The BADFINGER Album-By-Album Thread

Discussion in 'Music Corner' started by intv7, Feb 7, 2019.

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  1. intv7

    intv7 Senior Member Thread Starter

    Location:
    Boston, MA, USA
    Alright, so here goes. It recently came up in another thread that we've never had a Badfinger Album-By-Album thread, so I'm gonna try to get one going. I know we have some pretty hardcore fans on SH.tv, and I'm hoping we can get some good discussion going. I'm looking forward to learning some stuff from you guys!

    First up is the legendary "lost" Ivey's debut, Maybe Tomorrow, which saw limited release in Japan, West Germany and Italy -- and was pulled from the UK and US release schedule at the eleventh hour. In the months that followed, the band was re-christened as Badfinger (at the strong suggestion of Apple), and original bassist Ron Griffiths was shown the door. Tom Evans would move from guitar to bass, and Joey Molland would be brought in as guitarist.

    Maybe Tomorrow
    Produced by Tony Visconti
    Apple Records
    Released July 1969

    [​IMG]
    Side 1:

    See-Saw Granpa
    Beautiful And Blue
    Dear Angie
    Think About The Good Times
    Yesterday Ain't Coming Back
    Fisherman

    Side 2:

    Maybe Tomorrow
    Sali Bloo
    Angelique
    I'm In Love
    They're Knocking Down Our Home
    I've Been Waiting

    1992 CD Bonus Tracks:

    No Escaping Your Love
    Mrs. Jones
    And Her Daddy's A Millionaire
    Looking For My Baby

    [​IMG]

    Maybe Tomorrow is a real oddity, IMO. The Iveys were so seemingly out of sync with the times, it really is hard to believe that this album dates from 1969. Looking at the pictures of the guys on the sleeve, they look like they're a two or three years behind, and the music matches that perfectly. Mal Evans was the one who brought The Iveys to Apple -- and based on what came later, I'm so glad that he did -- but based on the early Iveys recordings and the material presented here on the album, they weren't yet at the level they needed to be.

    About half of the songs on Maybe Tomorrow would be remixed and recycled for the first "proper" Badfinger album the following year. I really like a couple of the songs that were passed over for re-release, "See Saw Granpa" and particularly, "Sali Bloo", the most rocking song on the LP. I think Magic Christian Music would've benefited from the inclusion of that song instead of, say, the rather sappy "Angelique" -- but that's a discussion for later.

    Overall, I think much of the material on here is a bit weak and just too twee. The Visconti production is somewhat overdone with gooey strings, though Pete Ham's lead vocals are very strong, and the harmonies are stellar. The album bears little resemblance to the power pop/rock combo that we'd come to know, but it does serve at least as an interesting warm up for what's to come. Starting with Maybe Tomorrow, you can really chart this band's growth with each release, right up through Straight Up.

    [​IMG] [​IMG]

    Singles:

    Maybe Tomorrow (November 1968)
    Dear Angie (July 1969)

     
  2. intv7

    intv7 Senior Member Thread Starter

    Location:
    Boston, MA, USA
    Ron Griffiths' "Dear Angie":

     
  3. intv7

    intv7 Senior Member Thread Starter

    Location:
    Boston, MA, USA
    "Sali Bloo" (with the wah wah intro that was cut off after the initial release):

     
  4. intv7

    intv7 Senior Member Thread Starter

    Location:
    Boston, MA, USA
    Magic Christian Music
    Produced by Paul McCartney, Mal Evans, Tony Visconti
    Apple Records
    Released January 1970

    [​IMG]

    (Original UK LP tracklisting)

    Side 1:

    Come And Get It
    Crimson Ship
    Dear Angie
    Fisherman
    Midnight Sun
    Beautiful And Blue
    Rock Of All Ages

    Side 2:

    Carry On Till Tomorrow
    I'm In Love
    Walk Out In The Rain
    Angelique
    Knocking Down Our Home
    Give It A Try
    Maybe Tomorrow

