Article · Wikipedia archive · Last revised Jun 25, 2026

Devil or Angel

"Devil or Angel" is a song written by Blanche Carter and originally recorded by the Clovers in 1955, where it went to number four on the US R&B Best Sellers chart. It was re-recorded by John Bailey after he left the Clovers and formed another Clovers group for Lana Records in 1965.

Last revised
Jun 25, 2026
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≈ 2 min
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"Devil or Angel"
Single by The Clovers
B-side"Hey, Doll Baby"
ReleasedJanuary 1956
Recorded1955
GenreR&B
Length2:22
LabelAtlantic
SongwriterBlanche Carter1
The Clovers singles chronology
"Nip Sip"
(1955) 		"Devil or Angel"
(1956) 		"Love, Love, Love"
(1956)
"Devil or Angel"
Single by Bobby Vee
from the album Bobby Vee Sings Your Favorites
B-side"Since I Met You Baby"
ReleasedJune 21, 1960
Recorded1960
GenrePop
Length2:15
LabelLiberty
SongwriterBlanche Carter
Bobby Vee singles chronology
"One Last Kiss"
(1960) 		"Devil or Angel"
(1960) 		"Since I Met You Baby"
(1960)

"Devil or Angel" is a song written by Blanche Carter and originally recorded by the Clovers in 1955, where it went to number four on the US R&B Best Sellers chart.2 It was re-recorded by John Bailey after he left the Clovers and formed another Clovers group for Lana Records in 1965.

Later versions

  • The song was recorded by Bobby Vee, with veteran session drummer Earl Palmer among the studio musicians, and reached number 6 in the US charts in 1960, and number 2 in Canada.3 It was Vee's first Top 10 hit.45 This version was also a crossover hit on the R&B chart.
  • It was later recorded by both Johnny Crawford and Jesse Winchester. Neither of those versions charted on the Billboard Hot 100 singles chart.6
  • The Hollywood Flames released a version of the song as a single in 1960.7
  • Tony Scotti recorded the song in 1969. The single peaked at #117 on Billboard's "Bubbling Under" chart.8
  • Ezra Furman recorded a cover of the song featured in Netflix's Sex Education.9
  • Billy Fury recorded a version of the song, produced by Stuart Coleman which reached number 58 in the UK charts in 1982.
References

References

  1. "secondhandsongs.com". secondhandsongs.com. Retrieved December 9, 2020.
  2. Whitburn, Joel (2004). Top R&B/Hip-Hop Singles: 1942-2004. Record Research. p. 124.
  3. "CHUM Hit Parade - October 10, 1960".
  4. Scherman, Tony, Backbeat: The Earl Palmer Story, foreword by Wynton Marsalis, Smithsonian Institution Press, Washington D.C., 1999 p. 175
  5. Whitburn, Joel The Billboard Book of Top 40 Hits, Billboard Books, New York, 1992
  6. "BMI Repertoire Search". Retrieved 2012-07-25.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: deprecated archival service (link)
  7. The Hollywood Flames, "Devil or Angel" single release Retrieved February 4, 2016.
  8. Whitburn, Joel. Joel Whitburn's Top Pop Singles 12th Edition, Record Research Inc, Menomonee Falls WI, 2009
  9. Spencer, Samuel (2020-01-17). "All the songs from the new season of "Sex Education"". Newsweek. Retrieved 2020-01-17.