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7 Park Avenue CD
(capsulation of reviews)
Record Collector Magnet Big O Baby Sue The Big Takeover Amplifier
New Music Express
Riverfront Times
Fruitbasket Upset
Beatlefan
People
Bucketful Of Brains
Yeah Yeah Yeah
Q
Popsided
Time And A Word
Relix
The Gainesville Sun
Dorsett Evening Echo
Record Collector
Buffalo Art Voice
Ink Nineteen
The 910
San Francisco Chronicle
Houston Press
The Province
Cake
Stomp Stammer
The Bob
The Star
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Surrey Advertiser
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Chew
Hartbeat
Pete Ham
Big O
Poor Pete Ham. At his best, he was a better Paul McCartney - a stupendously gifted and brightly melodic popsmith of post-Pepper Britain. Yet Ham's group, Badfinger, originally signed to the Beatles' Apple label, never quite achieved the consistent commercial success they deserved. Depressed by spiraling business and personal problems, Ham hanged himself in April 1975. He was only 27. During his brief career, Ham wrote the towering early-70's pop gems - No Matter What, Day After Day, and Baby Blue. He also co-wrote the ballad, Without You, a 1972 mega-hit for Harry Nilsson. Significantly, the prolific Ham also accumulated a backlog of songs that Badfinger never got around to record. More than two decades after Ham's tragic death, 7 Park Avenue (named after Badfinger's London residence cum studio) gathers 18 of Ham's previously unreleased home recordings. These original mono masters, long sought after by Badfinger buffs, were sonically cleaned in 1993 to remove dropouts, clicks, and generally brighten their quality. Some new overdubs were added to certain tracks by former Badfinger member Bob Jackson and former Iveys (pre-Badfinger Ham band) member Ron Griffiths. The album was produced by Dan Matovina, an authorised designate of the estate of Pete Ham, and author of the soon-to-be-published biography Without You: The Tragic Story Of Badfinger. The results are stunning and, taken as a whole, this collection showcases Ham's genius better than any single Badfinger album. None of the big Badfinger hits are here except Ham's original acoustic version of No Matter What. But the best of these tracks rank alongside Day After Day and Baby Blue as true pop masterpieces. The beautifully wistful Coppertone Blues is one of the best things Ham ever wrote, as is the ridiculously titled Sille Veb, and the powerful I Know That You Should. The final two songs, No More and Ringside, are chilling, for they were in effect Ham's suicide notes. In the former, Ham sings, "Someone please turn out the light/I can't face the mirror anymore." What's particularly disturbing about No More is that, even with one foot in the grave, Ham couldn't resist his power-pop impulses, and set his lyrics to a hummable, almost upbeat melody. Far more somber is Ringside, in which he sings: "Take me back to the father... take me home/For I can't bear to feel the sorrow of the evil that you've shown." It's been more than a quarter century since many of these songs were
recorded, but it was worth the wait. 7 Park Avenue combines the gentle
tunefulness of White-album era McCartney with the raw emotional intensity
of primal scream-era Lennon, recorded in the audio verite fashion of Dylan
and the Band's Basement Tapes. There is nothing else like it, just as there
will never be another Pete Ham. This collection may not be the holy grail
of early 70's British pop, but it's close.
Bucketful Of Brains
Late on the night of April 23rd, 1975, at the peak of his depression, and after downing ten glasses of whisky in a half hour, Pete Ham was driven home by Badfinger bass player Tom Evans. "I know a way out" was the last thing Pete said to Tom. At 7 a.m. the next morning, Peter William Ham was found hanged in his garage. A suicide note addressed to Badfinger's much hated manager ("Stan Polley is a soulless bastard") was lying nearby. Pete had finally figured out a way to get out of his tormented life. He was 27 years old. A cursed age that, coincidentally, marked the farewells of Hendrix, Morrison, Joplin, Robert Johnson, Al Wilson, Brian Jones, and Chris Bell (probably his best mate in heaven). In the rock 'n' roll deathdrome, the painful and self-punitive act of hanging was pioneered by Phil Ochs and followed by Ian Curtis and Richard Manuel. Today it's sad to remember how unappreciated Badfinger's unique music was. It's hard to comprehend that misery that became Pete's life after all the monies vanished in Polley's hands. However, the official release of the most sought-after of Badfinger related items brings some consolation. Obligatory for the fans, 7 Park Avenue is the final glimpse of truly beautiful tunes of one of the greatest U.K. tunesmiths.. These 18 previously unreleased demos - from 1967's Weep Baby to Ringside and No More from his last days - recorded on a two-head Revox Sound-On-Sound tape machine, display perfectly his genuine, well-crafted, and emotional style. Better than anyone, he encapsulated the heritage of English folk and, through a (trans)figured Beatlesque vein, absorbed the melodic edge of the Merseybeat explosion. The songs were technically cleaned up for dropouts and clicks by Dan Matovina, the writer of Without You: The Tragic Story Of Badfinger, with the approval of Ham's estate. As with the Beatles anthologies, to avoid an imbalance of the final
vocal and instrument levels, and mainly to even out some of the sounds,
new overdubs, in this case provided by ex-Badfinger member Bob Jackson,
ex-Iveys member Ron Griffiths, bass player Derrick Anderson of The Andersons,
and drummer Rick Cammon, were added to a number of songs. The occasional
sound imperfections that remain are entirely secondary when faced with
a musical treasure which contains pre-Badfinger versions (No Matter What
and Matted Spam), shivering ballads (Dear Father), nascent power-pop (Catherine
Cares), bluesy rockers (Leaving On A Midnight Train) and pop-psych-folk
masterpieces (Island) along with other glorious inflections of Ham's genius.
This is a magnificent collection.
Baby Sue
Long ago I wished for a solo record by Pete Ham. Now, more than 20 years after his suicide, the wish comes true. This CD is a difficult listen, and by the end I found myself in tears. When I first started listening to Badfinger in high school, Mr. Ham's tunes gave me emotional rushes. The sincerity of his words and the strange quality of his voice were somehow reassuring and comforting during the most difficult period of my life. That Badfinger was shrugged off by most folks as a Beatles rip-off was always a mystery to me... particularly since their music was actually superior in many ways. This CD is a collection of Pete's solo recordings from the late sixties and early seventies. Fortunately, this is not a batch of Badfinger demos. Instead, it is a collection of Pete's tunes that haven't been heard until now (with the exception of an early acoustic version of No Matter What). I wouldn't recommend this CD to folks who are unfamiliar with this man's recorded work. But for those who once got the same emotional charge I did from Pete Ham's music, this CD is a must have. Because this man's death was one of the biggest blows ever to hit the world of pop music. May he rest in peace. Highest Rating - 6 out of 6.
