MAYBE TOMORROW: first hit brought them the attention of
COME AND GET IT: Paul McCartney & company. Badfinger named after the alternate title to With a Little Help From My Friends.
NO MATTER WHAT: The original power pop hit.
DAY AFTER DAY: Highest charting hit, produced by George Harrison.
BABY BLUE: at this point it is amazing they couldn’t escape the shadow of the Beatles.
MONEY: They weren’t being conpensated for their hits “so we grow a little colder with another tale to tell.”
IT DON’T COME EASY: “Got to pay your dues if you want to sing the blues and you know…” Every Beatle used Badfinger on solo work.
APPLE OF MY EYE: “now it is time to walk alone, we we’re the children now we’ve overgrown” Badfinger leaves Apple label and the song is the last single issued by the label as well.
SHINE ON: New record deal with WB. Pete Ham’s optimism to leave the past but not knowing the future. They needed a hit to make any money.
GIVE IT UP: Joey Molland’s discontent with the industry.
JUST A CHANCE: Great single that should have been a hit, as well as the album Wish You Were Here, the best pop record of the 70’s IMO. The song itself is about desperately needing a hit single.
MEANWHILE BACK AT THE RANCH/SHOULD I SMOKE: A co-written saga in which Joey seems to be asking for help and Pete Ham is asking why he is letting “them” (the industry) bring him down.
GOT TO GET OUT OF HERE: Joey needing to get out.
IN THE MEANTIME/SOME OTHER TIME: Joey only has fond memories of “some other time,” declares once loving his bandmates but needing to make a new start. Joey leaves the band.
KEEP BELIEVING: Pete Ham writing to Joey that there are no hard feelings and despite their problems he still loves him.
PASSED FAST: Tom Evans writing to the group and Pete Ham, the desperation here is thick. “are you through?”
HEY MR. MANAGER: Badfinger’s manager Stan Polley had stolen all their money and due to missing money in the bands escrow account, WB pulled Wish You Were Here from the shelves (despite great reviews and growing sales) and decided to shelve the followup album the band had completed. This ruined them financially.
RINGSIDE: Pete Ham’s home recording phase. To Stan Polley, “I can’t bear the sorrow of the evil that you show.”
I’M SO LONELY: Ham again.
NO MORE: Further into depression.
I’VE WAITED SO LONG TO BE FREE: This one has suicide all over it. Ham kills himself, despite a baby on the way. Financially difficulties are mostly to blame, his suicide note promises to take Polley with him.
ROCK N ROLL CONTRACT: Despite their popularity the bandmembers split up to do stuff like lay carpet and plumbing. Evans and Joey join together later to make a try at it under the name Badfinger. They redo this song written earlier. Tom Evans writes about the abuse of the industry and sings “you made me your slave, whatever god gave me, you took to the grave and now it is gone.” Written before Ham’s death!!!
WITHOUT YOU: Tom Evans got in an argument with Joey over the royalties to this song. Right afterwards Tom Evans hung himself. This song was written by Ham and Evans, if they had received royalties to this they could still be alive. At this point you will never again hear “I can’t live if living is without you” the same way. Evans suicide note had a warning to Joey “now it is your turn.” Creepy.

That is my longwinded collection. It also happens to feature their best songs as well. The main crux of Badfinger being the greatest tragedy is that their last released album was their best, but it was physically removed from the shelves.

Why were they unsung? Partly for being seen unfairly but understandably) as Beatles imitators and for writing a kind of music that quickly fell out of fashion at a really heady and competitive time in music.

It is a shame, but all too common. Think of the Zombies: Odyssey and Oracle is THE quintessential “overlooked” album of all time, only now getting its due as a masterpiece. This singular work of British pop genius was yawned at by the record companies and helped hasten the breakup of the band. Thankfully, it did not drive the Zombies to despair. Time proves the work holds up, as it does with most of Badfinger’s stuff. You’d think we’d learn that good songs are good songs whether they are “innovative” or not.

I agree there is a weird synergy between Joy Division’s “dark” music and the suicide of its leader that “adds” to the continued appeal of the band. This quality isn’t quite there with the other suicides, exception maybe being Nirvana (except Nirvana’s work is so much stronger & stands on its own). Or for that matter, Elliott Smith, whose work was even virtually a long suicide note (see the harrowing masterpiece “King’s Crossing”). I don’t want to sound like I’m bashing Joy Division, but I think with these other artists, the work itself (rather than the tragic biographies) justifies the devotion. Maybe it does with JD too but their stuff never quite moved me.

But then again without that, you wouldn’t have New Order either, who consciously took themselves in a more uplifting direction. Eventually spawning Madchester, Stone Roses, Oasis, and unfortunately, shit like The Strokes and Kaiser Chiefs.

