Today’s classic early ’70s one-hit wonder song of the day is “Go Back” by Crabby Appleton. This single, released in April of 1970, peaked at #36 on the Billboard Hot 100.
Critics have described “Go Back” as proto power pop with a psychedelic twinge. Okay, that’s not wrong. The song was written by the band’s singer, Michael Fennelly. It was the only single from the group, which released a sum total of two albums before calling in quits in 1971.
Crabby Appleton was formed when Michael Fennelly, vocalist with the band Millennium, joined up with the LA-based band Stonehenge. With a new singer in tow, the Stonehenge boys changed the band’s name to Crabby Appleton, after the villain in the 1957 Tom Terrific cartoons. They signed with Elektra Records, recorded their first album (titled Go Back), and began touring with acts like Three Dog Night, the Doors, and Sly & the Family Stone.
Fifty-odd years after the band broke up, Collector’s Choice Music rereleased both their albums on a double-CD anthology. Critics loved it as a piece of early power pop. You probably haven’t heard any of the tunes on the set, save for “Go Back”—and maybe not even that. All I know is that “Go Back” is a catchy little tune with a psychedelic guitar solo, and I can definitely see how it might have influenced the whole power pop thing. (Frankly, it sounds a little bit like Spirit to me, which is more psychedelic than power pop…)
And here’s your daily bonus video of the day, the “Crabby Appleton’s Dragon” episode of the Tom Terrific cartoon. Man, that’s obscure!
