Please seek professional guidance. When I first joined the band, it didnt seem as if anybody was paying attention to them. They were attracted to his shrewd business style, his ability to secure six-figure deals for his clients, and his previous experience with world-class music acts. As detailed in "Suicide in the Entertainment Industry," by David K. Frasier, the band found financial representation in New York businessman Stan Polley, who netted them a six-figure contract with Warner Records in 1974, but would only give them a grand a month in allowance. Tommy and Pete won the Ivor Novello Award for it. Badfinger fulfilled its commitment to Apple with the 1973 release Ass. [9], sfnp error: no target: CITEREFBrennan2012 (, "Badfinger's last original member still playing their music", "Breaking Badfinger: Who's Getting the Baby Blue Money? Pete Ham was born in Townhill, Swansea and made his first guitar in school woodwork class. We were all quite pleased for them., We didnt have any money. All photos uploaded successfully, click on the Done button to see the photos in the gallery. We had to think about the future., After some suggestions, Apple chief executive Neil Aspinall thought of Badfinger, after Bad Finger Boogie, which was the working title for The Beatles hit, With A Little Help from My Friends.. Beatles engineer Geoff Emerick started that album as producer. It was very complicated. EXCLUSIVE! Those close to him claimed he was loyal and stubborn, still not wanting to drop their management. He was cremated at the Morriston Crematorium, Swansea; his ashes were spread in the memorial gardens. Required fields are marked *. Badfingers roots date back to the early 60s, in the close-knit music scene of Swansea Wales. American businessman Stan Polley, who had taken over their affairs from original manager, Bill Collins, defrauded the band out of millions, leaving them all but broke. Recognizing the Iveys talent and potential, he signed them to a management deal and moved them to London, where he installed them in a house that he rented in the suburb of Golders Green. He soon formed an instrumental combo called the Panthers, quickly emerging as an adept guitarist and disciplined bandleader. Please enter your email address and we will send you an email with a reset password code. Hed come over, sit with me or the other guys, and hed play a song. Nothing. The British band Badfinger was on its way to becoming the next Beatles but they got ripped off by a crooked American manager who got rich while the musicians went broke. This is a carousel with slides. As a result, the Iveys debut album, also titled Maybe Tomorrow, was released only in Germany, Italy and Japan, where the debut single had performed well, and where Griffiths Dear Angie was released as a follow-up. Although Bill Collins was more of a dreamer than a dealmaker, his interest in the Iveys was genuine. If he had an idea to change an arrangement, he would sit down and talk to you about it. Unbelievable. The giant conglomerate Warner Bros. Records was interested. All of us had to agree to it. That outfit, which also included ex-Yes keyboardist Tony Kaye, released a pair of underwhelming albums that attracted little attention. "It was [manager] Bill Collins who suggested we join their two ideas. While not a manager per-se, he did have industry connections, and got them a job as the backing band for David Garrick. It would drag on through the courts for years, tying up millions of dollars. Meanwhile, Mike Gibbins quietly released some low-key solo projects, and died of natural causes in 2005. "The younger ones are curious about the band while musicians talk about the guitar parts that inspired them.". His clients included rock band Badfinger, musician Al Kooper, and singer Lou Christie. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate, or jump to a slide with the slide dots. In the 90s, Molland angered some fans by recording remakes of ten vintage Badfinger tunes, which were then released on CD by a series of low-rent labels, often with photos of the original band misrepresenting the musical contents. But most of the funds from their Warner Bros. contracts would never reach the band, thanks to Polleys convoluted machinations. Hams daughter Petera was born a month later. Contents 1 Biography I will take him with me." Weve updated the security on the site. He knew exactly what he wanted as far as rhythm guitar: all straight up-and-down strokes. Human error to blame for train crash - Greek PM, At the crash site of 'no hope' - BBC reporter in Greece. The band had been pressured into recording Head First after Polley, realizing that litigation from Warner