The song UNITED STATES was recorded 5 years ago when Rick Derringer asked me to put drums on it. It sat for 5 years.Then last week I asked his wife Jenda to send me the song to listen to. I remember really liking the song. After hearing it I gave it to Pat Regan to remaster.
Then I asked Dom Esposito if he can put a video together quick to get it out for our country’s 250th anniversary celebration. So we are celebrating Rick Derringer who passed away last year also.
Jenda and I decided to make a video together to celebrate Rick and the 250 years of our country.
God Bless America
-Carmine Appice of Cactus
Carmine Appice and Cactus recently released a new video for the track “Back Door Man”, taken from the new Cactus album “Temple Of Blues II” out now on Cleopatra Records. The track and video feature the amazing talents of Eric Gales and Billy Sheehan, alongside Carmine Appice.
Carmine Appice shared his thoughts on on the song and video “Back Door Man” — “Back Door Man” is an old blues classic. This version originally appeared on Howlin’ Wolf’s The Howlin’ Wolf Album (often referred to as his “Electric Album”).
This time, I wanted to make a real blues album for Temple of Blues 2. Temple of Blues 1was made up entirely of Cactus songs. I’ve always loved the Howlin’ Wolf album, which also gave Cactus our biggest song, “Evil.” We ended up recording seven songs from that album, and I always thought “Back Door Man” was one of the strongest tracks.
Carmine Appice and Cactus have released a new video for the track “Back Door Man”, taken from the new Cactus album “Temple Of Blues II” out now on Cleopatra Records. The track and video feature the amazing talents of Eric Gales and Billy Sheehan, alongside Carmine Appice.
Carmine Appice shared his thoughts on on the song and video “Back Door Man” — “Back Door Man” is an old blues classic. This version originally appeared on Howlin’ Wolf’s The Howlin’ Wolf Album (often referred to as his “Electric Album”).
This time, I wanted to make a real blues album for Temple of Blues 2. Temple of Blues 1was made up entirely of Cactus songs. I’ve always loved the Howlin’ Wolf album, which also gave Cactus our biggest song, “Evil.” We ended up recording seven songs from that album, and I always thought “Back Door Man” was one of the strongest tracks.
We cut the song with my Cactus guitarist, Artie Dillon, and then I started thinking about who should sing and play on it. I wanted a great blues artist, so I called Eric Gales and asked him to be part of the track. Then I thought Billy Sheehan would be perfect for it, creating a killer blues trio.
Billy was amazing on the track, even throwing in some lead guitar-style lines alongside Eric while still locking in with the drums. Eric’s vocals and guitar playing were incredible. When I arranged the song, I pushed the tempo up and changed the energy. Eric thought one section was meant for the drums, so he sent it back. I told him, “No, it’s for you to kick ass!” When I got it back, the three of us had created something really special.
The combination of great blues, powerful performances, and incredible energy brought the track to life. Then Pat Regan mixed it, and it sounds awesome.
The video has its own story. It all started at our Cactus charity show at the Arcada Theatre in St. Charles, Illinois, where we filmed all of the performance footage. From there, Dom Esposito and I spent hours talking about the concept. Dom than spent countless hours editing and re-editing the video until he got the story exactly right.
What started as a straightforward performance video evolved into a full-blown urban ghost story starring Eric Gales, Billy Sheehan, and yours truly. We wanted something that was more than just a band playing—we wanted atmosphere, mystery, attitude, and a little bit of old-school MTV magic.
The finished video captures the spirit of the song perfectly. It’s got that classic ’80s MTV feel from a time when music videos were events and every song had a story to tell. Eric Gales delivers an incredible performance, Billy Sheehan is on fire, and together we brought this blues classic to life with a whole new level of power and excitement.
Turn it up, watch it loud, and enjoy the ride.
— Carmine Appice
Now the Temple opens again, this time for an all-star aggregation that recalls Ted Nugent, Billy Sheehan, Bumblefoot, Dee Snider and Pat Travers from volume one, alongside an all-new wave of heavy hitters including Steve Morse (Deep Purple), Tracii Guns (L.A. Guns), Joe Lynn Turner (Rainbow, Deep Purple), Rudy Sarzo (Ozzy Osbourne, Quiet Riot), Alex Skolnick (Testament), and a whole lot more!
