Front Page > Beatles NewsAn Apple a Day: Badfinger - No Dice
by Bruce Spizer
Continuing in our close look this week at the recently released Apple remasters, today we take a look into Badfinger's second album for Apple Records, "No Dice."
"No Dice" was the first album issued by Badfinger with its new lineup. When guitarist Joey Molland replaced bass player Ron Griffiths, Tom Evans switched to bass. Pete Ham remained the group's lead guitarist and Mike Gibbons remained on drums.
Pete Ham, Mike Gibbins, Tom Evans and Joey Molland
Beatles confidant and former roadie Mal Evans produced the initial sessions with the new lineup, including the number eight U.S. hit "No Matter What" and "Believe Me." Apple was not satisfied with Mal's production on other songs, and veteran Beatles engineer Geoff Emerick was brought in to produce the album. This finished product was an improvement over the previous LP and reached number 28 on the U.S. charts shortly after its November 9, 1970 release.
The album gets off to a rocking start with "I Can't Take It." Other highlights include the power pop ballads "I Don't Mind," "Midnight Caller," "We're For The Dark" and "Without You," which was later covered by Nilson, who took the song to number one in the States for four weeks in early 1972. The album also contains a rocker titled "Love Me Do," which is similar in theme to the Beatles first single of the same name.
 
Bonus cuts on this new release of "No Dice" include an extended version of "I Can't Take It" and four tracks produced by Mal Evans, including demo versions of "Without You" and "No Matter What." The demo of the latter song is interesting, but not as effective as the hit single.
"No Dice" was issued about a half-year after Paul announced he was quitting the Beatles. The album's well-crafted songs made the breakup of the Beatles a little easier to stomach. This remaster is a great way to rediscover an album that showed in the early seventies that there was still a place in music for simple pop-rock tunes. It is highly recommended.
Additional information about the artists who recorded for Apple Records can be found in Bruce Spizer's book "The Beatles Solo on Apple Records." Bruce Spizer is the author of a series of critically acclaimed books on the Beatles American record releases. He also wrote "The Beatles Are Coming! The Birth of Beatlemania in America," which is the definitive book on the subject. He served as editor and publisher of "Price Guide for the Beatles American Records," which was written by Perry Cox and Frank Daniels. Bruce is currently working with Frank Daniels on a new book covering the Beatles U.K. record releases from the sixties titled "Beatles For Sale on Parlophone Records." He has served as a consultant for EMI/Capitol Records on Beatles projects. Information regarding his books can be found at his website www.beatle.net.
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Published November 26, 2010
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