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In this episode of Classic Rock Album Olympics music historians Gary Wenstrup and Robert Rodriguez go deep on Badfinger’s Straight Up.
Badfinger’s story is one of great songs and huge heartbreak. Formed in the mid-1960s in Wales, the group began as The Iveys, playing a mix of British rock and pop. In 1968 they became the first band signed to The Beatles’ Apple Records. Paul McCartney gave them “Come and Get It” to record which became a worldwide hit in 1969 and they changed their name to Badfinger.
Under Apple, Badfinger released — Magic Christian Music (1970), No Dice (1970), and Straight Up (1971). But their success was marred by disastrous management and legal disputes. After leaving Apple for Warner Bros. in 1973, the band recorded two more excellent albums, but financial mismanagement — particularly by manager Stan Polley — left them unable to access royalties from their hit records. In April 1975, overwhelmed by despair, lead singer and songwriter Pete Ham took his own life at age twenty-seven. In 1983 Tom Evans did the same.
Straight Up is Badfinger’s third studio album with production support from Todd Rundgren, George Harrison and Geoff Emerick. It is their most commercially successful release. Two singles were released from the album Day After Day (US Billboard Hot 100 #4) and Baby Blue (US Billboard Hot 100 #14). Baby Blue’s popularity peaked again in 2013 when used in the Breaking Bad finale
