--- In beatlesandbeyond5@..., "Pete Dicks"
<petenjan_ws8@...> wrote:
Copyright 2001, Ronald D. Hawkins, Stories to Tell Co., RDH MMI

Mike Gibbins kindly gave a phone interview to 'BeatlesandBeyond(c)'
during August 2001.

>
> Mike Gibbins Drumming Up "Annoying Songs" of Survival
> By Ronald D. Hawkins
> The Stories to Tell Co.
> One might excuse former Badfinger drummer Mike Gibbins if he were
a
> bit cynical about life and his career.
>
> After all, the highly acclaimed band that he was a key part of as
> drummer received only a fraction of the financial rewards it
> deserved. Also, consider:
>
>
> Apple Records, which some thought would make them the next
Beatles,
> began to dissolve and Badfinger left for another label.
> In incidents 8 1/2 years apart, Pete Ham and Tom Evans, the band's
> two most prominent members, killed themselves by hanging.
> After the deaths, there have been battles over who has the right
to
> use the name Badfinger.
> But Gibbins is upbeat about his music and his future. In late
2000,
> he released "More Annoying Songs," a tremendous album that
includes
> guest appearances on two songs by ex-fellow Iveys member Ronnie
> Griffiths.
>
> In an interview, Gibbins said he has been saddened by his ex-band
> mates' deaths, but has taken a more light-hearted attitude to life
> and music.
>
> "When I think of Pete and Tommy, I think of the wasted talent and
> how much more they could have contributed to the music industry,"
> Gibbins said.
>
> During their all too brief time at the forefront of the popular
> music scene, Badfinger as a band and Ham and Evans as composers
made
> major contributions. Perhaps best known for their recording of
> Beatle Paul McCartney-composed "Come and Get It," that song was
just
> a part of their musical heritage. Here's a brief glimpse at part
of
> that heritage:
> "No Matter What," produced by longtime Beatles associate Mal Evans
> and written by Ham, is classic pop.
> Beatle George Harrison was the producer for Ham's marvelous "Day
> After Day." You can hear Harrison-style guitar work on "Day After
> Day."
> Pop maestro Todd Rundgren is credited as the producer for "Baby
> Blue."
> McCartney produced several Badfinger songs and George Martin, the
> Beatles producer, provided the string arrangement for "Carry on
Til
> Tomorrow."
> The Ham/Evans composition "Without You" became a big hit for Harry
> Nilsson. According to Billboard's Hottest Hot 100 Hits, it was the
> fourth most popular song in the United States in 1972, the
> year "American Pie" was the most popular.
> In 1965, Gibbins became a member of The Iveys, the group that
would
> become Badfinger. Music writers called Gibbins a powerful player
who
> helped push the band to a new level of proficiency.
>
> By 1968, the Beatles had started Apple Records and the Iveys
> auditioned for the label. Still going by the Iveys name, the first
> single and album met with limited success despite the inclusion
> of "Maybe Tomorrow."
>
> Ron Griffiths left and Joey Molland was recruited before the next
> album and the band changed its name to Badfinger, part of the
> working title of the Beatles' "With a Little Help From My Friends."
>
> With the name and other changes in place, Badfinger's recording
of
> McCartney's "Come and Get It" was a hit and it appeared pastures
of
> plenty awaited them. However, financial disputes with management
> were to plague Badfinger for the rest of its days despite its
> creation of truly outstanding pop and rock music.
>
> What happened to Badfinger was not Apple's fault, Gibbins said.
>
> "The Apple experience was totally positive," Gibbins said. "Apple
> has never done anything to hurt this band and they were not
involved
> in the financial problems of the band.
>
> "We were released from Apple – a huge mistake from my point of
view –
> when problems started occurring. Apple never abandoned us. We
> abandoned them by way of our management."
>
> While the management problems developed, Ham and Evans grew
> depressed, eventually committing suicide. But Gibbins took a
> different approach to life.
>
> "I don't take life too seriously….It's a big cosmic joke," he
said.
>
> "You can only go around once so you better make the best of it
since
> it's really too short on a normal basis."
>
> Despite the management difficulties, Gibbins has always made a
> living with his music.
>
> "I have always been able to take care of my family by the means of
> music," he said. "I have always pursued music and it has not
failed
> me to date.
>
> "I have played with many musicians over the years and, of course,
> lately with the release of my solo CD's."
>
> In 1998, Gibbins released "A Place in Time."
>
> Gibbins worked two years on the new "More Annoying Songs," which
is
> currently available only through his web site,
> http://www.mikegibbins.com
>
> The new CD is anything but annoying, unless good rocking music
> annoys you. There is a taste of the old Badfinger sound here,
along
> with Beatles influences. The album also contains just good rock,
not
> readily identifiable as being influenced by anyone else.
>
> "Wired," "Two and Two," "Dirty Old Bugger" and "Dream on… Fall to
> Pieces" are particularly impressive. Gibbins' favorite is "Dirty
Old
> Bugger."
>
> Gibbins wrote, produced and played piano and drums on all of the
> songs. Rick Warsings provides the impressive bass and guitar work.
>
> Griffiths sings lead on "Time Will Tell Us" and back up vocals
> on "Oxydynamo." Gibbins sings all the other songs.
>
> With the mini-reunion with one-ex band member, some fans ask
Gibbins
> if he will reunite with Molland for a Badfinger reunion.
>
> "I can honestly say that this may never happen," he said. "I would
> like to move on to my new songs and maybe play them live in the
near
> future. I have great musicians to work with."
>
> Gibbins said he stays in regular contact with Apple. In 2000, a
> collection of Badfinger's Apple and Warner work was released
as "The
> Very Best of Badfinger."
>
> Gibbins also occasionally hears from various members of the
> surviving Beatles.
>
> "The last Beatle I was in contact with was Sir Paul (McCartney),"
> Gibbins said. "It has been a few years, but he is always kind and
> responsive when we do get in touch."
>
> But Gibbins isn't just relying on past associations or yesterday's
> great music for his future successes. With the exception of
gangster
> rap, he listens to a lot of current music via the influence of his
> sons who are active in the industry.
>
> "It's a very healthy music scene today with a lot of choices,"
> Gibbins said. "I do like rock, metal, blues, classical and so on.
>
> "Today, I listen to a variety of music. My kids keep me in touch
and
> to date my favorite artist to listen to is Kid Rock."
>
> Gibbins also has been making the Beatlefest circuit.
>
> Gibbins attended Beatlefest in New Jersey in March and plans to
> attend Beatlefest in Chicago this August.
>
> "The old Badfinger fans are awesome," Gibbins said of the fans he
> met in March.
>
> Gibbins is planning a tour for the future, but before that he
plans
> to work in England with Bob Jackson.
>
> Don't expect Gibbins to disappear after that. He plans to produce
> lots more "annoying music" in the future, much to the delight of
his
> fans.
>
>
> (Mike sadly died in Florida)
>