Grapefruit -

Grapefruit was an English pop-psych band that released the 1968–69 albums Around Grapefruit and Deep Water. Singer Alexander Young resurrected the name for the 1971 Deram single “Sha-Sha.”

Members: George Alexander [aka Alex Young] (bass, vocals), John Perry (guitar, vocals), Peter Swettenham (guitar), Geoff Swettenham (drums), Mick Fowler (piano, organ, guitar), Bob Wale (vocals, lead guitar, harmonica)

Background

Grapefruit appeared in late 1967 when Scottish singer-bassist Alexander Young teamed with guitarist-singer John Perry, guitarist Peter Swettenham, and drummer Geoff Swettenham.

Young (b. December 28, 1938; Glasgow) moved to London after the 1963 exodus of his family — including younger brothers George, Angus, and Malcolm Young — to Australia, where George soon founded The Easybeats and Angus and Malcolm later formed AC/DC. Perry and the Swettenham brothers hailed London beatsters The Castaways, the recent backing band of crooner Tony Rivers.

Music manager Terry Doran signed the new band to Apple Publishing, the publishing arm of the The Beatles‘ soon-to-be established Apple Corp. John Lennon named the band after Grapefruit, a 1964 artist’s book by future wife Yoko Ono.

Around Grapefruit

Grapefruit released their debut album, Around Grapefruit, in December 1968 on Stateside.

The album presents their ornate late-60s pop-psych approach with layered keyboards, clustered vocal blends, and bright mid-tempo arrangements. Producer Terry Melcher frames their songs with harpsichord, strings, and detailed stereo placement, giving the set a dense, high-gloss sound that moves between bouncy, major-key passages and darker, baroque-styled turns.

Bassist–vocalist George Alexander wrote ten of the twelve tracks. Guitarist John Perry wrote “Yes,” and they cut one outside song popularized by the Four Seasons (“C’mon Marianne”). Alexander also arranged the instrumental closer.

Around Grapefruit alternates between brisk, ornamented pieces with stepped rhythmic patterns, ballads shaped by Mellotron-like washes and slow-fading figures, and compact pop-psych songs built on clipped guitar lines and harpsichord phrases. “Another Game” uses harpsichord and low, breathy vocals to set its inward tone. “Yesterday’s Sunshine” floats on light chamber textures and phased effects. “Elevator” moves at a tight pace with bright guitar accents. “Dear Delilah” lowers into church-organ colors and minor-key descent. “This Little Man” broadens into an elegiac orchestral frame, while “Theme for Twiggy” pushes its harpsichord motif with steady rhythmic lift.

A1. “Another Game” (2:51) — Alexander
A2. “Yesterday’s Sunshine” (3:32) — Alexander
A3. “Elevator” (2:05) — Alexander
A4. “Yes” (2:20) — Perry
A5. “C’mon Marianne” (2:36) — originated as a 1967 hit by the Four Seasons, written by Larry Brown and Raymond Bloodworth; lyrics depict an on-again, off-again relationship framed as a plea for renewed trust.
A6. “Lullaby” (3:29) — Alexander

B1. “Round Going Round” (3:00) — Alexander
B2. “Dear Delilah” (2:36) — Alexander
B3. “This Little Man” (2:26) — Alexander
B4. “Ain’t It Good” (2:36) — Alexander
B5. “Theme for Twiggy” (3:15) — Alexander
B6. “Someday Soon” (3:02) — Alexander

Sessions occurred in 1968 at EMI facilities in London with producer Terry Melcher and engineers uncredited on surviving documentation.

Stateside promoted Around Grapefruit with “Dear Delilah” (b/w “Dead Boot”) as their debut single, which reached No. 18 in Canada. They followed with “Elevator” (b/w “Yes”) and “C’mon Marianne” (b/w “Ain’t It Good”). “Round Going Round” (b/w “This Little Man”) appeared as a US single on Dunhill.

“Dear Delilah” later entered the repertoires of continental pop acts who recorded localized versions, but no notable 1970s or 1980s covers emerged.

Deep Water

Grapefruit released their second album, Deep Water, in November 1969 on RCA Victor.

The album shifts from the sunshine-pop and psych textures of their debut toward a harder-edged soul-rock and boogie approach. Guitarist–bassist George Alexander wrote the majority of the tracks, with new lead vocalist–guitarist Bobby Ware contributing three songs. Keyboardist Mick Fowler supplied piano and organ textures, rounding out the five-piece lineup.

Alexander wrote seven of the ten tracks; Ware wrote three. All compositions are original, and there are no covers on the LP.

Musically, Deep Water alternates between rhythm-driven soul-rockers, mid-tempo boogie numbers, and occasional country-tinged ballads. The opener and title track employs a driving bass line and restrained horns. “Thunder & Lightning” delivers a compact boogie riff with energetic guitar flourishes. Country stylings appear on “Can’t Find Me” and “The Right Direction,” featuring pedal steel and banjo. Ware’s songs—“L.A. & Back Again,” “Come Down to the Station,” and “Blues in Your Head”—provide distorted guitar, swirling organ, and layered backing vocals. “Time to Leave” closes the album with a sparse acoustic setting highlighting vocal harmonies and subtle steel guitar.

A1. “Deep Water” (2:14) – Alexander
A2. “Can’t Find Me” (2:07) – Alexander
A3. “Thunder & Lightning” (3:04) – Alexander
A4. “Lady Godiva” (3:16) – Alexander
A5. “The Right Direction” (2:54) – Alexander

B1. “L.A. & Back Again” (1:48) – Ware
B2. “Come Down to the Station” (3:03) – Ware
B3. “A Dizzy Day” (2:49) – Alexander
B4. “Blues in Your Head” (4:47) – Ware
B5. “Time to Leave” (3:14) – Alexander

Sessions occurred in 1969 at RCA studios in London with producer Terry Melcher and engineers uncredited on surviving documentation.

RCA promoted the album with “Deep Water” (b/w “Come Down to the Station”) as the lead single, followed by “Thunder & Lightning” (b/w “Blues in Your Head”) and “Lady Godiva” (b/w “Can’t Find Me”). A 1971 European single paired Alexander with George Young and Harry Vanda on “Sha-Sha” (b/w “Universal Party”).

Discography: