Captain Beefheart and the Magic Band

Safe As Milk

VG/VG+

US 1967

Buddah Records - BDS 5001

Don Van Vliet, known as Captain Beefheart, was one of the most unique rock figures in the music industry. He was a sculptor and wanted to be a fulltime artist, but things didn't work out. His parents moved to Lancaster, California and he became enthused with many of the old blues artists like Son House, Robert Johnson, Ornette Coleman, Muddy Waters, John Coltrane, Howlin Wolf and others. 
He befriended Frank Zappa who was working at PAL Studios in Cucamonga, California. They recorded some songs together at the studio as The Soots. Zappa, who already had his future plans set, encouraged Don to get up on stage to sing to an audience. Don was very shy at first but got used to it. He had an eight-octave vocal range and sang much like Howlin' Wolf. 
Alex St Clair was forming a band and invited Don to join the blues band he was forming in Lancaster, which was near the Edwards Air Force Base. The band included Don Van Vliet, vocals), Alex St Clair (guitar), Doug Moon (guitar), Jerry Handley (bass) and Vic Mortenson (drums). Don became Captain Beefheart due to his Uncle Al, who had a habit of exposing himself to Don’s girlfriend claiming he had a big beef heart. The band became The Magic Band, due to Don drinking a Pepsi and gaining 'magic powers' to summon his Magic Band.

They played dances, teen clubs and won a battle of the bands contest held at the Hollywood Palladium. Leonard Grant, a PR guy, took on management duties and got them signed to A&M Records. They went to Sunset Studios and recorded some demo songs, one of which was a single, “Diddy Wah Diddy”, produced by David Gates, later of Bread. The song made some noise on the local radio stations but didn’t chart. An album was in the works but Jerry Moss, head of A&M thought, most of the songs were too weird and bailed on them.

Bob Krasnow, from Kama Sutra Records, came aboard and signed the band to the labels subsidiary Buddah Records. The Magic Band members changed with The good Captain (vocals, harmonica), Alex St Calir (guitar, vocals), Ry Cooder (guitar), Jerry Handley (bass, vocals) and John French (drums, vocals). The first album, Safe As Milk, was recorded at RCA Studios in Los Angeles. Several promotional dates were performed at The Avalon Ballroom in San Francisco.

They went to TTG Studios to record a proposed double album It Comes to You in a Plain Brown Wrapper and recorded several songs. But the Buddah label bailed on the taped sessions. Bob Krasnow left the label and formed his own Blue Thumb Record label and took the band to Sunset Sound Recorders to re-record some of the songs from the bailed project along with new stuff before they left for their first European Tour.

Bob was left to master the tapes while they were gone and he embellished the original taped recordings and spiced them up with studio effects, echoes and phase shifting to meet the psychedelic rock trends. The second album was released as Strictly Personal. When the band returned from Europe and heard the record, The Captain was not at all happy.

The band members changed again and all had pseudonyms with Captain Beefheart (vocals, straight saxophone, harmonica), Bill Harkelroad ‘Zoot Horn Rollo’ (guitar), Jeff Cotton ‘Antennae Jimmy Semens’ (guitar), Victor Hayden, Don’s cousin ‘The Maskara Snake’ (bass clarinet), Mark Boston ‘Rocket Morton’ (bass), and John French ‘Drumbo’ (drums). They rented an old house in Woodland Hills and began rehearsals for their third album. Beefheart would hear sounds in his head and whistle tunes expecting his band to make some assemblance of music from his creative ideas. He recorded eight hours of doodling on a piano that Beefheart didn’t know how to play. John French had to transcribe the sounds into notes for the band to read. Living conditions were awful. But they went to Sunset Sound and completed their third album, Trout Mask Replica, the record that all the jazz and rock musicians were talking about. Frank Zappa offered his Straight Records label for distribution of the double album.

High accolades from music critics around the world and they toured constantly to rabid fan appraisal. But the $$$$ weren’t coming in. There was no radio airplay and the band, living on food stamps, seemed to be just going through the motions. Beefheart made a decision to write material that was more commercial and assessable to public radio and released albums that, although still strange, were more listenable. The Spotlight Kid, Clear Spot and Unconditionally Guaranteed had some rocking tunes with heavy guitar but still no charting songs. The Magic Band grew frustrated and bailed on Captain Beefheart.

He seemed to be lost and had to complete a tour schedule, so session musicians were brought in for the performances. They knew nothing about Captain Beefheart’s music so they improvised playing what they thought the tunes should sound like into slick bar schlock. The last album, Bluejeans & Moonbeams, was put together by this band with a sound way outside the genius of his previous daze. Later, The Captain disowned both this and Unconditionally Guaranteed.

On his own, he collaborated with Frank Zappa, got back with John French and hired other musicians to record Bat Chain Puller at Frank's home studio. Then the Captain was mired in legal battles with Zappa, who withheld the record because it was financed from his own royalties. The Captain reformed The Magic Band with himself (vocals, straight saxophone, harmonica), Jeff Tepper (slide guitar), Eric Feldman (piano, synthesizer), Bruce Fowler (bass) and Robert Williams (drums) to record Shiny Beast with material re-recorded from Bat Chain Puller. Suddenly the public was enamored with him, and he had two guest star appearances on Late Night with David Letterman. The band would played some new tunes that were still strange but somehow great. A few more albums were released. 

