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 also decided to change their guitarist. 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 not a success.
There were grave management issues (which were so contentious that even now it is probably not safe to put in writing) and – probably as a result of these internal pressures – two members of the band (Pete Ham in 1975 and Tom Evans in 1983) committed suicide by hanging.
Joey Molland, who had written the vast majority of the group’s later output, remains an immensely under-rated and very talented songwriter, whose career has been blighted by the appalling catalogue of disasters which had overtaken his band. He put out a string over massively under-rated solo albums including this one from 2002 which was originally independently released.
CD Universe writes:
“Joey Molland's solo albums aren't as well-known as his work with Badfinger, which is regrettable because the singer has done some worthwhile things on his own. The Pilgrim, one of Molland's solo recordings, is a decent release that was recorded when he was 43. While Badfinger fans can appreciate this collection of melodic rock & roll and pop/rock, one shouldn't think of The Pilgrim as aBadfinger tribute album (which it isn't). Like the solo albums of Blondie's Deborah Harry, Kiss' Ace Frehley, or The Go-Gos' Belinda Carlisle, The Pilgrim must be accepted on its own terms and on its own merits -- this CD would have been noteworthy even if Molland had never been a member ofBadfinger. Much of The Pilgrim is reflective and contemplative, although some outright rockers are included as well, most notably "Hard Time" and the angry socio-political smoker "You Make Me Sick." Recommended”.
Originally from Liverpool, Molland now lives in America, where he continues to write and perform some beautiful music. Let’s hope, with the re-release of this fantastic record that is star is finally in the ascendant.
If so, then there really is some justice in the universe.
