Covers of “Angel Baby”

Kathy Young

The Sound of Kathy Young (Indigo Records, 1961). Released within months of Rosie’s hit. Young was 15 herself — her own hit “A Thousand Stars” peaked at #3 in 1960. Kathy and Rosie later became close friends, sharing a dressing room at the Mohegan Sun Bowzer’s Doo Wop Party #3 in January 2003. · YouTube · Discogs

Charles Brown

Single: “Angel Baby” b/w “Night after Night” (King Records 5439, 1961). Veteran R&B and blues singer — best known for “Drifting Blues” and “Merry Christmas, Baby” — took the song into a soul direction, the first major Black artist to do so. · YouTube · 45cat

Jesús Olivas

Spanish-language adaptation titled “Angel mio,” released 1965. Olivas wrote new Spanish lyrics to the melody of “Angel Baby.” No YouTube recording found. · SecondHandSongs

Reparata and the Delrons

Rock ‘n’ Roll Revolution (Kapp/MCA, 1970). Lead vocalist: Nanette Licari (Reparata herself sang backup). A New York all-female trio who turned “Angel Baby” into a girl-group standard. Cover Me Songs rated them the third-best cover of all time. · YouTube · Discogs

John Lennon

The most famous cover of “Angel Baby” — and the one Rosie herself loved best. Recorded late 1973 during the L.A. “Lost Weekend” sessions with Phil Spector, Dr. John, Leon Russell, Steve Cropper, Jesse Ed Davis, José Feliciano, Jim Keltner, Hal Blaine, and Jim Gordon. Spoken intro: “This here is one of my all-time favorite songs. Send my love to Rosie, wherever she may be.” First issued on Menlove Ave. (Capitol/EMI, October 27, 1986); remixed on Gimme Some Truth (2020). Lennon named Rosie one of his favorite singers in Life magazine (1969) and in Rolling Stone (November 1968). · YouTube · Wikipedia

Fumiko Okada

Recorded on Pepper Keibu (Victor Entertainment, January 25, 1977) — a debut album by J-pop duo Pink Lady, featuring Japanese-language covers of international pop hits including “Angel Baby” (エンジェル・ベイビー). Okada performed the vocal arrangement. · Wikipedia · SecondHandSongs · YouTube

Jun Togawa

Suki Suki Daisuki (好き好き大好き, Alfa Records, 1985) — エンジェル ベイビ (Enjeru Beibi). Cult Japanese new-wave/punk icon who adapted the song with Togawa-written Japanese lyrics on her best-selling album. SecondHandSongs catalogs her version as a separate adaptation, with 3 versions descended from it. · YouTube · Wikipedia

Shehene & the Knobs

Reggae single, 1987. A reggae arrangement released as a standalone single. · YouTube

Angélica

Angel Baby (Quality Records, 1991) — title track and single. Peaked at #29 Billboard Hot 100 with a freestyle/slow-jam ballad arrangement; heavy rotation on The Box music video channel. Angélica Garcia, a Mexican-American freestyle/Latin-pop singer — a significant chart return 31 years after Rosie’s original. · YouTube · Wikipedia

Wong Chi-zan

Performed on-camera in Edward Yang’s A Brighter Summer Day (犊嶺街少年殺人事件, 1991) — widely considered one of the greatest Asian films ever made, set in 1960 Taipei among youth obsessed with American doo-wop. · Wikipedia · YouTube

Jeanette Jurado (of Exposé)

Performed on-screen in My Family / Mi Familia (New Line Cinema, 1995, dir. Gregory Nava). Jurado played Rosie on-screen, performing “Angel Baby” in its entirety at a wedding/dance sequence. With Jimmy Smits, Edward James Olmos, Esai Morales, and Jennifer Lopez. Rosie said she was personally honored. · IMDb · YouTube

Linda Ronstadt

Dedicated to the One I Love (Elektra Records, January 23, 1996) — a lullaby album. Tucson-born Mexican-American superstar recast “Angel Baby” as a tender bedtime song. Ronstadt credits Rosie with “cracking the tortilla ceiling” for Latina singers in rock and roll. · YouTube · Wikipedia

Stormy Weather

Doo-It-Doo-Wop! (Street Gold Records, 2000). Doo-wop revival group led by Kamal Farag; lead vocalist Cheryl DeRosier on this track. The eBay album review notes her “sweet vocals are perfect for the cover of ‘Angel Baby’ (Rosie & The Originals).” · YouTube

