Beck, Bogert, Appice

Although the all-star power trio of guitarist <a href="spotify:artist:0AD4odMWVQ2wUSlgxOB5Rl">Jeff Beck</a>, bassist <a href="spotify:artist:1FutnfJOtsTB8mG0zb7Omm">Tim Bogert</a>, and drummer <a href="spotify:artist:0kjCvirhAHq3JMex6bqEBZ">Carmine Appice</a> discussed a potential collaboration as early as 1970, the project was put on the back burner after Beck suffered a fractured skull in an automobile wreck. With the guitarist on the sidelines for well over a year, <a href="spotify:artist:1FutnfJOtsTB8mG0zb7Omm">Bogert</a> and <a href="spotify:artist:0kjCvirhAHq3JMex6bqEBZ">Appice</a> -- who'd previously played in <a href="spotify:artist:0vIMq3W8V63uR4Ymgm2pF1">Vanilla Fudge</a> -- opted instead to form <a href="spotify:artist:0GLvcqWIueXNjv3212pJAj">Cactus</a> with singer Rusty Day and guitarist <a href="spotify:artist:2D6BpRpkYqaqViDpT4ot2y">Jim McCarty</a>, issuing a series of boogie rock LPs for <a href="spotify:search:label%3A%22Atlantic%22">Atlantic</a> before dissolving. Following his recovery, Beck founded a new incarnation of his Jeff Beck Group, releasing a pair of albums before disbanding the project in 1972; with <a href="spotify:artist:1FutnfJOtsTB8mG0zb7Omm">Bogert</a> and <a href="spotify:artist:0kjCvirhAHq3JMex6bqEBZ">Appice</a> again available, the threesome immediately set to work on recording, issuing Beck, Bogert & Appice to solid sales in 1973. A much sought-after live album was subsequently issued in Japan only. While working on a second studio effort, the famously mercurial Beck abruptly dissolved the trio in early 1974. Though they played several reunions, they never officially got back together.

In September 2023, following Beck's unexpected death several months earlier, a four-disc concert retrospective titled Live 1973 & 1974 was issued by <a href="spotify:search:label%3A%22Rhino%22">Rhino</a>. Beck and <a href="spotify:artist:0kjCvirhAHq3JMex6bqEBZ">Appice</a> remixed tapes of two complete shows: Japan in '73 (the aforementioned extremely limited edition above), and a gig from London's Rainbow Theater in '74 just before the split. The latter contained live versions of songs that were to be included on the trio's the abandoned second album. ~ Jason Ankeny, Rovi