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Featured Blog- Mr. Zero's Owner Takes a Look Back at Badfinger

"BadFinger" will be appearing in concert @ "Famous Dave's" 3001 Hennepin Ave. MPLS. 55408, Sat 23 Feb 2013 @ 9pm Tickets $15- $25.oo http://

Editor’s note: Rik Schwinden is the owner of Mr. Zero's, a Roseville shop which carries a vast array of eclectic pop culture merchandise. Items range from vintage video games; Nintendo & Sega, vintage vinyl LPs & CDs & retro toys, His shop is at at 1744 Lexington Ave. N. This is first blog for Roseville Patch.

“The Special Love I Have For You” BadFinger: 1964- 1974 (RP-2013-2)

Welcome to my first installment for the “Roseville Patch” I chose “Badfinger” for my first blog as Molland’s “BadFinger” will be appearing in concert @ “Famous Dave’s” 3001 Hennepin Ave. MPLS. Sat 23 Feb 2013 @ 9pm Tickets $15- $25 :http://www.famousdavesbluesclub.com/music_events.html

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When I was a kid growing up in Sioux City, Iowa I spent a whole lotta time in our front entry way listening to a giant AM Radio from the early 50s my Dad picked up somewhere, I used to hear my favorite artists but I used to hear a band that kind of sounded like The Beatles, yet wasn't The Beatles because they had broken up... so I went to Woolco and looked for this band I heard on the radio and it turns out it was in fact "Bad Finger" and oddly enough they were on the very same record label as The Beatles, and so the story goes....kinda like this:

It all started with Pete Ham (Peter William: 27 Apr 1947- 23 Apr 1975) & Drummer Mike Gibbins (Michael George: 12 Mar 1949- 4 Oct 2005) & Bassist Tom Evans (Thomas Jr: 5 Jun 1947 -19 Nov 1983) became “The Iveys” in 1964. In 1969 “The Iveys” released 1 LP on Apple records ‘Maybe Tomorrow’.

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In Oct 1969 the band changed their name to “BadFinger” & got a new guitarist main stay Joey Molland (Joseph Charles: 21 Jun 1947, Edge Hill, Liverpool). In one of my many conversions with Molland he told me "I still own the Gibson I played on Harrison's album (All Things Must Pass) I also played on Lennon’s ‘Imagine’ LP"

BadFinger recorded six albums in their heyday, starting in 1970 with ‘Magic Christian’ & ‘No Dice’. Then their 3rd release in 1971 ‘Straight Up’ followed by their 4th LP in 1973 ‘Ass’. In 1974 the band release their 5th LP ‘Badfinger’ (WB) & then the 6th and final LP with Pete Ham ‘Wish You Were Here’.

Badfinger scored four ‘Top 40 Hits’ with “Come And Get It” #7 in Jan 1970 (written by: Paul McCartney) “No Matter What” #8 in Nov 1970, “Day After Day” #4 in Nov 1971(produced by; George Harrison) “Baby Blue” #14 in Mar 1972 The band had a 5th hit however, recorded by: Harry Nilsson “Without You” #1 in Oct 1971 (this was written by: Ham & Evans a year earlier in 1970 from the LP ‘No Dice’)

While on the band's first US tour on Fri 16 Oct 1970 @ St. Thomas College, Gym St. Paul, MN., Molland met his wife of 37 years Kathie Molland (9 Jan 1947- 23 Mar 2009) a former model for "Genie in the Bottle Highlights" hair product. Kathie told me in 2008 interview "His band played the local collage, then they were hanging out at "Depot Club" (now First Ave) Joey saw me and followed me around like a puppy dog". Molland left “BadFinger” in 1974 & was in the band “Natural Gas” who released 1 LP in 1976 (Private Stock #2011) Molland & his wife moved to The Twin Cities sometime in the mid 80s. Molland has released 4 Solo CDs “After the Pearl” 1983, “The Pilgrim” 1992, “Basil” 1997 & “This Way Up” 2001.

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