By the end of 1974, Badfinger were burnt out. Their hit-making days seemed to be behind them and they were stuck in a contract that was continually asking for more music. After three albums released in a year, and with a manager who was less than on the up and up and was a source of contention for the whole band, singer/songwriter/guitarist Joey Molland had had enough and quit.
Desperate to salvage what they could, the remaining members, Pete Ham, Tom Evans and Mike Gibbins, recruited keyboardist and songwriter Bob Jackson and by December of ’74, were back in the studio again, recording what would be their third record for Warner Bros. This time, the band were paired up with Kenny Kerner and Richie Wise, pop producers who had just made the first two KISS albums. Sessions were completed in a rushed two weeks at Apple studios and then hurriedly mixed to try to essentially rush the record out. At the same time, there was an accounting issue that was dogging the band and as a result of this, all money was held in escrow. Then the tapes were rejected, leaving the band shocked.
Four months after the album was made, Ham hung himself and the band disbanded. In 2000, tapes were located and the record was first made available by Snapper Records in the UK. Finally in 2024, after years of searching, Bob Jackson was able to locate the official master tapes from Warner Brothers, and has now officially remixed the record the way the band wanted it to sound. Fifty years after it was recorded, Head First has now been properly and officially released, making it the complete final Badfinger album. The fact that Bob Jackson is now the sole living member of the classic band is not lost on this listener and makes this quite a moving experience, in addition to offering the chance to hear just how good these songs really are.
“Hey Mr. Manager” had been heard in bootleg form for years before 2000 and is a damning indictment against manager Stan Polley and his sketchy accounting practices. Sung in an almost slurred tone by Tom Evans, the song is one of the band’s absolute highlights. Another, the opening track, “Lay Me Down” is one of Ham’s best songs, right down to the vocal. His other major contribution, “Keep Believing” is the album’s pure pop standout; Jackson’s remix really shows how great Ham still was, even while battling severe depression.
Simply put, this is an outstanding album with some truly wonderful songs. You don’t hear a band grasping at straws, not knowing the end was near. You hear a band still capable of writing and performing great songs and making the best of a completely shitty situation. If you’re a Badfinger fan and have not heard either bootlegs or the Snapper version, you are in for a treat. Jackson and his associate Andy Nixon have done a superb job and all Badfinger fans should rejoice that this is the definitive last statement from a band that has been unjustly forgotten.