Badfinger - Magic Christian Music, 55 Years Later

A band full of interrupted brilliance, feeling the winds change.

art by David King

Pete Ham: vocals, guitar, piano

Tom Evans: vocals, guitar, bass on “Crimson Ship,” “Midnight Sun,” and “Rock Of All Ages”

Ron Griffiths: bass, lead vocals on “Dear Angie” and “Give It A Try”

Mike Gibbins: drums, backing vocals

guest: Paul McCartney; piano on “Rock Of All Ages”

string arrangements by George Martin

produced by Mal Evans, Tony Visconti, and Paul McCartney

engineered by Geoff Emerick and Phil McDonald

In order to properly evaluate Badfinger, you have to get out from under their shadow. Unfortunately, said shadow is very long.

In late 1968, the Iveys (just one of a truly comical number of name changes) became the first band signed to Apple Records. It was all thanks to their shark-like weirdo manager Bill Collins, and the pure love of producers Mal Evans and Tony Visconti. Bill saw their potential first. He moved the Iveys into a house in London together, got them to play piano, and had Ray Davies record their demos. Bill even built a studio for them in their house! Though the environment proved suffocating, it was a creative goldmine. Each individual writer found his voice. Ron Griffiths wrote soul, Mike Gibbins wrote rock-and-roll. Pete Ham could do anything. With his songwriting partner Tom Evans, they were unstoppable.

Bill knew he had something very special on his hands. According to the only published narrative of Badfinger’s history, Dan Matovina’s Without You: The Tragic Story of Badfinger, Bill was obsessed with the Iveys being the next Beatles (a title oft thrown around by music press in the decade to follow) and him the next Brian Epstein (...thrown around much less.) Bill sent a whopping five Iveys demo tapes to Apple: reel #4 won over Derek Taylor and Paul McCartney, #5 landed them the deal. They “immediately” began working with producer Tony Visconti, who quickly boarded the Iveys train:

“I thought they were amazing. Even in my living room, I could hear the vocal inflections and the sonority, the timbre of their voices was incredible; I was almost frightened by it.”

quoted from: Dan Matovina, Without You: The Tragic Story of Badfinger (1997)

Tony worked with the Iveys through sessions for their first LP, Maybe Tomorrow. But thanks to Allen Klein taking over Apple mere weeks before its release, the album never saw the light of day in the UK or US. You know. The Iveys’ two main markets! After the Klein takeover, it was an uphill battle for any Apple acts to make it. Mary Hopkin, James Taylor, Jackie Lomax, and The Iveys had all underperformed. No one knew how to promote these acts besides, in the words of George Harrison, “Beatles this, Beatles that, Beatle Beatle Bealte!” As for the Beatles themselves? They were so wrapped up in their own endeavors they couldn’t be arsed to approve any would-be Iveys singles for release. That is, until Ron and Tom took matters into their own hands sounded the alarm to Disc and Music Echo. Paul wisened up, let them in on the soundtrack of Ringo’s new film, Neil Aspinall renamed the band, and the rest is...not much more than a footnote in Beatles’ history.

pictured: "Iveys Find It Hard to Please Beatles” Disc & Music Echo, 7/5/1969 (courtesy of World Radio History Archive)

Bill Collins had a point. The Beatle Thing was always there, and it could not be ignored. About Maybe Tomorrow (the song, not the album,) Chris Welch for Melody Maker said, “Lead singer sounds a bit like John Lennon...until they go into the harmony passage. A sad and lonely sound, well performed with tasteful accompaniment.” And so began The Beatle Thing. Time and time again, critics hailed (or derailed) the newly-christened Badfinger as the “next Beatles.” Many acts (The Monkees, T. Rex, Klaatu, ELO, even...The Knack?) were hailed as “the next Beatles” at one point or another in their careers. Hell, I’ve even seen that title ascribed to Radiohead. But for some reason, no matter how indisputably Pete and Tom proved their pop power, The Beatle Thing stuck with Badfinger. It proved to be their undoing. The perceived gimmick wore off. After three consecutive top ten hits and a slew of managerial, financial, and legal issues to follow, death broke Badfinger apart. Stan Polley, when I see you in hell...

