French - Beefheart

Publishers note.

I first heard Captain Beefheart and His Magic Band on John Peels Perfumed Garden radio show when Safe As Milk was released, and was instantly converted. So was my erstwhile chum and Proper colleague, Paul Bassman Riley.

Our earliest opportunity to see the band live was at our fabled local venue The Star Hotel in hometown Croydon on 16th May 1968. Admission was 7/6 (seven shillings and sixpence). The tiny bar in the pub was a well-established venue on the circuit and artists appearing at the time included The Jimi Hendrix Experience, Graham Bond Organisation, John Mayall (Clapton/Green era), Cream, Jethro Tull, Fleetwood Mac etc., and we went there every week.

Almost opposite the pub was The Croydon Suite which was a notorious club for early skinheads and other less peaceful people! On our way to the gig we saw Captain Beefheart and the band in full regalia walking past the entrance of the The Suite. Under normal circumstances, any hippies taking such a risk would have come under fire. But the band just looked SO weird that they were left untroubled by the speechless onlookers. Reassuringly, we must have looked like people as Don asked me and Paul if we knew The Star because they had got lost wandering around Croydon.

It is difficult to describe the show because it was simply overwhelming in every respect. We sat in the front row chairs in a half-filled room and Don boomed at Paul I REMEMBER YOU then kicked off a thunderous set leaving us awestruck. Over the years and of the thousands of gigs Ive seen, there have not been many that rival the impact of that memorable night.

I subsequently saw the band each time they toured England but didnt get involved with John French until he reformed The Magic Band and they performed at Glastonbury. He told me he was writing a book about his time with Captain Beefheart. When I read the first few draft pages I wanted to publish it in order for him (and the others) to get some well-deserved credit for his considerable contribution to the unique and timeless body of work that has given me so much pleasure.

Thanks John. Miriam says a big thank you for Bat Chain Puller too!

Malcolm Mills. Chairman. Proper Music Group Limited. 2010

2010 John French

This first digital edition Published by Proper Music Publishing Limted, 2013

Cover photograph courtesy of Guy Webster

eISBN: 978-0-9561212-4-0

The author hereby asserts his right to be identified as the author of this work in accordance with Sections 77 to 78 of the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988. All rights reserved.

No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means, including information storage or retrieval systems, without permission in writing from the publisher, except by a reviewer who may quote brief passages.

Published worldwide by Proper Music Publishing Limited, Gateway Business Centre, Kangley Bridge Road, London SE26 5AN

Every effort has been made to trace the copyright holders of the photographs in this book but one or two were unreachable. We would be grateful if the photographers concerned would contact us.

Editorials: Alan Price. Editorial assistance: Xtal Gwinn and David Rathborne.

Design and typesetting: Adam Yeldham at Raven Design.

Printed by The Gutenberg Press Ltd.

A catalogue record of this book is available from the British Library.

The views expressed in this book are of John French and the interviewees and not necessarily of Proper Music.

