Dave Appell has died at age 92. Appell (pronounced AP-el) is associated mainly with the Cameo-Parkway record label, in whose history he played a substantial part. He started working as an arranger for several United States Navy big bands in the mid-1940s during his service in World War II, including Jimmie Luncefords black orchestra. In the summer of 1958, Appell got an idea for a song from the Philadelphia String Band of a marching-type song with a dance beat. He wrote an instrumental song called The Mexican Hat Rock, a jumped-up version of the old Mexican Hat Dance, that he had his studio band record. The song was released under their own name on Cameo that fall and became a big dance hit on American Bandstand, reaching # 16 on the charts. The Applejacks also charted with Rocka-Conga (# 38) later in the year. Appell went on to become the leader of Cameo-Parkways house band, backing such artists as Chubby Checker, Bobby Rydell, The Dovells, Dee Dee Sharp and The Orlons. In the cases of the aforementioned acts records Appell also arranged and, in many instances, produced, and even co-wrote with Kal Mann, songs such as Lets Twist Again, Bristol Stomp, Mashed Potato Time and South Street. These were the years of the twist and other dance crazes, in the launching of which Appell played a vital role. Appell left Cameo in 1964. In the 1970s he had success with his productions for Tony Orlando and Dawn, including the # 1 hits Knock Three Times (1970) and Tie a Yellow Ribbon Round the Ole Oak Tree (1973), on Bell Records in New York. https://youtube/watch?v=MUjIQXa5DNA
Posted on: Thu, 20 Nov 2014 06:44:22 +0000
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