Tag Archives: Captain Beefheart

Frank Zappa & The Mothers Of Invention: Bongo Fury

Leave a comment

bongo_fury

On October 2, 1975, “DiscReet” label released “Bongo Fury” the twenty first Frank Zappa and the Mothers of Invention album. The live parts were recorded on May 20 and 21, 1975, at the “Armadillo World Headquarters”  in Austin, Texas, and studio tracks were recorded in January 1975. “Bongo Fury” was the last original Frank Zappa album on which the band name “The Mothers of Invention was used.

Personnel:

  • Frank Zappa – vocals, lead guitar
  • Captain Beefheart – vocals, harp, shopping bags
  • Denny Walley – vocals, slide guitar
  • George Duke – vocals, keyboards
  • Tom Fowler– bass
  • Terry Bozzio– drums, moisture
  • Chester Thompson– drums
  • Napoleon Murphy Brock – vocals, saxophone
  • Bruce Fowler– trombone
  • Robert “Frog” Camarena– vocals
  • Michael Braunstein – engineer
  • Frank Hubach – engineer
  • Kelly Kotera – engineer
  • Kerry McNabb – engineer
  • Davey Moire – engineer
  • Bob Stone – engineer
  • Mike Stone– engineer
  • Cal Schenkel– design
  • John Williams – photography

Track listing:

All tracks by Frank Zappa, except where noted.

  1. Debra Kadabra
  2. Carolina Hard-Core Ecstasy
  3. Sam with the Showing Scalp Flat Top – Don Van Vliet
  4. Poofter’s Froth Wyoming Plans Ahead
  5. 200 Years Old
  6. Cucamonga
  7. Advance Romance
  8. Man with the Woman Head – Don Van Vliet
  9. Muffin Man

Captain Beefheart And His Magic Band: Trout Mask Replica

Leave a comment

Captain_Beefheart_And_His_Magic_Band_-_Trout_Mask_Replica

On June 16, 1969, “Straight” label released “Trout Mask Replica”, the third Captain Beefheart and his Magic Band album. It was recorded August 1968 – March 1969, at “Sunset Sound Recorders” and “Whitney Studios” in Los Angeles, and was produced by Frank Zappa. The album is highly regarded as one of the most influential albums in the history of the 20th century. ”Rolling Stone” magazine ranked “Trout Mask Replica” at number 60 on its list of the “500 Greatest Albums of All Time”.

Personnel

  • Captain Beefheart (Don Van Vliet) – vocals, bass clarinet, soprano and tenor saxophone
  • Frank Zappa – speakin voice
  • Zoot Horn Rollo – guitar, flute
  • Antennae Jimmy Semens – lead vocals, guitar
  • Doug Moon – acoustic guitar
  • Don Preston – piano
  • Rockette Morton – narration, bass guitar
  • Cal Schenkel – bass guitar, narrator, design, photography
  • Roy Estrada – bass guitar
  • Gary Marker – bass guitar
  • Drumbo (John French) – speaking voice, drums, percussion
  • Arthur Tripp III – drums
  • Ian Underwood – alto saxophone
  • Bunk Gardner – tenor saxophone
  • Buzz Gardner – trumpet
  • The Mascara Snake – vocals, bass clarinet
  • Dick Kunc – effects, engineer
  • Ed Caraeff – photography

Track listing

All tracks by Don Van Vliet

  1. Frownland
  2. The Dust Blows Forward’n the Dust Blows Back
  3. Dachau Blues
  4. Ella Guru
  5. Hair pie: Bake 1
  6. Moonlight on Vermont
  7. Pachuco Cadaver
  8. Bills Corpse
  9. Sweet Sweet Bulbs
  10. Neon Meate Dream of a Octafish
  11. China Pig
  12. My Human Gets Me Blues
  13. Dali’s Car
  14. Hair Pie: Bake 2
  15. Pena
  16. Well
  17. When Big Joan Sets Up
  18. Fallin Ditch
  19. Sugar’n’Spikes
  20. Ant Man Bee
  21. Orange Claw Hammer
  22. Wild life
  23. She’s Too Much for My Mirror
  24. Hobo Chang Ba
  25. The Blimp
  26. Steal Softly Thru Snow
  27. Old Fart at Play
  28. Veteran’s Day Poppy

Captain Beefheart

Leave a comment

On December 17, 2010, Don Van Vliet aka Captain Beefheart died aged 69. He was singer, songwriter, musician (harmonica, saxophone, wind instruments) and producer, best known as a leader and frontman of the ensemble called “Magic Band”. Don Van Vliet was friend and collaborator with Frank Zappa. His 1969 album “Trout Mask Replica”, was ranked 58th in the “Rolling Stone” magazine’s 2003 list of the “500 greatest albums of all time”. Captain Beefheart was regarded as “one of modern music’s true innovators”.

Frank Zappa: Hot Rats

Leave a comment

Hot Rats

On October 10, 1969, “Bizarre” label released “Hot Rats”, the first  Frank Zappa album. It was recorded July- August 1969, at the “T.T.G” and “Sunset Sound” in Los Angeles, “Whitney Studios” in Glendale, and was produced by Frank Zappa.

