Post by HARD ROCK UNIVERSE on Oct 16, 2006 1:24:27 GMT -5
Tim Bogert
Interview and text by Nightwatcher for Rock N Roll Universe
October 3, 2006
When talking about Gods of bass guitar, one that has to be mentioned right away must be Tim Bogert. Ever since coming to prominence with Vanilla Fudge back in 1967, this incredibly talented and influential player has been at the forefront of the art of the instrument. Along with Jack Bruce and John Entwistle, he was one of the first to take the bass from mostly a time keeping role and moving it up front and prominient, inspiring countless musicians to go in that direction. Others such as Chris Squire of Yes, Geddy Lee of Rush and Billy Sheehan took the ball and ran with it later, but make no mistake about it, Bogert was one of the first in heavy rock to take things to the next level, technique-wise. It was Bogert's heavy bass that helped power the high powered boogie rock of Cactus and later on, Beck, Bogert & Appice, both of which also featured long time cohort, drum legend Carmine Appice. Always in big demand, he's continued to work countless sessions throughout the years, playing on albums by Rod Stewart, Boxer, Bo Diddley,Rick Derringer, Leslie West and Michael Schenker, to name just several of the projects this super respected bassist has been involved with.
More recently, he's been involved with the sucessful Vanilla Fudge reunion, and this year, the return after 34 years of the aforementioned Cactus band, who recently have released a fantastic all new album, 'Cactus V' on Escapi Records. A return to form, and one of the finest comeback albums in the recent history of heavy rock, this is a "must have" for fans of the original band, or for fans of blues based hard rock in general. Recently I had the fantastic opportunity to catch up with Tim at his home in California to discuss not only the new album, but many of the various projects he's been a part of throughout the years. Come join us as we have a conversation with the one, the only, the legendary Mr. Tim Bogert....
Special thanks to Tim for doing this interview for Rock N Roll Universe!
Rock N Roll Universe : Tim, we really appreciate you taking the time out to talk with us, especially since it's your birthday...
Tim Bogert : Not a problem, it's a quiet day here at the farm. (Laughs) I just do the excitement professionally now. Otherwise, virtually, I live a very quiet life. Carmine vicariously lives the madness for me. He's something, he's the energizer drummer. (Laughs) I've asked him how he has the energy, and he says he doesn't know either. I could've done that kind of stuff until I was in my 50's. Then that's about when I started mellowing out and slowing down, doing all those things that you do when you get older.
RNRU : On the new 'Cactus V' album, one thing that also impressed me was the fact that there were no concessions made to modern trends. You guys weren't trying to reinvent the wheel with this album...
TB : Well, we're Cactus. To be anything else than that would not BE Cactus. I mean, all of us, as we entered our 30's, what have you... all musicians who had been successful in their 20's, as trends and mindsets changed, fashions changed... we all pandered, and it didn't work .You have to, I suppose, because you're desperate to keep your job. Not knowing that the job simply isn't there anymore. (Laughs)
RNRU : Most of the time that doesn't work out too well...
TB : No, they usually go to drugs and sleazy women who they give houses to. It's a terrible story. They do movies on it all the time. (Laughs)
RNRU : What's the main difference for you being in Cactus this time around versus being in the band when you were still together over 30 years ago, in the early 70's?
TB : In the early 70's, I was a young man. I was half crazed, having more fun than anybody should be allowed to at any given time. Now, it is my birthday, I'm 62. I also got hurt really bad last year, so I tend to move even slower. But the hands still work, so I can still play. My mind still works. I still enjoy playing with the band very much, because it's the same rush. It's like making love. It feels as good at 20 as it does at 60. You do it different, but hey, it's okay. (Laughs)
RNRU : Speaking of that, Tim, I know that was a bad motorcyle accident you had last year. How are you feeling now?
TB : My knee's giving me a hard time today. Something usually gives me a hard time every day, but a couple of Excedrins, and either a nap or some fortitude will get me through the day one way or the other. They say another year or so. I'm working at it. I've got all the physical therapy machines at home, and I work at it every other day when I can.
