Pete Ham
The rock group Badfinger is remembered mainly as protégés of the Beatles. Signed to Apple Records during the late '60s and early '70s, 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. (Rykodisc)
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