    1991 CD Bonus Tracks:

    Storm In A Teacup
    Arthur

    2010 CD Bonus Tracks:

    And Her Daddy's A Millionaire (Alternate Version)
    Mrs. Jones (Remix)
    Sali Bloo (Mono Mix)
    See Saw Granpa (Mono Mix)
    I've Been Waiting (Unedited Remix)

    2010 Digital Bonus Tracks:

    Dear Angie (Mono Mix)
    Think About The Good Times (Mono Mix)
    No Escaping Your Love (Mono Mix)
    Arthur (Remix)
    Storm In A Teacup (Mono Mix)
    Yesterday Ain't Coming Back (Mono Mix)

    [​IMG]

    Magic Christian Music is the first proper Badfinger album, and they're not quite up to speed yet. The record is built around three songs included in the Ringo Starr/Peter Sellers film The Magic Christian ("Carry On Till Tomorrow", "Rock Of All Ages", and their first Top Ten hit, "Come And Get It"). Paul McCartney had been tapped to provide music for the movie, but citing a busy schedule, he opted to defer the task to The Iveys. Still, McCartney gave them his song "Come And Get It", which he had recently demoed at Abbey Road, and offered to produce the three songs for them. These three tracks are undoubtedly the best parts of the album.

    The rest of Magic Christian Music is comprised of new material produced by Mal Evans and by Tony Visconti, as well as remixed tracks from the aborted Maybe Tomorrow album. As discussed above, I personally would've made some different choices for Maybe Tomorrow selections, as the few more rocking songs on that record were passed over in favor of some more sappy ones. The new material is also rather uneven, ranging from excellent ("Midnight Sun") to rather corny ("Walk Out In The Rain").

    Overall, the result is a hodgepodge of material that doesn't quite gel as a solid work, and still doesn't give the listener an indication of how great the band was to become over the next couple of years. It's far and away my least favorite of the original run of Badfinger albums, but even then it's got some real classic material.

    [​IMG]
     
  5. Rfreeman

    Rfreeman Senior Member

    Location:
    Lawrenceville, NJ
    Really nice album. I like about every track on US version, though Fisherman I could take or leave. Before the CD era this was the only Badfinger album I owned.
     
  6. MPLRecords

    MPLRecords Owner of eleven copies of Tug of War

    Location:
    Lake Ontario
    Maybe Tomorrow is a fine album, but the highlights were certainly picked well for Magic Christian Music. MCM has the best of MT, great new songs, and one of McCartney's best ones ever... a winner all the way through!
     
  7. intv7

    intv7 Senior Member Thread Starter

    Location:
    Boston, MA, USA
    :laugh: Am I the only one who really loathes "Angelique"??? :confused:
     
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  8. badfinger54

    badfinger54 Senior Member

    Location:
    Victoria, TX USA
    I had higher hopes for MCM based on Come and Get It and Tom's high-pitched vocals on some songs bothered me. I'd always wondered did they play back the tapes and think "THAT sounds really commercial"? A few years ago I lowered the pitch a smidge in Audacity and they sound better to my ears. But, it wouldn't have been that easy back in the day.

    On the live BBC tracks Ron did more lead vocals on cover songs just like George Harrison did for The Beatles. And I wish Dan M. would release all of those on CD. Made my own compilation before he released them in nicer shape and more of them. Guess I could make my own CD-R, but now that I am a grandpa I don't have the urge to make many CD-R's anymore. Time just flies by...

    Yes, quite a few of the MT/MCM songs sound sappy and/or 'twee.' I played the heck out of Carry On Till Tomorrow on my 45.
     
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  9. intv7

    intv7 Senior Member Thread Starter

    Location:
    Boston, MA, USA
    "Carry On Till Tomorrow" is a real standout. All the McCartney produced songs are head and shoulders above the others. Visconti really didn't really do these guys any justice -- he was just starting out as a producer (his earliest work with Tyrannosaurus Rex and Bowie was around the same time). I think it took someone like McCartney to tell them that stuff like "Rock Of All Ages" was more up their alley than, say, "Knocking Down Our Home", which is a sweet little song, but pretty overwrought and yeah, sappy.
     
