Vanilla fudge
Vanilla Fudge is an American psychedelic rock band that attracted attention between 1967 and 1970, in particular with excessive cover versions in terms of time and music .
Members included keyboardist and singer Mark Stein and bassist Tim Bogert from Long Island, as well as guitarist Vince Martell and drummer Carmine Appice from New York.
Band history
New York record producer George Morton heard the as-yet-unknown rock band Vanilla Fudge during their performances between December 1966 and April 1967 at Action House on Long Island . In April 1967 he brokered them a recording contract with Atco Records .
In the Ultrasonic Studio , an epic version of the Supremes hit You Keep Me Hangin 'On was created in one take , which immediately reached number 6 on the US hit parade . While cover versions are often based very much on the original, in this case the original was hardly recognizable. The track recorded in mono was extended to 6:47 minutes and slowed down to slow motion, as the original tempo was reduced by half. The psychedelic sound with a neoclassical organ score and sitar passages alienates the original beyond recognition. The single version, shortened to 2:50 minutes, was released on June 2, 1967 and attracted worldwide attention.
The debut LP Vanilla Fudge of the same name was released in August 1967, the second LP The Beat Goes On on February 2, 1968. This LP includes adaptations of Beethoven and one by Mozart, as well as a nightmarish collage of historical voices (Truman, Hitler, Chamberlain, Bible, Churchill) and current references (Black Panthers, Vietnam, Weathermen, Acid culture). Renaissance in June 1968 was the last album Morton produced for the group. Singles such as Take me For a Little While (released in September 1968) and Season of the Witch (November 1968) were released from the albums . The follow-up hit Take Me For A Little While was a cover of the Evie Sands original (September 1965) with a very similar sound, but the lyrics said the opposite of the title.
Mark Stein's keyboard playing influenced several groups, whose popularity lasted longer than that of Vanilla Fudge himself: Deep Purple , The Nice , Emerson, Lake and Palmer , Uriah Heep and Atomic Rooster . In a video interview, Jon Lord admitted that Deep Purple copied the concept of Vanilla Fudge exactly for their debut LP Shades of Deep Purple : The massive organ and hardly recognizable foreign compositions, including two songs by the Beatles.
The band broke up for the first time in 1970. Bogert & Appice had agreed on a collaboration with guitarist Jeff Beck , but it could not be kept because Beck was unable to attend due to a car accident. The already signed contracts were fulfilled by the band Cactus . This was followed by several reunions, but each of them was short-lived. Among other things, the 1984 studio album Mystery was created .
In 1999 there was a reunion. The band toured Europe with the line-up of Carmine Appice (drums), Tim Bogert (bass guitar), Teddy Rondinelli (electric guitar) and Bill Pascali (keyboards). Two of these concerts were released as a limited live CD. In 2007 another live CD of the Germany tour was released: Good Good Rockin '- Live @ Rockpalast . In June 2007 the band released the original line-up of the album Out Through the In Door , which consists exclusively of cover versions of songs by the band Led Zeppelin . In 2014 the band - again with Mark Stein on keyboards, but with Pete Bremy instead of Tim Bogert on bass - toured Germany and other European countries again.
Occupations
Discography
Studio albums
Opening act
- While The World Was Eating Vanilla Fudge [as The Pigeons] (1966)
| year | title |
Top ranking, total weeks, awardChart placementsChart placements (Year, title, rankings, weeks, awards, notes) |
Remarks | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 DE
|
 UK
|
 US
|
|||
| 1967 | Vanilla fudge | - |
UK31 (4 weeks) UK |
US6th  (80 weeks)US |
|
| 1968 | The Beat Goes On |
DE31 (1 week) DE |
- |
US17 (33 weeks) US |
|
| Renaissance | - | - |
US20 (33 weeks) US |
||
| 1969 | Rock and roll | - | - |
US34 (13 weeks) US |
|
| Near the beginning | - | - |
US16 (27 weeks) US |
||
| 1984 | Mystery | - | UK-UK | US- US | |
| 2007 | Out through the in door | - | UK-UK | US- US |
Led Zeppelin covers
|
| 2015 | Spirit of '67 | - | UK-UK | US- US |
Cover versions of hits from the 1960s
|
Concert albums / compilations
- Star Collection (1974)
- Two Originals (1976)
- Best of Vanilla Fudge (1982)
- The Best of Vanilla Fudge Live (Alive - Back on Stage) (1991)
- Concert Collection [Live] (1993)
- Psychedelic Sundae: The Best of Vanilla Fudge (1993)
- Hits (1997)
- People Get Ready (2001)
- Vanilla Fudge 2001 / The Return / Then And Now - Re-recordings of old titles and three new songs (2002)
- The Return - Live in Germany Part 1 (2003)
- The Real Deal Live (2003)
- Rocks the Universe - Live in Germany Part 2 (2003)
- Good Good Rockin '- Live @ Rockpalast (2007)
- Orchestral Fudge Live (2008)
- When Two Worlds Collide Live (2008)
- Live at Sweden Rock (2016)
Singles
| year | Title album |
Top ranking, total weeks, awardChart placementsChart placements (Year, title, album , rankings, weeks, awards, notes) |
Remarks | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
UK
|
US
|
|||
| 1967 | You Keep Me Hangin 'On Vanilla Fudge |
UK18 (11 weeks) UK |
- | |
| 1968 | Season of the Witch, Pt. 1 renaissance |
- |
US65 (3 weeks) US |
|
| Shotgun Near the Beginning |
- |
US68 (5 weeks) US |
||
| Take Me for a Little While Vanilla Fudge |
- |
US38 (8 weeks) US |
||
More singles
- 1968: Where Is My Mind
- 1969: Some Velvet Morning
- 1969: Need Love
- 1970: Lord in the Country
- 1984: Mystery