Amplifier
If there was a "seven pillars of pop," Pete Ham would be one of them. You'll find Badfinger on many lists of the greatest bands of all time, and virtually every Badfinger fan will say that the focal point of that band was Pete Ham. It's always a tragedy when some one takes his own life, but that tragedy takes on an added dimension when one realizes that this person has ended his or her stay on earth before they've been able to bestow all of their gifts upon the world. Pete Ham arguably was at his peak of performance when he died, and although we will never know what musical accomplishments lay ahead, we are fortunate enough to be able to look behind, not only to bask in the glory of what he's given us, but to search through his archives and be able to extract works that, while unfinished, are a reflection of the profundity that this man possessed. 7 Park Avenue, so named for the address of the house in London where Ham recorded these tracks from 1967 to 1975. Every one of the tracks contained herein are demo versions; because of the recording technique Ham used, it was decided by the project coordinators to add some instrumental overdubs in 1996. This was done only to eradicate some vocal/instrumental imbalances inherent in the original recordings, and the overall process was so subtle that you'd never know it was done if you hadn't read about it. The results leave the recordings as stripped down and personal as Ham intended them. Demo recordings have a certain inherent allure; you have no real idea what the finished product will be like. Will it be enhanced with a barrage of instruments, or will it remain spare? Will there be a stark change in tempo? How many vocals will be added? There's no way to know what, if anything, Ham intended to do with most of these tracks, but two of them did end up being enhanced for eventual release, Matted Spam, which appeared on Badfinger's self-titled album for Warner Brothers, and No Matter What, the top 10 hit from No Dice which many people consider to be the first legitimate power-pop song. The demo of Matted Spam, is simply a bare bones version of that which was released, but the demo of No Matter What is something else again. It's extremely charming in its simplicity, not even hinting at the ferocity of the released version. The refrain hasn't even been developed yet; Ham "do do-ing" his way through. Given this state of affairs, it's hard to imagine what many of the tracks on this collection would have become, and one is better off not bothering, perhaps choosing instead to merely enjoy them as they are, and there is certainly a lot to enjoy here. The beauty of these tracks isn't merely in the quality of the songwriting, but in the personal nature of the lyrics, and some of them, especially those recorded near the end of Ham's life, take on an eerie portent. For example, the final two tracks on the collection, No More and Ringside, were recorded in 1975, only months before he hanged himself. The angst of No More is evident in Ham's manic strumming of his acoustic, this perhaps a vain attempt to exorcise some demons. The repetition of the word "no" also effectively communicates the turmoil within, and if someone had heard the lyrics "someone please turn out the light, I can't face the mirror anymore," maybe Ham would have gotten some help and would still be here today. In Ringside he sings, "take me back to the father, take me, take me, take me home," another plea for help that was likely never heard. Not all of Ham's songs reflect an inner pain; the opening track Catherine Cares is a heartfelt ode to his mother, but even in this there is a bittersweet sentiment, because at the same time as he's lauding her, he's expressing regret at being selfish to you, my mom" for walking out on her. Musically, its folk-based timbre is embellished with some electric guitar and a wonderful hook. Another wonderful track is It Doesn't Really Matter, which tells of the opposition the rest of Badfinger had to Ham's 1974 relationship with the estranged wife of one of their roadies. In this melodically beautiful tune, Ham intones with great resolve "there's nothing people say can change my mind" and "It doesn't really matter how they try, they'll never break up you and I." Other striking tracks include Dear Father which makes you feel that if Ham had gotten to know Chris Von Sneidern he'd have been real proud of his musical ability, the extremely potent Leaving On A Midnight Train, which has a chain of ascending/descending guitar figures, the should have been single, Hand In Hand, the aptly named Island, containing a delayed double-tracked vocal and slide guitar which gives it a Hawaiian feel, and the slightly countryish, minor-keyed Just Look Inside The Cover. This track is perhaps the most interesting on the disc in that it contains the lyrics "you may say my life's a waste of time, but man I disagree." Nobody knows for sure how long Ham carried his demons with him, but many people who eventually commit suicide go through several emotional phases before they carry out the act. One of those phases is an attempt to disavow those demons, which sometimes manifests in carrying out a conversation with yourself in the guise of another person. Although Just Look Inside The Cover was written a few years before Ham's death, perhaps his vehement indictment of his antagonist's portrayal of Ham's life was a reaction formation to his own frightening awareness. Perhaps too much may be made of the lyrical content of the songs on
7 Park Avenue, but this notwithstanding, the real reason to pick up this
wonderful collection is the music. It's taut, poignant, fragile, and austere,
and if these songs had been released the rock and roll world would have
been left with many more Badfinger classics.
New Musical Express
A gentle spirit adrift in the gathering ruthlessness of the post-swinging-60's rock industry boom, Badfinger frontman Pete Ham was driven to despair and suicide in 1975 at the tender age of 27. One of the most notable and successful acts signed to The Beatles' Apple label, Badfinger were a democracy unable to contain or record all the demos Ham wrote and recorded in the group's studio at Park Avenue in Golders Green, north London. With subtle overdubs added in 1994 and 1995, this collection lays bare Ham's intrinsic strengths - a sense of space and melodic brightness that owes much to John Lennon - even as it documents his growing disaffection. Buoyant optimism curdles into a bleated, wounded realisation that the rip-off - on his art and his soul - was in full effect. Personal honesty, a simple gentle-eyed clarity and unashamed dreamy idealism give Ham's songs their recurring focus. But these compositions are sprung with a vigor (Catherine Cares - one of the many great odes to Mother in rock) and determinism (I Know That You Should) that prevents them ever slipping into mild-mannered mush. Recorded between 1968 and Ham's death these tracks have the feel of an artist finding sanctuary away from the storm of his life and career, pouring his heart out via the charmed eroticism of the eerie Coppertone Blues, the sorrowful Weep Baby and the self-assessing Just Look Inside The Cover. Such qualities of candour and resolve would certainly find favour in today's marketplace, but neither would the hard knowledge contained in his bitter farewells to their industry (Ringside and No More) be misplaced. Rating - 8 out of 10.
Overall
The singer/songwriter from the popular 70's act Badfinger was only twenty-seven
when he hanged himself. Years of sly swindling from the music industry's
rapidly emerging tycoons took their final toll on Ham. What this intriguing
collection does is gather up some unreleased home recordings which display
an unaffected sincerity and craft. The era's trademark flanged acoustic
guitar, and double-tracked vocals, are at the fore, but the writer's tuneful
poetics remain undiminished by time. And for authentic atmospherics check
out the creaking chair on Weep Baby as Ham sits and croons. Outstanding
songs include Catherine Cares, Hand In Hand, and Sille Veb, but it's the
closing of No More and Ringside that reveal the man's final personal demons.
And what of Ham's contemporary relevance? Listen to him alongside Oasis,
Cast, and Dodgy, and all becomes clear.
