They were signed to The Beatles' Apple Records. "Straight Up" was their third album on the label and featured contributions from George Harrison. With "Baby Blue" and "Day After Day" getting a steady stream of airplay and Beatles comparisons, they toured twice in 1972 to packed houses.
All was not well behind the scenes, however, as Apple Records was on shaky ground. Badfinger recorded their fourth album, but their negotiations with Apple got snarled and a lawsuit prevented its release. These legal entanglements kept Badfinger from touring or recording while they were at the peak of their powers, and also drained them financially. In 1973, they signed to Warner Brothers and recorded their fifth album. Nearly two years after "Straight Up" hit the racks, Apple finally issued Badfinger's fourth album, titled "Ass", in the US in November of that year. Their self-titled Warners album came out in February 1974. By this time, the band's sound had fallen out of favor, and both albums underperformed. With their legal and financial problems becoming even more burdensome, Pete Ham hanged himself in 1975. His suicide note made it clear that the business dealings, in particular with their manager were his undoing; he expressed hopes that his death would serve as a cautionary tale for aspiring musicians. He was another member of the "27 club" of musicians dying at that age. Things got even worse. On the night of 18 November 1983, Tom Evans (vocals, bass, guitar) and Joey Molland (vocals, guitar, keyboards) had an extensive and heated argument on the telephone regarding past Badfinger income still in escrow from the Apple era, and the "Without You" songwriting royalties Evans was now receiving, which Molland, former manager Collins and Mike Gibbins (vocals, drums, percussion, keyboards) all wanted a share of. Following this argument, Evans hanged himself in the garden at his home in Richmond, England on the morning of 19 November 1983.
a documentary of their story.
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