RNRU : What was it like for you to be back onstage with Carmine and Jim McCarty for the first time at the first Cactus reunion show at B.B. King's in June?
TB : Oh God, it was fun. It truly was fun. We were all just hoping we didn't make any horrendous mistakes, because we only had a few days to rehearse and put it all together. That was my only real thought, "Geez God, don't let me screw up." (Laughs) Other than that, I had a wonderful time. It was a great gig. We sold the place out, I was thrilled, it was very good.
RNRU : You and Carmine together form one of the heaviest and finest rhythm sections ever in the history of rock. What is it about the combination of the two of you that allows you to interlock like you do? How does working with Carmine compare to any other drummer you've played with such as Billy Cobham and Ginger Baker?
RB : I am almost Carmine's complete opposite. So in that respect, we sort of whirl around each other. Carmine's of a mindset rather like a bulldog. As long as I can hold that leash and not fall down, we do really well. (Laughs)
RNRU : So it's sort of a Yin and Yang type of thing...
TB : Very much so, and it really does work. Almost everything about us is opposite, it seems to make a really nice combination. When we started, we got good at what we did very quickly, and we've spent the last 40 years polishing it. Some nights it really shines well if it's lit well.
RNRU : You and Carmine, along with Rusty Day and Jim McCarty, formed Cactus in early '70, shortly thereafter making your live debut in front of 40,000 people at Temple Stadium in Philadelphia. The band opened up on a bill that featured The Steve Miller Band, The Grateful Dead, and headlining, Jimi Hendrix. What do you recall about that first gig, and how do you feel the band went down that first time?
TB : The adrenaline was pumping so hard that when we did "Parchman Farm," my right hand cramped up. So I was literally pounding quarter notes with the back of my hand. (Laughs) I've heard that tape. Randy Pratt in Long Island has a copy of it. All I could listen to was about 24 bars of it before I went, "Oh dear, turn that off." (Laughs) It was just so energetic. Groove? There wasn't a groove, there was a rocket going off. Which, when we finally mellowed that down, we became quite a hellacious band. We had more energy that day than we knew yet how to control. Because Led Zeppelin was our opening act during their first two tours with The Fudge, I watched the same thing happen with them. They had so much energy they couldn't control on the first tour. On the second tour, they came back and were scary. So it was that same premise. I'm very grateful to have had that kind of energy, but we tripped all over ourselves that day.
RNRU : Back then, the band regularly played in front of large crowds, doing a lot of the big festivals, including the band's U.K. debut at the '70 Isle Of Wight Festival, which depending on what account you read, was in front of 400,000, 500,000 or even up to a million people during that weekend. What do you remember about that show?
TB : That was a big crowd. It rained like holy hell the evening we played along with Jimi Hendrix. I remember being on stage with the rain driving at my feet, being very concerned about 240 volts. They didn't have the grounding they have these days, it was primitive by comparison. I've been shot across a room more than once. I run wireless now, you can't get hit. (Laughs) We didn't have that back then either.
RNRU : That was somewhat of a strange festival, with the fans tearing down the fences and making it a free festival...
TB : They seemed to do a lot of that in Europe at the time. As a matter of fact, they're still doing it at football games, aren't they? Say no more. (Laughs)
RNRU : They've released several of the band performances from the festival such as The Who, Hendrix, Jethro Tull, etc., either on CD, DVD or both. Is there any chance of the Cactus set being released?
TB : I don't know who actually owns the rights to that. I know that Rhino bought all of the Atlantic stuff, which is why so much of it has been released. They're actually going to be releasing some more, from the Mar Y Sol Festival, and at Gilligan's, where we actually had a rhythm guitar player with us. I don't know if they own that. I know Randy Pratt has bought a video of it. It was a 5 or 7 camera shoot that night, and all the bands were filmed. He's bought the raw footage of it. What he's going to do with it, I don't know. I'd like to see it myself, I haven't seen it since we did it. That'd be fun, it was a great experience. We got to hang with some really nice people, caught a big time buzz, it was just a wonderful day.
RNRU : How was it for you playing to that many people?
