How I Became A Badfinger Fan

** Badfinger first caught, or rather GRABBED, my attention in December of 1986 when I was a senior in high school. I was on a date with my high school sweetheart (and future wife) Sonja. We drove along the snow-covered roads in the West Virginia mountains listening to Dick Clark's Solid Gold Saturday Night. Suddenly a very catchy song with a distinctive guitar riff came over the radio. My first reaction was that it was a Beatles song that I had never heard but, as I already owned every album and single that the Fab Four had produced, I knew that was not possible (the Anthologies were still over a decade away from release)! I immediately stopped my 1975 Dodge Dart and listened intently, praying that Mr. Clark would name the song and artist. Thankfully he did, identifying the song as "No Matter What" by a band named Badfinger!
Like most Beatle fans I knew that Badfinger was one of the first acts the Beatles had signed to their Apple label. I was also aware that they had recorded McCartney's "Come And Get It" and had played on several of the former Beatles' solos efforts. I was electrified by "No Matter What." My girlfriend was duly impressed as well, especially by the soaring chorus. We drove directly to a local music store renowned for its ability to find any record anywhere. When I inquired of Badfinger the gentleman behind the counter quickly informed me of the futility of my quest. Evidently their entire catalog had been out of print for over a decade. This bit of news, however discouraging, would not stop me. Fortunately I remembered a friend of mine who had inherited his late father's voluminous collection of 1960s and 1970s albums. Sure enough he had copies of not one but two Badfinger albums--Straight Up and No Dice. The latter, of course, featuring "No Matter What." As my friend was always looking for extra cash to spend on various intoxicating herbs he gladly sold me both LP's for $10! I took my two prizes home and was immediately enraptured by the warmth and beauty of Badfinger's music. Though I enjoyed all the songs it was Pete Ham's voice and lyrics that particularly captured my imagination. After several journeys through each album Pete was second in my heart only to John Lennon. The hymn-like "Take It All," "Baby Blue"s folksy Rubber Soul melancholy, the sweeping existential meditations of "Name Of The Game," "Blodwyn"s bouncy joy, the wistful "We're For The Dark," "Day After Day"s silver lining of hope around the sadness, and, of course, the power pop bliss of "No Matter What" literally took my breath away. Like a fine wine they only get better with age. I was soon determined to find out where Pete Ham was and what he had been doing in recent years since Badfinger was obviously no longer an active group. I even began to write him a lengthy letter telling him, among other things, how much his music meant to me. The following week in school I found a copy of The Rolling Stone Record Guide and decided to begin my search there. I was crushed when, in reading the all-too-brief blurb about the band, that Pete Ham had committed suicide in 1975. No reason was given, just a date showing he dad died when I was all of six years of age... Months would pass before I acquired my next out-of-print Badfinger album. I happened to find a copy of Ass in my uncle's record collection and traded him my Neil Young Decade three LP set even-up for it. Needless to say my expectations were running high in the wake of my countless headphone journeys through the magical realms of No Dice and Straight Up. Ass was something of a letdown for me. First, all of the songs were credited to "Badfinger," not to the individual songwriter. Being a fan of the Beatles I had learned long ago in dealing with the "Lennon/McCartney" credits that one could usually determine who was the primary composer of a song simply by who was the lead singer. The album started off with the pleasing "Apple Of My Eye." One of Pete's finest efforts. Next came "Get Away," a pleasant but forgettable rocker in the vein of Joey's earlier "Love Me Do." "Icicles" by Joey was a lovely ballad and stands today as one of his finest Badfinger compositions. "The Winner" occupies the opposite end of the spectrum. I didn't like it then and I still don't. "Blind Owl" was a catchy Tom Evans number but not on par with "Without You" or "Name Of The Game" that had closed out the first sides of No Dice and Straight Up, respectively. "Constitution" boasted some mean licks but was a lyrical dud. "When I Say" was a beautiful ballad--much more what I expected of Tom. "Cowboy" was a comical song that immediately brought to mind Ringo doing "Act Naturally." Along with "Icicles," "I Can Love You" was a beautiful Molland tune though I felt the production was a bit much. At that point I was disappointed with Ass for one obvious reason. Where was Pete? He sang the first song on the record and the vanished. What was the logic in relegating the band's heavy-hitter to just one song in the first nine? And then came the majestic "Timeless," a grand-slam of a finale that Ass so desperately needed. This was the track I had been waiting for and I played it over and over again. I decided that Ass was noticeably weaker than its predecessors but at least it began and ended with two Pete Ham classics. Years would pass and Badfinger's albums eventually came out on CD. Though I was not terribly pleased with the extensive refurbishing done to the 1974 Cleveland tapes, I was happy to see a Badfinger slot containing Day After Day at my local music store. It was quite nice to at last have No Dice, Straight Up, and Magic Christian Music on compact disc (my only copy of Magic Christian Music to that point being a mono recording made by my girlfriend from a copy of the album she had found in Munich, Germany). And then came 1997!
When in Dublin, Ireland, I found a copy of Pete Ham's 7 Park Avenue. I also found the CD versions of Badfinger and Wish You Were Here--two Badfinger holy grails I thought would forever elude me! I learned about Dan Matovina's book when I read 7 Park Avenue's liner notes. I e-mailed the author when I returned stateside and he informed me that his book would be released that fall. In the meantime I bought the video documentary of Badfinger. I loved the concert footage of Pete and the boys, it was the first time I had seen anything other than still photos of any of them. The production of the tape I found to be a bit lacking and the interviews, while interesting, did not come close to satisfying my hunger for Badfinger information but served only as an appetizer. I was then learned that Dan Matovina's book was finally available and that the first reviews were quite favorable. The fact that the book was unauthorized (although I was not sure exactly by whom) and not an autobiography only reinforced my decision to purchase it. It had been my experience over the years that autobiographies and authorized biographies are usually more noteworthy for what they omit rather than what they include, promising cream and delivering skim milk instead (the most notable exception being former Boston Red Sox hurler Bill "Spaceman" Lee's The Wrong Stuff). I ordered Mr. Matovina's book on a Monday, received it on Friday, and finished it by Sunday evening. It reinforced what I had felt for years just from listening to Badfinger's records. Pete was what made Badfinger unique! Someone had finally taken the time and given the effort to fill the vacuum of historical information regarding Badfinger. At last I knew the story of Badfinger and, most importantly, Pete Ham. My appreciation of the band's music and what these young men went through to create it was only enhanced by Without You: The Tragic Story of Badfinger. I have Golders Green, Head First (hopefully), and the promised VH1 Behind The Music special for which to look forward. There are also numerous websites and guestbooks (some spirited entries, to say the least)! to keep the band's memory alive. My many heartfelt thanks to Dan Matovina for his first-class research and dedication in writing his book as well as his rescuing and making Pete's demos available for all his fans. Thanks to Jesper for letting me tell my long and winding (and windy)! Badfinger fan story. And finally, thanks to Pete, Tom, Mike, and Joey (and Ron and Bob as well) for making music that is as unforgettable as it is beautiful!

Doug Stalnaker

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