Magic Bus (song)

"Magic Bus"
Single by The Who
from the album Magic Bus: The Who on Tour
B-side	"Someone's Coming" (US) "Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde" (UK)
Released	27 July 1968 (US) 18 September 1968 (UK)
Format	7" vinyl
Recorded	29 May 1968 at Advision Studios, London and mixed at Gold Star Studios, Los Angeles sometime between 30 June and 7 July 1968
Genre	Blues rock, psychedelic rock
Length	3:21
Label	Track Records 604024 (UK) Decca Records 32362 (US)
Writer(s)	Pete Townshend
Producer	Kit Lambert
The Who singles chronology
"Dogs"/"Call Me Lightning" (1968) "Magic Bus" (1968) "Pinball Wizard" (1969)

"Magic Bus" is a song written by Pete Townshend at the time of My Generation in 1965, but not recorded by The Who until 1968. It is one of the band's most popular songs and has been a concert staple. The record reached #26 in the United Kingdom and #25 in the United States.^[1]

The song's arrangement uses a Latin percussion instrument known as claves. These are pairs of small wooden sticks that make a distinctive high pitched clicking noise when struck together. The Who previously used the same instrument on the song Disguises, recorded in 1966.

The song makes use of the Bo Diddley beat.^[2]

Background

The song was not recorded by The Who at the time it was written, but the band's management and music publisher circulated a Townshend demo recording of the song in 1966. A version was released as a single in the UK in April 1967 by an obscure band called The Pudding, in the UK on Decca and in the US on London's Press label. It was not a hit.^[3][4]

The song is usually performed as a duet, where the "Rider", usually singer Roger Daltrey when live, is riding on the bus every day to see his girl. In the song he asks the "Driver", usually Townshend, if he can buy the bus from him, with the driver's initial answer being no. After haggling for a while, the driver finally lets him have it and he vows to drive it to his girlfriend's house every day.^[5]

The original LP and cassette of the Meaty Beaty Big and Bouncy compilation album featured a longer alternate studio take of "Magic Bus" in fake stereo which was not included on the original compact disc version because the true stereo or mono source could not be found for the long version of the song.^{[citation needed]} However, on 25 July 2007, Universal Japan re-released the album in a mini-LP sleeve that includes the long alternate version of "Magic Bus" in fake stereo, as on the original album. This longer mix features a slightly different arrangement and does not fade out at the end.

The song appeared in the band's 1979 film The Kids Are Alright taken from a 1968 performance. It was subsequently released on The Kids Are Alright film soundtrack. That version is the mono single version, but slowed down, resulting in the song being a semi-tone lower in pitch.

Live performances

This was first performed in 1968 and was part of the regular set from 1971 to 1976. (It was performed a few times in 1969 and 1970.) It made less frequent appearances starting from 1979. Its most recent performance was at The Who's concert at the Indigo2 on 17 December 2008. The live version was often a lengthy jam lasting much longer than the studio version.

One of its most legendary performances can be heard on Live at Leeds.^[6] This version stretches out to nearly eight minutes, with Roger Daltrey joining the jam playing harmonica. The Leeds recording has been used during the musical montage sequence in the final act of Martin Scorsese's film Goodfellas as well as the opening sequence in Cameron Crowe's Jerry Maguire. John Entwistle reportedly hated playing the song, as most of the bass part consisted of a single note played ad nauseam. This statement can be found on the 30 Years of Maximum R&B DVD.

It was stated on several occasions during their 2009 tour of Australia and Japan that they were unable to play the song, with Townshend stating, "We can't play Magic Bus right now.... But if you shout loud enough... We definitely won't play it."

The song appears in the film Year One.

The song was covered by Alvin and the Chipmunks for the Alvin and the Chipmunks episode "The Prize Isn't Right."

This song is available for DLC in Rock Band 2.

Notes

1. ^ Who Discography by Ed Hanel, included in booklet to box set Thirty Years of Maximum R&B
2. ^ http://www.nytimes.com/2008/06/02/arts/02iht-02diddley.13403665.html
3. ^ Information on "Magic Bus" at The Originals Project
4. ^ The Hypertext Who: Liner notes
5. ^ http://www.sing365.com/music/lyric.nsf/Magic-Bus-lyrics-The-Who/B0DC4CA5C08370274825697A000E517B
6. ^ http://www.thewho.net/linernotes/LiveAtLeeds.htm