Cactus "FEEL SO BAD" ("One Way...Or Another" 1971 LP / Album) (Jim McCarty Guitar Improvisation 1)
Album:One Way...or Another Released:February 24, 1971 Recorded:1970–1971 Studio:Electric Lady Studios, New York City, NY Genre:Hard rock, blues rock, heavy metal Label:Atco / Atlantic Producer:Cactus Founding members of "Cactus" and ex-members from "Vanilla Fudge" drummer Carmine Appice (from Brooklyn NY), and bassist Tim Bogert (from Ridgefield NJ) decided to take a break from the "psychedelic Fudge" seen and put together a "Cream" / "Led Zeppelin" oriented but AMERICAN HEAVY ROCK'N ROLL BLUES band. Their dream was to play with Jeff Beck(after hearing Jeff's 2nd album "Beck-Ola" released in June 1969)and in 1969 Carmine's friend from "Zeppelin" John Bonham said Jeff was interested in the collaboration, but after a car crash Jeff would not reunite with the 2 until December 1972 to record the 1 and only album "Beck, Bogert & Appice" released in 1973.Carmine remembers touring with "Vanilla Fudge" in 1969 in either Phoenix Arizona or Tucson, and seeing a drive in movie theater called "CACTUS" which inspired him for a band name after seeing the name up in lights.Carmine, Tim, & lead vocalist / harmonica / DRUMMER LOL Rusty Day(born Garden City Detroit Michigan)from Ted Nugent's "The Amboy Dukes" and guitarist / DRUMMER LOL Jim McCarty(born Detroit Michigan)from "Mitch Ryder and The Detroit Wheels" where Tim meet him in 1966 @ "Whisky a go-go" on Sunset Strip in California.Jim also played on Jimi Hendrix's "Band Of Gypsy" drummer Buddy Miles's albums "Expressway To Your Skull" debut released in 1968, "Electric Church" released 1969, and "Them Changes" released in 1970(All Co-produced / written by Jimi Hendrix).According to Carmine "Vanilla Fudge" played their last gig @ the "Action House" owned by their manager Phil Basile in March 1970.Tim remembers playing with both "Fudge" and "Cactus" at the same time, and by October-December 1969 "Cactus" was born and were in the studio to record their debut album which was rehearsed / recorded @ "Break-Out Studio and Ultra-Sonic Recording Studios completed sometime by February 1970 and released on July 1, 1970 mixed by Les Paul's son Gene Paul."Cactus" playing their 1st gig on May 16, 1970 with "The Steve Miller Band", "The Grateful Dead" and opening for "Jimi Hendrix" @ Temple Stadium / University Philadelphia PA(My home town)$6.50 tickets 200,000 fans.Tim remembers hurting his hand when playing their Mose Allison cover of "Parchman Farm" from their debut hitting the bass so hard trying to impress Jimi Hendrix.Producer / audio engineer Eddie Kramer(worked with "Led Zeppelin" "Jimi Hendrix" and on "Vanilla Fudge's" "Some Velvet Morning" on the 1969 album "Near The Beginning")remembers working with "Cactus" on the 2nd album "One Way...or Another", running cables to the bathrooms of the studio where they did the vocals.The 2nd album was recorded where Jimi Hendrix often recorded and even named his 3rd and final studio album "Electric Ladyland" released on October 16, 1968.Eddie also remembers the band SMOKIN' ALOT OF POT during the sessions."Feel So Bad" written by Chuck Willis. I played a combo of Jim McCarty's rhythm/lead guitar parts by ear with my own arrangements as well on my versions of the album. Since there are no Hal Leonard guitar tablature / manuscript books for "Cactus's" music / albums, I had to put myself in Jim's shoes and think if he had to overdub another guitar, what would be his approach? So I came up with these concepts after rehearsing and experimenting without over playing or under playing the compositions. After analyzing the very few photos we have of "Cactus" and some research from the credits inside the "Cactology The Cactus Collection" album released on April 23, 1996, looks like Jim was using a late '50's or early '60's Gibson Les Paul Standard in a Marshall(not sure what model or year)cabinet and head (stack) with an Ampeg "Scrambler" fuzz pedal which created "Hendrix" like SCREAMING overtones and a Wah-Wah. I used a combination of a couple different fuzz pedals to recreate the effect(info below on "My Gear").I have seen one photo of Jim playing a Gibson Les Paul Special or Jr. with P-90's but not sure when it was used, but I swear some songs it sounds like single coil pick ups like a Fender Stratocaster. No evidence though.Ladies Gentlemen this band is sharp, CACTUS! Cactus *Backing Vocals *Tim Bogert–bass lead vocals on "Rockout, Whatever You Feel Like" *Carmine Appice–drums percussion Jim McCarty–guitar *Rusty Day–lead vocals(but "Rockout, Whatever You Feel Like"), harmonica My Gear Gibson / Epiphone Les Paul Standard(Cactus Desert Cherry Sunburst) Roland Micro Cube GX AMP(Classic Stack Setting / Reverb Setting) Ernie Ball Coil Cable Vic Firth Headphones *Pedals in this order Fulltone BC-108C Fuzz Jim Dunlop Original Cry Baby Boss FZ-5 Fuzz (Octavia Setting) MXR Uni-Vibe Electro Harmonix Oceans 11 *Settings varied on certain songs / my recordings(Hall, Spring, Plate, Shim) Vanilla Fudge Live @ Levoy Theater Millville NJ September 30, 2022T
