Magic Bus: The Who on Tour was a compilation put together by Decca for the American market and released on 14 September 1968. It arrived as the band's fourth US album, timed to ride the success of the single "Magic Bus". It never came out in the UK, though Canada got it at around the same time. Despite the title, nothing here was recorded live. Every track is a studio recording.
It's a curious item in the Who's story. Some songs repeat material from their second and third US albums, but it also gathers single and EP tracks that had not yet appeared on an American LP. It reached number 39 on the Billboard 200. Pete Townshend and his bandmates have often said they dislike it, partly because Decca never told them the cover photographs would be used for a US album. For collectors, it's a snapshot of how the band's records were pieced together across the Atlantic.
Magic Bus: The Who on Tour: tracklist and credits
11 tracks · 31:00Tracklist
- 1DisguisesPete Townshend3:13
- 2Run Run RunPete Townshend2:45
- 3Dr. Jekyll & Mr. HydeJohn Entwistle2:27
- 4I Can't Reach YouPete Townshend3:05
- 5Our Love Was, IsPete Townshend3:10
- 6Call Me LightningPete Townshend2:27
- 7Magic BusPete Townshend3:21
- 8Someone's ComingJohn Entwistle2:33
- 9Doctor, DoctorJohn Entwistle3:02
- 10Bucket T.Altfeld, Berry, Christian, Torrence2:13
- 11Pictures of LilyPete Townshend2:43
- Produced by
- Kit Lambert
- Executive producer
- Chris Stamp
- Recorded at
- IBC Studios, Pye Studios, Gold Star Studios, Columbia Studios, De Lane Lea Studios, Mayfair Studios
- Recorded
- 1966–68
- Mixed by
- Kit Lambert
- Mixed at
- Gold Star Studios
- Engineered by
- Damon Lyon-Shaw
- Label
- Decca
- Length
- 31:00
Line-up
- John Entwistle · bass guitar, bass, French horn
- Keith Moon · drums (drum set), percussion · guest
- Pete Townshend · guitar · guest
- Roger Daltrey · lead vocals, vocals · guest
Singles
- “Magic Bus" / "Someone's Coming” · 11 October 1968
From Wikipedia and MusicBrainz. Only what the sources record is shown.
Also released on 14 September
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Releases and pressings
How we know the release date musicbrainz only
| Source | Date | Note |
|---|---|---|
| MusicBrainz | 14 September 1968 | |
| Wikipedia infobox | September 1968 | |
| Wikidata | September 1968 | |
| US release | 14 September 1968 | earliest US date |
6 editions
| Date | Country | Label | Barcode | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| — | CA | MCA Records | 076731133324 | other |
| — | US | MCA Records | 076731133324 | other |
| 1968 | CA | — | other | |
| 14 September 1968 | US | Decca Records | original | |
| 1990 | CA | MCA Records | 076731133324 | other |
| 2007 | JP | Decca Records | 4988005478221 | other |
Cover art sources
fanarttv · upscaled: major: best source 1000x1000, upscaled to 1500 (x1.50)
| Source | Size | Verdict |
|---|---|---|
| fanarttv ✓ | 1000×1000 | upscaled: major: best source 1000x1000, upscaled to 1500 (x1.50) |
| coverartarchive | 400×400 | upscaled |