1) 1960s s… Read Full Bio ↴There are several musical projects under the name Cactus:
1) 1960s supergroup
2) A Bengali Rock Band from Kolkata, India
3) 8 piece ska band from Brisbane, Australia
4) a psytrance artist
5) Noise/Drone from San Francisco.
6) A Norwegian rock band with screamo elements.
1) The plan was for the Vanilla Fudge rhythm section of bassist Tim Bogert and drummer Carmine Appice to join with guitar god Jeff Beck and his singer Rod Stewart in a supergroup of sorts in the fall of 1969. The plan was derailed when Beck had an automobile accident that incapacitated him for the next 18 months. Stewart then joined pal Ron Wood in the revamped Faces (and pursued a somewhat lucrative solo career), leaving Bogert and Appice to find alternates for their dream band. They recruited guitarist Jim McCarty from Mitch Ryder's Detroit Wheels, Ted Nugent's Amboy Dukes and The Buddy Miles Express, and singer Rusty Day from Ted Nugent's Amboy Dukes.
This line-up managed three albums (Cactus, One Way... Or Another, and Restrictions) before interband troubles led to Jim McCarty quitting at the end of 1971. Shortly afterwards Rusty Day was fired from the group. The fourth and last Cactus album ('Ot 'N' Sweaty) featured original rhythm section Bogart and Appice joined by Werner Fritzschings on guitar, Duane Hitchings on keyboards and Peter French on vocals.
After Cactus' dissolution in 1972, Bogert and Appice finally joined with Beck to form Beck, Bogert & Appice. After one studio album (the self titled Beck, Bogart & Appice) and one live album (Live In Japan, 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.
The New Cactus Band, led by Duane Hitchings, released one album (Son Of Cactus) and featured no original Cactus members. Mike Pinera, formerly of Blues Image and Iron Butterfly, came in on guitar, along with Roland Robinson on bass and Jerry Norris on drums. The New Cactus Band soon disbanded.
In the late 70s Rusty Day formed a new version of Cactus in North Florida, where he had relocated. This version of Cactus featured Steve Dansby on guitar, John Sauter on bass, and Gary Moffatt on drums. There are no known studio recordings from this era, though live recordings do circulate.
After a long hiatus Cactus unexpectedly emerged in June 2006 with two appearances in New York City: a radio appearance on 92.3 Free FM, and their first show since 1972 at B.B. King's Blues Club in Times Square. This show was a warm up for the gig which sparked the reunion, an appearance at the Sweden Rock Festival in Norje, Sweden. The 2006 version of Cactus sees original members Carmine Appice, Tim Bogart, and Jim McCarty reunited and joined by Jimmy Kunes on vocals. Randy Pratt joined the band in NYC and Sweden on harmonica.
Discography
Studio albums
Cactus (1970)
One Way...Or Another (1971)
Restrictions (1971)
'Ot 'N' Sweaty (1972)
Cactus V (2006)
Black Dawn (2016)
Tightrope (2021)
Live albums
Ultra Sonic Boogie (2010)
Do Not Kick Against The Pricks (2012
Tokyo Nights 2012 (2013)
Compilation albums
Cactology: The Cactus Collection (1996)
Barely Contained: The Studio Sessions (2CD, 2004)
Fully Unleashed: The Live Gigs (2004)
Fully Unleashed: The Live Gigs Vol. 2 (2007)
2)
A Bengali Rock Band from Kolkata, India, Cactus was formed in 1992. Inspired by the likes of Deep Purple, Pink Floyd, Led Zeppelin, Iron Maiden and many others, they started the journey with the purpose of doing rock n' roll in a language closer to our soil, thereby expanding the vistas and erasing all existing limitations. Cactus went on to become the first ever professional Bangla rock band. ( Prior to them rock already existed in Bangladesh and Cactus started doing music as modern bangla song. There music turned towards rock at a much later stage after Fossils and Lakkhichhara had already done rock music in bengali)
The professional debut of the band saw the light of the day on March 6, 1993, at Aban Mahal (CLT), Kolkata.
3)
Cactus was also an 8 piece ska band from Brisbane, Australia. They focused on writing songs that made no sense. They often practiced in the trumpeters basement and often played at birthday parties for the ska kids. After 3 years they broke up, rock and roll style, whilst playing for a friends 21st.
4)
Cactus is also the name of a psytrance artist
5)
Noise/Drone from San Francisco.
