Grapefruit was a London-based British band active in the late 1960s who had a psychedelic pop and rock sound. The band's interesting because their history is closely intertwined with The Beatles and Apple.
The band was formed in 1967 by Terry Doran, the managing director of Apple Publishing. Doran brought together Scottish-born singer and bassist George Alexander (born Alexander Young) with John Perry, Pete Swettenham, and Geoff Swettenham, who had previously been in the band Tony Rivers and the Castaways.
The name "Grapefruit" was given to them by John Lennon, inspired by a book by his future wife, Yoko Ono, also called Grapefruit. The Beatles took a personal interest in the band's career. Lennon introduced Grapefruit to the media, and John Perry contributed to the backing vocals on The Beatles' hit single "Hey Jude."
Grapefruit's music was a winning blend of pop, rock, and psychedelia, often incorporating classical arrangements and psychedelic effects in a very late 60s style. They were signed to Apple Publishing for their songwriting but, as Apple Records had not yet launched, their records were licensed to RCA Records in the UK and a label called Equinox in the U.S.
Their first single, "Dear Delilah," produced by Terry Melcher who was Doris Day’s son and had produced The Byrds first two albums, as well as being, for a time, associated with Charles Manson, even staying in the house of the Manson murders just before it happened. said to have been a response to Manson’s music being rejected by Melcher. It was released in 1968 and reached number 21 on the UK Singles Chart. John Lennon and Paul McCartney also produced the band's follow-up single, "Lullaby," though this version was not officially released at the time.
Grapefruit released two studio albums during their active period:
Around Grapefruit (1968): This album was a compilation of songs from their singles.
Deep Water (1969): With a lineup change that included Bob Wale replacing Pete Swettenham, the band's second album moved towards a heavier, blues-influenced rock sound. It had limited commercial success, though the single "Deep Water" did well in Germany, peaking at number 19.
Despite the initial promise and the association with The Beatles, they struggled to achieve consistent chart success. The band ultimately broke up in late 1969.
After the band's split, the members continued to work in the music industry. George Alexander, who was the older brother of AC/DC's Angus and Malcolm Young, remained the most active. He collaborated with his brothers, Harry Vanda and George Young of The Easybeats, and even briefly revived the Grapefruit name for a one-off single in 1971. John Perry later went on to play with the new wave band The Only Ones in the late 1970s.
