There Must Be an Angel (Playing with My Heart)
Encyclopedia
In 1997 recorded the Finnish
parody rock band Leningrad Cowboys
a cover for their 1997 album Mongolian Barbeque
. In that cover the mouth organ was replaced by an electric guitar for the instrumentation and the intro was so taken with the electric guitar, unlike the original this version is very different. The cover also served as a B-side for her cover of the Song You're My Heart, You're My Soul
.
member Peter Plate consulted on a contemporary version of the track, re-recorded
by German girl band No Angels
. The song was one of a couple of tracks considered to be remade by the quintet, but was eventually picked when the producers of the animated feature Der Kleine Eisbär (for which band member Vanessa Petruo
provided vocals) agreed to accept the track as film's theme song. "We were speechless and very happy about [the decision]. The animated movie was a world premiere and something really big for us. We immediately said 'yes'," Lucy Diakovska said in an interview. Sandy Mölling
noted, that the song was an all-time favorite of the band: "I liked Annie Lennox
' voice ever since I can remember.
The track premiered on 9 July 2001 on the RTL Berlin
radio network, receiving a positive reception from music critics, and on 17 July 2001 a preview was available on-demand
in its entirety on the band's official website. Finally released as the band's third single on 12 August 2001 (see 2001 in music
) in German-speaking Europe
, the original CD single
spawned both an unlugged and an orchestral version, latter featuring music by the Deutsches Filmorchester Babelsberg
. The record was subsequently included on the Special Winter Edition reissue
of the Elle'ments
album (2001).
"There Must Be an Angel" was awarded for "Top Single Germany" at the 2001 Top of the Pops Awards
, and received a gold
certification by the IFPI
. Vanessa Petruo
stated in 2005 that the song was "most unnecessary" of all cover version
s the band had released between the years of 2001 and 2003.
for "There Must Be an Angel" was directed by Jörn Heitmann and filmed near the General-Steinhof-Kaserne at the Gatow Airport in Berlin-Spandau, Germany
on 19 July 2001. Inspired by Tony Scott
's 1986 film Top Gun
, the clip features the quintet as fighter pilot
s of the fictional U.S. military squadron
68 at an also-fictional airbase
in Angelville, United States. Additionally, it incorporates a 1940s World War II
theme, heavily inspired by performances of Marilyn Monroe
, The Andrews Sisters
and others during their USO
shows. Among the aircraft
shown in the video are MiG-21s, a B-57 Canberra
, a F-104 Starfighter
and a Dassault Mystère.
"There Must Be an Angel" world premiered in early August 2001 on television, but was temporarily banned from music network
s due to its military theme, following the terrorist attacks of 11 September 2001
.
" and "Rivers of Joy
," the song was initially released on 12 August 2001 (see 2001 in music
) in German-speaking Europe
. It entered the charts straight at number-one on the German Singles Chart, staying at the top for five consecutive weeks, twelve weeks in the top forty, and seventeen weeks inside the top sixty. It was eventually certified gold by the IFPI
for more than 250,000 shipped copies and ranked twelfth on the 2001 Media Control year-end chart in Germany.
In Austria, the single opened at number 8 on the Ö3 Austria Top 40
singles chart. However, it was not until 23 September 2001, the song's fifth week of release, "There Must Be An Angel" eventually climbed to the top spot. It remained another week at number-one and stayed twenty-one weeks within the top sixty of the chart, ranking nineteenth on the Austrian year-end chart in 2001. In Switzerland, the single debuted at a moderate number 36 on the Swiss Singles Chart. Benefiting from strong airplay however, the song reached number 2 in its third week of release, becoming the No Angels' second highest-charting single there to date. As in Germany, "There Must Be an Angel" was certified gold by the Swiss arm of the International Federation of the Phonographic Industry and ranked twenty-one on the Swiss year-end chart.