The original Cactus grew out of Appice’s past experiences with Vanilla Fudge and Beck Bogart and Appice, debuting in 1970 with a self-titled album and an immediate impact on the live circuit. And Temple Of Blues IItakes us back to their birth. That summer, Cactus were among the main attractions at the Isle of Wight Festival in England, and the new album’s “Purple Haze” reunites them with both another of that bill’s audience favorites, Melanie, and its overall headliner, Jimi Hendrix.
Elsewhere on this thunderous sequel, Pat Travers returns for the mighty “Moanin’ At Midnight,” Joe Lynn Turner joins Morse, Carmine’s Guitar Zeus bandmate Tony Franklin and Derek Sherinian (Dream Theater) for “Bad Stuff,” Dee Snider (Twisted Sister) and Tracii Guns (L.A. Guns) lead the way for “The Little Red Rooster,” and Ted Nugent and Bob Daisley (Rainbow) join forces for an astonishing “Spoonful.”
But every track here expands the raw blues rock vision of volume one with even more fire, swagger, and authority. And Carmine, of course, anchors the proceedings with his unmistakable power, groove, and feel, driving every track and reaffirming his status as one of the most influential drummers in rock history.
Track List:
1. Back Door Man Pt. 1 & 2 feat. Eric Gales & Billy Sheehan 2. 300 Pounds Of Joy feat. Ty Tabor 3. Moanin’ At Midnight feat. Pat Travers 4. Down In The Bottom feat. Dug Pinnick 5. Token Chokin’ feat. Bumblefoot 6. Bad Stuff feat. Steve Morse, Joe Lynn Turner, Derek Sherinian & Tony Franklin 7. Tail Dragger feat. Rudy Sarzo & Alex Skolnick 8. The Little Red Rooster feat. Dee Snider, Tracii Guns, Jimmy Haslip 9. Purple Haze feat. Melanie 10. Spoonful feat. Ted Nugent & Bob Daisley
BONUS TRACK [CD ONLY] 11. Feel So Good feat. Billy Sheehan & Britt Lightning
With just days to go before the worldwide April 3 release of one of the most coveted new blues albums of the year, Carmine Appice and Cactus also unveil one of its most anticipated tracks as their latest single.
Originally recorded on Cactus’s 1972 album ‘Ot and Sweaty, this piledriving reimagining of “Bad Stuff” features guest vocals from Joe Lynn Turner, veteran of both Deep Purple and Rainbow, alongside his own massively successful solo career, while fellow Purple alumni Steve Morse adds his own characteristic guitar alchemy. The result, as Turner explains, is explosive.
“When Carmine asked me to contribute a vocal to the new Cactus album the first question was ‘what song?’ He said a bluesy rock song called ‘Bad Stuff’ that would be perfect for me. And when I heard about the amazing lineup of Steve Morse..Tony Franklin.. Derek Sherinian, and, of course, Carmine, I was completely sold!
“The result is a low down dirty blues track that moves and grooves with a sexy voodoo swagger. I’m very proud to play a part on this killer album!”
The line-up is completed by Carmine’s Guitar Zeus bandmate Tony Franklin and Derek Sherinian (Dream Theater), and Cactus’s own Artie Dillon.
Carmine continues, “I always loved ‘Bad Stuff’ back in the day, and still today. I always loved the groove and the lyrics. And with the new Allstar version I love it even more!!”
The long-awaited sequel to Cactus’s last album, Temple of the Blues, Temple Of Blues II echoes its predecessor’s star-studded line-up of guests, with Dee Snider (Twisted Sister) Ted Nugent, Billy Sheehan, Bumblefoot and Pat Travers all returning from last time around, alongside an all-new wave of heavy hitters including Morse, Turner, Melanie (a truly transformative rendition of Jimi Hendrix’s “Purple Haze”),Tracii Guns (LA Guns), Rudy Sarzo (Ozzy Osbourne, Quiet Riot), Alex Skolnick(Testament), and a whole lot more!