I’ll admit, it was really hard for me to unravel the Magic Christian Music from Badfinger’s messy history; a matter made more complicated by half this album being another album. I did listen to Maybe Tomorrow as part of my research (it’s only available on Dailymotion.) Of the songs that remained exclusive to Maybe Tomorrow, “And Her Daddy’s A Millionaire” deserved a place on the Magic Christian Musictrack listing. Dare I say it’s an early glam rock song? It’s a little campy for T. Rex, but tell me it wouldn’t have been out of place on one of Queen or even Elton John’s efforts.

It also didn’t help that I went from one of the most abrasive, confounding albums of the 20th century (hello, Trout Mask Replica) to this! Making this left turn wasn’t comfortable or easy, but it’s part of the job description. I did my homework by listening to plenty of late ’60s British pop music – an assignment I’ll never complain about. Shoutout to the Kinks for factory resetting my brain so I could properly evaluate Badfinger!

Speaking of the Kinks. On Magic Christian Music, Badfinger presents themselves more as an answer to the dialogue started by the Kinks than the Beatles. They might not be churning out “Picture Book”s or “Starstruck”s, but they sure do check a lot of boxes:

• A fair amount of stylistic variety within the music, while still remaining cohesive.

• Bright, snappy pop writing

• A knack for melody

• Equally bright and shiny production; so of-its-time that it somehow wraps around to timeless

• Impossibly high falsetto harmonies

And, of course, plenty of character. Magic Christian Music isn’t so much Abbey Road Jr. as it is ...Village Green Preservation Society’s cousin.

Funny enough, I had almost the exact reaction to this that I did to Village Green. On the first pass, I saw the intrigue, but didn’t “get it.” Second pass, I was intrigued. Somewhere between listens three and five, I was sold. What a breath of fresh air this record was!

Magic Christian Music begins with bright piano chords, crisp drums, and playful tambourine. If you want it, here it is: the Paul McCartney-penned Come And Get It. Paul wrote and demo’d the song sometime during Abbey Road sessions. At some point, he’d been saddled with assembling the soundtrack for The Magic Christian. But seeing how hungry Badfinger were for a tune, Paul let them record “Come And Get It”...and fill out the rest of his obligations for the soundtrack!

Come on. Of course “Come And Get It” is a gem. It being a Paul tune doesn’t conceal Badfinger’s weaknesses, though. It highlights their strengths. It’s light on its feet, through and through. I don’t always love Tom’s voice, he could get quite nasally when stuff was just too high for him. “Come And Get It” is in a nice, comfortable place in his register; he glides through it. He’s limber, hitting all the inflections. The nods-and-winks on “If you want it anytime, I can give it,” and “Will you walk away from a fool and his money?” are cheeky instead of cheesy. It’s all very tongue-in-cheek: I can’t help but note this continual reference to money and sales when Badfinger had openly plead for a single before this.

There are some undeniably McCartney things about “Come And Get It;” the bass and piano duo, construction of the harmony, and usage of the word “Sonny!” You can just hear But to my ears, Badfinger don’t sound like they’re wearing Paul’s clothes. The shoulder seams are where they’re supposed to be, and the sleeves aren’t too long or too short. It’s the hidden things that pull “Come And Get It”’s weight. Listen to that lower harmony through the refrain. It takes what would be really bright chords and muddies them a bit; shooting this song down a metal slide before bursting into the infectious core verse again. At the end, it gently sets us down on a big soft cloud with four-part aahs.

The ’70s were all about the harmony vocal. Think CSN, America, the Carpenters, and the eventual Beach Boys revival. Badfinger remain underrated masters of harmony.

Another one of this group’s great strengths was the guitar. It could cut right through the smoke – permitting there were any on a Badfinger track. Pete and Tom’s respective tones have a nice, full sound at the low end; which we hear through Crimson Ship’s high-flying choruses and the growling fade-out. Through the verses in Pete’s lower register, the flourishes are clean and sharp.