CD single
2-Track CD single
Finland
Finland , officially the Republic of Finland, is a Nordic country situated in the Fennoscandian region of Northern Europe. It is bordered by Sweden in the west, Norway in the north and Russia in the east, while Estonia lies to its south across the Gulf of Finland.Around 5.4 million people reside...
parody rock band Leningrad Cowboys
Leningrad Cowboys
The Leningrad Cowboys is a Finnish rock band famous for humorously making rock and roll covers of popular songs, exaggerated pompadour hairstyles, long, pointy shoes, often featuring a Russian military band, the Alexandrov Ensemble.-Beginnings:...
a cover for their 1997 album Mongolian Barbeque
Mongolian Barbeque (album)
-Personnel:The Leningrad Cowboys:*Twist Twist Erkinharju - drums*Sakke Järvenpää - vocals*Veeti Kallio - vocals*Tatu Kemppainen - guitar*Vesa Kääpä - guitar*Pemo Ojala - trumpet*Silu Seppälä - bass*Mauri Sumén - keyboards, accordion...
. In that cover the mouth organ was replaced by an electric guitar for the instrumentation and the intro was so taken with the electric guitar, unlike the original this version is very different. The cover also served as a B-side for her cover of the Song You're My Heart, You're My Soul
You're My Heart, You're My Soul
"You're My Heart, You're My Soul" is the first single by German europop duo Modern Talking released off their debut album "The 1st Album". The single was released on 29 October 1984 but entered the top-10 in Germany on January 28, 1985, almost three months after its release date...
.
Track listing
CD single- "There Must Be an Angel" (Radio edit) - 4:31
- "There Must Be an Angel" (Folk version) - 5:00
- "There Must Be an Angel" (Remix version) - 6:01
- "Dancing in the Street" - 3:14
Recording
In summer 2001, producers Patrik Majer, Ulf Leo Sommer, and RosenstolzRosenstolz
Rosenstolz is a German music band from Berlin. Their music combines several styles including rock, pop and ballads. AnNa R. and Peter Plate form the duo. They had their breakthrough in 1998 with the song Herzensschöner...
member Peter Plate consulted on a contemporary version of the track, re-recorded
Cover version
In popular music, a cover version or cover song, or simply cover, is a new performance or recording of a contemporary or previously recorded, commercially released song or popular song...
by German girl band No Angels
No Angels
The No Angels are an all-female pop trio from Germany, consisting of band members Lucy Diakovska, Sandy Mölling, and Jessica Wahls. Critically acclaimed, the band has won dozen of awards and prizes since their establishment in the early 2000s, including three ECHOs, a World Music Awards, a NRJ...
. The song was one of a couple of tracks considered to be remade by the quintet, but was eventually picked when the producers of the animated feature Der Kleine Eisbär (for which band member Vanessa Petruo
Vanessa Petruo
Vanessa Anneliese Petruo , also known as Vany, is a German singer–songwriter and actress. She came to international prominence as a member of the all–female pop band No Angels that was created during the talents show Popstars...
provided vocals) agreed to accept the track as film's theme song. "We were speechless and very happy about [the decision]. The animated movie was a world premiere and something really big for us. We immediately said 'yes'," Lucy Diakovska said in an interview. Sandy Mölling
Sandy Mölling
Sandy Mölling , known professionally as Sandy, is a German singer-songwriter, dancer, television presenter and occasional actress, who rose to fame as one of the founding members of the successful all-female pop band No Angels, the "biggest-selling German girlband to date," according to the German...
noted, that the song was an all-time favorite of the band: "I liked Annie Lennox
Annie Lennox
Annie Lennox, OBE , born Ann Lennox, is a Scottish singer-songwriter, political activist and philanthropist. After achieving minor success in the late 1970s with The Tourists, with fellow musician David A...
' voice ever since I can remember.
