Airwaves (Badfinger album)

Airwaves is the eighth studio album released by British rock band Badfinger in 1979 on the Elektra label (a sister label to Warner Bros. Records, their previous label), the seventh album released that was credited to Badfinger. Anticipated as a comeback album for the group at the time, expectations were not quite realised, as the "group" now consisted of just the duo of Tom Evans and Joey Molland, accompanied by guitarist Joe Tansin and various session musicians.

Airwaves
Studio album by
Badfinger
ReleasedMarch 1979 (US)
11 May 1979 (UK)
RecordedOctober – December 1978
StudioLos Angeles
GenrePower pop
Length30:49
LabelElektra
ProducerDavid Malloy
Badfinger chronology
Wish You Were Here
(1974)		 Airwaves
(1979)		 Say No More
(1981)
Singles from Airwaves
  1. "Lost Inside Your Love"
    Released: 1979
  2. "Love Is Gonna Come at Last"
    Released: 1979
Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic[1]

History

Following the "hold" placed on the last Badfinger album, Head First, and the suicide of group co-founder Pete Ham in 1975, Badfinger disbanded, and the remaining members joined various other groups or dropped out of music for the next two years.

At the behest of Chicago musicians Joe Tansin (guitar/vocals) and Kenny Harck (drums), the then-unemployed Joey Molland formed a new group with the duo in Los Angeles. Molland later enticed his fellow former Badfinger member Tom Evans to also join the unnamed band.

After the band shopped demonstration records around the L.A. area, they discovered they would have more marketing power if they revived the Badfinger moniker. Although the name helped the group open doors to potential record labels, it also caused an inequality and friction between old and new Badfinger members within the band. As recordings commenced for the album, Harck was released by the band. Former Badfinger drummer Mike Gibbins auditioned for the group but was not hired, and session musician Andy Newmark was finally brought in for the drum tracks. Tansin, whose songs were largely bypassed during production in favour of Evans and Molland tunes, quit the group immediately upon the album's completion.

With a short running time and basically only eight songs, Airwaves did not leave a strong impression on music reviewers upon its release. Critics also complained about the album's "West coast" production and the loss of the famous Badfinger sound. Molland, however, has often defended the album and its production. The band toured frequently in support of the album, but sales figures failed to garner optimism with Elektra and the label passed on issuing a follow-up LP.

Two singles were released from the album. "Lost Inside Your Love" did not enter the US charts, "Love Is Gonna Come at Last" managed a peak position at number 69 on Billboard.[2] The actual album peaked at number 125 on the US charts.

Track listing

Side one
  1. "Airwaves" (Evans/Molland) – 0:29
  2. "Look Out California" (Evans) – 3:27
  3. "Lost Inside Your Love" (Evans) – 2:42
  4. "Love Is Gonna Come at Last" (Molland) – 3:37
  5. "Sympathy" (Tansin) – 4:28

Side two
  1. "The Winner" (Tansin) – 3:26
  2. "The Dreamer" (Molland) – 5:20
  3. "Come Down Hard" (Molland) – 3:48
  4. "Sail Away" (Evans) – 3:31

1997 CD bonus tracks
  1. "One More Time" (Tansin) – 2:57 +
  2. "Send Me Your Love" (Tansin) – 4:12 +
  3. "Steal My Heart" (Tansin) – 3:56 +
  4. "Love Can't Hide" (Molland/Tansin) – 2:45 ++
  5. "Can You Feel the Rain" (Tansin) – 4:03 +
  • + Produced by Joe Tansin
  • ++ Produced by Joey Molland

Personnel and credits

As listed in liner notes of 1999 re-issue.[3]

