The Applejacks (British band)

History

The Applejacks were a 1960s English beat group from the Birmingham area. They were the first "Brumbeat" act to crack the UK Top 10, and stood out for having a female bassist, Megan Davies. All members except singer Al Jackson had been in the same scout troop as kids. The core trio of Baggott, Cash, and Freeman started as a skiffle group called the Crestas in 1961, playing at a local youth club. Davies joined that year, and Gould came on board in 1962. They were purely instrumental until Jackson arrived in 1963, after which they switched to rock and roll and got a regular slot at Solihull Civic Hall. They briefly called themselves the Jaguars before settling on the Applejacks in July 1962.

Signing with Decca in late 1963, their big break came with the first single "Tell Me When," written by Les Reed and Geoff Stephens. Released in February 1964, it hit No. 7 on the UK chart. After meeting the Beatles during a TV rehearsal, Lennon and McCartney gave them "Like Dreamers Do" for their second single, but it only reached No. 20. Their last hit, "Three Little Words (I Love You)," also from 1964, peaked at No. 23.

A dispute with Decca followed. The label wanted them to record "Chim Chim Chiree," but the band hated it. Though announced, the single was never released—Davies later said they never even recorded it. This argument delayed their next single, "Bye Bye Girl," by six months. Decca kept putting out Applejacks records in 1965, including the first released version of Ray Davies's "I Go to Sleep," but public interest faded. By 1966, they were playing local gigs again, then worked as a cruise liner act for Cunard into the late 1960s. Freeman and Davies married in September 1964; she later left music to become a nurse and NHS administrator. They reunited for a one-off charity concert at St Mary's Church, Solihull, in December 2010. Freeman died in December 2025.