The track premiered on 9 July 2001 on the RTL Berlin
RTL Group
RTL Group is Europe's largest TV, radio and production company, and is majority-owned by German media conglomerate Bertelsmann. It has 45 television and 32 radio stations in 11 countries...
radio network, receiving a positive reception from music critics, and on 17 July 2001 a preview was available on-demand
Video on demand
Video on Demand or Audio and Video On Demand are systems which allow users to select and watch/listen to video or audio content on demand...
in its entirety on the band's official website. Finally released as the band's third single on 12 August 2001 (see 2001 in music
2001 in music
See also:* 2001 in music Record labels established in 2001-Events:*January 1**Comeback of Guns N' Roses in House of Blues**Hum disbands.*January 17 – Bass player Jason Newsted leaves Metallica after 14 years with the band....
) in German-speaking Europe
German-speaking Europe
The German language is spoken in a number of countries and territories in West, Central and Eastern Europe...
, the original CD single
CD single
A CD single is a music single in the form of a standard size Compact Disc, not to be confused with the 3-inch CD single, which uses a smaller form factor. The format was introduced in the mid-1980s, but did not gain its place in the market until the early 1990s...
spawned both an unlugged and an orchestral version, latter featuring music by the Deutsches Filmorchester Babelsberg
Deutsches Filmorchester Babelsberg
The German Film Orchestra Babelsberg is a symphony orchestra based in Potsdam, Germany. It was founded in 1993 by Klaus Peter Beyer. The orchestra derives its name from the legendary Babelsberg Studios in Potsdam-Babelsberg, a city part of Potsdam today, where notable films such as Metropolis, Dr...
. The record was subsequently included on the Special Winter Edition reissue
Reissue
A reissue is the repeated issue of a published work. In common usage, it refers to an album which has been released at least once before and is released again, sometimes with alterations or additions....
of the Elle'ments
Elle'ments
Special Winter Edition-Credits and personnel:* Laszlo Bencker - various* Thorsten Brötzmann - keyboards* Nico Fintzen - keyboards* Stefan Hansen - keyboards* Tony Laketos - sax* Ralf Lübke - guitar* Lesli Mandoki - various* Ossi Schaller - guitar...
album (2001).
"There Must Be an Angel" was awarded for "Top Single Germany" at the 2001 Top of the Pops Awards
Top of the Pops
Top of the Pops, also known as TOTP, is a British music chart television programme, made by the BBC and originally broadcast weekly from 1 January 1964 to 30 July 2006. After 25 December 2006 it became a radio program, now hosted by Tony Blackburn...
, and received a gold
Gold
Gold is a chemical element with the symbol Au and an atomic number of 79. Gold is a dense, soft, shiny, malleable and ductile metal. Pure gold has a bright yellow color and luster traditionally considered attractive, which it maintains without oxidizing in air or water. Chemically, gold is a...
certification by the IFPI
IFPI
The International Federation of the Phonographic Industry is the organisation that represents the interests of the recording industry worldwide. It is a not-for-profit members' organisation registered in Switzerland...
. Vanessa Petruo
Vanessa Petruo
Vanessa Anneliese Petruo , also known as Vany, is a German singer–songwriter and actress. She came to international prominence as a member of the all–female pop band No Angels that was created during the talents show Popstars...
stated in 2005 that the song was "most unnecessary" of all cover version
Cover version
In popular music, a cover version or cover song, or simply cover, is a new performance or recording of a contemporary or previously recorded, commercially released song or popular song...
s the band had released between the years of 2001 and 2003.
Music video
The music videoMusic video
A music video or song video is a short film integrating a song and imagery, produced for promotional or artistic purposes. Modern music videos are primarily made and used as a marketing device intended to promote the sale of music recordings...
for "There Must Be an Angel" was directed by Jörn Heitmann and filmed near the General-Steinhof-Kaserne at the Gatow Airport in Berlin-Spandau, Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
on 19 July 2001. Inspired by Tony Scott
Tony Scott
Anthony D. L. "Tony" Scott is an English film director. His films include Top Gun, Beverly Hills Cop II, The Last Boy Scout, True Romance, Crimson Tide, Enemy of the State, Spy Game, Man on Fire, Déjà Vu, The Taking of Pelham 123, and Unstoppable...
