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7 unusual facts about Captain Beefheart


Abba-Zaba

A favorite snack of a young Don Van "Captain Beefheart" Vliet, it lent its name to a song that appears on his 1967 Safe as Milk album.

Bart Dickon

This continued briefly in 'Talking Turkey', then as a regular feature in the rock/culture fanzine Sun Zoom Spark (named incidentally after a Captain Beefheart song on the 'Clear Spot' album; references to Captain Beefheart lyrics occasionally appear in Bart Dickon stories).

Bickershaw Festival

Although the organisers put together a line-up of United Kingdom and American acts such as the Grateful Dead, Captain Beefheart, New Riders of the Purple Sage, Dr John, Hawkwind, The Kinks, Country Joe McDonald, The Incredible String Band, Donovan, Wishbone Ash, Maynard Ferguson, and a host of mixed-media acts such as high divers and clowns, the festival suffered from several major deficiencies.

The artist line-up was inspirational to many of the audience, including teenager Joe Strummer, who said it was his favourite concert, especially the late-night set from Captain Beefheart, and Elvis Costello.

Jon Poole

By the mid-to-late 80s, when he was beginning to play in bands, he was listening to maverick American art-rock heroes such as Captain Beefheart, Tom Waits, Frank Zappa and also to British progressive rock from the 1970s (as well as contemporary prog-inspired bands - most notably Cardiacs).

Lightnin' Slim

Slim has been cited as a major influence by several contemporary blues artists, including Captain Beefheart, who in a 1987 radio interview with Kristine McKenna, stated that Lightnin' Slim was the only artist he could recommend somebody listening to.

Mystery Disc

A number of the earlier tracks—"I Was a Teen-Age Malt Shop", "The Birth of Captain Beefheart" and "Metal Man Has Won His Wings", all likely recorded in 1964—feature Captain Beefheart on vocals.


Bill Narum

Narum created concert posters for many artists including Captain Beefheart, Ravi Shankar and Humble Pie.

In a Bar, Under the Sea

The album was produced by Eric Drew Feldman (who was keyboard and bass player for Captain Beefheart in the late seventies and early eighties) and welcomes guests such as Scott McCloud from Girls Against Boys (on Fell Off the Floor, Man), Dana Colley from Morphine (on Supermarketsong) and Bart Maris from X-Legged Sally (on Nine Threads).

Marc Riley

He then formed a band including ex-members of Pere Ubu and Captain Beefheart's Magic Band called The Lost Soul Crusaders (named after a fictional group in an episode of the detective series Columbo whose lead singer was played by one of Riley's heroes, Johnny Cash), but the record company funding the band went bust before any material could be recorded.

Tulsa Sound

His songs have been recorded by many artists, including Clapton, Lynyrd Skynyrd, Deep Purple, The Allman Brothers Band, Johnny Cash, The Band, Kansas, Santana, Captain Beefheart, Widespread Panic, and Bryan Ferry.

Ways of Hearing

The book includes short essays on a number of performers, including alternative rocker Blixa Bargeld, contemporary composer John Cale, Captain Beefheart, The Chemical Brothers, hip-hop artists Missy Elliott and Eminem, Montreal avant-garde band Godspeed You Black Emperor!, heavy metal singer-bassist Lemmy, Meatloaf (singer), Rolling Stones guitarist Cliff Richard, Pet Shop Boys and country rockers Wilco.


see also

Outsider music

Zoogz Rift, a musician influenced by Frank Zappa and Captain Beefheart

Van Vliet

Don Van Vliet better known as Captain Beefheart (1941-2010), American musician and painter