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Released in the wake of personnel changes which saw the departure of Castagno, the band returned with 1969's "Apple Pie". Produced by Tom Dowd, the sophomore effort wasn't a major change in direction, featuring another mildly interesting mixture of blues (the year's upteenth cover of Willie Dixon's "I Just Want To Make Love To You"), psychedelia ("Orangutang") and conventional rock. As on the debut, the absence of a distinctive singer, some gawdawful covers (including one of the worst versions of "Get Ready" we've ever heard), combined with Barnaby's overwhelming bass (check out his ear-ringing performance on "Grandmother Hooker"), left quite a bit to be desired. Hardly an album that was going to drastically change your life, the set still had a couple of nice moments, including Demos and Sorafine's meltdown guitar dual on the leadoff track "Orangutang". A commercial non-entity, the set vanished without a trace, followed in short order by the band.

Psychedelic rock unit the Apple Pie Motherhood Band formed in Boston in 1964—evolving out of garage outfit C.C. and the Chasers, the group originally teamed guitarists Ted Demos and Joe Castagno, bassist Richard Barnaby, keyboardist Jef Labes and drummer Jack Bruno, all of whom split vocal duties.

In 1965 they relocated to New York City, briefly adopting the name Sacred Mushroom and settling in as the house band at the Bitter End Café, backing acts ranging from Joni Mitchell to Neil Diamond to Kenny Rogers & the First Edition. With a deal with Atlantic pending, the Sacred Mushroom moniker was deemed too drug-oriented—a sarcastic Demos comment resulted in the name Apple Pie Motherhood Band, and their self-titled debut LP followed in 1968, preceded by the single "Long Live Apple Pie."

The group relocated to Vermont to record the follow-up, adding lead vocalist Bruce Paine, guitarist Michael Sofraine and harmonica player Adam Myers for Apple Pie—opening dates for the Jefferson Airplane, the Butterfield Blues Band and the Chambers Brothers followed, but in 1970 the Apple Pie Motherhood Band split.

Labes later backed Van Morrison and Bonnie Raitt, while Bruno spent close to two decades as Tina Turner's touring drummer; Paine briefly led Steamhammer but was better known for his acting work

"Apple Pie" track listing:
(side 1)
1.) Orangutang (Michael Sorafine) - 7:36
2.) I Just Want To Make Love To You (Willie Dixon) - 4:05
3.) Brown Eyed Handsome Man (Chuck Berry) - 3:14
4.) Grandmother Hooker (Michael Sorafine) - 3:02

(side 2)
1.) Get Ready (William Robinson) - 4:24
2.) Super Music Man (Jeff Labes) - 4:15
3.) Gypsy (Ted Demos) - 3:22
4.) He Turned You On (Michael Sorafine - Don Henny) - 4:16