A new compilation of rare 1960s demos by The Iveys, the Welsh rock band that became Badfinger, will be released on November 28. The album, titled Miniskirts & Rainbows: The Iveys Anthology Volume 5, will be available as a 19-track CD and digital release, as well as a limited-edition vinyl LP featuring 17 songs.
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The recordings date from 1966 through 1969, and the project was compiled by Badfinger archivist and historian Tom Brennan. The Iveys’ 1966 lineup featured lead guitarist/keyboardist Pete Ham, rhythm guitarist David Jenkins, bassist Ron Griffiths, and drummer Mike Gibbins. Jenkins was replaced by Tom Evans in 1967. All of the band’s members contributed vocals.
The Iveys became one of the first artists signed to The Beatles’ label, Apple, in 1968. The band still featured Ham, Griffiths, Gibbins, and Evans when it changed its name to Badfinger in 1969.
Miniskirts & Rainbows includes alternate versions of six songs that appeared on releases by The Iveys or Badfinger. It also features 10 songs never heard before by either collectors or the public.
One advance track from the compilation, a demo of the song “Blodwyn,” has debuted on The Ivey’s official YouTube channel. The tune, which was written by Ham, was first released on the 1970 Badfinger album No Dice. The demo features Griffiths sharing lead vocals with Ham, while Evans adds harmony to the choruses.
More Details About Miniskirts & Rainbows Compilation
Miniskirts & Rainbows also features unreleased demos of “Angelique” and “Yesterday Ain’t Coming Back.” Studio recordings of both songs appeared on The Ivey’s 1968 debut album, Maybe Tomorrow.
In addition, the compilation features a demo version of the Ham-penned “I Miss You.” The song later was recorded by Badfinger for its 1974 self-titled studio album.
Another interesting track on Miniskirts & Rainbows is “All the Fun of the Fair.” The song was written by The Iveys’ early manager, Bill Collins, who hoped to pitch to singer Mary Hopkin as a follow-up to her Paul McCartney-penned hit single “Goodbye.” The demo featured Ham on lead vocals and Collins on accordion and piano.
The oldest demo on the album is a track called “Spider Woman,” which was recorded in 1966 or ’67. It was written by Ham and features him singing lead, while Jenkins and Griffiths contributed falsetto backing vocals.
Miniskirts & Rainbows: The Iveys Anthology Volume 5 CD Track List:
- “Cleopatra in a Miniskirt”
- “I Love You”
- “Blodwyn” (Demo)
- “All of My Life”
- “That’s Okay”
- “Spider Woman”
- “Angelique” (Demo)
- “Bound to Get Lucky Someday”
- “Girl Without Love”*
- “Black & White Rainbows” (Version 2)
- “Tomorrow Today” (Version 2)
- “Yesterday Ain’t Coming Back” (Demo)
- “Love Means Happiness”
- “Good Boy”*
- “All the Fun of the Fair”
- “Please Understand Love”
- “I Miss You” (Demo)+
- “I Love the Way You Hate Me”
- “Girl Next Door in the Miniskirt” (Whistling Version)
* = not included on LP version.
(Photo by Tony Evans/Timelapse Library Ltd./Getty Images)
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