He was a genius at exploring unconventional rhythms and toured all over the world with his Magic Band but never made any money at it, so he gave it up and became a fulltime artist. He did quite well, selling his paintings and illustrations in art galleries all over the world. Sadly, he passed away, December 2010.

Beefheart stretched the boundaries of music to another dimension. I was lucky enough to see Captain Beefheart and the Magic Band, the classic lineup, with Quicksilver and The Velvet Underground. An experience for the ages.

Musically unmatched, unusual and experimental. Heavy guitar, bass, drums, English horn, bass clarinet, straight saxophone, harmonica and Beefheart’s voice really did sound like Howlin' Wolf. There was nothing before or after that even came close to what was found in the music he released. All the tunes were experimental with sputtering instruments, odd rhythms and off-the-wall lyrics. Almost anti-music but there was just something about it.

This was the first LP. An original Buddah label issue. Original Red label.

Cover has some minor shelf, edge and corner wear with corner dings. Record has lots of obvious hairline scratches. Record plays with some low-level noise to start both sides but settles down quickly with only a few ticks along the way while spinning. Very subtle. Proper black Buddah logo sleeve.

Long time buyer from E-bay and other record websites since the 90's.

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A long and arduous task. Lots of gems and rare stuff.

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GRADING DETAILS - SHIPPING DETAILS - RETURNS - FEEDBACK - ETC.

Auctions are listed for 7 days.  

ITEMS PULLED FROM THE AUCTION LIST - Keep in mind that if I continue to relist auction items that have been sitting for weeks with NO ACTION and several watchers with NO BIDS, I may pull the record and sell it to my local buyer. This can occur before the auction ends. LPs will typically be discounted before this happens. So, please bid if you are at all interested. Bids can always be retracted for no reason.

All records are Graded to the best of my ability and are rated VINYL FIRST / THEN COVER. For Double LPs Vinyl / Vinyl / Cover. 

GRADING DETAILS – Everything I list will be at least VG+ or better, both visually and audibly, unless I state otherwise. 95% of what is offered and up for bid is very clean with maybe 1 or 2 minor flaws. If it’s very rare, it may be offered with obvious visual marks, scratches, warps and might make some low-level noise. But this would be a rare instance. I’ll describe any flaws as best I can. I ASK THAT YOU READ THE FULL DETAILS AS DESCRIBED BY ME ABOUT THE LOOKS AND SOUND OF THE RECORD. Don’t base everything on a simple grading rate M, EX, VG++, etc. I’m not that good at it.

AUDIBLE GRADING – All vinyl records are played before they are listed. Some records look bad and play good. Others look perfect but play badly. Any visual flaws that I see will be described and I will let you know if they make an audible noise. 95% of the records up for bid are very clean sounding. You may hear a minor tick or click as its spinning but typically light hairline scratches and sleeve marks Do Not Affect Play (DNAP) and should not detract from your overall listening pleasure.

VISUAL GRADING - PLEASE READ THIS!!!

COVERS - I'm a 73-year-old guy with Strabismus (an eye disorder). I try to visually describe every flaw that I can see, but sometimes I miss a small tear or a tiny seam split.

SHELF WEAR generally means that the cellophane was removed when the LP was new and it sat on a shelf or in a box without a plastic sleeve, before they were available, for several years, so there can be some rub blemishes, sticker residue if it was purchased used, tiny tears, slight seam splits and other defects.

EDGE WEAR usually means the picture wrap around the edge has been worn, sometimes into the cardboard itself. This usually happens on the top or bottom edge.

CORNER WEAR is the same as edge wear but sometimes there will be a dent or ding at the corner. All 4 sides are suspect for this occurrence.

RING WEAR occurs when a record was not stored in a protective sleeve for a very long time. Back in the day, plastic sleeves were not easily available. Most of us as teenagers, ripped off the cellophane and didn’t consider how the record cover was being stored. Most of the record covers laid on the floor or were stored in the closet or on a shelf for easy access. If they sat for a long time, earth movement, that nobody feels, causes vibration and the record sleeves would rub together and wear on the cover picture or illustration causing the ring wear and other flaws.

THE VINYL RECORD ITSELF - I will try to visually grade both sides of the vinyl record. There might be some sleeve rubs or marks on some of these. All of my records were played more than once, unless they are sealed. If I mention ticks and or clicks in the description, that means that you can visually see and sometimes hear the imperfection. Most of these Do Not Affect the Play (DNAP). I try my best to see any flaws but understand I don’t Inspect these LPs with a High Lumens Tactical Light and a Magnifying Glass. If the visual flaws are obvious or severe, I try and describe these as best as I can. If there are a lot of visual scratches, it won’t be listed. The exception is if the LP is very rare. I will list a rare record that looks bad but plays pretty good without skips.

