The Applejacks
 The
Applejacks hailed from Solihull in the West Midlands where in 1960
guitarists Martin Baggott and Philip Cash were in a church youth
club skiffle group called The Crestas.
Drummer Gerry Freeman persuaded Megan Davies, a fellow Sunday
School teacher (and later his wife) to come in on bass. Adding
organist Don Gould in 1962 the band went forth as The Jaguars,
specialising in instrumentals.
The following year, with singer Al Jackson onboard, they
started walking in the ways of Chuck
Berry, Ray Charles and Little
Richard.
On the look-out around Birmingham, Decca A&R man Mike Smith
visualised The Applejacks in their bright red smocks as harbingers
of a 'Solihull Sound'. Hunting around publishers' offices, a
commercial vehicle was found to launch this plan - Tell Me
When.
Not possessing the vocal arsenal of The
Ivy League, The Applejack's unison harmonies came and went
behind Al's thick Birmingham vocal, while the lively instrumental
backing revolved largely around Gould's Noddy organ riffing.
For the next A-side, Decca blew the dust off McCartney's
Like Dreamers Do from The Beatles'
failed Decca audition tape. Despite this distinguished antecedent,
it wasn't up to Tell Me When standard and slumped at
Number 20. After Three Little Words also stalled at
Number 23 it became clear that the 'Solihull Sound' was not going
to eventuate.
Before signing off with the appropriately titled I'm
Through in 1965, the band had two noteworthy releases - Chim
Chim Cheree (which had an edge over Dick Van Dyke's Illinois
Mockney original from Mary
Poppins) and Ray Davies' I Go
To Sleep, which generated some interest in the US.
By 1966 The Applejacks were back on the Birmingham/Solihull
circuit, enjoying their reputation as a solid local group.
|
