They have had a number of hit singles, their biggest hit being "You Keep Me Hangin' On", a slowed-down, trippy, hard-rock cover of a song originally recorded by The Supremes, which particularly featured Appice's energetic drumming. One follow-up to this hit, "Take Me for a Little While", was an original composition with a very similar sound both in musical themes and treatment, but it said something quite different from its forerunner. While it did not do nearly as well commercially, it did attract some airplay, making it a rare instance of a band successfully parodying their own work.
The members of Vanilla Fudge were great admirers of The Beatles, and covered several of their songs including "Ticket to Ride", of their version of which The Beatles were quite fond.
Vinnie Martel was invited to play with Jimi Hendrix, but Hendrix died a month later.
Bogert & Appice also played with jazz/rock guitarist Jeff Beck on their self-titled album in 1973. (Beck replaced Eric Clapton in the Yardbirds in the late 1960s.)
Stein and Appice revived the band in 1984, with very minor success. The band has not recorded, but has played some concerts since. A live concert recorded in Chicago in 1987 has been released recently.
Where Is My Mind
Vanilla Fudge Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Where is my mind
A passing breeze, it looked at me as it would blow
I felt a fire chilling in my mind below
The spirits laughed as when I told a joke
I felt the light shine on my face and I awoke
Where is my mind?
When the birds would sing off key it was their sign
That the water in the fountain turned to wine
A burning bush, it spoke to me as it would glow
And it personifies something that we all know
Where is my mind?
Where is my mind?
Come on
Oh Where is my mind?
Where is my mind? (repeated)
The lyrics to Vanilla Fudge's song "Where is my mind" are haunting and poetic, leaving the listener with many interpretations and emotions. The opening lines of "A passing breeze, it looked at me as it would blow" suggest a sense of transience and the fleeting nature of life. The following line "I felt a fire chilling in my mind below" suggests a sense of internal conflict and turmoil that is juxtaposed against the external sense of movement and change represented by the breeze. The verse continues with "The spirits laughed as when I told a joke" which may refer to a sense of detachment from reality or a connection to another realm. The final line "I felt the light shine on my face and I awoke" suggests a spiritual awakening, perhaps furthering the idea of detachment from physical reality.
The second verse opens with a similar sense of beauty and transience "When the birds would sing off key it was their sign / That the water in the fountain turned to wine" before delving deeper into spiritual imagery. "A burning bush, it spoke to me as it would glow / And it personifies something that we all know" references the Bible story of Moses and the burning bush, but may also refer to a personal spiritual experience. The repeated chorus of "Where is my mind?" adds to the sense of confusion and questioning that pervades the song.
Line by Line Meaning
Where is my mind
The singer is questioning the whereabouts of their consciousness
A passing breeze, it looked at me as it would blow
The singer was affected by the environment around them
I felt a fire chilling in my mind below
The singer experienced conflicting thoughts and emotions within their subconscious
The spirits laughed as when I told a joke
The singer felt a spiritual presence mocking them during a lighthearted moment
I felt the light shine on my face and I awoke
The singer had an awakening moment where they became more aware of their surroundings
When the birds would sing off key it was their sign
The singer interpreted a natural phenomenon as a symbolic message
That the water in the fountain turned to wine
The singer believed in a miraculous transformation from a source of life to a source of indulgence
A burning bush, it spoke to me as it would glow
The singer had a spiritual encounter where a non-living object communicated with them
And it personifies something that we all know
The experience represents a common human feeling or belief
Come on
The singer is urging the listener to keep up with their train of thought
Oh Where is my mind?
The singer is repeating their initial question to emphasize their current state of confusion
Where is my mind? (repeated)
A continuation of the singer's introspective inquiry
Contributed by Julia N. Suggest a correction in the comments below.