Angel's 50th anniversary: The cult rock band's debut album gets a grand reissue

It’s been half a century since Angel—rock’s most theatrical underdogs—descended onto the scene with their self-titled debut album, blending glam, progressive rock, and unearthly mystique in a way that still fascinates fans and collectors today.

While they never soared to the commercial heights of their Casablanca labelmates KISS, Angel carved out their own cult legacy through dazzling live shows, wild stage personas, and a sound that felt like a fantasy novel set to a power chord.

Fifty years after Angel’s debut album dropped in 1975, the band’s legacy is being rediscovered by a new generation of rock fans—and celebrated by diehards who’ve always believed the group deserved their due.

To mark the milestone, Deko Entertainment has reissued the iconic record, giving listeners a chance to relive the groundbreaking sound that helped define Angel’s enduring influence on the genre.

"Releasing our debut album again in 2025 feels like giving the music a second chance to breathe," says Angel frontman Frank DiMino. "It's incredible to see how it still resonates with fans, both old and new. We poured our hearts into that record, and it’s amazing to know that it's still reaching people today."

CREATION OF ANGEL

In the mid-1970s, the music scene around Georgetown University in Washington D.C. was buzzing with creativity. Clubs were packed with talented musicians and devoted fans, and one of the bands starting to turn heads was a new project called Angel. Comprised of seasoned players from the local scene, Angel was formed by a group of friends who had played in each other's bands over the years.

Together, vocalist Frank DiMino, guitarist Edwin "Punky" Meadows, keyboardist Gregg Giuffria, drummer Barry Brandt, and original bassist Mickey Jones, crafted a sound that was melodic, theatrical, and powerful—something that would soon catch the attention of some of rock’s biggest names.

We were playing at this club called Bogeys," said DiMino during a recent interview with Sinclair Broadcast Group. "At the time, Georgetown was filled with great musicians and clubs. We knew the club owner, and he let us rehearse and write songs upstairs before we were ready to perform. Once we hit the stage, the response was immediate.

Among the band’s early supporters was Gordon Fletcher, a respected music journalist who wrote for Circus and Rolling Stone. Fletcher was a regular at Angel’s shows and became a passionate advocate. “We used to sit and talk with Gordon after every show,” DiMino says. “He loved the band and told us he wanted to bring people down to see us—people who could really make things happen.”

One night, Fletcher made good on that promise in a big way. After a show at the Largo, he brought down the members of KISS to see Angel’s late set. "They caught our last set that night," says DiMino, "and afterward, we hung out and talked. Gene Simmons was really into what we were doing and told us he wanted us to join Aucoin Management."

But there was a wrinkle. At that point, Angel had already signed with another management team—David Joseph of the Toby Organization. “It wasn’t so much about who was better,” DiMino explains. “We were already committed. But Gene stayed involved in his own way.”

That connection would prove important. Angel continued to write and rehearse under the guidance of Joseph and the Toby Organization, eventually finishing a full album with producers Big Jim Sullivan and Derek Lawrence. Though initial talks with Capitol Records stalled, a new path opened thanks to Simmons’ enthusiasm for the band.

After things cooled off with Capitol, our manager said, ‘Let’s try Neil one more time,’" DiMino recalls, referring to Casablanca Records founder Neil Bogart. "Gene had already talked to Neil about us, and even though Neil had never seen us live—unlike all the other labels—he decided to match the Capitol offer and sign us.

And just like that, Angel was officially on the Casablanca roster—home to KISS, Donna Summer, and other genre-defining acts of the era.

Looking back, DiMino acknowledges that the band's success was the result of the right mix of talent, timing, and a little help from some true believers.

Gene Simmons didn’t have to do that,” he says. “But he saw something in us, and he spoke up. That made a huge difference.

Angel stood out immediately—not just because of their music, but because of their image. Dressed in all white with flowing hair and a celestial aesthetic, they were the yin to KISS’s demonic yang. While KISS breathed fire and wore black leather, Angel lit up stages with a heavenly glow, dry ice, and stage illusions that made them disappear and reappear like rock ‘n’ roll sorcerers.

THE DEBUT ALBUM: A CULT CLASSIC

Released in October 1975, Angel was a bold statement. It didn’t sound like anything else on the radio at the time—its blend of progressive rock flourishes, Giuffria’s classically inspired synth runs, and DiMino’s soaring vocals created a sound that was both ethereal and theatrical. Tracks like “Tower,” “Long Time,” and “On and On” showcased the band’s knack for combining melody with drama.

When we first started writing for the band, the 'Tower' was the very first song Punky, Gregg, and I wrote together,” says DiMino, reflecting on Angel’s self-titled debut album. “That really set the tone for where we were headed musically. Once we moved to L.A., our manager David Joseph put us into daily rehearsals, and from there, the writing just kept going.

The sessions in Los Angeles were intense but focused. Many of the songs that would end up on the album had already been performed live during the band’s early days in D.C., giving them a strong foundation to build on.

