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Among the countless meteors that have dotted the pop sky, the Welsh band Badfinger in the early seventies represented the dark and unlucky side of the music business compared to much brighter and more fortunate stars. Despite this, they produced a handful of commendable albums in terms of their compositional prowess and composed some excellent songs that are collected in this worthy anthology.
Listening to the delicacy and sweet harmony of their tracks, one would guess anything but the cruel fate that awaited the singer and songwriter Peter Ham, who committed suicide in 1975. For the record, staying on the topic of obituaries, of the four original members, only guitarist Joey Molland is still with us today: that's fate for you. They should have taken lessons from those devils, the Rolling Stones, who still jump and sing like madmen even today. Different stories, different destinies.
And to think that they started well. Endorsed by a certain Sir Paul McCartney (who welcomed them with open arms to Apple), and produced by talents like Tony Visconti and Todd Rundgren, our guys inserted themselves into the vast pop melting pot, well-represented by prominent names like Raspberries, Wings, Byrds, Kinks. Pop, as we know, is mainly about singles, and Badfinger churned out a significant quantity without ever managing to hit the winning note. Their most successful song (which isn't even their best) is "Day After Day" which reached number 4 in the United Kingdom.
Ironically, their most famous song, "Without You" (ignored in its original version), became a superb cover brought to success by Harry Nilsson (also deceased, of course!) and was played and sometimes screeched (as they were of poor quality) by all the Juke-Boxes across the peninsula at the beginning of the seventies, when that music box was one of the few means of spreading the magical seven notes. Some of you might have heard it in the recent version by Mariah Carey (unfortunately). However, I wouldn’t forget "Carry On Til Tomorrow", with vocal embroidery reminiscent of Simon and Garfunkel, the poignant "Midnight Caller", and further "Baby Blue", "Maybe Tomorrow" and that "No Matter What" placed at the beginning that aims to be their power-pop manifesto.
The Badfinger didn’t represent anything groundbreaking, as today (perhaps not even back then), no one remembers them anymore. However, it is curious and interesting to look back and discover that many of the so-called next big thing bands that have been offered to us over the years have indeed drawn from these sources.
The horrifying hairstyles typical of the period, showcased on the cover and even more so inside the booklet, clash with the syrupiness and gentleness of their musical offering, to the point that one feels compelled to encourage the unwitting to not be deceived by appearances.
It's only pop, but I like it.
Tracklist Lyrics and Videos
01 No Matter What (02:59)
No matter what you are
I will always be with you
Doesn't matter what you do girl, ooh girl with you
No matter what you do
I will always be around
Won't you tell me what you found girl, ooh girl won't you
Knock down the old grey wall, and be a part of it all
Nothing to say, nothing to see, nothing to do
If you would give me all, as I would give it to you
Nothing would be, nothing would be, nothing would be
No matter where you go
There will always be a place
Can't you see it in my face girl, ooh girl want you
Knock down the old grey wall, be a part of it all
Nothing to say, nothing to see, nothing to do
If you would give me all, as I would give it to you
Nothing would be, nothing would be, nothing would be
No matter what you are
I will always be with you
Doesn't matter what you do girl, ooh girl with you
Ooh girl, you girl, want you
Ooh girl, you girl, want you
02 Day After Day (03:11)
I remember finding out about you,
Everyday my mind is all around you,
Looking out from my lonely room
Day after day,
Bring it home, Baby, make it soon,
I give my love to you.
I remember holding you while you sleep,
Everyday I feel the tears that you weep,
Looking out of my lonely gloom
Day after day
Bring it home, Baby, make it soon,
I give my love to you.
Looking out of my lonely room
Day after day,
Bring it home, Baby, make it soon,
I give my love to you.
I remember finding out about you,
Everyday my mind is all around you,
Looking out of my lonely gloom
Day after day,
Bring it home, Baby, make it soon,
I give my love to you.
03 Baby Blue (03:37)
Guess I got what I deserved
Kept you waiting there
Too long my love
All that time without a word
Didn't know you'd think,
That I'd forget
Or I'd regret
The special love I had for you
My baby blue
All the days became so long
Did you really think,
I'd do you wrong?
Dixie, when I let you go
Thought you'd realize that I would know
I would show
The special love I have for you
My baby blue
What can I do?
What can I say?
"Cept I want you by my side
How can I show you,
Show me the way
Don't you know,
The times I've tried
Guess that's all I have to say
"Cept the feelin' just grows stronger,
Everyday
Just one thing before I go
Take good care baby,
Let me know
Let it show
The special love you have for me
My dixie dear
04 Name of the Game (04:25)
I saw the railway master and I looked him in the eye
I said, "Would you go much faster if you thought that you would die?"
He said, "Not me sir, I could not care, in fact, I would not try.
For protest would not take me far.
It's different, me not being a star."
I lock my feelings in a jar until another day
Oh, comfort me, dear brother, won't you tell me what you know?
For somewhere in this painful world is a place where I can go
Oh, long awaiting mother, is it time to make a show?
And take your babies to your breast
No, we never passed the test
And all our sins should be confessed before we carry on
CHORUS:
Oh, don't refuse me
If you choose me, you'll follow my shame
No, don't confuse me
For I know it's the name of the game
I got up off my pillow and I looked up at the sun
I said, "You can see quite clearly, now, the things that we have done
We burned your sacred willow and our battles we have won.
But did we get so very far?
It's different, me not being a star."
I lock my feelings in a jar until we go away
CHORUS 2 times.
