As I have always enjoyed reading about peopleÕs opinions about music and their first experiences with their favourite groups, I have decided to write about my favourite group and how I became involved with their music.I must admit that I have only been a real Badfinger fan for about 6 years. As IÕm 43 years old now, you might wonder why it all started so late - long after the group folded. I guess there are several reasons for this, but I think I«ll start with telling about my relation to music in general.
I have always enjoyed music and singing a lot, but there is no doubt that my real passion for pop/rock music started with The Beatles around 1965. I remember me and a friend saving up to buy ÒYesterdayÓ and that we had it a week at a time. In the beginning there was only The Beatles, but other groups soon followed - Dylan, Byrds and Traffic were among my favourites in the late sixties. Ever since I began to earn my own money, I have been a collector of music, and if I really liked a ground, I have always tried to find everything they recorded.
In about 1970 when Badfinger arrived on the pop/rock scene I had become somewhat tired of The Beatles and their sixties sound, and I was more into what was regarded as more progressive music at that time. Procol Harum and Fairport Convention were the big names for me, and I saw both bands live several times. I remember hearing ÒCome and Get itÓ on the radio - I even remember liking it, but it was not the kind music you got into - it was too commercial - too much like The Beatles. I also remember hearing ÒNo Matter WhatÓ and ÒDay After DayÓ on radio - I liked both songs but never thought buying a Badfinger record.
About 1974 I borrowed a copy of ÒAssÓ at our local library, and I remember that I was surprised to hear that only one track reminded me of what I regarded as a real Badfinger song - I guess it must have been ÒApple of My EyeÓ - but IÕm not sure. Anyway, the record did not change my view on the group, and I kind of forgot about them. The next time I was confronted with their name was when reading about Pete HamÕs suicide in Melody Maker, which I subscribed from England at the time. I remember feeling sad about this and wondering whether he was one of the important members in the group, but I soon forgot about them again.
Some time around 1980 I got hold of a second-hand copy of Magic Christian Music, and I did play it several times. I liked ÒCome and Get itÓ and also the melody in ÒWalk Out in The RainÓ but I did not particularly like the arrangement. My impression of the album as a whole was that it was a bit too vague and fresh for my taste, and some years later I sold it at a Òsecond-hand records conventionÓ.
Nothing happened in my Badfinger story until late 1992 when I read a short article in the English record-magazine ÒMagpieÓ about Apple reissues. Somehow that article made me curious about Badfinger again. I remembered that I had had an old Badfinger-single down in my basement which I possibly never had cared to listen to. ( I often bought smaller single collections at that time exchanging what I did not like to things for my collection. Luckily it was still there - an old scratchy copy of ÒBaby BlueÓ bw ÓFlyingÓ. I had to play it again and again - I could not believe how good that song was. Still today Baby Blue is something special to me, and when I present Badfinger to people who do not know the band, thatÕs usually the tune I begin with.
Of course I qucikly filled out the the order sheet to Magpie Direct Music and ordered ÒMagic Christian MusicÓ, ÒNo DiceÓ , ÒShine OnÓ and ÒMaybe TomorrowÓ. Only the first 3 titles were available in vinyl, so I had to accept to get the last one on CD - at that time I still believed in the old vinyl-records. Knowing that there would be 4 or 5 weeks before I received my records, I began to look out for Badfinger music here in Denmark. I imagined that it would not be that difficult to find second-hand copies of their LPÕs - it seemed to me that I had often seen them at markets and second-hand stores. The first one I got hold of was ÒNo DiceÓ - and what a find! So many strong tunes . Of course I knew No Matter WhatÓ and ÒWithout YouÓ , but songs like ÒMidnight CallerÓ, ÒWeÕre For The DarkÓ and ÒBloodwynÓ really convinced me - I was a fan! I began to look for credits for the songs - no doubt Pete Ham was my favourite, but the others were good too.
