A Blast from the Past: The “Other” Fab Four

The term “Fab Four” is well known as a reference to the Beatles.  But at one time, there was an aspiring “other” Fab Four – another English group linked to the Beatles, and at times seen as a Beatles “knock off”

Most today don’t know of them; their popularity was fleeting.  But had things broken for them differently, they could have easily ended up being the “next big thing” from England.  Unfortunately, for the most part they ended up broke, forgotten – and in two cases, dead far too young.

But they were talented as hell, and were far from being “Beatles clones”.  They deserve a bit better than that.

Yeah, I’m about to go on another “walkabout”.   Consider yourself forewarned.

. . .

In the 1960s, a musical group formed in Swansea, Wales.  For years, they were poor and struggling.  They called themselves the Iveys.

They were talented, if young.  And one night, they were seen by the right person.  They became the first act (other than the Beatles) signed by Apple Records.

They sounded much like the Beatles, actually – understandable, since Liverpool is not far at all away from Wales, and weren’t far off from the Beatles in age.  (The singing voice of one in particular sounded similar to that of Paul McCartney.)  Their first hit was also written by Paul McCartney.

This created an association between the band and the Beatles that was to persist.  Though a long-term detriment, it indeed helped their early rise.

The band renamed itself before their first Apple release.  Their new name:  Badfinger.

They were to prove much more than mere Beatles clones.  And they were fated to be both popular and short lived.

Arguably, they invented the “power ballad”.    Don’t believe me?  Listen to the three below that are identified as such – and find an earlier example that “charted big”.  Not sure you really can.

I’m not going to write a “blow-by-blow” about the band’s history.  Instead, I’ll just present a few of what I consider their better tunes – along with a few brief comments of my own.

If you’ve never heard much of their music – or if you haven’t heard it in a while – grab a good set of headphones and listen.  I think it’ll be worth the time.  (For a couple of the tunes, depending your your own past close relationships you might want to grab a tissue, too,)

. . .

Come and Get It
Paul McCartney tune, written for the movie “The Magic Christian”.  It got them started as their first hit.

No Matter What
First hit for the band written by Peter Hamm.  The tune established the band as independent, but was still very much “Beatle-esque” in sound.

Without You
Written by band members Peter Hamm and Tom Evans, and established the band as having their own unique style.  It’s perhaps the first rock “power ballad”.  Written by splicing two songs written by Hamm and Evans together, it’s become a modern-day standard.  (Harry Nillson’s definitive version can be found here..)

(Short sidebar: the members of Badfinger ran into Nillson in the studio while he was recording the album to contain Without You. They heard Nilsson’s version – which was reputedly recorded in a single take – and were floored by it.  Nilsson’s version received a Grammy in 1973.)

Day After Day
Another truly beautiful power ballad by Peter Hamm.  Musicians who played on the tune include George Harrison (slide guitar solo) and Leon Russel (piano).  It was their biggest hit, chart-wise.

Baby Blue
Probably the best known of their tunes due to being featured as the finale (literally) of Breaking Bad.  It’s another absolutely gorgeous power ballad, also by Peter Hamm.  The song was based on real events – specifically, Hamm’s relationship with Dixie Armstrong on their final US tour.  It became popular again recently when it was featured in the final scene of Breaking Bad – where it fit perfectly.

Apple of My Eye
The band’s last well-known single, from their final Apple album.  It’s reputedly about the end of their contract with Apple records vice about a relationship.

Perfection
A tune you probably haven’t heard from their consensus best album, Straight Up.  Yeah, the lyrics today may seem a bit “hippy-esque” and a touch naive.  Hey, it was recorded in the early 1970s – what do you expect?  But it’s still a helluva tune that takes a far more realistic look at things than did many contemporary tunes of its genre.

Name of the Game
Another one you probably haven’t heard – it wasn’t a single, though it did get some airplay.  Great tune, and one of my favorites by the band.

. . .

By the early 1970s, the band was primed for stardom – hell, they were stars, coming off four straight multinational hits from three straight successful albums.  They’d also been the backing band for George Harrison at his “Concert for Bangladesh”.

And then it all abruptly ended.

So, what happened?  Bad timing, money – and dirty dealing.

The bad timing:  Badfinger got caught up in the fallout over Apple Records going belly-up.  This tied up royalties for much of their early work for years.

Plus, to put it bluntly:  the band got screwed.  They were somewhat naive, business-wise.  When they became big, knowing that fact, before touring America they signed with an American manager – Stan Polley.

Exceptionally bad choice.

Polley was later named in a Senate investigation as having mob connections, and years later was convicted of fraud.  He reputedly screwed the band royally, both financially and contractually. While the band was big, they were also damn near broke – their money was being “held for investment” and the band members were living on relatively paltry salaries.  The rest of their income was being “held” by Polley for their future use.

In reality, the money was disappearing.

The band’s first Warner Album didn’t do well. And their second Warner album, considered by some one of their two best, was also short-lived. Their new label (Warner) got wind that something shady might be going on with respect to the band’s finances.

When Polley couldn’t answer (or, some accounts say, sidestepped if not outright refused to answer) Warner’s questions about what had happened to the band’s contract advances, Warner demanded an investigation into the band’s finances.  Warner also pulled the plug on both promotion and distribution of their albums released in 1974, withdrawing the second from sales entirely as it was rising in the charts. They also and blocked release of a third album the band had completed by refusing to accept the master tapes.

Warner also began legal action against Polley.  And since he had control of the band’s finances, well, . . . .

This cut off the bands’ income; it also prevented them from releasing any new work. It virtually put a stop to their public performances.  And the financial and legal wrangling dragged on for months – then years.

Despondent, Hamm – the band’s primary creative force, who’d also apparently believed in Polley far longer than his bandmates before realizing the truth – hanged himself in April 1975.  (His suicide note effectively blamed Polley for driving him to suicide.)  The band for all practical purposes broke up afterwards, though survivor-led versions with different lineups persisted for years (one persists to this day).

The legal wrangling (and financial standstill) over past recordings by the band continued on an on.  Evans hanged himself in 1983 for much the same reasons as had Hamm – continued legal wrangling over past band royalties.

. . .

Well, that’s a short version of the band’s story. It’s not pretty – but some of their music is truly timeless.

A short (30 min) video history of the band from BBC – titled “They Sold a Million” – exists. If you’re interested in the band and its music, IMO it’s certainly worth a look.

It’s a shame they weren’t able to carry on.

———-

Postscript: the title for Badfinger’s last album released in 1974, which was pulled from sales due to investigation into the band’s finances, was “Wish You Were Here”. About 10 months later, Pink Floyd released an album by the same title.

The English rock music world wasn’t all that large in 1974-1975. The members of Pink Floyd certainly would have heard about Pete Hamm’s suicide – and would have also certainly have heard the story behind Badfinger’s collapse. Word gets around in a smallish, closed community.

Pink Floyd’s album title – and the entire album – was indeed a reference to former Pink Floyd founder Syd Barret. But I can’t help wondering if maybe the title was also a bit of a double-entendre.

And I also believe I know who Roger Waters might well have used as the inspiration for the record producer character in his song “Have A Cigar” from that album.

 

Multiple Internet sources were used in preparing the above.

Category: Pointless blather, Who knows