undercover angel

Songwriter Alan O'Day had a hit of his own with this nocturnal novelette. He says: "'Undercover Angel' started with the title. I love the word 'undercover'. Looking back on it, I think the word angel was invoked because of 'Charlie's Angels', the TV show, but I didn't really know that then. I just put the two words together and I loved what it said and I've got to write a song 'Undercover Angel'. You know what? You need to ignore that and start again. I started writing the story before I knew the title. Everything I told you is true, but it happened after I started the song. So, I started writing the song, 'Crying on my pillow, lonely in my bed, then I heard a voice beside me, and she softly said, wonder is your night light...' I get this idea, a little bit like 'Angie Baby', that it was an out of body experience or something spiritual or mystical as well as sexual, but, I didn't know what the main point of the song was. So, then it was like searching for a title... that's when 'Undercover Angel' came together for me. But, I painted myself into a corner, which I would never tell somebody to do by starting to write the song without a title. In terms of the time it took? 'Undercover Angel' probably took a couple of weeks. I still have the original lyric sheet up on my wall, framed. I took it to Warner-Chappell, to the people who helped me and critiqued my stuff, and they made a couple of suggestions. At that time, the people I worked with had knowledge about how to critique songs. They had song sense. I don't hear about that as often now. It seems like the business side of the music business is less musical. But, at that time I was able to get some really good feedback on it. I agreed with it, and I finished the lyric and made a demo. Then it was done. I would say it was probably less than a month."

O'Day had written hit songs for Cher, Helen Reddy, Bobby Sherman, and the Righteous Brothers. Warner Brothers Records had started a new label Pacific Records specifically for songwriters who also performed. 'Undercover Angel' was the first single released on the new label. O'Day remembers: "When it first hit, I was in a schizophrenic existence of just living at home and having a normal life, while this artist, Alan O'Day was traveling up the charts...It was a surprise to everybody that it was gonna make number one. We didn't have the album ready to follow it. These things just don't happen very often. They happen to other people. It just kept climbing the charts and it passed up all the major labels. I wasn't the only artist on the label. This was Pacific Records which had been set up by Ed Silvers and Mel Bley at Warner - Chappell, actually Warner Brothers music back then. They were my publishers. He wanted to start a record company and asked me to be an artist on his label...Ed did. Pacific Records was kind of a boutique label under the Atlantic group. It's no longer around. There we were with a little song on a little record label and it just went past everybody and it ended up at number one. It was number one for two weeks. It's kind of a state of shock that hits you. You're happy, but you don't know what to do about it. Do you drink wine? Do you drive faster? Do you go buy new recording equipment? What do you do? You just ride it out because it's the wheels of the industry. In some way, it has something to do with you and in someway, it has nothing to do with you. I remember driving in Westwood in Los Angeles, stopping at a signal and a guy walking across the street saying 'I know you. You were on American Bandstand.' They'd played the American Bandstand that morning and happened to remember my face. And I wave. It's the little things."

Yeah, yeah

Cryin' on my pillow
Lonely in my bed
Then I heard a voice beside me
And she softly said
"Thunder is your night light"
"Magic is your dream"
And as I held her
She said, "See what I mean"

I said "Whaaaat"
She said "Ooo-ooo-ooo-wee"
I said "All right"
She said "Love me, love me, love me"

Undercover angel
Midnight fantasy
I never had a dream
That made sweet love to me
Undercover angel
The answer to my prayer
You made me know
That there's a love for me out there
(Somewhere)
Yeah, somewhere

Heavenly surrender
Sweet afterglow
(Undercover)
Givin' up my heart to you
Now, angel, don't go
She said, "Go find the right one
"Love her and then"
"When you look into her eyes"
"You'll see me again"

I said "Whaaaat"
She said "Ooo-ooo-ooo-wee"
I said "All right"
She said "Love me, love me, love me"

Undercover angel
Midnight fantasy
I never had a dream
That made sweet love to me
Undercover angel
The answer to my prayer
You made me know
That there's a love for me out there
(Somewhere)
Oh, somewhere

Now you know my story
And girl, if it's right
I'm gonna take you in my arms
And love you tonight
Underneath the covers
The answer lies
Lookin' for my angel
In your sweet lovin' eyes

She said, "Whaaat"
I said, "Ooo-oo-oo-wee"
She said, "All right"
I said, "Love me, love me, love me"
She said, "Whaaat"
I said, "Ooo-oo-oo-wee"
She said, "All right"
I said, "Love me, love me, love me"

Undercover angel
Midnight fantasy
I never had a dream
that made sweet love to me
Undercover angel
The answer to my prayer
You made me know
That there's a love for me
Love me, love me, love me

Undercover angel
Midnight fantasy
I never had a dream
That made sweet love to me
Undercover angel
The answer to my prayer
You made me know that
There's a love for me...