Greg Schmitt of WESU's syndicated radio show Noize In The Attic recently spoke with drum legends Carmine and Vinny Appice. Together they discuss Carmine's history and renewed involvement with Vinnie Vincent, Vinny's relationship with John Lennon and much more!
Carmine: When I heard him with Vinnie Vincent Invasion, it wasn't the same Vinnie. It was like - I don't know what he was trying to be, like an Yngwie or something... He's beyond that. He's a much better player than that. He's like John Sykes. John Sykes can play all that stuff, but you don't play it all the time. You mix that up with a bit of blues and soul, and just great rock & roll like Jeff Beck or Clapton or those kind of guys. And he can play that stuff. So, when I heard that album, and the mix and guitar was was so loud you couldn't even hear the rest of the band, so I was a little disappointed in that album, ya know?
I said, 'You can still play like you used to play? Like I know you can play. Usually you don't lose it.' He goes, "No, I didn't lose it,' he said. 'I had a guitar in my hand every day; even when I was gone."
Vinny on playing with John Lennon: 'We're rehearsing, John walks in, watches us play, he sits down on a step... And he started hanging out with us. We're playing pool with him, and smoking joints and stuff. He always wanted coke, though. We didn't have coke... So we would up doing three videos with him … And then we did a live gig he asaked us to do. And then I found out a couple of years ago that was his last live gig. Ever.'
Listen to the full interview here: (starts at 12 minutes)
