Cactus 1970 - 1974

Cactus was originally conceived in 1969 by Vanilla Fudge members bassist Tim Bogert, and drummer Carmine Appice after plans to team up with guitarist Jeff Beck fell through when Beck had an automobile accident and was out of the music business for over a year.
In early 1970, Bogert and Appice brought in blues guitarist Jim McCarty from Mitch Ryder's Detroit Wheels and the Buddy Miles Express, and singer Rusty Day from The Amboy Dukes.

The lineup produced three albums: Cactus (1970), One Way... or Another (1971), and Restrictions (1971), before intraband troubles led to McCarty quitting at the end of 1971. Shortly afterwards, Day was fired from the group. The fourth and final Cactus album Ot 'N' Sweaty (1972) featured original rhythm section Bogert and Appice joined by Werner Fritzschings on guitar, Duane Hitchings on keyboards and Peter French (ex-Leaf Hound and Atomic Rooster) on vocals.

After Cactus' dissolution in 1972, Bogert and Appice joined with Jeff Beck to form Beck, Bogert, & Appice. After one studio album: Beck, Bogert, & Appice (1973), and one live album: Beck, Bogert, & Appice Live in Japan (1973, released only in Japan) the band dissolved. Their second album remains unreleased to this day, along with recordings of the band's last concert at the Rainbow Theater in London on January 24, 1974.