Captain Beefheart And His Magic Band - Safe As Milk

Blues, Rock

Alternative Rock, Blues Rock, Psychedelic Rock, Experimental

1967

The making of Safe As Milk, the debut album of Captan Beefheart And His Magic Band, is a long and convoluted story, revealed at length elsewhere upon the Web and in written accounts. However, some rudimentary details are worth having here for those wishing to submit.

The band recorded in the Spring of 1967 at Art Laboe's Original Sound Studios and, later, at RCA Studios, Hollywood, C.A., USA.
The band members were:
Don Van Vliet, aka Captain Beefheart, publishing in his real name and performing by his alias. (Vocals, Harmonica & Bass Marimba).
Vliet is sometimes credited on releases as playing "Musette". Technically, this would be an "Oboe Musette". [It was actually a "Shehnai", which is Indian and looks similar. Reputedly given to him by Ornette Colman*. Vliet uses 'Musette' on Trout Mask Replica.]
Alex Snouffer, aka Alex St. Claire, also known as Alex St. Clare Snouffer. (Guitar).
Jerry Handley (Bass Guitar).
John French, aka John 'Drumbo' French or simply Drumbo. (Drums & Percussion).
Ry Cooder (Guitar, Slide Guitar & Bass Guitar) [A disaffected member at this point & not appearing in photos].
Session or Guest Musicians [that are known. Others were present]:
Taj Mahal (Percussion), Russ Titelman (Guitar), Milt Holland (Log Drums & Percussion), Dr. Samuel J. Hoffman aka Sam Hoffman (Theremin).

Vliet wrote all of the songs, with the exception of Grown So Ugly, by Robert Pete Williams. Lancaster (and subsequent Topanga) resident & soul-mate Herb Bermann co-wrote the lyrics with Vliet on all songs (with the exception of the aforesaid) and; Call On Me, I'm Glad and Abba Zaba. Jerry Handley co-wrote Plastic Factory with Vliet & Bermann. Cooder arranged Sure 'Nuff 'N Yes I Do & Ugly, Vliet arranged the remainder.

At this time, in '67, Kama Sutra records had a distribution deal with MGM. Meanwhile a Verve 3000 series catalog was allocated for Beefheart (FTS 3054), but not used because Vliet had signed with Kama Sutra after failing to be picked up by A&M. To extricate from MGM, Kama Sutra had created Buddah Records late in 1967, headed by Neil Bogart. Thus, Vliet & the band were recording for Buddah, although signed to Kama Sutra. Thus Kama Sutra is shown on international releases. Bob Krasnow and Richard Perry produced the sessions and some engineering was done by Hank Cicalo & future TMR bassist Gary Marker†. This is the first mono & stereo album on the Buddah ('rainbow') label, celebrated later by the BMG reissue launched as the first issue on the new-look & retitled Buddha in 1999.

By the release of Safe As Milk the band line-up was in flux. When they re-entered a recording studio in October 1967, for what was to be a double album It Comes To You In A Plain Brown Wrapper, the project met various problems. Tracks from sessions surfaced on Beefheart's 2nd Strictly Personal & 5th Mirror Man albums, among other releases. Consequently, some of the recordings from these sessions appear later, issued as 'bonus' tracks on Safe As Milk releases**. The engineer George 'Shadow' Morton, shown on the acetate from which the bonus material is culled, is uncredited.

The album's working title was Abba Zaba, the American candy bar of Cardinet Candy Co., in a yellow/black checkered wrapper (hence the back cover design). However, the company vetoed use of the name and a title that was as 'safe as milk' was used. A track titled Safe As Milk can be found on Strictly Personal.

*Captain Beefheart by Mike Barnes, Omnibus Press ISBN 1-84449-412-8.
†Marker engineered at Original Sound, as he describes in the 'Grow Fins' set.
**These are technically 'Compilation' releases, as indicated thereon by reissue distributors BMG (for example). Being compiled by 3rd parties from 2 different recording sources and significantly remastered without control by the artists.