Badfinger’s ‘Come and Get It’ Launches a New Era for British Rock-Pop in 1969-2 – Page 2 of 2 –

The Beatle Who Wrote a Hit, Recorded It Alone, and Told Another Band Exactly How to Copy It

In July 1969, Paul McCartney had a problem: he owed the producers of the film “The Magic Christian” three original songs, and time was running short.

Arriving early at Abbey Road Studios one afternoon, ahead of the Beatles’ own session, he quietly used Ringo Starr’s drum kit and the empty studio to record a complete demo of a new song called “Come and Get It” entirely alone—laying down piano, drums, bass, maracas, and double-tracked vocals from start to finish in under an hour.

He had the perfect recipient in mind: The Iveys, a struggling Welsh-English band newly signed to the Beatles’ Apple label, who Apple executives felt had so far failed to live up to expectations.

McCartney offered them the song on one condition, telling them plainly that it had to be recorded exactly like his demo because he believed the arrangement itself was what would make it a hit.

Nine days later, he personally produced their studio version, auditioning all four band members to decide who would sing lead.

Passing over Pete Ham—the band’s regular songwriter and usual frontman—McCartney instead chose bassist Tom Evans, whose voice he felt suited the track best.

The band, who had nearly named themselves after an old Beatles in-joke, “Bad Finger Boogie,” officially rebranded as Badfinger shortly before the single’s release.

“Come and Get It” reached UK shops in December 1969, becoming a major hit in Britain and the United States and appearing prominently in “The Magic Christian,” starring Peter Sellers and Ringo Starr.

It was Badfinger’s breakthrough—a striking example of how faithfully following another songwriter’s vision could still give a young band its own path into the spotlight.

Their

sound and subsequent success helped shape what would later be recognized as power pop, influencing generations of melodic rock bands that followed.

The story of Badfinger, however, would eventually take a much darker turn.

Severe financial and management problems left members struggling over money and royalties while the pressures surrounding the band continued to grow.

Pete Ham died by suicide in 1975, and Tom Evans died by suicide in 1983.

Their deaths remain a deeply tragic part of Badfinger’s history and cast a lasting shadow over the group’s remarkable music.

That later tragedy makes the beginning of “Come and Get It” feel even more poignant.

The song started as one Beatle’s carefully constructed solo demo, recorded quickly in an almost empty studio and then handed to a young band with precise instructions about how it should sound.

What followed was a breakthrough that introduced Badfinger to millions of listeners and opened the door to a career filled with extraordinary music, enormous promise, and ultimately profound heartbreak.