Why Carmine Appice played the drums in Pink Floyd’s “Dogs of War”

Carmine Appice was born in New York City in 1946 and started his career in 1966 first achieving fame as a member of Vanilla Fudge. In the following decades the American musician worked with many other artists like Jeff Beck, Paul Stanley, Rod Stewart, Ted Nugent and more.

Another famous group he worked with was curiously Pink Floyd. The musician was invited to play in the track “Dogs of War” released on their 1987 album “A Momentary Lapse of Reason”. But why was Carmine Appice invited to the play on the track?

Why Carmine Appice played the drums in the Pink Floyd song “Dogs of War”

“A Momentary Lapse of Reason” released in 1987 was the first Pink Floyd member after the band’s co-founder, bassist and singer Roger Waters left. It’s in that album that the band released the track “Dogs of War” written by the songwriter Anthony Moore.

Nick Mason didn’t play in that track and it wasn’t the first time that another drummer took his spot in the studio. As Carmine told North Coast Music Beat in 2021, the producer Bob Ezrin told him that at the time Mason “calluses” were soft because he’s been racing his Ferrari. and the band also wanted to get some “new blood” for the record.

“I got a message from Bob Ezrin. He left a message and said he’s producing a band that is just gleaning for Carmine drum fills. I called Bob and said ‘Hey Bob, who’s the band?’ He said, ‘Pink Floyd.’ I said, ‘Pink Floyd? Where’s Nick?’ He said,’Oh, he’ll be there.’ I said, ‘Why isn’t he playing?’ He said, ‘Well, his calluses are soft. He’s been racing his Ferrari’s. They (also) want to get some new blood.’”

He continued:

“So I went in and spent the day with them. But I never got to hear the finished product until it came out. I played to a four-track and I filled up I don’t know how many fifteen minute reel to reels. There were a lot of drums on there. I would call him up and say ‘How’s the drum part?’ He would say, ‘wonderful, fantastic, unbelievable!'” Carmine Appice said.

During the same conversation the drummer recalled that he only heard the record after it was released. He was in the middle of the shooting of the movie “Black Roses” in Canada when he heard the news that the album had been released.

So he went to a mall, bought a cassette tape and listened to on his walkman. He also recalled that he saw them on tour not long after. Carmine thought it was funny to see Nick Mason trying to play his drum parts.

He said he didn’t changed his style playing for Pink Floyd

Although a session drummer usually needs to play the way the producer and the band wants many times, Carmine didn’t need to change his style for the track. Bob Ezrin said the track needed his signature drum fills.

“If you listen to the track, ’Dogs of War,’ I’m all over it. I mean, I’m drum-filling out like crazy on it. And that’s what he wanted. So even with Pink Floyd, I didn’t have to change my style. You know, when I played with Jeff Beck and Stanley Clarke, I didn’t change my style for that either,” Carmine Appice told V13 in 2019.

Curiously Carmine already knew the Pink Floyd members since the late 60s. Vanilla Fudge shared the same bill with them many times.