Within the next 3 weeks I had got hold of their most common singles: ÒCome and Get itÓ, ÒNo Matter WhatÓ(2 differents), ÒDay After DayÓ and ÒBaby BlueÓ. I have never seen any of the later singles - so I guess they must be extremely rare here in Denmark. I also found a second-hand copy of ÒBadfingerÓ, and though I felt it had a different atmosphere from ÒNo DiceÓ, I was not disappointed. ÒLonely YouÓ is classical - ÒShine OnÓ, ÒWhere Do We Go From HereÓ, ÒMy Heart Goes OutÓ and the more edgy songs Ò Give it UpÓ, ÒIslandÓ - this was really not just a pop-singles band - this was an albums-rock-band.
I found the CD-compilation ÒBest of Badfinger Vol 2Ó shortly afterwards during a visit to Aarhus - the biggest city next to Copenhagen. It was very exciting to read the notes, as I knew only little about the bandÕs history and album releases. It was sad to learn how tragically their story had developed, but it was a comfort to have so much ÒnewÓ Badfinger music. No weak tracks at all. Ever since hearing the 4 ÒHead FirstÓ tracks I have been impatiently waiting to hear the rest of that album and hoping that it will be officially released. Finally my order from England arrived - I was really exited. Unfortunately the parcel contained on one item - ÒMagic Christian MusicÓ . ÒNo DiceÓ, ÒShine OnÓ and ÒMaybe TomorrowÓ were currently out of stock, but would be despatched to me as soon as possible. ÒMagic Christian MusicÓ was made into a double album with one LP containing the original album and the other the 2 bonus-tracks ( played on 45) - I think I would have preferred a single album to this! About the music - Well I guess it was what IÕd expected from what I remembered from my first copy. ÒCome and GetÓ and ÒWalk Out in the RainÓ were outstanding - but also ÒCrimson ShipÓ, ÒMidnight SunÓ and ÒBeautiful and BlueÓ made it a solid album - though nowhere near ÒNo DiceÓ.
About 3 weeks later a new parcel arrived, this time containing ÒNo DiceÓ and ÒShine OnÓ ÒNo DiceÓ I already knew, so I was more exited about hearing the 5 bonus-tracks. I liked them all, though ÒI«ll Be the OneÓ was a clear number one. ÒShine OnÓ is a good compilation of the 2 Warner albums, but to only ÒDennisÓ was new. The sleeve notes mentions ÒAfter the PearlÓ as the last Badfinger album, so for some time I believed it was.
From then things went fast. Badfinger were my favourites. I soon received ÒMaybe TomorrowÓ - a disappointment I must admit , I have never come to really like that album. I found a second-hand copy of ÒSay No MoreÓ - ÒToo Hung Up On YouÓ is really great. By the end of 1993 I had collected all the original albums. ÒWish You Were HereÓ, ÒAssÓ and ÒAirwavesÓ second-hand, and ÒStraight UpÓ in the LP version reissue - I think this one must be pretty rare. About ÒStraight UpÓ I have to mention that most of the 6 bonus tracks are superior to their original LP-versions - especially ÒName of The GameÓ, ÒPerfectionÓ and ÒBaby BlueÓ.
During the next couple of years nothing new really happened. Of course I waited for ÒAssÓ to be reissued with a lot of bonus-tracks - but if nothing new is going on you slowly lose interest. I had no knowledge of what was going on on the internet.
It was not until Easter 1997 that my second Badfingerperiod began. I was on a short holiday to London with some friends, and of course I visited many of the biggest recordstores. I did know if ÒAssÓ had been reissued, so I checked out Badfinger the HMV-musicstore - I found it had, but I did not buy it at first because I hoped to find it on vinylrecord - also I was a bit disappointed to see I had only one bonus-track. Instead I discovered The Pete Ham CD Ò7 Park AvenueÓ. I had not heard anything about , but I took the chance and bought it. Later on the same trip I did find ÒAssÓ on vinyl .
When I returned from London I was of course excited to hear my new buys. ÒI DonÕt MindÓ - the bonus-track on ÒAssÓ was a very positive surprise. I had hoped for some new Pete Ham tracks, but this new Molland-tune was okay.
