Article - Carmine dishes on getting fired from Ozzy's band.

[Andy]

It was practically snowing back stage - I'm surprised anyone remembers anything from those early Ozzy gigs.

I first (briefly) met Tommy on the 2nd Ozzy tour December 81 (with Randy Rhoads). I was doing some work with support act Girl & tour manager Pete Bennet. Tommy was fresh from working with Pat Travers, & kept himself away from most of the crazy stuff. This was the last date before Ozzy checked into another clinic. He was close to non functioning at that gig, but surprisingly turned in a reasonable gig performance.

 

[Bo Eder]

Wait, Carmine... didn't he play on all the Beatles records??

That was Bernard Purdie ?

 

[CommanderRoss]

Sharon may be shrewd, but she knows the business. If Carmine was being Carmine, then she made the right call for the sake of the tour & the future.
Like my quote says at the bottom, "You're never fired, you're just not asked to do the next thing" is the mantra of many a "side guy" like Tommy or any other hired gun.
You do what you're hired to do, get paid & get gone unless you're offered some extension.

Seems Carmine went the contract route & rightfully fought the breech of it by her. He'll not work around Sharon again, but I'm sure she fully expected him to do what he did.

 

[C.M. Jones]

I like Carmine, Tommy, Ozzy, and Sabbath, but I like Dio's solo work more than all of them combined.

 

[Xstr8edgtnrdrmrX]

I like Carmine, Tommy, Ozzy, and Sabbath, but I like Dio's solo work more than all of them combined.

funny that it almost seemed like the 2 Sabbath albums with Dio was Dio laying the foundation for what his own band would sound like...

Sabbath, the first 4 Ozzy albums, and the first 3 Dio albums all have the same place in my heart...they were HUGE in my formative years of deciding to be a musician for a career...lots of first through 8th grade daydreaming about being in band was buoyed by them and many others...

 

[DrumEatDrum]

That was Bernard Purdie ?

Yeah, but Carmine taught Purdie how to play drums. ?

 

[DrumEatDrum]

Sharon may be shrewd, but she knows the business.

I know Sharon gets a lot of flack rom fans for how she's treated various members of Ozzy's band over the years, but it's also clear every move had a reason behind it, as Ozzy's career has been very long and successful.

 

[jazzerooty]

I've never been a fan of either Carmine or Ozzie. Sorry about that. I've heard Carmine play well. But personally, he comes across as an unrepentant jackass.

 

[Bo Eder]

I've never been a fan of either Carmine or Ozzie. Sorry about that. I've heard Carmine play well. But personally, he comes across as an unrepentant jackass.

As does Keith Jarret from time to time ?

 

[Xstr8edgtnrdrmrX]

I know Sharon gets a lot of flack rom fans for how she's treated various members of Ozzy's band over the years, but it's also clear every move had a reason behind it, as Ozzy's career has been very long and successful.

I have always thought that post Sabbath, Ozzy's claims to fame were his guitar players and off stage antics...Ozzy himself was only ever an average singer. I personally never bought an Ozzy album for the vocals

 

[drummingbulldog]

I emailed Tommy once & said the usual complimentary stuff. I went on to say he was very influential in the same way Gadd or Bonzo were to a lot of people. He replied & thanked me but was so genuinely self depreciating. Humble is not the right word. When I met him at a clinic, same thing. Polar opposite of Carmine & his me train. Tommy, despite suffering through Ozzy & Sharon, would say he was there to play with Randy.

Carmine is a great drummer of his era & played with some great bands and influenced a lot of people. He is entitled to his opinion as am I. That said, I would take Bonzo, Tommy, Cozy & his brother Vinnie way before I took Carmine.

 

[gish]

I recognize Carmine’s status as a groundbreaking rock drummer and appreciate his contributions as a player and educator. But, it seems like he has to throw his supposed influence on Bonham into literally everything he says.

“Hey Carmine, nice weather today right?”
Carmine- “Yep beautiful day, but not as beautiful as the day I taught Bonham those bass drum triplets!”

 

[J-W]

It is kinda Purplish. Not as heavy though. Maybe Deep Purple Lite, or Diet Purple.

Violet?

 

[ToneT]

These days I prefer his brothers playing.

 

[gish]

These days I prefer his brothers playing.

Likewise.

 

[MrInsanePolack]

Violet?

Or lavender lol.

 

[J-W]

Or lavender lol.

I was going to say that, but I thought that would be more like the "Muzak" version of Deep Purple.

 

[PorkPieGuy]

That was Bernard Purdie ?

I thought it was Meg White.

 

[GetAgrippa]

What a minute a drummers diss anything or anybody ? that can't possibly be

 

[DrumEatDrum]

I have always thought that post Sabbath, Ozzy's claims to fame were his guitar players and off stage antics...Ozzy himself was only ever an average singer. I personally never bought an Ozzy album for the vocals

Well, that goes to my point.

The fact is, technically, Ozzy's not a great singer. The selling point is his aura, the overall vibe, and the perceived larger than life personality that comes through the music.

Hence why I think Sharon is always making changes to his backing band, to keep up the aura and vibe up and prevent it from going to stale as the musical landscape changes.