

Appice went on to become an active session and touring musician, working with a variety of rock and hard rock artists. Bogert and Appice first formed the hard rock group Cactus, then later joined Jeff Beck in the aptly named Beck, Bogert & Appice. farewell dates and disbanded in early 1970. Following the release of their final album, Rock & Roll, Vanilla Fudge played a few U.S. Exhausted by the constant touring, the band decided that their late-1969 European tour would be their last. After part of the band recorded a radio commercial with guitarist Jeff Beck, an idea was hatched to form a Cream-styled power trio with plenty of individual solo spotlights. In 1969, the band kept touring and released their first album without Morton, the expansive, symphonic-tinged Near the Beginning. The band supported it by touring with Jimi Hendrix, opening several dates on Cream's farewell tour, and later in the year, touring again with the fledgling Led Zeppelin as their opening act. It was followed by Renaissance, one of Vanilla Fudge's best albums, which also hit the Top 20. That summer, Atco reissued "You Keep Me Hangin' On," and the second time around it climbed into the Top Ten. Despite its somewhat arty, indulgent qualities, the LP was a hit, climbing into the Top 20. Things started to pick up for them in 1968: early in the year, they headlined the Fillmore West with the Steve Miller Band, performed "You Keep Me Hangin' On" on The Ed Sullivan Show, and released their second album, The Beat Goes On. "You Keep Me Hangin' On" didn't perform as well as was hoped, but the band toured extensively behind its covers-heavy, jam-oriented debut album Vanilla Fudge, which gradually expanded their fan base. The band settled on Vanilla Fudge, after a favorite ice cream flavor. Impressed by their heavy, hard-rocking recasting of the Supremes' "You Keep Me Hangin' On," Morton offered to record the song as a single the results landed the group a deal with the Atlantic subsidiary Atco, which requested a name change. In early 1967, their manager convinced producer George "Shadow" Morton (who'd handled the girl group the Shangri-Las and had since moved into protest folk) to catch their live act. They got so elaborate that by the end of the year, drummer Brennan was replaced by the more technically skilled Carmine Appice. Inspired by the Vagrants, another band on the club circuit led by future Mountain guitarist Leslie West, the Pigeons began to put more effort into reimagining the arrangements of their cover songs. In early 1966, the group recorded a set of eight demos that were released several years later as While the Whole World Was Eating Vanilla Fudge, credited to Mark Stein & the Pigeons. They built a following by gigging extensively up and down the East Coast and earned extra money by providing freelance in-concert backing for girl groups. Organist Mark Stein, bassist Tim Bogert, and drummer Joey Brennan soon shortened their name to the Pigeons and added guitarist Vince Martell.

Originally, Vanilla Fudge was a blue-eyed soul cover band called the Electric Pigeons, who formed in Long Island, New York, in 1965. While the band did record original material, they were best-known for their loud, heavy, slowed-down arrangements of contemporary pop songs, blowing them up to epic proportions and bathing them in a trippy, distorted haze. Vanilla Fudge has been cited as “one of the few American links between psychedelia and what soon became heavy metal.” Vanilla Fudge also is known to have influenced other major bands such as The Nice, Deep Purple, Yes, Styx, Led Zeppelin, and Uriah Heep.Vanilla Fudge were one of the few American links between psychedelia and what soon became heavy metal.

The Fudge is currently touring with three of the four original members: Stein, Martell, and Appice with Pete Bremy taking over for Tim Bogert when he retired in 2009. The original line–up Featured Mark Stein, Tim Bogert, Vince Martell and Carmine Appice. Vanilla Fudge is an American rock band known predominantly for their slow extended heavy rock arrangements of contemporary hit songs, most notably “You Keep Me Hangin’ On”. Your ticket purchase guarantees you entrance to both.įor more information visit: Sea Of PLEASE NOTE: There are morning and afternoon sessions. Join us for a jam packed day of music & talk! Sea of Tranquility Fall Fest 2022 will bring together many of the elements that make their YouTube channel and webzine a daily destination for so many people-progressive rock, classic rock, hard rock, heavy metal, and insightful conversation. October 1 at The Chance in Poughkeepsie, NY
