Issue 2024-051
Aaron Badgley — Dark Horse Records: The Story Of George Harrison’s Post-Beatles Record Label.
Aaron Badgley is a Canadian author, broadcaster and Beatles obsessive with a more than passing interest in how record companies work. His book Dark Horse Records: The Story Of George Harrison's Post-Beatles Record Label covers the years from the problems that arose with the Apple label through The Beatles break-up to George Harrison setting up his own version of Apple to his death and the continuation of Harrison's legacy by his wife Olivia and their son Dhani.
In amongst this are Badgley's postage stamp sized reviews of the output of Dark Horse Records along with quotes from reviews from the time of release. Harrison was determined to continue the Apple ethos of signing artists for their artistic, rather than potential commercial, value when he set up Dark Horse Records in 1974. Artists with whom he found himself in sympathy with, and a label "not designed to exploit artists, as other companies had done, but rather to nurture talent and give artists exposure". Making it what would be termed a "boutique label" now.
The artists he signed were mainly from the US (Attitudes, Keni Burke, Stairsteps) with some Brits (Splinter, Henry McCullogh) and most famously the Indian classical musician Ravi Shankar. The latter's releases being a precursor of the World Music growth of later decades. Releases by these artists often received good reviews and mainly below break-even sales. So Dark Horse Records were held together by Harrison's own releases. Even though he seemed quite happy to self-sabotage releases on the label by failing to do any sort of thorough promotion for them.
The main issue for the label was distribution that required Dark Horse Records to partner with various established labels which led in the end to seemingly endless problems. Badgley goes extensively into how this works between established record companies and independents. So much so that after a while it becomes, not matter how well written, and it is well written, a bit of a tedious read. The subject matter becomes drier and drier and its focus on the labyrinth of business and legal matters dominates the book.
I'm not sure that the Aaron Badgley's Dark Horse Records: The Story Of George Harrison's Post-Beatles Record Label supports fully his conclusion that Dark Horse Records was 'more a philosophy that a business plan' with his concentration (two thirds of the book) on the business side of the artistic equation of Harrison's label. One for fans rather than the more casual reader.
Matthew Taylor — On Track... Magnum
The album I listened to the most all of my life? Although I don't recall the exact number of times I actually devoured this phenomenal album, I can confidently swear this to be On A Storyteller's Night. As turntable favourite and every-day walkman companion on my paper route and school travelling routine during the years 1985/1986 and several years beyond, I reckon this album pleasured my ears massively. My daily sleeping procedure of listening to the album until I finally laid my eyes to rest at midnight only adds to this. Although truth be told the latter applies to the album's extraordinary A-side, as this was still the age of vinyl. I was usually vast asleep when it became customary to flip the record over. In my defense, Magnum's hit single Midnight (You Won't Be Sleeping) was not released yet!
This and many other memories were retrieved as I made my way through Matthew Taylor's engagingly worded, extensively researched, and fully up to date On Track... book. It resulted in crying time as well, because it still hits hard that on January 7th of this year, Magnum's guitarist main songwriter Tony Clarkin passed away after having been diagnosed with a rare spinal condition only months before. A passing that, as already confirmed by Magnum's visibly shaken vocalist Bob Catley, irreversibly finalised Magnum's days of wonder. Although there is still something special to be expected for fans and collectors in the future (see this post on Facebook).
I can't wait, for these past four decades have truly been a joy. I first encountered Magnum via the brilliantly short and ideal cassette-filling Marauder live version of The Battle. This was soon followed in 1985 by a listening experience with my musical mentor Stanley Kooistra at the Boudisque record store in Amsterdam, while in awe of the stunningly beautiful artwork of On A Storyteller's Night. And not to forget the great adventure of discovering their past albums and seeing them live at Noorderligt (Tilburg) in support of Vigilante in 1987. Followed by a 1995 pilgrimage to the so far away Sjiwa (Baarlo) where I witnessed them on their farewell tour. That is to say, until they were reborn in 2001 and once more managed to entertain audiences and listeners with their highly consistent song material. I could probably write a book about it all. But proving to be so much better at this and saving me trouble of doing so is author, historian and avid music fan Matthew Taylor.
Maxing out the On Track concept at 155 pages, which in light of 23 studio albums and other interesting live and compilation albums released in Magnum's 50+ years existence isn't so surprising, Taylor reveals his intentions in trying to be as complete, elaborate and honest as possible when he dives into debut album Kingdom Of Madness.
Complete in the sense that next to the regular album tracks every related tracks is accounted for. Although a highly recommendable used source did point out the 1974 song One More Round The Bend is missing. Elaborative in his analysing and referencing words about the music, instrumentation, their lyrical content, and how this all works out in Magnum's enigmatic world of prog / AOR / pomp-rock and melodic rock. Honest in the way he open-heartedly states his own opinions. A fine illustration is found in Baby Rock Me, which as successor to In The Beginning is rewarded the following: "Oh Dear! From the brilliantly conceived, bombastic opening track, we move on to possibly the worst song in the entire Magnum catalogue. Baby Rock Me is just awful". I agree this song isn't part of Magnum's finest hour but awful in my opinion it is not.
