KANSAS CITY 1972 by BADFINGER Compact Disc LFMCD630 pre order

Having evolved out of The Iveys, who formed in 1961, Badfinger became the first group signed by the Beatles' Apple label in 1968.

The group renamed themselves Badfinger, after the working title of the Beatles' ‘With A Little Help from My Friends’, known originally as ‘Bad Finger Boogie’. From 1968 to 1973, Badfinger recorded five albums for Apple and toured extensively, before they became embroiled in the chaos of Apple Records' dissolution.

Tragedy struck Badfinger later in their career, when main composer Peter Ham committed suicide, followed eight years later by fellow composer and musician Tom Evans.
But in 1972 Badfinger were at the top of their game. Their third album ‘Straight Up’ - produced by George Harrison initially, and completed by Todd Rundgren - was released in February in the UK, spawning the hit singles ‘Day After Day’ and ‘Baby Blue’. Althoughsomewhat overlooked by critics at the time, the record is now seen as a pop/rock classic, with Rolling Stone writer David Fricke referring to it as "Badfinger's power-pop apex".

By April 1972 the band were touring in the US and on the 7th they performed at the Cowtown Ballroom in Kansas City where they played a stunning show which was recorded for live FM Radio Broadcast. Largely unheard since and formerly unreleased, the entire concert recording is now available on this CD.

In August 1972, Badfinger played at George Harrison and Ravi Shankir’s Concert For Bangladesh – the first large-scale global rock charity event ever – and would record one further album for Apple. Thereafter, despite quickly signing with W.B., sadly, the band’spopularity began to wane as they struggled with a host of legal, managerial and financial issues, leading to Peter Ham taking his own life in 1975.