Speaking of guitar: “Crimson Ship” is one of those Badfinger that actually gives credit to the “Beatles thing.” The lick at the end of the chorus sounds way too much like “You Never Give Me Your Money.” Do you hear it too?

“Crimson Ship” was a collaborative effort between Pete, Tom, and Mike. To be honest, you can tell. There are beautiful, delicate images woven into “Crimson Ship,” like blowing kisses at the moon. But then you have, “Her father lost his mother’s son.” Such a clunker. Considering Pete and Tom’s undeniable songwriting talent, I hate to point out this song being slightly overwritten. In Without You, Dan Matovina theorized “Crimson Ship” could be about Paul: “He came from nowhere in a song,” “He played the trumpet in the band.” Paul seemed to appear out of nowhere to answer Badfinger’s prayers, and his first instrument was the trumpet. The confusing second verse, with all its questions of notches in crosses on the hill and old men...washing hands?...blurs the song’s subject a bit. And rightfully so; it’s a cheesy to write a straight-up “thank you Paul” song. “Crimson Ship” is more an ode to some magical idol figure, a general muse. I find it interesting how the phrase “It might have been the way I laughed, he made the jokes” was twisted to fit the song’s cadence. This mirrors remembering side-splitting laughter you shared with friends first, then fondly remembering who cracked the joke. This song shines for that nostalgic magic, soaring organ, and Mike’s spot-on drumming. His fills are so sharp you’d be forgiven for mistaking them for handclaps! Next time you listen, note how heavy he takes it through the chorus. It’s a fun twist on the light pop-rock fare.

Next is Dear Angie, one of the strongest songs in Badfinger’s entire discography. This is the only Magic Christian Music song written and sang by original bassist Ron Griffiths. Before the Klein takeover, it was intended as Maybe Tomorrow’s second single. Then, through Magic Christian Music production, manager Bill Collins made moves to edge Ron out of the band. He was the only married member of the group by way of an “oops!” pregnancy, and his wife and child lived in the band’s shared house. Living in a 24/7 rehearsal space isn’t exactly conducive for a baby’s sleep, and Tom especially couldn’t accept this. For a band screwed over at every turn, I can’t help but think of Ron and the absolute gem that is “Dear Angie.” His single was sabotaged by Klein, his bandmates were turned against him, and when “Come And Get It” was #4 and #7 on the US and UK singles charts, he was working a factory job.

Opening “Dear Angie” right up with the harmony sets its addicting feel. Listen to how agile the guys are on their guitars; playing delightful jazzy licks. The big string section – which wasn’t actually big! Producer Tony Visconti tricked the 8-piece into doing a 2nd take which he slapped over the first one! – is so ’70s. Sweet, longing, and breezy. “Angie” feels like it’s suspended on a high wire, though Ron’s voice is lower than Pete and Tom’s. He sounds reserved; self-conscious about what he’s confessing to.

While Ron supposedly wrote this about his wife Maureen, I have no idea what Angie’s relationship is to the narrator. Clearly he’s been writing to her for a year. Clearly they know each other, she’s just left on a train. It sounds like they met at a resort, maybe they’re a fizzled-out summer fling? But that wouldn’t track, because they were once close enough for this guy to have met her parents. “It’s been a long time coming, guess I’ve been unkind,” alludes to him stringing her on. But then how would she not know he’s been in love with her this whole time? Is “Dear Angie” about a situationship? The ending supports that ambiguity: wrapping these sentimental recollections with the abrupt, confessional, “I love you, you’re my all, guess that’s all.” I can imagine this guy’s had a bottle of wine before sitting down to write this letter. The rest of the song pitters out with it: strings don’t complete their descent, vocals hang open. All in all, “Dear Angie” is of the most ’70s songs to ever ’60s.

Though I list the whole of this album's opening trifecta in my personal favorites, I can't exactly call it a three-song run. "Crimson Ship"'s bulky body just barely drags it under the waves.

