Baby Blue (Badfinger song)

Did You Know?

• Aimee Mann covered the song as the B-side to her 1993 single "I Should've Known."
• The song was briefly featured in the 2006 film The Departed, directed by Martin Scorsese.
• It was also used in the 2019 movie Annabelle Comes Home, part of The Conjuring Universe.

Writing and recording

Pete Ham wrote "Baby Blue" about Dixie Armstrong, a woman he dated during Badfinger's last US tour. Guitarist Joey Molland recalled that Armstrong attended a show, and Ham invited her to travel with the band. Ham ended the relationship partly because Armstrong showed little interest in the band's recording and touring. Ham composed the song on acoustic guitar, with Molland claiming to have helped streamline its linking parts. Recording sessions began on 25 September 1971 at George Martin's AIR Studios with producer Todd Rundgren, and the track was completed on 6 October 1971.

Release

"Baby Blue" was released as a single in the US on 6 March 1972 with a blue-tinted picture sleeve and a new mix. Al Steckler, head of Apple US, felt the song needed a stronger opening hook, so he had it remixed with engineer Eddie Kramer in February 1972, adding heavy reverb to the snare drum during the first verse and middle eight. The single became Badfinger's last Top 20 hit, peaking at No. 14 on the Billboard Pop Singles chart, and also reached No. 18 in South Africa.

Reception

Upon release, Record World predicted the single "should go all the way." Evening Post critic Pete Butterfield noted that the song "has a sort of Tamla Motown feel but it develops into a Beatleish stroller." Allmusic critic Stewart Mason suggested the song may be better than the previous single "Day After Day," despite charting lower, and described it as having "an undeniable melancholy" couched in "one of Ham's sweetest and catchiest melodies." Classic Rock critic Rob Hughes ranked it Badfinger's second greatest song, calling it "Pete Ham's passionate ode to Dixie Armstrong." Classic Rock History critic Janey Roberts rated it third best, and Ultimate Classic Rock critic Michael Gallucci rated it fifth best.

Resurgence of popularity

In September 2013, "Baby Blue" experienced a resurgence after being featured in the closing moments of the final episode of the crime drama Breaking Bad. Online streams increased immediately, and Nielsen Soundscan reported 5,300 downloads purchased the night of the broadcast. The song appeared on the Billboard Digital Songs chart at No. 32 for the week ending October 19, 2013. It became a top-selling song on iTunes and charted in the UK for the first time at No. 73, as well as reaching No. 35 in Ireland.