The Balloon Farm

The Balloon Farm formed in early 1967 in New York when singer-guitarist Mike Appel teamed with guitarist Ed Schnug and drummer Don Henny, alumni of Adam, and bassist Jay Saks from the Un-Four-Given. An organist named Pat, whose surname remains undocumented, completed the initial lineup. The musicians adopted their name from a short-lived nightclub on St. Marks Place in the East Village.

Appel grew up in Old Brookville, Long Island, where his mother, singer Tucky Drennan, introduced him to Hank Williams. At sixteen, he formed the Humbugs, an instrumental rock group that cut a 1960 single for the Studio subsidiary of 20th Century Fox. They became the Camelots and made the 1963 Comet single “Charge” (b/w “Scratch”), followed by gigs behind the Marvelettes and other touring acts.

Appel joined Tex & the Chex at the Cinderella Club in Greenwich Village. With drummer Alan Gordon and bassist Everett Jacobs, he backed singer Gary Bonner on the demo “An Invitation to Cry,” which secured a Columbia contract under the Magicians name. Appel departed after his 1965 graduation from St. John’s University for six months of Marine Reserve service. He regrouped with Jacobs in the Un-Four-Given, who cut the October 1966 Dot single “Cry, Cry (Cry Little Girl)” (b/w “Love Me to Pieces”). Saks replaced Jacobs during the latter group.

Schnug and Henny hailed from Adam, a New York quartet with guitarist James Fitzsimmons and songwriter Adam Mintzer. The musicians all adopted Adam first names for the November 1966 Mala single “Eve” (b/w “Where Has My Little Girl Gone”). Appel joined Schnug and Henny through the New York publishing and recording circuit for the Balloon Farm, primarily a studio project for original material.

Singles

Appel conceived “A Question of Temperature” with Schnug and Henny and pitched the song to producer Peter Schekeryk through publishers Hugo & Luigi. Schekeryk secured a Laurie session through A&R director Doug Morris. Appel sang lead and played fuzz guitar, including a bridge passage with volume swells achieved through the guitar control knob. They added Theremin effects inspired by the Beach Boys single “Good Vibrations.” Saks played organ on the improvised B-side “Hurtin’ for Your Love.”

Laurie issued the pairing in October 1967. The A-side reached No. 37 on the US Billboard Hot 100 in March 1968 and gained overseas releases on London, Vogue, and Ariola. Meanwhile, Australian singer Robby Snowden cut the Appel–Schnug–Henny original “Sunshine Rides on a Trolley Car” for a 1967 Clarion single, which reached the regional charts in Melbourne and Perth.

In spring 1968, Appel engaged arranger Charlie Morrow for further sessions at Allegro Sound Studios in Manhattan. Morrow recruited keyboardist John Castinovo and orchestral brass and flute players for the April single “Hurry Up Sundown” (b/w “Farmer Brown”). The A-side, a Henny–Appel collaboration, paired fingerpicked acoustic guitar with a measured vocal and brass accents. Appel modeled the novelty flip on the Lovin’ Spoonful song “Daydream.” Laurie promoted “Hurry Up Sundown” despite initial plans for “Farmer Brown.”

The Balloon Farm joined the Spring Cavalcade of Stars package tour with the Box Tops, Sly & the Family Stone, and the 1910 Fruitgum Company. Henny departed before the tour, and a drummer named Howie took his place. Meanwhile, Morrow continued work on unreleased material, including “Balloon Man” and “Chalk Talk.” Laurie declined further releases after the second single.

In November 1968, Appel joined Mark Alan at New Beat Management, where he oversaw production and publishing. He revived the Morrow-arranged Balloon Farm track “Two of a Kind” for a December Kapp single under the Huck Finn name, backed with his original “We’ll Catch the Sun.” Appel produced both sides, with management figures Alan and Robert Slater sharing the label credits. The project marked the end of the Balloon Farm association.

Postlude

Appel joined the Wes Farrell Organization in 1969 and partnered with songwriter-producer Jimmy Cretecos. They wrote songs for the Partridge Family and co-produced Kingdom Come, the 1970 Mercury debut by Sir Lord Baltimore. Appel later managed and produced the first two Columbia albums by Bruce Springsteen. Henny co-wrote “He Turned You On” for the 1969 Atlantic album Apple Pie by the Apple Pie Motherhood Band. Saks pursued classical production through Columbia Masterworks and RCA Red Seal, followed by a lengthy tenure as music producer for the Metropolitan Opera.

“A Question of Temperature,” made an early reappearance on the 1979 underground compilation Acid Dreams, followed by the 1982 Line Records anthology Mindrocker, Vol. 3. Rhino included the song on the 1984 release Nuggets Volume One: The Hits and its expanded 1998 four-CD box Nuggets: Original Artyfacts from the First Psychedelic Era, 1965–1968. Lenny Kaye had earmarked the track for an unreleased second Nuggets volume, which Rhino restored as part of its 2023 fiftieth-anniversary edition. Other appearances included the 2007 EMI compilation Ah Feel Like Ahcid! and multiple editions of Acid Dreams. The companion single “Hurtin’ for Your Love” resurfaced on the 1996 anthology Turds on a Bum Ride, Vol. 6, while “Hurry Up Sundown” appeared on the 2008 collection Realistic Patterns: Orchestrated Psychedelia from the USA.