Editing Badfinger (section)

===End of Apple===
At the start of 1972, Badfinger were contracted for one last album with Apple Records. Despite Badfinger's success, Apple was facing troubled times and its operations were being cut back by Klein.  According to Molland, Polley told the band that Klein wanted to cut Badfinger's royalty rate and make them pay for their own studio time.{{sfn|Matovina|2000|p=182}}<ref name="BruceEderBillboardBiog"/> By this time, manager Polley was openly suspected of financial mismanagement by his other clients, Christie and music arranger [[Charlie Calello]]. A series of allegations also represented Polley as a one-time "[[bagman]]" for the [[Mafia]].{{sfn|Scheim|1988|p=381}}

Sessions for Badfinger's fourth and final album for Apple, ''[[Ass (album)|Ass]]'', had begun as far back as early 1972 and would continue at five recording studios over the next year.  Rundgren was originally hired to produce but quit in a financial dispute during the first week. The band then produced itself, but Apple rejected their version of the album. Finally, Badfinger hired [[Chris Thomas (record producer)|Chris Thomas]] to co-produce and complete the project.{{sfn|Howard|2004|p=243}} In the meanwhile, Polley negotiated a deal with [[Warner Bros. Records]],{{sfn|Jones|2001|p=111}} that required a new album from the band every six months over a three-year period. By this time Evans had become suspicious of Polley's oversight, but the band nevertheless signed the deal. Released in 1973,<ref name="BadfingerAlbumsBillboard"/> the ''Ass'' front cover featured Evans's idea: a jackass staring at a huge dangling carrot.{{sfn|Matovina|2000|pp=213–214}} The ''Ass'' release was further stalled because of legal wrangling, with Polley using Molland's unsigned song publishing as a negotiating ploy. Attempting to sweep discrepancies under the carpet to secure the LP's release Apple attributed the songwriting credits to "Badfinger". But both ''Ass'' (US number 122),{{sfn|Rees|Crampton|1991|p=15}} and its accompanying lead single, "[[Apple of My Eye (Badfinger song)|Apple of My Eye]]", fell short of reaching the ''Billboard'' Hot 100.<ref name="BadfingerChartHistoryBillboard"/>