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When Warner Brothers decided to create Pacific Records, a spinoff label specifically for singer/songwriters in 1977, the first artist they signed was Alan O'Day.
Up to that point, Alan was best known for writing Helen Reddy's "Angie Baby," a "Great (and spooky) Song from 1974,"(which we highlighted way back on 9/29/20.
But now, Alan was free to record and release a song he had up his sleeve: "Undercover Angel." He didn't have an album to release it from, so Pacific went ahead a made it a stand-alone single.
Although the song is sort of "cutesy," it's actually sneaky-smart!
A woman appears in a lonely man's bed and asks him to make love to her. He does, and he falls in love. The mystery woman (ghost?) leaves, but tells him keep looking for the right girl, and when he finds her, he'll know...because when he looks in her eyes, he'll see her again.
It sounds like there might be a fairytale ending to the song, but then we find out the man is trying to seduce someone by telling her he sees the ghost woman in her eyes!
(Sounds like something Barney would pull on "How I Met Your Mother!")
"Undercover Angel" was an instant hit...and it pulled off a rarity by reaching #1 on the Top 100 charts of all three record industry magazines at the time: Billboard, Cashbox, and Record World! It also went to #1 in Canada.
You might say Alan O'Day was a one-hit wonder, but thanks to Helen Reddy, he had at least had two!
"Undercover Angel:" a "Great Song of 1977:" https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ppk0-dn8L7U
Angie Baby (1974):
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