Greg Schmitt of WESU's syndicated radio show Noize In The Attic recently spoke with drum legends Carmine and Vinny Appice. Together they discuss Carmine's history and renewed involvement with Vinnie Vincent, Vinny's relationship with John Lennon and much more! 

 

 

 

You're unlikely to find a phenomenon like Carmine and Vinny Appice a second time in the history of rock music. For more than forty years, the two brothers have been among the most sought-after and renowned rock drummers worldwide. Carmine and Vinny (each of them on their own) can be heard on numerous legendary albums and have toured countless times with some of the world's greatest acts. Carmine embarked on his musical path in the 1960s with the unforgotten Vanilla Fudge, manning in the course of his illustrious career the drums for superstars such as Rod Stewart and Ozzy Osbourne, among others. His brother Vinny, who is eleven years his junior, looks back on an equally spectacular career, having worked with acts such as Black Sabbath, Heaven & Hell and Dio, among others. With the exception of the live album Drum Wars – Live! (2014), there has been no direct collaboration between the two so far.-  That's about to change! Sinister is the first joint studio album by Carmine and Vinny and was recorded with the support of a number of prestigious guests. Vinny: 'As Ringo said: with a little help from our friends.'

 

Sinister consists of a total of 13 tracks, recorded by Carmine and Vinny together with distinguished colleagues. -´Killing Floor` and -´Future Past` feature the wonderful Craig Goldy (together with bassist Tony Franklin), Franklin resurfacing, together with Paul Shortino, on -´Suddenly` and on -´You Got Me Running`. Shortino also lends his awesome vocals to -´War Cry` and the programmatic -´Monsters And Heroes`, the latter also featuring Bulletboys guitarist Mick Sweda, while Shortino teams up with Whitesnake stringsman Joel Hoekstra on -´War Cry`. Talking of vocals: -´Sinister`, -´Danger` (bass: Phil Soussan), -´In The Night` (guitar: Bumblefoot) and -´Sabbath Mash` (guitar: Erik Turner, keyboards: Erik Norlander) are all sung by Jim Crean, while Chas West recorded the vocal parts for -´Killing Floor`, Scotty Bruce featuring on -´Future Past` and Robin McAuley on -´Riot`. The biggest surprise of all: Carmine himself doubles as vocalist on -´You Got Me Running`. Vinny: -Carmine has been singing lead and background for years. He-´s a very good singer and I-´m glad he sang one number on this record.'

 

So fans can look forward to a haunting rock album which the Appice brothers plan to premiere live on stage as soon as possible. Carmine: -We cannot wait to take the album on the road! Heavy drums and heavy songs. It will kill!'

 

__________________________________________________________________

 

http://www.carmineappice.net/
http://www.vinnyappice.com/
www.spv.de

https://www.facebook.com/steamhammerofficial/

 

 

DURING THE 1980s the music scene was exploding with an abundance of great rock bands - including multi-platinum sellers such as Mötley Crüe, Quiet Riot and RATT - but there was always room for talentted new contenders. For KING KOBRA this was an invitation from heaven, launching onto a landscape that was primed for killer hard rock, enormous sales, and unlimited airplay.

It comes as no surprise then, that respected re-issue label ROCK CANDY RECORDS has turned a spotlight on their first two classic albums, ‘Ready To Strike’ and ‘Thrill Of A Lifetime’.  Both titles are set to be reissued on February 10th having been fully remastered with enhanced 16-page booklets featuring rare photos, new interviews, and a 4,000 word essay penned by Malcolm Dome.

Formed in California in 1984, by seasoned drummer Carmine Appice (Cactus, Beck Bogart & Appice, Ozzy Osbourne) and featuring vocalist Mark Free (Unruly Child), guitarists John Michael Philips & Mick Sweda (Bulletboys) and bassist Johnny Rod (WASP), the band won instant attention for their unique look - four blondes and one brunette. Producedd by Spencer Proffer (Quiet Riot, WASP, Cheap Trick) and signed to Capitol Records, the band’s debut album, originally issued in 1985, won them the attention of fans and critics alike by delivering one of the year’s best records. Tracks such as ‘Hunger’, ‘Tough Guys’, ‘Piece Of The Rock’ and the title track itself are pivotal examples of some of the best mid 80’s hard rock.

‘Thrill Of A Lifetime’, their sophomore album, originally issued in 1986, saw the band shift gear, modernising their sound and focussing on more accessible songs, perhaps modelled on the chart success of artists like Bon Jovi and Cinderella. The material was spearheaded by the hugely infectious ‘Iron Eagle (Never Say Die)’, a track that was included on the hit movie ‘Iron Eagle’. Elsewhere there’s ‘Feel The Heat’, ‘Raise Your Hands To Rock’ and ‘Dream On’ for further proof of their  hard rocking credentials.