Jenni Rivera

Se las Voy a Dar a Otro (Fonovisa Records, November 20, 2001) — track 1. Mexican-American banda superstar Jenni Rivera (“La Diva de la Banda,” 1969–2012) covered the song partly in Spanish. Rivera died in a 2012 plane crash; her version remains a touchstone for Latina audiences. · YouTube · Wikipedia

Yolanda Pérez

La Potranquita con Banda (Fonovisa, 2002) — track 6. Mexican-American banda artist recorded a bilingual English/Spanish arrangement with full banda accompaniment. · YouTube

Roky Erickson and the Aliens

Don’t Knock the Rok! (Norton Records, 2004) — track 2 (1978 Berkeley rehearsal). The legendary frontman of Texas psychedelic pioneers the 13th Floor Elevators, recorded after Erickson’s long mental-health hiatus. · YouTube · Discogs

Like A Tim & Gina V. D’Orio

Bass Girl (Bunny Lounge Holland BCD 005, May 2004). Electronic/experimental duo. SecondHandSongs Performance ID 144671. · YouTube (at 12:30) · Discogs

Tiffany

Dreams Never Die (Water Music Records, 2005) — bonus track 15 on the digital/deluxe edition. ’80s teen-pop star Tiffany Darwish (“I Think We’re Alone Now”) recorded the song on her comeback album. · YouTube · Wikipedia

Kenny Vance and the Planotones

Lovers Island (November 1, 2005). Kenny Vance — founding member of Jay and the Americans, music supervisor for early Saturday Night Live — in his Planotones vocal-group project. SecondHandSongs ID 554783. · YouTube

Irene

Memories of Lydia (Sam Sam Music, May 10, 2010). Dutch easy-listening artist; a gentle, faithful cover among a collection of country and rock 'n' roll evergreens. Composer credited as Hamlin. Produced by Tony Light. · YouTube

Sweet Jeena and the Roomates

Sweet Jeena and the Roomates (June 16, 2010). Doo-wop revival group. SecondHandSongs ID 359316. · YouTube · SecondHandSongs

Black Rebel Motorcycle Club

Specter at the Feast (Vagrant Records, 2013) — track 15, digital & deluxe bonus track. San Francisco psych-rock/blues trio recorded a haunting, dark-blues/goth-rock lullaby reimagining. Cover Me Songs ranked it the second-best cover ever, comparing it to The Jesus and Mary Chain’s “Just Like Honey.” · YouTube · Wikipedia

System of a Down (live)

Hollywood Bowl, Los Angeles, July 29, 2013 — the band’s sole U.S. tour date of 2013. Armenian-American metal band performed “Angel Baby” live in one of the most unexpected tributes from an artist of their stature. Dedicated by Daron Malakian to Art Laboe. · YouTube (at 1:20:55)

Nancy Sanchez

Single “Angel Baby” (December 2017), with former Oingo Boingo bassist John Avila. Released as a direct tribute to Rosie’s passing. “Cosmic” arrangement — celestial harp intro, Mellotron, English/Spanish bilingual verses. From American Novio album sessions. · Official Video · Bandcamp

Miguel Matute Project

Desde Adentro y Otros Asuntos (2019). Latin instrumental jazz/pop project; lead vocalist Liana Ochoa with new vocal arrangement. · YouTube (at 27:40)

Suzie True

Los Angeles indie rock band. Single released February 14, 2024 on Get Better Records — a faithful, heartfelt cover confirmed as a recording of “Angel Baby” by Rosie and the Originals. · YouTube

Killing the Day

Recorded on Chains of Love (Killing the Day, September 6, 2024). Confirmed cover of “Angel Baby” by Rosie Hamlin via SecondHandSongs. · SecondHandSongs · YouTube

Other Recorded Versions

Twinkle Twinkle Little Rock Star (children’s instrumental/lullaby)  ·  Irene van Hemert (Dutch)  ·  Stormy Weather (vintage-rock revival)  ·  “Angelito” (Spanish adaptation, Rosie Hamlin credit)  ·  Multiple Bandcamp, SoundCloud, and Spotify recordings under the “Rosie & The Originals” writer credit.