“We weren’t starting from scratch,” DiMino explains. “We were refining material we’d already played live, rearranging it, tightening it up—and writing new songs at the same time. Rehearsal was our full-time job, Monday through Friday. Back then, we took the weekends off, which was funny because we were used to playing five or six nights a week before that.”

Thanks to this disciplined approach, the band was more than prepared when it came time to record.

“By the time we got into the studio, the rhythm tracks went down fast—within a week, they were done. We knew exactly what we wanted to do because we had spent so much time dialing everything in during rehearsals. After that, it was just a matter of layering overdubs.”

THE TOWER

One standout track from those sessions was the "Tower," which quickly emerged as the band’s signature song—an epic, theatrical track that showcased their ambition, musicianship, and unique identity in the hard rock scene.

Clocking in at over nearly seven minutes, the song stood out for its sweeping structure, dramatic vocals, and classically influenced keyboard arrangements, which were groundbreaking at a time when most rock singles were built for quick radio play. “Tower” defied those norms, combining the grandeur of progressive rock with the flash and precision of glam and metal, setting Angel apart from their peers.

It not only captured the band’s cinematic style but also became a fan favorite and a centerpiece of their live shows, solidifying its place as a defining moment in their career and an early benchmark for the genre-bending sound that would become their trademark.

What was interesting about the 'Tower' is how quickly it came together,” says DiMino. “Some songs take time to develop and find their footing, but that one just fell into place early on. I started throwing out words and ideas pretty quickly, though the lyrics really took shape once we got downstairs into the club and began performing it. We had this little rehearsal space upstairs where we worked everything out, and once we were ready, we started doing two shows a night—and we opened every single one with The Tower. After we recorded the album and hit the road, that tradition continued. In fact, with the original band, The 'Tower' opened every show. Now, with the current lineup, we close with it. It’s a full-circle kind of thing. That song was a real breakthrough for us. It gave us confidence—like, ‘Yeah, we’re onto something here.’ It set the tone for who we were and encouraged us to keep pushing forward creatively.

Although “Tower” quickly became Angel’s defining anthem, it wasn’t the first track to break through the airwaves. To Frank DiMino’s surprise, it was “Long Time”—a sweeping, six-minute prog-rock journey drenched in drama and melody—that marked the band’s radio debut. It happened during a golden age of FM, when DJs still had the freedom to spin deep cuts they believed in, not just what the labels pushed.

“When you think about it, that’s kind of surprising because 'Long Time' is a long, progressive track, not exactly the kind of song you'd expect a radio station to pick up. But FM radio was a whole different world back then. It was more adventurous, more open to playing music that didn’t fit the typical format. Hearing that song come through the speakers for the first time was an unforgettable moment for all of us.”

What set Angel apart from the pack was their bold fusion of guitars and keyboards—an approach DiMino says few bands dared to try at the time. This dynamic blend of soaring solos and lush harmonies became the foundation of their signature sound, instantly distinguishing them from the crowd.

We were really aware from the start that we wanted to merge the keyboards and guitars in a way that wasn’t being done by most bands at the time,” says DiMino. “While many groups leaned heavily on either one or the other, we made a point to blend those two elements. There was a lot of back-and-forth between the guitar and keyboard parts—harmonies, solos, all working together to create something unique. We were always conscious of that balance, pushing ourselves to do something different with it.

A CONCERT EXPERIENCE LIKE NO OTHER

In the 1970s, Angel wasn’t just aiming to put on a concert—they set out to create a fully immersive, larger-than-life experience that would transport audiences into a world of fantasy and spectacle, blending rock music with elements of theater and magic that few bands dared to attempt at the time. The band’s over-the-top stage show involved each member of the band magically materializing on stage at the beginning of the show and seemingly disappearing into thin air at the end of it - not to mention the use of a talking hologram.

Dressed entirely in white and bathed in ethereal lighting, Angel created a stark contrast to the dark, gritty visuals of many of their contemporaries.

But DiMino, even to this day, has difficulty to this day trying to describe an Angel concert from back in the day. It is like trying to capture the essence of a masterpiece—impossible to fully convey in words and something you had to see to truly understand.

It's hard to explain without seeing it, but we were very conscious of blending a show with the music," says Frank DiMino. "We knew we didn’t want to just be another band in jeans or black outfits like everyone else. We wanted to build an experience, starting with our costumes. Then, we got into creating illusions, something no one was doing at the time. We worked with magicians to figure out how to pull it off. From there, we expanded the idea into our stage presence, including a talking logo. It was a huge logistical challenge, with lights, props, and people in black jumpsuits making it all happen seamlessly night after night. It became this intricate, mystical show that we were able to perform across every venue, and it was something truly unique for that era.

What truly set Angel apart was their commitment to blending their fantasy aesthetic with musicianship. The illusions never overshadowed the music; they amplified it. Songs like “Tower” and “On and On” took on new dimensions when performed live, surrounded by swirling lights and dramatic staging. The band saw every concert as a chance to transport the audience—to create an escape.

