In memory of Mike Gibbins

Mike Gibbins, the drummer for Badfinger, a group I wrote about recently, died in his sleep October 6.

I met the man at one of their shows at Barrymore's downtown (the old Barrymore's.) He was a quiet man who did not say a lot, but a proud one. When I asked him and Joey Molland to sign my records, he took great care only to sign those records he had played on. What was remarkable was how well preserved they both were.

I had gone backstage between sets, and I noticed there were a number of hangers-on. I wondered how they felt about this, as various hangers-on, leeches, glory hounds, and siphoners had played no small part in their downfall. I remember one of the hangers-on claimed to be a "Rolling Stone" journalist. I didn't believe him, but what-the-hey. He intercepted me as I wound my way into the large backstage, anxious to meet my heroes. The guy said to me, "They like meeting their fans, but keep something in mind. The Apple days were the good days. Its a good idea to talk about the Apple Days. They won't want to talk about the other stuff."

I knew what he was alluding to. In 1973 Badfinger had switched labels to Warner Brothers as Apple collapsed. It was the beginning of the end of the good times for them. Mismanagement by their business managers, changing music tastes, embezzlement would soon cause problems. Guitarist Joey Molland would learn while staying in California that the whole industry knew the band was being screwed. He would leave the band after failing to convince Pete Ham of the problems. When Pete Ham finally learned it for himself, in April of 1975, he went into his garage and hanged himself. Tom Evans would follow over more band difficulties eight years later.

This was still fresh as I ignored the fake Rolling Stone guy and went back. The first person I met was the energetic and always smiling Joey Molland, though I soon spied Gibbins with the corner of my eye. They still looked exactly like the guys on the album sleeves 10-13 years later. Everything I had learned about the band, in these pre-internet days, I had pieced together from old newspaper reports, rock history books, and the scant details that could be gleaned from the albums – the songs and the album credits. So I asked Joey Molland about what it was like to work at Apple. And interestingly enough, he began telling me about the hangers-on. He told me about some guy who called himself “Dr. Magic” or something like that, and claimed to be an electronics guru/genius who could invent special special effects and sound equipment. He told me how the Beatles were just regular guys, and he'd see them around all the time.

My instincts were right about what I could ask. When I asked whether the medleys on “Wish You Were Here” were played right through or spliced together (recorded in 1974 as the dark times began inching towards their apex), he brightened up like I was asking a question he'd never been tossed before. In animated fashion he described how “Should I Smoke” had been welded to “Meanwhile Back at the Ranch,” going into great detail what happened in the studio.

Both he and Mike started talking about the medleys and how they'd done the vocals, and all the neat effects in them, (Mike Gibbins wrote half of the first medley.) It became clear that, whatever the problems, those times they made music and magic in the studio were always good times.

Mike's drumming was distinctive. Few drummers in the seventies worked harder at getting good drum sounds, and it is one of the reasons albums like 1974's “Wish You Were Here” hold up so well, as the drum sound is quite modern. Although Badfinger had the same melodic instincts as the Beatles, they were far stronger instrumentalists than anyone but Harrison – whom guitarists Molland and Ham could both go toe to toe with. Mike Gibbins played lots of fills and press rolls like Ringo Starr, but he knew how to groove and throw some power behind all that power-pop Ham, Evans, and Molland churned out up front.

Gibbins leaves behind a wife and three sons, who all appear to look exactly like him. Godspeed Mike. Look over your family from your new home...

BBC NEWS | UK | Wales | Tragedy-hit group's drummer dies