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Badfinger, straight up in 1972. From left, Joey Molland, Tom Evans, Pete Ham and Mike Gibbens.

In the world of rock 'n' roll hard-luck stories, the tale of Badfinger borders on Shakespearean tragedy, with not one but two members (singer-guitarist Pete Ham, and singer-bassist Tom Evans) committing suicide, eight years apart.

As the first band signed to The Beatles' Apple Records, Badfinger - or The Iveys, as they were called at the time - appeared to have the brightest of futures. Paul McCartney wrote and produced their breakout single, Come And Get It (for the soundtrack to the movie The Magic Christian, which starred Peter Sellers and Ringo Starr), and over time, various members of The Beatles' inner circle - including John Lennon and George Harrison themselves - came to work the group.

During the four-year-period of 1970-74, Badfinger (Ham, Evans, drummer Mike Gibbens and guitarist Joey Molland) racked up a string of classic pop-rock hits, including No Matter What, Day After Day and Baby Blue. In addition, the Ham/Evans composition Without You, which appeared on the band's second album, No Dice, would become a worldwide smash when Harry Nilsson covered it - most definingly, some would say - on his 1971 disc, Nilsson Schmilsson.

But bad business dealings - the group had entrusted their financial affairs to an American businessman, Stan Polley, who ultimately swindled them out of millions and left the members all but broke - splintered Badfinger, and in 1975, Pete Ham hanged himself in the garage of his Surrey home. Ironically, eight years later, Tom Evans would choose the same desperate manner for his final exit - his widow, Marianne, was quoted as saying that the bassist wanted to join his friend and former bandmate in "a better place than down here."

At least we're left with the music, and what great music it is. Last October, Apple Corps Ltd. and EMI Music reissued 15 key albums from the Apple Records catalogue, including Badfinger's Magic Christian Music (1970), No Dice (1970), Straight Up (1972) and Ass (1974), all with bonus tracks. The CDs are available individually or as part of the Apple Records Box Set (which also includes titles from James Taylor, Mary Hopkin, Billy Preston and Jackie Lomax, among others).

As the lone survivor of Badfinger's classic lineup (there have been several reunion and touring outfits over the years, some of which included drummer Gibbens, who died in 2005), Joey Molland has done much to keep the band's name and reputation afloat - he continues to perform Badfinger songs at solo shows around the globe. MusicRadar recently spoke with Molland at his home in Minnesota about Badfinger's glory years, what it was like to work with members of The Beatles, and ultimately, what went so horribly wrong for a group that seemed to have - for a short time, anyway - the world at its feet.

You came in a little late to Bandfinger. How did you join the band?

"They had done the songs for Magic Christian, and right at that time, their bass player, Ron, decided to leave the band. They were still called The Iveys, and Tommy Evans was playing guitar. So when Ron left, Tommy switched to bass, and they started looking for a guitar player. They auditioned a bunch of fellows, but somebody told them I was the man for the job."

I have to imagine this was a fairly coveted gig, what with the connection to The Beatles and Apple.

"It was, but you know, I was kind of blasé about it at the time. More than blasé - I almost passed on it. They rang me up through a friend, and I remember saying, 'Ah, The Iveys, I don't know…' Because I'd seen them on TV, and I thought they were a little twee. I was more into rock 'n' roll and beat music, harder stuff. So even though it was a good opportunity because of The Beatles factor, my first instinct was to not get involved. But my friends talked me into going to the audition, and once there, I thought the guys in the group were very decent fellows. So all went well, I passed the audition, and off we went."

What was the Apple organization like? Did you have actual meetings with The Beatles?

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