Each album can be ordered via these links:
 
'Ready to Strike':     http://tinyurl.com/j53bggh
'Thrill of a Lifetime:' http://tinyurl.com/z2lbfum
 
‘READY TO STRIKE’ TRACKLISTING:
 
1. READY TO STRIKE
2. HUNGER
3. SHADOW RIDER
4. SHAKE UP
5. ATTENTION
6. BREAKIN’ OUT
7. TOUGH GUYS
8. DANCING WITH DESIRE
9. SECOND THOUGHTS
10. PIECE OF THE ROCK
 
‘THRILL OF A LIFETIME’ TRACKLISTING:
 
1. SECOND TIME AROUND
2. DREAM ON
3. FEEL THE HEAT
4. THRILL OF A LIFETIME
5. ONLY THE STRONG WILL SURVIVE
6. IRON EAGLE (NEVER SAY DIE)
7. HOME STREET HOME
8. OVERNIGHT SENSATION
9. RAISE YOUR HANDS TO ROCK
10. PARTY ANIMAL
BONUS TRACK:
11. HOME SWEET HOME (Street Mix)
 

FOR MORE INFORMATION, PLEASE VISIT: rockcandyrecords.com

 

This week on The Double StopPodcast - Carmine Appice walks us through his entire career - from early days learning drums (and helping his brother Vinnie) to early success with Vanilla Fudge and Cactus. He also covers working with Jeff Beck, Rod Stewart and Ozzy Osbourne. We also take a look at his 80/90's bands King Cobra, Blue Murder (and clears up the details of his involvement with the 2nd album Nothin' But Trouble) and supergroup Mothers Army. Busier than ever, Carmine also gives details on Drum Wars, Rated X and the new Vanilla Fudge cd. He also reveals that he wants Dave Grohl to produce a new Drum Wars cd and that he's currently about to mix a new Cactus album.

https://soundcloud.com/thedoublestop/ep-54-carmine-appice-vanilla-fudge-cactus-rated-x-drum-wars

Totally Driven Radio, the weekly radio podcast heard live every Thursday night from 8 - 11 pm Est time on the Totaally Driven Entertainment Radio Network, hosted by Bay Ragni and Nick Wilkinson covers the world of sports and entertainment each week, as well as bringing you celebrity guests interviews.

This week Bay got to interview both Joe Lynn Turner, and Carmine Appice which lead to our 2 hour Rated X Special, the new band with both Joe and Carmine, where we played cuts from their Rated X album, and their interviews.

Carmine talks to us for almost 50 minutes, and discusses these topics and more!!

**His Rod Stewart Experience Band

**his passion for cars, some cars he has owned, and the next car he plans to buy

**talked about some old times playing the Philly Spectrum

**How his new band Rated X was formed

**He names some people that were supposed to be in Rated X, but were too busy to commit

**How guitarist Karl Cochran Rated X came down sick, and couldn’t finish the record

**The recording process of the Rated X album, how they were never in studio at same time

**If Rated X, will be playing songs from Carmine, Tony & Joe’s past

**He would love to play drums with Zeppelin, The Police

**How his drum style is more like John Bonham, than Jason Bonham’s

**How Sharon Osbourne fired him from Ozzy’s band, for being too popular

**If he ever thought about having Jake E. Lee for Rated X: He said “Jake is out there”

**He tells a story of how Jake wouldn’t get on the phone with Carmine

**His thoughts on Dave Grohl

**His book Realistic Rock Drum Method and how it is being downloaded for free

You can listen here

http://youtu.be/w97v32Wmaqw

Or listen to the full show here.

http://www.blogtalkradio.com/totallydriven/2014/12/16/totally-driven-radio-rated-x-special-with-joe-lynn-turner-carmine-appice

Remember to listen to Totally Driven Radio every Thursday, and Like us on Facebook, and follow us on Twitter.

https://www.facebook.com/TotallyDrivenTV

https://twitter.com/ttllydrvnradio

https://twitter.com/TotallyDrivenTV

 

Drumming demi-gods Carmine & Vinny Appice have both had extraordinary careers behind the drum kit, beginning with Carmine’s tenure in such legendary classic rock bands as Vanilla Fudge and Cactus as well as supporting stints with Rod Stewart and Ozzy Osbourne. Meanwhile, younger brother Vinny made his name as a metal drummer for monster acts such as Dio, Black Sabbath and Heaven & Hell. Recently, these two virtuosos have been wowing audiences with their own rock show called “Drum Wars,” featuring not only the hits of their associated bands but also a thrilling series of solos that pit them against each other like the Gene Krupa/Buddy Rich drum battles of yore. Fortunately for us mere mortals, this unique concert experience was recorded in June of this year at the Iridium in New York and is now available on CD courtesy of Deadline Music and Rocker Records.

 

Along with Carmine and Vinny, the Drum Wars Live CD features Jim Crean, Ethan Brosh and James Caputo!

