Crabby Appleton

In the early 1970s Crabby Appleton released two Elektra albums reflecting the shifting pop and rock currents of the post-hippie years. Fronted by singer-guitarist Michael Fennelly, who had earlier played in Curt Boettcher’s the Millennium, the group appeared headed for wider recognition once their intense, swirling proto-power-pop single “Go Back” became a 1970 Top 40 hit. The track’s chart climb drew praise from Lester Bangs, who later applauded the band’s sophomore LP, Rotten to the Core, as did Dave Marsh. Weak distribution and internal tensions, however, forced the group’s breakup in 1972.

Fennelly assembled Crabby Appleton shortly after exiting the Millennium. While pitching an acoustic demo to Los Angeles labels, he crossed paths with the bluesy hard-rock band Stonehenge at the Sunset Strip club Thee Experience. Elektra quickly signed Fennelly, who recruited Stonehenge members keyboardist Casey Foutz, bassist Hank Harvey, drummer Phil Jones, and percussionist Felix “Flaco” Falcon to complete the roster. Adopting the name of the villain from the Captain Kangaroo Show cartoon Tom Terrific, the new ensemble entered the studio with producer Don Gallucci to record its self-titled debut.

Issued in 1970, Crabby Appleton benefited when “Go Back” reached number 36 on Billboard, aided by a performance on American Bandstand and opening slots for the Guess Who and the Doors. The band soon delivered its second album, Rotten to the Core—the title echoing the cartoon villain’s catchphrase—earning positive notices even as Elektra’s underpromotion and internal disputes hastened the group’s collapse. Fennelly withdrew after a brief solo career, while Jones established himself as a session player appearing on records by Bob Dylan, Tom Petty, and Waddy Wachtel.