Whereas “Angie” is fresh and new, the other Maybe Tomorrow cuts on Magic Christian Music don’t feel as much. Fisherman feels a little out of place. It’s very whimsical. Tom’s very precious delivery, the bum-bum, bum-bum,bum-bum-bum bassline, wood block percussion, fiddle, and flute all invoke a children’s story. It’s even got a footsteps-through-grass sound effect! You can tell this came from the late ’60s LP, where it might take place on the same river as “Sitting By The Riverside.”

While the previous cut may have felt stale, Badfinger isn’t done pulling tricks out of their hat. Midnight Sun is a straight-forward rocker about enjoying a good night out on the town after a while. While this may not be my favorite of their straight rock tunes (see this side’s closer,) “Midnight Sun” showcases the louder side of Badfinger. Though they’re known today for the sweet and sentimental (even sappy,) they could plug in and rock out. It’s a good thing the instrumental is so strong because some of these lines are baffling. It is clever, flipping the “working all the year to party all summer” thing on its head. But what on earth is that gooseberry line?? I can’t tell if it’s, “Never be a gooseberry for gooseberries should never see” or what. Nothing about that makes sense, and I don’t have lyrics or a songbook to know. Is this some obscure Welsh saying, or is this a load of fluffy crap?

() Beautiful And Blue is “Melody Fair”’s way less mean sibling. It’s about a pretty girl who’s shut herself in and lost all hope. The tragedy isn’t so much that she’s lost sight of her beauty, it’s that she doesn’t realize her loneliness could connect her with others; for “they’re all lonely too.” “Beautiful And Blue” combines all the best of Badfinger: harmony, guitar, and sweet sorrow. This was another song pulled from Maybe Tomorrow so it’s got Tony’s strings left over – the cello through the chorus is gorgeous. “Beautiful And Blue”’s arrangement is cohesive and connected ; it doesn’t feel like strings slapped over a pre-existing rock song. It’s conscious of what’s already there. Note the violins through the second chorus mimicking what the twin guitars played. There’s a lot of breadth in this song’s guitar-playing, even in just the first 10 seconds! A boisterous, shrill, loud, ’70s guitar solo gives way to twinkly, dissonant, absolutely weird chords that we won’t hear more of in rock until the 2000s. Those build to confident strums, pulling back once again into wah-wah flourishes. The Maybe Tomorrow cuts point out how green Tom still was on bass. Ron plays on these songs; adding much more flair where his replacement was straight-forward.

Badfinger coming out with an absolute banger about a fiscally irresponsible bad girlfriend, we love to see it.

Closing out the first side of the LP is the second of three The Magic Christian soundtrack cuts, Rock Of All Ages. The film did this song so dirty by only featuring 30 seconds of it in a train car rave scene. It’s totally rambunctious, it sounds like the guys had a great time recording it. I think Paul sits on the piano after the guitar solo? It sure does sound like it.

“Rock Of All Ages” is another song credited to Pete, Tommy, and Mike. But where “Crimson Ship” felt cluttered, I hear Mike coming through loud and clear. He was the three-chord rock-and-roll guy of the group, and this song would be a blast for a drummer to play. Mike favors the ride on the turnaround and it’s just so much fun to listen to! “WELL YOU’RE TAKING ALL MY MONEY AND I BET YOU THINK IT’S FUNNY BUT I DON’T! MY-MYYY” is an ultimate earworm. Not only is this girl going out every night and spending all of his money and thinking that it’s funny when it’s not, she’d spending all hers too! “You’re taking all your money and I bet you think it’s funny but I don’t” could have been a flub on Pete and Tom’s part. If it was intentional, it adds a lot of character to the song. Not only is she an irresponsible, materialistic party girl, she’s self-destructive too. After nearly a whole side of songs close to the heart – whether for nostalgia reasons or subject matter – this was the one that got me dancing through my blueberry banana muffin-baking ventures. Does the central gimmick wear out its welcome? Yeah, kinda. It’s three minutes of the same verse. I’m mad this song fades out just when the piano picks up, and it cuts off some great dueling guitars.