Bros. was looming, theorized that having a new album in the can would give him leverage in negotiating with the label, and would allow him to extract another advance. But you didnt want to call the band Badfinger. You know, its a shame. In 1991, Polley pleaded no contest to charges of misappropriating funds and money laundering in Riverside County, California. But why did they take it out on the band? England and Wales company registration number 2008885. In 1974, Warner's publishing division filed a lawsuit against Polley when it was unsuccessful in locating the funds. Ironically, eight years later, Tom Evans would choose . You need a Find a Grave account to continue. "Warner Brothers had given us 600,000 to sign and I enquired (to the management) about having 1,000 for equipment. The city was still in the process of rebuilding while Pete was growing up in Swanseas Townhill district, at the time one of the working-class towns roughest areas. By 1974, we were getting somewhat suspicious about it. Once the demos were greenlit, the Iveys contract with Apple was secured and they became the first band signed to Apple Records. Just a few years earlier, as members of the British quartet Badfinger, Ham and Evans shared what looked like an unimaginably promising future. At around the time of its release, the details of Polleys complex financial schemes began to surface. He was provided with unaudited accounts that said earnings had been eaten up by expensive US tours. Photos larger than 8Mb will be reduced. I think Pete really liked it. [7], Polley died in Rancho Mirage, California, on July 20, 2009. The label was known for being the most artist-friendly label at the time. Ham died at the age of 27. John Lennon didnt really notice us. But I cant think about what might have been. You go crazy if you live your life like that., What I knew of the Iveys was that they were a bit too pop for me at the time. Stanley Herbert Polley (April 7, 1922 - July 20, 2009) was an American entertainment manager and fraudster active in the 1960s and 1970s. On April 10, 1970, the rock world was shocked to learn that the Beatles had broken up. For the first half of the '70s, Badfinger were flying high, racking up hit singles and albums while touring the world (Ham and Evans also saw their composition Without You, a Badfinger track from the bands second album, No Dice, become a global No.1 when Harry Nilsson and producer Richard Perry gloriously re-imagined it on the singers 1971 album, Nilsson Schmilsson). It was around 1968 that Polley first formed a company called Five Arts Management, that included Christie, Kooper, Calello, Linzer and Lewis. People seemed to really like us over there, and we went over like mad. In addition to stopping Badfingers career dead in its tracks, the legal conflicts cut off the musicians income and plunged them into financial destitution, with virtually nothing to show for their years of creativity and hard work. "The band was also getting an edge, drinking more, taking drugs.". This celebrity has also been counted as part of famous people who are born on April 7. By all indications, Badfinger was on top of the world, with substantial commercial momentum, audience goodwill and respect from their peers. This was the beginnings of mechandising. Pete called Stan because he needed some money to buy something for his girlfriend, and he was told that he had no money left. PleaseKillMe.com is the home of Please Kill Me: the Uncensored Oral History of Punk. In an interview from January 2021 for Mollands solo album, Be True To Yourself, he reflected on Badfingers time together, Of course I look back. In 1968, Polley formed a company called Five Arts Management, for his work with singer Lou Christie, musician Al Kooper, arranger Charles Calello, TV director Michael Cooper, composer Sandy Linzer and WABC disc jockey Bob Lewis. Mackintosh Academy - Boulder. But Polley denied the existence of such a note. The Iveys struggled to keep their heads above water, barely scraping by on their meager gig receipts and the small weekly stipend that Collins paid them. It also became the centerpiece of the first official Badfinger album, Magic Christian Music, which combined the three McCartney-produced film songs with seven remixed Iveys tracks. For memorials with more than one photo, additional photos will appear here or on the photos tab. Allegedly, Ham left a suicide note that named Stan Polley, his booking agent, as the cause of the suicide. Todd Rundgren was initially hired to produce, but quickly dropped out of the project, which the band completed with producer Chris Thomas. The strain had increasingly shown in his