The Beat Goes On (Vanilla Fudge album)

The Beat Goes On
Studio album by Vanilla Fudge
Released	February 1968
Genre	Psychedelic rock
Length	40:59
Label	Atco
Producer	Shadow Morton
Vanilla Fudge chronology
Vanilla Fudge (1967) The Beat Goes On (1968) Renaissance (1968)

Professional ratings
Review scores
Source	Rating
AllMusic	[1]

The Beat Goes On (Atco Records 33-237/mono, SD 33-237/stereo) is the second album by the American psychedelic rock band Vanilla Fudge, released in early 1968. The album doesn't contain any real "songs", but rather a sound collage featuring many different elements: the voices of world leaders past and present, the band reciting pre-written mantras and reflections, and excerpts of songs (done "Vanilla Fudge style") by The Beatles and Sonny Bono.

Recording

The group was at odds with their producer George "Shadow" Morton during this album's recording sessions, as Morton made his own concept album without significant input from the band. In the liner notes to the Sundazed Records 1990's CD reissue of the album, the band denounces it as a failed experiment on their producer's part. Vanilla Fudge's third album Renaissance, which was released quickly after The Beat Goes On, would be Morton's last collaboration with the band.

Reception

While not as successful as their debut album, The Beat Goes On was a moderate hit despite the band's reservations, peaking at #17 on the Billboard album charts in March 1968.^[2]

Vanilla Fudge's The Beat Goes On is used as bumper music in the Pop Chronicles music documentary.^[3]

Track listing

Side one

1. "Sketch" (Appice/Bogert/Martell/Stein) - 2:55

Phase One

2. "Intro: The Beat Goes On" (Sonny Bono) - 1:57
3. Eighteenth Century: Variations on a Theme by Mozart: "Divertimento No. 13 In F Major" (Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart) - 0:46
4. Nineteenth Century: "Old Black Joe" (Stephen Foster) - 0:46
5. Twentieth Century - 3:09
   1. "Don't Fence Me In " (Cole Porter) - 0:52
   2. "12th Street Rag" (Euday L. Bowman) - 0:49
   3. "In The Mood" (Garland-Razaf) - 0:45
   4. "Hound Dog" (Jerry Leiber, Mike Stoller) - 0:43
   5. The Beatles - 1:45
      1. "I Want To Hold Your Hand" (John Lennon, Paul McCartney)
      2. "I Feel Fine" (Lennon–McCartney)
      3. "Day Tripper" (Lennon–McCartney)
      4. "She Loves You" (Lennon–McCartney)
      5. "Hello Goodbye" (Lennon–McCartney)

Phase Two

6. "The Beat Goes On" - 1:32
7. Beethoven: "Fur Elise" & "Moonlight Sonata" (Ludwig van Beethoven) - 6:33
8. "The Beat Goes On" - 1:05

Side two

1. "The Beat Goes On" - 1:00

Phase Three

2. "Voices in Time": Neville Chamberlain, Winston Churchill, Franklin Delano Roosevelt, Harry S. Truman, John F. Kennedy, and Other Voices - 8:09

Phase Four

3. "The Beat Goes On" - 1:50
4. "Merchant/The Game Is Over" - 8:57
   1. "Merchant" (Appice/Bogert/Martell/Stein)
   2. "The Game Is Over" (Bourtayre/Bouchety): Vinnie
   3. "Merchant"
   4. "The Game Is Over": Tim
   5. "Merchant"
   6. "The Game Is Over": Carmine
   7. "Merchant"
   8. "The Game Is Over": Mark
   9. "Merchant"
5. "The Beat Goes On" - 2:20

Bonus Phase [CD release only]

1. "You Can't Do That" (Lennon–McCartney)
2. "Come By Day, Come By Night" (Appice/Bogert/Martell/Stein)

Personnel

• Carmine Appice - drums, vocals
• Tim Bogert - bass, vocals
• Vince Martell - guitar, vocals
• Mark Stein - lead vocals, keyboards

References

1. The Beat Goes On (Vanilla Fudge album) at AllMusic
2. Rees, Dafydd; Crampton, Luke (1999). Rock Stars Encyclopedia (2 ed.). DK Pub. p. 1035. ISBN 0789446138.
3. Gilliland, John (1969). "Show 1" (audio). Pop Chronicles. Digital.library.unt.edu.