I did not know what to expect from Ò7 Park AvenueÓ, but I hoped it would be like Badfinger. Right from the first track my attension was attracted - ÒCatherine CaresÓ did have the Badfinger-sound. My first favourite was ÒDoesnÕt Really MatterÓ and ÒHand in HandÓ, but I must admit it took me some weeks to realize just how strong an album this was. It is just so full of classicals and potential hits. The stories behind these songs make the impression they give you even stronger.
It was about this time I gained access to the internet, and discovered all the Badfinger-pages. I took some time to distinguish them from each other - but I noticed that BrandoÕs and SeanÕs were among the best - I found ÒThe Official Badfinger PageÓ somewhat uninspired. I also found an add for Dan MatovinaÕs Badfinger biography, and some time around june 97 I ordered it from America, hoping I would among the lucky 1000 to get the bonus-CD.
I began to read all that I could find about the group on the different internetpages. I learned a lot about the groupÕs history during the last months of 97. I also noticed from the Badfinger pages that there seemed to be different fractions and opinions about the group, its members and the many people around them. I was very impatient about receiving the book so I could find out more about what this was all about. Unfortunately the book was delayed several times, but it was a great comfort to receive personal letters from Dan Matovina explaining about hte bookÕs delay.
By Christmas I had bought all Badfinger albums on CD - also the 2 live albums, though I never was a big fan of live-albums. I think the sound on ÒDay After DayÓ is better, but the BBC-recordings are the most interesting because theyÕre without overdubs.
Early January 1998 I finally received my copy of ÒWithout You - The Tragic Story of BadfingerÓ - with the bounus-CD! And it was really worth waiting for. I think the book is extremely well-written and well researced - I know that some important people around the band have refused to contribute and give interviews - but wonÕt it always be so? And if the donÕt like the way things have been described, it is to a certain degree their own fault. I really hope that The Mollands will publish their version of the bandÕs story; because there will always be different views on what happened. In this case I think it must really be in their interest to explain things. How could the accept to receive the ASCAP reward for ÒWithout YouÓ - for instance?
About the CD: I think ÒI WonÕt Forget YouÓ is a classic, and that ÒJust How Lucky We AreÓ is an outstanding song - superior to the version on Ò7 Park AvenueÓ - the rest is okay but mostly of historical interest.
My most recent buys are the 2 Golddisc versions of ÒNo DiceÓ and ÒStraight UpÓ - I think theyÕre worth it, though you have to listen very carefully to discover them from the original CD-reissues. And the most recent addition to my Badfinger collection is the Japanese version of Ò7 Park AvenueÓ. I downloaded ÒCome, Come TomorrowÓ from Darren EnglishÕs ÒBadfinger RadioÓ, and from the first chorus I knew I had to get hold of the whole CD. My favourite track now is ÒThe Heart That CanÕt Be UnderstoodÓ, but all 3 ÒnewÓ songs are good - I hope someday they can be released in a better soundquality.
About the future: I hope Dan, Sean, Brando and all the other Badfingerenthusiasts will keep the pot boiling, so we can come to hear more of our favourite music. I canÕt wait for ÒGolders GreenÓ ( 7 Park vol 2 ), ÒHead FirstÓ, ÒThe Airwaves/Say No More - OuttakesÓ, ÒThe Complete Badfinger Apple Years BoxsetÓ, ÒAirwaves/Say No MoreÓ on CD, ÒOver YouÓ reissue, ÒThe Warner Badfinger Box - including the Complete ÒHead FirstÓ RecordingsÓ, ÒThe Badfinger MovieÓ etc. etc. etc.
Meanwhile I try to keep up to date about what is happening, by regularly checking my favourite Badfinger-pages. I use every opportunity to play the bandsÕ music to friends and family, and I hope in this way to help supporting their music to gain the recognition and appreciation it deserves.
Morten Vindberg L¾rkevej 32 K¿lvrŒ 7470 Karup J Danmark 0045 97102414
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