Vanilla Fudge - Selftitled (1st Album US 1967) + Bonus Album

Size: 83.2 MB
Bitrate: 256
mp3
Found in OuterSpace
Artwork Included
Source: Japan 24-Bit Remaster

Vanilla Fudge (Atco 33-224/mono, SD 33-224/stereo) is the first album by the American psychedelic rock band Vanilla Fudge. Released in summer 1967, it consists entirely of half-speed covers and three short original instrumental compositions.

The album was Vanilla Fudge's most successful, peaking at #6 on the Billboard album charts in September 1967. An edited version of "You Keep Me Hangin' On" was released as a single and also charted.

In a debut consisting of covers, nobody could accuse Vanilla Fudge of bad taste in their repertoire; with stoned-out, slowed-down versions of such then-recent classics as "Ticket to Ride," "Eleanor Rigby," and "People Get Ready," they were setting the bar rather high for themselves. Even the one suspect choice -- Sonny Bono's "Bang Bang" -- turns out to be rivaled only by Mott the Hoople's version of "Laugh at Me" in putting Bono's songwriting in the kindest possible light. 

Most of the tracks here share a common structure of a disjointed warm-up jam, a Hammond-heavy dirge of harmonized vocals at the center, and a final flat-out jam. Still, some succeed better than others: "You Keep Me Hanging On" has a wonderfully hammered-out drum part, and "She's Not There" boasts some truly groovy organ jams. While the pattern can sound repetitive today, each song still works as a time capsule of American psychedelia.

Vanilla Fudge is an American rock band known predominantly for their psychedelic renditions of popular songs. The band's original lineup—vocalist/organist Mark Stein, bassist/vocalist Tim Bogert, lead guitarist/vocalist Vince Martell, and drummer/vocalist Carmine Appice—recorded five albums during the years 1966–69, before disbanding in 1970. The band has reunited in various configurations over the years, and is currently operating with three of the four original members, Mark Stein, Vince Martell, and Carmine Appice with Pete Bremy on bass for Tim Bogert who has retired from touring. The band has been cited as "one of the few American links between psychedelia and what soon became heavy metal".

Stein and Bogert played in a local band called Rick Martin & The Showmen. The pair were so impressed by the swinging sound and floods of organ of The Rascals they decided to form their own band with Martell and Rick Martin's drummer, Joey Brennan. Originally calling themselves The Pigeons, they changed the name to Vanilla Fudge in 1966, after the replacement of Brennan by Appice.[3] The group was then "discovered" and managed by reputed Lucchese crime family member Phillip Basile, who operated several popular clubs in New York. Led Zeppelin, then an emerging band, was the opening act on their American tour. Produced by Shadow Morton who the band met through the Rascals. Morton had a gift for melodramatic productions in the studio.

The band's biggest hit was its cover of "You Keep Me Hangin' On", a slowed-down, hard rocking version of a song originally recorded by The Supremes. This version featured Stein's psychedelic-baroque organ intro and Appice's energetic drumming.

The members of Vanilla Fudge were great admirers of The Beatles, and covered several of their songs including "Ticket to Ride" and "Eleanor Rigby". The self-titled debut album quotes "Strawberry Fields Forever" at the end, with the line "there's nothing to get hung about".

On March 14, 1970, Vanilla Fudge played a farewell concert at the Phil Basille's Action House. After that, Bogert & Appice departed to form another group, Cactus (In 1972, they left Cactus and formed Beck, Bogert & Appice with guitarist Jeff Beck). Stein, left on his own, tried to keep the group going with two new players, Sal D'Nofrio (bass) and Jimmy Galluzi (drums) (both of whom had been members of a Poughkeepsie, New York group known as 'Dino & The Cavemen'). But when nothing came from this, Stein ended up forming a new group, Boomerang, instead with Galluzi.

A recording of the Pigeons was released in Germany in 1973 under the title of 'While the World was Eating Vanilla Fudge'.

Following the band's breakup in 1970, the band has reunited several times. In 1982, they reunited in support of the Atco Records release, Best of Vanilla Fudge. This resulted in another album of fresh material in 1984 called Mystery. Martell was not included in this initial reunion and Ron Mancuso played guitar on Mystery instead, along with Jeff Beck, who guested under the moniker "J. Toad". Two reunion tours followed in 1987/1988. with Paul Hanson on guitar. Lanny Cordola was guitarist when the band took the stage on May 14, 1988 for the Atlantic Records' 40th Anniversary Celebration. After that, the individual members went their separate ways once again to pursue other projects.

In 1991 Appice revived the Vanilla Fudge name for a tour with Ted Nugent's former band members Derek St. Holmes (guitar, vocals), Martin Gerschwitz (keyboards, vocals) and Tom Croucier (bass, vocals), which resulted in the album The Best of Vanilla Fudge – Live.

