In the late sixties, Mike Pinera and his group BLUES IMAGE
were co-founders and house band at THEE IMAGE, a Miami Beach concert venue they
opened and co-headlined on weekends. There Mike performed, met and jammed with
such artists as JERRY GARCIA & GRATEFUL DEAD, THE CREAM with ERIC CLAPTON,
THE YARDBIRDS with JIMMY PAGE, ERIC BURDON & THE ANIMALS, BLOOD SWEAT &
TEARS, FRANK ZAPPA & THE MOTHERS OF INVENTION, JIMI HENDRIX, THE DOORS,
JEFFERSON AIRPLANE, TED NUGENT & THE AMBOY DUKES. And many more.
Mike filmed and recorded many of these shows and received clearances to
distribute them. He and the BLUES IMAGE later moved
to Hollywood California playing local gigs and appeared in the movie PAINT YOUR
WAGON with CLINT EASTWOOD.
They soon signed with Atlantic Records where they had a major hit with RIDE
CAPTAIN RIDE which Mike co-wrote and sang.
From 1970 - 1972, Mike joined IRON
BUTTERFLY. Their hit IN A GADDA DA VIDA stayed on top of the charts for a
record-breaking 52 weeks earning them the first Platinum Record Award ever
given. Their tours with such bands as LED ZEPPELIN (as the opening band,) THE
DOORS, SANTANA, JIMI HENDRIX, THE WHO and others were legendary. Albums which
feature Pinera are METAMORPHOSIS, EVOLUTION, BEST OF and LIGHT & HEAVY.
Collectively, the IRON BUTTERFLY albums have sold over 50 million. Their song IN
A GADDA DA VIDA is in The Rock & Roll Hall Of Fame. It has gone on to sell
multi-platinum. They helped to make a new format for music, the contemporary
music video. The DVD, IN A GADDA DA VIDA on RHINO RECORDS featuring Pinera
singing "BUTTERFLY BLUE" is still a best seller today.
During this time Pinera helped discover and co-produce BLACK OAK ARKANSAS on
ATLANTIC RECORDS resulting in a million seller in less than a year, now
multi-platinum.
Beginning in 1973, Mike began producing and performing in concert events &
tours which he also recorded and filmed for television. Over thirty thousand
hours later, he continues to do today.
He and JIMI HENDRIX drummer MITCH MITCHELL formed the band RAMATAM. The group
was acclaimed as a cutting edge progressive rock band. The album RAMATAM on
Atlantic Records is considered to be a monumental highlight in Progressive Rock
history.
Pinera then joined CACTUS. The album NEW CACTUS BAND - SON OF CACTUS, was a
mixture of blues and boogie. Tours with TEN YEARS AFTER, EMERSON LAKE &
PALMER, ROD STEWART, AEROSMITH and others, sold out stadiums and arenas.
1979 Mike released his first solo album ISLA on Capricorn records and his
second, FOREVER on Spector / Capitol. Self-written and produced, he had a hit
single with the song GOODNIGHT MY LOVE. Tours with JOURNEY, TED NUGENT, BOB
SEGER and others were labled as "ground-breaking."
Pinera and and good buddy Nugent turned their nightly jamming at the shows into
“THE GUITAR BATTLE OF THE CENTURY.” It was an exciting blend of high energy
playing and audience participation. “Kind of like American Idol meets
World-Wide Wrestling” jokes Pinera.
In 1980, Mike joined up with long time pal ALICE COOPER. The albums he recorded
with Alice were SPECIAL FORCES and ZIPPER CATCHES FLESH. Pinera co-wrote with
Alice and helped produce a national TV Special for France called ALICE IN PARIS.
He would open some of the sold-out stadium concerts with his own MIKE PINERA
BAND then return to play in THE ALICE COOPER BAND.
Throughout the 80s, Pinera began creating and producing his solo concerts for
television. Selling CD's on TV and later DVD'S via infomercials, he helped to
create a new way of distributing music to the world via Direct Response TV
commercials.
Mike starred and co-produced the first anti-drug Rock Video Documentary,
PAINSCAPE, which is still shown in schools today.
He also began producing concert events for non-profit charities including DICK
CLARK'S AMERICAN MUSIC FOUNDATION, THE NATURAL HIGH FOUNDATION, HOLLYWOOD &
VINE SUBSTANCE ABUSE RECOVERY CENTER and HELP THE CHILDREN.
Mike co-headlined in the THIRTY YEARS OF ROCK AND ROLL tour. This highly
successful compilation tour ran for several years playing festivals, fairs,
theatres and stadiums. The show included some of the most popular rock acts in
history.
Pinera co-produced the show's Classic Rock Video in 3-D. It also featured for
the first time legendary classic artists appearing in film-style music videos
with Pinera.
Never before seen videos of Rock & Roll’s all-time biggest selling songs
like THE COASTER'S CHARLIE BROWN and YAKETY YAK, THE SURFARI'S WIPE OUT, HERMANS
HERMIT'S KIND OF HUSH and MRS. BROWN YOU'VE GOT A LOVELY DAUGHTER, TINY TIM'S
TIPTOE THROUGH THE TULIPS, THE MONKEES MICKY DOLENZ doing I’M A BELIEVER along
with PINERA performing RIDE CAPTAIN RIDE and IN A GADDA DA VIDA, were captured
for the first time with conceptual story lines, all in 3-D VISION.
In 1992, Mike formed the first Classic Rock Supergroup,THE
CLASSIC ROCK ALL-STARS. The band included lead singers and stars from
RARE EARTH, SUGARLOAF, THE HEADHUNTERS, THE MONKEES, SPENCER DAVIS, and himself.
The first show in Sarasota Florida, produced by Mike and Wally Devlin, also
featured THE TEMPTATIONS and was a benefit for Cerebral Palsy. Jamming that
night were pals from ALLMAN BROTHERS, MOODY BLUES and AC DC.
THE CLASSIC ROCK ALL-STARS continue to draw the
huge crowds today.
The New York Times had this to say:
"Mike Pinera, leading Classic Rock into the 21st Century."
