Anyone who was around in the 1970’s remembers the song “Undercover Angel” by Alan O’Day, which reached # 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 for one week on July 9, 1977. The song was both written and performed by O’Day, who achieved a major feat when the song hit number one that few singer-songwriters have accomplished. He wrote a number one hit that someone else took to the top of the charts, as well as wrote and sang his own number one hit. O’Day wrote “Angie Baby” by Helen Reddy, which was the final number one hit of 1974, topping the Billboard Hot 100 for one week on December 28, 1974.

“Undercover Angel” entered the Top 40 on May 5, 1977 and stayed there for 17 weeks, while “Angie Baby” entered the Top 40 section of the Billboard Hot 100 on November 2, 1974 and stayed there for 13 weeks.

O’Day wrote songs for many major artists. He wrote “The Drum”, a hit for Bobby Sherman in 1971, as well as co-wrote “Rock and Roll Heaven”, a # 3 hit for The Righteous Brothers in 1974.

Actually, Alan O’Day first offered “Angie Baby” to Cher, immediately after her scoring a Top 40 hit with his song “Train of Thought”. However, Cher turned the song down. It was not the first time that Cher turned down a song that would go on to become a number one hit. She had passed on the song “The Night the Lights Went Out in Georgia”, which the previous year in 1973 had been a chart-topper for Vicki Lawrence.

“Undercover Angel” was O’Day’s only entry in the Top 40 as an artist. The song features Jeff Porcaro on drums, one year before he co-founded the band Toto. It was one of three number one hits on Jeff Porcaro played drums in the pre-Toto days as a much sought-after session drummer. The first was “Theme from S.W.A.T.” by Rhythm Heritage, which hit number one for one week on February 28, 1976; Porcaro was all of 21 years old at the time. The second was “Welcome Back” by John Sebastian, that topped the charts for one week on May 8, 1976. The third was “Undercover Angel”. Of course, Jeff Porcaro would go onto play drums on countless other number one hits in the 1980’s, not only for his band Toto, but also for artists like Michael Jackson, Lionel Richie, Elton John, Christopher Cross, and many more. He was the most accomplished American studio drummer.

 

This is O’Day’s 2013 obituary in the Los Angeles Times.

“Undercover Angel” is one of the classic 1970’s songs that is not a song that receives much airplay on oldies stations, but is fondly remembered by people from the 70’s generation.

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