Coventry Bands 1960's to Now: Furious Apples

Furious Apples

Furious Apples

c 1980-1985.

From Rex Brough

Original Line Up - Greg Crabbe - Vocals, Mike Crabbe - Lead Guitar, Nick Farrington, Martin Wilson, Steve Fardon, Mike Moore .

Others - John Westacott (bass) / Raphael Moore (Keys) / Andy Flywheel (Keys) / John Wright / Clive Leyton Keys / Whippet drums.

Singles

Belladonna/Engineering 7" (Sonar Records-SON 2-1983) (Download link)

1. Engineering 2. Belladonna

Compilation - Something Stirs (The Dead Mourn The Living)

V/A Something Stirs (The Dead Mourn The Living) LP

(Adventures In Reality Recordings-A.R.R. 013-1984)

1. Attrition - Something Stirs

2. Attrition - Pain

3. Attrition - The Beginning Of The End

4. The Furious Apples - Ajmer

5. The Furious Apples - Girl On Fire

6. The Furious Apples - Almost The Truth

7. Bourbonese Qualk - Stop The City

8. Bourbonese Qualk - Sunset Sex

9. Bourbonese Qualk - Invocation

10. The Legendary Pink Dots - Jungle

Memories from Mike Moore

" I was in the original gigging line up along with Greg Crabbe, Mike Crabbe, Steve Fardon and Nick Farrington. After a couple of years of gigging the usual venues, The Lanch, The General Wolfe, Warwick Uni etc. etc. there were some changes. I left and John Westacott took my place. John Hobbley joined on drums. My brother Raphael Moore joined as did Andy Flywheel on keys. Greg remained at frontman and his brother, Mike, on Lead Guitar. A single, "Engineering", was released and a couple of tracks on a Cherry Red compilation EP produced by Paul Sampson. Les Pillier was the 'manager' before he ran away to live in France. Fantastic days. Final gigging line up included appearances by Baz Eardly and Clive Layton. Is this of any use? I've passed your site details on to my brother, Raph who has some nice stories documented. Regards, Mike Moore"

Memories from Raphael Moore

"While the band rehearsed with John Hobley he never gigged or recorded with the Apples. Neither of the compilations was on Cherry Red - my brothers bad memory !!! Baz Eardley never played with the Apples, he did drink and party with us though !

The initial line ups comprised of the Crabb brothers, with Nick Farrington on drums and Martin Wilson, Steve Fardon, Mike Moore on guitars and bass.

This line up did perhaps 10 gigs and split.

In spring 1983 Greg Crabb reconstituted the band to record and promote a single, recruiting Robin Hill (Pink Umbrellas) on drums, John Westacott (ex-Urge) on bass and myself (Raphael Moore) on guitar, along with Mike Crabb. The single: Engineering b/w Belladonna, was released in October 1983. This was the first release on John Lord's Sonar label, John was the owner of the Cabin. Paul Sampson engineered and produced.

After that, the line up evolved into Greg Crabb - Lead Vocal, Michael Crabb - Lead Guitar

John Wright - Bass, Raphael Moore - Rhythm Guitar, Clive Leyton - Keyboards

Whippet - Drums.

.....which was the Furious Apples line up that most people would have seen, as it gigged frequently in Coventry. Clive Leyton joined on keyboards, later handing over to his 'protégé' Andy Flywheel, now a video director with work for Cornershop, Sneaker Pimps and Coldcut to his credit.

The Apples had one track "Terminal Passion" on a Leamington compilation, "What A Nice Way To Turn Seventeen (vol 3)". Furious Apples contributed three> tracks to the "Something Stirs" compilation, a four way effort with Attrition, Legendary Pink Dots and Bourbonese Quark.

We were the first band managed by Wayne Morris, owner of the European Son T-Shirt shop in Gosford Street and a budding pop svengali. Post Apples, Wayne immediately picked up the Primitives and was in large part responsible for transforming them into the successful female fronted pop band most people will remember. His next band, Birdland from Birmingham, were also NME darlings and enjoyed some success.

John Peel played the single and Apples tracks from both compilations and some interest was shown by CBS as I remember, but they chose to sign King, a much more polished and professional outfit. I left the band in 86, my place was taken by Gary Fairchild (ex Conspirators), but I don't think they gigged more than a few times after I left - nothing to do with my absence. I think in retrospect the demise of the band could reasonably be put down to sibling friction between Greg and Mike Crabb.

