Radio Gonzo

I had a long chat this week with Joey Molland, the last man standing from the legendary Badfinger, who were undoubtedly the most successful band on Apple records who weren't The Beatles. Poor Badfinger; if ever there was a pop group “born under a bad sign” it was them. Things started off quite auspiciously. As The Iveys they signed to The Beatles' Apple Records and had a hit single. However, they decided that their name and their image were a little old-fashioned and for reasons that remain obscure they switched guitarists. Exit Ron Griffiths and enter Joey Molland. Badfinger was born. They had hit singles with the Paul-McCartney-penned Come and Get It (recorded just as Griffiths was leaving the band) and No Matter What, and perhaps their greatest moment was when Harry Nilsson had a massive worldwide hit with their song Without You in 1972. After that it was all downhill. And downhill very, very fast. The band were the last non-Beatles artists to release an album on Apple and a move to Warner Brothers was no