Mark Stein

Mark Stein (born March 11, 1947) is an American keyboardist, composer and arranger, who is a member of the psychedelic rock group Vanilla Fudge. Stein also worked in the Tommy Bolin band and Alice Cooper's band during 1978 and 1979. Stein is known for his use of the Hammond B-3 organ. Stein has also guest appeared on stage with Deep Purple, Steve Miller Band and Carl Palmer. Stein also worked prominently with Dave Mason and toured in his backing band.

Stein was born and raised in Bayonne, New Jersey. His uncle had an upright piano and used to watch him play, and sometimes played short one finger melodies when his uncle left the piano. Stein's family saw he had a natural talent for the piano and started having lessons at age four and later attempted the accordion.

Upon being exposed to rock and roll in the 1950s, Stein settled on the guitar. He worked his way through various bands in his high school. In 1958, aged eleven, his local band actually cut a record for a small New York label. That same year, he appeared on television in Washington, D.C. on the same episode as Sam Cooke. While at Bayonette High School he was in a band called The Charmers under the name "Mark Stevens".

Stein formed Vanilla Fudge in 1967 with friend Tim Bogert, and Vince Martell and Carmine Appice. The bands debut album was released in August 1967 and is a Gold Record. Their cover of The Supremes' You Keep Me Hangin' On is their most well known track. Vanilla Fudge has been cited as; "one of the few American links between psychedelia and what soon became heavy metal."

From 1970 to 1974, Stein was a member of Boomerang, a hard rock band based in New York. Stein was joined by Jo Casmir on bass, James Galluzi on drums and Richard Ramirez on guitar. They released two albums under RCA Boomerang (1971) and Two (1973).

Biography summary from English Wikipedia, photograph via Wikimedia Commons.