Badfinger was one of the first British power popgroups. They had their largest popularity early seventies, to the death of lead singer Pete Ham in 1975. The Group had hits with Come and get it, No matter what andDay after day, but is best known for his tragic history that is characterized by poor promotion, unfair management and the suicide of two members. Their song Without you became world famous in the performances of Nilsson and Mariah Carey.
History[][]
The Iveys[Edit][]
Badfinger originated from the band The Iveys, who has already The Panthers, The Black Velvets and had called The Wild Ones . In the early days were The Iveys, named after Ivey Place, a square in Swansea, from singer-guitarist Pete Ham, guitarist David ' Dai ' Jenkins and bassist Ron Griffiths. In 1964 came there drummer Mike Gibbins at. The group moved to Londonin 1966 , where he among other things for Pink Floydstood. A year later, Jenkins replaced by the Liverpudlian Tom Evans.
Mal Evans, an employee of The Beatles ' Apple Records, discovered The Iveys in 1968. After John Lennon, Paul McCartney and George Harrison had heard some demos, a contract was signed to the label. [3] the first single in late 1968 Maybe tomorrow, that was even a hit in the United States. There also appeared an eponymous album, but that was without explanation from Apple only in West Germany , Italyand Japan and not released in England and America. Seven of twelve songs came later on Magic Christian music, their first album under the name Badfinger, to stand.
Badfinger at Apple[Edit][]
The Group had its breakthrough in 1969 written by McCartney with the song Come and get it. That song was written for the soundtrack of the film The magic Christian. Next to Come and get it in that film were also two self-penned songs of the group. Not long after was bassist Griffiths put from the group. The main reason was probably that Griffiths was married and together with his wife and child with the three other group members lived in the same House, which caused tensions at Tom Evans. The group went some months as a trio by the Liverpudlian guitarist Joey Molland , until was attracted. Tom Evans exchanged hereinafter referred to as the guitar for the bass guitar.
The Group had its name changed to Badfinger, because they were often confused with The Ivy League. The name Badfinger was referring to Bad finger boogie, an early working title of With a little help from my friends by The Beatles. John Lennon had in fact composed the melody of that song on the piano with his middle finger, because he had hurt his index finger . Under the name Badfinger was the song Come and get itdelivered, that meant the breakthrough of the group. In both England and the United States, it became a top 10 hit. The text is about the dissatisfaction of Paul McCartney about Apple. A few months after the premiere of The magic Christian was gone, Badfingers debut album Magic Christian music came from.
Released their second album In 1970 by Badfinger, entitled No dice. That album yielded with the single No matter what on both sides of the Atlantic Ocean the second top 10 hit for the group. the album contained in addition the song Without you, that a year later by the American singer-songwriter Nilsson was recorded and earned him a number one single . Later it wascoverd by ge still hundreds of artists and provided big hits for Mariah Carey and Natalia.
Their good relationship with The Beatles came in handy after they broke up in 1970. So played members of Badfinger on the first solo projects of John Lennon, George Harrison and Ringo Starr (drums, vocals) and they were all four backing musicians during the Harrison's concert for Bangladesh in 1971. Other way round Harrison produced Straight up, the third album by Badfinger. On the single Day after day, the last top 10 hit for the group, is also to hear Harrison as a guitarist and pianist Leon Russell as. Straight up was commercially the most successful album by Badfinger. Despite this positive reviews from music critics and was disappointed that they were each compared with Badfinger called The Beatles.
In september 1972 , the recordings for Ass, the fourth album of the group. In this period had Stan Polley, the American manager of Badfinger, a multimillion contract governed by Warner Bros. Records for six albums.Apple was after leaving The Beatles hit in financial disorder and spent hardly heed to promotion for Badfinger. The cover of a donkey Ass, on which a root are told, refers to this time to Warner.
Warner Records[Edit][]
Six weeks after the completion of the Ass-Badfinger began sessions to their first (self-titled) album for Warner. Both Ass and Badfinger , however, was a commercial and artistic flop. At Ass was this due to the mismanagement at Apple. In addition, Apple went bankrupt shortly afterwards, which the Group took a lot of money to pay lawyers to protect their copyrights. To make matters worse, turned out to be manager Stan Polley to withhold money, making Badfinger ended up in a financial low point. Warner, however, 600,000 dollarlent the group, with which Badfinger getting started came to Wish you were here album to record. In contrast to the two previous albums this got rave reviews.
In the band were Meanwhile internal tensions arise, especially between Pete Ham Joey Molland's wife, and moving to Hams sense too much with the policies of the band was going to interfere. During the preparation for the American tour for the promotion of Wish you were here stepped Ham from the group. Guitarist and keyboardist Bob Jackson replaced him. Ham, however, came back to before the start of the tour group, which was a five-man band Badfinger. During the tour came Warner found out that there more than $ 100,000 was gone. Manager Polley, who managed the money of the group, however, could not explain where the money left off, after which Warner the album Wish you were here get left off the shelves. Badfinger was at that time on tour to promote an album that was not available, so that meant the next financial setback.Badfinger therefore decided quickly to take up a new album. This would get the name Head first , but the label was thrown by Warner of Badfinger, making this album was not released. It was not until 2000 this album appeared on cd. In the texts of the songs Hey Mr. manager and Rock 'n' roll contract falls the hate against Polley and despair to hear.
