Badfinger

[SteveSly]

This is a band that I don’t remember seeing much discussion of here on P.E. In the wake of the “Breaking Bad”, finale where the song “Baby Blue” was used about as perfectly as I ever seen in a TV production, I realized that I had never owned anything by this band, but always kind of dug their sound. I decided to pick up “Best Of Badfinger Volumes 1 and 2” and have been really enjoying them. Definitely a Beatles sound to a lot of their stuff, and they also remind me of The Hollies in places. Not sure if I am going to dig any further with them or not, but wondering what the general opinion is about these guys around here.

Steve Sly

[GuitarGeek]

I've never owned any of their records, but I always thought No Matter What was a pretty cool song. And Joe Jackson cribbed Always Breaking Us In Two from Day By Day.

[klothos]

Im a HUGE Badfinger fan and their Beatle-ness is probably the main reason they were signed to Apple (Paul McCartney played on "Come and Get It" and, later, George Harrison played the slide parts on "Day After Day")

Essential albums: "Straight Up", "No Dice", and "Ass", but I actually recommend any of the Pete Hamm-era albums, including "Wish You Were Here" which was finally made available.

You should really read up on their backhistory throughout the group's entire career, because their tragic history sums up the ruthless bloodlust of the record industry as a whole. It should serve as a warning to any aspiring artist trying to break into the corporate music business.

The later Tom Evans-led Badfinger albums that featured Tony Kaye on keyboards called "Airwaves" and "Say No More" are so-n-so and nowhere capture the magic of the early 70s stuff.

One of my favorite bands - enjoy!

[philsunset]

Im a HUGE Badfinger fan and their Beatle-ness is probably the main reason they were signed to Apple (Paul McCartney played on "Come and Get It" and, later, George Harrison played the slide parts on "Day After Day")

Speaking of their Beatle-ness...I saw them live in 70 or 71. It seemed like all the bands then were using Marshalls, Hiwatts, Sunn or Acoustic amps but Badfinger used small Vox amps ala The Beatles. It was unique for the time. They sounded great!

[SteveSly]

Im a HUGE Badfinger fan and their Beatle-ness is probably the main reason they were signed to Apple (Paul McCartney played on "Come and Get It" and, later, George Harrison played the slide parts on "Day After Day")

Essential albums: "Straight Up", "No Dice", and "Ass", but I actually recommend any of the Pete Hamm-era albums, including "Wish You Were Here" which was finally made available.

You should really read up on their backhistory throughout the group's entire career, because their tragic history sums up the ruthless bloodlust of the record industry as a whole. It should serve as a warning to any aspiring artist trying to break into the corporate music business.

The later Tom Evans-led Badfinger albums that featured Tony Kaye on keyboards called "Airwaves" and "Say No More" are so-n-so and nowhere capture the magic of the early 70s stuff.

One of my favorite bands - enjoy!

I am somewhat familiar with their story, although not a lot of the details. Joey Molland remains the only surviving member if I remember correctly? Hamm and Evans both committed suicide and I believe Gibbins also passed away at some point? Yea, a very sad story overall. Too bad that most of them did not live to see the use of “Baby Blue” in “Breaking Bad” as I have read that immediately after the episode it was one of the most downloaded songs in the world on I-tunes for a couple of weeks. I believe Molland still tours with a version of Badfinger on a limited basis. I will have to read a bit more in depth when I get the chance.

Steve Sly

[SteveSly]

I've never owned any of their records, but I always thought No Matter What was a pretty cool song. And Joe Jackson cribbed Always Breaking Us In Two from Day By Day.

I never really noticed the similarities between “Breaking Us In Two” and “Day By Day” until you pointed it out.

Steve Sly

[GuitarGeek]

I never really noticed the similarities between “Breaking Us In Two” and “Day By Day” until you pointed it out.

Steve Sly

The funny thing about that was I heard Breaking Us In Two first, when the single first came out and MTV was playing it regularly. Then a couple years later, I heard Day By Day on the radio, and I couldn't figure out why it sounded familiar. Then at some point much later, after I got online, someone pointed it out to me, and it was one of those "I coulda had a V-8" moments, ya know?

[Ten Thumbs]

Not a big fan but I did like them. The singles on AM radio back in the day were good, picked up a few lps as deletes. I borrowed Day After Day Live from the library and though the studio gloss is gone, they rocked pretty good live on the deeper tracks and give decent performances on the hits.

[ronmac]

Im a HUGE Badfinger fan and their Beatle-ness is probably the main reason they were signed to Apple (Paul McCartney played on "Come and Get It" and, later, George Harrison played the slide parts on "Day After Day")

Paul wrote "Come and Get It" and recorded this demo:

[JJ88]

A terrific band. Bigger in the US than here, but tragedy followed them at virtually every turn. An awful story.