Fruitbasket Upset
With the passing of such atrocities as the Joey Molland led Badfinger, and Mariah Carey's slaughtering of Without You, Badfinger fans finally have a lot to be excited about again. Besides the recently released tribute album, Come And Get It: A Tribute To Badfinger, there will soon be a new book and video chronicling the band's career, not to mention this recently unearthed booty: an exciting compilation of previously unreleased Pete Ham demos. While a large portion of the songs on this disk are stark, solo renderings by Ham, many have been spruced up with overdubs, courtesy of ex-Iveys (pre-Badfinger) member Ron Griffiths and L.A. based drummer Rick Cammon. In addition, bassist Derrick Anderson of The Andersons, Tony Perkins from Martin Luther Lennon, and the Jigsaw Seen's Jonathan Lea have all made instrumental contributions, turning 7 Park Avenue into something of a contemporary pop album that actually ends up being consistently more enjoyable than any of Badfinger's original albums. The opening wall-of-sound jubilee Catherine Cares is a tender tale about Pete's mum, but the most extraordinary thing about this song is how closely it resembles Whatever by Oasis, bringing the cocky rock gods to a new level of unclassified hipness. I mean, it's fine and dandy that their music's already a grab-bag of 60s and 70s rock clichés, but to rip off unreleased material as well? That bloody rocks! Those of us who favored Badfinger's winsome, Beatlesque power pop over their sweaty boogie excursions will enjoy a large quantity of tracks included here, such as Would You Deny, It Doesn't Really Matter, and the tender piano ballad Live Love All Of Your Days. It sure is surprising that so much music of such exceptional quality was never released on Badfinger's albums (which were already pretty full of amazing songs), but that's part of the excitement in hearing a lot of these songs for the first time. A few familiar tunes do pop up occasionally, including a funky version of the 1974 Badfinger album's Matted Spam, and a solo acoustic reading of their classic power pop anthem No Matter What. Of course, we all know that Pete Ham's saga ended tragically. His suicide
in 1975 was prompted by various factors, but mostly by his band's lack
of success and his record company's lack of compassion. A handful of songs
on this collection reveal his disillusioned thoughts (in Sille Veb about
his girlfriend Bev Ellis, he admits failure), but none are more macabre
than No More and Ringside, the two musical "suicide notes" that close out
this personal, chilling, and exquisitely beautiful album.
Beatlefan
As anyone who's ever listened to Badfinger knows, two of the main strengths of the late Pete Ham's songwriting were his strong sense of melody and his emotionally accessible lyrics. Both qualities are in plentiful supply on this album of late 60's to mid-70's demos recorded mostly at Badfinger's home/studio in London's Golders Green (from which the title is taken). OK, not every one of these is a Day After Day or Baby Blue - they were, after all, rejected, or at least unrecorded, songs (with the exception of demos for No Matter What and Matted Spam). But there are some definite keepers here, including It Doesn't Really Matter, Live Love All Of Your Days, Weep Baby (one of his earliest, from 1967) and No More (one of his last, from '75). And there are two dynamite numbers: the legendary ballad Coppertone Blues and, from shortly before his death in April '75, Ringside, a lovely, haunting song in which the melancholy Welshman offers the struggling artist's lament: "Who will own you tomorrow?" It ranks among his very best tunes. The tracks on this album, produced and edited by Dan Matovina (author
of the forthcoming Badfinger biography) have been cleaned up and overdubs
added to some - by musicians including former bandmates Bob Jackson and
Ron Griffiths - to fill out sometimes unbalanced mono sound... This collection
underscores the real tragedy of Ham's suicide - that such a wonderful talent
was taken away from us far too soon.
People
The rock group Badfinger is remembered mainly as protégés
of the Beatles. Signed to Apple Records during the late '60's and early
'70's, they first got noticed recording Paul McCartney's Come And Get It,
and they played and toured with the separated Beatles. Along the way, enough
magic rubbed off to help them create such bright hits as No Matter What,
Day After Day and Baby Blue. Bad business dealings sabotaged the band's
career, though, leading to the 1975 suicide of their guitarist Pete Ham,
27, the composer of those hits. 7 Park Avenue is a collection of his demos
from over the years, and even in their bare-bones state, many of these
songs reveal Ham's gift for bittersweet melodies and terrific hooks. As
George Harrison once said, isn't it a pity.
The Big Takeover
... we can now eerily view the frayed emotions that led (Pete) Ham to his own tragic demise. The gifted, sensitive singer/writer hung himself at the age of 27, on April 25, 1975, after the release of Badfinger's sixth and final LP. The stunned, star-crossed group were doomed, despite a failed comeback starting in 1978 (bassist Tom Evans then sadly hung himself as well, in 1983). The final two tracks here, "No More", and "Ringside, are thus acutely
painful; the former is from a perturbed man with one foot in the grave,
and the latter displays such bitterness over being ripped-off by management
and two major record companies, its not hard to see what put him there!
Overall, these upfront-recorded, simple, affecting songs contain a surprisingly
spiritual air. Again like (Chris) Bell, the tormented soul has a lot of
contrasting beauty in it. There's an odd stillness of the heart in lush
acoustic numbers such as "Sille Veb" (an apology to a long-neglected girlfriend
for touring too much, her name spelled backwards in the title), and "Coppertone
Blues." These show Ham to be an inventive player, as well as a fine singer.
Imagine "Blackbirdî by Ham's original mentor at Apple, Paul McCartney,
with more personal lyrics. An unplugged version of the massive 1970 #8
hit "No Matter What," is likewise more soul-quiet. Most of the other more
fleshed-out tracks recall chamber-pretty Badfinger moments, such as "Midnight
Caller" from 1971's No Dice. Those who crave more dense, uptempo Badfinger
brilliance should seek 1972's masterful Straight Up, but the beguiling,
beautiful, sweetly forlorn 7 Park Avenue is an unexpected document of a
more plaintive side only Ham's biggest admirer's knew existed. This album
just doubles the reasons to grieve the untimely, regrettable death of such
an unique, emotive talent. Note: Superb liner notes, photos, and lyrics,
too.
Q
Taking its name from the address of Badfinger's modestly proportioned rehearsal and demo studio in London during the late 60's/early 70's heyday, 7 Park Avenue compiles 18 solo recordings by the group's principle songwriter Pete Ham, who committed suicide in 1975, aged 27. With this in mind, there is a certain poignancy lent to the more melancholic, stripped-down acoustic tracks, such as Weep Baby and No More, even though the latter attempts to cloak its depressive lyric with a chirpy McCartneyesque melody. Other tracks like Catherine Cares and I Know That You Should feature modern bass and drum overdubs provided by former Badfinger member Bob Jackson and Ron Griffiths, Ham's partner in the band's previous incarnation, The Iveys, and these prove impressively faithful to the recording techniques of the period. A fitting document to a songwriting talent tragically thwarted. Rating - Four stars out of five
Yeah Yeah Yeah
... Lately, with a newfound interest in power pop, and a growing underground following, Badfinger have been properly rescued from obscurity and have seen a lot of their product reissued, albeit sometimes haphazardly. Rykodisc, who haphazardly issued a lame live Badfinger disc a few years back, have washed those sins away with this amazing disc of lost Pete Ham songs. This album of lost demos is a truly splendid thing. Whereas, with Badfinger, one would have to wade through the Joey songs and Tommy songs to get to Ham, here ya have the guy straight through on 18 tracks. For many of the songs it's obvious why they weren't included on Badfinger
records; either they were too pop, or were just too personal. Some, however,
should've made the cut. Coppertone Blues and Sille Veb are as great as
anything he ever recorded. Both have an aching McCartneyesque acoustic
feel to them and are unequivocally beautiful. Other lost gems are Dear
Father, Hand In Hand and Island, all of which show that he was never able
to get everything he wanted onto a Badfinger record. Most of these tracks
could've made it, and that fact's almost as depressing as the reality of
Ham's life. Thank whoever, that finally these songs have seen the light
of day. And may Pete Ham finally rest in peace.
