Sweet Little Angel
An old blues song, first recorded by Lucille Bogan in 1930, that King turned into a hit.
B.B. King, from Live at the Regal (1956)
- Written by
- B.B. King, Jules Taub
- Released
- 1956
- Album
- Live at the Regal
The song began as Black Angel Blues, which Lucille Bogan recorded in 1930. Tampa Red cut it in 1934 and Robert Nighthawk in 1949. King said he got the idea from Nighthawk's version and changed the title to Sweet Little Angel, since black was not a popular word at the time. His 1956 single on RPM added a horn section and reached number eight on the R&B chart.
He re-recorded it in 1957 for Singin' the Blues, and it is the second track on Live at the Regal. In both versions his note bends sound almost like a lap steel in places. King's recording appears on the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame's list of 500 Songs that Shaped Rock and Roll.
More songs by B.B. King
3 O'Clock Blues, Every Day I Have the Blues, How Blue Can You Get, The Thrill Is Gone
Sources
- Sweet Little Angel, Wikipedia
- Live at the Regal, Wikipedia