Badfinger ‘Straight Up’ Turns 50

‘Straight Up’, the fourth and most successful album for Badfinger, has turned 50 years old.

‘Straight Up’ was released on 13 December 1971, just two and a half years after the first album ‘Maybe Tomorrow’, released under the band’s original name The Iveys.

‘Straight Up’ featured the hit songs:

Day After Day (no 5 UK, no 8 Australia, no 4 USA, 1971). ‘Day After Day’ was produced by George Harrison. Harrison added Leon Russell on piano to the song. George plays slide guitar on the song.

And ‘Baby Blue’ (no 73 UK, no 16 Australia and no 14 USA). ‘Baby Blue’ was also used in the finale scene of ‘Breaking Bad’. ‘Baby Blue’ was produced by Todd Rundgren.

Badfinger were signed to The Beatles’ Apple Records. The name Badfinger came from The Beatles’ original working title for ‘With A Little Help From My Friends’, originally titled ‘Bad Finger Boogie’.

Their song ‘Without You’ was written by Badfinger members Pete Ham and Tom Evans. It became a hit for Harry Nilsson in 1971 and then Mariah Carey in 1994. The band’s first hit ‘Come and Get It’ was written by Paul McCartney as a contender for the Abbey Road album.

‘Straight Up’ was recorded in 1969 at Abbey Road studios while The Beatles were also in the studio making the ‘Abbey Road’ album after completing the ‘Get Back’ sessions in January 1969.

Harrison ran out of time producing the album because he became involved in Concert for Banga Desh. He recruited Rundgren to complete the sessions after meeting him in New York. Rundgren mixed the whole album.

Badfinger were Pete Ham on lead vocals and lead guitar, Tom Evans on lead vocals and bass guitar, Joey Molland on lead guitar and vocals and Mike Gibbins on drums. Ham died in 1975, Evans died in 1983, Gibbins in 2005. Joey Molland is the sole surviving member of the band.

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