Biography
From 1965 until 1975 Mike Gibbins handled drumming duties first with the Iveys and later with their more widely recognized continuation, Badfinger, a tenure that placed him among the more prominent figures associated with the later arrivals on the British Invasion scene and with the Beatles’ Apple Records circle. After two suicides claimed members of the original lineup, he remained one of the two survivors and steered subsequent editions of Badfinger through the 1980s and into later decades, frequently sharing stages or competing for the name with the other remaining original member, Joey Molland. Born Michael George Gibbins in Swansea, Wales, in 1949, he was raised in a household that already contained six older sisters, a circumstance he later said prompted him to take up drumming simply to make himself audible. Even before receiving formal instruction, he displayed an instinctive feel for rhythm, tapping on whatever surfaces were handy, so his father purchased his first drum kit when he turned 14. Over the next several years he moved through a succession of local Swansea outfits that included the Planets, the Club Four, and the Misfits.
Late in the winter of 1965, still only 16, Gibbins received an invitation to try out for the Iveys, a quartet fronted by guitarist and singer Pete Ham that was gaining momentum around Swansea and securing stronger bookings. Their previous drummer, Terry Gleeson, had accepted employment that limited his availability, so bassist Ron Griffiths contacted Gibbins, arranged an audition, and welcomed him into the group. Despite his youth, Gibbins supplied a forceful, unadorned drumming approach reminiscent of Ringo Starr’s direct backbeat style that noticeably strengthened the band’s overall sound.
By 1966 the Iveys had become regulars on the London club circuit and had taken on manager Bill Collins, who urged them to begin writing original material. Ham emerged as an exceptional songwriter whose melodic gifts and the vocal harmonies he shaped with bassist Tom Evans, who joined in 1967, stood out immediately. While his bandmates concentrated on composition, Gibbins studied piano and guitar; he also spent time recovering in hospital after a road accident following a performance, an incident that cost him his front teeth.
Gibbins remained with the Iveys through their early support work for singer David Garrick, their first dealings with Apple Records, their signing in 1968, the shelving of their intended debut album Maybe Tomorrow, their rechristening as Badfinger, the departure of Griffiths, and the arrival of Joey Molland on lead guitar with Evans shifting to bass. The group reached the British and American Top Ten with the Paul McCartney-penned “Come and Get It,” then issued the 1970 album No Dice, highlighted by the hard-edged pop single “No Matter What.” That same record contained the ballad “Without You,” later interpreted by artists ranging from Harry Nilsson to Mariah Carey. George Harrison oversaw most of the sessions for the follow-up Straight Up, with Todd Rundgren completing the remainder; in return, Gibbins and his colleagues contributed to Harrison’s All Things Must Pass and performed as the backing band at the Concert for Bangladesh.
By 1973, however, the turmoil surrounding Apple’s operations prompted the band to seek a new label. Their incoming manager, Stan Polley, steered them toward Warner Bros. while they were still negotiating with Apple, resulting in the near-simultaneous release of Ass on Apple and Wish You Were Here on Warner Bros. When Polley’s diversion of funds from an escrow account came to light, Warner Bros. quickly withdrew Wish You Were Here, leaving the group’s finances in disarray. During this period Gibbins saw two of his own compositions—“Cowboy” and “You’re So Fine”—appear on Ass and Wish You Were Here, and his lead vocals were featured on both albums. None of the members could enjoy the moment, however, because Polley vanished and the band’s earlier Apple earnings disappeared amid the label’s collapse. Badfinger pressed ahead with recording sessions for a projected album eventually titled Head First; at least five Gibbins originals were tracked, yet the project remained unreleased until 2000. After a disagreement with Evans, Gibbins exited the band late in 1974. The ensuing tragedies—Pete Ham’s suicide in 1975 and Tom Evans’s suicide in 1983 following an argument with Molland—are extensively recorded elsewhere.