Personnel:
♦ Carmine Appice - drums, vocals
♦ Tim Bogert - bass, vocals
♦ Vince Martell - guitar, vocals
♦ Mark Stein - lead vocals, keyboards

Studio albums:
♣ 1967 Vanilla Fudge
♣ 1968 The Beat Goes On
♣ 1968 Renaissance
♣ 1969 Near the Beginning
♣ 1969 Rock & Roll

01. "Ticket to Ride" (Lennon–McCartney) – 5:40
02. "People Get Ready" (Curtis Mayfield) – 6:30
03. "She's Not There" (Rod Argent) – 4:55
04. "Bang Bang" (Sonny Bono) – 5:20
05. "Illusions Of My Childhood - Part One" – 0:20
06. "You Keep Me Hangin' On" (Brian Holland-Lamont Dozier-Eddie Holland) – 6:42
07. "Illusions Of My Childhood - Part Two" – 0:23
08. "Take Me For A Little While (Trade Martin) – 3:27
09. "Illusions Of My Childhood — Part Three – 0:23
10. "Eleanor Rigby" (Lennon–McCartney) - 8:10

Vanilla Fudge - The Return (Good Reunion) (2002)

Size: 139 MB
Bitrate: 256
mp3
Ripped By: ChrisGoesRock
Artwork Included

Do you recognize the album cover or know the name of the band? Well, if you do you are older than I am. I was a little boy when these people were making a name for themselves. Vanilla Fudge was a band known for doing covers of popular songs by injecting their psychedelic blues-rock into every groove on a record. That was then and this is now. Has that much changed? 

Not really, they still kick ass and sound great. They serve notice they are back with a vengeance very quickly on the rockin' opener "Ain't That Peculiar" and renew their classic rendition of "You Keep Me Hangin'On" in their own unique way. 

They even do an out of character rap in Rod Stewart's "Do Ya Think I'm Sexy," which by the way, rocks the house down. The only song on the CD that did not seem to fit was "I Want It That Way," it seemed as if they were trying to force their style of music on the song, and it did not work. Other than that, this is a great recording.

I can only hope I have the energy, soul, and emotion that this group has when I get into my fifties. We seem to be going through a rock 'n' roll renaissance lately with 60s and 70s bands reemerging and catching everyone by surprise with the great music that is being produced. They are that good, and much of what is recorded today is not worthy of your listening so it is a real treat to take this all in. 

There is not only the audience that they left behind in the 60s that will be thrilled to hear this, there will be excited new listeners wondering why they never heard of this group. I got a wakeup call with Vince Martell's solo album Endless High last year. I found out what a great guitarist and vocalist he was and wondered then if he would get the Fudge back together because he was having so much success. I am glad that he did. They have also stayed current with an attractive website with updates on all the group members. 

For all the hangers on and all of those that have been wondering what this band sounded like, here is your chance to hear them in present day. I encourage you to delve into their back catalog as well, it is excellent and well worth your time and hard-earned bucks. Review by Muzikman 

In 2001, three members of the VANILLA FUDGE got together and proved they can still rock & roll-- these guys sound terrific! THE RETURN features reworkings of eight of their classics-- all are excellent. "Season Of The Witch," for example, is vastly improved by the loss of Mark Stein's odd poetry break midway through ("Here we sit emerged in a liquid sea of love..." etc.), as well as a truncation of the intro. The new studio version of "Shotgun" is white-hot and most welcome.

Carmine Appice is still amazing-- the man hasn't lost a beat. Vocals on "Need Love" soar high, while the Fudge's jamming surpasses their original track. The four new songs on this set are quite good, too. This album's a joy-- if you're a Vanilla Fudge fan, you're gonna love it!

★ Vince Martell - guitar, vocals 
★ Bill Pascali - organ, vocals 
★ Tim Bogert - bass, vocals 
★ Carmine Appice - drums, vocals, producer

01. Ain't That Peculiar (6:10)
02. You Keep Me Hangin' On (6:45)
03. Tearin' Up My Heart (7:37) *
04. Shotgun (6:05)
05. People Get Ready (6:46)
06. Take Me For A Little While (4:15)
07. Good Good Livin' (4:42)
08. I Want It That Way (6:50) *
09. Need Love (4:49)
10. She's Not There (5:12)
11. Season Of The Witch (8:10)
12. Do Ya Think I'm Sexy (7:12) *

New recordings of previous songs and three new songs * (tracks #3,8,12)

Part 1: Vanilla Fudge
Part 2: Vanilla Fudge
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Part 1: Vanilla Fudge
Part 2: Vanilla Fudge
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Part 1: Vanilla Fudge
Part 2: Vanilla Fudge