Blimey, it's been a long time coming. Originally the B-side to "Adia" in the US in 98, and a significant hit in its own right there the following year, McLachlan's record company never gave "Angel" the push it deserved in the UK. A remix of "Silence" in late 2000 catapulted the Halifax native into the UK top five, but, again, only silence followed. It looked like Britain was going to be denied full exposure to the charms of one of the late 90s' most crushing ballads.
Enter stage right Simon Cowell, the man responsible for inflicting Westlife on the world. He persuades them to lend their falsetto to a cover of this classic, intended for singular release over Christmas last year. Testing on their target market showed that this would be a duff move, and might only net them a #2 single. Avoiding this disaster, the Irish mob pulled out entirely.
This left the field clear for the original to step into the gap. It's a piano. It's a vocal. It's absolutely nothing else.
It's a voice that is as clear as a bell.
It's a sound that conjures up sunsets over a snowfield, stretching as far as the eye can see.
This sweet madness, this glorious sadness
That brings me to my knees
And it's still not the massive hit it deserves. So I'm biased. I would be grudgingly happy if it were to rule the roost for the next six weeks or so. Given the state of the competition, there's hardly any reason why that shouldn't have happened.
But wait ... there's more! The clubbers and terminally cool are attracted by the dance mix. "Dusted" - that's Rollo, Dido's brother, for those missing Lillith already - adds some muted drum loops and percussion to the vocal track. It's not quite as sparse as the original, and the format doesn't lend itself quite so well to the piano figures of the original mix, but this is that rare creature.
A dance mix that lives up to the original. Maybe "Angel" is one of those too rare tracks - one that cannot be destroyed no matter what one throws at it. Even Westlife's version had *some* merit. Mainly to give McLachlan some royalties, but everything counts.
The original album is Surfacing.