Magic Christian Music
album
by Badfinger (The Iveys)
compiled by Tom
Brennan
last update: January 24, 2021
Please note that all the songs from the Magic Christian Music album and
CD were recorded before Joey Molland joined the band and most of the
tracks feature Ron Griffiths on bass and backing vocals.
MAGIC
CHRISTIAN MUSIC
recorded
April 1-October 1, 1969 (new recordings only)
at Trident, Abbey
Road and IBC Studios, London
produced by Mal Evans and Paul McCartney
engineered by: Tony Clark
(Abbey Road), others unknown
remixes supervised by Paul McCartney [Paul
McCartney's remixing notes]
original sleeve design by David King
released in U.K. on January 9,
1970 on Apple SAPCOR 12 [back cover
| side 1 label | side
2
label]
Side One:
Come And Get It
produced by Paul McCartney
Crimson Ship
produced by Paul McCartney
Dear Angie
produced by Tony Visconti
Fisherman
[version 2] produced by Mal Evans
Midnight Sun
produced by Mal Evans
Beautiful And
Blue [version 2] produced by Mal Evans
Rock Of All Ages
produced by Paul McCartney
Side Two:
Carry On
Till Tomorrow produced by Paul McCartney
I'm In Love
[version 2] produced by Mal Evans
Walk Out In
The Rain (listed as "Walk In The Rain") produced by Mal Evans
Angelique
[version 2] produced by Tony Visconti
Knocking Down Our
Home produced by Mal Evans
Give It A Try
produced by Mal Evans
Maybe Tomorrow
produced by Tony Visconti
Comments (by Tom Brennan):
"Magic Christian Music by Badfinger" was rush-released to tie-in with the
release of the Peter Sellers/Ringo Starr film, "The Magic Christian". To
make matters worse, at the same time, The Iveys were transforming into
Badfinger with Ron Griffiths departing while promotion for the Paul
McCartney penned single "Come And Get It" was being distributed to the
press.
For the album's release, new member Joey Molland from Liverpool is only
mentioned by name on the back sleeve of the album, and credited with
playing guitar even though he hadn't played on any of the recordings
contained on the album. There was no time for his photo to be taken for
the back of the album sleeve. As a result, most of the album's promotion
was done with three members pictured. The photos of Pete, Tom & Mike
for the back of the album sleeve were taken on November 10, 1969. The
first photos as the new band line-up (Badfinger) were taken on December
16, 1969 - too late for the album's release.
Because of the rush job, the album's credits are lacking details and
contain errors in the production credits. The three soundtrack songs have
no production credits and neither does "Crimson Ship". This is due to the
fact that McCartney didn't want to be credited. The 1991 CD reissue
doesn't do much better. It correctly credits "Come And Get It as produced
& arranged by Paul McCartney" but incorrectly credits Tony Visconti as
producing & arranging both "Crimson Ship" and "Rock Of All Ages". Tony
departed in the middle of December, 1968 as The Iveys' producer. Paul
McCartney produced all three of the soundtrack songs at the request of the
film company, Commonwealth United, plus "Crimson Ship" with leftover
studio time that was remaining after his obligations were met for the
film's soundtrack.
Mal Evans produced the rest of the new recordings for the album ("Midnight
Sun", "Walk Out In The Rain"). Mal was also involved in rearranging and
remixing some of the older tracks from The Iveys album, although it
appears Paul was also involved since one page of his remixing notes have
become available with his drawing of a Badfinger logo. "Fisherman" had its
sound effects removed, and the final chorus cut. The other major change
made was to re-record the vocals for "I'm In Love", thereby removing the
Ron Griffiths response voices that according to Tom Evans, was criticized
by McCartney while observing an Iveys session in 1968. The other Iveys
tracks were given fresh stereo remixes to improve their sound ("Dear
Angie", "Beautiful And Blue", "Angelique", "Knocking Down Our Home", and
"Maybe Tomorrow"), with Angelique losing its horn flourishes in the
remixing process.
background information from Dan Matovina's Badfinger
biography, "Without You-The Tragic Story Of Badfinger" and the 1991 CD
reissue of "Magic Christian Music" on Apple.
