The Balloon Farm (out of the Garage)

The Balloon Farm were truly a ‘one hit’ wonder out of the garage – a garage in New Jersey with ties to the Big Apple

The Balloon Farm nightclub has an interesting history.

It resided in a very old structure dating way back in the city’s history – and at one time housed the “Dom Restaurant” along with “Stanley’s Bar” owned by Stanley Tolkin – this being in New York’s East Village. An early group to play at Stanleys was the Fugs.

The bar began to feature a light show in the mid 1960’s called the “Theater of Light”. Andy Warhol (who else?) would become involved with the goings on and brought in his group to be the house band – They were the Velvet Underground.

Andy’s presentation would become known at the “Exploding Plastic Inevitable”.

Then in 1966, music industry mover and shaker Albert Grossman would acquire the club and call it “The Balloon Farm”. Less than a year later it would change hands once again, this time taking the name “The Electric Circus Company” and with a new house band, Cat Mother and the All Night Newsboys.

So that little bit of trivia sets the stage for the band who gave us “A Question of Temperature”.

Onto The Balloon Farm

The Balloon Farm formed in 1966 out of New Jersey with a band consisting of Don Henny and Ed Schnug called “Adam”. They recorded a 45 on Mala that year. All four members of the band would go by the name of “Adam”. There were two real Adams in the group – Adam Taylor and Adam London. London would record a single on Karate Records in 1965 as Jimmy London.

They broke up after one recording and then Don and Ed would join up with Mike Appel and Jay Saks forming “The Balloon Farm”. No doubt that some member or all had probably frequented the Electric Circus or Balloon Farm at some point in time.

Mike Appel was born in Queens, New York and had played with a local band called “The Camelots” in the early 1960’s cutting singles on the independent record labels Comet and Portrait.

The ‘hit’ quit coming after “Temperature” and by 1968 the group had changed once more, this time as “Huck Finn” recording on Kapp Records – again one single.

A Question Of Temperature by The Balloon Farm

That would mark the end of the Balloon Farm. They did leave us with one very intriguing – psychedelicized number!

Mike Appel continued on in the world of pop music. He worked with the band “Sir Lord Baltimore” from Brooklyn – He then became involved with Bruce Springsteen’s early bands including “Child”, “Steel Mill” and then the Bruce Springsteen Band. Appel was instrumental in bringing Springsteen to the attention of Clive Davis and Columbia Records. Mike would pen the Partridge Family’s “Doesn’t Somebody Want To Be Wanted”.

Appel also worked with song writer Wes Farrell and recorded solo a few times.

David Saks later made his mark producing the Red Seal division for RCA Victor Records. After that he produced the Metropolitan Opera and the the Richard Wagner Opera. He was a vice president and producer at Sony BMG for 31 Years!