George Dionne interviews CACTUS drummer CARMINE APPICE about their latest album TEMPLE OF THE BLUES - INFLUENCES AND FRIENDS.
“[CACTUS] was supposed to be JEFF BECK, ROD STEWART, ME, and TIM [BOGART].”
Highlights include:
- The formation of CACTUS is 1970
- How/why CACTUS became an all-star project
- Discussion of the new album
- Recruiting the guest musicians
- Having to adjust his recording style
- Deciding on who plays on what
- Being surprised by who was influenced by CACTUS
- Eddie Van Halen’s “Eruption” born from a CACTUS song
- Why two versions of “Guiltless Glider”
- Who passed on appearing on the new album
- Debuting on the Billboard Blues Chart at #3
- Working with an AI version of folk vocalist Melanie (Safka)
- The parallels between this album and his Guitar Zeus (1995) series
- Vinyl release of CACTUS - THE BIRTH OF CACTUS 1970
- His thoughts on the 2023 Royal Albert Hall tribute to JEFF BECK
- KING KOBRA’s 2023 album WE ARE WARRIORS
- No money in writing new music
- His live Rod Stewart Tribute show with ROB CAUDILL
- Touring with CACTUS & VANILLA FUDGE
- 2023’s BECK, BOGART, & APPICE - Live 1973 & 1974
- And much, much more!