 

For those unsure of their ability to withstand the aural assault that the Appice brothers bring, a free downloadable track from the album has been made available on the Rocker Records website. Visit here: http://rockerrecords.bandcamp.com/

 

“When me and Vinny play together we push each other to our limits. Either while drum battling or playing great songs from our history on this CD, while backed up with a great band behind us!” – Carmine Appice

 

“A CD of great music and drums that punch with power and energy.” – Vinny Appice

 

Coinciding with this exciting release is a series of European shows featuring both Carmine & Vinny performing alongside a jaw-dropping list of metal vocalists and musicians. Dubbed the Metal All-Stars, this year’s crop includes Black Label Society’s Zakk Wylde, Anthrax’s Joey Belladonna, Geoff Tate formerly of Queensrÿche, Dave Ellefson of Megadeth, James LaBrie of Dream Theater, Testament’s Chuck Billy and lots more!

 

For details, visit: http://www.metalallstars.com/

 

Rated X Exclusive Preview:

 

Joe Lynn Turner is in devastating form, ripping through 12 energised classic rock tracks drenched in organ and driven by some tough riffing from Karl Cochran. 

 

Drummer Carmine Appice and bassist Tony Franklin reunite for the first time since Blue Murder, delivering the precise ear drum shattering rhythm section expected of both journeymen. 

 

Song wise, what is delivered is exactly what was expected and hoped for.  

A mix of Mother's Army, Blue Murder and Joe Lynn Turner's rocking solo best. 

 

The opening track Get Back My Crown is a high energy blast, Lhasa is epic classic rock, the melodic hard rocker I Don't Cry Anymore sees Carmine in crashing form and the heavy ballad Fire And Ice is prime time JLT. 

Our Love Is Not Over is another great pure melodic rock track. 

 

Looking forward to reviewing this in full detail and enjoying playing it on high rotation for some time to come. 

 

First impressions are very favourable indeed. 

 

 

 

 

 

FRONTIERS MUSIC Srl SET TO

RELEASE RATED X

 

All Star Hard Rock Line Up Includes

Vocalist Joe Lynn Turner; Drummer Carmine Appice;

Bassist Tony Franklin and Guitarist Karl Cochran.

 

Frontiers Music Srl, the Italian-based label known for embracing new music from legendary Rock artists, returns with another impactful project: RATED X.  Set for release in the EU on November 7th and in North America on November 11th, the album features all new songs built upon a classic Hard Rock foundation, with a distinctly contemporary edge.

 

 

RATED X was formed at the suggestion of Frontiers President Serafino Perugino, who mentioned to singer Joe Lynn Turner that a band of highest caliber musicians should be assembled to create an album of classic Hard Rock music.  Turner, the former lead vocalist for both Rainbow and Deep Purple and a solo artist in his own right, agreed, and the search for the right players was on. Carmine Appice, who already had a relationship with Frontiers, was on board immediately.  A true percussion icon, Appice’s resume is one that Rock legends are made of: Vanilla Fudge, Cactus, Ozzy Osbourne, Rod Stewart, Blue Murder, King Kobra and others.

 

Appice’s former Blue Murder bandmate and bassist, Tony Franklin (best known for his work with The Firm, Jimmy Page, Paul Rodgers, David Gilmour, Kate Bush, and Whitesnake), signed up next. After a lengthy search for the right guitarist, they settled on long-time Turner collaborator Karl Cochran, who has also worked with Ace Frehley, and worked in the past with Joe Lynn Turner on his solo albums.

 

“I believe we wanted to keep it a bit retro with a modern edge,” says Turner. “The songs are classic rock, but then that's an understatement. They are what they are; and they transformed as we went along recording. So, all in all, we are very happy to finish the record and finally able to get it out to the public. Everyone in this band is a true individual and stylist. When you put it all together, you have Rated X.”

 

The debut album, simply titled, Rated X, is remarkable in that it sounds like a band that has worked together as a unit for years. The songs are powerful and the performances are tight and innovative.  Frontiers in-house producer, Alessandro del Vecchio, not only handled studio production but added keyboards on several tracks. Pat Regan (Mr Big, Deep Purple, Gotthard, Kiss, Doro) mixed the album.

 

Says Carmine Appice: “With his help in coming up with the song ideas and working together with the band I believe we came up with the sound from the late 70s -80s. To me, it sounds like Blue Murder with Joe Lynn Turner singing. Having Tony and myself as the rhythm section and with the heavy guitars, it gives the record a Blue Murder-vibe. Then, adding Alessandro on keys gave us a bit of the Deep Purple thing. It all works together and I loved playing each song.”

 

Enjoy RATED X Electronic Press Kit on Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mCnxyqlpspg

 

Track listing: Get Back My Crown; This Is Who I Am; Fire And Ice; I Don't Cry No More; Lhasa; Devil In Disguise; You Are The Music; Peace Of Mind; Maybe Tonight; On The Way To Paradise; Our Love Is Not Over; Stranger In Us All.

 

Preorder RATED X at: http://geni.us/RatedXAMZ

            For all things RATED X, please visit: www.facebook.com/RatedXRocks