Personnel

  • Frank Zappa– guitar, octave bass, percussion
  • Captain Beefheart– vocals
  • Lowell George– rhythm guitar
  • Ian Underwood – piano, Organus Maximus, saxophones, flute, clarinets
  • Max Bennett– bass
  • Shuggie Otis– bass
  • Ron Selico – drums
  • Paul Humphrey– drums
  • John Guerin– drums
  • Don “Sugarcane” Harris– violin
  • Jean-Luc Ponty– violin

All tracks by Frank Zappa.

  1. Peaches en Regalia
  2. Willie the Pimp
  3. Son of Mr. Green Genes
  4. Little Umbrellas
  5. The Gumbo Variations
  6. It must be a Camel

Captain Beeheart And His Magic Band: Safe As Milk

Leave a comment

Safe_as_Milk

On September 25, 1967, “Buddah” label released “Safe as Milk”, the debut Captain Beefheart and his Magic Band album. It was recorded in April 1967, at the “RCA Studios” in Los Angeles, and was produced by Richard Perry and Bob Krasnow.

Personnel:

  • Don Van Vliet– vocals, bass marimba, harmonica, arrangements, theremin
  • Ry Cooder– guitar, slide guitar, bass, percussion, arrangements
  • Alex St. Clair Snouffer– guitar, bass, percussion, backing vocals
  • Russ Titelman– guitar
  • Taj Mahal– tambourine, percussion
  • Jerry Handley – bass, backing vocals
  • Milt Holland– log drum, tambourine, percussion
  • John French– drums, percussion, backing vocals
  • Samuel Hoffman– theremin

All tracks by Herb Bermann and Don Van Vliet except where noted.

  1. Sure ‘Nuff ‘n Yes I Do
  2. Zig Zag Wanderer
  3. Call on Me
  4. Dropout Boogie
  5. I’m Glad
  6. Electricity
  7. Yellow Brick Road
  8. Abba Zaba
  9. Plastic Factory – Van Vliet, Herb Bermann, Jerry Handley
  10. Where There’s Woman
  11. Grown So Ugly – Robert Pete Williams
  12. Autumn’s Child

J. J. Cale

Leave a comment

On July 26, 2015, John Weldon Cale aka J.J. Cale, died aged 74. He was  musician (guitar), singer and songwriter, regarded as one of the originators of the “Tulsa Sound”, a style based on blues, country, rockabilly, and jazz. His unique singing and guitar playing style influenced big number of music artists including Mark Knopfler, Neil Young, and Eric Clapton who described him as “one of the most important artists in the history of rock”. Songs composed by Cale have been recorded by many famous artists including Eric Clapton, Lynyrd Skynyrd, John Mayer, Johnny Cash, Bobby Bare, Jerry Garcia, Waylon Jennings, Dr. Hook, Captain Beefheart, Freddie King, Beck, Lucinda Williams, Iron and Wine, Ben Bridwell, and Asha Puthli.

Frank Zappa and the Mothers of Invention: One Size Fits All

Leave a comment

One_Size_Fits_All

On June 25, 1975, “DiscReat” label released “One Size Fits All” , the tenth and the final Frank Zappa and the Mothers of Invention album. It was recorded August 1974 – April 1975, at “Record Plant Studios” , “Paramount Studios” in Los Angeles and “Caribou Ranch” in  Nederland, CO, and was produced by Frank Zappa.

Personnel

  • Frank Zappa – lead and backing vocals, guitar
  • George Duke– lead and backing vocals, keyboards, synthesizer
  • Napoleon Murphy Brock– lead and backing vocals, flute, tenor saxophone
  • Johnny “Guitar” Watson– vocals
  • Captain Beefheart (credited as ‘Bloodshot Rollin’ Red’) – harmonica
  • Tom Fowler– bass guitar
  • James “Bird Legs” Youman – bass guitar
  • Ruth Underwood– marimba, vibraphone, percussion
  • Chester Thompson– drums, sound effects, voices

Track listing

All tracks by Frank Zappa.

  1. Inca Roads
  2. Can’t Afford no Shoes
  3. Sofa no.1
  4. Po-Jama People
  5. Florentine Pogen
  6. Evelyn, a Modified Dog
  7. San Berdino
  8. Andy
  9. Sofa no.2

Captain Beefheart: Sun Zoom Spark: 1970 to 1972

Leave a comment

Captain Beefheart Box Set

On November 17, 2014, “Rhino” label released “Sun Zoom Spark: 1970 to 1972”, Captain Beefheart limited edition four-disc boxed set. It includes new remastered versions of: “Lick my decals off”, “Baby”, “The Spotlight kid”, Clear spot” plus disc of unreleased outtakes. The collection is available on CD, LP and digitally.

Track Listing

Lick My Decals Off, Baby (October 1970)
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

The Spotlight Kid (January 1972)
1. I’m Gonna Booglarize You Baby
2. White Jam
3. Blabber ‘n Smoke
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

Clear Spot (November 1972)
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

Out-takes
1. Alice in Blunderland – alternate version
2. Harry Irene
3. I Can’t Do This Unless I Can Do This/Seam Crooked Sam
4. Pompadour Swamp/Suction Prints
5. The Witch Doctor Life – instrumental take
6. Two Rips in a Haystack/Kiss Me My Love
7. Best Batch Yet – version 1
8. Your Love Brought Me To Life – instrumental
9. Dirty Blue Gene – alternate version 1
10. Nowadays a Woman’s Gotta Hit a Man – early mix
11. Kiss Where I Kain’t
12. Circumstances – alternate version 2
13. Little Scratch
14. Dirty Blue Gene – alternate version 3