Badfinger - A Complete Ass (1972)

Badfinger must be one of the unluckiest bands around. Despite being signed to The Beatles' Apple label and Paul McCartney writing a hit single for them, they were dogged with misfortunes throughout their career, and it's only now that we realise just what a great band they were. They had a promising start, with a minor hit single in 'Maybe Tomorrow', and after a couple of rejected single offerings, McCartney gave them 'Come And Get It', which he'd written for the 'Magic Christian' soundtrack, and it was their biggest hit. Just before releasing it they changed their name from The Iveys (which they felt was a bit trite in 1969) to Badfinger, and after the song charted they started work on their debut album 'No Dice', which was to include their next single 'No Matter What', as well as the soon to become classic 'Without You'. Things seemed to be going well for them, and while in the US they signed a management contract with businessman Stan Polley. This was the start of their downfall, with the contracts tying them up in so much red tape they they hardly saw any money from their success, and were even put on a salary, while all the profits from their records and tours ended up in companies controlled by Polley. 
In 1971 they recorded their third album (if you include the 'Magic Christian' soundtrack which they had taken over from McCartney), but the tapes were rejected by Apple as they wanted a big name producer and so gave George Harrison the job. It didn't work out, and he had to quit after only four songs were recorded to concentrate on his Concert For Bangladesh, and so Todd Rundgren was called in to salvage the album, which was eventually released as 'Straight Up'. Rundgren was due to produce their next and final album for Apple as well, but quit following a financial dispute, so the band produced it themselves. However, this was rejected by Apple, and Chris Thomas was called in to complete 'Ass' (the cover being a barbed comment on their financial mis-management). You really feel for a band who've had this much trouble in their short career, but it didn't end there, with two of the members committing suicide - Pete Ham in 1975 and Tom Evans in 1983 - both following arguments over the band's management .
This album is the band's self-produced offering to Apple. Some tracks were eventually used for 'Ass' in different forms, and others were just shelved, but we can now hear that this  album is not the disaster that Apple envisaged, and they should have been given a chance to show what they could do with their own music.

Track listing

01 Get Away
02 When I Say
03 Apple Of My Eye
04 The Winner
05 Blind Owl
06 Do You Mind
07 Piano Red
08 Cowboy
09 Regular
10 I Can Love You
11 Timeless