Unfortunately, Magic Christian Music’s greatest flaw is that it’s frontloaded. Where I found something to love in nearly every song on side one, even the silly whimsy of “Fisherman” (I’m a Donovan fan, of course I love whimsy,) it leaves little for side two. The Magic Christian’s theme song, Carry On Till Tomorrow, feels simultaneously melodramatic and bland. I’m In Love is rather inconsequential, and the melody through the verses too similar to “Good Day Sunshine”. I don't know what happened to the production but it sounds like Tom is singing in an empty fish bowl. “I’m In Love” was a weaker cut on Maybe Tomorrow, and it’s a weak cut on Magic Christian Music.

Thankfully, the album gets out of its funk with Walking Out In The Rain. It’s not as high of a high as what we’ve heard on side one, but I find merit in this song’s backing vocals. They’re haunting from the middle section on; with one of the guys wailing over top with soul-inspired ad-libs. They’re light, spacey, and form some really unusual chords. They remind me of what the Zombies did on Odeyssey and Oracle. Pete even sounds breathy like Colin Blundstone on “Time Of The Season!” The interplay between the acoustic rhythm guitar and jazzy electric lead creates a pleasing texture. With Mike’s attention to the cymbal, you can’t help but relax your shoulders and sigh. Pete finishes things off with a gorgeous falsetto and then...

The first time I heard the outtro, I sat straight up and said out loud, “No way. You’ve gotta be fucking kidding me.” OF COURSE Badfinger wrote a Stairway song!

Angelique didn’t stand out to me until my last listen-through of Magic Christian Music. It might just be me living in a tundra at the moment, but I can’t help but be wrapped up in this song’s atmosphere. It lazes in the hot summer sun with those totally Kinks “la-la-laaaa”s. It mixes baroque pop harpsichord and country chugging guitar with reckless abandon the way only the late 60s could. It’s short, sweet, and pretty. Can’t go wrong with that!

In his Rolling Stone review of Magic Christian Music, John Mendelsohn knocked Knocking Down Our Home big-time.

“The one anomalous cut, ‘Knocking Down Our House’” (one of a few blunders in this review – he erroneously says the Welsh Badfinger are from Liverpool,) “is just a knock-out. Jolting you first with an uncharacteristically overtly schlocky intro, it sah-wings along on a wonderfully awful bossa-nova rhythm and is embellished with idiotic coronets and woodwinds.”

quoted from: John Mendelsohn, "Magic Christian Music" Rolling Stone, 5/14/1970

It’s like he could sniff out the fact it was the song that sold Paul on the Iveys! Rolling Stone’s beef with Paul in the early ’70s was INSANE! But Mendelsohn failed to recognize how utterly inspired “Knocking Down Our Home” is. Is the musical theater introduction beyond cheesy? Yeah. But I can forgive it for all that comes after. It’s got granny-song brass, 1940s big band woodwinds and saxophone, bossa nova drums, samba-meets-Gershwin piano, and late ’60s Beach Boys harmonies. It’s even got a trumpet with a mute! It’s got the variety of a stack of beat-up albums in the family room. Lyrically, it’s a soft, wistful, emotional appeal to preserve the memories of childhood. “They’re knocking down our home, please help us, don’t let them take our home away.” Though Ray Davies wrote an entire album about the urban development wave sweeping rural Britain in the ’60s, ultimately coming to the conclusion that nostalgia is silly, Tom embraced the vulnerability in nostalgia with “Knocking Down Our Home.” Though his characters have long since left the crumbling walls of this community, mother cries without her kitchen and dad has no more holes to dig in the garden, 30 years of memories can’t be replaced with some swanky new seventh-floor apartment.

Give It A Try, the second and final Ron tune, has some really tight late ’70s vocals. Regrettably, that’s just not a sound I enjoy. I could see an ELO, Boston, or Journey fan really enjoying this one though.