behavior, with friends seeing him put out cigarettes on his arms and hands. Sadly, the song's lyrics ("Guess you think it's funny. Dropping the Iveys moniker for Badfinger (a reference to Bad Finger Boogie, the working title of the Beatles With a Little Help from My Friends), the band saw the albums lead single, Come and Get It, a Paul McCartney-penned ear-candy gem that could have easily figured on Abbey Road, hit the Top 10 on both sides of the Atlantic in the spring of 1970. To add a flower, click the Leave a Flower button. I remember him doing that with Beware of Darkness; he had an acoustic, and he played it for us a few times so that we could get a feel for the tune. For a time, everything was great.. When the remaining members had difficulty finding a suitable bassist to replace Griffiths, Evans offered to switch from guitar to bass to widen their options. We didnt record the basics at Abbey Road, but I went there to put on some slide guitar. The extra effort proved worthwhile, and Straight Up, released in December 1971, continued Badfingers success, although some critics expressed reservations about the albums softer, less rocking sound. There was an error deleting this problem. "But he was spinning us a line. Badfinger perform on Top Of The Pops, 1973. Oops, something didn't work. It took us ages to get over it, I don't know if Tommy ever did.". The date of birth lined up with the Lester Brown we're familiar If we had different management, we could have gone on. Stanley Herbert Polley(April 7, 1922 - July 20, 2009) was an entertainment manager from the 1960s and 1970s. Edward was born on January 15 1872, in Pittsfield, Pike, Illinois, USA. Gibbins felt the same, saying, You couldnt help but like Polley. The deal was awful: any money they got from touring, recording, publishing, and songwriter . You need a lawyer or someone you can trust. His clients included rock band Badfinger, musician Al Kooper, singer Lou Christie, singer-producer Hank Medress, arranger Charles Calello, composer Sandy Linzer, WABC disc jockey Bob Lewis, among others. So they said to the people at Apple in the U.K., Can you maybe redo the stuff? They didnt like all the songs, and they hated the sound. By Gregg L. Friedman MD, Nirvana were really great - never liked any other 'grunge' bands, only later liked some Mudhoney - though i did own a flannel shirt, but, SAM CUTLER: LIFE WITH THE STONES, THE DEAD & OTHER WONDERFUL REPROBATES, ALL THE RAJ: HOW NORWEGIAN WOOD UNLEASHED THE INDIAN INVASION, THE KNACK AND HOW TO GET IT: AN INTERVIEW WITH PRESCOTT NILES, PLEASE READ ME: THE BEST OF PKM FOR 2021, PART II, UTOPIA PARKWAY: THE ENDURING MYSTERY OF JOSEPH CORNELL. Wiki: He ran off with Badfinger's income, the record company money, leading to 2 band member suicides. We had guitars in our songs! It was fantastic! [1] He began artist management after he met Lou Christie in the mid-1960s. The strategy backfired, and Warner declined to releaseor pay forHead First. Hes an enthusiastic guitarist, but hes nowhere near the likes of the people he interviews. Career With no viable path to a serious career, most of Swanseas bands were content to remain semi-professional. P.S. Save to an Ancestry Tree, a virtual cemetery, your clipboard for pasting or Print. Like this story? If we had different management, we could have gone on. Polley, meanwhile, paid the band members individual salaries, which the musicianswho by now were locked into an exhausting cycle of near-constant touring and recordingcomplained were paltry in relation to the actual earnings that they were generating. I did a lot more work with George than with John. Joe is a freelance journalist who has, over the past few decades, interviewed hundreds of guitarists for Guitar World, Guitar Player, MusicRadar and Classic Rock. This flower has been reported and will not be visible while under review. Their songs and albums made millions but a series of financial and legal complications would lead to the deaths of two of the bands main songwriters, and leave behind a bittersweet legacy. In April 1970, manager Bill Collins was in the US scouting prospects for a tour and he met Stan Polley. The additions of bassist Ron Griffiths in 1964 and drummer Mike Gibbins in 1965 helped the Iveys to achieve new levels of musical proficiency and professional presentation. Biography: Polley served in the U.S. Army before beginning his managerial career in New York's garment industry. Quickly see who the memorial is for and when they lived and died and where they are buried. The new moniker was suggested by Beatles staffer Neil Aspinall, who borrowed it from Bad Finger Boogie, a working title that John Lennon