Formed in New Jersey, Vanilla Fudge was one of the first American groups to infuse psychedelia into a heavy rock sound to create “psychedelic symphonic rock" an eclectic genre which would, among its many offshoots, eventually morph into heavy metal. Although, at first, the band did not record original material, they were best known for their dramatic heavy, slowed-down arrangements of contemporary pop songs which they developed into works of epic proportion.
The band had three albums in the Top One Hundred, two of which were in the Top Twenty and one in the Top Five Single. The band toured with Jimi Hendrix, played dates equal billed or headlined with groups such as Cream, Janis Joplin, Jefferson Airplane, among many others; late in the year, they toured with the fledgling Led Zeppelin as their opening act. Vince's guitar work on the intro to "You Keep Me Hangin' On" was rated the number four heaviest guitar riff of all time in classic rock by Guitar Magazine.
Vanilla Fudge disbanded in 1970 but eventually reunited in 1984 and recorded a new album, Mystery, which also had Jeff Beck as a guest artist. In 2006, Vanilla Fudge was inducted into the Long Island Music Hall of Fame by Felix Cavaliere (one of their musical influences) for their contribution to music history. Also, in 2006 they recorded a tribute to their old friends Led Zeppelin by creating their own interpretations of their music on their CD, “Out Through The In Door."
Vanilla Fudge is celebrating its 58th year Anniversary in 2025 and is still rocking the world.
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