Carmine Appice
His place in music history is secure, and it’s a big one: Carmine Appice was a founding member of Vanilla Fudge. He was a founding member of Cactus, and then, of the Beck, Bogert and Appice supergroup. He went on to famously collaborate for years with Rod Stewart, recording four albums, touring as the drummer, and writing some of Rod’s biggest hits, including Young Turks and Do Ya’ Think I’m Sexy. He went on to play with the bands Blue Murder and King Kobra, and recorded the Carmine Appice’s Guitar Zeus series of albums, as well as picking up credits with acts as diverse as Paul Stanley of Kiss, Pink Floyd, Stanley Clarke, Ted Nugent, Sly Stone, and Ozzy Osborne.
His influence is greater and deeper than the musical credits on his resume, though. Carmine was the first rock drummer to make appearances as a high-profile clinician. He was the first to publish an instruction book, The Realistic Rock Drum Method, which so many of us learned from, and he was the first rock drummer to play onstage using double bass drums and chinese cymbals with his kit.
As a matter of fact, the list of drummers who claim Carmine as an influence would make up a pretty good season of Drummeradio — Phil Collins, Neil Peart, Joey Kramer, Tommy Lee, and John Bonham among many others.
It’s no surprise that he has picked up lifetime achievement awards from Modern Drummer Magazine and others, and that he has a star on the Hollywood Rock Walk of Fame.
Classically trained, but an architect of rock drumming; musician, educator, innovator, and songwriter — I can’t wait to hear the music he has chosen for us.
Listen to the Carmine Appice Podcast
Carmine Appice Playlist
Jizz Whiz (Drum solo excerpt) — Beck, Bogert & Appice, 1973
Drums: Carmine Appice
Let there Be Drums — Sandy Nelson
Album: Let there Be Drums, 1961) 2:14
Drums: Sandy Nelson
Topsy, Part 2 — Cozy Cole (Single, 1958)
Drums: Cozy Cole
The Drum Battle — Gene Krupa and Buddy Rich
Album: The Drum Battle, 1952) 3:36
Drums: Gene Krupa, Buddy Rich
The Casbah — Buddy Rich & Max Roach
Album: Rich vs. Roach, 1959) 4:25
Drums: Buddy Rich, Max Roach,
Night Train (Live Version) — James Brown
Album: James Brown Live at the Apollo, 1962-3) 3:26
Drums: Nat Kendrick
Memphis Soul Stew — King Curtis
Album: Live at the Fillmore West, 1971)
Drums: Bernard Purdie
You Keep Me Hangin’ On — Vanilla Fudge
Album: Vanilla Fudge, 1967) 2:50/7:00
Drums: Carmine Appice
Parchman Farm — Cactus
Album: Cactus, 1970) 3:06
Drums: Carmine Appice
Lady — Beck, Bogert & Appice
Album: Beck, Bogert, & Appice, 1973) 5:33
Drums: Carmine Appice
Ptolemy — Blue Murder
Album: Blue Murder, 1989) 6:30
Drums: Carmine Appice
