CARMINE APPICE And CACTUS Release Music Video For Urban Ghost Story “Back Door Man”
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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 via Cleopatra Records. Order the album on CD/Vinyl, Digital.
The “Back Door Man” 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 1 was 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.”
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 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.
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.
Tracklisting:
“Back Door Man Pts. 1 & 2” feat. Eric Gales & Billy Sheehan
“300 Pounds Of Joy” feat. Ty Tabor
“Moanin’ At Midnight” feat. Pat Travers
“Down In The Bottom” feat. Dug Pinnick
“Token Chokin’” feat. Bumblefoot
“Bad Stuff” feat. Steve Morse, Joe Lynn Turner, Derek Sherinian & Tony Franklin
“Tail Dragger” feat. Rudy Sarzo & Alex Skolnick
“The Little Red Rooster” feat. Dee Snider, Tracii Guns, Jimmy Haslip
“Purple Haze” feat. Melanie
“Spoonful” feat. Ted Nugent & Bob Daisley
“Feel So Good” feat. Billy Sheehan & Britt Lightning (Bonus Track, CD only)
