Michael Fennelly

Michael Fennelly - Stranger's Bed - 1975 - Mercury

A complete flop, but a good mid '70's rockin' album from Crabby Appleton's Michael Fennelly, who was an excellent songwriter and guitarist. [All tracks @ 256 Kbps: File size = 75.7 Mb]. Sorry about the "snap, crackle, and pop" on the vinyl, but the album is not available on remastered CD. There is a "digitized from vinyl" CD available, but these recordings are not as good as original versions. Check out Michael's "Lane Changer" album @ MICHFENN/LACH
N.B: Trivia for Steely Dan disciples - Michael sings background vocals on "The Boston Rag" on Steely Dan's classic "Countdown to Ecstasy" album.

TRACKS

A1 Pretty Face/Hard Bargain Driver 5:46
A2 Tomorrow's Star 2:10
A3 Only a Child 3:41
A4 Stranger's Bed 3:20
A5 Dreamer 6:02

B1 Turn to Me 2:58
B2 Sweet Pain 8:35
B3 Sad Dream of Louise 4:39
B4 The Day of the Fire 5:14

All songs composed by Michael Fennelly

MUSICIANS

Michael Fennelly - Guitars, Synthesizers, Vocals
Brian Page - Guitars
Dave Catron - Bass
Dana Green - Drums, Percussion

BIO

Michael Fennelly was born in 1949, in New Jersey, but moved to L.A. where he became involved in California's pop/protest movement. By 1967, Fennelly had secured a publishing deal with songwriter/producer Curt Boettcher's Mee Moo Music and became a member of Boettcher's studio-based collective of musicians, including the two main groups, Sagittarius, and the Millennium. Fennelly -- one of five singer/guitarist/songwriters in the latter group, who were actually intended to be a proper live act -- provided fabulous falsetto vocals in addition to co-writing much of the group's material, often with guitarist/vocalist Joey Stec, another member of the Sagittarius/Millennium collective. In 1969, Fennelly was looking to form a group of his own to showcase his lead vocal talents and songwriting when met the members of a band called Stonehenge, a blues-oriented group who were being scouted by Elektra's David Anderle, a friend of their manager's. The band -- with Fennelly now taking over lead vocals and songwriting duties -- changed their name to Crabby Appleton and signed to Elektra Records. Their first album, Crabby Appleton, was produced by Don Gallucci (from Don & the Good Times) and released in 1970. It enjoyed reasonable success with a catchy Top 40 hit, "Go Back," which peaked at number 36 in July 1970 after five weeks on the charts. Crabby Appleton's second album, Rotten to the Core, was released in October 1971. Despite complimentary reviews, the group's two albums proved ultimately unsuccessful and the band broke up. Fennelly later traveled to England, where he began focusing on a solo career, recording two solo albums. The first, Lane Changer, was recorded in London with the support of ex-Zombies bassist/producer Chris White and Rod Argent on synthesizer. A second solo album, Stranger's Bed, was recorded in L.A., produced by Denny Bruce and engineered by Keith Olsen (incidentally, Fennelly's album was Olsen's last as a engineer -- he was, at the same time, producing Fleetwood Mac's first album with two new members, Lindsey Buckingham and Stevie Nicks). Released by Mercury in 1975, Stranger's Bed failed to chart. Fennelly is still involved in the music business.. © Bryan Thomas, © 2010 Answers Corporation http://www.answers.com/topic/michael-fennelly-1

BIO (WIKIPEDIA)

Michael Fennelly (b. 4 April 1949) is an American musician known for his work as a singer and songwriter in the 1960s and 1970s, notably in The Millennium and Crabby Appleton. Fennelly was born in New York, the second of three children. He grew up in Pennsylvania and Westfield, New Jersey, and attended high school there. He began taking guitar lessons when he was nine years old. At the age of 17 he hitchhiked to Los Angeles and began performing in clubs there. By 1967 he had become a member of songwriter/producer Curt Boettcher's studio-based collective of musicians. He contributed electric sitar and vocals to the album Present Tense by Sagittarius, and then became one of the five singer/guitarist/songwriters included in The Millennium, the sunshine pop group assembled by Boettcher. In 1969 he joined an existing band, Stonehenge, as lead singer, guitarist and songwriter, changing their name to Crabby Appleton. The band were signed to Elektra Records, and released two albums, with Fennelly's writing becoming influenced by such emerging musicians as Neil Young and Stephen Stills. Their single "Go Back", written and sung by Fennelly, produced by Don Gallucci and taken from the band's first album, reached # 36 on the Billboard Hot 100 in mid 1970. After the band broke up, Fennelly embarked upon a solo career, recording two albums, Lane Changer (1973) and Stranger's Bed (1975). However, neither was successful. Fennelly also recorded with Steely Dan; he sings the high harmony on "The Boston Rag" from Countdown to Ecstasy, their second album. Fennelly remained in the music business thereafter, and currently lives in Portland, Oregon.