Elsewhere on this thunderous adventure, Ted Nugent and Bob Daisley (Rainbow) join forces for an astonishing “Spoonful” – one of no less than seven Dixon/Wolf classics on the album – the others include the band’s last two singles, “The Little Red Rooster” (featuring Snider and Guns) and “Back Door Man,” with Eric Gales and Billy Sheehan.
But of course there’s more besides, and every one of them expands the raw blues-rock vision of volume one with even more fire, swagger, and authority. And Carmine, of course, anchors the proceedings with his unmistakable power, groove, and feel, driving every track and reaffirming his status as one of the most influential drummers in rock history.
“The Little Red Rooster” is one of the all-time consummate Chicago blues numbers. Written by the great Willie Dixon in 1961, it was first recorded by Howlin’ Wolf that same year, before becoming a major US hit for Sam Cooke in 1963. The following year, it was transformed into a worldwide mega-smash by The Rolling Stones. In fact,“Little Red Rooster” remains the only true blues number ever to top the UK chart.
Now, the rooster is back, in the hands of drum legend Carmine Appice and his revitalized Cactus,.although it was not hatched by Cactus alone. Hot on the news of his retirement from live work, Dee Snider (Twisted Sister) turns in a characteristically charismatic lead vocal; Tracii Guns (LA Guns) lays down his most blues-wailin’ guitar – and there’s a video, too, created and edited by Dominic Esposito/Deville Films and co-directed by Carmine himself.
“It was great working on ‘The Little Red Rooster’ with Dee and Tracii,” says Carmine. “I arranged it with the drums first, then sent it to [bandmates] Artie Dillion and Ed Terry for their feedback. We created the demo for Tracii, Dee and James Haslip who finished the song. Ed was gracious sitting on the sidelines for this one so Dee could sing the lead vocals. It was such an honor to have Dee on the song and to have him make an appearance in the video, especially since he’s retired now. The song Rocks!”
“Cactus! The name conjures such amazing memories for me,” exclaims Dee Snider. “An inspiration for the rock I would play in the years to come. Can you imagine what it was like to ‘get the call’ that your heroes want you to rock with them? Mind blowing! And now to be asked for a second time!? What a treat to dig into a blues classic like ‘The Little Red Rooster’ with Cactus!!! Hell yeah!!”
And, of course, there’s a brand new Cactus album to leap into as well.
It’s been two years since Cactus first unbarred the doors to the Temple Of Blues–a 15-track slab of head-banging, hip-swinging heavy blues rock whose subtitle, Influences And Friends, roped in a host of special guests, all of whom held the band very close to their hearts.
Now the Temple reopens again with a fearless sequel, Temple Of Blues II, due out April 3 via Cleopatra Records. And again, there’s an all-star aggregation that recalls Snider, Ted Nugent, Billy Sheehan, Bumblefoot and Pat Travers from volume one, alongside an all-new wave of heavy hitters including Gunns, Steve Morse (Deep Purple) Joe Lynn Turner (Rainbow, Deep Purple), Rudy Sarzo (Ozzy Osbourne, Quiet Riot), Alex Skolnick (Testament), and of course Cactus regulars – Ed Terry (“amazing” vocals, as Carmine puts it), Artie Dillion (guitar) and bassist James Caputo
Oft-described as America’s Led Zeppelin, the original Cactus grew out of Appice’s past experiences with Vanilla Fudge and Beck Bogert and Appice. Debuting in 1970 with a self-titled album and an immediate impact on the live circuit, Cactus released four albums between 1969 and 1972, each one of them a milestone in American hard rock. The band reformed in 2006 and remains as punchy a powerhouse as it ever was in its prime.
But Temple Of Blues II not only journeys back to the band’s roots in the blues,it also takes us back to their birth. In the summer of 1970, Cactus were among the main attractions at the Isle of Wight Festival in England, and the new album’s “Purple Haze” reunites them with both another of that bill’s audience favorites, Melanie (who recorded lead vocals for the song before her passing in 2024), and its overall headliner, Jimi Hendrix. And if anyone thinks that’s an unlikely collaboration, here’s Carmine to explain.
““Melanie’s voice was so distinctive in that it could shift seamlessly from sweet to raspy. Her talent was versatile too – she was at home in front of the mic whether it be an anthem or a pop tune. That voice could sound childlike in one moment and full of wisdom and maturity the next. No wonder she and her work are still so beloved.” Needless to say, “Purple Haze” is not a childlike performance.