TB : It's very similar to, if I can make an analogy, a big crowd being a very, very powerful car. A small club is a rather not powerful car, say a 1970 Volkswagen type of thing. You put your foot down in the Volkswagen, and it goes fast. But when you get into a Corvette, stomp your foot down, my God it goes. That's what a crowd does to a band. It's kind of like asking any football player who's ever played the Super Bowl what's that like, and they'll say "Larger." Just bigger, everything gets larger, it's really cool. You definitely feel the energy from the crowd. If they start moving with you, and you can motivate them, the circle of energy between you and them is uplifting to a point where you can play things that you can't play. It's quite an amazing phenomenon. It's a wonderful thing to have happen. It's like when Wilt Chamberlain scored 100 points. It's one of those experiences. You can do no wrong, you cannot miss the basket, let's go for it. It's tremendous. Let's do it tomorrow, shall we? (Laughs)
RNRU : Speaking of large festivals, in June, with Cactus, you played The Sweden Rock Festival...
TB : Oh, that was fun.
RNRU : I've heard the sound wasn't that great at times due to technical malfunctions?
TB : Well, the technical malfunction was pretty much the fact that my bass amp kept going on and off throughout the majority of the show. I would be playing in the monitors, then they would go out. McCarty would lose me, then he'd lose his place and go off to step B of the process, while we're in step A. So everybody got a little frustrated because the equipment is making our job that much more difficult. At one point, I guess for the first time in about 30 years, I kicked me an amp off stage. It does come back quickly, doesn't it? (Laughs) I got really frustrated with it. Other than that, though, we had a great time.The band got a chance to stretch its legs a little bit, because when you're in a rehearsal studio you don't know what works and what doesn't work yet. With Jimmy Kunes, our new singer, it's really a new band. Musically we know what works, but we don't yet know what works in that aspect. It's like putting a new quarterback on a team. The old plays aren't going to work like they used to, nor should they. We have to figure out what works now under these circumstances. We were still learning. It was a fast learning curve. But it went fairly well. The audience seemed to like it, and that's really why we're there. If we give them a good time, then we've earned our paycheck.
Interview and text by Nightwatcher for Rock N Roll Universe
October 3, 2006
When talking about Gods of bass guitar, one that has to be mentioned right away must be Tim Bogert. Ever since coming to prominence with Vanilla Fudge back in 1967, this incredibly talented and influential player has been at the forefront of the art of the instrument. Along with Jack Bruce and John Entwistle, he was one of the first to take the bass from mostly a time keeping role and moving it up front and prominient, inspiring countless musicians to go in that direction. Others such as Chris Squire of Yes, Geddy Lee of Rush and Billy Sheehan took the ball and ran with it later, but make no mistake about it, Bogert was one of the first in heavy rock to take things to the next level, technique-wise. It was Bogert's heavy bass that helped power the high powered boogie rock of Cactus and later on, Beck, Bogert & Appice, both of which also featured long time cohort, drum legend Carmine Appice. Always in big demand, he's continued to work countless sessions throughout the years, playing on albums by Rod Stewart, Boxer, Bo Diddley,Rick Derringer, Leslie West and Michael Schenker, to name just several of the projects this super respected bassist has been involved with.
More recently, he's been involved with the sucessful Vanilla Fudge reunion, and this year, the return after 34 years of the aforementioned Cactus band, who recently have released a fantastic all new album, 'Cactus V' on Escapi Records. A return to form, and one of the finest comeback albums in the recent history of heavy rock, this is a "must have" for fans of the original band, or for fans of blues based hard rock in general. Recently I had the fantastic opportunity to catch up with Tim at his home in California to discuss not only the new album, but many of the various projects he's been a part of throughout the years. Come join us as we have a conversation with the one, the only, the legendary Mr. Tim Bogert....
Special thanks to Tim for doing this interview for Rock N Roll Universe!
Rock N Roll Universe : Tim, we really appreciate you taking the time out to talk with us, especially since it's your birthday...
