BEYOND COOL: Badfinger, the Beatles of the 1970s!

I love BADFINGER and you should, too. Here's a music player to win you over.



"Here it is, come and get it!"
BADFINGER
by Tym StevensThis is a Spotify player. Join up for free here.
BADFINGER were The Beatles' protégés, who had wonderful songs and terrible luck.

The classic line-up -Pete Ham, Tom Evans, Joey Molland, and Mike Gibbins- were together from 1970 to 1974, and had huge hits with the songs "Come And Get It" (written for them by Paul McCartney during the Abbey Road album sessions), "Day After Day", "No Matter What You Do", and "Baby Blue" (used memorably in the finale of 'Breaking Bad').

They also did the original of "Without You", a worldwide smash in 1971 with Harry Nilsson's cover of it. It has gone on to become a perennial standard covered by artists globally, including the 1996 hit for Mariah Carey.

The band is certainly every bit as influential on all the indie and power pop bands that followed as Big Star, The Raspberries, or The Modern Lovers. The latter part of the Music Player features cover versions in chronological order, from artists as varied as Ken Lazarus (Jamaica), We All Together (Peru), Tim Hardin, Leno E Lilian (Brazil), Billy Paul, The Flashcubes, Game Theory, Lon and Derrek Von Eaton (with Ringo Starr and Klaus Voorman), Midge Ure, Todd Rundgren, The Real Kids, and Harry Styles.

Their songs are excellent and eternal, and you're in good hands with BADFINGER.




© Tym Stevens

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See Also:

• "Without You" - Badfinger > Harry Nilsson

• All over, "Baby Blue"! - Gene Vincent > Bob Dylan > Badfinger > Beach Boys > Topley Bird


Hear the whole BEATLESQUE Songs series:
• 1963-esque
• 1964-esque
• 1965-esque
• 1966-esque
• 1967-esque
• 1968-esque
• 1969-esque
• 1970-esque
• 'REUNION' 1970-Now


• The Real History of Rock and Soul!: A Music Player Checklist

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ROCK Sex: "Without You" - Badfinger > Harry Nilsson

ROCK Sex can live with this song forever.

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BADFINGER were The Beatles for the 1970s, except that the decade didn't know it.

Glorious songs and horrible luck. But I consider that great band a treasure chest instead of a tragedy, and here's one more reason why.

"Without You" started out in half moves. First it took form as a song sketch by Pete Ham with the working title "If It's Love", with the verses and melody close but the chorus entirely different. Then Tom Evans put in the chorus from his incomplete song "I Can't Live".

PETE HAM -"I Can't Live" demo (1970)


TOM EVANS -"I Can't Live" demo (1970)


Badfinger recorded the melded version on their album NO DICE in 1970.

Paul McCartney, one of their Apple label bosses and an admirer, enthused that it was "...the killer song of all time."

BADFINGER -"Without You" (1970)



Another running mate of The Beatles, HARRY NILSSON must have felt so, too. First he did a heartfelt piano demo, and then recorded a stunning cover version. While everyone missed it on Badfinger's version, his "Without You" was a world smash and stayed at #1 in the US for a month.

HARRY NILSSON -"Without You" (1971)


It was such a success that he also did a Spanish version, "Sin Ti".


This is another case of how the cover version eclipsed the original, with most folks thinking it's Harry's song. Though lately they may think it's Mariah Carey's or any one of these.


But for me it's one more reason to be grateful for Pete, Tom, Mike, and Joey.



© Tym Stevens

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See Also:

• THE BRITISH INVASION!, with Music Player!

• BEYOND COOL: Badfinger, the Beatles of the 1970s!, with Music Player!

• BEATLESQUE Songs: 1969-esque, with Music Player!

• All over, "Baby Blue"! - Gene Vincent > Bob Dylan > Badfinger > Beach Boys > Topley Bird


• The Real History of Rock and Soul!: The Music Player Checklist

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