Miami New TImes
The mere fact that Badfinger was originally signed to the Beatles' Apple label unfairly stigmatized the British popstars as a surrogate Fab Four. But unlike their labelmates, Badfinger's story did not include highlights like soldout shows at Shea Stadium. That story, chronicled in Dan Matovina's new book Without You: The Tragic Story of Badfinger, is indeed one of tragedy - one in which mismanagement and deception culminated in the 1975 suicide of vocalist, guitarist, and songwriter Pete Ham. New material is beginning to see the light, thanks to a collaboration between Ham's heirs and Matovina. The first glimpse of these tapes is 7 Park avenue, a compilation of eighteen Ham originals, all of which stand as a brilliant reminders of the talent that died when Ham hanged himself at the age of 27. Because his bandmates Tom Evans and Joey Molland were also first-rate songwriters, Ham was often limited to only four songs per Badfinger album. On 7 Park Avenue the Badfinger gem "No Matter What" is presented as a soaring, acoustic demo. But the real stunners are the songs never cut by the group. "Would You Deny" is done minimally, with a falsetto vocal that evokes Cream-era Eric Clapton, while "Catherine Cares" is a gently rocking song offered by Ham as an apology to his mother for his lifestyle of rock and roll misbehavior. 7 Park Avenue ends with "No More" and "Ringside," both of which address
Ham's suicidal state. They were among the last songs he recorded. "No More"
especially shows the schism within Pete Ham; listening to this song is
almost like indulging in a morbid voyeurism. Its chorus, a repetitive "N-n-n-n-no,
no, no, no more," is offered with listeners too young to remember Badfinger
exactly what a pop record should sound like, while its lyrics hint at the
sad end to the Pete Ham story.
Popsided
Pete Ham was, for all intents and purposes, Badfinger. He wrote all
the band's hits (apart from McCartney's Come And Get It) and he is the
most well-known of the bunch. This is not to say that the other three members
were not as important, but every band must have a leader/focal point, and
Ham was it. This comp of demos recorded at Badfinger's demo studio on 7
Park Avenue proves that Ham was a songwriter of immense talent and emotional
depth. The only reason these songs never made an album (apart from No Matter
What and Matted Spam) is that the rest of the band had enough talent to
hold up a portion of an album as well, leaving some of Ham's finest material
in the vaults. If you want poignant, touching McCartney-esque pop, then
look no further. Catherine Cares, It Doesn't Really Matter, Just How Lucky
We Are, Coppertone Blues. All of them are classics. What a writer and vocalist
Ham was. Even on the lesser tunes, his talent shines. The real emotional
impact will hit you on the last two tracks, No More, and Ringside, both
of which were recorded in the weeks leading to Ham's suicide in April of
'75. They are true 'lump in the throat' masterpieces. With this Rykodisc
release, Pete Ham will forever be remembered by his talent, not just the
way he chose to leave the world.
The Gainesville Sun
The title refers to a house in West London where the four members of Badfinger lived communally in the early '70s writing songs, recording demos, and rehearsing. Pete Ham was that group's linchpin, a phenomenally talented tunesmith from Wales, the author of the band's international hits Day After Day, No Matter What, and Baby Blue. Ham committed suicide in 1975, as a way of escaping the legal and personal knots that had begun to suffocate Badfinger. 7 Park Avenue consists of acoustic demos he made during happier times (for the most part, that is - the final two songs on the album, recorded at Ham's home in Surrey, date from just weeks before his tragic death). Minimal but unobtrusive overdubbing has been added to improve the sound on certain songs. With the exception of a quick run-through of No Matter What, none of these acoustic gems ever surfaced, in any form, on a Badfinger record. Some, like Coppertone Blues, Sille Veb, Weep Baby, and Catherine Cares, are actually better than many tracks the band chose to release. Pete Ham was a great talent. More than 20 years after the fact, songs
he considered castoffs can take their place alongside his immense and important
contributions to popular music.
Dorsett Evening Echo
Anyone with a more than passing interest in pop history will know that Pete Ham was the main singer / songwriter with Badfinger, the cherishably gifted quartet from Swansea who (along with American soul-mates like Big Star and The Raspberries) unfashionably flew the flag for snappy, succinct guitar-based pop music during the worst and most bloated excesses of the early 70's. Previously-unissued Pete Ham demos, intimately-recorded and uniformly excellent, are in evidence on 7 Park Avenue. The sweetly-sung acoustic demo of No Matter What is worth the asking price alone, although there are songs on the album (Coppertone Blues, No More, I Know That You Should) of such obvious quality that it simply begs belief to think that they were never recorded or released by Badfinger in the first place. Signed to Apple in 1968, a crippling series of financial and personal
setbacks robbed them of their momentum and completely eroded their self-worth,
to the point where a bitterly disillusioned Pete Ham committed suicide
in 1975. Fellow-member Tom Evans followed suit, hanging himself (just as
Ham had done)
Fixating on their awful demise is no way to remember them, though -
far more fittingly, a listen to 7 Park Avenue will reassure you that Badfinger's
true legacy is a series of huge-hearted, achingly melodic and soaringly
uplifting songs.
Anglia Advertiser
Badfinger will probably be used in years as an example to youngsters
NOT to join a band. The 'Finger enjoyed a smattering of success at the
start, but then it all went downhill - management problems, bad record
deals, eventually lead to the suicide of the band's two main principal
songwriter's. Pete Ham was the first to tragically take his own life and
7 Park Avenue is a collection of demo and home recordings which have been
spruced up with added instrumentation. This is no naff Free As A Bird exercise
though, as Dan Matovina has ensured Ham's vocals and guitar playing are
the album's focus.
Record Collector
... 7 Park Avenue is a timely (and timeless) reminder of why anyone cared about Pete Ham in the first place. It's a set of home demos, which have been subtly overdubbed in recent years to support Ham's original guitars, bass, keyboards and percussion. That in itself could have been a disaster, but there's not a moment where the additions overshadow Ham's own work. No Matter What is the only Badfinger hit sampled here, inevitably losing something of its appeal without the power pop trappings of the original single. There's just one other familiar song, Matted Spam from the 1974 Warner Brothers LP Badfinger - but intriguingly Ham wandered into the lyrics for Day After Day midway through. The rest is new to you, which for once isn't a euphemism for "Not released because everyone hated it." Badfinger quickly got tired of the Beatles comparisons, but Pete Ham's melodic flair is reminiscent of McCartney at his best. Catherine Cares would have been a guaranteed hit single in 1968 or 1969; likewise Just Look Inside The Cover. Coppertone Blues ties the same delicious tunefulness to a folkier feel, while Live Love All Of Your Days and Leaving On A Midnight Train are the equal of any of Badfinger's rockers. It's probably overstating the case to call the final two tracks "a virtual
suicide note", as it does in the notes, but No More and Ringside both have
a melancholy air that is somehow beyond desperation. Within two weeks of
recording those songs, Pete Ham killed himself; this superbly packaged
and conceived set is a worthy tribute.
