Side 1:
I Can't Take It
No Matter What
Get Down
Without You

All 4 tracks are unreleased takes and come from the very first Badfinger recording session of April 24, 1970 at Abbey Road Studios. The session was produced by Mal Evans. This one-sided 12-inch acetate was made for Mal to evaluate Badfinger's first session.
I Can't Take It and No Matter What are rougher versions than the ones released on No Dice. Get Down is a longer version than the one eventually released as a bonus track, and Without You is more sounding like Harry Nilsson's eventual cover version rather than the bluesy version later recorded in July by Badfinger.
Mal's acetate was sold at an auction in 1992 to a collector.

Apple acetates [1970]

I Can't Take It

audio of acetate, rough mix with no horns

We're For The Dark

audio of acetate, rough mix with no strings

These two tracks are rough mixes from the June 27, 1970 No Dice session at Abbey Road Studios. The session was produced by engineer Geoff Emerick. The acetate was made so that the orchestral overdubs could be scored (horns on I Can't Take It and strings & horns on We're For The Dark). The rough mix of I Can't Take It is longer, clocking at at around 3:47 with Tommy screaming at the end of the track. We're For The Dark is the same length as the released version, but has no string & horn overdubs.

Apple Custom Recording acetates [1970]

Eight acetates for No Dice. Seven are with Apple Custom Recording labels and one is with Trident Studios label. All are 7-inch discs.

Side 1:
No Matter What

Side 1:
No Matter What

Side 2:
Believe Me

These two songs were recorded at the June 15, 1970 session with Mal Evans producing.
label scans thanks to Kunihiko Kikuchi


Side 1:
No Matter What
Side 2:
Believe Me

Side 1:
No Matter What
Side 2:
Believe Me

Side 1:
Believe Me

Side 1:
Believe Me

Side 1:
Friends Are Hard To Find
Side 2:
Cry Your Name [Believe Me]
This acetate may be from the May 13, 1970 session with Mal Evans producing.

Side 1:
The Dark [We're For The Dark]

The majority of the tracks are identical or very similar to the versions released on "No Dice."
The Dark is either a demo or an alternate studio version or mix ofWe're For The Dark..

Apple acetates [1971]

Name Of The Game
This track is the legendary Al Kooper version which was almost released as a single in May of 1971 with the early version of Suitcase as the B-side. In March, while Badfinger were on tour in the New York area, Al Kooper added organ overdubs to the track Badfinger had recorded in January with Geoff Emerick back in London.

This stereo acetate which was cut in London, was Al Kooper's final stereo mix which was sent back to Apple from New York. This mix makes use of flanging effects.
audio of the stereo acetate

Suitcase/I'd Die Babe/Day After Day/Name Of The Game [1971]
This 10" acetate from the George Harrison-produced sessions of "Straight Up" was auctioned with an asking price of $1200. Most likely pressed in June of 1971, three of the four tracks are alternate mixes or versions. These mixes preceded producer Todd Rundgren's involvement with the sessions.
Suitcase: completely different ending
I'd Die, Babe: alternate mix
Day After Day (listed on the label as "Day By Day"): no differences listed
Name Of The Game: alternate mix; some backing vocals and instrumentation missing

go to The Iveys' acetates page

courtesy of Mark Lewisohn (thanks to Philippe Colinge)
special thanks to Kiyoyuki Kohsaka for the scan of the Name Of The Game acetate and auction listing of Mal Evans' collection
thanks to Paul Nyman for the Straight Up (Harrison-produced tracks) acetate scan
thanks to Stephane Fremon for the scans of the "I Can't Take It" and "We're For The Dark" acetates

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