Badfinger was one of the first groups to be signed by the Beatles’ Apple Records. Known then as The Iveys, the group got a leg up in the industry thanks to Paul McCartney’s songwriting chops, but once Apple dissolved, their luck quickly went south. Learn more about Badfinger’s industry disputes and tragic end below.
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How Badfinger Was Signed to the Beatles’ Apple Records
Towards the end of the Beatles’ tenure, the group decided to create its own record label, Apple Records. In addition to releasing their own material, the group sought to support burgeoning artists and bands. “We hope to make a thing that’s free, where people can come and do and record,” John Lennon once said of the label’s ethos.
Though the label lasted only a few years, it had a significant impact on rock. Artists who were signed include Billy Preston, Brute Force, Yoko Ono, and, most relevant to this story, Badfinger.
Under their original name, Badfinger had little luck. Despite being signed to the Beatles’ label and often drawing comparisons to the band, The Iveys couldn’t snare a hit. A little while into their Apple partnership, The Beatles’ road manager, Neil Aspinall, decided to give them a new name, Badfinger, which apparently was Beatle-speak for a boo boo on your hand. As a fun fact, the working title for “With A Little Help From My Friends” was “Bad Finger Boogie” because John Lennon had an ouchie while recording it.
That name change marked a turning point for the group. McCartney decided to gift the band a song he wrote, “Come and Get It.” The former Beatle also produced the song, unsurprisingly earning the burgeoning outfit a mammoth hit.
They also scored another breakthrough around the same time with Harry Nilsson recording their self-penned hit “Without You.” All of this success was earned under the band’s heyday lineup of vocalist and guitarist Pete Ham, bassist Tom Evans, guitarist Joey Molland, and drummer Mike Gibbons.
Bad Luck Badfinger
Despite getting off to a strong start, their luck eventually ran out. As Apple Records was breaking down (and the Beatles were battling it out in court), Badfinger decided to jump ship, signing with Warner Records.
They had two major flops, Ass and Badfinger. The lack of success on both albums landed the band in serious financial trouble. The fact that their manager, Stan Polley, defrauded the group didn’t help either.
Though they eventually dropped Polley, their lack of money made it hard for anyone else to take his place. All of this difficulty mounted in 1975, when Ham committed suicide to escape his sinking ship.
But that’s not where the band’s troubles ended. Molland and Evans tried to revamp the band several years after Ham’s death, but they quickly fell into arguments about royalties, as so many bands do. At the same time, Evans was being sued for $5 million over a tour dispute. He, like Ham, took his own life in the early ’80s.
Molland was the sole surviving member of the group for years before passing away in 2025.
Badfinger didn’t have the easiest run of any rock group. They got dealt bad hand after bad hand. Their misfortune is made all the more surprising given that they had help from one of the biggest bands of all time. Nevertheless, their involvement with the Beatles yielded several era-defining hits that offer a silver lining amid this rock tragedy. Revisit “Come and Get It” below.
(Photo by Fin Costello/Redferns)
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