Elsewhere on this thunderous adventure, Joe Lynn Turner joins Steve Morse, Carmine’s Guitar Zeusbandmate Tony Franklin and Derek Sherinian (Dream Theater) for “Bad Stuff,” and Ted Nugent and Bob Daisley (Rainbow) join forces for an astonishing “Spoonful” – another Dixon/Wolf number on an album that Carmine proudly acknowledges is packed with them.
“We are doing seven of the great Howlin Wolf and Willie Dixon songs,” he continues, a tally that also includes the band’s last single, “Back Door Man,” alongside “300 Pounds of Joy,” “Moanin’ At Midnight” (featuring Canadian legend Pat Travers) “Down In The Bottom” and “Tail Dragger.”
And every one of them (and more besides!) expands the raw blues-rock vision of volume one with even more fire, swagger, and authority. And Carmine, of course, anchors the proceedings with his unmistakable power, groove, and feel, driving every track and reaffirming his status as one of the most influential drummers in rock history.
It’s two years since drum legend Carmine Appice and his reformed Cactus first unbarred the doors to the Temple Of Blues – a 15 track slab of head banging, hip swinging heavy blues rock whose subtitle, Influences And Friends, roped in a host of special guests, all of whom held the band very close to their hearts.
Now the Temple opens again, this time for an All Star aggregation that recalls Ted Nugent, Billy Sheehan, Bumblefoot, Dee Snider and Pat Travers from volume one, alongside an all-new wave of heavy hitters including Steve Morse (Deep Purple), Tracii Guns (LA Guns), Joe Lynn Turner (Rainbow, Deep Purple), Rudy Sarzo (Ozzy Osbourne, Quiet Riot), Alex Skolnick (Testament), and a whole lot more!
And, to get the ball rolling ahead of time, today sees the release of the first single from Temple Of Blues II, a savage two-part “Back Door Man” featuring Sheehan, Eric Gales and Artie Dillon.
Carmine enthuses, “When we finished ‘Back Door Man’ and listened to the whole mix., it blew me away. Billy and Eric are amazing together on top of my drums.”
Oft-described as America’s Led Zeppelin, the original Cactus grew out of Appice’s past experiences with Vanilla Fudge and Beck Bogart and Appice, debuting in 1970 with a self-titled album and an immediate impact on the live circuit. And Temple Of Blues II takes us back to their birth – that summer, Cactus were among the main attractions at the Isle of Wight Festival in England, and the new album’s “Purple Haze” reunites them with both another of that bill’s audience favorites, Melanie, and its overall headliner, Jimi Hendrix.
The result will startle fans of all three.
“Melanie’s voice was so distinctive in that it could shift seamlessly from sweet to raspy,” says Carmine. “Her talent was versatile too – she was at home in front of the mic whether it be an anthem or a pop tune. That voice could sound childlike in one moment and full of wisdom and maturity the next. No wonder she and her work are still so beloved.”
Elsewhere on this thunderous sequel, Pat Travers returns for the mighty “Moanin’ At Midnight”; Joe Lynn Turner joins Morse, Carmine’s Guitar Zeus bandmate Tony Franklin and Derek Sherinian (Dream Theater) for “Bad Stuff”; Dee Snider (Twisted Sister) and Tracii Guns lead the way for “The Little Red Rooster”; and Ted Nugent and Bob Daisley (Rainbow) join forces for an astonishing “Spoonful.”
But every track here expands the raw blues-rock vision of volume one with even more fire, swagger, and authority. And Carmine, of course, anchors the proceedings with his unmistakable power, groove, and feel, driving every track and reaffirming his status as one of the most influential drummers in rock history.
Coming off two acclaimed studio albums (Black Dawn, Tightrope), and an energized historic live album, Birth Of Cactus, founding member and world renown drummer Carmine Appice returns with the ultimate tribute to his legendary rock band. Temple of Blues – Influences & Friends, merges the members of Cactus with a super ensemble of guest artists, all of whom have called the group among their biggest influences. Once heralded by critics as America’s answer to Led Zeppelin, Cactus recorded four hard rockin’ albums for Atco Records before Appice and bassist Tim Bogert left to form their own supergroup: Beck, Bogert & Appice.
