Vanilla Fudge

About

Though they're seldom given proper credit for it, Vanilla Fudge were the godfathers of progressive rock—a fact that their 1967 debut album makes plain. Sure, they were ostensibly a psychedelic band, but from the opening track's first moments, as singer/organist Mark Stein unleashes a baroque-styled intro to an elongated elaboration on The Beatles' "Ticket to Ride," the Fudge pursued a blend of rock 'n' roll fury and classical concepts. In that heady era, the band briefly broke through to the mainstream; their epic, barnstorming take on The Supremes' "You Keep Me Hangin' On" became a major hit, bringing the album along with it to the upper reaches of the charts. For a record that basically contained no original material (tunes by The Zombies, The Impressions, and Sonny & Cher also get Fudgified here), <i>Vanilla Fudge</i> was a direct and crucial influence on everything from hard rock and heavy metal (Deep Purple) and art rock (Yes) to progressive R&B (The Rotary Connection).

via Apple Music

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