Pete Ham Library
compiled by Tom Brennan
last updated: February 10, 2008
Peter William Ham was born on April 27, 1947 in the "Townhill"
district of Swansea, South Wales. Pete began to play the mouth organ at age 4. He
got his first guitar at Christmas of 1959. Pete started his first group in 1963 with
guitarist Dave Franklin and drummer Roy Anderson, playing Shadows instrumentals.
After adding a bass player (John Horrel) and vocals to the band, Pete's group went
through various names: The Panthers, The Black Velvets and The Wild Ones. By 1964,
David Jenkins had replaced Dave Franklin and Terry Gleason had replaced Roy Anderson.
In Mid-1964, Pete's group took on a new bass player, Ron Griffiths and a new name,
The Iveys. In November, 1969, as they changed their name to Badfinger, Joey Molland
replaced Ron Griffiths. In late-August 1974, Pete briefly quit the group over a disagreement
about the group's business affairs, but rejoined the band in late-September in time
for their U.K. tour supporting the group "Man". By the morning of April 24, 1975, with everything going against
him, a penniless & depressed Pete Ham hanged himself in his garage studio.
biography information from Dan Matovina's "Without
You, The Tragic Story of Badfinger"
official web site for Pete Ham: www.peteham.net
Dan Matovina's
Badfinger biography web page
previously unreleased demo of "Sweet Josephine" (1975)
remember to rename from .zip to .mp3
e-mail Roy Anderson (of Pete's former group, The Panthers): roy@sign-write.fsnet.co.uk
Pete Ham demos on CD
7 Park Avenue
Without You (The Tragic Story
of Badfinger) [Limited Edition Disc]
![Without You (The Tragic Story of Badfinger) [Limited Edition Disc]](WithoutYouCDlabel.jpg)
Golders Green
Tom Brennan's interview
with Golders Green producer Dan Matovina
My proposal for The Very Best of Pete Ham by Tom Brennan
posted June 3, 2001
Pete Ham lyrics:
Pete's songs recorded by The Iveys or Badfinger are located elsewhere on this site.
Another Day
Blessing In Disguise
Catherine Cares
Come Come Tomorrow
Coppertone Blues
Dawn
Dear Father
Evening Sky
Goodbye John Frost
Gonna Do It
Hand In Hand
Heart That Can't Be Understood, The
Helping Hand
Hurry On Father
I Can't Believe In
If It's Love (Without You verses)
I Know That You Should
I'm A Joker
I'm Just A Hermit
I'm So Lonely
Island
It Doesn't Really Matter
It Takes So Long
I've Been There Once Before
I've Waited So Long To Be Free
John Forgot To Sing NEW
Just A Chance
Just How Lucky We Are
Just Look Inside The Cover
Keep Your Country Tidy
Keyhole Street
Knocking Down Our Home
Know One Knows
Leaving On A Midnight Train
Live Love All Of Your Days
Lonely Day, A
Makes Me Feel Good
Man Without A Heart
Matted Spam
May
Midnight Caller
No Matter What
No More
Nothing To Show
Piano Red
Richard
Ringside
Sille Veb
Smokin' Gun
Sweet Josephine
Take It All
Weep Baby
When The Feeling
Where Will You Be
Whiskey Man
Would You Deny
You're Such A Good Woman
The Pete Ham & Tom Evans limited edition lithographs were drawn by Mark Perkins,
out of his appreciation of The Iveys and Badfinger. It was his idea to help raise
much-needed production money for potential Badfinger-related projects, to help with
the further release of more Pete Ham demos, a Tom Evans demos CD, and an Iveys demos/live
CD. 250 Tom Evans lithographs have been created. The lithographs are large, 17 1/2
by 24 inches, and are shipped out in a large tube. They easily flattens out. There
are 1000 numbered Pete lithos - each with a certificate of authenticity. Another
100 artist proofs were created.