Album:One Way...or Another Released:February 24, 1971 Recorded:1970–1971 Studio:Electric Lady Studios, New York City, NY Genre:Hard rock, blues rock, heavy metal Label:Atco / Atlantic Producer:Cactus Founding members of "Cactus" and ex-members from "Vanilla Fudge" drummer Carmine Appice (from Brooklyn NY), and bassist Tim Bogert (from Ridgefield NJ) decided to take a break from the "psychedelic Fudge" seen and put together a "Cream" / "Led Zeppelin" oriented but AMERICAN HEAVY ROCK'N ROLL BLUES band. Their dream was to play with Jeff Beck(after hearing Jeff's 2nd album "Beck-Ola" released in June 1969)and in 1969 Carmine's friend from "Zeppelin" John Bonham said Jeff was interested in the collaboration, but after a car crash Jeff would not reunite with the 2 until December 1972 to record the 1 and only album "Beck, Bogert & Appice" released in 1973.Carmine remembers touring with "Vanilla Fudge" in 1969 in either Phoenix Arizona or Tucson, and seeing a drive in movie theater called "CACTUS" which inspired him for a band name after seeing the name up in lights.Carmine, Tim, & lead vocalist / harmonica / DRUMMER LOL Rusty Day(born Garden City Detroit Michigan)from Ted Nugent's "The Amboy Dukes" and guitarist / DRUMMER LOL Jim McCarty(born Detroit Michigan)from "Mitch Ryder and The Detroit Wheels" where Tim meet him in 1966 @ "Whisky a go-go" on Sunset Strip in California.Jim also played on Jimi Hendrix's "Band Of Gypsy" drummer Buddy Miles's albums "Expressway To Your Skull" debut released in 1968, "Electric Church" released 1969, and "Them Changes" released in 1970(All Co-produced / written by Jimi Hendrix).According to Carmine "Vanilla Fudge" played their last gig @ the "Action House" owned by their manager Phil Basile in March 1970.Tim remembers playing with both "Fudge" and "Cactus" at the same time, and by October-December 1969 "Cactus" was born and were in the studio to record their debut album which was rehearsed / recorded @ "Break-Out Studio and Ultra-Sonic Recording Studios completed sometime by February 1970 and released on July 1, 1970 mixed by Les Paul's son Gene Paul."Cactus" playing their 1st gig on May 16, 1970 with "The Steve Miller Band", "The Grateful Dead" and opening for "Jimi Hendrix" @ Temple Stadium / University Philadelphia PA(My home town)$6.50 tickets 200,000 fans.Tim remembers hurting his hand when playing their Mose Allison cover of "Parchman Farm" from their debut hitting the bass so hard trying to impress Jimi Hendrix.Producer / audio engineer Eddie Kramer(worked with "Led Zeppelin" "Jimi Hendrix" and on "Vanilla Fudge's" "Some Velvet Morning" on the 1969 album "Near The Beginning")remembers working with "Cactus" on the 2nd album "One Way...or Another", running cables to the bathrooms of the studio where they did the vocals.The 2nd album was recorded where Jimi Hendrix often recorded and even named his 3rd and final studio album "Electric Ladyland" released on October 16, 1968.Eddie also remembers the band SMOKIN' ALOT OF POT during the sessions."Feel So Bad" written by Chuck Willis. I played a combo of Jim McCarty's rhythm/lead guitar parts by ear with my own arrangements as well on my versions of the album. Since there are no Hal Leonard guitar tablature / manuscript books for "Cactus's" music / albums, I had to put myself in Jim's shoes and think if he had to overdub another guitar, what would be his approach? So I came up with these concepts after rehearsing and experimenting without over playing or under playing the compositions. After analyzing the very few photos we have of "Cactus" and some research from the credits inside the "Cactology The Cactus Collection" album released on April 23, 1996, looks like Jim was using a late '50's or early '60's Gibson Les Paul Standard in a Marshall(not sure what model or year)cabinet and head (stack) with an Ampeg "Scrambler" fuzz pedal which created "Hendrix" like SCREAMING overtones and a Wah-Wah. I used a combination of a couple different fuzz pedals to recreate the effect(info below on "My Gear").I have seen one photo of Jim playing a Gibson Les Paul Special or Jr. with P-90's but not sure when it was used, but I swear some songs it sounds like single coil pick ups like a Fender Stratocaster. No evidence though.Ladies Gentlemen this band is sharp, CACTUS! Cactus *Backing Vocals *Tim Bogert–bass lead vocals on "Rockout, Whatever You Feel Like" *Carmine Appice–drums percussion Jim McCarty–guitar *Rusty Day–lead vocals(but "Rockout, Whatever You Feel Like"), harmonica My Gear Gibson / Epiphone Les Paul Standard(Cactus Desert Cherry Sunburst) Roland Micro Cube GX AMP(Classic Stack Setting / Reverb Setting) Ernie Ball Coil Cable Vic Firth Headphones *Pedals in this order Fulltone BC-108C Fuzz Jim Dunlop Original Cry Baby Boss FZ-5 Fuzz (Octavia Setting) MXR Uni-Vibe Electro Harmonix Oceans 11 *Settings varied on certain songs / my recordings(Hall, Spring, Plate, Shim) Vanilla Fudge Live @ Levoy Theater Millville NJ September 30, 2022T