The author thanks: Bob Adams, Don Aldridge, Allison at ATP, Scott Amendola, Steve Backman, Bill Bamberger, Dick Barber, Barrie Barlow, Mike Barnes, James Bedbrook, Cristina Berio, Herb Bermann, Lisa Best, Beverley, Jim Bistany, Jimmy Carl Black, Dean Blackwood, Barbara Blair, Darlene Blair, Jesse Blair-French, Richard Blalock, Mark Boston, Matt Boudreaux, Karen Bradley, Thom Britt, Jeff Bruschelle, Craig Bunch, Daren Burns, Annabel Butler, Michelle Campbell, Duane Capizzi, Catherine Carey, Traci Carter, Miss Christine, Irwin Chusid, Danny Clifford, Herb Cohen, Scott Colby, Scott Collins, Chris Constable, Ry Cooder, Helen Cottage, Jeff Cotton, John Crosby, Greg Davidson, Joe Davies, John Defore, The Depot, Oliver DiCicco, Sharon Donovan, Hector Dorado, Richard Drexler, Harry Duncan, Brian Dunnagan, Roy Estrada, Jacqueline Falls, Merrel Fankhauser, Steve Feigenbaum, Eric Kitabu Feldman, Jim Fergueson, Harold Fields, Phyllis Flotre, Bruce Fowler, John Franklin, Donna French, Phill and Joyce French, Tom French, David French, Keith French, Toni French, Todd French, C. Michael French, Fred Frith, Chris Garcia, Ronny Gaye, Grant Gibbs, Don Giesen, Andrew Greenaway, Norman and Sharon Griffin, Mario Grossi, Kurt Gunzel, Total Gym, Daltan Hagler, Jerry Handley, Bill Harkleroad, Victor Hayden, Jerry Hayes, Laura Hemenway, Roberta Hesslegrave, Deborah Higgins, Colin Hill, Louis Hinkle, Robyn Hitchcock, Nick Hobbs, Mike Hoff, Barry Hogan, Keith Hollar, Andy Hollins, Mick Houghton, Eric Hovland, Elliot Ingber, Bob Irin, Billy James, Art Jarvinon, Gary Jaye, Shonna Marie Jones, Adam Jones, Chris Jones, Deborah Lee Jones, Mikole Kaar, Henry Kaiser, Anna Karatziva, Keith Kennedy, Mike and Barbara Kenny, Destiny Kincaid, Eric Klerks, Glan Kolotkin, Bob Krasnow, Dick Kunc, Dennis Ling, Tim Livingston, Les and Mickey Long, Rick Lonow, Pete Lovio, Gary Lucas, Jeff Lunk, Ian S. MacArthur, Niall Macaulay, Deanna MacLellan, Pastor Majeske and Carolyn, Micke Maksymenko, Gary Marker, Cliff Martinez, Lee Matalon, Cameron Maus, Danny McCullough, Gerry McGhee, Don McKay, Danny McKinny, Michael Melchione, Sergio Merino, Tim Meyer, Carl Meyerholtz, Louis Mills, Malcolm Mills, Colin Minchin, Marc Minsker, Doug Moon, Daniel Moore, Shannen Moore, Thomas Moore, Vic Mortensen, Lars Movin, Buell Neidlinger, Sean Newsham, Penny Nichols, Steve Nootenboom, John ODonnel, Tom Odell, Robert Ormsby, Erik Palm, Dean and Julie Palmer, Miss Pamela, Grant Peden, John Peel, Richard Perry, Marty Prue, Pat Prue, John Ramsay, Richard Redus, Per-Christian Rekdal, Paul Riley, Cliff Roeher, Andrew Rogers, Christophe Rossi, Rova Saxophone Quartet, Julie Rubio, Ellen Rudnick, Wally Salazar, Bruce Schmidt, Steve Schneider, Don Schott, Jim Scimonetti, Carl Scott, David Sefton, Berthold Seliger, Shirley Selwood, Ulli Shafer, Sarah Shankland, Pat Shelton, Elaine Shepherd, Jim Sherwood, Michael Shore, Rui Silva, Dan Silver, Giovanni and Janine Simi, Tyler Simi, Mark Simms, Paul Smith, Richard Snyder, Rick Snyder, Johan Sundin, Tim Sutton, Irene Swenson, Pat Tagliaferro, John and Kerry Tanner, Toby Taylor, Jeff Moris Tepper, John Thomas, Eleanor Thomas, Mark Thompson, Richard Thompson, Michael Traylor, Art Tripp, Jay Tripp, Kitty marimba Tripp, John True, Phil Tynan, Jan Van Vliet, Arjen Veldt, Denny Walley, Chris Wangsgard, June Wangsgard, Ben Waters, Mary Wattenbarger, Guy Webster, Bob Weston, Nancy Whaley, Matty Whittle, Larry Willey, Robert Williams, Ted Williams, John Williams, Randy Wimer, Langdon Winner, Charlie Winton, Andy Woolliscroft, Bill Word, Ron Young, Frank Zappa, Gail Zappa, Moon Zappa, Zappanale, Jesus.

Special thanks to Matt Groening for selection of cover photo.

Dedicated to Alex St. Clair Snouffer, the guy who started it all.