Captain Beefheart and the Magic Band - Live on Detroit Tubeworks 1971

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Uploaded by on Jun 30, 2011

Captain Beefheart and The Magic Band
WABX TV Studio
'Detroit Tube Works'
January 15, 1971

1. When Big Joan Sets Up (0:00)
2. Hair Pie Bass Solo (6:23)
3. Woe-Is-Uh-Me-Bop (6:42)
4. Flash Gordon's Ape Marimba Solo (8:48)
5. Bellerin Plain (9:11)
6. Instrumental for Foot and Fingers (13:00)

Mike: I just met the man who directed many of the video shoots for WABX Tube Works, a TV program in the early '70's which featured both touring and local bands playing live. The video in question was, in fact, shot after the Magic Band's show in Detroit with Alice Cooper and Ry Cooder. They drove out to the studio (now WXON TV 20), set up, and played what you hear. The guy I met, Chuck, apparently has the master in his basement.
Why, you may ask, is this important? Well, it's important to me ;) It happened in my backyard. That footage changed my life.
Nifty trivia: the vacuum cleaner visible in the shot (to the right of John French's drum kit) was not Beefheart's, but was placed there by the crew, who had seen photos of Don with a vacuum (which was in fact Chunga, immmortalized on Zappa's Chunga's Revenge).

Chuck Reti: I was director of most of the music segments ... The Beefheart session was memorable (a lot because their behavior drove Betsy, our exec producer, literally to tears). The same taping session that night/morning we also shot Ry Cooder, who earlier that night had been on a concert bill with Beefheart. I don't think the Cooder tape survived. While no 'original' material was performed, it is a unique live performance by Mr. Van Vliet. I recall Woe-Is-Uh-Me-Bop being one of the numbers, and how very cool was guitarist Zoot Horn Rollo.

Rhodri: I've also got a vid of a couple of early TV performances, one on a German TV show performing I'm Gonna Booglarize You Baby, and the best, don't know what TV station, was When Big Joan Sets Up, Bellerin' Plain and Woe-Is-Uh-Me-Bop. Totally stunning. The Cap'n's mike stand was broken, he looked pretty pissed off at the end, but John French was grinning his head off, there's a dual drum kit assault at the end of Woe-Is-Uh-Me-Bop with Art Tripp, and Rockette Morton looks so great with his tatty looking twin necked guitar.
For someone who is only 25 and never had a chance to see the band play, getting hold of this tape was an experience of almost religious proportions.

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Uploader Comments ( bookheaven1000 )

  • Holy crap 13,000 views! Thank you all so much for the attention!

  • @16x9enhanced Perhaps you should read the description before you post a comment like that.

  • @zenkharma The entire clip I got from a fan made DVD.

  • THANK YOU FOR POSTING THESE RARE BEEFHEART VIDEOS

  • YOU'RE WELCOME

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All Comments (62)

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  • fast and bulbous!

  • Géantissime

  • I love dancing to this song in the nude but my ballbag slaps around between my thighs which is pretty uncomfortable.

    Plus I keep getting thrown out of Asda.

  • Air Sculptor!

  • This is beautiful. Thank you.

    

  • I've shared this video with everyone I know who can appreciate the amazing feet it represented. Athletic!

  • Absolutely love Rockette Morton's double-neck Danelctro (one of the lightest double-necked guitars in existence !) Just goes to prove that it's not the guitar but what you do with it, that counts !

  • john french looks like animal haha

  • Thanks for this rare jewelery !!!

    

  • Nice to see this exists...thanks.

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