ROBBIE SNOWDEN
Sunshine Rides On A Trolley
(Mike Appel - Don Henny - Ed Schnug)
Australia 1967
#45 Melbourne #35 Perth

Original version?

It is likely that this was the first released version of Sunshine Rides On A Trolley [Car] (see below).

Single on Clarion by Western Australian pop star (1948-2009) who relocated from Perth to Melbourne and had a handful of charting records 1967-68. For more details see No One Really Loves A Clown, his biggest hit.

See also: Sheila, Surrounded By A Ray Of Sunshine and Freckles.
[WRITTEN BY] THE BALLOON FARM
Sunshine Rides On A Trolley Car
(Mike Appel - Don Henny - Ed Schnug)
USA

became

This is clearly the source of Robbie Snowden's 1967 Australian release Sunshine Rides On A Trolley.

Three members of New York band The Balloon Farm wrote Sunshine Rides On A Trolley Car, the same three who wrote The Balloon Farm's psych-pop classic A Question of Temperature (1968, #37 USA), now immortalised on Nuggets 1.

Sunshine Rides On A Trolley Car is registered as a composition at BMI, but The Balloon Farm never released the song, and I can't find any other versions.

Members of The Balloon Farm wrote a number of songs together. As Mop Top Mike points out (Spectropop post #35342): Those guys probably have a lot of unreleased material. They began as Adam (a 45rpm, Eve, late 1966), with all of the members using "Adam" as their first name! Then they became Balloon Farm**, from a Dylan comment, followed by a name switch yet again to Huck Finn (one single on Kapp).

The Balloon Farm was also the name of a New York club: more details from Phil X Milstein and Deena C in the same Spectropop thread.

Mike Appel of The Balloon Farm is now better known as an early but notable producer, writer and manager for Bruce Springsteen: see Richie Unterberger's article at All Music Guide.

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Adam, Balloon Farm, Huck Finn singles discography.

Adam
1966, MALA 547: Eve (Adam Mintzer*) - Where Has My Little Girl Gone (Mintzer)

Balloon Farm
1967, Laurie 3405: A Question of Temperature (Mike Appel-Don Henny-Ed Schnug ) - Hurtin' For Your Love (Appel-Henny-Schnug-Jay Saks)

Balloon Farm
1968, Laurie 3445: Hurry Up Sundown (Henny-Appel) - Farmer Brown (Appel)

Huck Finn
1968, Kapp 958: Two Of A Kind (Henny-Appel) - We'll Catch The Sun (Appel)

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*Writer of the Adam sides, Adam Mintzer, was a member of Adam (known there as Adam Taylor), along with James Fitzsimmons (Adam London), Donald Henny (Adam Dawson) and Edward Schnug (Adam Schnug).

James Fitzsimmons-Adam London also recorded as Jimmy London (Chain Of Love/Get Ready on Karate #510). He also played guitar on Hawk #153, Joey and the Ovations - I Still Love You/Runaround (1963).

**Adam and Balloon Farm were not entirely the same band: only Schnug and Henny went on to Balloon Farm from Adam, joined by Appel and Saks.

Thanks to Bryan Fitzsimmons.

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