Edited
version (for U.S. market)
promo reel-to-reel: dated January 30, 1970 [reel
box
for side 1 | reel box for side
2 | tape reel]
released in U.S. on February 16, 1970 on Apple ST 3364 [front
cover with promo sticker for "Come And Get It" | Mal
Evans notes & track listings]
commercial 4-track stereo reel-to-reel tape on
Apple L-3364 (manufactured by Ampex) [reel
box, front]
Cash
Box top 140 album chart: Peaked at #54 on May 02, 1970. Charted for 16
weeks from March 14 to June 27, 1970.
Billboard top 200 album chart: Peaked at #55 on April 25, 1970.
Charted for 17 weeks from March 28 to July 18, 1970.
Side One:
Come And Get It
produced by Paul McCartney
Crimson Ship
produced by Paul McCartney
Dear Angie
produced by Tony Visconti
Midnight Sun
produced by Mal Evans
Beautiful And
Blue [version 2] produced by Mal Evans
Rock Of All Ages
produced by Paul McCartney
Side Two:
Carry On
Till Tomorrow produced by Paul McCartney
I'm In Love
[version 2] produced by Mal Evans
Walk Out In
The Rain (listed as "Walk In The Rain") produced by Mal Evans
Fisherman
[version 2] produced by Mal Evans
Knocking Down Our
Home produced by Mal Evans
Maybe Tomorrow
produced by Tony Visconti
Two special one-sided "limited version" early test pressings (acetates) of
the album (still credited to "The Iveys") had a different running order,
minus "I'm In Love", as follows...
Disc One:
Come And Get It
Crimson Ship
Dear Angie
Fisherman [version 2]
They're Knocking Down Our Home
Rock Of All Ages
Disc Two:
Carry On Till Tomorrow
Beautiful And Blue [version 2]
Walk Out In The Rain
Midnight Sun
Angelique [version 2]
Give It A Try
Maybe Tomorrow
"Bad Finger" Stereo acetate with another alternate running
order...
Disc
One:
Come And Get It
Crimson Ship
Dear Angie
I'm In Love
Midnight Sun
Give It A Try
Rock Of All Ages
Disc
Two:
Carry On Till Tomorrow
Fisherman [version 2]
Beautiful And Blue [version 2]
Walk Out In The Rain
Angelique [version 2]
Knocking Down Our Home
Maybe Tomorrow
8-track
tape
Apple
8XT-3364
Program 1:
Come And Get It
Carry On Till Tomorrow
Fisherman
Program 2:
Knocking Down Our Home
Midnight Sun
Beautiful And Blue
Program 3:
Rock Of All Ages
I'm In Love
Walk (Out) In The Rain
Program 4:
Crimson Ship
Dear Angie
Maybe Tomorrow
Cassette
tape
Apple 4XT-3364
Note that the sides are reversed on the cassette compared
to the LP.
U.S. CD release on November 19, 1991 on Apple SAPCOR 12
(CDP 7 97579 2) [CD label | CD
tray
card]
Reissue digitally mastered and researched by Ron Furmanek
Digitally remastered at Abbey Road Studios, London, England, February 1991
engineered by: Mike Jarratt
mastered from the original 2-track stereo master mix tapes
"Storm In A Teacup" and "Arthur" are mixed for stereo from the 8-track
master session tapes by Ron Furmanek and Mike Jarratt
CD liner notes & discography by Steve Kolanjian
1991 CD Bonus Tracks:
Storm
In A Teacup produced by Mal Evans
Arthur produced by
Mal Evans
U.S. CD release on October 25, 2010 on Apple (5099964243825) [CD
label]
Remastered by Guy Massey, Steve Rooke, Sam Okell from the original
2-track stereo master mix tapes
Abbey Road Project Coordinator: Allan Rouse
Audio Restoration: Simon Gibson
Album Reissue Producers: Andy Davis, Mike Heatley
EMI Project Manager: Guy Hayden
Tea, sympathy and guidance: Jeff Jones, Jonathan Clyde & Garth
Tweedale
Notes by Andy Davis
Special thanks to Ron Griffiths
Album Re-design: Darren Evans
Apple archive management: Aaron Bremner
2010 CD Bonus Tracks:
15. And Her Daddy's A Millionaire [original version] produced by Denny
Cordell/Tony Visconti
16. Mrs. Jones [stereo remix] produced by Tony Visconti
17. Sali Bloo [mono] produced by Tony Visconti
18. See-Saw Grandpa [mono] produced by Mal Evans
19. I've Been Waiting [unedited stereo remix] produced by Glyn Johns
