Thursday, February 8, 2024

Rarities Collection by Late Badfinger Leader Pete Ham Set for Later This Month

Nearly 50 years after his untimely passing at 27, unreleased music by former Badfinger 
singer/guitarist Pete Ham will see the light of day. 

Due out Feb. 23 as a limited-edition CD from Y&T Music, “Gwent Gardens” includes 18 newly discovered home demos, many of them songs that were never recorded or released by either Badfinger or the group’s earlier incarnation, The Iveys.

The album will also be available on all streaming services.

The songs were recorded between 1966 and 1972 with guitar or piano accompaniment, with vocals often double tracked, Pete also overdubbed additional instruments onto the tracks.

The first act signed to the Beatles’ Apple Records label in 1968, Badfinger – through Pete Ham’s songwriting – scored global hits with “Day After Day,” “No Matter What” and “Baby Blue.” Co-written by Pete and his bandmate Tom Evans, “Without You” became an enduring classic, topping the charts in versions by Nilsson, Mariah Carey and others.

Produced with the blessing of the Pete Ham Estate, the “Gwent Gardens” project began with the late Dan Matovina, the musicologist and historian whose book “Without You” is regarded as the definitive Badfinger biography.

Matovina produced several albums of Pete Ham demos. Before his death in 2023, Matovina marveled to a close friend about the treasure trove of material still unreleased. “I can’t believe,” he said, “there are still so many great Pete Ham songs that no one has heard yet.” With the release of “Gwent Gardens,” those great songs referenced by Dan will now be a permanent part of Pete Ham's legacy.

2023 also saw the release of a special Pete Ham tribute album, “Shine On – A Tribute to Pete Ham.” The album featured 35 artists covering all of Pete’s compositions recorded by Badfinger. Among the artists paying tribute to Pete are Shelby Lynne, Dan Baird, Melanie, Mary Lou Lord, Wreckless Eric & Amy Rigby, Dennis Diken, Stan Lynch & The Speaker Wars, Amy Allison and many more. The album benefited the Southeast Florida branch of Mental Health America and is still available for a limited time.


1. The Day Begins
2. Let The Sun Shine Through
3. Love Will Be
4. I’m Only Human
5. Happy Song
6. I Miss You (original demo)
7. Pete’s Boogie
8. Little Mary
9. Take It All (original demo)
10. Think It Over
11. Scarlett Willow
12. Blodwyn (original demo)
13. Stick A Line In
14. Something On My Mind
15. I Can Be
16. Walk Out In The Rain (original demo)
17. Stop Waiting For The Sun To Shine
18. Tulip

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