07 Rock of All Ages (03:17)
Well, I guess you think it's funny that you're taking all my money but I don't - my my
You know you should believe me baby every night you leave me on my own - my my
We got to get together baby try to make it better but you won't - why why
Every night you're leaving but you know you should believe me but I don't
My my - My my - You know you take me down the line
My my - My my - Baby, don't you know you're mine
You're taking all my money and I guess you think it's funny but I don't - my my
You always want it right now and you know it brings me down but I don't - why why
Guess you think it's funny that you're taking all my money but I don't
My my - My my - You know you take me down the line
My my - My my - Baby, don't you know you're mine
You're taking all my money and I guess you think it's funny but I don't - my my
You always want it right now and you know it brings me down but I don't - why why
Guess you think it's funny that you're taking all my money but I don't
You know you should believe me baby every night you leave me on my own - my my
We got to get together baby try to make it better but you won't - why why
Every night you're leaving but you know you should believe me but I don't
09 Midnight Caller (02:48)
Beneath the midnight caller
She thinks of paper green
You never hear them calling her name
They just know where they've been
You never hear her holler
The tears no longer come
She reads her daily book of the past
That shows of everyone
Grey years that show in her hair
Can't be, but don't seem to care
She unlocks the door and there's no one there
She sees a daytime stroller
Walk from the night before
And though she paints a smile on her face
He won't be back no more
She's got no saint to follow
She's got no place to go
Too proud to ask an old friend for help
Too proud to let him know
Grey years that show in her hair
Can't be, but don't seem to care
She knocks the door and there's no one there
Nobody (nobody), nobody (nobody), nobody's gonna help you now.
10 We're for the Dark (03:53)
Tell me the day and I'll set you free, what you wanna be
Show me the way and I'll let you see what you do to me
Well, it's not enough to live
If you're gonna take, then you have to give
We're for the dark, mm-baby, you and I
Show me the clouds and I'll give you sky if you want me to
Show me the crowds and I'll make you sigh if you take me through
Well, it's not enough to be
If you're gonna look, then you have to see
We're for the dark, mm-baby, you and I
A-baby, you and I-hi
A-baby, you and I-hi-hi
A-baby, you and I-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha
Show me the way and I'll set you free, what you oughta be
Tell me the day and I'll let you see what you do to me
Well, it's not enough to live
If you're gonna take, then you have to give
We're for the dark, mm-baby, you and I
Show me the clouds and I'll give you sky if you want me to
Show me the crowds and I'll make you cry if you take me through
Well, it's not enough to be
If you gotta look, then you have to see
We're for the dark, mm-baby, you and I-hi
Baby, you and I-hi
Baby, you and I-hi
A-baby, you and I-hi-hi
A-baby, you and I-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha.
12 Without You (04:40)
Well, I can't forget this evening
And your face when you were leaving
But I guess that's just the way the story goes
You always smile, but in your eyes your sorrow shows
Yes, it shows
Well, I can't forget tomorrow
When I think of all my sorrow
I had you there, but then I let you go
And now it's only fair that I should let you know
What you should know
CHORUS:
I can't live, if living is without you
I can't live, I can't give anymore
I can't live, if living is without you
I can't live, I can't give anymore
Well, I can't forget this evening
And your face when you were leaving
But I guess that's just the way the story goes
You always smile, but in your eyes your sorrow shows
Yes, it shows
[guitar solo]
CHORUS 3 times
I can't live, if living is without you
15 When I Say (03:07)
What you are is what I see
What I see is what I want it to be
When I say I love you
What I mean is I really do
CHORUS:
I'm not the one who'll give you everything you need
But what I mean is that I'll try
I can't deny that I've been burning inside
For all the things I'll never see
So come on, be yourself, nothing else
Who could ask for any more
And you know, they all love you
What is more, I really do
CHORUS
[double guitar solo (Pete Ham & Joey Molland)]
So come on, they all love you
What is more, I really do.
16 Dennis (05:18)
Deeper waters flowed
Recently it showed
Tryin' to cover your head
Tryin' to frighten you
Tryin' to fight with you
Really gettin' you scared
But don't you worry, you love of mine
Pretty soon it will all be fine
And we'll just go on
Higher hills to climb
Climbin' all the time
Tryin' to find a way through
Fallin' down again, on the ground again
Wonderin' what you can do
But don't you worry, you love of ours
They look like weeds, but they're really flowers
And they'll soon be gone
You won't stand up, you won't sit down
Your head's a mile above the ground
And though we tend to scold you now
I couldn't start to tell you how
We couldn't start to tell you how
There's just no way to say how much we love you
You, little Dennis, you
You're full of new surprise
Love you
You, little Dennis with the rascal in your eyes
You're a prize
It could be bad, it could be worse
You're taking out your mother's purse
And though you cried when you got told
The money there was for the old
To keep their dogs from getting cold
The only thing that can't be sold is love
You, little Dennis, you
You're full of new surprise
Love you
You, little Dennis with the rascal in your eyes
Will you pick up your toys?
Will you be a good boy?
Will you please, please?
There's a way
There's a way
If you'll play
If you'll stay
There's a way through
There's a way to take away blue
Take away blue
There's a way
There's a way
If you'll play
If you'll stay
There's a way through
There's a way to take away blue
Take away blue
There's a way
There's a way
If you'll play
If you'll stay
There's a way through
There's a way to...
17 Lonely You (03:45)
When I look into your tearful eyes
I don't know what to do
And though you say that I don't realize
I sympathize with you
Lonely you, only you
Yes I do
Lonely you, only you
Lonely you
When I ask you just to be my friend
I want to lend a hand
But if we get too close, it's sure to end
Oh, can't you understand?
Lonely you, only you
Yes it will
Lonely you, only you
Lonely you
We really need a friend
And friends are hard to find
And harder still to keep
Lonely you
Lonely me
[guitar solo (Pete Ham)]
Lonely you, only you
Yes it will
Lonely you, only you
Lonely you
Lonely you
Lonely you.
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