[ATTENDED: January 15, 2016] Vanilla Fudge
I had never seen Blue Öyster Cult even though I’ve been a pretty big fan since college. So when I saw they were playing at the Wellmont, I had to go see them. As it turns out Vanilla Fudge was going to be the opener.
I have known of Vanilla Fudge, but I realized that I had no idea what they sang. And when I looked them up, their biggest hits were all covers. It turns out, that’s what they are–the world’s most successful and unusual cover band (Led Zeppelin opened for them in 1969, and Deep Purple got their organ sound from Vanilla Fudge).
Although they do covers, their sound is very much their own. They don’t so much cover songs as transform them into their own style. And that style is psychedelic and very heavy.
The band released five albums from 1967-1969 and then broke up. They reunited and recorded an album in 1984. Then split up. And reunited in 2002 (with a different singer) and released an album of rerecorded old Vanilla Fudge as well as a cover of a Backstreet Boys and an N’Sync song (!).
Then the original lineup reunited in 2007 for an album of all Led Zeppelin covers called Out Through the In Door. And then last year they released a new album called Spirit of ’67 (a collection of songs from 1967). This featured all of the original members except the bassist who has retired.
So, here it is almost 50 years later and the original lineup (sans bassist) is still touring. And they sounded amazing. (more…)
I Just Read About That... 