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Badge (song)
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Wikipedia article
"'Badge'" is a song written by Eric Clapton and George Harrison, and recorded by British rock music group Cream on their final album, 'Goodbye'. Also issued as a single in March 1969, "Badge" peaked at number 18 in the United Kingdom and number 60 on the US 'Billboard' Hot 100 chart.
Composition
"Badge" was originally an untitled track.
During the production transfer for the album 'Goodbye', the original music sheet was used to produce the liner notes and track listing. The only discernible word on the page was "bridge" (indicating the song's bridge section). Due to Harrison's handwriting, however, Clapton misread it as "badge"and the song was titled soon thereafter.
Harrison remembered the story thus:
Common legends or misconceptions are that the name came about because its chord progression was BADGE (which is not true) or simply because the notation of a guitar's standard tuning (EADGBE) can be arranged to spell "Badge".. Later in Clapton's career he added a vocal refrain of "Where is my badge?" to an extended coda when "Badge" was played live.
Writing and publishing credits
In the US, Atco Records' initial releases of 'Goodbye' and of "Badge" as a single gave the song's writing credit to Clapton alone, with publishing credit to Robert Stigwood's company Casserole (BMI).Atco Records single #45-6668 Atco later corrected this in 1969 with the release of 'Best of Cream',Atco Records album #SD 33-291 which lists both Clapton and Harrison as the song's authors. The UK single of "Badge" released by Polydor Records gave writing credit to both Clapton and Harrison, with publishing credit going to Dratleaf and Harrisongs Ltd.Polydor Records single #2058-285 Since the early 1990s the writing credit has been listed as Clapton/Harrison with publishing credit going to E.C. Music, Ltd. and Harrisongs.'Cream of Clapton' Liner Notes Despite his alleged contribution to the song's lyrics, Ringo Starr is not credited as a co-author of "Badge".
Personnel
* Eric Clapton lead guitar, vocals
* Jack Bruce bass guitar
* Ginger Baker drums
* Felix Pappalardi piano, mellotron
* George Harrison (credited, for contractual reasons, as "L'Angelo Misterioso") rhythm guitar
Charts
References
Category:Cream (band) songs
Category:1969 singles
Category:Songs written by George Harrison
Category:Songs written by Eric Clapton
Category:Polydor Records singles
Category:Atco Records singles
Category:1968 songs
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