Tim Bogert : Not a problem, it's a quiet day here at the farm. (Laughs) I just do the excitement professionally now. Otherwise, virtually, I live a very quiet life. Carmine vicariously lives the madness for me. He's something, he's the energizer drummer. (Laughs) I've asked him how he has the energy, and he says he doesn't know either. I could've done that kind of stuff until I was in my 50's. Then that's about when I started mellowing out and slowing down, doing all those things that you do when you get older.
RNRU : On the new 'Cactus V' album, one thing that also impressed me was the fact that there were no concessions made to modern trends. You guys weren't trying to reinvent the wheel with this album...
TB : Well, we're Cactus. To be anything else than that would not BE Cactus. I mean, all of us, as we entered our 30's, what have you... all musicians who had been successful in their 20's, as trends and mindsets changed, fashions changed... we all pandered, and it didn't work .You have to, I suppose, because you're desperate to keep your job. Not knowing that the job simply isn't there anymore. (Laughs)
RNRU : Most of the time that doesn't work out too well...
TB : No, they usually go to drugs and sleazy women who they give houses to. It's a terrible story. They do movies on it all the time. (Laughs)
RNRU : What's the main difference for you being in Cactus this time around versus being in the band when you were still together over 30 years ago, in the early 70's?
TB : In the early 70's, I was a young man. I was half crazed, having more fun than anybody should be allowed to at any given time. Now, it is my birthday, I'm 62. I also got hurt really bad last year, so I tend to move even slower. But the hands still work, so I can still play. My mind still works. I still enjoy playing with the band very much, because it's the same rush. It's like making love. It feels as good at 20 as it does at 60. You do it different, but hey, it's okay. (Laughs)
RNRU : Speaking of that, Tim, I know that was a bad motorcyle accident you had last year. How are you feeling now?
TB : My knee's giving me a hard time today. Something usually gives me a hard time every day, but a couple of Excedrins, and either a nap or some fortitude will get me through the day one way or the other. They say another year or so. I'm working at it. I've got all the physical therapy machines at home, and I work at it every other day when I can.
RNRU : What was it like for you to be back onstage with Carmine and Jim McCarty for the first time at the first Cactus reunion show at B.B. King's in June?
TB : Oh God, it was fun. It truly was fun. We were all just hoping we didn't make any horrendous mistakes, because we only had a few days to rehearse and put it all together. That was my only real thought, "Geez God, don't let me screw up." (Laughs) Other than that, I had a wonderful time. It was a great gig. We sold the place out, I was thrilled, it was very good.
RNRU : You and Carmine together form one of the heaviest and finest rhythm sections ever in the history of rock. What is it about the combination of the two of you that allows you to interlock like you do? How does working with Carmine compare to any other drummer you've played with such as Billy Cobham and Ginger Baker?
RB : I am almost Carmine's complete opposite. So in that respect, we sort of whirl around each other. Carmine's of a mindset rather like a bulldog. As long as I can hold that leash and not fall down, we do really well. (Laughs)
RNRU : So it's sort of a Yin and Yang type of thing...
TB : Very much so, and it really does work. Almost everything about us is opposite, it seems to make a really nice combination. When we started, we got good at what we did very quickly, and we've spent the last 40 years polishing it. Some nights it really shines well if it's lit well.
RNRU : You and Carmine, along with Rusty Day and Jim McCarty, formed Cactus in early '70, shortly thereafter making your live debut in front of 40,000 people at Temple Stadium in Philadelphia. The band opened up on a bill that featured The Steve Miller Band, The Grateful Dead, and headlining, Jimi Hendrix. What do you recall about that first gig, and how do you feel the band went down that first time?
TB : The adrenaline was pumping so hard that when we did "Parchman Farm," my right hand cramped up. So I was literally pounding quarter notes with the back of my hand. (Laughs) I've heard that tape. Randy Pratt in Long Island has a copy of it. All I could listen to was about 24 bars of it before I went, "Oh dear, turn that off." (Laughs) It was just so energetic. Groove? There wasn't a groove, there was a rocket going off. Which, when we finally mellowed that down, we became quite a hellacious band. We had more energy that day than we knew yet how to control. Because Led Zeppelin was our opening act during their first two tours with The Fudge, I watched the same thing happen with them. They had so much energy they couldn't control on the first tour. On the second tour, they came back and were scary. So it was that same premise. I'm very grateful to have had that kind of energy, but we tripped all over ourselves that day.