After assessment of Magnum II, a much cherished personal favourite with excellent pomp / prog compositions like If I Could Live Forever, Firebird and So Cold The Night, Taylor then skips the four track Live EP and Marauder and starts to pay his attention to the excellent 1982 release of Chase The Dragon. An album actually recorded in June 1980 that instead of original member Philip Bailey, who went on to record with Alaska and Phenomena, now featured Mark Stanway on keyboards. Produced by Jeff Glixman of Kansas fame and graced by amazing Rodney Matthews artwork, it includes the iconic The Spirit and Sacred Hour, and firmly signalled that Magnum's big break was imminent.
The most underrated of all Magnum albums, The Eleventh Hour from 1983, however put this temporarily on hold. So much so that it almost resulted in a premature ending of the band. As to the reasons and circumstances my advice is to simply read Taylor's detailed and insightful story on this. At the end of the chapter he does allocate two related tracks incorrectly because according to the official releases Vintage Magnum (1986) and Great Adventure: The Jet Years 1978 - 1983 (2023), both not mentioned in the book, these belong to the previous Chase The Dragon. But as stated before, Taylor is very determined to include everything but the kitchen sink so, in the words of one Johnny Logan, what's another year in all these years of musical enchantment?
1985 then marks the year Magnum's true magic becomes a reality with the release of On A Storyteller's Night. A magnificent "no filler-all killer" album containing many future concert staples like How Far Jerusalem, Just Like An Arrow, Les Morts Dansant, All England's Eyes and its obvious title track. For anyone not acquainted to Magnum, this is your go-to album. Although many might argue this to be successor Vigilante which featured Roger Taylor of Queen in the producer's chair. Or the band's subsequent commercial high point of Wings Of Heaven which, recorded just around my corner in Hilversum, contains the hit single Start Talking Love as well as songs like Wild Swan and Don't Wake The Lion (Too Old To Die Young). The latter hailed by Taylor as the epic to end all Magnum epics, which I wholeheartedly concur with.
Sharp-dressed, clean-shaven and fully on top of their game, Magnum then, with the aid of outside co-writers like Jim Vallance and Russell Ballard (Argent) to minimum avail, try to break the American market (another interesting insightful passage in the book). While releasing the enjoyable albums Sleepwalking, Keeping The Nite Light Burning and Rock Art, the band do gradually lose their momentum and finally call it a day in December 1995.
Taylor then decides to surpass on highlights that takes place in the resulting gap years and directly addresses Magnum's return via the aptly titled Breath Of Life from 2002. Catley's solo aspirations and the two Hard Rain albums that feature both Clarkin and Catley are all accounted for later on in the book, but I would have preferred to have read about these events here, for chronology's sake.
Picking up where they once left off, albeit with a different line-up that next to Clarkin, Catley, and Stanway now foremost involves Al Barrow (bass) and Harry James (drums), Magnum go on to release the strong Brand New Morning. The first album actually to be reviewed by DPRP. With full embrace of their musical past, it gets them back firmly in the saddle when they present their 2007 release Prince Alice And The Broken Arrow. An album which to the delight of many also marks the return of Rodney Matthews' exquisite artwork.
With Taylor's informational words of analytical praise continuously convincing me to check the contents of my wallet to further complete my collection, at the same time I also become aware I need to correct my kitchen sink statement from before. Simply for the fact that next to the exclusion of the Live In Birmingham DVD in the live albums section of the book, Taylor also misses out on the tracks included on the bonus CDS of On The 13th Day, Escape From The Shadow Garden and Lost On The Road To Eternity.
Another aspect Taylor excludes from his story, to some extent, involves the sudden departure of Mark Stanway during Magnum's mid-winter tour in support of the 2016 release Sacred Blood Divine Lies. An album that firmly reactivated my inner Magnum radar and provided me and my friends with the chance to see the band one final time in their natural excelling habitat, namely on stage at De Boerderij in Zoetermeer. Taylor doesn't find it particularly important to spend too much words on this split. In a momentary lapse of deliberate loyalty this might make sense. But why he subsequently denies Stanway, who has 36 years of Magnum devotion under his belt, and original Magnum alumni Philip Bailey the credit for founding Kingdom Of Madness, a band that until today tours the circuit with a classic best-of Magnum set list, is beyond me.
A similar sort of surprise befalls upon me again when I glanced at the curious Magnum-unworthy artwork of their 2022 album The Monster Roars in the obligatory photo section. But come 2024 this is thankfully fully redeemed and forgotten about with the release of Here Comes The Rain. Magnum's unexpected final album which, accompanied by a bonus DVD of Magnum's final live performance at KK's Steel Mill from 2022, marks a high praise-worthy release that, as Taylor so truthfully points out, ranks high on the list of albums that Magnum shared with their audiences in the 21st century. Personally though it will always be the albums up to 1990 that can rely the most on my endless love!
As celebration of Magnum's outstanding legacy and in tribute of Bob Catley / Tony Clarkin's marvellous body of work, I'll round off by saying that, putting my collectors OCD fixation aside for a moment, Taylor's On Track book is a great read for newbies and an indispensable must-have for Magnum enthusiasts. It perfectly captures the essence of the band and in these days of no trust, reassuringly provides hours of reading entertainment and subsequent (reacquainting) listening pleasure. So buy a copy, pull up your rockin' chair, and let the wonderful eclectic songsmithery of Tony Clarkin and his faithful companion Bob Catley steal your heart!
Thank You and Rest In Peace
Tony Clarkin
* 24 November 1946 – † 7 January 2024