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Mail to:mrjw@earthlink.net

Thanks,
John Wasak

However, to my surprise in 1997, I received a call from a songwriter looking for a new label. His name was Scott Appel. He had heard of my new label, One Man Clapping, and wanted to join our roster. I was both amazed and very pleased. When I received the master of his new recording, 'Parhelion', I knew that we had to release it. It was terrific, particularly Scott's 'Let all the Clocks Stop', 'Just Lately',and 'Hideaway/Sunwise Turn'. I couldn't wait to get this CD out into the market.

Needless to say, we really hit it off and became good friends. Our mutual interest in the music of John Martyn, Tim Buckley, Gene Clark, The Byrds, The Fairport Convention, Richard Thompson and, of course, Nick Drake became the basis of many late night conversations while we planned the release of 'Parhelion'.

Scott's endearing sense of humor and knowledge of the music that I loved made for some of the best conversation I have ever had. From 1998 until his death, we enjoyed an unforgettable friendship. He was a great artist and a good friend. I shall never forget him. May his music live on forever!

Gary Cornelius
One Man Clapping

Something very strange happened today.

I had recently recorded copies of Scot Appel's "Nine Of Swords" and "Parhelion" for a friend and I was going to send them off to him as a Christmas present. So they sat on a shelf in my office at work waiting for me to send them.

I saw them this morning and decided to play them for a new part time employee that I have. Now this person wants copies too.

We listened to the beauty and warmth of these two cds all morning and all of these thoughts, feelings and memories came flooding back to me. Lots of memories of walking the streets of Northampton, Mass. on brisk Autumn days when all of the leaves were brilliant gold and red. Lots of memories of listening to these cds over and over in front of a warm fire on cold winter days not wanting to disturb the precious mood and "vibe" they created.

You see way back in 1990 a friend of mine turned me on to Scott's "Nine Of Swords". This friends name is Marty Willson Piper and he is one of the guitarists in a very fine band (that still exists and is still quite vital) called The Church. He somehow got into Scott via the Nick Drake connection and knew that I was a huge Drake fan (before it was *fashionable* to do so) so one night after a Church gig he gave me his copy to tape. To this day I have never let him forget just how much I appreciated that gesture.

I immediately fell in love with the record and turned everybody and anybody who would listen on to it. I played the record so much that it became sort of a "soundtrack of my life" for a few years. My love for this record and Scott's playing went far beyond the Drake connection at this point.

My love and admiration for Scott's work increased tenfold with the release of "Parhelion".

I actually wrote to Scott once in the days before e-mail. I was astonished to recieve a 4 page handwitten letter back from him.

Anyway, these two records have lived in my heart and mind all these years so when a friend asked me to record him some "atmospheric, quiet, reflective guitar based music" these 2 cds were the first things that I though of.

While playing "Nine Of Swords" for the 5th time today I decided to look Scott up on the web. It had been a long while.

Needless to say I was flabbergasted and deeply saddened to find out that Scott had passed on. Now I am trying to find out as much information as I could.

Wherever he is....I hope that he knows that his music has touched some people very deeply and profoundly. I never met him and I was a total stranger to him but I got the feeling from that letter he sent me that he was a very deep yet down to earth person that I probably could have talked to for hours.

His music will live within me forever.

Happy Holidays And Best Wishes,

Michael Barone
New Haven, Connecticut

Black Shrouded Time
(For Scottie Boy)

This time now, this black-shrouded time,
wears veiled memory from ago - (how many lifetimes?).

Fused as it all is now into the face
of Marilyn the blonde magnificent,
the nick of time sounds of Drake,
of the Buckley's both,
and the mad Monk of the off minor circling dances.

This parade, this march of the Dolce Vita - the sweet life -
flickers on now
on fractured frames as if out of Fellini
(or maybe 8 1/2 Fellini's),
rushing through the festering, fevered worlds of Burroughs and Poe
and emptying out onto the corner of Mass. Ave and Boylston.

Fused it all is now, fused into the long drawn-out forever,
the static silence,
becoming something to be slowly buffed and polished
and taken out from time to time, like the good silverware,
or a special silvered tea-pot.

This is it now - a silvered teetering pot - patina of memory.

--John Wasak