Memories from Mike Crabb

"Hi. Congratulations on the Coventry music scene website. I formed Furious Apples with my brother Greg Crabb around 1983. Went on to record a single with Paul Sampson (who later joined the band briefly) and appeared on various compilation albums etc.. Keep up the good work! Mike Crabb."

Memories from David O'Byrne

"Just to add a couple of line on Furious Apples. I managed (and I use the term in its broadest sense) the group for about six months in 1985 when the lineup was Greg Crabb - Lead Vocal, Michael Crabb - Lead Guitar, John Wright - Bass, Raphael Moore - Rhythm Guitar, Andy Flywheel (?)- Keyboards, Whippet - Drums. I was invited to manage the group by Greg, after Wayne moved on to greater things, which at that point - pre Primitives (and I should mention that the Primatives original singer and founding force was Apples fan, Kieron McDermott) )was solely the hilarious, 'Adolf Hitler European tour' T shirt. My only qualifications for the job were having interviewed Greg for my own 'To Hell with Poverty' fanzine and having contributed a live review to a London music mag I was writing for - hardly sufficient for what turned out to be something of a nightmare. I was fortunate in being able to benefit from the publicity brought by the tracks on the 'What A Nice Way To Turn 17' and 'Something Stirs' compilations, but actually had nothing to do with either their recording or release. As I recall my contribution to FA consisted largely of trying to ensure that at least five of them were sober enough to play - I think I succeeded on only two occasions. More significantly I did also organise their first (only?) gigs outside the Coventry area - namely two gigs in Birmingham, one at the Market tavern Hereford, and their only London date at some Goth cellar in Hammersmith. Organising transport for the latter was interesting as neither the band nor myself had any money. Luckily 'Mars UK' had a special promotion offering half price tickets for national express coaches in return for six vouchers from Mars bar wrappers. At the time trawling Coventry precinct for discarded Mars bar wrappers didn't seen very Rock N' Roll, and in retrospect it doesn't either. But it worked, and the gig went off rather well - except for Michael's guitar being nicked. Whatever did happen to the video? Cheers" - David O'Byrne Now working as a freelance financial journalist in Istanbul.

Memories from Abbe Collins

"Just visited your website re Coventry bands. I played keyboards on single Engineering/Belladonna ( I don't know what other keyboard player was doing at the time.) Had great fun at the Cabin studios, though just a wide-eyed school girl at the time and probably spent more time making coffee than I did laying down my track. Rock and Roll"

Memories from Nick Farrington

"Hi I have just read about the furious apples on your website and would like to add the following comments. the original line-up of the furious apples had a guy named M.S on drums from whom I (nick farrington ) took over.This came about after I was invited to watch them rehearse at the cutalong in Bedworth. When M.S went to the bar for a drink Mick Moore invited me to play a song with the band (honky tonk women) The next week I became the bands drummer and stayed for around 2 years. This was around 1981 and Martin Wilson had already left so I never played in a line-up that included him.They were great days and I would someday love to play a gig with that almost original line-up i.e. Greg and Mike Crabb, Mick Moore ,Stodge and Myself"

From Sonar Records Wikipedia

"Coventry - Spring 1983. The Furious Apples vocalist Greg Crabb recruited Robin Hill (Pink Umbrellas) on drums, John Westacott (ex-Urge) on bass and Raphael Moore on guitar, along with Mike Crabb, and Abbe Collins on keyboards to record a single - Engineering b/w Belladonna, was released in October 1983. This was the second release on the Sonar record label. Paul Sampson engineered and produced. The Apples were the first band managed by Wayne Morris, owner of the European Son T-Shirt shop in Gosford Street and a budding pop svengali. John Peel played the Apples single and some interest was shown by CBS." http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sonar_Records

http://www.sonar-records.co.uk/buy.html

From Pete Chambers - Godiva Rocks

Coventry Indie band based around the enigmatic Greg Crabb, mainstay of the Coventry Music Scene in the mid 80's (he also ran the Pilgrim Club disco). Along with his brother Michael, they were heavy giggers and knew how to promote themselves. = including Super 8 Promo films. Members came and went. Single Engineering on Cabin Studios label - Sonar - received considerable interest from CBS but despite efforts of manager Wayne Morris and a name change to The Pilgrims - it wasn't to be. Greg went on to form the Mudsliders with Baz Eardly, Clive Layton, Ted Duggan."