  10. pdenny

    pdenny 22-Year SHTV Participation Trophy Recipient

    Location:
    Hawthorne CA
    You are not, sir. I always skip the track—to me it’s lugubrious, undercooked.
     
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  11. longdist01

    longdist01 Senior Member

    Location:
    Chicago, IL USA
    Thanks intv7 for starting the Album Thread! Both of these early albums are hit and miss with gems on each!
     
  12. intv7

    intv7 Senior Member Thread Starter

    Location:
    Boston, MA, USA
    Unusual TV appearance miming "Carry On Till Tomorrow", with Joey Molland on bass and Tommy Evans playing Joey's SG.

     
  13. intv7

    intv7 Senior Member Thread Starter

    Location:
    Boston, MA, USA
    Midnight Sun:

     
  14. longdist01

    longdist01 Senior Member

    Location:
    Chicago, IL USA
    [​IMG]
    1969 Promotional poster Capitol/Canada
     
  15. longdist01

    longdist01 Senior Member

    Location:
    Chicago, IL USA
    [​IMG]
    1969 UK Promotional poster
    [red ink on yellow tissue paper]
    16.25 x 22.5 inches​
     
  16. longdist01

    longdist01 Senior Member

    Location:
    Chicago, IL USA
    Where it all began...If You Want It.​
     
  17. longdist01

    longdist01 Senior Member

    Location:
    Chicago, IL USA
  18. longdist01

    longdist01 Senior Member

    Location:
    Chicago, IL USA
    [​IMG]
    1969 UK sheet music​
     
  19. Shemp

    Shemp Forum Resident

    Location:
    Florida
    Actually McCartney liked "Knocking Down Our Home".
    From Dan Matovina's book: Beverley recalls, "Apparently Paul McCartney had mentioned that he particularly liked the song 'Knocking Down Our Home.'
     
  20. JonUrban

    JonUrban SHF Member #497

    Location:
    Connecticut
    I remember the pop radio stations in Hartford (WPOP, WDRC) actually played "Maybe Tomorrow". I remember thinking that it had a sort of Moody Blues "Go Now" vibe. I don't recall it getting very high up the "Swinging Sixty Survey", but I do remember hearing it and buying it, mostly because it was on Apple. That was probably the start of my Badfinger fandom. "Come and Get It" would follow, and then the amazing "No Dice" which I thought at the time and still do had great tunes "all the way through".
     
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  21. MPLRecords

    MPLRecords Owner of eleven copies of Tug of War

    Location:
    Lake Ontario
    "Midnight Sun" is one of the best Badfinger songs.
     
  22. botfinger

    botfinger Forum Resident

    Location:
    Japan
    The Iveys - Maybe Tomorrow

    WPOP Hartford/Connecticut
    1969/02/10 #57
    1969/02/17 #50
    1969/02/24 #42
    1969/03/03 #36

    WDRC Hartford/Connecticut
    1969/02/15 #60
    1969/02/22 #45
    1969/03/01 #35
    1969/03/08 #44
    1969/03/15 #34
    1969/03/22 #29
    1969/03/29 #47


     
  23. Rfreeman

    Rfreeman Senior Member

    Location:
    Lawrenceville, NJ
    Is that a different person from Badfinger trying the lead vocal in the second half than the one that did it on the record? Voice sounds quite different.
     
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  24. longdist01

    longdist01 Senior Member

    Location:
    Chicago, IL USA
    Ron Griffiths is singing after Paul, there are other Takes out there of Pete and Tom from Session. The photo in video is Joey cut/pasted next to Paul? Joey has never worked with Paul, only George & John (Imagine album).

     
  25. JDeanB

    JDeanB Senior Member

    Location:
    Newton, NC USA
    I remember buying the Maybe Tomorrow single in the 'reduced price' bin at a local record shop. I had never heard the song, but I was probably eleven or so, and found the song to be too syrupy for my taste. I much preferred the B-side "Daddy's A Millionaire" with the prominent guitar work....and I could dance to it!
     
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