RNRU : Back then, the band regularly played in front of large crowds, doing a lot of the big festivals, including the band's U.K. debut at the '70 Isle Of Wight Festival, which depending on what account you read, was in front of 400,000, 500,000 or even up to a million people during that weekend. What do you remember about that show?
TB : That was a big crowd. It rained like holy hell the evening we played along with Jimi Hendrix. I remember being on stage with the rain driving at my feet, being very concerned about 240 volts. They didn't have the grounding they have these days, it was primitive by comparison. I've been shot across a room more than once. I run wireless now, you can't get hit. (Laughs) We didn't have that back then either.
RNRU : That was somewhat of a strange festival, with the fans tearing down the fences and making it a free festival...
TB : They seemed to do a lot of that in Europe at the time. As a matter of fact, they're still doing it at football games, aren't they? Say no more. (Laughs)
RNRU : They've released several of the band performances from the festival such as The Who, Hendrix, Jethro Tull, etc., either on CD, DVD or both. Is there any chance of the Cactus set being released?
TB : I don't know who actually owns the rights to that. I know that Rhino bought all of the Atlantic stuff, which is why so much of it has been released. They're actually going to be releasing some more, from the Mar Y Sol Festival, and at Gilligan's, where we actually had a rhythm guitar player with us. I don't know if they own that. I know Randy Pratt has bought a video of it. It was a 5 or 7 camera shoot that night, and all the bands were filmed. He's bought the raw footage of it. What he's going to do with it, I don't know. I'd like to see it myself, I haven't seen it since we did it. That'd be fun, it was a great experience. We got to hang with some really nice people, caught a big time buzz, it was just a wonderful day.
RNRU : How was it for you playing to that many people?
TB : It's very similar to, if I can make an analogy, a big crowd being a very, very powerful car. A small club is a rather not powerful car, say a 1970 Volkswagen type of thing. You put your foot down in the Volkswagen, and it goes fast. But when you get into a Corvette, stomp your foot down, my God it goes. That's what a crowd does to a band. It's kind of like asking any football player who's ever played the Super Bowl what's that like, and they'll say "Larger." Just bigger, everything gets larger, it's really cool. You definitely feel the energy from the crowd. If they start moving with you, and you can motivate them, the circle of energy between you and them is uplifting to a point where you can play things that you can't play. It's quite an amazing phenomenon. It's a wonderful thing to have happen. It's like when Wilt Chamberlain scored 100 points. It's one of those experiences. You can do no wrong, you cannot miss the basket, let's go for it. It's tremendous. Let's do it tomorrow, shall we? (Laughs)
RNRU : Speaking of large festivals, in June, with Cactus, you played The Sweden Rock Festival...
TB : Oh, that was fun.
RNRU : I've heard the sound wasn't that great at times due to technical malfunctions?
TB : Well, the technical malfunction was pretty much the fact that my bass amp kept going on and off throughout the majority of the show. I would be playing in the monitors, then they would go out. McCarty would lose me, then he'd lose his place and go off to step B of the process, while we're in step A. So everybody got a little frustrated because the equipment is making our job that much more difficult. At one point, I guess for the first time in about 30 years, I kicked me an amp off stage. It does come back quickly, doesn't it? (Laughs) I got really frustrated with it. Other than that, though, we had a great time.The band got a chance to stretch its legs a little bit, because when you're in a rehearsal studio you don't know what works and what doesn't work yet. With Jimmy Kunes, our new singer, it's really a new band. Musically we know what works, but we don't yet know what works in that aspect. It's like putting a new quarterback on a team. The old plays aren't going to work like they used to, nor should they. We have to figure out what works now under these circumstances. We were still learning. It was a fast learning curve. But it went fairly well. The audience seemed to like it, and that's really why we're there. If we give them a good time, then we've earned our paycheck.