Fans of classic rock are mourning the loss of Badfinger’s final surviving core member. Joey Molland, Badfinger’s guitarist, passed away on March 1 at the age of 77.
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Badfinger is best known for incredible consecutive hits from the early 1970s, including “Come And Get It” (which was produced by Paul McCartney) and “Day After Day” (which was produced by George Harrison). The band was also known for jams like “No Matter What” and “Baby Blue”. They’re also known for the song “Without You” from 1970. That hit has been recorded by quite a few contemporaries through the years, from Harry Nilsson to Mariah Carey.
In times of grief, there’s some solace in enjoying the power pop outfit’s impressive discography. And there are actually some pretty interesting connections between Badfinger and The Beatles. At least, other than the former being signed to the latter’s record label, Apple Records.
The Unique Connection Between Badfinger and The Beatles
Badfinger first formed back in 1961 in Swansea, Wales, but they weren’t known as Badfinger back then. Rather, the group of Pete Ham, Mike Gibbins, Tom Evans, and Joey Molland went by the early moniker “The Iveys”.
The band decided to change their name to something a bit more eye-catching that wouldn’t be confused with Ivy League colleges. So, with the help of the Apple label, they came up with a new name: Badfinger.
“Badfinger” was actually derived from a working title of a Beatles song called “Bad Finger Boogie”. You might know it by its official title, “With A Little Help From My Friends”.
The decision to change their name came after the success of their hit song “Come And Get It”, and quite a few names were thrown out there. Glass Onion, Home, The Cagneys, and The Prix were just a few. Allegedly, Apple’s Neil Aspinall was the one to pitch Badfinger.
Fun fact: John Lennon came up with the working title “Bad Finger Boogie”, as he had injured his forefinger at the time of the song’s inception and had to play the piano with only one finger.
However, George Harrison would later say that The Iveys were named after one Helga Fabdinger, an exotic dancer whom the Beatles met in Hamburg, Germany early on in their careers. I guess we’ll never know the real truth, will we?
Photo by Vincent Vigil
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