In an era before MTV and digital effects, Angel pioneered a rock experience that was ahead of its time, setting the blueprint for the arena-sized performances that would dominate the following decade.

In an age where you can find just about every band’s heyday immortalized on YouTube, the absence of classic Angel concert footage is a mystery fans can't stop asking about—and DiMino hears it all the time.

People always say to me, ‘Man, I wish there was more Angel footage on YouTube,’ and I get it—we hear that all the time,” DiMino says with a laugh. “The truth is, there just isn’t much out there. There was one shoot, I think it was Castle Filmworks or something like that, but whatever footage they captured has never surfaced. Nobody seems to know where it went. We’ve looked, fans have looked—for years. At this point, if it’s still around, it’s probably sitting in some warehouse collecting dust... or it’s already turned to dust.

Audio of the opening of their concert in 1978 in Fresno, Calif. by a fan is the only representation of Angel's live concert experience.

Angel’s legendary stage performances—full of smoke, illusions, and rock 'n' roll sorcery—were never properly captured, leaving only memories and myths in their wake.

ANGEL DISBANDS AHEAD OF MTV'S INFLUENCE

As the 50th anniversary of Angel's debut album is in full swing, DiMino says the band looks back on their journey with both nostalgia and pride, as those early days were filled with raw energy.

When the five of us played together for the first time, there was an undeniable sense of something special," he said. "It felt different than anything we’d done before.

That chemistry and drive led to their self-titled debut album, which would eventually become a milestone in the arena rock era, setting the tone for the band’s future and legacy.

But the road to success wasn't without its bumps. Despite their early momentum and after releasing five studio albums and a live album in six years, the band's eventual disbandment in the early '80s came as a result of a series of business hurdles.

The collapse of their label Casablanca and the transition to Boardwalk Records, along with mounting financial struggles with Polygram, played a significant role in their break-up. DiMino describes how the business pressures and creative struggles took their toll:

“There were so many obstacles, and the business side of things started to cloud our minds. People were going in different directions, and it was just the product of the band fulfilling its prophecy.”

Had Angel emerged during the MTV era of the 1980s, there's little doubt they would have found a much broader, more immediate audience. The band’s theatrical flair—infused with towering stage setups, dramatic illusions, and larger-than-life performances—was the stuff of music videos before anyone had thought to make music videos. Imagine Angel's bombastic visuals paired with their lush harmonies and hard-hitting glam rock sound. It’s not hard to see how their cinematic, almost surreal performances would have been tailor-made for the emerging visual culture of 80s rock.

DiMino totally agrees that MTV would have been the perfect vehicle for Angel's theatrics.

As much as we were a band focused on our sound, we were also very mindful of the visual experience we created," he said. "We made sure that our illusions and theatrical elements came between songs, never interfering with the music itself. We were conscious of the balance, but at the same time, we were a band that lived and breathed the visual. We had that cinematic quality to our performances. MTV would have been the perfect platform for us—it's exactly the kind of tool we needed to really shine.

Meadows doesn’t mince words when it comes to Angel’s brush with fame—or how the timing just wasn’t on their side. Looking back, he’s convinced that if the band had hit their stride just a few years later, during the dawn of MTV, things might’ve played out very differently.

I believe had Angel come out when MTV was around, things might have turned out a lot better for us," said Meadows during a 2017 interview with Sinclair Broadcast Group. "We were a very visual band. We had a hard time getting played on the radio, so we toured every little town we could. But with MTV, bands didn't have to do that. They could put out a video and people across the country could hear you. You could watch and listen to your favorite band 7 days a week. That medium would have really helped Angel and probably would have launch us even higher. I think we would've been really big.

Despite these challenges, the band has always remained proud of what they achieved, especially with their debut album.

"We were young, but we knew exactly what we wanted," DiMino reflects. "Derek and Big Jim were really open to our ideas, and that gave us the freedom to create. When we look back at that album, we feel good about how it came together. We were so well-rehearsed that we knew exactly what we wanted to do when we hit the studio.”

As they approach the 50th anniversary of their debut, Angel's legacy is being celebrated by both old and new fans alike. The album's influence on the arena rock scene remains undeniable, and its unique blend of theatricality, harmonies, and hard rock continues to resonate.

More than four decades after first stepping into the spotlight, DiMino and Meadows are still chasing the magic, hitting the road with renewed fire. After reuniting in 2018 and officially reviving the Angel name the following year, the duo has been keeping the band’s legacy alive—delivering bombastic live shows that channel the glam, grit, and grandeur that made them cult icons in the first place.

For DiMino, looking back on Angel’s wild ride is a mix of nostalgia and hard-earned pride. Sure, the band never hit the stratosphere like some of their peers, but what they did create was something singular—a sound, a vision, a legacy that refuses to fade.

We put everything into that first album, and it was a great start for what we hoped would be a long career. Even though things didn’t last forever, I think we left a lasting mark on rock history.

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