Vanilla Fudge bassist promises good time at concert

Tim Bogert wants to clear up one thing.

The Vanilla Fudge bassist says his group's name has nothing to do with the flavour of an ice cream drumstick or, as is commonly believed, references to the type of white soul music the group became famous for in its 1966-70 heydays.

It has more to do, Bogert explains, with a relative of group keyboardist and vocalist Mark Stein.

It stuck
The band had originally called itself the Pigeons, but when Atlantic signed it to a deal it discovered there was another group called the Pigeons, which had trademarked the name.

“Mark had a cousin whose grandfather called her vanilla fudge as a pet name, and, bang, there it was, it stuck,” Bogert said during a phone interview from Winnipeg.

“I wasn’t even around when it occurred.”

Really good time
Vanilla Fudge will be playing on the North Bay Heritage Festival mainstage Saturday night at 8:30 p.m., one of two opening acts for the Doors of the 21st Century, with whom they’re now touring Canada and the US as part of the Strange Days Festival.

The Pat Travers Band is the other part of the triumvirate, and the group will precede Vanilla Fudge at 7 p.m.

Heritage Festival visitors are going to have “a really good time” at the Vanilla Fudge show, Bogert said.

Remains the song
It will feature the group’s one massive hit—its psychedelic cover of The Supremes' You Keep Me Hanging On, which all aged hippies worth their salt will remember above the marijuana haze.

The group has also added a new song to its repertoire: U2’s One.

But You Keep Me Hanging On, written by the famous song writing threesome of Lamont Dozier, and brothers Eddie and Brian Holland, remains the song that defines Vanilla Fudge.

Loved it
Bogert said back in 1966 he and Stein had just returned to their place from a New York City bar when the tune came on the radio.

“It was 5 a.m. and when Mark and I heard it we simultaneously decided we should do our own slower and more soulful version of it,” Bogert said.

“Dozier heard the song too and he told us he loved it.”

A good time
Bogert said Vanilla Fudge—which also includes original members Stein, Carmine Appice and Vince Martell—reunited about six weeks ago, the first time in 35 years the group members had played together.

What prompted them to do so?

“Money,” Bogert laughed.

It actually had more to do with their manager Tom Vitorino, who also manages The Doors.

“He thought it would be a good time for us to get back together,” Bogert said, and the band is really playing well together.”

While the first few rehearsals were a little tight, playing You Keep Me Hanging On smoothed out the rough edges, Bogert said.

“It was like slipping on an old glove.”

Average sort
Vanilla Fudge kept select company in the rock world back in the day.

Led Zeppelin, for example, opened for the band during two different tours.

“The first tour they weren’t so good, just an average sort of band, but the second tour, oh my God,” Bogert said.

Pounded the audience
Once, during a stop in Oklahoma City, Bogert said Led Zeppelin “literally pounded the audience senseless," while Vanilla Fudge awaited its turn backstage.

“When they finished I went up to the mike and said there was no way we could follow that and we weren’t even going to try,” Bogert said.

“So instead we just jammed with them as this terrific eight-piece band. It was unbelievable, the strongest show I’ve ever seen in my life, and I’ve opened for Jim Hendrix 150 times.”

Quickly failed
Bogert continued musically after Vanilla Fudge broke up, and formed a band called Cactus, which produced four albums.

In 1973 Beck, Bogert and Appice was born, legendary guitarist Jeff Beck making up the rest of the trio.

It was rock’s second supergroup, following Blind Faith.

The collaboration, which yielded only one studio album and one live disc, quickly failed.

“When it was good, it was amazing, when it was bad it was horrid, and it was bad a lot more than it was good,” Bogert said.

“I sure tired hard but it didn’t work.”

It's nice
Bogert, in his sixties, now spends his life as a “biker bum,” he said, and owns three Harley Davidsons, a 2005 Electra Glide, a 1946 KnuckleHead and a 2004 Dyna Superwide.

“I love to ride,” Bogert said.

“The Lord has been good to me, I made a couple of bucks so I can do my riding, and it’s nice doing this as a living and coming out with the boys.”