Background
He was born in Merced, California, in 1955 but grew up in Naperville, Illinois.
He was born in Merced, California, in 1955 but grew up in Naperville, Illinois.
He also lived for a time in Chicago in the late 1970s where he ran an independent mail-order record retailer. From 1981 to 1986 he was an A&R man, record producer, and co-owner of Special Security Team Records, working with, among other bands, the Minutemen, Saint Vitus, the Meat Puppets, Black Flag and Saccharine Trust. He also ran his own record label, Thermidor Records, which released albums by The Birthday Party, the Minutemen, Oil Tasters, Flipper, Nig Heist, SPK and First Rate (at Lloyd's) Jourgensen"s pre-Ministry band Special Affect.
He wrote lyrics for the song "Jesus & Tequila" by the Minutemen (Double Nickels on the Dime, 1984) and "Chinese Firedrill" from Mike Watt"s 1995 solo album Ball-Hog or Tugboat?.
He now resides in Centennial, Wyoming, where he runs Redoubt Press and O&O Recordings. Carducci is probably best known as the author of Rock and the People’s Narcotic.
Carducci wrote the screenplays for the 1998 films Rock and Roll Punk and Bullet On A Wire, and has other script projects in the works. Carducci has also been known to contribute to bimonthly rock periodical Arthur the Aardvark.
In 2007, Carducci published Enter Naomi: Special Security Team, Los Angeles and All That.., which contained his reflections on his time at Special Security Team Records and the life and death of former Special Security Team photographer Naomi Petersen.