In 1971, Charley Pride released what went on to be one of his trademark songs, “Kiss an Angel Good Morning.” Just a year later, another country superstar took up the song himself, and it was none other than Conway Twitty.
Twitty recorded his rendition in 1972 of his album I Can’t See Me Without You. If you’re wondering why you’ve never heard about this until today, it’s because Twitty never released his version of the song as a single.
Still, Twitty’s classic country voice was the perfect fit for “Kiss an Angel Good Morning.” He managed to make the song his own at the same time, maintaining its original character and charm.
The Song’s Light-Hearted Love Story
Written by Ben Peters, “Kiss an Angel Good Morning” is a joyful love story. When the man in the song was asked by his friends why he is so happy and smiling all the time, he told them: “You’ve got to kiss an angel good mornin’. And let her know you think about her when you’re gone. Kiss an angel good mornin’ and love her like a devil when you get back home.”
But according to Peters, “Kiss an Angel Good Morning” was actually inspired by fatherly love rather than marital bliss. Peters has written dozens of songs for Pride, and most of them were chart-topping country hits. When he welcomed his baby girl named Angela, his wife reminded him to kiss the baby before leaving for work. And the rest was history!
Charley Pride went on to release the song as the first single from his album Charley Pride Sings Heart Songs, and it became the biggest hit of his career. The song spent five weeks at No. 1, longer than any of his other recordings.
Pride’s “Kiss an Angel Good Morning” also got a lot of attention on the pop music charts, making it his first crossover hit and only single to reach the Top 40 on the pop charts. It peaked at No. 21 on the Billboard Hot 100.
Over the years, several other country artists have recorded their own versions of Pride’s hit song, including George Jones, Roy Clark, and Gene Stuart. Alan Jackson also covered it for his album, Under the Influence in 1999.
Conway Twitty’s version of “Kiss an Angel Good Morning” is one of our favorites. You can listen to it in the video below.
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