Joseph Charles Molland[citation needed] (born 21 June 1947) is an English songwriter and rock guitarist whose recording career spans five decades. He is best known as a member of Badfinger, the most successful of the acts he performed with. Since 2005, Molland is the last surviving member from the band's classic line-up.
Molland's recording career began in earnest in 1967 when he joined Gary Walker (formerly of the Walker Brothers) for the group 'Gary Walker & The Rain'. The Rain released several singles, an EP, and an album on the Polydor and Philipslabels in the UK and Japan between 1967 and 1969. Titled #1, the album featured four Molland songs and was especially well received in Japan,[1] but a lack of success in their UK homebase caused the band to disband by 1969.
Molland left Badfinger in late 1974 due to disagreements over management. In 1975, he joined with Jerry Shirley (formerly of Humble Pie) and formed a group called Natural Gas. The band released their self-titled album on Private Stock Records in 1976, and enjoyed a successful tour with Peter Frampton the following year. According to Molland, a general lack of organisation led to the band's demise late in 1977.[1]
Molland and former Badfinger bandmate Tom Evans recorded two albums under the Badfinger name, Airwaves in 1979, and Say No More in 1981. He and Evans split after Say No More and the two performed in rival touring Badfinger bands until Evans' suicide in 1983.[3]
Molland's solo recordings have been well received. His first, After The Pearl, was released in 1983[4] on Earthtone Records. His second, The Pilgrim, was released in 1992 on Rykodisc. His third, This Way Up, was independently released in 2001. His 2013 album, Return To Memphis, was released on 13 December.[5] His latest album Be True To Yourself on Omnivore Recordings was released 12 July 2021, featuring the single ″Rainy Day Man."
Molland in 2018
Molland went back into the studio in 2015 with members of 10,000 Maniacs (Ladies First) to release a new version on the classic song, "Sweet Tuesday Morning" from Badfinger's 1972 album Straight Up.[6]
