Biography
Psychedelic rock outfit the Apple Pie Motherhood Band first assembled in Boston during 1964, having grown from the earlier garage group C.C. & the Chasers. Its original lineup paired guitarists Ted Demos and Joe Castagno with bassist Richard Barnaby, keyboardist Jef Labes, and drummer Jack Bruno, each member sharing vocal responsibilities. The musicians shifted to New York City in 1965, temporarily calling themselves Sacred Mushroom while serving as the resident act at the Bitter End Café, where they supported artists that included Joni Mitchell, Neil Diamond, and Kenny Rogers & the First Edition. An Atlantic recording contract on the horizon prompted a name change because the Sacred Mushroom tag seemed overly suggestive of drugs; a sardonic remark from Demos supplied the replacement title Apple Pie Motherhood Band. Their debut album arrived in 1968 on Atlantic, issued after the single “Long Live Apple Pie.” For the follow-up effort the band moved to Vermont, bringing in lead singer Bruce Paine, guitarist Michael Sofraine, and harmonica player Adam Myers to record Apple Pie. Subsequent opening slots for the Jefferson Airplane, the Butterfield Blues Band, and the Chambers Brothers preceded the group’s dissolution in 1970. Labes went on to accompany Van Morrison and Bonnie Raitt, while Bruno logged nearly twenty years as Tina Turner’s touring drummer; Paine fronted Steamhammer for a short time yet gained wider recognition through his acting roles.
Albums
