Black Dawn (album)

Cactus
Cactus in 1970 (Left to right: Tim Bogert, Rusty Day, Jim McCarty, & Carmine Appice).
Background information
Origin	Long Island, New York (original line-up); Longwood, Florida (1975-1979 line-up); Long Island, New York (present-day line-up);
Genres	Hard rock, blues rock, heavy metal
Years active	1969–1972 (original Cactus), 1975-1979 (Rusty Day's reformed Cactus), 2005–present (Current Cactus)
Labels	Atco, Atlantic
Associated acts	Vanilla Fudge, Mitch Ryder, The Detroit Wheels, Detroit, Ted Nugent, The Amboy Dukes, Wicked Lester, Leaf Hound, Jeff Beck, Beck, Bogert & Appice, Steve Gaines, Lynyrd Skynyrd, Rossington-Collins, .38 Special
Website	www.cactusrocks.net
Members	Carmine Appice Jim McCarty Jimmy Kunes Randy Pratt Pete Bremy
Past members	Rusty Day Tim Bogert Ron Leejack Peter French Werner Fritzsching Duane Hitchings Mike Pinera Roland Robinson Jerry Norris Bobby Caldwell Charlie Souza Steve Dansby John Sauter Gary Moffatt Elliot Dean Rubinson

Cactus is an American hard rock band formed in 1969. It is composed of 5 members, Jimmy Kunes as lead singer (2006-present), Jim McCarty on the guitar (1970-71, 2006-present), Carmine Appice on the drums. Pete Bremy on the bass and Randy Pratt on the harmonica

Cactus was initially conceived in late 1969 by former Vanilla Fudge members bassist Tim Bogert and drummer Carmine Appice after plans to team up with guitarist Jeff Beck were scuppered when Beck had an automobile accident and was out of the music scene 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 (born Russell Edward Davidson) from The Amboy Dukes.

This line-up released three albums on Atco Records, Cactus (1970), One Way... or Another (1971), and Restrictions (1971), before intraband troubles led to McCarty quitting at the end of 1971. Day was fired from the group shortly afterwards. The fourth and last original 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's dissolution in 1972, Bogert and Appice finally joined with Beck to form Beck, Bogert & Appice. After one studio album, the self-titled 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 Theatre in London on January 26, 1974.