Badfinger

BADFINGER

The story of Badfinger really breaks my heart, I think they could really have been something else. They had hits for sure, but tragedy and infighting collapsed them to an underated, and to some unknown, band from the 70s. They formed in the mid 60s and were called The Iveys and were mildly successful until a certain Paul McCartney gave them a song to record - Come and get it. They were subsequently signed to Apple records and changed their name to the unfortunate Badfinger (one wonders how they would have faired had they gone with a suggestion from Lennon to call themselves The Prix!).

Come and get it was a huge hit and they were one of the first bands in the 70s to perform the 'power ballad'. They were often compared to The Beatles which helped and hindered their career, and had a very close relationship with John, Paul, George and Ringo - they collaborated on solo Beatles' music and The Beatles assisted them with Badfinger. They also had Geoff Emerick and Mal Evans (both Beatles producers and assistants) helping produce their sound. But infighting and female influence (think Yoko type situations!) and 2 suicides halted the band becoming as big as their helpers, The Beatles. Their biggest claim to fame though was writing the song, Without You as covered by Harry Nilsson and Mariah Carey and heard on Bridget Jones's Diary. Their version was more subtle and rockier, good, but Nilsson makes it his own.

TRACK ELEVEN: No matter what
A great rockin', power ballad with soaring guitars and vocals - as soon as you hear it, it is familiar. Great lyrics and it was their first top ten single as written by band members, showing they had something to offer themselves, despite a 'little help from their friends'!

TRACK TWELVE: Day after day
Another great power ballad, produced by George Harrison and Todd Lundgren and featuring the great Leon Russell on piano. I would have sworn McCartney wrote this, and you can feel his influence in the sweet harmonies, classic lines 'looking out of my lonely room, day after day...", great piano, guitar and drum lines.