This 45 rpm single was released in 1967 by Merrilee and the Turnabouts on Merrilin Records. The A side, Lovers Never Say Goodbye was written by Johnson and Wilson. The B side Tell Me The Truth was written by Rush and Gerber. The arrangements were by Neil Rush.
Merrilee Rush was born in Seattle, Washington and grew up in Seattle's North End. She studied classical piano from a very young age. But in 1960 she auditioned became the singer for the Amazing Aztecs, a Seattle-area rock & roll band led by saxophone player Neil Rush whom she would later marry. These two made excellent music together. It wasn't long and the formed a group called Merrilee and Her Men doing mostly cover versions of current hits. Then they joined a rhythm and blues group known as Tiny Tony and the Statics. The Statics original hit, Hey Mrs. Jones featured Rush's keyboard playing and vocals. That record was on the Bolo label.
In 1965 the pair formed Merrilee Rush and the Turnabouts. The Turnabouts became a very successful group in the Pacific Northwest's tee dance hall circuit. They played all the popular teen dance spots throughout the Northwest playing gigs for some of legendary dance promoters in the Northwest back then, people like Pat Mason, Harry Arnold, Ben Tracy, Dale Hansen, Mike Zalk and playing dances run by radio stations in the Northwest. They were an excellent band could pack the crowds and leave the teen fans wanting them back as soon as they finished an engagement.
A member of the group's road crew also worked for Paul Revere and the Raiders, and with their help Rush was invided to be the opening act on the Raiders' tour of the southern United States in 1967.
It was on this tour while in Memphis, Tennessee, the Raiders lead vocalist Mark Lindsay introduced Rush to record producer Chips Moman.
Rush's version and big hit of Angel of the Morning was recorded at Moman's American Studio in Memphis in early 1968, and was actually produced by Moman and Tommy Cogbill. That song was released on Bell Records and reached number 7 on Billboards Hot 100 Chart in 1968. That song became a major hit in other parts of the World as well. She received a Gold Record in 1970 when RIAA certified it Gold.
Here is an interesting fact, Angel Of The Morning was credited to the Turnabouts but the musicians used for that single and album were the same musicians who played on Elvis Presley's famous Memphis Recordings.
This 45 is in very good condition VG+.