It was released as a single by Atlantic in June 1973 and went on to top the US soul singles chart for two weeks while reaching number twenty on the Billboard Hot 100 chart.[2] The single sold over 900,000 copies.
Record World predicted that it "should be a monster in no time at all."[3]
British soul and pop band Simply Red covered "Angel" for their first compilation album, Greatest Hits (1996), featuring an uncredited appearance by American hip hop group Fugees. It was released on October 28, 1996, by EastWest Records, as the only single from the album and reached number four in the United Kingdom. The song also appeared on the Set It Off soundtrack. Simply Red performed it on TOTP, and with Fugees on the MTV Awards.
Critical reception
AllMusic editor Jon O'Brien wrote that the song is "a surprisingly passable attempt at hip-hop lite."[6]Larry Flick from Billboard magazine described it as a "rugged jeep-funk cover" and commented further that "this is far more street-oriented than Simply Red's previous efforts, and front man Mick Hucknall is pushed to deliver one his roughest and most forceful performances to date." He also noted that the singer "sounds convincingly hard alongside FugeeWyclef Jean's muscular guest rap".[4] Ken Tucker from Entertainment Weekly noted Hucknall's "keening croon to the Fugees' smoky harmonies" and added that "this low-key pleaser exerts a romantic pull".[7]
Kevin Courtney from Irish Times felt Fugees "put some street cool" into the cover.[8] A reviewer from Music & Media wrote that Wyclef Jean and Pras Michel "bring out the best in Mick Hucknall on this hair-raising version", and "his voice can handle any soulballad on its own, but the unmistakeble Fugees beats and soulful snippets make this a great addition to the Simply Red Greatest Hits album."[5] Alan Jones from Music Week named it "a blinding remake" of the Aretha Franklin song.[9]