“The music of Cactus has always been steeped in blues tradition,” says Appice, who wanted the group to re-visit its best songs within a modern rock approach to traditional blues. “We kept hearing from so many of our music celebrity friends how much Cactus influenced them and how they would love to be a guest on a Cactus album. Even our label President, Brian Perera from Cleopatra Records, suggested to us that this album happens. So,Temple Of Blues was the logical next step.”
The album is set for release on JUNE 7th 2024 as a CD and also as double vinyl album.
Featured along with the current Cactus band is a who’s who of blues and rock icons: Guitarists Joe Bonamassa, Ted Nugent, Pat Travers, Warren Haynes, Vernon Reid, Steve Stevens, Johnny A (The Yardbirds), Ty Tabor (King’s X) and bassists Billy Sheehan (Mr Big), Dug Pinnick (King’s X) Tony Franklin (The Firm, Blue Murder), Phil Soussan (Ozzy Osbourne, Billy Idol), Rudy Sarzo(Quiet Riot, Ozzy Osbourne), Kenny Aaronson (ex- Joan Jet and The Yardbirds), as well as members of Government Mule, Vixen, Rainbow, Zebra, and Whitesnake. Vocalist Dee Snider of Twisted Sister appears on the band’s remake of the Howlin’ Wolf classic “Evil,” and Appice’s bandmate in Vanilla Fudge Mark Stein turns in a powerful vocal on Little Richard’s “Long Tall Sally.” A second version of “Guiltless Glider,” appears as a bonus track with former Judas Priest vocalist, Ripper Owens. Another of Appice’s musical partners, Fernando Perdomo, also appears on the new record.
Listen to the Evil single: orcd.co/cactus_deesnider_dugpinnick_evil
Digital album pre-order: orcd.co/cactus_templeofblues CD and vinyl: cleorecs.com/search?q=cactus+temple+of+blues
In addition to Appice on drums on all tracks, original Cactus guitarist Jim McCarty also appears on Temple Of Blues. Current band members vocalist/guitarist and harmonica player Jim Stapley and bassist Jim Caputo also appear on many of the tracks. Appice announced today a new member to the band’s line-up: guitarist Artie Dillon will handle guitar duties for live tours and plays on one track for the new album. Founding member Jim McCarty currently contributes as a writing and recording member of Cactus on occasion but no longer does live tours.
The current line-up of Cactus came together in 2021. Lead vocalist Jim Stapley comes from England and had worked with ex-Faces/Who drummer Kenny Jones in the Jones Gang and Humble Pie. “Nearly five decades after I formed this band, the time had come to re-invent Cactus once again,” says Appice, who also still drums for Vanilla Fudge, The Appice Brothers Drum Wars, and a hybrid tribute to former band leader, Rod Stewart. Adds Appice: “The music remains the same and Cactus is still a ‘hot and sweaty’ band. The level, quality and consistence of the band’s musicianship is as strong as ever.”
Cactus has had a long and turbulent history. Formed in 1970 from the ashes of Vanilla Fudge by Carmine Appice and Tim Bogert, the initial line up also featured McCarty (from Mitch Ryder and The Buddy Miles Express) and Amboy Dukes vocalist Rusty Day. While Cactus saw success from the start and soon built a loyal fan base, by early 1973 the band had collapsed mainly due to lack of real support from its label and the fact that Jeff Beck was now ready play with Carmine and Tim in BBA.
The band reformed in 2006, three decades after the tragic death of Rusty Day with Randy Pratt on harp (who also appears on this album) and Jimmy Kunes vocals. When the late Tim Bogert was forced into retirement due to complications after a serious motorcycle accident, Pete Bremy joined on bass before Caputo replaced him in 2020.
Now, with a powerful new line-up Cactus and an album the marries the band with some of the biggest names in rock and blues, embarks on a new and exciting musical journey to the Temple Of Blues.
This time around, the music is just as powerful as before – and bound to be just as successful “one way or another.”
“Bass player Mark “The Animal” Mendoza of Twisted Sister, turned me onto Cactus. They were the hardest, heaviest, fastest (check out their version of “Parchman Farm” live at the Isle of Wight festival if you want proof) band of their time, setting the standard for hard rock/heavy metal bands to come! I was hooked! (Thanks, Mark!)
