Tag Archives: Captain Beefheart and the Magic Band

Captain Beefheart: Clear Spot

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In October 1972, “Reprise” label released “Clear Spot”, the seventh Captain Beefheart and the Magic Band album. It was recorded in1972 at “Amigo Studios” in Los Angeles, and was produced by Ted Templeman and Don Van Vliet.

Personnel:
• Captain Beefheart (Don Van Vliet) – vocals, harmonica, “wings on Singabus”
• Zoot Horn Rollo (Bill Harkleroad) – guitar, slide guitar, mandolin
• Rockette Morton (Mark Boston) – guitar, bass
• Ed Marimba (Art Tripp) – drums, percussion
• Roy Estrada – bass
• Milt Holland – percussion
• Russ Titelman – guitar
• The Blackberries – backing vocals

Track listing:

All ltracks by Don Van Vliet.
1. Low Yo Yo Stuff
2. Nowadays a Woman’s Gotta Hit a Man
3. Too Much Time
4. Circumstances
5. My Head Is My Only House Unless It Rains
6. Sun Zoom Spark
7. Clear Spot
8. Crazy Little Thing
9. Long Neck Bottles
10. Her Eyes Are a Blue Million Miles
11. Big Eyed Beans from Venus
12. Golden Birdies

Captain Beefheart And The Magic Band: Doc At The Radar Station

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In August 1980, “Virgin” label released “Doc at the Radar Station”, the eleventh  Captain Beefheart and the Magic Band studio album. It was recorded in June 1980, at “Sound Castle Recording Studios” in Los Angeles, and was produced by Don Van Vliet. The album cover was painted by Don Van Vliet, and was ranked at number 49 on “Rolling Stone’s 100 Greatest Album Covers” list.

Personnel:

  • Captain Beefheart(Don Van Vliet) – vocals, Chinese gongs, harmonica, soprano saxophone, bass clarinet
  • John French– slide guitar, guitar, marimba, bass, drums
  • Jeff Moris Tepper– slide guitar, guitar, nerve guitar
  • Gary Lucas– guitar, French horn
  • Eric Drew Feldman– synthesizer, bass, mellotron, grand piano, electric piano
  • Robert Arthur Williams– drums
  • Bruce Lambourne Fowler– trombone

Track listing:

All tracks by Don Van Vliet.

  1. Hot Head
  2. Ashtray Heart
  3. A Carrot is as Close as a Rabbit Gets to a Diamond
  4. Run Paint Run Run
  5. Sue Egypt
  6. Brickbats
  7. Dirty Blue Gene
  8. Best Batch Yet
  9. Telephone
  10. Flavor Bud Living
  11. Sheriff of Hong Kong
  12. Making Love to a Vampire with a Monkey on My Knee

Captain Beefheart and the Magic Band: Unconditionally Guaranteed

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In April 1974, “Mercury” label released “Unconditionally Guaranteed”, the eighth Captain Beefheart and the Magic Band album. It was recorded in 1974, at “Hollywood Sound” in Los Angeles, and was produced by Andy DiMartino.

Personnel:

  • Captain Beefheart (Don Van Vliet) – vocals, harmonica
  • Alex St. Clair– guitar
  • Andy DiMartino – acoustic guitar
  • Zoot Horn Rollo(Bill Harkleroad) – guitar, glass finger guitar
  • Mark Marcellino – keyboards
  • Rockette Morton(Mark Boston) – bass
  • Art Tripp– drums, percussion
  • Del Simmons – tenor sax, flute

Track listing

All tracks by Don and Jan Van Vliet and Andy DiMartino.

  1. Upon the My-O-My
  2. Sugar Bowl
  3. New Electric Ride
  4. Magic Be
  5. Happy Love Song
  6. Full Moon, Hot Sun
  7. I Got Love on My Mind
  8. This is the Day]
  9. Lazy Music
  10. Peaches

Captain Beefheart and the Magic Band: The Spotlight Kid

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the_spotlight_kid

In January 1972, “Reprise” label released “The Spotlight Kid”, the sixth Captain Beefheart and the Magic Band album. It was recorded in 1971, and was produced by Don Van Vliet and Phil Schier.

Personnel:

  • Captain Beefheart (Don Van Vliet) – vocals, harmonica, jingle bells
  • Winged Eel Fingerling(Elliot Ingber) – guitar
  • Zoot Horn Rollo(Bill Harkleroad) – guitar, slide guitar
  • Rockette Morton(Mark Boston) – bass, guitar
  • Ed Marimba/Ted Cactus(Art Tripp) – drums, percussion,  marimba,  piano, harpsichord
  • Drumbo(John French) – drums, percussion
  • Rhys Clark– drums

Track listing:

All tracks by Don Van Vliet except where noted.

  1. I’m Gonna Booglarize You Baby
  2. White Jam
  3. Blabber in Smoke – Don Van Vliet, Jan Van Vliet
  4. When It Blows its Stacks
  5. Alice in Blunderland
  6. The Spotlight Kid
  7. Click Clack
  8. Grow Fins
  9. There Ain’t No Santa Claus on the Evenin’ Stage
  10. Glider

Captain Beefheart and the Magic Band: Lick My Decals Off, Baby

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captain_beefheart_-_lick_my_decals_off_baby

In December 1970, “Straight Records” label released “Lick My Decals Off, Baby”, the fourth Captain Beefheart and the Magic Band album. It was recorded May 1970, at “United Recording Corporation” in Hollywood, and was produced by Don Van Vliet.

Personnel:

  • Don Van Vliet (Captain Beefheart) — vocals, bass clarinet, tenor sax, soprano sax, harmonica, back cover painting
  • Zoot Horn Rollo— electric and glass finger guitar
  • Rockette Morton— bassius-o-pheilius
  • Drumbo— percussion, broom
  • Ed Marimba— marimba, percussion, broom
  • Peacock Ink — album concept
  • Ed Thrasher— art direction, photography

Track listing:

All tracks by Don Van Vliet.

  1. Lick My Decals Off, Baby
  2. Doctor Dark
  3. I Love You, You Big Dummy
  4. Peon
  5. Bellerin’ Plain
  6. Woe-is-uh-Me-Bop
  7. Japan in a Dishpan
  8. I Wanna Find a Woman That’ll Hold My Big Toe Till I Have to Go
  9. Petrified Forest
  10. One Red Rose That I Mean
  11. The Buggy Boogie Woogie
  12. The Smithsonian Institute Blues (or the Big Dig)
  13. Space-Age Couple
  14. The Clouds Are Full of Wine (not Whiskey or Rye)
  15. Flash Gordon’s Ape