6)
A Norwegian rock band with screamo elements.
Alaska
Cactus Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
The home of the penguin, the walrus and Aurora Borealas, oh yes
See my baby's heart is frozen she just don't treat me nice
I'm gonna search out Santa Clause and ask his advice
When I get up to Alaska maybe someone there'll treat me right
I will build me an igloo live alone in my dome of blues
Buy me a low-mileage dogsled and some alligator snow shoes
I had to practice my harp to keep the polar bears away
Way up in Alaska where the whales and the eskimos play
If I got sun I'd be better, man I'd be warm right now, right now
But my soul's condemned to shivers 'cause she thinks I've been running around
So I sit here cryin' tears freeze to my face
If it gets any colder, I'll be frozen in place
In rock hard Alaska, you're gonna be my home
Way up to Alaska where the ground here is solid ice
Way up here in Alaska you know the ground here is solid ice
Had to leave my woman 'cause her heart is so cold
When I get back from the north pole I'll defrost her soul
Way up in Alaska maybe some day I'll treat you right
The song “Alaska” by Cactus tells the story of a man who is disillusioned by his love life and decides to leave his hometown to start afresh in Alaska. The singer plans to build himself an igloo, live there alone, and search for happiness in the land of Aurora Borealas, snowy landscapes, and marine creatures such as the whales and the eskimos. He feels that his lady love's heart is frozen, and she doesn't treat him right. In the hopes of getting some advice to mend his relationship, he decides to look up Santa Claus. The lyrics evoke images of loneliness, despair, and the harsh reality of being caught in a loveless relationship. As he embarks on his journey to Alaska, the character is hopeful that he might find someone there who will treat him better.
The song’s lyrics are characteristic of the classic rock genre of the early 70s. The instrumentation is bluesy, with heavy riffs and solos. The singer's raw voice and deliverance give it an authentic feel. The lyrics are simple, yet they successfully convey the emotions of the character, portraying a genuine sense of isolation and the desperation to escape from the mundane. The song also indirectly draws attention to Alaska's unique ecological landscape, a characteristic of Cactus's songwriting. It's no surprise that "Alaska" is now an iconic rock classic with a life of it's own.
Line by Line Meaning
Goin' to Alaska where the water runs like glass
Heading to a place where the water flows smoothly
The home of the penguin, the walrus and Aurora Borealas, oh yes
Alaska is a place where animals like penguin, walrus and aurora borealis reside
See my baby's heart is frozen she just don't treat me nice
Facing an issue in the relationship where his partner is cold and unaffectionate
I'm gonna search out Santa Clause and ask his advice
Planning to seek guidance and advice from Santa Claus himself
When I get up to Alaska maybe someone there'll treat me right
Hopeful to find someone who would treat him right in Alaska
I will build me an igloo live alone in my dome of blues
Planning to build an igloo and live alone in a state of sadness
Buy me a low-mileage dogsled and some alligator snow shoes
Buying a dogsled and unique alligator snow shoes for his Alaska travel
I hear six months a year you get night time all day
Being informed that for half a year Alaska experiences daytime darkness
I had to practice my harp to keep the polar bears away
Practising harp to keep away the polar bears in Alaska
Way up in Alaska where the whales and the eskimos play
Alaska is a place where one can see whales and eskimos living and having fun
If I got sun I'd be better, man I'd be warm right now, right now
Wishing to have the sun and warmth for betterment and comfort
But my soul's condemned to shivers 'cause she thinks I've been running around
His partner suspects him of cheating, which has left his soul shivering
So I sit here cryin' tears freeze to my face
Sitting and crying, and his tears freeze to his face due to the extreme cold
If it gets any colder, I'll be frozen in place
Scared of freezing in place if it gets any colder in Alaska
In rock hard Alaska, you're gonna be my home
Considering Alaska as a permanent home
Way up to Alaska where the ground here is solid ice
In reference to the frozen nature of Alaska's ground
Had to leave my woman 'cause her heart is so cold
Left his partner because of her cold and unloving nature
When I get back from the north pole I'll defrost her soul
Planning to melt his partner's ice-cold heart when returning from a trip to the North Pole
Way up in Alaska maybe someday I'll treat you right
Hoping to treat his partner right in the future if they reunite in Alaska
Contributed by Maya T. Suggest a correction in the comments below.