The power of WITHOUT YOU lies in the fact that it could be the story of any band whose lucky breaks are outweighed by its own bad fortune and the sheer greed of those around it. Signed to the Beatles' Apple label in 1969, Badfinger soon had a hit single with the Paul McCartney-penned Come and Get It, the theme song to the movie THE MAGIC CHRISTIAN. A follow-up single, No Matter What, written by its talented but fragile singer and guitarist Pete Ham, solidified the band's success. With intimations that Badfinger were heirs to the Beatles' mantle, hits and fame followed, but their attendant riches were swiftly hijacked by unscrupulous business deals, rip-offs, and skullduggery. The subsequent intrigue and betrayal, which left the band penniless, proved too much, first for Pete Ham, who committed suicide in 1975, and then for bandmate Tom Evans, who hanged himself in 1983. Dan Matovina's well-researched biography is an impressively researched and often distressing story that highlights a particularly egregious episode in an industry noted for its rapacity. Copyright (C) Muze Inc. 2005. For personal use only. All rights reserved.