Cut to the early 90’s and during rehearsals for our new project Widowmaker, drummer Joe Franco and I play “Evil” for the ‘young guns’ in our band and their minds are completely blown. The next rehearsal I walked into my them jamming “Evil” like they’d discovered a new form of rock! I joined in on vocals, our producer heard us laying into it and said we had to put the song on our album (“Blood and Bullets”). “Evil” became a staple of every live show we played over the next couple of years.
To get a call from Carmine Appice, asking me to sing this song on a Cactus album is one of the highlights of my career. He told me I sounded more like the late great Rusty Day than anyone else he ever heard. Of course I do! You don’t fuck with perfection! Thank you Rusty, Timmy, Camine and Jim for showing me the way and allowing me (Carmine and Jim) the chance to do this. I am honored to rock with such greatness.” – Dee Snider, November 2023
“It was 1971, Led Zeppelin, ZZ Top, Deep Purple and Yes were my go to bands, and one day I went to visit a musician friend who played me” Long Tall Sally” by Cactus! From the beginning Jim’s guitar intro I was hooked! The riff was so heavy, and when Rusty sang the first verse my mind was blown. A Little Richard cover!!!!..the reason I play rock music was because of Little Richard! So I listened to the whole album. Great song writing, Carmine’s brutal drumming, TIM’s bass and Jim’s guitar playing, So inspirational they were! Rusty had a special knack for writing amazing down to earth lyrics! I loved his voice! I learned to sing and play every song and I never looked back. These albums still stand the test of time!! Cactus is one of my ALLTIME favorite bands. This is why I said “Yes” to playing on this record.” – Dug Pinnick
Upcoming Cactus Tour Dates:
6/7/24 – ORLANDO FL – ORLANDO LIVE! WITH FOGHAT 6/8/24 – BOCA RATON FL – FUNKY BISCUIT 6/9/24 – CLEARWATER FL – RUTH ECKERD HALL WITH PAT TRAVERS & FOGHAT 6/25/24 – WESTLAND MI – TOKEN LOUNGE 6/27/24 – LIMA NY – FANATICS 6/28/24 – NEW YORK CITY NY – IRIDIUM
Track listing:
Parchman Farm feat. Joe Bonamassa & Billy Sheehan (Mr. Big / David Lee Roth)
Bro. Bill feat. Randy Jackson (Zebra), Randy Pratt (Cactus) & Bob Daisley (Ozzy Osbourne)
Guiltless Glider feat. Ron “Bumblefoot” Thal (Guns N’ Roses) & Phil Soussan (Ozzy Osbourne)
One Way…Or Another feat. Dug Pinnick (King’s X) & Ted Nugent
Alaska feat. Johnny A. & Tony Franklin (The Firm)
No Need To Worry feat. Warren Haynes (Gov’t Mule) & Jorgen Carlsson (Gov’t Mule)
Oleo feat. Steve Stevens (Billy Idol) & Billy Sheehan (Mr. Big / David Lee Roth)
Big Mama Boogie feat. Pat Travers & James Caputo (Cactus)
You Can’t Judge A Book By The Cover
Rock N’ Roll Children feat. Britt Lightning (Vixen), Vernon Reid (Living Colour) & Rudy Sarzo (Quiet Riot)
Let Me Swim feat. Doug Aldrich (Whitesnake) & Marco Mendoza (Blue Murder)
Restrictions feat. Ty Tabor (King’s X) & Phil Soussan (Ozzy Osbourne)
Long Tall Sally feat. Mark Stein (Vanilla Fudge) & Fernando Perdomo
BONUS TRACK
Guiltless Glider feat. Tim “Ripper” Owens (Judas Priest)
PRODUCED BY CARMINE APPICE CO- PRODUCED BY PAT REGAN-JIM STAPLEY MIX ENGINEER PAT REGAN MIXDOWN BY PAT REGAN WITH CARMINE APPICE. CARMINES DRUMS RECORDED AT “REALISTIC ROCK STUDIOS” FLORIDA . ENGINEERED BY CARMINE APPICE
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