Baby Blue

"Baby Blue" is a song by Welsh rock band Badfinger from their fourth studio album, Straight Up (1971). The song was written by Pete Ham, produced by Todd Rundgren, and released on Apple Records. As a single in the US in 1972, it went to #14. In 2013, the song was prominently featured in the series finale of the television show Breaking Bad. As a result, the song charted in the UK for the first time, reaching #73. Writing and recording Ham wrote the song about a woman named Dixie Armstrong, whom he had dated during Badfinger's last US tour. Guitarist Joey Molland recalled, "She came to one of the shows, they got talking and Pete really liked her. I don’t know whether they fell in love straight away, but he invited her on the road with us and she came along." Ham ultimately ended the relationship, partially as a result of Armstrong's lack of interest in Badfinger's recording and touring activities. Ham composed the song on acoustic guitar and Molland claims to have helped streamline the song's linking parts. The song was recorded during sporadic sessions that started on 25 September 1971. It was further worked upon on 27 September before finally being completed on 6 October 1971, the final recording session for the album Straight Up. All sessions were held at George Martin's AIR Studios together with producer Todd Rundgren. Release "Baby Blue" was released as a single in the US on 6 March 1972, in a blue-tinted picture sleeve and featuring a new mix. Because Al Steckler, the head of Apple US, felt that it needed a stronger hook in the opening, he remixed the track with engineer Eddie Kramer in February 1972, applying heavy reverb to the snare during the first verse and middle eight. It was the group's last Top 20 single, peaking at #14 on the Billboard Pop Singles chart. It also reached #18 in South Africa.