Their biggest hit was an unlikely take on “You Keep Me Hangin’ On.” The bouncy, tentative kiss-off that Motown’s the Supremes originally recorded became something far darker and more sinister in the musical hands of the Fudge.ĭirector Quentin Tarantino must have thought so as well, as he used it in the most pivotal moment in his recent Charles Manson alternate history flick O nce Upon a Time in Hollywood. In Stein’s main gig, Vanilla Fudge are best known for their heavily heavy and psychedelicized cover versions of popular songs. That documentary was about the role of rock music in bring down the Berlin Wall and chipping away at the Iron Curtain. Stein says that “Ball of Confusion” (written by Barrett Strong and Norman Whitfield) in particular means a lot to him, both when it originally came out in 1970 and a version he was asked to produce for the soundtrack to the 2010’s Rockin’ the Wall. The record closes with the standard “America the Beautiful.” And the entire record swings from hard rock to prog rock to gospel and balladry. Of the cover songs, Stein chose the two very timely tracks: “Ball of Confusion” by the Temptations and “People Got to Be Free” by the Rascals, the latter were early musical heroes of Stein and part of the blue-eyed soul that was dubbed “The Long Island Sound” in the ‘60s and ‘70s. We just want to make the world a better place, even if just a little.” ![]() “And as songwriters, things that like come through us. And it shouldn’t be that way,” he offers. It’s like part of the human condition is that we have to give each other a hard time, all the time. Stein says that the album takes listeners on a journey of love and patriotism and social matters that we all are dealing with ("Lyin'" is the one tune that deals with issue of missing a loved one). ![]() The love that the kids showed to each other inspired him. Other socially-aware songs on the record include “Let’s Pray for Peace,” “All Lives Matter” and “Racism.” The last was inspired by a news video Stein and his wife saw on TV which showed two little boys-one Black and one white-walking to school together, hugging and laughing. Why can’t we stop all this nonsense and just come together?” But we are one under God and under the sun. The pandemic was a karmic thing to come through. “We had so many chances to spread some love and human kindness in our lives. “It started back in April 2020 with the song ‘We Are One,’ which was a reflection of what everybody on my block and in the country and world were feeling, just battening down the hatches, afraid to shake our neighbor’s hand and hug our children,” Stein says. ![]() It’s not lost on Stein that these were also very much societal topics back when he started in the music business 50+ years ago. The 10 tracks of Stein originals and choice covers address topics like the pandemic, social unity and unrest, racism, immigration, generational divide, patriotism and peace. I had a blast playing organ on it.But while many might expect something sounding straight along the lines of Vanilla Fudge, the band he’s fronted on and off since their 1966 founding (previous name: The Pigeons!), Stein decided to take a much more contemporary view on his new solo effort, There’s a Light (Deko). Arthur is still crazy after all these years and still killin’ it! ‘Zombie Yelp’ is a wild tune with great grooves and lyrics. Stein reflects on his own history with Brown, saying “The Crazy World of Arthur Brown and Vanilla Fudge shared the stage back in the late ‘60s. Take your Zombie Yelp this Halloween and see what happens!” ![]() It’s the perfect mix of psych rock ecstasy and campy fun!ĭavey shares these thoughts about working on the track, “It was great fun writing this new song with Arthur, he’s always a hoot to work with and his lyrics on this are funny as feck! I’m proud to have mixed and produced it too. Written by Brown and Alan Davey, formerly of British space rock kings Hawkwind, who not only produced the track but performs on it as well, “Zombie Yelp” rides a distinctively spooky retro groove laid down by the vintage keyboards of Vanilla Fudge founder Mark Stein as well as Davey’s driving bass guitar, all of which set the stage for the Brown’s unearthly vocal delivery that ranges from piercing howls to demonic growls. Going under the memorable moniker The Crazy World of Arthur Brown, the British-born singer achieved breakthrough success with a blockbuster hit single in 1968, the colossal freakout “Fire,” which he used as a launching pad for an incredible career that continues to this day! And today he releases a superb new track, “Zombie Yelp,” just in time to get all the groovy ghoulies, young and old, in the mood for the Halloween season! Los Angeles, CA – Arthur Brown is a truly groundbreaking rock music icon who pioneered a theatrical approach to musical performance that has been cited as an influence on Rock Hall of Famers Alice Cooper and KISS.
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