Drummer Carmine Appice gave an interview to North Coast Music Beat during which he remembered the time when he replaced Pink Floyd‘s drummer Nick Mason.
Although Pink Floyd’s Nick Mason is the only constant member of the band since its formation in 1965, and the only member to be featured on every one of their albums, it seems he didn’t play drums on every song. Throughout the band’s career, Andy Newmark and Carmine Appice also appeared in Pink Floyd’s songs.
Throughout his music career, Carmine Appice has worked with a great number of musicians and has influenced many famous drummers in the rock music scene. Along with other musicians he worked with, he also recorded with Pink Floyd back in the late 1980s for their ‘The Dogs Of War’ from ‘A Momentary Lapse Of Reason.’
In the interview by North Coast Music Beat, Carmine Appice recalled the time he recorded with Pink Floyd. He said that Bob Ezrin called him to fill in for Nick Mason, and it turned out that Mason, a car enthusiast, was racing his Ferraris at that time, and the band needed new blood. So, Appice joined them in the studio and recorded hours and hours until they finished.
Following that, Appice said that he began waiting to see the outcome, but every time he called Bob Ezrin, he only gave him a one-word answer. As Appice recalls, at the time when the drummer was in Canada for the film ‘Black Roses,’ Pink Floyd released the album ‘A Momentary Lapse Of Reason,’ and he had a chance to listen to the song.
According to Appice, he went to a mall and found the record store, then bought a cassette. After that, he put it on his walkman to listen to it. During the conversation, the iconic drummer stated that he was blown away by the moment he heard the song. So, as it seems, Appice was quite pleased with the result.
In the interview, Carmine Appice recalled the time he recorded with Pink Floyd as:
“I got a message from Bob Ezrin. I came home, it was a message on those little tape machines that you take your message at home. He said ‘Carl, my name is Bob Ezrin, and I’m producing the band that’s screaming for Carmine drum fills.’ I said okay, so I called Bob. I said ‘Hey, Bob, who’s the band?’ ‘The Pink Floyd.’
I said ‘Pink Floyd? Where’s Nick?’ He said ‘Oh, he’ll be there.’ I said ‘So, why isn’t he playing?’ He said ‘Well, his callouses are soft, he’s been racing his Ferraris. They want to get some new blood.’ I said ‘Wow, sure. Sounds good, I’m looking to do it.’
I went in and spent the day with them, and I never got to hear the finished product until it came out. I don’t know, I played 24-track tape, and I filled up I don’t know how many 15 minute reel-to-reels, maybe four or five. So, we had a lot of drums on there. Every time I called him, I said ‘Can I hear the drum part? How is it?’ He went ‘Wonderful, fantastic.’ Next week, ‘Fantastic, unbelievable.’ Every week it was another one-word answer.”
He continued:
“So, finally, I was up in Canada doing a movie called ‘Black Roses.’ I was in the movie, and we did the soundtrack. I heard the Pink Floyd album was released, I said ‘Wow!’ In Canada, they have those malls under the ground because it’s so cold there, so I went downstairs in the underground mall, I found the record store, and I bought a cassette. I put it on my walkman, and I heard it and was blown away. I said ‘Wow, a great drum part!’
Then I saw them on that tour, and I saw Nick trying to play my drum parts. There was a big tv show and a big stadium show they did, and they played ‘Dogs Of War.’ I said ‘Ah, this is funny, man. Nick Mason trying to play Carmine.'”
Below, you can watch the interview and listen to Pink Floyd’s ‘The Dogs Of War.’