The Riverfront Times (St. Louis)
Rock 'n' roll suicide isn't too common. Sure, the fabled slow demise from drugs and alcohol may be death by one's own hand, but it's not the emergency exit chosen by a select, tortured few. In the case of Pete Ham of Badfinger and Jim Ellison of Material Issue: , young men with so many songs left to write, it seems a particular waste. Although their suicides are separated by over 20 years, the two were kindred spirits (perhaps now they literally are) - they didn't sound alike, but both championed a symmetrical combination of pop trendy and rock energy. Ham hanged himself in 1975 after Badfinger fell into financial quicksand. Last June, Ellison spent his future on a garage's worth of carbon monoxide. All that either left behind was a document of his unhappiness - a suicide note - and a lot of great music. Like the label's other anthologies of ill-fated talents such as Nick Drake (probably a suicide) and Chris Bell (not a suicide), the Pete Ham and Jim Ellison collections show that Rykodisc is aware of how to tie up loose ends - or at least gather them. Ellison and Ham weren't cult members so anxious to move on to the next life that they couldn't contain themselves, but they were looking for something otherworldly, and music was their space ship... Badfinger's hits like Day After Day, Baby Blue and No Matter What were perfect singles that sounded like a revitalized 70's Beatles. The rich voice behind these songs belonged to Pete Ham, who wrote and sang like a sadder Paul McCartney with a palpably bigger heart. 7 Park Avenue collects demos Ham recorded over a span of years. Rough and unfinished-sounding, the songs hang together as a portrait of a likewise rough, and unfinished life. Singing the Coppertone Blues can't keep Ham's thin skin safe from melancholy's burn. The mysteriously titled acoustic demo is one of the most beautiful ballads ever - as gentle, fragile and obscure as anything by Big Star or Neil Young. His heart on his sleeve, Ham emotes plaintively, but the song is a perfectly cut valentine. There are surprises (but not detours) on 7 Park Avenue, like the Stax groove of Matted Spam (also recorded by Badfinger) and an energetic acoustic version of No Matter What. Perhaps this collection - this isolation - of Ham's music will reveal his vision as one of the most compelling, if pain-fueled, in pop history. Fans of the tortured-artist Hell of Fame, which includes (among the
living) Brian Wilson and Syd Barrett, will find this troubled soul a welcome
addition. Whatever caused Pete Ham and Jim Ellison to take their own lives
- a killer case of depression, external circumstances, or a deadly cocktail
of both - they both made life-affirming music with an undying resonance.
Philadelphia Weekly
Badfinger guitarist Joey Molland may have looked a bit like Paul McCartney, but it was Pete Ham who was blessed with the Beatles' tender voice and prolific songwriting talent. Just how prolific is made clear on 7 Park Avenue, a collection of 18 home demos or songs that, save for two (Matted Spam and the hit, No Matter What), were never released. The material includes fully arranged infectious rockers Catherine Cares, It Doesn't Really Matter, and Leaving On A Midnight Train that showcase Ham's instrumental resourcefulness as well as lovely, sparsely acoustic ballads the hymn-like Dear Father, Weep Baby, and the idyllic Island that are enriched by Ham's tender vocals. Because despair led Ham to hang himself in 1975, it's sad and ironic to hear him sing Just How Lucky We Are. But we can consider ourselves lucky, indeed, that this cache of high-quality material has been unearthed. Rating - Four stars (out of Five)
The Buffalo Art Voice
Although the music of Badfinger and chief songwriter Pete Ham remain
staples of classic rock radio, few people are familiar with the band itself
or its tragic legacy. Forming under the name The Iveys in 1966, the group
were signed to the Beatles fledgling Apple label in 1968. Changing their
name to Badfinger, the group had a string of top hits on both sides of
the ocean including No Matter What, Baby Blue, Day After Day, and Paul
McCartney's Come And Get It. But life under the Beatles banner was not
an easy one, and the band's incredible talents for creating pop masterpieces
were overshadowed by mentions of the Fab Four. 7 Park Avenue collects demo
versions of mostly unreleased Badfinger tracks which take on a startling
depth in light of Ham's suicide in 1975 (fellow Badfinger Tom Evans would
also take his own life in 1983, bringing the band's story to a tragic close).
The album plays like a long running diary reflecting on a sad life and
impending death. Tracks like No More and Ringside show a clearly disillusioned
man at the end of his rope, but juxtaposed with a few light hearted tracks
such as Ham's tribute to his mother Catherine Cares and the life affirming
Just How Lucky We Are. The album is not without a few immaculate rays of
hope. Ham is best in his reflective moods with such tracks as the lovely
Dear Father, Weep Baby, and Island. A demo version of No Matter What is
included to entice the collectors. 7 Park Avenue is a lost legacy that
has thankfully finally found its way to the ears of the public... A total
dig it!
Time And A Word
Rather than dwell upon the morbid details of singer-songwriter Pete
Ham's tragic death in 1975, let me unequivocally state that 7 Park Avenue
brings to light some of Ham's greatest and most personal songs. Although
the best of Pete Ham went on to become huge hits with the group Badfinger,
the splendid Ham demos showcased here presents a vital behind-the-scenes
glimpse at one of the most gifted songwriters of post-Beatles pop. Produced
by Dan Matovina, author of the upcoming book, Without You: The Tragic Story
Of Badfinger, these 18 tracks - recorded in mono during the late 60's and
early 70's - have been sonically cleansed with several tracks featuring
recent overdubs added by two of Ham's former band mates. 7 Park Avenue
includes a complete lyric sheet, while insightful liner notes by Andy Davis
concerning this posthumous release will leave listeners shaking their heads
in
CMJ New Music
Pete Ham was the guiding talent behind Badfinger, one of the great undersung cult artists of the 1970's, and his death by his own hand in 1975 was one of the saddest endings in the history of pop music. 7 Park Avenue (Rykodisc) is a collection of his rare and intimate home demos, compiled by the author of a forthcoming, definitive Badfinger biography. These home demos won't take the place of Straight Up or The Best Of Badfinger Vol. 1, but if, like me, you're a hopeless fan of Ham's haunting melodic sensibility and his soothing world-weary voice, you won't be disappointed by this disc. Drums and bass were added to some tracks much later, and I can kind
of tell which ones, but frankly, I hardly noticed - unlike virtually every
other example of "ghosting" on the market, the producers appear to have
kept the original integrity of these home recordings intact.