's 1986 film Top Gun
Top Gun
Top Gun may refer to:* Top Gun is a 1986 film starring Tom Cruise.**Top Gun , soundtrack to the movie**Top Gun , a number of games based on the movie...
, the clip features the quintet as fighter pilot
Fighter pilot
A fighter pilot is a military aviator trained in air-to-air combat while piloting a fighter aircraft . Fighter pilots undergo specialized training in aerial warfare and dogfighting...
s of the fictional U.S. military squadron
Squadron (aviation)
A squadron in air force, army aviation or naval aviation is mainly a unit comprising a number of military aircraft, usually of the same type, typically with 12 to 24 aircraft, sometimes divided into three or four flights, depending on aircraft type and air force...
68 at an also-fictional airbase
Airbase
An airbase is a military airfield that provides basing and support of military aircraft....
in Angelville, United States. Additionally, it incorporates a 1940s World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
theme, heavily inspired by performances of Marilyn Monroe
Marilyn Monroe
Marilyn Monroe was an American actress, singer, model and showgirl who became a major sex symbol, starring in a number of commercially successful motion pictures during the 1950s....
, The Andrews Sisters
The Andrews Sisters
The Andrews Sisters were a highly successful close harmony singing group of the swing and boogie-woogie eras. The group consisted of three sisters: contralto LaVerne Sophia Andrews , soprano Maxene Angelyn Andrews , and mezzo-soprano Patricia Marie "Patty" Andrews...
and others during their USO
United Service Organizations
The United Service Organizations Inc. is a private, nonprofit organization that provides morale and recreational services to members of the U.S. military, with programs in 160 centers worldwide. Since 1941, it has worked in partnership with the Department of Defense , and has provided support and...
shows. Among the aircraft
Aircraft
An aircraft is a vehicle that is able to fly by gaining support from the air, or, in general, the atmosphere of a planet. An aircraft counters the force of gravity by using either static lift or by using the dynamic lift of an airfoil, or in a few cases the downward thrust from jet engines.Although...
shown in the video are MiG-21s, a B-57 Canberra
B-57 Canberra
The Martin B-57 Canberra was a United States-built, twin jet engine light bomber and reconnaissance aircraft, which entered service with the United States Air Force in 1953. The B-57 was initially a version of the English Electric Canberra built under license. However, the Glenn L...
, a F-104 Starfighter
F-104 Starfighter
The Lockheed F-104 Starfighter is a single-engine, high-performance, supersonic interceptor aircraft originally developed for the United States Air Force by Lockheed. One of the Century Series of aircraft, it served with the USAF from 1958 until 1969, and continued with Air National Guard units...
and a Dassault Mystère.
"There Must Be an Angel" world premiered in early August 2001 on television, but was temporarily banned from music network
Television network
A television network is a telecommunications network for distribution of television program content, whereby a central operation provides programming to many television stations or pay TV providers. Until the mid-1980s, television programming in most countries of the world was dominated by a small...
s due to its military theme, following the terrorist attacks of 11 September 2001
September 11, 2001 attacks
The September 11 attacks The September 11 attacks The September 11 attacks (also referred to as September 11, September 11th or 9/119/11 is pronounced "nine eleven". The slash is not part of the pronunciation...
.
Chart performance
The group's first non-album release following "Daylight in Your EyesDaylight in Your Eyes
"Daylight in Your Eyes" is a dance-pop song written by American musicians Tony Bruno and Tommy Byrnes. Originally composed for Colombian singer Victoria Faiella's debut album Drama , it was re-recorded by German pop band No Angels' for their 2001 first studio album Elle'ments, following their...
" and "Rivers of Joy
Rivers of Joy (song)
"Rivers of Joy" is a dance-pop song recorded by German pop group No Angels. It was written by Swedish composers Hans Andersson and Niklas Pettersson and produced by songwriter Peter Ries for the band's debut studio album, Elle'ments...