Finally, the title track of Maybe Tomorrow. The efforts to scrub the tambourine from the original version weren’t completely successful! I still hear them come through in the left channel. This is another gorgeous string arrangement – listen to those plucks and swells! – and a stunning vocal delivery. The message of optimism is delivered with such a fierce conviction. But I feel bummed that their first single from their last album is rounding out their rebrand album. Was it necessary to connect Badfinger to the Iveys? At the time, probably. Do Badfinger have to be connected to the Iveys? Considering the all-time great songs Pete and Tom went go on to write...

...I’m not sure Badfinger had to attach themselves to their Ivey days this way. Rolling Stone had a point, “Maybe Tomorrow” is very early-Bee Gees. I enjoy early Bee Gees. But considering the other sounds Badfinger slung out with the rest of Magic Christian Music, it makes this song feel dated.

What are the other sounds in question? Oh you know, only genre-defining. Just a little rock-and-roll history-shaping.

Magic Christian Music was the starting gun of mid-1970s pop-rock...in January 1970. Not to mention the majority of this stuff was recorded the first time around in 1969! As much as they reach into the past, with songs about memories/nostalgia and the Beatles thing, they present and perfect elements that will become integral to the next decade of rock. Squeaky-clean, smooth production. Big boisterous drums. Crisp guitars with shrill, showy mini-solos. Saccharine backing vocals, impossibly high tenor lead vocals. Embracing the piano and writing infectious, memorable hooks. With all this, Badfinger established a pop tradition carried on through decades. T Rex, Todd Rundgren, ELO, and all the way down the line to the Lemon Twigs’ LP from last year! You hear traces of Badfinger in all of it. And I really wish they got the chance to truly be the pioneers they are.

Badfinger’s story had such a sad ending, I feel so bad for the die-hard fans. I know how it feels for your favorite band to be screwed over at every turn. Badfinger deserved so much better. They really should be remembered as a rock triumph. Though it’s unbelievably messy, a Frankensteining of 3 converging projects reflective of the chaos this band just could not escape, this 1st/2nd Badfinger album is proof these guys were really onto something.

Magic Christian Music came both five years too early and two years too late. This was a band full of interrupted brilliance, pointing to the breeze and feeling the winds shifting. Reporting something new is on the horizon. But you better hurry, cause it’s going fast.

Personal favorites: “Come And Get It,” “Crimson Ship,” “Dear Angie,” “Beautiful And Blue,” "Rock Of All Ages," “Knocking Down Our Home”

– AD ☆

Watch the full episode above!

Katz, Gary J., dir., Badfinger: The Director’s Cut. 1997.

Mansfield, Simon, dir., “Badfinger.” They Sold A Million series 2 episode 2, BBC, 12/9/2013. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QiwSe5eN9eo

Matovina, Dan. Without You: The Tragic Story of Badfinger. Frances Glover Books, 1997.

Mendelsohn, John. “Magic Christian Music” Rolling Stone, 5/14/1970. https://badfinge.ipower.com/Iveys/MagicChristianMusicLP.html

Welch, Chris. “Pop Singles.” Melody Maker, 11/23/1968. https://www.worldradiohistory.com/UK/Melody-Maker/60s/68/Melody-Maker-1968-1123.pdf

“Behind The Music: Badfinger.” VH1, 2000. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WWEV_-Ca2oc&t=4s

“Iveys Find It Hard to Please Beatles.” Disc & Music Echo, 7/5/1969. https://www.worldradiohistory.com/UK/Disc/1969/Disc-1969-07-05.pdf

“Magic Christian Music.” Cash Box, 3/14/1970. https://www.worldradiohistory.com/Archive-All-Music/Cash-Box/70s/1970/CB-1970-03-14.pdf

“Strong Songs and a Nice Change From Badfinger.” Record Mirror, 1/31/1970. https://www.worldradiohistory.com/UK/Record-Mirror/70s/70/Record-Mirror-1970-01-31-S-OCR.pdf

“Magic Christian Music.” Record World, 3/28/1970. https://www.worldradiohistory.com/Archive-All-Music/Record-World/70s/70/RW-1970-03-28.pdf