Relix
The Welsh group, Badfinger, was plagued by tragedy as two of its members
committed suicide. Pete Ham, the group's leading light and main songwriter
was one, Tom Evans was the other. While premature deaths are sad, the early
demise of Pete Ham was a particular loss - he was a pop writer with imagination,
class, and great potential. A recent release, 7 Park Avenue (Ryko), contains
18 previously unreleased recordings, mostly recorded by Ham alone. Included
are early versions of Badfinger songs such as "No Matter What" and "Coppertone
Blues." Ultimately, these intimate recordings show just how much of an
untapped talent Ham was. The original mono recordings were cleansed and
tasteful additional overdubs were added by former Badfinger member Bob
Jackson and former Iveys member Ron Griffiths.
Ink Nineteen
It's almost too cruel to mention that if Pete Ham had any inkling of the influence he'd have as a songwriter to a generation thirty years later, he might have thought twice about hanging himself in April of 1975. Twenty-two years after his tragic suicide, Ham is still a force in contemporary pop as evidenced by Mariah Carey's hit version of Without You. But it still comes as a revelation to hear Ham's home demos of his songs
on the newly released 7 Park Avenue (the title refers to the address of
Badfinger's residence in London, which was also the location of a demo
studio). Originally recorded and overdubbed on two-track reel-to-reel tapes,
these 18 mono songs (a few of which ended up on Badfinger albums in rearranged
versions), featuring Pete's guitar and vocals, sound remarkably good. In
honesty, the liner notes explain that some doctoring was done to these
tapes with bass, and percussion added in 1995 to fill out the sound. But
this was no hack job. Ham's voice sounds clean and clear, and all the guitar
parts are played by him. Most importantly though, these demo performances
which were never intended for public hearing, show Ham's deeply felt emotion
and knack for writing a great pop hook while keeping the passion and feelings
pure.....
The 910
Pete Ham was, of course, one of the guiding members of Badfinger. Now, more than two decades after his tragic suicide (and thanks to Badfinger expert Dan Matovina, who arranged for the acquisition of these tapes from the Ham estate) Rykodisc is releasing a disc of recordings Pete made in his home studio. Except for the last five cuts (from the Japanese edition of the CD), the sound quality is excellent... I believe this is an important enough release so I'll go through the songs one-by-one. If Pete Ham had been with The Beatles this would certainly have been my Editor's Choice this time around. 1. Catherine Cares
2. Coppertone Blues
3. It Doesn't Really Matter
4. Live Love All Of Your Days
5. Would You Deny
6. Dear Father
7. Matted Spam
8. No Matter What
9. Leaving On A Midnight Train
10. Weep Baby
11. Hand In Hand
12. Sille Veb
13. I Know That You Should
14. Island
15. Just Look Inside The Cover
16. Just How Lucky We Are
17. No More
18. Ringside
19. Just A Chance
20. The Heart That Can't Be Understood
21. Come Come Tomorrow
22. Blessing In Disguise
23. Know One Knows
San Francisco Chronicle
More than 20 years after the Badfinger guitarist's suicide, Pete Ham's solo material from the late 60's and early 70's was unearthed for this collection, in stores Tuesday. Though Badfinger members once were perceived as Beatles protégés because of their association with Paul McCartney and Apple Records, Ham's own songs helped form the foundation for modern power-pop. Catherine Cares, Hand In Hand and I Know That You Should have the same
pop-rock spirit as the group's biggest hits, Come And Get It and Day After
Day, but Ham (who also co-wrote the rock standard Without You, made famous
by Harry Nilsson) penned an equal number of soul-searching ballads during
his solo tenure; Dear Father and Sille Veb are but two of the simple, McCartneyesque
stunners included. Former band mates Bob Jackson and Ron Griffiths assisted
in overdubbing some of the raw tapes, but most of the sounds are Ham's.
The prerelease solo acoustic version of No Matter What is an added bonus
for Badfinger completists, but it showcases only a fraction of Ham's beautiful
legacy.
Houston Press
... Even more pitiful is the saga of Pete Ham, the tortured leader of Badfinger, who hanged himself in 1975 at the age of 27. Suicide was Ham's way of escaping the realization that he'd been betrayed by the ones he'd trusted the most. They'd left his life in financial ruins, his spirit drained. Tragedy aside, Badfinger was a good band measured against perhaps the greatest rock band ever. The group is still seen by many as little more than a pre-disco Fabricated Four, and for obvious reasons: The Beatles were Badfinger's mentors, affording the band its first record deal on Apple Records and a hit single in the McCartney-penned Come And Get It. That in mind, I tried to suspend any undue scrutiny when listening to 7 Park Avenue, a new Rykodisc collection of previously unreleased demos recorded by Ham in his home studio during the late 60's and early 70's. In the end, doing so didn't require much effort. True, parts of 7 Park Avenue are stubbornly McCartneyesque, and one or two cuts shamelessly ape the echoey live-to-tape feel and signature three-part harmonies that defined early Beatles. But a larger portion of 7 Park Avenue proves that Ham was hardly living in a nostalgic vacuum. The goofy Matted Spam, for example, is an obvious nod to Steve Winwood. There's still more to suggest that Ham was gradually working through his more derivative habits and developing a raw, confessional style all his own. The various kinks and imperfections in performance and production (Ham's recording equipment was primitive) contribute to the intimacy that floods these demos. In itself, Ham's abbreviated life is tragic. But with the fitfully inspired
7 Park Avenue serving as a reminder of what was lost with his death, the
effect on the listener is nothing short of harrowing. Damned is this isn't
some of the best music Badfinger never recorded.
The Province (Vancouver B.C.)
Thirteen years (sic) after Pete Ham's suicide comes this unexpected but welcome collection of the former Badfinger leader's demos. A few feature overdubs that were added for this release - many have spare but effective accompaniment and a few, most notably, his brief run-through of Badfinger's second hit, No Matter What - present Ham alone with his guitar. Only two of the 18 tracks were recorded by Badfinger but Ham was a first-rate songwriter and this is a fine, thoughtfully presented selection of his work. Rating - Three and 1/2 stars out of five
Stomp Stammer
... Anyway, this is a compilation of home-recorded demos Ham did between
the late sixties and early seventies, spruced up for sonic improvement,
and - ala "Free As A Bird" - with new instrumental overdubs added, many
of which are performed by a couple of ex-members of the Iveys and Badfinger.
While the decision to meddle with a dead man's past may be questionable
(Ham hanged himself in 1975), it seems to have been done with good taste,
and a respect for the material, which, although containing very few of
Ham's better-known songs, is quite enjoyable. Most of those songs, with
Pete on acoustic guitar, piano and vocals, have never even been officially
released, thereby making this an even tastier collection. Ham's skills
as a pop songwriter have never been widely appreciated, and the unpolished
7 Park Avenue (the title refers to the address the band kept) will likely
do little to change that (despite the overdubs, these are basically solo
demos, and the music never approaches what the full band could achieve).
Still, fans of Badfinger, and great guitar pop in general, will find rewards
- such as a subdued demo of "No Matter What," and the devastatingly pained
"No More," recording just before his tragic suicide....