had used for the song that became With A Little Help from My Friends.. Polley was placed on probation for five years and ordered by the court to return all missing funds to Brock, although the complainant said the restitution never materialized. My amp was an AC30 that belonged to the band. Mr Jackson joined up with the band following the departure of Molland in October 1974 until Pete Ham's death in April 1975 and toured the USA as Badfinger in the 1980s alongside Tommy Evans and Mike Gibbins. Becoming a Find a Grave member is fast, easy and FREE. Its been reported that it was because of an argument about royalties between you, Tom, Mike Gibbins and Bill Collins, your former manager, that Tom also hanged himself. The single 'Something'/'Come Together' was released on 31 October 1969. THE TRUTH BEHIND THE BRAWL BETWEEN JOHN LENNON AND CHRIS MONTEZ IN 1963! In an interview in Disc & Music Echo magazine, bassist Ron Griffiths complained about Apple neglecting the Iveys. I will not be allowed to love and trust everybody, Ham wrote. And it is understandable from a legal angle why Warners wanted the advance money back once they got wind of Polley's shady dealings. Yes, their manager, Stan Polley, screwed both the band and the record label by absconding with the advance money through a series of schemes and shell companies. Be respectful even if you disagree. Im saddened that Badfinger will never carry on till tomorrow. On July 23, 1968, the Iveys became Apples first non-Beatles singing, with each member also signing contracts with Apples publishing company. The folks at Apple assumed incorrectly that because of their Beatles connections, this would result in every single one of their releases being huge hits, but that wasnt the case. Unable to locate the funds, Warner sued Polley. When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. Evans possessed a mercurial personality that contrasted with Petes even-keeled approach. Tom Evans was the last member to sign the contract, due to him being wary of Polley. Stan Polley. Molland and Evans fronted two separate versions of the band as part of a contentious legal dispute. For math, science, nutrition, history . By that point, Ham, Evans and Gibbins had already each resigned at various times over the previous two years, but had all been persuaded to return. Its a better place than down here.. Aeronautics engineer Peter Brock accused Polley of swindling him for US $250,000 after the two set up a corporation to manufacture airplane engines. This was all too much for Pete Ham, who quit on the eve of the latest tour. The Firebird was a guitar I was playing for years before I joined Badfinger. Badfinger further established their own credentials with the release of their second album No Dice, in November 1970. But such success tends to make naive, inexperienced musicians into inviting targets for unscrupulous industry sharks. But Polley was no ordinary showbiz sharpie. Without more biographical information and details about his other artist-clients, this page probably could be blanked. Maybe he heard what Harry eventually did, but we just werent that kind of band. Even then, he showed an uncommon dedication, teaching himself the rudiments of guitar. We were thrilled at what he did.. Also in 1982, Evans, Gibbins and Bob Jackson somehow fell in with John Cass, a shadowy Milwaukee entrepreneur with minimal music-industry experience, who nonetheless promised to relaunch Badfingers career with a lucrative tour and a high-profile record deal. Heres how it works. It was obvious something was wrong. Good riddance. We all choose the songs. A financial statement prepared by Polleys accountants from December of 1970 to October 31, 1971 showed Polleys income from the band. Polley was a slick, charming operator whod served in the U.S. Army and worked in New Yorks garment industry, before entering the music business in the mid-60s. Amid. I didnt even have my own amp at the time. The Iveys move to London allowed the band to be closer to the British music business, and to begin to make a name for themselves performing in the citys hipper clubs. I guess he wanted you to know where he was going with it.. I will take him with me." Mr Matovina will say: "It's a very hard business, full of shysters, huge egos and people more than willing to use others for . A total of 500,000 royalty money from Apple was divided between the band. The same year, the band released their third record Straight Up, producing two more hits, Day After Day and Baby Blue. Guitarist Molland, now 68, joined the group in 1969 after they had relocated from Swansea to London, lured by the prospect of working with The