As a power-pop sucker, I’m glad you featured Badfinger. I’m tired of trying to justify their worth to people who haven’t taken the time to hear their music or hear their story. And nice to include something other than “No Matter…” and “Come and Get It”. “Name of the Game” always had this mid-70’s Carl or Dennis Wilson vibe to it for me.

Definitely check out the book “Without You: The Tragic Story of Badfinger” by Dan Matovina if you can track it down.

Keep hanging on, Chris.

I certainly think there is a decent-sized percentage of poseurs who will wear certain shirts or claim to like certain bands or whatnot, simply because they think it makes them somehow look cool, dark, mysterious or whatever. Humanity is rife with shitbags like that, you know?

But, Hashpipe also makes a great point in that you can’t always fully tell who is wearing what shirt for what purpose– and I do believe that there are those who truly love this band, and others that I’m no fan of, who wear their shirts simply because they dig what I do not. I may snortle under my breath and make a snotty aside in my head; and not only is it quite possible that they couldn’t give a shit, but it is also quite likely that I might be the object of their quiet derision if I happen to be sporting a t-shirt depicting a band they’ve dismissed as shit, too!

They think they’re right, I think I’m right, and you all think you’re right– and so the great music geek debate continues to rage on, for now and all time….

But, maybe one thing most of us can agree upon is this: Sweet Fucking Jesus Dimwitted Christ, can we finally stop with all the over the top shows of attention-seeking forced ironic shit?!

Irony used to be something of a coincidental alignment of stars one tripped over drunkenly in an alley (either literally, or metaphorically); and now it is something of a forced and co-opted petri-dished semi-subculture populated by a bunch of mooks and taper-headed imbeciles sporting all manner of shit that happened mostly before they were even born!

And, even that would be okay if they at least could speak somewhat coherently about the Fonzies, Quiet Riots, Poisons and Saved By The Bells adorn their books, shirts, cars, etc….

But, they cannot.

And, please, PLEASE, PLEASE!!!!, I beg you, girls and women of ALL goddamn ages to immediately cease and desist from a practice so blood-curdlingly vile and offensively stretching for attention in it’s ostentatious nature that it makes me wanna wrap Men Without Hats merch around my neck and dick in a Thai hotel room and just fucking die….

YES, FOLKS– AN IRONIC DAVID CARRADINE REFERENCE, RIGHT HERE DURING AN ANTI-IRONY BIT O’ SCREED! WE AT BUDDYHEAD ARE ACTUALLY TRAINED AT THIS, SO NO WORRIES! WE’RE FINE. HOPE YOU ENJOYED THE SHOW….

Wow, I’m gonna need a refreshing Natty Light after that.

Okay, I’ll stop.

My point, previous to the production number, was this:

Women/ladies/girls/freaky TVs, and all the rest, please just STOP FUCKING USING LUNCHBOXES AS PURSES!!!!

It was tired back in the mid-80’s when when some of you lifers in this movement were still halfway decent-looking; and, no matter the age/relative hotness of the lunchbox carrier now, it is not 25 years ago when it was already lame, itis 25 years later when it is 25 years EVEN MORE LAME, you stupid, stupid fucking drone shits!!!!!

Just fucking stop posing! Skew your outer shell to reflect your inner (most likely also empty) shell, as opposed to posing. Face it, Honey, you’re most likely in too deep to fool anyone you’re looking to impress as it is most likely they kinda know their shit, while all you have is a t-shirt, or button….

DREAM SCENARIO FOR FAKE:
True Joy Division Fan: Hey, you’re into Joy Division, too? Cool! What’s your favorite period?
Poseur: Huh? Uh, you know! The one where, heh heh, don’t have to tell you man, cuz…can I have a smoke? Umm…wanna fuck?..don’t tell my friends”

MOST LIKELY SCENARIO FOR FAKE:
True Joy Division Fan: Hey, you’re into Joy Division, too? Cool! What’s your favorite period?
Poseur: Uh…ummm…you’re really cute…hmmm…uhh, my dad just died…yeah, I like that song where they were all dark and t-shirty, and how’s about an Alabama Hot Pocket in exchange for a ride home…?”

Hate irony wannabes who don’t get that sometimes it is them (they?) in their specially purchased or manufactured gear, that come off looking as though covered in shit…

Irony used to be something of a dependable cornerstone in comedy, on every level: from the famous who knew how to pitch it; to the living/rumpus rooms filled with guys and chicks looking to eviscerate friends and loved ones on a moment’s notice….

No Stryper/Crue or Hasselhoff shirts needed nor allowed…

Fuck that attention-grabbing shit; and thanks to Herr Hashpipe for pointing the light in that direction…..

best wishes to all,
chris