Paul McCartney played piano on one of my favourite songs of theirs, 'Rock Of All Ages'- a terrific rocker. Other favourites: 'Day After Day', 'Without You' (this original is very different from Nilsson's huge hit cover...that's brilliant too), 'No Matter What' 'Money/Flying', 'Dennis', 'Meanwhile Back At The Ranch/Should I Smoke'...absolute world class writing IMHO.

[Guitarplyrjvb]

Pete Ham was a great singer, too! Really a tragic story about the suicides of Ham and then Evans. Badfinger put out a lot of quality music in a short time under terrific pressure and miserable management! Also, they were session musicians on Harrison's All Things Must Pass and the Concert for Bengladesh!

[Enid]

Never heard The Iveys......maybe 1 track? Magic Christian Music contains "Crimson Ship" which is interesting and the beautiful Tom Evans song "Carry On Till Tomorrow". The rest of M.C.M. doesn't rate too well with me and I must be in the right mood for it. No Dice and Straight Up are outstanding. Ass has some filler. That sounds suggestive doesn't it?

Then they were signed to Warner Brothers. Badfinger (self titled) is decent ..but with very depressing lyrics. They always wrote that way...but this album was enhanced with suicidal messages. Wish You Were Here was their "Swansong" and it was the first time the band crossed into progressive writing. It was progressive like Supertramp's Crime of the Century or even a bit like Procol Harum's Grand Hotel. The Beatles sound was still evident ....but slightly more busy/daring in the compostion area.

Head First was the album recorded for Warner Brothers after Joey Molland departed the band ..due to a falling out and the somewhat heated moment with Pete Ham. It has maybe 4 songs I enjoy. It's the 3 of them....Ham, Evans, and Gibbons.....just as they were once a 3 piece on Magic Christian Music. I miss Joey Molland's songwriting.

Badfinger....Day After Day is a fine soundboard recording and a very tight performance. Unlike the BBC recordings with piano.....this is all straight forward rock guitar oriented stuff. "Constitution" is magnificent!

Airwaves ...released on Elecktra has a beautiful ballad "Lost Inside Your Love" One of the best songs Tom Evans wrote. Stylistically it is reminiscent of an early Elton John song or a John Lennon song written during the "Imagine" period. The rest of Airwaves...I don't care for.

Say No More is basically the Badfinger band returning to their roots. The album contains a piece (can't recall the title), that sounds quite like a George Harrison song from the late 60's. With the exception of 1 Pop song, the rest of Say No More is Rock n' Roll. Around the time of this release......I was traveling the road playing theatres. It was pointed out to me by musicians in the audience that Tom Evans had been at some of our shows and when I finally did see him ....I was devistated by the realization that I was performing for an artist I had listened to when I was 13. I was very depressed about it because Tom Evans was very important to Rock music. He was a fine writer. After he committed suicide .....I was traveling again and ran across some musicians at a showcase ...who had just gotten off the road with Badfinger. They sat in the dressing room and told us all the depressing stories about the suicides in the band and definite insight on the band's history. Very sad.

[trurl]

Badfinger was GREAT.


That is all.

[Enid]

I am a Badfinger fanatic! I have everything on cd except for a release that contains BBC recordings. They were great on All Things Must Pass. I never bought the Pete Ham releases and regret it. I would love to hear them and I'm very curious.

[JIF]

Never heard The Iveys......maybe 1 track? Magic Christian Music contains "Crimson Ship" which is interesting and the beautiful Tom Evans song "Carry On Till Tomorrow".

This is another Iveys song that reappeared on Magic Christian Music. This is my fave song of theirs.

[klothos]

A 'Rock Of All Ages'- a terrific rocker. Other favourites: 'Day After Day', 'Without You' (this original is very different from Nilsson's huge hit cover...that's brilliant too), 'No Matter What' 'Money/Flying', 'Dennis', 'Meanwhile Back At The Ranch/Should I Smoke'...absolute world class writing IMHO.

Throw in "Suitcase", "Baby Blue", and "The Name of The Game" and you pretty much have my faves too

[klothos]

Paul wrote "Come and Get It" and recorded this demo:

yup - and its his piano track on the Iveys/Badfinger version

[Calabasas_Trafalgar]

"We're for the dark" from No Dice - just sublime.

[JJ88]

Throw in "Suitcase", "Baby Blue", and "The Name of The Game" and you pretty much have my faves too

A 'Straight Up' fan then? That and the Warner Brothers ones are the only actual albums I have. There's an Apple 'Very Best Of' which has material from both periods (at least from when Pete Ham was still with them).

With 'The Name Of The Game', the version with strings seems to be preferred by some (including by who compiled that compilation) but I like the sparer album version more, with that haunting piano motif.

If you like these guys I'd also recommend checking out bands like Big Star and The Raspberries, plus there were bands in the UK with a similar sound- Marmalade's later work, Marvin, Welch and Farrar's 'Second Opinion'...