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The Magic Band

Captain Beefheart
Captain Beefheart in Toronto.jpg
Background information
Birth name Don Glen Vliet
Also known as
  • Captain Beefheart
  • Bloodshot Rollin' Red
  • Don Van Vliet
Born (1941-01-15)January 15, 1941
Glendale, California, US
Died December 17, 2010(2010-12-17) (aged 69)
Arcata, California, US
Genres Experimental rock, blues rock, avant-garde, free jazz, art rock, spoken word, psychedelia
Occupation(s) Singer-songwriter, musician, painter, poet, composer, author, record producer, film director
Instruments Vocals, harmonica, saxophone, clarinet, oboe, french horn, shehnai, recorder, flute, piccolo, trumpet, trombone
Years active 1964–1982
Labels A&M, Buddah, Blue Thumb, ABC, Reprise, Straight, Virgin, Mercury, DiscReet, Warner Bros., Atlantic, Epic, Major League Productions (MLP)
Associated acts The Magic Band, Frank Zappa, The Mothers of Invention, Gary Lucas, the Tubes, Jack Nitzsche, Zoot Horn Rollo, Mallard, Jeff Cotton, Rockette Morton, Winged Eel Fingerling, The Mascara Snake, John "Drumbo" French, Ry Cooder, Eric Drew Feldman, Moris Tepper
Website www.beefheart.com

Don Van Vliet (/væn ˈvlt/, born Don Vliet; January 15, 1941 – December 17, 2010) was an American singer, songwriter, musician and artist best known by the stage name Captain Beefheart. His musical work was conducted with a rotating ensemble of musicians called the Magic Band (1964–1982), with whom he recorded 13 studio albums. Noted for his powerful singing voice and his wide vocal range, Van Vliet also played the harmonica, saxophone, and numerous other wind instruments. His music integrated blues, rock, psychedelia, and free jazz with contemporary experimental composition and the avant-garde. Beefheart was also known for often constructing myths about his life and for exercising an almost dictatorial control over his supporting musicians.

An artistic prodigy in his childhood, Van Vliet developed an eclectic musical taste during his teen years in Lancaster, California, and formed "a mutually useful but volatile" friendship with musician Frank Zappa, with whom he sporadically competed and collaborated. He began performing with his Captain Beefheart persona in 1964 and joined the original Magic Band line-up, initiated by Alexis Snouffer, the same year. The group drew attention with their cover of Bo Diddley's "Diddy Wah Diddy", which became a regional hit. It was followed by their acclaimed debut album Safe as Milk, released in 1967 on Buddah Records. After being dropped by two consecutive record labels, they signed to Zappa's Straight Records. As producer, Zappa granted Beefheart unrestrained artistic freedom in making 1969's Trout Mask Replica, which was ranked 58th in Rolling Stone magazine's 2003 list of the 500 greatest albums of all time. Beefheart followed this up with the album Lick My Decals Off, Baby, released in 1970. In 1974, frustrated by lack of commercial success, he released two albums of more conventional rock music that were critically panned; this move, combined with not having been paid for a European tour, and years of enduring Beefheart's abusive behavior, led the entire band to quit. Beefheart eventually formed a new Magic Band with a group of younger musicians and regained contemporary approval through three final albums: Shiny Beast (1978), Doc at the Radar Station (1980) and Ice Cream for Crow (1982).


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Wikipedia

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