Download-only bonus tracks:
Dear Angie [mono] produced by Tony Visconti
Think About The Good Times [mono] produced by Tony Visconti
No Escaping Your Love [mono] produced by Tony Visconti
Arthur [stereo remix] produced by Mal Evans
Storm In A Teacup [mono] produced by Mal Evans
Yesterday Ain't Coming Back [mono] produced
by Tony Visconti
Foreign
pressings:
Argentina (1970) on
Apple [front
cover]
Australia (1970) on Apple SAPCOR 12 [cover
and
side 1 label]
Brazil (1970) on Apple APCOR 12 (mono) [side
1
label | side 2 label]
Israel (1970) on Apple [front
cover]
Japan (February 23, 2005) on
Apple TOCP-67562 (CD in mini-LP format) [front
cover | back
cover]}
Korea (1970) on Apple CSJ-911 [ front
cover | back
cover | side
A label | side
B label ]
Korea
(1991) on Apple EKPL-0189 R-024 [package
layout]
Malaysia (1970) on National JMLP-1006 [front
cover | back
cover | side 1 label | side
2 label]
Spain (1991)
[reissue
campaign] thanks to Bastiaan van Kasteel
Album
news
Melody
Maker LP release announcement: December 27, 1969
Album ads
U.S.
album ad
U.K. album ad
from
Apple to Zapple ad (Europe)
Kmart
- A is for Apple Records ad from Park Forest Star, Illinois, July
09, 1970
Album
reviews:
Melody
Maker: January 31, 1970
thanks
to Dan Matovina
Record
Mirror: January 31, 1970 thanks
to Dan Matovina
Cash
Box: March 14, 1970
San
Bernardino County Sun: March 17, 1970
Cincinnati
Enquirer: March 22, 1970
Albuquerque
Journal: March 24, 1970
Columbia
Daily Spectator, New York: March 26, 1970
Record
World: March 28, 1970
Badfinger
Is Not Beatles from The Star, Park Forest, Illinois, April 02, 1970
Star News, Pasadena, CA: April 04, 1970
Montreal
Gazette: April 11, 1970
The
Evening Sentinel (PA): April 18, 1970
The
Windsor Star (Ontario): April 25, 1970
The
Sunday Record (New York City): April 26, 1970
Rolling
Stone: May 14, 1970
thanks to Dan Matovina
High Fidelity: October 1970 thanks
to Dan Matovina
Magic Christian Music songbook
Songbook (U.S/U.K.) [front
cover]
Photos [see Badfinger
promo photos page]
special items
How
would you like to join Apple? (Record Mirror ad to replace Ron:
1969 October 04) thanks
to Dan Matovina
proposed
Iveys LP cover design by Paul McCartney (same concept as
Soundtrack LP cover) from
The Beatles Anthology book
Paul
McCartney's remixing notes
features
The
"Come And Get It" sessions (analysis by Tom Brennan)
Magic Christian Music trivia:
The hand pictured on the front cover of the album with the nail that is
supposed to be going through the finger was the hand of Badfinger's
mentor, Bill Collins.
Several songs on the LP & CD were attempts at recording a follow-up
single to "Maybe Tomorrow" by The Iveys: "Storm In A Teacup" and "Give It
A Try" b/w "Arthur".
An edited version of "Carry On Till Tomorrow" was intended to be the
follow-up single to "Come And Get It" around the middle of 1970. It ended
up as the B-side to "No Matter What" in some countries including the
U.S.A., and was actually an A-side in Japan in 1972 with "Without You" as
the B-side, although for this release it was the full length album
version.
2010
REVISIONISM
Here's
how I would have improved the track listing of the "Magic Christian
Music" LP:
01. Come And Get It
02. Crimson Ship
03. Dear Angie
04. See-Saw, Grandpa
05. Midnight Sun
06. Think About The Good Times
07. Rock Of All Ages
08. Carry On Till Tomorrow
09. Sali Bloo
10. Walk Out In The Rain
11. Angelique
12. Give It A Try
13. Maybe Tomorrow
14. I've Been Waiting
songs dropped: "Fisherman", "Beautiful And Blue", "I'm In Love",
"Knocking Down Our Home".
back to The
Iveys & Badfinger releases
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Brennan's Badfinger Library. All Rights
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