Vanilla Fudge - You Keep Me Hangin' On (1967)

Mark Stein and Tim Bogert were both in the local Long Island, New York band called Rick Martin & The Showmen. Influenced by the blue-eyed soul of The Rascals, the pair decided to splinter off in 1966 and form their own group, called The Pigeons. Joined by Vince Martell and Carmine Appice, the new band changed their name in 1966 to that which is read above, reasoning that they were mixing “vanilla” psychedelic music made popular by bands such as The Doors, with “fudge” blues music made popular by black artists. Playing locally, the band was discovered by Phillip Basile, a local club owner who also allegedly was a member of the Lucchese crime family. Their debut, self-titled album reached number six in the US charts and was mostly composed of cover songs originally made famous by bands such as The Beatles, The Supremes, The Zombies, and others. In late 1968 and early 1969, the band toured the United States with Iron Butterfly, Country Joe & the Fish, and a very young/new Led Zeppelin. Although Vanilla Fudge was the official headliner of the tour, it was Zeppelin who instantly stole the show and intimidated Iron Butterfly and Country Joe from completing the tour with them. Although this band’s subsequent albums continuously charted, they failed to reach the same success as their debut release. In early 1970, the band broke up for the first time. Stein was the sole remaining member and attempted to continue the band, unsuccessfully, with replacement band members. Having officially folded altogether in 1970, the original members would reunite numerous times in the ‘80s until permanently reforming in 1999, minus Tim Bogert.

Written by Lamont Dozier and brothers Brian and Eddie Holland (Holland-Dozier-Holland), this song was originally recorded in 1966 by The Supremes for the Motown label. This band’s version of the song was recorded in 1967 and can be heard in two different versions. The first version, the single version, was released at a length just under three minutes and was the band’s first single. The other version, the album version heard below, appeared on the band’s debut album, Vanilla Fudge, in 1967, and came in at around seven minutes in length. The single reached number six on the Billboard Hot 100, five places shy of The Supremes' number one when they had first released it.



Vanilla Fudge - You Keep Me Hangin' On (1967)

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Lyrics:

One, two, three, four

Set me free, why don’t ya babe?
Get out my life, why don’t ya babe?
You really don’t want me
You just keep me hangin’ on
You really don’t need me
You just keep me hangin’ on

Why do you keep comin’ around
Playing a’with my heart?
Why don’t ya get out of my life
And let me try to make a new start?
Let me get over you
The way you’ve gotten over me

Set me free, why don’t ya babe?
Get out my life, why don’t ya now?
You really don’t want me
You just keep me hangin’ on
You really don’t need me
You just keep me hangin’ on

You sayin’ that we broke up
That you just wanna be friends
But how can we still be friends
When seeing you only breaks my heart again?
There ain’t nothin’ I can do about it

Ya know I need love
(Set me free, why don’t ya babe?)
Talkin’ ‘bout love
(Get out my life, why don’t ya babe?)
You really don’t want me
You just keep me hangin’ on
You really don’t need me
You just keep me hangin’ on

Get out my life, why don’t ya babe?
Get out my life, why don’t ya babe?
Get out my life, why don’t ya babe?
Get out my life, why don’t ya babe?

(Come on to me!)