SPINDLE MARKS can be obvious if a record was popular and played a lot. The record label material and finish will determine if marks are visible. Most of the big labels don't have this problem because the finish is unusually pretty solid and durable. It's the small and private labels or a matted finish where most spindle marks will be noticed. I don't mention these for any of my listings but if that is a concern to you, ask me before you make a bid.

INNER SLEEVES - Most of the inner sleeves are simple paper sleeves and have slight splits, bends and tears on older LPs. If they’re really bad or split in half, I replace them with a newer paper or plastic sleeve. GENERIC means a blank paper sleeve.

WARPED RECORDS normally occur when they are stored near high heat. I will never send a warped record unless it is very slight and doesn't affect play. If you live somewhere in the world that has high temperatures that could affect package delivery. Insurance is a must to guarantee no loss on the item you bought. You are responsible for this request and there is an additional charge for insurance. Let me know. There is NO REFUND for a record that was sent not warped when packed but was delivered as warped and unplayable. I cannot put records on ice for delivery to high heat areas of the world. Buy package insurance so there won't be any $$$$$ loss in case this happens.

HIGH END RECORDS - There will be a few more pictures for any records that are high end items. I will give a more critical inspection and description of both cover and vinyl. Ask for more pictures if you need them and I can send them to you.

PACKAGING - LPs will be packaged in the proper corrugated cardboard box, we all know about, with extra cardboard pads. Each LP will have a clear plastic sleeve. The record itself will be removed and shipped within the inner sleeve, outside the cover or inside the fold of a gatefold cover all within a plastic outer sleeve to prevent any seam splits. All of the boxes I package records in are new and there are typically no problems. I can also ship in a Whiplash Box which protects the edges and corners. But I will only do this if you request it. 

SEALED RECORDS - The vinyl record will NOT be removed from a sealed LP purchase for shipping. I would advise you to add additional insurance for all sealed LPs that are being shipped to high heat areas due to possible heat warping. No obligation, but it safeguards against some potential problems.

PAYMENT - Payment is good only through E-Bay options, either PayPal or Credit Card, and is due within 7 days unless you let me know. I will send you at least three invoices with reminders to pay during the 7-day period. If payment has NOT been received within that 7-day payment period and you have NOT contacted me, the order will be canceled and the record will be offered to the second place bidder or will be relisted. 

I WILL SHIP WORLDWIDE, BUT INTERNATIONAL SHIPPING IS DETERMINED BY THE WEIGHT OF THE PACKAGE. DO NOT MAKE A PAYMENT UNTIL I SEND YOU AN INVOICE.

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PAYMENT EXTENTION - If you have won an auction and see another item that ends beyond the 7-day maximum payment period, let me know and I will hold your item until that bid period ends. This would be a special circumstance that would not typically extend beyond 10 days. I will invoice you for the full amount and expect payment at that point.

POSTAGE COST - Typically, the minimum cost for USPS Media mail in the USA would be 1-2 LPs $5.50 USD. Canada 1-2 LPs around $24.00 USD. Europe, Japan and other countries around the world, $33.00 USD for 1-2 LPs. Additional LPs as per total weight. I will send an invoice with the total postage cost. Everything is shipped via USPS. I don't use the E-Bay International shipping. 

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POSTAGE DISCOUNT - I combine the shipping for multiple record purchases but will only send a maximum of 10-12 records per package. Additional postage will be determined by the total weight of the package. An invoice will be sent to you by me.

ADDITIONAL COSTS - Priority Mail, Insurance, etc. is available at additional costs. Let me know and I will send an invoice.

REFUNDS - I will Refund for any item purchased and received that was not fully as described. Grading is difficult and is the usual cause of concern. We're talking used and 30-60 years old. THERE ARE NO PERFECT RECORDS. Even sealed records can have visual and audible flaws, ticks, clicks, skips and heat warps. IF YOU OPEN A SEALED RECORD AND IT IS WARPED SO BADLY THAT IT DOESN'T PLAY, that usually means it was stored near or shipped in high heat. I have no way of knowing. All sealed records should be insured, just in case that happens. But with regard to a warped record that was sealed and is unplayable, contact me anyway, I will make it right. Any other flaws found on a sealed record that was opened by you, deems the LP non-refundable. If there is a concern, please contact me. We can always work things out.

DAMAGES DURING DELIVERY CAUSED BY THE POSTAL SERVICE - Any damages that are caused due to unfortunate circumstances during the delivery process, broken records, scrapes, heavy package dents caused by something heavy set on the box, warpage caused by excessive heat during delivery, etc. should be handled through E-Bay. They guarantee that packages arrive in the condition as described. If there are obvious damages to the package and the record is unplayable, email me with pictures of the record and the package as delivered and let me know. I mark all packages with "Fragile. Do Not Bend" notices marked in RED, so they should be careful. But $&#t happens. I will not be responsible for damages that were not incurred by me. But E-Bay can refund the transaction with proof. Pictures speak a thousand words.

Please message me through E-Bay to discuss any problems or concerns. ANY OBVIOUS MISTAKES I MADE IN THE DESCRIPTION OF AN ITEM PURCHASED WILL BE HONORED AND PARTIALLY OR FULLY REFUNDED. But email me through E-Bay to discuss the situation first. I'm always happy to work things out. Every customer is cherished.

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