Birthday Shout out to Derrek Van Eaton

The brothers of Apple Records and beyond

HAPPY BIRTHDAY to recording artist, singer-songwriter, and multi-instrumentalist Derrek Van Eaton. Classic rock-philes and deep Beatles fans will recognize him from the brother band Lon & Derrek Van Eaton.

Prior to their Apple association they were part of the eccentric folk rock band Jacob’s Creek, who shared a studio with Simon & Garfunkel and released one album on Columbia in 1969.

Two years later, John Lennon and George Harrison “discovered” them as a brother-act duo and signed them to Apple Records. The Van Eaton’s music blended urban folk and dreamy rock with a blues-gospel undercurrent, resonating stylistically with Badfinger and latter-day Beatles. The Van Eaton’s excellent BROTHER album was co-produced by George with Klaus Voorman and it launched a long association with George, Ringo Starr, Nilsson, and other legends in the Apple story.

The brothers went on to become studio session favorites under producer Richard Perry, who hired them for recordings with Art Garfunkel, Martha Reeves, and Carly Simon. Perry also produced the Van Eaton’s 1975 WHO DO YOU OUT DO album.

Since then the Van Eaton brothers have released sporadic works (notably their acclaimed 1996 cover of “Apple of my Eye” on the COME & GET IT Badfinger tribute album), and they’re still active in musical and spiritual pursuits.

I met Derrek some years ago in church and picked his brains about a 1972 L&DVE concert in Huntingdon PA (I stood outside, a lad with no ticket money). The last time Derrek and I crossed paths was at a Monkees concert in Denver. Even in passing conversation I can see the creative spark in Derrek’s eyes. Here’s one of my favorite Van Eaton cuts “Sun Song”

...Meanwhile, HB DVE and thank you for your years of remarkable creativity and soul

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