Having celebrated 50 years as a band in 2022, Magnum remain a musical enigma, much loved by legions of fans despite never fitting easily into the sub-genres favoured by rock music critics. Formed in the West Midlands of England around a nucleus of guitarist and songwriter Tony Clarkin and vocalist Bob Catley, the band dabbled with pomp rock and progressive sounds in the late 1970s before achieving success in the 1980s with records like Chase the Dragon, On a Storyteller’s Night and their commercial highpoint, Wings of Heaven. They even had two top thirty singles in the UK, with ‘Start Talking Love’ and ‘Rockin’ Chair’. The changing musical landscape of the 1990s led to a split, but the band returned in 2001 and continued to release records of remarkable consistency until the sad passing of guitarist Tony Clarkin in early 2024.
This is the first book on the history and music of Magnum. It covers each of the band’s twenty-three studio albums, as well as live recordings, compilations and the late 1990s Hard Rain project. Charting the ups and downs in commercial and artistic achievement, it is an essential guide to one of Britain’s most underappreciated rock bands.
Matthew Taylor is a writer, historian and avid music fan. He is the author of several books and numerous articles on sport, leisure and popular culture, his work featuring in publications as varied as BBC History Magazine, Prospect and When Saturday Comes. He teaches at De Montfort University, UK, where he is Director of the Institute of History. His musical tastes range from classic and prog rock to alternative/ indie rock and electronica. He first heard Magnum’s music during the mid-1980s and has followed the band ever since. He lives in Leicestershire, UK.