  1. "Airwaves"
    • Words and music: Joey Molland and Tom Evans
    • Lead vocal: Tom Evans
    • Acoustic guitar: Joey Molland
    • Leg, hands and feet: Peter Clark
  2. "Look Out California"
    • Words and music: Tom Evans
    • Lead vocal: Tom Evans
    • Harmonies: Tom Evans and David Malloy
    • Guitars: Joey Molland and Joe Tansin
    • Bass: Tom Evans
    • Drums: Ken Harck
    • Synthesizer: Duane Hitchings
  3. "Lost Inside Your Love"
    • Words and music: Tom Evans
    • Lead vocal: Tom Evans
    • Harmonies: Tom Evans, Joe Tansin and Joey Molland
    • Guitars: Joey Molland and Joe Tansin
    • Bass: Tom Evans
    • Acoustic piano: Nicky Hopkins
    • Drums: Andy Newmark
  4. "Love is Gonna Come at Last"
    • Words and music: Joey Molland
    • Lead vocal: Joey Molland
    • Harmonies: Joey Molland, Tom Evans and Joe Tansin
    • Guitars: Joey Molland
    • Percussion: Steve Foreman
  5. "Sympathy"
    • Words and music: Joe Tansin
    • Lead vocal: Tom Evans
    • Harmonies: Joey Molland and Tom Evans
    • Guitars: Joey Molland and Joe Tansin
    • Bass: Tom Evans
    • Electric piano: Joey Molland
    • Percussion: Steve Foreman
    • Drums: Ken Harck
  6. "The Winner"
    • Words and music: Joe Tansin
    • Lead vocal: Joey Molland and Tom Evans
    • Harmonies: Joey Molland, Joe Tansin and Tom Evans
    • Middle eight vocal: Joe Tansin and Tom Evans
    • Lead guitar: Joe Tansin
    • Bass: Tom Evans
    • Acoustic piano and Synthesizer: Duane Hitchings
    • Drums: Steve Foreman
  7. "The Dreamer"
    • Words and music: Joey Molland
    • Lead vocal: Joey Molland
    • Harmonies: Joey Molland and Tom Evans
    • Guitar: Joey Molland and Joe Tansin
    • Lead guitar: Joe Tansin
    • Bass: Tom Evans
    • Piano and Hammond organ: Nicky Hopkins
    • Percussion: Steve Foreman
  8. "Come Down Hard"
    • Words and music: Joey Molland
    • Lead vocal: Joey Molland
    • Guitar: Joey Molland and Joe Tansin
    • Lead guitar: Joe Tansin
    • Bass: Tom Evans
    • Drums: Andy Newmark
  9. "Sail Away"
    • Words and music: Tom Evans
    • Lead vocal and Harmonies: Tom Evans
    • Acoustic piano: Nicky Hopkins
    • String arrangement: David Campbell
  10. "One More Time"
    • Words and music: Joe Tansin
    • Lead vocal: Joe Tansin
    • Harmonies: Joe Tansin and Tom Evans
    • Guitars: Joey Molland and Joe Tansin
    • Lead guitar: Joey Molland
    • Cardboard box: Ken Harck
    • Cricket noise: cricket
  11. "Send Me Your Love"
    • Words and music: Joe Tansin
    • Lead vocals, guitar and keys: Joe Tansin
  12. "Steal My Heart"
    • Words and music: Joe Tansin
    • Lead vocal: Joe Tansin
    • Guitars and keys: Joe Tansin
    • Tom Toms: Ken Harck
    • Saxophone: Barry Sperti
  13. "Love Can't Hide"
    • Words and music: Joey Molland and Joe Tansin
    • Lead vocal: Joey Molland
    • Guitar: Joey Molland
    • Bass: Tom Lecher
    • Piano: Harry Pulver, Jr.
    • Drums: Bob Millea
  14. "Can You Feel the Rain"
    • Words and music: Joe Tansin
    • Lead vocal: Joe Tansin
    • Backing vocals: Dean Ford and Joe Tansin
    • Slide guitar: Rick Salon
    • Acoustic guitar: Joe Tansin
    • Piano: Scott Greer
    • Mandolin: Joe Tansin

Charts
Chart (1979) Peak
position
US Billboard 200[4] 125

References
  1. Allmusic review
  2. "Badfinger Chart History: Hot 100". Billboard. Retrieved 10 September 2020.
  3. Airwaves (CD). Badfinger. Permanent Press Recordings. 1999. PCD 52712.CS1 maint: others (link)
  4. "Badfinger Chart History (Billboard 200)". Billboard. Retrieved 10 September 2020.
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