Inflammable Dan With The Igniters on Wine

 

High Flying Wine
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The Buffer
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 Both composed by C. Appel and published by Chart-Gap Pub.

Wine Records  #09

Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

1963

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"Inflammable Dan" was the radio moniker of Charlie Apple, a popular radio disc jockey in the Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania area (most notably on WPSL) during the 1960s. In 1963, Apple teamed up with a local Pittsburgh rock and roll band named The Igniters to record a novelty garage-rock single.

Some info found at Wikibin, the Wikpedia trashbin :

Charlie "C.A." Apple (born 1941 - Penn Hills, Pennsylvania) is a veteran R&B and oldies radio disc jockey from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Apple began broadcasting at WPSL 1510 AM in Monroeville, Pennsylvania in 1966, and his career has seen stops at mostly small AM and FM stations in the Pittsburgh area. Along the way, he has amassed a cult following of fans who refer to themselves collectively as The Apple Corps.

Heavily influenced by fellow Pittsburgh DJ Porky Chedwick, Apple's announcing style often utilizes speaking in rhyme and makes extensive use of reverb. Like Chedwick, Apple's show specializes in what he has coined "Pittsburgh Oldies" or simply "sounds" from his own record collection - songs originally popular on a local basis, but largely unknown outside the area. The format includes blues, doo wop, garage bands, and novelty records frequently - though not always - by groups from the Pittsburgh area.

The trio of Apple, Chedwick, and Mike Metrovich are seen as founders of this peculiar Pittsburgh radio subculture which has endured continuously "under the radar" since the 1950s. Through them, several other DJ's have been inspired to host shows of "Pittsburgh Oldies" on area radio stations.

Charlie is well respected by the students he taught at St. Edmund's Academy in Squirrel Hill. Always challenging his students to think and act, of which he has a formal pupil budding Broadway star Christian Borle. For several years Charlie was a home room teacher who inspired his classes through 50's movie, The Body Snatchers etc., music, and free thought. A family man and a teacher Charlie also found time to be the Head Chaplain at the small Episcopal grade school.

Also see article published by Pittsburgh City Paper in 2003

 

But Charlie Appel had a dark side : in 2014, Charlie Appel was sentenced to five years in prison for downloading child pornography. See Tribune Review.  He died in 2019. More serious related facts came to light after his death. See Spotlight On Abuse

 

Charlie Appel (1941-2019)

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For the sake of completeness, I must mention that Rockin' Country Style also lists another single on the same label, likewise without a location. But I won't say anything about it here, because The Zaks' 45 holds little interest for rockabilly fans.