The pioneering greatness of Vanilla Fudge’s cover of ‘You Keep Me Hangin’ On’
The 1960s was a time of great social upheaval, wherein the counterculture produced many rock songs that were then of great cultural importance for listeners. However, what were once the genre’s most coveted tracks are now gradually fading into obscurity, struggling to retain relevance in today’s world. Listening appetites significantly change amid a shift in the zeitgeist and many technological advancements – or so the story goes. Whether it be The Beatles, Led Zeppelin or even Iron Butterfly, the works of many bands from the era remain essential, with the extent of just how pioneering they were made even more remarkable given all the mod cons that society now enjoys.
Whilst the tale of The Beatles is the most famous in popular music, with Led Zeppelin not far behind, culture’s propensity to fixate on the most successful acts of the era makes us forget about the other movers and shakers that it produced.
One of those groups is Long Island’s Vanilla Fudge. Formed in 1967, their original and most important lineup comprised vocalist and organist Mark Stein, bassist Tim Bogert, guitarist Vince Martell and drummer Carmine Appice. One of the most prolific acts of their day, in just three years, Vanilla Fudge recorded five albums before calling it a day in 1970.
Noted as one of the few American links between the psychedelic movement and the genre that would become known as metal, their oeuvre from the first chapter remains one of the most exciting of the era, with all four members bringing something different but vital to the fold. One glittering aspect of their work was the vocal ability of each member, which added a solid undercurrent to most of their tracks, lifting the music in the process.
The band were famed for their covers and scored hits with reworks of The Beatles’ ‘Eleanor Rigby’ and Donovan’s ‘Season of the Witch’. However, their most impactful piece came in the form of their 1967 cover of The Supremes’ Motown classic ‘You Keep Me Hangin’ On’. A psychedelic masterpiece, musically, it could not be further away from the original – which was released the previous year – with the only aspect drawing them together being the passion that the melody of the vocal performances conveys.
Marked out by a curiously heavy groove for the time, primarily thanks to the blistering drumming of Carmine Appice, who looked eerily similar to former QOTSA tub thumper Joey Castillo, the song has managed to retain a freshness thanks to the performances of each member.
Stein’s organ is also an undoubted highlight. It makes the ears stand to attention, immersing the listener and creating a hefty dose of atmosphere that separates it from the sugary essence of the original. Never had an organ been used to such effect in popular music, with Stein using it as both a lead instrument and a textural device. With that, a notable return to the introduction towards the end of the track remains crucial. As the guitar and bass drop out, Stein’s vibrations fill the air once more, backed by flourishes from Appice, heightening the tension. The band then kicks in for one last blast of the main refrain, and what a climax it is. For a song to be 55 years old and still raise the hairs on the back of the neck with every listen is remarkable.
Tim Bogert and Vince Martell also shine, doing their bit to bring this pulsating behemoth to life. The former’s bass work is both busy and expressive, glueing the components together and dovetailing expertly with the vocal melody, fleshing it out in a way that even the writers of the original, Holland–Dozier–Holland, would have been envious of.
Complementing Bogert’s work, Martell’s performance is gritty and muscular, filling in the gaps left by the bass and drums. It can be viewed as an answer to what The MC5’s Wayne Kramer and Fred ‘Sonic’ Smith were about to produce on 1969’s Kick Out the Jams, just much less frenetic and no way near as politicised.
The best performance of the track came on The Ed Sullivan Show in January 1968. Cranked up and quickly dispelling the myth that the counterculture was made up of herberts afraid of getting down, the quartet’s energy is palpable, with their brilliance made very clear. It is also here that the excellence of Appice’s heavy drumming is brought into complete focus, with his famous stick twirls adding an extra element of theatre. He’s now one of the most influential drummers of all time, and it’s thanks to moments such as this.
Discussing why the band undertook the covers that they did, including ‘You Keep Me Hangin’ On’, Carmine Appice said in 2014: “That was Mark and Timmy. We used to slow songs down and listen to the lyrics and try to emulate what the lyrics were dictating. That one was a hurtin’ song; it had a lot of emotion in it. ‘People Get Ready’ was like a Gospel thing. ‘Eleanor Rigby’ was sort of eerie and church-like … like a horror movie kind of thing. If you listen to “Hangin’ On” fast … by the Supremes, it sounds very happy, but the lyrics aren’t happy at all. If you lived through that situation, the lyrics are definitely not happy.”
Despite being a cover, Vanilla Fudge’s ‘You Keep Me Hangin’ On’ is one of the highlights of 1960s rock. It should never be forgotten, as there’s genuine magic contained within. This was the 1960s getting truly visceral, and anyone doubting that the hippies could get down should be sent this way.
