Meanwhile check Dan Matovina's recently updated page for loads of new information about Badfinger. Among other things a new Pete Ham demo is downloadable.

http://www.sirius.com/~crimson - Link Here

The Pete Ham Tribute Celebration held at the Swansea Central Library in June of 2000 was a very special event to me. When I started the book on Badfinger back in 1990, I had already been developing the opinion that Pete Ham was a pretty special human being and figured my research would likely prove out he was well-respected by most people who knew him. It turned out to be so much more than that. Apparently, Pete boldly touched the hearts and lives of almost everyone who knew him. Besides the favorable impressions he made from his immense musical talent, he was deeply cherished by his friends, family, and business acquaintances, because of his attributes of warmth, compassion, humbleness, gentleness, sensitivity, humor, and kindness. He is someone people looked up to for the examples he set. His early death is an unbelievable tragedy to this world. Just think of the other contributions he would have made if he'd lived much longer? Even if Pete had retired from music, it's likely he would have been doing things which helped make other people's lives that much better.

The Pete Ham Tribute Booklet was a handout made at the two-week celebration in Swansea. The first person listed in the booklet recalling Pete is Roy Anderson, who was in Pete's very first band, starting around age fourteen. Roy once relayed this story to me in a letter, "It's been my experience that as you go through life, just once in a while you meet someone who touches your very soul. Peter Ham was one of these people... for example, we met two girls who we went out with for awhile. The girl Peter was involved with was attractive, but unfortunately had both legs in 'leg irons' as she suffered some illness and needed these to help support her legs, so she was only able to walk very slowly and awkwardly; it was quite upsetting to witness. It's a terrible thing to say Dan, but taking into account our age and immaturity a lot of people would have been embarrassed by her deformity, but not Peter. He went out with her on many occasions...."

A typical Pete story... now enjoy the booklet. Special thanks to Marilyn Jones and Keith James, who were two major players in the Swansea event.

Link Here: Pete Ham Tribute Booklet reproduced on Rick Kellogg's Webring Page

Capitol Records is now indicating the release date of the new Very Best Of Badfinger CD is scheduled for September 12, 2000. It is an Apple Records release. Warner Brothers tracks were licensed. Dan Matovina indicates all the potential previously-unreleased tracks were eventually vetoed off, but he says there is a marked improvement in the sound quality of a majority of the tracks, especially the Straight Up songs. It is a complete new remastering. The song order is as has been reported on other web sites, except that "Lonely You" is track 17 and "Love Time" is track 18. There are many new photographs in the booklet. Andy Davis of Record Collector wrote the new liner notes. An extensive report on the project will be coming in the future.

On February 12, 2000, a 90 minute TV special was shown in Great Britain. Dan Matovina gives the following report

"This TV program rated the Top Ten love songs of all-time from the perspective of three categories: chart weeks, length at Number One (in Britain), and amounts of recorded cover versions. "Without You" ranked Number 3. "Unchained Melody" was Number 1. The show was a mixture of serious study and commentary, tabloid gossip, and comedy. The segment on Badfinger was one of the better ones. A show producer was in the San Francisco area to do various interviews and, since they had contacted me for info from the book, phone contact info, and photos, they did an interview, too. But no portion was used, which was fine, because I do not have books out in the U.K. currently. The final 7-minute program segment utilized interviews with Beverley Tucker, Joey Molland, Richard Perry, and two voice-overs from Tom Evans. I had told them where to get the clip of the band lip-synching to "Without You", and they used some of that. They did play segments of Pete and Tom's original demos from the hardcover version of the Badfinger book, and they played Harry Nilsson's demo. The Apple promo film of "No Matter What" was also used a lot. Beverley talked about the origin of Pete's early version, and the impact on her life of the hit version. Also, Tommy's sorrow over Pete's death. Joey talked about working with George Harrison, the band recording the song, and when they heard Harry Nilsson's version. Joey said the band got the idea of combining and recording the song at the end of the No Dice sessions. This is inaccurate (possibly Joey's memory is off here), as there exists a band demo done on the Revox, plus studio versions with Mal Evans (done 2 months before the album was even started). 'The original two segments of "Without You" were written in the Iveys era (1969). Beverley and myself were credited under the "Archives" credit at the end of the program.

Former Badfinger member Bob Jackson has recently given an exclusive, in depth interview with this website regarding not only his involvement with Badfinger but also his time in The Dodgers along with Tom Evans.

Check this website in the next few days for part one of the interview.

Story Behind the Japanese version of Golders Green

The Japanese version of Golders Green came about because of a request from VideoArts Music, who manufacture and distribute Rykodisc's product in Japan. This company often requests additional bonus tracks for their CD's because their domestic issue of a CD comes under different tax laws which make them more expensive to buyers in Japan. Bonus tracks entice their market buyers to buy the domestic version. Previously, for 7 Park Avenue, I had decided to give the Japanese company five bonus tracks, because I knew that many Pete Ham fans from outside Japan were so into Pete that they would buy the more expensive CD, so I wanted to give them enough to justify spending more money. But I understood the frustration of some fans at feeling like it's a rip-off. Actually, this Japanese bonus track scenario is very common to the music industry in the last five years. But for the new CD, Golders Green --- myself and many people at Rykodisc did not want to have a separate Japanese version.

But the general manager of Rykodisc really, really pushed and almost insisted the Ham Estate give them some extra tracks, because Video Arts are such a big help to Rykodisc, and Pete Ham is actually more renown there than in the U.S. or Europe. So I gave them two tracks (which is more of a standard amount to give them as bonus tracks). Looking back, I do wish I'd put on one or two more, but I had to make a really quick decision at the time. "Piano Red" is almost five minutes, and it's a very interesting track with lots of slide guitar licks -- a lot of fun. "Evening Sky" shows a different side to Pete's writing. It's a classical ballad with a piano solo. I do recommend the Japanese CD. You also get a complete lyrics sheet with the package.

Dan Matovina

Link here and go to Dan's newly updated page where you can order the CD

1979 recorded Badfinger album “Airwaves is now out at last out on CD.
The label Permanent Press is the company behind it. With help from Joe Tansin (lead guitarist of the Airwaves period Badfinger line up) they’ve done a great job remastering an album that used to suffer a great deal from vinyl noise. Now you can enjoy Nicky Hopkins' great piano work on both “The Dreamer” and “Sail Away” in a clean and polished sound. It features liner notes by Joe Tansin and comments by both Joey Molland and Dan Matovina. All in all it’s a very nice package. Though Joe Tansin and Permanent Press did what they could to get the famous John Ryan demos included as bonus tracks, they did not succeed.

Instead a couple of other bonus songs were thrown in. The best and most interesting is the first “One More Time” which is a song that was recorded and meant to be included on the original issue of Airwaves but eventually was dropped. The song is written and sung by Joe Tansin but features backing vocals by Tom Evans. The rest of the bonus tracks are three other Tansin songs and one Joey Molland song. Both Tansin’s Can You Feel Rain and “Send Me Your Love” have no other Badfinger assosiations apart from being written by Tansin. Nevertheless they’re some really nice tunes. I do not like the last Tansin song “Steal My Heart”. Joey has contributed with the track “Love Can’t Hide”. A very typical Joey ballad-not bad, but unfortunately it suffers from rather poor sound quality.Also Joey’s voice sounds very muddy.It would have fittet Basil nicely. All in all I think Permanent Press did justice to the album, and Badfinger fans can only be happy with a top quality reissue and hope that future Badfinger issues will be handled with same care!