Crabby Appleton was an American early 1970s band who scored a Top 40 hit with their first single, "Go Back."
The group is named after a character from the Tom Terrific cartoon.
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Though nearly everyone in the group was from an Los Angeles, California based band called Stonehenge, the group's line-up was revamped with the introduction of Michael Fennelly.
Fennelly was the final addition to the group and became the group's leader—writing all their material, and becoming the sole guitarist and vocalist. Fennelly had been one of the principal vocalists and songwriters in The Millennium.
In addition to Fennelly, the group's members included Felix "Flaco" Falcon (percussion), Casey Foutz (keyboards), Hank Harvey (bass), and Phil Jones (drums). Jones previously of Oskaloosa, Iowa, but more recently of Laurel Canyon, helped form the band after meeting Fennelly at Thee Experience, a club on the Sunset Strip. Jones had heard the song, "To Claudia on Thursday," which Fennelly wrote and sang with his group The Millennium, and recruited Fennelly to join Stonehenge as lead singer and songwriter.
Crabby Appleton signed with Elektra Records and recorded their first album Crabby Appleton, released in 1970. The band's debut single, "Go Back," climbed to #36 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart.
The band opened for the Doors, Sly and the Family Stone, Three Dog Night, Guess Who, ABBA, and George Carlin. They appeared on American Bandstand, the Real Don Steele Show, What's Happening with John Byner, and enjoyed critical success. Both of their albums, Crabby Appleton and Rotten to the Core, received rave reviews in Rolling Stone and Creem magazines.
Following the disbanding of the group, Fennelly recorded two solo records. Jones plays as a drummer and percussionist in the Los Angeles music scene and has recorded and toured with Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers, Joe Walsh, Roy Orbison, Cracker, Susanna Hoffs, Roger McGuinn, and is playing with the Waddy Wachtel Band.[1]
Both Crabby Appleton albums have been reissued on CD by Collector's Choice Music, and "Go Back" has been released on many compilation albums.