," the song was initially released on 12 August 2001 (see 2001 in music
2001 in music
See also:* 2001 in music Record labels established in 2001-Events:*January 1**Comeback of Guns N' Roses in House of Blues**Hum disbands.*January 17 – Bass player Jason Newsted leaves Metallica after 14 years with the band....
) in German-speaking Europe
German-speaking Europe
The German language is spoken in a number of countries and territories in West, Central and Eastern Europe...
. It entered the charts straight at number-one on the German Singles Chart, staying at the top for five consecutive weeks, twelve weeks in the top forty, and seventeen weeks inside the top sixty. It was eventually certified gold by the IFPI
IFPI
The International Federation of the Phonographic Industry is the organisation that represents the interests of the recording industry worldwide. It is a not-for-profit members' organisation registered in Switzerland...
for more than 250,000 shipped copies and ranked twelfth on the 2001 Media Control year-end chart in Germany.
In Austria, the single opened at number 8 on the Ö3 Austria Top 40
Ö3 Austria Top 40
Ö3 Austria Top 40 is the name of the official Austrian singles chart, as well as the radio show which presents it, aired Fridays on Hitradio Ö3. The show presents the Austrian singles, ringtones and downloads chart. It premiered on 26 November 1968 as Disc Parade and was presented by Ernst Grissemann...
singles chart. However, it was not until 23 September 2001, the song's fifth week of release, "There Must Be An Angel" eventually climbed to the top spot. It remained another week at number-one and stayed twenty-one weeks within the top sixty of the chart, ranking nineteenth on the Austrian year-end chart in 2001. In Switzerland, the single debuted at a moderate number 36 on the Swiss Singles Chart. Benefiting from strong airplay however, the song reached number 2 in its third week of release, becoming the No Angels' second highest-charting single there to date. As in Germany, "There Must Be an Angel" was certified gold by the Swiss arm of the International Federation of the Phonographic Industry and ranked twenty-one on the Swiss year-end chart.
Formats and tracklistings
These are the formats and track listings of major single-releases of "There Must Be an Angel."CD single
- "There Must Be an Angel" (Radio edit) - 3:55
- "There Must Be an Angel" (UnpluggedAcoustic musicAcoustic music comprises music that solely or primarily uses instruments which produce sound through entirely acoustic means, as opposed to electric or electronic means...
version) - 4:22 - "There Must Be an Angel" (ScoreSheet musicSheet music is a hand-written or printed form of music notation that uses modern musical symbols; like its analogs—books, pamphlets, etc.—the medium of sheet music typically is paper , although the access to musical notation in recent years includes also presentation on computer screens...
version) - 5:34 - "100% Emotional" - 3:03
2-Track CD single
- "There Must Be an Angel" (Radio edit) - 3:55
- "There Must Be an Angel" (Unplugged version) - 4:22
Credits and personnel
- Vocals: N. BenaissaNadja BenaissaNadja Benaissa is a German singer, songwriter and occasional actress, who rose to fame as one of the founding members of the successful all-female pop band No Angels, the "biggest-selling German girlband to date", according to the German media.After a series of commercially successful releases...
, L. DiakovskaLudmilla DiakovskaLudmilla "Lucy" Diakovska is a Bulgarian singer-songwriter, music producer, dancer, stage actress and television personality, who rose to fame as one of the founding members of the successful all-female pop band No Angels, the "biggest-selling German girlband to date," according to the German...
, S. MöllingSandy MöllingSandy Mölling , known professionally as Sandy, is a German singer-songwriter, dancer, television presenter and occasional actress, who rose to fame as one of the founding members of the successful all-female pop band No Angels, the "biggest-selling German girlband to date," according to the German...
,, V. PetruoVanessa PetruoVanessa Anneliese Petruo , also known as Vany, is a German singer–songwriter and actress. She came to international prominence as a member of the all–female pop band No Angels that was created during the talents show Popstars...
