Magic Christian Music

Magic Christian Music
Studio album by Badfinger
Released 9 January 1970 (1970-01-09) (UK)
16 February 1970 (US)
Recorded 1968 and 1969 at Abbey Road Studios, Trident Studios, IBC Studios and Olympic Studios, London
Genre Psychedelic pop, power pop, baroque pop[1]
Length 41:58
Label Apple
SAPCOR 12 (UK), ST-3364 (U.S.)
Producer Paul McCartney, Mal Evans, Tony Visconti
Badfinger chronology
Maybe Tomorrow
(1969)
(as The Iveys)Maybe Tomorrow1969		 Magic Christian Music
(1970)		 No Dice
(1970)No Dice1970
Singles from Magic Christian Music
  1. "Come and Get It"
    Released: 5 December 1969 (UK)
    12 January 1970 (US)
Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic[2]
Encyclopedia of Popular Music[3]
Mojo[4]
MusicHound2/5[5]

Magic Christian Music is the debut album by the British rock band Badfinger, released in early 1970 on Apple Records. Three tracks from the LP are featured in the film The Magic Christian, which also gives the album its title. However, Magic Christian Music is not an official soundtrack album for the film.

History

The film soundtrack for The Magic Christian featured three new songs by Badfinger that had been commissioned for the film, including their US/UK top-10 hit "Come and Get It"', which opened the film, and "Carry on Till Tomorrow", the title theme. The soundtrack album, which also included incidental music by Ken Thorne, had originally been scheduled for release on Apple Records, but the addition of the Thunderclap Newman song "Something in the Air" to the movie prevented that. Instead, the soundtrack album was released on the little-known label Commonwealth United Records label in the US and on Pye in the UK. As a result, it received little promotion in the US and remained mostly unknown to American record buyers.

To capitalize on this gap, Apple Records released its own "pseudo-soundtrack". Apple combined the film's three Badfinger songs with four unreleased songs and seven older tracks (released by the group when they were still known as the Iveys) on the album Maybe Tomorrow, which had been quickly pulled off the market in 1969. The previously released Iveys songs were specially re-mixed for this album, significantly improving their sound quality in the process. One of them, "Fisherman", was also edited for this release.

The three Badfinger tracks used in the film -- "Come and Get It", "Rock of All Ages" and "Carry on Till Tomorrow" -- bear the strongest "Beatle connection". They were produced by Paul McCartney (the first was also composed by McCartney), and the strings on "Carry on Till Tomorrow" were arranged and conducted by Beatles producer George Martin. The other tracks on the album were produced by Tony Visconti (six songs, including both Iveys singles and the last recording made, "Crimson Ship") and Mal Evans (five songs).

Badfinger's line-up on these tracks includes bassist/vocalist Ron Griffiths. Griffiths departed The Iveys at the end of the McCartney sessions in late 1969, prior to the name change from The Iveys to Badfinger, which led to his exclusion from the credits and pictures on the album (although Griffiths does appear on the picture sleeve for "Come and Get It"). Guitarist Joey Molland was eventually added as Griffiths' replacement, causing Tom Evans to move from guitar to bass, but Molland's addition came after the album art had been prepared, so only Pete Ham, Tom Evans and Mike Gibbins are pictured on the cover.

The album peaked at number 55 on the US charts.

Track listing

The following track listing is from the original UK issue of the album, and is also replicated on CD reissues. The original American LP had a rearranged order and two tracks missing ("Angelique" and "Give It a Try").

Side one
No.TitleWriter(s)Producer(s)Length
1."Come and Get It"Paul McCartneyPaul McCartney2:21
2."Crimson Ship"Pete Ham, Tom EvansTony Visconti3:42
3."Dear Angie" (†)Ron GriffithsTony Visconti2:39
4."Fisherman" (†)Tom EvansMal Evans2:24
5."Midnight Sun"Pete HamMal Evans2:46
6."Beautiful and Blue" (†)Tom EvansMal Evans2:40
7."Rock of All Ages"Pete Ham, Tom Evans, Mike GibbinsPaul McCartney3:16
Side two
No.TitleWriter(s)Producer(s)Length
8."Carry on Till Tomorrow"Pete Ham, Tom EvansPaul McCartney4:47
9."I'm in Love" (†)Pete HamTony Visconti2:26
10."Walk Out in the Rain"Pete HamMal Evans3:27
11."Angelique" (†)Tom EvansTony Visconti2:28
12."Knocking Down Our Home" (†)Pete HamMal Evans3:40
13."Give It a Try"Pete Ham, Tom Evans, Mike Gibbins, Ron GriffithsTony Visconti2:31
14."Maybe Tomorrow" (†)Tom EvansTony Visconti2:51
1991 CD bonus tracks
No.TitleWriter(s)Producer(s)Length
15."Storm in a Teacup"Tom EvansMal Evans2:31
16."Arthur"The IveysMal Evans3:20
2010 CD bonus tracks
No.TitleWriter(s)Producer(s)Length
15."And Her Daddy's a Millionaire [Alternate Version]"Pete Ham, Tom EvansTony Visconti2:24
16."Mrs. Jones [Remix]"Pete HamMal Evans2:19
17."Sali Bloo [Mono Mix]" (†)Pete HamTony Visconti2:45
18."See-Saw Granpa [Mono Mix]" (†)Pete HamMal Evans3:32
19."I've Been Waiting [Unedited Remix]" (†)Pete HamTony Visconti5:55
Digital bonus tracks (2010 remaster)
  1. "Dear Angie" [Mono Mix] – 2:35
  2. "Think About the Good Times" [Mono Mix] – 2:22
  3. "No Escaping Your Love" [Mono mix] – 2:01
  4. "Arthur" [Remix] – 3:15
  5. "Storm in a Teacup" [Mono Mix] – 2:30
  6. "Yesterday Ain't Coming Back" [Mono Mix] – 2:55

Personnel

Additional contributors

References

  1. ↑ http://www.allmusic.com/album/magic-christian-music-mw0000268076
  2. ↑ http://www.allmusic.com/album/r1163
  3. ↑ Larkin, Colin (2006). The Encyclopedia of Popular Music (4th edn), Volume 1. New York, NY: Oxford University Press. p. 358. ISBN 0-19-531373-9.
  4. ↑ Harris, John (November 2010). "Strange Fruit: Various, Original Apple albums, 1969–73". Mojo. p. 116.
  5. ↑ Graff, Gary; Durchholz, Daniel (eds) (1999). MusicHound Rock: The Essential Album Guide. Farmington Hills, MI: Visible Ink Press. p. 65. ISBN 1-57859-061-2.
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