Recording and release In mid-2001, producers Patrik Majer, Ulf Leo Sommer, and
Rosenstolz member
Peter Plate consulted on a contemporary version of the track, recorded by German girl band
No Angels. "We were speechless and very happy about [the decision]. The animated movie was a world premiere and something really big for us. We immediately said 'yes',"
Lucy Diakovska said in an interview. However, in a 2005 interview,
Vanessa Petruo revealed her discontent with the song, calling it the "most unnecessary" of all
cover versions the band had released between the years of 2001 and 2003. "There Must Be an Angel" premiered on 9 July 2001, on the
RTL Berlin radio network, receiving a positive reception from music critics, and on 17 July 2001 a preview was available
on-demand in its entirety on the band's official website. Finally released as the band's third single on 12 August 2001 in
German-speaking Europe, the original
CD single spawned both an unplugged and an orchestral version, latter featuring music by the
Deutsches Filmorchester Babelsberg.
Commercial performance The group's first non-album release following "
Daylight in Your Eyes" and "
Rivers of Joy", the single debuted at number one on the
German Singles Chart, staying at the top for five consecutive weeks, 12 weeks in the top 40, and 17 weeks inside the top 60. Inspired by
Tony Scott's 1986 film
Top Gun, the clip features the quintet as
fighter pilots of the fictional US military
squadron 68 at an also-fictional
airbase in Angelville, United States. Additionally, it incorporates a 1940s
World War II theme, heavily inspired by performances of
Marilyn Monroe,
The Andrews Sisters and others during their
USO shows. Among the aircraft shown in the video are
MiG-21s, a
B-57 Canberra, an
F-104 Starfighter and a
Dassault Mystère. "There Must Be an Angel" world premiered in early August 2001 on television but was temporarily banned from music networks due to its military theme, following the 11 September 2001 attacks.
Track listings Credits and personnel Credits are adapted from the liner notes of the Special Winter Edition of ''Elle'ments''. • Vocals:
N. Benaissa,
L. Diakovska,
S. Mölling,
V. Petruo,
J. Wahls • Writers: Patrik Majer,
Peter Plate, Ulf Leo Sommer • Mixing and recording: Patrik "El Pattino" Majer • Mastering: Michael Schwabe • Keyboards and programming: P. Majer • Additional keyboards: Peter Plate • Guitars: Peter Weihe • Strings: The Hamburg Strings
Charts Weekly charts Year-end charts Certifications ==References==