Every cent of profit is going toward creating future CD projects, and the purchase
of a commemorative stone for Pete Ham, to be placed in one of the Swansea Crematorium
gardens, where Pete Ham's ashes were spread. There is a "Book Of Remembrance"
there with his name. You must call to set an appointment to have it opened for viewing.
The phone number is 01144 1 792 771 008 from the U.S., or 01 792 771 008 from the
U.K.
Please strongly consider buying these lithographs, which are amazing in their detail,
much larger and even better quality than the representations shown here. The lithographs
are collectors items that will greatly increase in value.
E-mail Mark Perkins for more info or order from Dan Matovina's site.
For more information about other projects, visit Dan Matovina's page.
PETE HAM & SPLINTER
In 1973, Pete Ham played guitar on a Splinter session for the demo version
of "Lonely Man" (known as "Another Chance That I Let Go"). This
was being done for the soundtrack of the film "Little Malcolm And His Struggle
Against The Eunuchs" that George Harrison was financing. This recording has
never been available, but luckily copies of the recording session photos taken at
Apple Studios have become available from the collection of Splinter songwriter Bob
Purvis.
PETE HAM CELEBRATION
Dan Matovina has taken time out from his hectic schedule to get some comments
from those friends and relatives of Pete Ham who attending the opening of the
Pete Ham Exhibition in Swansea Central Library. Included here are comments and feelings from former Iveys members Ron Griffiths and David
Jenkins. Jesper has comments from John Ham, Gaynor Gibbins, Bob Jackson and Bev
(Ellis) Tucker on his Badfinger
News page. There was an official photographer at the Launch night, but his photographs
remain the exclusive property of Swansea Libraries and cannot be copied. Keith James:
"I did take some pics myself and will be utilising them in my upcoming special
on The Iveys".
updated July 3, 2000
FALLEN HEROES
In the August 2001 issue of GUITAR ONE magazine, Pete Ham is recognized
in the article "A Tribute to 65 Fallen Heroes".
posted June 23, 2001
Special thanks to Lisa for this article which examines Pete Ham's handwriting...
For the past year or so, I've been studying graphology in my free time. I recommend
looking it up the next time you're in the library. It's a very interesting science.
Let me warn you first that it can become dangerous. Sure you might start out analyzing
your own writing.... but then you catch yourself looking a little too closely at
the writing on the Christmas cards you receive. : )
When I first picked up my copy of Dan Matovina's "Without You: The Tragic Story
of Badfinger" I began skimming through the intriguing collection of photographs.
I came across Pete's handwritten lyrics for "Without You"(98) and "I
Miss You"(229). Of course I jumped at the opportunity. At that point my knowledge
of Badfinger only included little more than the knowledge of the band, their names
and their music. I had yet to become acquainted with them as people. So I put the
analysis findings aside... several were to be expected from a musician ("poetic"
and "sensitive"), but as for the rest I could not prove or disprove any
of them. I'd come back to it once I found time to start reading more of the book.
Now I've finally decided to start reading again and as I proceed I am continually
shocked at how accurate graphology can be. Here is a copy of what I came up with,
using terminology from the graphology reference book I was studying.
(in no particular order)
~Idealism
~Ethical principles are important
~Ambition, in more than two instances. One characteristic of his writing showed that
he was "a person consumed by ambition, cannot be stopped".
~Optimism
~Ardor
~Enthusiasm
~Energy
~Vigor
~Resolution
~Boldness
~Caution
~Secretiveness
~Poetic
~Sensitive
~Signs of depression
~Lack of mental orderliness
(One confusing find was that his writing displayed "Identification with male
role and denial of mother", while another showed a "return to mother figure".)
I have yet to find evidence for all the characteristics predicted by the analysis...but
it is strangely accurate for the most part.
Comments?
Love is All You Need....
Lisa
most of the lyrics within these pages are from Dan Matovina's biography, Without
You-The Tragic Story of Badfinger or the CD, "7 Park Avenue".
other solo Badfinger pages:
Tom Evans Mike Gibbins Joey Molland Bob Jackson Ron Griffiths The
Dodgers
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