Discoveries
Fans of committed songcraft had no worries on Pete Ham's watch. As guiding light/guitarist for Badfinger, Ham supplied some of the Seventies' toughest, yet tenderest sounds. Under his pen, Badfinger graduated from wide-eyed Beatles protégés to hardbitten surveyors of the business that destroyed them. Their melodic prowess pushed "Baby Blue," "Day After Day" and "No Matter What" into the US Top Forty. From Ham's perspective, however, the hook behind Badfinger's first hit, "Come And Get It" - "You better hurry, 'cause it's going' fast" - proved most prophetic. Battered by crippling lawsuits, and never-ending debts - including a mortgage he could no longer afford - Ham hung himself, aged 27, on April 27, 1975, from the garage rafters of his English home. He left a pregnant wife and a note blaming Badfinger's American business manager, Stan Polley, for the tragedy. Ham's partner, bassist/guitarist Tom Evans, also hung himself in 1983, after re-forming the band for two overlooked albums with guitarist Joey Molland. Badfinger's catalogue lay mired in litigation until 1986, when Apple and Warner Brothers Records began reissuing it. Now comes Rykodisc's 17-track demo collection named after Badfinger's home studio, where Ham took refuge from life's pressures. Producer Dan Matovina found them during research for Without You: The Tragic Story Of Badfinger, after Ham's brother John revealed their existence. Matovina spent 1993 removing clicks and dropouts from Ham's original mono masters, followed by a decision to overdub new contributions in 1994-95 from original bassist Ron Griffiths and later-era guitarist-keyboardist Bob Jackson (while keeping Ham's vocals, guitars and other overdubs). Badfinger bent over backwards to work democratically; its first UK hit, "Maybe Tomorrow," actually came from Evans. Ham was that rare leader who didn't throw his weight around, yet he spent more time than anyone at 7 Park Avenue. As Matovina's liner notes remark, there'd be times when "everyone else living in the house would just be waking up and making breakfast, and Pete would pop out of the studio with a new song." These tracks show how much Ham's music mirrored his life. "Dear Father" and the midtempo "Catherine Cares" are melodic keepsakes to his parents, while "Just Look Inside The Cover" offers his characteristic confidence. "Weep Baby," among the earliest surviving demos, is an acoustic salute to Bev Ellis, who backwards-spelled name frames the bittersweet "Sille Veb" - as their relationship failed to weather Badfinger's demonic road and studio schedule. A more whimsical side crops up in "Coppertone Blues," apparently inspired by America's signature Seventies suntan lotion, and the laidback, lilting "Island" - featuring it's composer's whispers as waves. For a bongo line, Ham taps a rhythm on his trusty Martin acoustic guitar. Ham's hard-rocking authority is showcased on "Leaving On A Midnight Train," and the original take on "Matted Spam," whose terse syncopationís greatly benefit from the absence of a slick horn motif that clogged its recording on the Badfinger (1974) album. By the latter year, Ham's internal turmoils are clearly aired on "It Doesn't Really Matter," which rallies behind Anne Ferguson - his girlfriend, and also married to roadie Ian Ferguson, a scene that fostered extreme displeasure in the Badfinger ranks. Yet, as 1975 opens, Ham is reassuring her "Just How Lucky We Are," as the group lies on the financial rocks - broken by Polley's maneuvers to grab their income. That leads to his final recordings, which will garner the most attention. "No More" and "Ringside" are the epitaphs of a proud man cornered by a business which has ground him up, and spat him out. Ironically, Ham uses a sprightly pop melody to underline "No More"'s harrowing resignation: "Drunken days/ Sleepless nights/Someone please turn out the light/I can't face the mirror anymore." "Ringside"'s lone electric guitar thrums like a funeral march. His voice cracking, Ham surveys his position ("Take your seat at the ringside/Watch them bidding for your blood"), pleads for some last-minute understanding ("Take me back to the country"), before deciding that no hope exists: "For I can't bear to feel the sorrow/Of the evil that you've shown." It's a chilling reminder of what might have been, as Ham would have been 50 this year. Badfinger acolytes will find an embarrassment of riches to interest
them; so will home recording aficionados wanting more insights on the creative
process. Yet 7 Park Avenue's appeal should extend beyond these natural
constituencies; it's a timely reminder of Ham's commitment to his craft,
as well as a compelling glimpse of a talent that was prematurely snuffed
out. This music doesn't lie.
The Bob
....The "producers" of 7 Park Avenue, a fair sized collection of demos
by Pete Ham, go even further in blurring the picture. Besides the usual
cleaning up of the masters, the producers of this set have added newly
recorded accompaniment. Without hearing the source material it's impossible
to argue about it. but on its own I'd have to say the aural quality and
instrument balance sound better than one would expect. Ham's vocals are
clear and poignant throughout. A certain sad beauty hangs over the album,
whether it's a rocker like "Catherine Cares" or a gentle mid-tempo number
like "It Doesn't Really matter" or a guitar-and-voice ballad like "Ringside."
While Ham has been gone for almost 20 years now, it's a pleasure to have
him bring something new into my life.
Cake
Ham, one of the main songwriters in the sorely missed Badfinger, had
the home recording DIY thing happening back when Bob Pollard (Guided By
Voices) was still in an elementary school classroom, as a student.
The title comes from the address where most of the 18 demos were recorded
between '67 and '75. It's a wonderful collection of unassuming, yet affecting
pop songs, some power pop and some quite tender and melodic. In a word,
fascinating.
Puncture
... As Monty Python heralded in The Life Of Brian, "Bring Out Your Dead!",
this year's most fascinating archive set was 7 Park Avenue, a collection
of demos from Badfinger leader Pete Ham, who hanged himself in 1975, but
stayed a hummable charmer til the end....
The Star
It's about 25 years after the fact, but Badfinger collectors can now
add the solo demo recordings of Badfinger founder Pete Ham to their collections.
7 Park Avenue documents the demos Ham recorded in the late '60s and early
'70s during his tenure with The Iveys and Badfinger. Before taking his
own life in 1975, Ham wrote three of the most memorable hits from the era
in "No Matter What," "Baby Blue" and "Day After Day," as well as co-writing
a hit which has been remade by several artists, "Without You." 7 Park Avenue,
listens like a coffehouse performance by a gifted Beatlesque pop writer.
Focusing mainly on Ham's voice and guitar (with some keyboards and rhythm
section additions) the disc offers an intriguing look into the demos of
a master songwriter. "Catherine Cares" and "Coppertone Blues" leave the
listener wishing for full band Badfinger versions and "Leaving On A Midnight
Train" is a complete piano rocker that makes one wonder if Paul McCartney
snuck into the studio to handle the mic. None of these, unfortunately,
were ever recorded by Badfinger. 7 Park Avenue also includes an early,
amazing demo of "No Matter What."
Hi Fi News
Posthumous 18-track would-have-been-a solo-album from the man who WAS
Badfinger -- the first truly Beatlesque band. Some of the most achingly
gorgeous pop balladry ever, from the co-author of ìWithout You.î
Exquisite.
