Elvis Presley Billboard Chart Positions at AllMusic. Retrieved 07/14/2014.
^ Jump up to: ^a ^b Elvis Presley (1979). There's a Honky Tonk Angel (Who'll Take Me Back In) (7-inch single). US: RCA.

[Whitburn-1] Jump up to: ^a ^b Whitburn, Joel (2004). The Billboard Book Of Top 40 Country Hits: 1944-2006, Second edition. Record Research. p. 361.

[2] Troy Seals (1973). Now Presenting Troy Seals (LP album). US: Atlantic.

[3] The Conway Twitty Collection (Media notes). Conway Twitty. Universal City, California: MCA Records. MCAD4-11095.CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)

[sc_Billboardcountrysongs_Conway_Twitty-4] "Conway Twitty Chart History (Hot Country Songs)". Billboard.

[Ewbank-5] Jump up to: ^a ^b ^c Ewbank, Tim; Hildred, Stafford (2008). Cliff: An Intimate Portrait of a Living Legend. Random House. pp. 229–230.

[6] Sandall, Robert (21 March 1993). "The straight man". The Sunday Times.

[Elvis_Presley_Billboard_Chart_Positions-7] Jump up to: ^a ^b Elvis Presley Billboard Chart Positions at AllMusic. Retrieved 07/14/2014.

[ElvisSingle-8] Jump up to: ^a ^b Elvis Presley (1979). There's a Honky Tonk Angel (Who'll Take Me Back In) (7-inch single). US: RCA.

[1]

[2]

[3]

[4]

[5]

[6]

[7]

[8]

show v t Conway Twitty
Studio albums	Sings Saturday Night with Conway Twitty Lonely Blue Boy The Rock & Roll Story I Can't See Me Without You Honky Tonk Angel I'm Not Through Loving You Yet Linda on My Mind The High Priest of Country Music Now and Then I've Already Loved You in My Mind Georgia Keeps Pulling on My Ring Cross Winds Heart & Soul Rest Your Love on Me Mr. T Southern Comfort Dream Maker Lost in the Feeling By Heart Don't Call Him a Cowboy Chasin' Rainbows Fallin' for You for Years Borderline Still in Your Dreams House on Old Lonesome Road Crazy in Love Even Now Final Touches
Collaboration albums	We Only Make Believe Lead Me On Louisiana Woman, Mississippi Man Country Partners Dynamic Duo
Compilation albums	25 Number Ones
Notable singles	"It's Only Make Believe" "Mona Lisa" "Danny Boy" "Lonely Blue Boy" "What Am I Living For" "Next in Line" "I Love You More Today" "To See My Angel Cry" "Hello Darlin'" "Fifteen Years Ago" "How Much More Can She Stand" "I Can't See Me Without You" "(Lost Her Love) On Our Last Date" "I Can't Stop Loving You" "She Needs Someone to Hold Her (When She Cries)" "You've Never Been This Far Before" "There's a Honky Tonk Angel (Who'll Take Me Back In)" "I'm Not Through Loving You Yet" "I See the Want To in Your Eyes" "Linda on My Mind" "Touch the Hand" "This Time I've Hurt Her More Than She Loves Me" "After All the Good Is Gone" "The Games That Daddies Play" "I Can't Believe She Gives It All to Me" "Play Guitar Play" "I've Already Loved You in My Mind" "Georgia Keeps Pulling on My Ring" "Boogie Grass Band" "Your Love Had Taken Me That High" "Don't Take It Away" "I May Never Get to Heaven" "Happy Birthday Darlin'" "I'd Love to Lay You Down" "Rest Your Love on Me" "Tight Fittin' Jeans" "Red Neckin' Love Makin' Night" "The Clown" "Slow Hand" "We Did But Now You Don't" "The Rose" "We Had It All" "Lost in the Feeling" "Heartache Tonight" "Three Times a Lady" "Somebody's Needin' Somebody" "I Don't Know a Thing About Love (The Moon Song)" "Ain't She Somethin' Else" "Don't Call Him a Cowboy" "Between Blue Eyes and Jeans" "Desperado Love" "Fallin' for You for Years" "Julia" "I Want to Know You Before We Make Love" "That's My Job" "Goodbye Time" "Saturday Night Special" "I Wish I Was Still in Your Dreams" "She's Got a Single Thing in Mind" "House on Old Lonesome Road" "Fit to Be Tied Down" "Crazy in Love" "I Couldn't See You Leavin'" "Rainy Night in Georgia"
Collaboration singles	"After the Fire Is Gone" "Lead Me On" "Louisiana Woman, Mississippi Man" "Feelins'" "The Letter" "I Can't Love You Enough" "Making Believe" "Don't Cry Joni"
Related articles	Discography Discography with Loretta Lynn Joni Lee