Gibbins stayed active with session engagements, among them the 1978 Bonnie Tyler hit “It’s a Heartache,” and continued to demo his own songs without securing a recording contract. He maintained a steady presence as a session drummer, working with vocalists such as Digby Richards and David Tipton before settling in south Florida. In 1984 he participated in a twentieth-anniversary British Invasion tour alongside Molland and keyboardist-guitarist Bob Jackson, later appearing at New York’s Bottom Line on a multi-artist bill that also featured Billy J. Kramer and Gerry Marsden. He constructed a home studio and released his debut solo album, A Place in Time, in 1998; More Annoying Songs and In the Meantime followed. On October 4, 2005, Gibbins died of natural causes at his home in Oviedo, Florida, at the age of 56.
Late in the winter of 1965, still only 16, Gibbins received an invitation to try out for the Iveys, a quartet fronted by guitarist and singer Pete Ham that was gaining momentum around Swansea and securing stronger bookings. Their previous drummer, Terry Gleeson, had accepted employment that limited his availability, so bassist Ron Griffiths contacted Gibbins, arranged an audition, and welcomed him into the group. Despite his youth, Gibbins supplied a forceful, unadorned drumming approach reminiscent of Ringo Starr’s direct backbeat style that noticeably strengthened the band’s overall sound.
By 1966 the Iveys had become regulars on the London club circuit and had taken on manager Bill Collins, who urged them to begin writing original material. Ham emerged as an exceptional songwriter whose melodic gifts and the vocal harmonies he shaped with bassist Tom Evans, who joined in 1967, stood out immediately. While his bandmates concentrated on composition, Gibbins studied piano and guitar; he also spent time recovering in hospital after a road accident following a performance, an incident that cost him his front teeth.
Gibbins remained with the Iveys through their early support work for singer David Garrick, their first dealings with Apple Records, their signing in 1968, the shelving of their intended debut album Maybe Tomorrow, their rechristening as Badfinger, the departure of Griffiths, and the arrival of Joey Molland on lead guitar with Evans shifting to bass. The group reached the British and American Top Ten with the Paul McCartney-penned “Come and Get It,” then issued the 1970 album No Dice, highlighted by the hard-edged pop single “No Matter What.” That same record contained the ballad “Without You,” later interpreted by artists ranging from Harry Nilsson to Mariah Carey. George Harrison oversaw most of the sessions for the follow-up Straight Up, with Todd Rundgren completing the remainder; in return, Gibbins and his colleagues contributed to Harrison’s All Things Must Pass and performed as the backing band at the Concert for Bangladesh.
By 1973, however, the turmoil surrounding Apple’s operations prompted the band to seek a new label. Their incoming manager, Stan Polley, steered them toward Warner Bros. while they were still negotiating with Apple, resulting in the near-simultaneous release of Ass on Apple and Wish You Were Here on Warner Bros. When Polley’s diversion of funds from an escrow account came to light, Warner Bros. quickly withdrew Wish You Were Here, leaving the group’s finances in disarray. During this period Gibbins saw two of his own compositions—“Cowboy” and “You’re So Fine”—appear on Ass and Wish You Were Here, and his lead vocals were featured on both albums. None of the members could enjoy the moment, however, because Polley vanished and the band’s earlier Apple earnings disappeared amid the label’s collapse. Badfinger pressed ahead with recording sessions for a projected album eventually titled Head First; at least five Gibbins originals were tracked, yet the project remained unreleased until 2000. After a disagreement with Evans, Gibbins exited the band late in 1974. The ensuing tragedies—Pete Ham’s suicide in 1975 and Tom Evans’s suicide in 1983 following an argument with Molland—are extensively recorded elsewhere.
Gibbins stayed active with session engagements, among them the 1978 Bonnie Tyler hit “It’s a Heartache,” and continued to demo his own songs without securing a recording contract. He maintained a steady presence as a session drummer, working with vocalists such as Digby Richards and David Tipton before settling in south Florida. In 1984 he participated in a twentieth-anniversary British Invasion tour alongside Molland and keyboardist-guitarist Bob Jackson, later appearing at New York’s Bottom Line on a multi-artist bill that also featured Billy J. Kramer and Gerry Marsden. He constructed a home studio and released his debut solo album, A Place in Time, in 1998; More Annoying Songs and In the Meantime followed. On October 4, 2005, Gibbins died of natural causes at his home in Oviedo, Florida, at the age of 56.
Albums