Surrey Advertiser
The story of Badfinger has been pretty neglected over the years, allowing their main songwriter and frontman Ham to become one of the forgotten tragedies with which the rock world is littered... Although songwriting duties were shared democratically within Badfinger, Ham spent a lot of time in the outfitís home studio - the album title is that address - and amassed an impressive collection of songs, 18 of which are released here for the first time.... Some of the tracks have new overdubs from former Badfinger member Bob Jackson and Ron Griffiths, who played with Ham in its forerunner, the Iveys, while others are presented in their raw, stripped down emotional state. Sadly we will never know just how good Ham could have become, but this
is a fitting tribute to a talent destroyed all too soon.
Hartbeat
Get me on a good day and I will admit a secret liking for Badfingerís ìCome And Get Itî even though I found most of their albums and sundry singles just too darn slick for my tastes. It was always a case of Iíd like to like Badfinger but... so this posthumous collection of home demos by one of the bandís leading lights is a real revelation.... ...these recordings on 7 Park Avenue, done domestically at Pete Hamís
house in Golders Green on a Revox Sound-On-Sound tape machine, have been
collated, compiled and released to coincide with a major biography on this
South Wales band, with a minimum of tarting up and retrospective meddling.
And theyíre staggering - in their bare-boned Urform, Hamís
genius as one of Britainís greatest songwriters comes shining through
in tandem for all the bitterness for the rock biz that eventually killed
him off and which scolds over on tunes like ìNo Moreî and
ìRingsideî. 7 Park Avenue is a savage indictment of the music
machine and a fine testament to a musician who should still be writing
and still be performing in the very eye of the Power Pop genre.
Uncut
How would history treat Beatles-buddies Badfinger if two members of the group hadnít taken their own lives? Unlike most famous rockíníroll suicides, there was really nothing in primo powerpop like ìNo Matter Whatî or ìBaby Blueî to suggest impending tragedy. But death becomes pop stars, and Hamís home demos are on general release some 22 years after his death. No question, the boy had a way with a McCartneyesque melody (check ìDear
Fatherî or the rough ìNo Matter whatî), while the opening
ìCatherine Caresî or ìJust Look Inside The Coverî
could grace the next Oasis album.... Pete Ham emerges as a songwriter worthy
of the column inches his death generated.
Brumbeat
The ill-fated Badfinger frontman left behind reels and reels of pretty
sophisticated demos and itís these, carefully cleaned up and sensitively
overdubbed where necessary that makes up this illuminating eighteen tracker.
illuminating in itís revelation of No MAtter What in acoustic demo
state, yet more chillingly illuminating as a beautifully melodic diary
of despair as Ham notes relationship problems and finally with No More
and Ringside the realisation that his musical dream has been stolen, subverted,
and raped by the biz.
Tyke News
... On this album of rescued demos Pete Ham is just a damn good songwriter
of the type you could hear in many a folk club, except better. Itís
around twenty years since he took his own life. His experiences of ripped
off within his band, Badfinger, and having trouble with the mortgage despite
having written the mega hit Without You compounded by him into deep depression.
Sadly the co-writer of Without You, Tom Evans, followed nine years later.
But here the demos, sometimes enhanced by multi tracking, sometimes solo,
sometimes with new additions, show a songwriter who knew how to do it.
The demo of the Badfinger hit, No Matter What shows that itís still
a great song stripped down. And sadly so is No More, a sprightly tune and
strong melody help to cover lyrics of a man going down never to rise. Shame.
In these days of unplugged and Ray Davies touring solo Pete Ham could have
been up there. Buy it in recognition of that alone.
Dover Express
... Rykodisc, one of the classiest labels around, have recently released
7 Park Avenue - an astonishing album comprised of demos that Ham recorded
on his home two track. Although some new overdubs have been added, the
best cuts feature Ham alone, the demo of No Matter What, which reached
number 5 as a single, and the beautiful Coppertone Blues being just two
examples. An intimate album, it is also a valuable look at a truly great
talent.
SCUZZ
An album of mainly acoustic demos from the ex-Badfinger vocalist/guitarist,
the earliest of which dates back to the late Sixties. The latest were recorded
just days before his death in April 1975, a time when Ham was in the dark
throes of depression, the depression that eventually led to him taking
his own life and the disintegration of Badfinger. Ham's songwriting genius
is indisputable throughout, his positivity inspiring. Which is why, when
that optimism eventually gives way to lines like "drunken days, drunken
nights, someone please turn out the light, I can't face the mirror anymore"
(from No More) it's all the more heartbreaking.
CHEW
The story of Badfinger is one of a talented group finding fame and fortune via association with a legendary band (The Beatles) which eventually became their albatross. The first victim of this good-luck- gone-bad was co-founder Pete Ham. Named after the address the band moved to when they first arrived in London, 7 PARK AVENUE is a collection of demos Ham recorded in the house's sound-proof studio. Although these recordings have minimal overdubs provided by studio musicians decades later, all vocals, guitar solos and licks are Ham's original performances from the late 1960s and early 1970s. The one thread running through the 18 songs brought together on this
collection is how emotional this sensitive songwriter was. Some of his
earliest songs a naked ballads professing the spiritual bond between him
and his future wife Beverley "Weep Baby" and a clever South Seas ditty
inspired by his niece "Island" accompanied by light bongos and Hawaiian
slide played on his upturned Martin. Ham even wrote a perfect slice of
pop dedicated to and about his mum ("Catherine Cares"). In 1970, Badfinger
played on the soundtrack to the Peter Sellers film "The Magic Christian,"
scoring a hit with the Paul McCartney-penned "Come And Get It." Coupled
with the smash "No Matter What" that quickly followed, the band's detractors
claimed Badfinger was solely benefiting due to their connection with the
Beatles. The demo of "No Matter What" appears here with a much sparser
arrangement , making it more endearing than the originally released version.
It also shows that, although the Fab Four were an influence, Pete Ham's
knack for writing pop songs went beyond merely aping Lennon-McCartney.
While Pete Ham's sensitivity made him a genius with the ballad, some of
his best works were either mid-tempo numbers or full-out rockers. "Midnight
Train" with its cool fuzz guitar and pounding piano is perfect accessible
pop. The demo of "Matted Spam," (a song that eventually ended up with a
more complex arrangement on Badfinger's 1974 Warner Brothers debut following
a break with Apple), is a flat-out funky jam with great syncopation and
oodles of hooks. That same year, Ham's marriage went asunder. He took up
with a roadie's estranged wife, which proved to be an unpopular decision
with the rest of the band. "It Doesn't Really Matter" is a piece of Beatlesque
pop that showed his defiance in the face of this disapproval. Being a sensitive
artist may have made for great music, but it was also an Achilles heel
that proved to be Pete Ham's undoing in the face of bad business deals
and a rocky personal life. The last two numbers on this collection ("No
More" and "Ringside") address Ham's severe depression. In "Ringside," he
goes as far as to sing: "Take me back to the father/Take me, take me, take
me home/For I can't bear to feel the sorrow/Of the evil you've shown."
Bear it he couldn't. On the morning of April 24th, 1975, Pete Ham hung
himself. He was only 27 years old, and his special
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