Song:Angel In Your Arms
Album:Super Hits Of The '70s: Have A Nice Day Vol. 20
The multi racial girl group Hot scored a top ten hit in 1977 with Angel In My Arms. They could have been bigger if their record company had promoted them better. Hot recorded three albums in the late 70s. The leader of Hot was Detroit native Gwen Owens. Her 1969 single Keep On Living was on Josie Records and made the R & B charts. Then she moved to Los Angeles to get into the studio scene. She sang backup for jazz musician David Axelrod and soul singer Willie Hutch. And she also performed live in Las Vegas with Ann-Margret, Jose Feliciano, The O'Jays and others. In 1972, the Muscle Shoals writing and producing team of Clayton Ivey and Terry Woodford made a deal to start a Motown South record label. Gwen was to be their first artist. She recorded tracks at their studio. But Motown decided not to go ahead with the new label. A couple of the songs were released as singles but nothing came of them. While Ivey and Woodford worked to get out of the Motown contract, Gwen formed Sugar & Spice with Cathy Carson and a third singer. The third singer was replaced by Mexican singer Juanita Curiel who had worked in Wayne Newton's Las Vegas show. They were renamed Hot and they went to Ivey and Woodford's new recording studio in Muscle Shoals. Gwen told them she wanted to record a country song. Ivey and Woodford wrote Angel In Your Arms with veteran songwriter Tommy Brasfield. The record was picked up by Atlantic's Big Tree label and it reached #6 on the Billboard Hot 100. A cover of Angel In Your Arms was a country hit for Barbara Mandrell in 1985. Hot recorded three albums but they were unable to score another hit. Atlantic didn't seem to be interested in promoting them. You can get Angel In My Arms on this Rhino various artist comp which is part of a series covering 70s hits. Gwen Owens returned to session work. She reformed Hot briefly in the late 80s. She retired from the music business but she still sings in the church choir. Here's a video for Angel In Your Arms by Hot.
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