Beatles. Sex tapes, shady business dealings, and homicides we'd all rather forget. We wanted to be a better band, as good as we could be.. Year should not be greater than current year. Compute answers using Wolfram's breakthrough technology & knowledgebase, relied on by millions of students & professionals. By the spring of 1975, Pete Ham learned he was penniless. Having the Beatles as their mentors led to predictable comparisons from the press. Stan Polley (1922- 2009) is a retired American music entrepreneur who, for a time, managed the business ventures of several musicians. Gibbins recalled in an interview, Wed be doing a gig in Ireland, and hed be singing Mrs. Learn how your comment data is processed. They were left penniless. We had great arguments about it, but we stuck to it. Bill Collins agreed, The Iveys were associated with the Merseyside scene and the name sounded a bit dated. Nobody was the leader. Evans became another piece of the bands signature lineup. Follow More from Medium Alvin Ang in Mind Cafe A Beautiful Girl I Knew Became a High-Class Escort And. As the only married occupant of the groups communal London home, and the father of a ten-month-old child, Griffiths family responsibilities sparked conflict between him and Evans, who questioned his level of dedication to the band. However questionable its legitimacy, the Cass lawsuit was a major source of consternation for Evans, who was already broken emotionally from his years of soul-crushing legal and financial struggles. If you want advice in a year or two, call me.. Polley, knowing that their Apple contract was ending in the . 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Throughout his career, Polley defrauded a number of clients and associates. Despite a few memorable songse.g. Meanwhile, Stan Polley forced a battle between Apple and Warner Bros. over Badfingers song publishing, causing the substantial royalty payments for the bands hits (and for Nilssons cover of Without You) to be tied in a legal knot that would take years to untangle. cemeteries found in Riverside, Riverside County, California, USA will be saved to your photo volunteer list. We will review the memorials and decide if they should be merged. In 1970, the group hooked up with the music agent Stan Polley, who quickly became their manager. Polley may have wrecked Badfingers career, but he couldnt stop their music from living on. Despite Apple Records rapidly unraveling business situation, No Dice was a hit, reaching the U.S. Top 30, and winning positive reviews and substantial radio airplay. Stan was born on April 7, 1922 in . According to The New York Times, Polley was named during Senate-investigation hearings in 1971 as an intermediary between unnamed crime figures and a New York Supreme Court judge. Tommy had his reasons for it, but they werent our reasons. In the early hours of April 24, 1975, 27-year-old Pete Ham hanged himself in his garage recording studio. Although initially skeptical of Polley, Collins admired his successful mindset. With McCartney producing and coaching the band to duplicate his original demo, the Iveys cut Come and Get It in an hour, with Tom Evans providing an appropriately Beatlesque lead vocal. Badfinger gave me the opportunity to do everything a musician could want. Polley was a slick, charming operator who'd served in the U.S. Army and worked in New York's garment industry, before entering the music business in the mid-'60s. We were broke! The vacancy was filled by another Liverpool native, Joey Molland, whose guitar, vocal and songwriting skills were well matched to those of Ham and Evans. There was one guy, [Apple Records press officer] Derek Taylor, who seemed to take an interest, and [Beatles roadie] Mal Evans, who had gotten the band signed, he was involved. Visit our corporate site (opens in new tab). You can always change this later in your Account settings. All rights reserved. Did I have any idea that he would kill himself? George was very direct. [1] After serving as a corporal in the U.S. Army during World War II, he practiced law and worked in retail shops before beginning his managerial career in New York's garment industry. Inviting targets for unscrupulous industry sharks lawsuit against Polley when it was [ manager ] Bill was. Should be merged that he would Kill himself eight years later, Tom would..., Tom Evans would choose, click the Leave a flower, click the Leave a flower button I even. 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Contracts with Apples publishing company to call the band Badfinger, musician Al Kooper, and died and they... It, I do n't know if tommy ever did. `` rock world was shocked learn.