This rare first printing is the first poster that wild psychedelic artist Rich Conklin did for Bill Graham. It would be followed by his famous “Santana Lion” poster and like that iconic work, this one was so strong as a black and white image that it could save Bill Graham some money on color. Conklin, like many artists in the late 60’s used a rapidograph, a sort of mechanical pen that would help draw repetitive straight lines creating this crosshatch effect. Notoriously fussy, easily clogged and more, they have long since gone out of fashion.
Vanilla Fudge has been called one of the few American links between psychedelia and what soon became heavy metal. The band's original line–up — vocalist and organist Mark Stein, bassist and vocalist Tim Bogert, lead guitarist/vocalist Vince Martell, and drummer and vocalist Carmine Appice — recorded five albums during the years 1967–69, before disbanding in 1970.
Originally called The Pigeons, the band was ready to be signed by Atlantic Records in April 1967. But Ahmet Ertegun, the label's founder and legendary rock tastemaker, didn't like that name. Playing a gig at the Page 2 club on Long Island they met a woman named Dee Dee who worked there who said her grandfather used to call her Vanilla Fudge. She added, “Maybe you guys should call yourselves that—you're like white soul music”. We liked it and so did Atlantic, so Vanilla Fudge it was!
Vanilla Fudge was managed by the reputed Lucchese crime family member Phillip Basile, who operated several popular clubs in New York. When Led Zeppelin first toured the United States in early 1969, they opened for Vanilla Fudge on some shows.
The band's biggest hit was its cover of "You Keep Me Hangin' On," a slowed-down, hard rocking version of a song originally recorded by The Supremes. This version featured Stein's psychedelic-baroque organ intro and Appice's energetic drumming. It was a Top 10 hit in the United States, and a Top 20 hit in the UK in 1967.