show v t Cliff Richard singles discography
1950s	"Move It" (1958) "High Class Baby" (1958) "Livin' Lovin' Doll" (1959) "Mean Streak" (1959) "Living Doll" (1959) "Travellin' Light" (1959)
1960s	"A Voice in the Wilderness" (1960) "Fall in Love with You" (1960) "Please Don't Tease" (1960) "Nine Times Out of Ten" (1960) "I Love You" (1960) "Theme for a Dream" (1961) "Gee Whizz It's You" (1961) "A Girl Like You" (1961) "When the Girl in Your Arms..." (1961) "The Young Ones" / "We Say Yeah" (1962) "I'm Lookin' Out the Window" / "Do You Want to Dance?" (1962) "It'll Be Me" (1962) "The Next Time" / "Bachelor Boy" (1962) "Summer Holiday" (1963) "Lucky Lips" (1963) "It's All in the Game" (1963) "Don't Talk to Him" (1963) "Maria No Mas" (1963) "I'm the Lonely One" (1964) "I Only Have Eyes for You" (1964) "Constantly (L'Edera)" (1964) "On the Beach" (1964) "The Twelfth of Never" (1964) "I Could Easily Fall (In Love with You)" (1964) "The Minute You're Gone" (1965) "Angel" (1965) "Wind Me Up (Let Me Go)" (1965) "Blue Turns to Grey" (1966) "Visions" (1966) "Time Drags By" (1966) "In the Country" (1966) "It's All Over" (1967) "The Day I Met Marie" (1967)" "All My Love" (1967) "Congratulations" (1968) "Girl, You'll Be a Woman Soon" (1968) "Marianne" (1968) "Big Ship" (1969) "Early in the Morning" (1969) "Throw Down a Line" (1969)
1970s	"Goodbye Sam, Hello Samantha" (1970) "Sunny Honey Girl" (1971) "Sing a Song of Freedom" (1971) "Living in Harmony" (1972) "Power to All Our Friends" (1973) "(You Keep Me) Hangin' On" (1974) "Honky Tonk Angel" (1975) "Miss You Nights" (1976) "Devil Woman" (1976) "I Can't Ask for Anymore Than You" (1976) "Hey Mr. Dream Maker" (1976) "My Kinda Life" (1977) "When Two Worlds Drift Apart" (1977) "Green Light" (1979) "We Don't Talk Anymore" (1979)
1980s	"Carrie" (1980) "Dreamin'" (1980) "Suddenly" (1980) "A Little in Love" (1980) "Give a Little Bit More" (1981) "Wired for Sound" (1981) "Daddy's Home" (live) (1981) "The Only Way Out" (1982) "Little Town" (1982) "She Means Nothing to Me" (1983) "True Love Ways" (live) (1983) "Never Say Die (Give a Little Bit More)" (1983) "Please Don't Fall in Love" (1983) "Baby You're Dynamite" / "Ocean Deep" (1984) "Donna" (1984 US) "Two to the Power of Love" (1984) "She's So Beautiful" (1985) "Living Doll" (1986) "All I Ask of You" (1986) "My Pretty One" (1987) "Some People" (1987) "Remember Me" (1987) "Two Hearts" (1988) "Mistletoe and Wine" (1988) "The Best of Me" (1989) "I Just Don't Have the Heart" (1989) "Lean on You" (1989) "Whenever God Shines His Light" (1989)
1990s	"Stronger Than That" (1990) "Silhouettes" (live) (1990) "From a Distance" (live) (1990) "Saviour's Day" (1990) "Scarlet Ribbons" (1991) "We Should Be Together" (1991) "I Still Believe in You" (1992) "Peace in Our Time" (1993) "Human Work of Art" (1993) "Healing Love" (1993) "All I Have to Do Is Dream" (live) / "Miss You Nights" (1994) "Misunderstood Man" (1995) "Had to Be" (1995) "Can't Keep this Feeling In" (1998) "The Millennium Prayer" (1999)
2000s	"Somewhere Over the Rainbow"/"What a Wonderful World" (medley) (2001) "Let Me Be the One" (2002) "Santa's List" (2003) "Somethin' is Goin' On" (2004) "I Cannot Give You My Love" (2004) "What Car" (2005) "21st Century Christmas" / "Move It" (2006) "When I Need You" (2007) "Thank You for a Lifetime" (2008) "Singing the Blues" (2009)
2010s	"Rip It Up" (2013) "Since I Lost My Baby" (2014) "Golden" (2015) "Roll Over Beethoven" (2016) "Blue Suede Shoes" (2017) "(It's Gonna Be) Okay" (2017) "Rise Up" (2018) "Reborn" (2018)