Carmine Appice recently reflected on Vanilla Fudge’s legacy. He outlined how the band influenced many famous acts including Led Zeppelin, adding that “nobody can really play” the band’s music accurately.
Carmine Appice opens up on influencing Led Zeppelin
This renowned rock band was only active for a few years during its prime. They formed in 1967, published five albums, and broke up in 1970. Sure, there were a handful of reunions throughout the years. However, it took until 1990 before Vanilla Fudge finally reformed for good.
Due to its volatile status, the group missed out on most of everything it could have accomplished if it had been united and determined. Drummer Carmine Appice is keenly aware of how different things could have been. Speaking to Music Radar, he said:
“All over the internet, they talk about the influence of Vanilla Fudge. If Vanilla Fudge had stuck together, we could have been as big as Led Zeppelin, or at the very least, Deep Purple. We didn’t, but we had the stuff.”
Appice continued, noting that Vanilla Fudge released an album before either band, and that its compositions were revolutionary:
“We influenced Deep Purple, Led Zeppelin, I mean… the list goes on and on. The sound of that organ with a heavy rhythm section, along with our tremendous arrangements, dynamics, and harmonies, I mean, that’s what it was all about.”
“All our arrangements, the way we put stuff together, all the voices and great playing – all of that influenced progressive rock. We were different to anybody else. Even today, nobody can really play Vanilla Fudge right except for the actual band.”
Meanwhile, in a completely different corner of the rock world, another story has surfaced about his legendary bandmate, Ozzy Osbourne. The Black Sabbath legend’s son Jack Osbourne has revealed on I’m A Celebrity that his late father, Ozzy, “hated” Christmas, comparing him to Ebenezer Scrooge.
Speaking to fellow campmates Kelly Brook and Lisa Riley on Friday (21 November), the 40-year-old recounted how the Prince of Darkness, who died in July, was a “curmudgeon” at Christmas, especially when it came to buying presents for people he didn’t like.
Jack added that despite rock icon Ozzy being “a bit of a bah-humbug Christmas guy,” he wouldn’t have had it any other way.
