The Magic Lanterns

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The Magic Lanterns
Origin Warrington, Lancashire, England
Genre(s) Pop/Rock
Years active 1962 – 1971
Label(s) CBS, Atlantic, Big Tree, Charisma
Former members
Jimmy Bilsbury/Pilsbury
Peter Shoesmith
Ian Moncur
Allan Wilson
Alistair/Les Beveridge
Peter Garner
Mike "Oz" Osborne
Harry Paul Ward
Kevin Godley
Lol Creme
Steve Rowland
Albert Hammond
Christopher Wren
Mitch Mitchinson

The Magic Lanterns were an English pop rock group formed in Warrington, Lancashire. They formed in 1962 as The Sabres, playing locally in Manchester and changing their name a few years later. They signed to CBS Records after releasing the single, "Excuse Me Baby", which charted briefly in the UK in 1966, and a few singles later they put out a full LP, Lit Up. In 1968 they switched to Atlantic Records and released their first U.S. hit, "Shame, Shame", which hit #29 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. The single "Give Me Love" followed, as did a Stateside full-length album. Changing record labels again in 1970 to Big Tree Records, a second album followed, but it would be their last.

They had two more minor hits in the U.S., "One Night Stand" (#74, 1971) and "Country Woman" (#88, 1972), but in 1971, lead singer-songwriter Jimmy Bilsbury quit the group, later joining the Les Humphries Singers. Most of the other members left soon after Bilsbury's departure for careers in other fields. Songwriter Albert Hammond, however, went on to further renown, and bassist "Oz" Osborne would spend several decades fighting the mistaken impression that Ozzy Osbourne had actually played in his early career with the Lanterns.

[edit] Members

Early members
Later members

[edit] Discography

[edit] References