, J. WahlsJessica WahlsJessica Martina Wahls , also known under her nickname Jess, is a German pop singer, songwriter and television host, who rose to fame as one of the founding members of the successful all-female pop band No Angels, the "biggest-selling German girlband to date," according to the German media.-Early... - WritersSongwriterA songwriter is an individual who writes both the lyrics and music to a song. Someone who solely writes lyrics may be called a lyricist, and someone who only writes music may be called a composer...
: Patrik Majer, Peter PlateRosenstolzRosenstolz is a German music band from Berlin. Their music combines several styles including rock, pop and ballads. AnNa R. and Peter Plate form the duo. They had their breakthrough in 1998 with the song Herzensschöner...
, Ulf Leo Sommer - MixingAudio mixing (recorded music)In audio recording, audio mixing is the process by which multiple recorded sounds are combined into one or more channels, most commonly two-channel stereo. In the process, the source signals' level, frequency content, dynamics, and panoramic position are manipulated and effects such as reverb may...
and recording: Patrik "El Pattino" Majer - Mastering: Michael Schwabe
- KeyboardKeyboardistA keyboardist is a musician who plays keyboard instruments. Until the early 1960s musicians who played keyboards were generally classified as either pianists or organists. Since the mid-1960s, a plethora of new musical instruments with keyboards have come into common usage, requiring a more...
s and programming: P. Majer- Additional keyboards: Peter Plate
- GuitarGuitarThe guitar is a plucked string instrument, usually played with fingers or a pick. The guitar consists of a body with a rigid neck to which the strings, generally six in number, are attached. Guitars are traditionally constructed of various woods and strung with animal gut or, more recently, with...
s: Peter Weihe - StringsString instrumentA string instrument is a musical instrument that produces sound by means of vibrating strings. In the Hornbostel-Sachs scheme of musical instrument classification, used in organology, they are called chordophones...
: The Hamburg Strings
Charts
| Chart (2001) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Ö3 Austria Top 40 Ö3 Austria Top 40 Ö3 Austria Top 40 is the name of the official Austrian singles chart, as well as the radio show which presents it, aired Fridays on Hitradio Ö3. The show presents the Austrian singles, ringtones and downloads chart. It premiered on 26 November 1968 as Disc Parade and was presented by Ernst Grissemann... |
1 |
| German Singles Chart | 1 |
| Romanian Singles Chart | 17 |
| Swiss Singles Chart | 2 |
Other cover versions
- Brittany MurphyBrittany MurphyBrittany Anne Murphy-Monjack , known professionally as Brittany Murphy, was an American actress and singer. She starred in films such as Clueless, Just Married, Girl Interrupted, Spun, 8 Mile, Uptown Girls, Sin City, Happy Feet, and Riding in Cars with Boys...
covered the song in her 1996 film, Double Jeopardy. - In 1998, Fantastic Plastic Machine covered the song on his second album Luxury.
- GermanGermanyGermany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
singer/band leader Max RaabeMax RaabeMax Raabe is a German singer. He is particularly noted as the founder and leader of the Palast Orchester....
and Palast Orchester covered in cabaretCabaretCabaret is a form, or place, of entertainment featuring comedy, song, dance, and theatre, distinguished mainly by the performance venue: a restaurant or nightclub with a stage for performances and the audience sitting at tables watching the performance, as introduced by a master of ceremonies or...
/big bandBig bandA big band is a type of musical ensemble associated with jazz and the Swing Era typically consisting of rhythm, brass, and woodwind instruments totaling approximately twelve to twenty-five musicians...
style for his 2001 album Super Hits. - Kylie MinogueKylie MinogueKylie Ann Minogue, OBE - often known simply as Kylie - is an Australian singer, recording artist, songwriter, and actress. After beginning her career as a child actress on Australian television, she achieved recognition through her role in the television soap opera Neighbours, before commencing...
covered the song for her Aphrodite Les Folies Tour in 2011.