THE APPLEJACKS, "THREE LITTLE WORDS" C/W "YOU'RE THE ONE FOR ME," DECCA F-11981/LONDON 45-9709 (REL. 9/1964, 10/1964)

In 1964, anything UK was hot in the US. Well—in theory. 80% of the British groups who’d had some measure of success in Europe failed to engage the American public to the extent that The Beatles and Rolling Stones had achieved. Some UK groups managed one or two major US hits but being British wasn’t the magic formula for success. It was being British in an American way. That meant having a sassy, streetwise sense of humor (Beatles) or being moody, menacing and unreachable (Stones).

The Kinks, Manfred Mann, The Zombies, Hollies and Moody Blues did reasonably well on the US pop charts but couldn’t summon the worshipful vibe that the two big groups held over their ever-growing fanbase. These five groups did build an American following and are names most baby boomers might recognize.

As for the rest—and there are many—a regional hit might be all there was. Liverpool bands Ian & The Zodiacs and The Escorts had major hits in Texas and nowhere else. Elsewhere, some bands got “bubbling under” Billboard’s Hot 100, which meant they had pockets of interest but failed to achieve national parity. Such was the case with The Applejacks, a sextet from Solihull, Birmingham who had three decent UK hits, including the catchy-but-lightweight “Tell Me When,” a UK #7 and US # (hold your breath…) 135 in the spring of 1964.

The group had a Lennon/McCartney discard, “Like Dreamers Do,” handed to them. This minor effort, part of The Beatles’ 1962 Decca Records audition material, was penned by Paul McCartney, who sings it on the surviving records of that misfired tryout. It got to #20 in the UK but died unnoticed here, despite that all-important Beatle connection.

The Applejacks represent the third tier of British beat groups: of obvious talent and potential but untranslatable to the American market. London Records, licensee of UK Decca recordings (a label unrelated to the American Decca), tried their first three singles, all UK hits, but found no callers. The group had an excellent lead singer in pint-sized Al Jackson and the most successful female bassist of the UK beat-group years in Megan Davies. The group’s sound was built around a chiming electric organ and a tight overall performance from the band, who played their own instruments on record with no ringers like Jimmy Page or Nicky Hopkins (who are all over UK beat group sides of the 1960s).

They offered nothing innovative—they were entertainers who wanted to please their audiences. They represent as a cheerful, goofy-looking lot of British youth: no attempt at surliness was possible. Today we’ll hear their third and final hit single. The A-side is an excellent straightforward pop song penned by Gordon Mills; the B is a group original that’s derivative but likable.

I'm KONNA? How to kill a record without even trying.

“Three Little Words (I Love You)” was retitled “I’m Gonna Send My Love” for its brief US release on London’s sub-par styrene discs. The label ballyhooed the release with an ad in Cash Box; perhaps in exchange for that revenue, the magazine gave the record a thumbs-up but mis-spelled one of its song titles.

Reminiscent of “Please Mister Postman,” The Marvelettes’ chart-topping hit of 1961 (and a fan-favorite Beatles cover version), the song hews to that girl-group school of classic pop. An acoustic piano delivers a resonant three-note riff on this melodic item. Al Jackson’s appealing voice delivers this postal manifesto, with solid support from his fellow Jacks. It’s a solid pop song—one of many from Mills’ pen—and nothing more. One can imagine Mills’ Welsh charge Tom Jones giving the song his soulful all with a girlie chorus and strings. Or one cannot.

>>> Hear it HERE! <<<

“You’re the One for Me” is standard beat-group stuff: a catchy melody, simple arrangement focused on the vocals and nothing the group could fail to replicate in a live performance. It’s modeled on the hit “Tell Me When” and has a touch of The Dave Clark Five’s “Because” in the mix. This side represents 1,000 UK beat group performances made from 1962-66—pleasing mélanges of past and present song styles, chipper harmony vocals and tight backing by a capable band. There’s nothing wrong with any of this, and American pop had its equivalents. This was the meat and potatoes of popular music and one might as well like it and abide it.

>>> Hear it HERE! <<<

The group’s records got better after their hits ceased. For their follow-up single, UK Decca pushed them to record a song from Mary Poppins. The group refused, which incensed the label. They’d already announced its release and given it a catalog number. The ‘Jacks stood their ground. It cost them; six months passed before their next single. From that point on, they got stronger in all departments. Jackson’s vocals approached the vulnerable approach of an Elvis Costello and the songs—from the debut of Ray Davies’ “I Go to Sleep” to the powerful group original “I’m Through”—were a step forward for a group not seen as progressive or ambitious. Decca kept them on into late 1965. They made a final 45 for UK Columbia in early ’67—a much in-demand Northern Soul favorite “You’ve Been Cheating” c/w “Love was in My Eyes.” A clean stock copy of that single sold for over 300 dollars on eBay last year.

The group continued as live entertainment on cruise ships through the 1960s, then called it a day. In 2010 they reunited to perform at a benefit for a church in their native Solihull, Birmingham. In the TV movie biography that will never be made, this might provide a rousing third act for this third-tier group.

Tomorrow: one of the rarest records I own—the sought-after second single by doo-wop group The Videos, whose “Trickle Trickle” was played here back in the Facebook days. (Those old posts are still up for those brave enough to navigate the shark-filled waters of that social media dystopia.)