11/09/2025
This Badfinger Album was Released on This Day in 1970:
WOW, I still remember picking up No Dice back in 1970 — that crisp Apple Records logo on the sleeve, the promise of something special spinning inside. And boy, did Badfinger deliver. This was the moment those guys really found their sound — that perfect mix of Beatles-inspired melody and their own punchy, power-pop edge. Right from the opener “I Can’t Take It,” you could tell these fellas weren’t just another British band chasing a trend. They had hooks, heart, and harmony to spare.
Of course, the song that really sealed the deal was “No Matter What.” When that jangly guitar riff hit the airwaves, it was like a shot of sunshine. Every garage band in town tried to play it — and few could get that tight, crisp groove. Then there’s “Without You,” tucked quietly on the record, later to become one of the most powerful ballads of the decade when Harry Nilsson gave it his soaring touch. But hearing Badfinger’s original version back then — raw, honest, emotional — it hit you right in the gut. You could feel the sincerity behind every note.
Listening to, and playing tracks on my live radio broadcast, No Dice today, it still holds up as one of those timeless gems from the early ‘70s — a bridge between the innocence of the ‘60s and the bolder rock to come. The production’s clean, the songwriting’s sharp, and there’s this sense of youthful optimism running through it all. I remember dropping the needle, kicking back in a beanbag chair, and thinking, “Yeah, this is what rock’s supposed to feel like.” More than fifty years later, that feeling hasn’t gone anywhere. JB In The Morning
