Before they were the classic rock band known as the Rascals, they were the Young Rascals…and before the pioneering group had their first #1 song with “Good Lovin'” in 1966, they made their debut on the charts with the 1965 single, “I Ain’t Gonna Eat My Heart Out Anymore,” a garage rock classic that ended up being a glam rock band’s biggest hit over a decade later.
Written by Lori Burton and Pam Sawyer, “I Ain’t Gonna Eat My Heart Out Anymore” was originally intended for a British Invasion-type band, as Burton told the Record Plant Diaries Oral History Project.
“Pam and I agreed to meet with the Rascals and I played ‘I Ain’t Gonna Eat My Heart Out’ on the piano,” Burton recalled. “They loved it and they loved ‘Baby Let’s Wait’ too, so we went to A&R Studios and I got Roy [Cicala, Burton’s then-husband and production partner] to record them. The Rascals came into A&R after hours and, before you know it, they were laying down tracks for ‘Good Lovin’’ and ‘How Can I Be Sure.’ Roy recorded everything on that first album.”
“I Ain’t Gonna Eat My Heart Out Anymore,” was just a modest success for the Young Rascals, peaking at #52 on the Billboard Hot 100, but it established the band as a force to contend with.
Over a decade later, the song returned to the Hot 100 as glam rock band Angel’s only top 50 hit. Their cover of the tune, released on the 1978 album White Hot, went to #44 on the chart.
Originally discovered by Gene Simmons of Kiss, Angel wasn’t a tremendously successful band from a commercial standpoint, but they amassed a highly loyal following that’s still with them today. Though Angel did break up for decades, they reunited in 2018 and have been active ever since.
Reflecting on Angel’s longevity, founding member Punky Meadows told Guitar World in 2023, “it’s because we love what we’re doing.”
“A lot of times, you see bands come back, and they’re shadows of themselves,” he continued. “Many older bands go through the motions, but that’s not the case with Angel. When we hit the stage, we mean it. We don’t rely on what we’ve done; we focus on improving. It’s not always easy; being on the road is hard; eating and sleeping aren’t always good. But once you hit the stage and the fans are there, you give it your all.”
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