Crabby Appleton: Go Back

A few weeks ago at work we were talking about the “Tom Terrific” cartoon that appeared on Captain Kangaroo. Tom’s sidekick was “Mighty Manfred the Wonderdog” and their common enemy was “Crabby Appleton.” I hadn’t thought of this very rudimentary cartoon for years and began thinking of the band that was named for the cartoon’s antagonist.

Crabby Appleton (the band) was formed in Los Angeles when the band Stonehenge added Michael Fennelly to their lineup. Fennelly, who had performed with The Millennium and Sagittarius, became Crabby Appleton’s principal vocalist, songwriter, and guitarist.

The band scored one hit – a one-hit-wonder in 1970 with the tune “Go Back.” This really was a formula record with a recognizable hook and a great sound – it’s a shame that it did not chart higher than #36. I love the lead guitar on this number.

Bad timing, bad promotion, and a thousand other reasons could be given for why “Go Back” wasn’t a top 20 hit. Pity.