Suicide of Pete Ham[Edit][]
Warner challenged Badfinger enterprises, Inc. to court and would eventually win the case. Then it was Polley unreachable and he stopped paying the salary of the band members. Pete Ham also wrong in a relationship crisis, leaving him in a depression hit. On 24 april 1975 at the age of 27 he hung on in his garage. On the farewell note that he left for his girlfriend and her son, stood (in English): "Anne, I love you. Blair, I love you. I can't keep from everyone and trust. It's better this way. Pete. P.S. Stan Polley is a soulless bastard. I take him with me. " More of his clients were dissatisfied with Polleys management. Nolo contenderePolley years later would argue for allegations of embezzlement and money laundering in another case.
Comeback and suicide by Tom Evans[Edit][]
After the death of Ham went Badfinger apart. In this period insulated heating pipes laid in England and Evans Molland floor coverings in California. In addition, the remaining members tried in vain to set up new bands and they remained haunted by lawsuits. Molland came In 1977 in a new yet unnamed band and ordered Evans to the other group members on as bassist. Their record company exerted pressure to name the band Badfinger and the members went tack. In 1979 became under the name Badfinger recorded the album Airwaves . The group then went on tour, where she was assisted by Peter Clarke of Stealers Wheel as a drummer, Tony Kaye of Yes as keyboardist and Spider Cobb of The Hollywood Squares as a singer-guitarist. With Kaye was in 1981 recorded the album Say no more . Both albums yielded Badfinger a modest hit in the Billboard Hot 100 on. Later in 1981 Evans and Molland went apart again.
Both Evans as Molland joined after 1981 short time on with a band under the name Badfinger. Evans was working with Bob Jackson together again and they were occasionally assisted by Mike Gibbins. In this period they closed a contract with a businessman who later indicted them and demanded $ 5 million of Evans, among others. Evans tried to get in the same period royalties for the song Without you, of which he is co-composer was, but this money finally ended up at Stan Polley rightly so. Evans eventually went bankrupt. On 19 november 1983 he hung himself after a phone conversation with Molland on in his garden.
Later years[Edit][]
In 1984 the remaining members of Badfinger: Molland, Gibbins and Jackson, a few more times in the United States in honor of the 20th anniversary of the British invasion. In 1986 , Molland and Gibbins Badfinger again, but there again in 1990 held Gibbins Molland went afterwards with new musicians on. by under the name Badfinger and Joey Molland's Badfinger. In the 90 's appeared a live album of a concert from 1974 and some CDs with solo material of Ham and Evans. In addition came in 1997 from an extensive biography of Badfinger, entitled Without you: the tragic story of Badfinger.
After in the 2000s to still have released four solo albums with new material, Mike Gibbins died on 4 October 2005 at the age of 56 in Oviedo, Florida in his sleep. The only remaining original band member Joey Molland now lives in Minnetonka, Minnesota and still occurs. In 2008, Badfinger fame through the use of the song Baby Blue in the very popular and world-wide successful series Breaking Bad.
Occupation[Edit][]
The main members of Badfinger were:
- Pete Ham (until 1975, deceased)
- Mike Gibbins (1964-1975, 1986-1990, deceased)
- Tom Evans (1967-1975, 1978-1983, deceased)
- Joey Molland (1969-1974, 1978-present)
Discography[Edit][]
Albums[Edit][]
- 1969 -Maybe Tomorrow
- 1969 -Magic Christian Music
- 1970 -No Dice
- 1971 -Straight Up
- 1973 -Ass
- 1974 -Badfinger (self-titled)
- 1974 -Wish You Were Here
- 1979 -Airwaves
- 1981 -Say No More
- 2000 -Head First
Singles[Edit][]
| Single (s) with any charts in the
the Dutch Top 40 |
Date of
appear |
Date of
entry |
Highest
position |
Number Of
weeks |
Comments |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Maybe tomorrow | 1-2-1969 | 17 | 6 | If Iveys | |
| Come and get it | 14-2-1970 | 21 | 5 | ||
| No matter what | 19-12-1970 | 25 | 4 | ||
| Day after day | 5-2-1972 | 23 | 5 | ||
| Apple of my eye | 23-2-1974 | tip |
| Single (s) with chart positions
in the Flemish Ultratop 50 |
Date of
appear |
Date of
entry |
Highest
position |
Number Of
weeks |
Comments |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| No matter what | 26-12-1970 | 11 | 6 | in the BRT Top 30 | |
| Day after day | 25-3-1972 | 20 | 1 | in the BRT Top 30 |