Mike Pinera

Carlos Michael Pinera (September 29, 1948 – November 20, 2024) was an American guitarist, singer, songwriter and producer who started professionally in the late 1960s with the group Blues Image, which had a number 4 hit in 1970 with their song "Ride Captain Ride". After the breakup of that group, he joined Iron Butterfly, and later formed the group Ramatam. Pinera was then the founding member of the band New Cactus, a later incarnation of the band Cactus. He was the lead guitarist for Alice Cooper from 1980 to 1982.

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, playing with such groups as Cream, Grateful Dead, the Yardbirds, The Animals, Frank Zappa and many more. Blues Image soon signed with Atlantic Records where they scored the major hit "Ride Captain Ride" (1970), which Pinera co-wrote and sang.

Pinera joined Iron Butterfly in 1970, and recorded the album Metamorphosis. He was one of the first guitarists to use the "Guitar Talk Box" which is featured on the song "Butterfly Bleu", which was written by Pinera. The album reached the top 20 and has achieved multi-platinum status.

In 1972, Pinera and Jimi Hendrix's drummer Mitch Mitchell formed the band Ramatam on Atlantic Records, and was produced by Tom Dowd, who was quoted as saying this album was one of his all time favorites.

In 1973, Pinera helped form The New Cactus Band. The New Cactus Band consisted of Mike Pinera (vocals/guitar), Duane Hitchings (keyboards), Roland Robinson (bass) and Jerry Norris (drums). They recorded the album, Son of Cactus, on Atlantic Records. In 1975, he formed the band Thee Image and they recorded two albums on Manticore Records, Thee Image and Inside the Triangle, both produced by Pinera.

Biography summary from English Wikipedia, photograph via Wikimedia Commons.