After I'd posted Leon Rubenhold's story about the time he played with Captain Beefheart (see the entry for 07 December here), Leon sent another mail detailing the first time he came across Don and The Magic Band. Here is what Leon wrote:


Thanks for posting my Beefheart experience story. Unfortunately there are no photos or tapes of the time spent with him.

Actually my first encounter with Beefheart happened when I was sixteen. In Los Angeles in the 60's there was an event held for a number of years called the Teenage Fair held in Hollywood at the Palladium on Sunset Blvd. In 1966 I was in attendance with some band mates and we watched this blues band called Captain Beefheart and his Magic Band perform and they played a set of searing blues tunes from Howlin Wolf and all the other blues artists. I was impressed with the singer (Beefheart) who sounded just like Howlin Wolf and played great Harmonica. This was about a year before his first and probably only AM radio hit of "Diddy Wah Diddy" came out.

Then about 2 years later I was in a Blues band called the Outlaw Blues Band. We were being considered for a contract with the Kama Sutra label under Bob Krasnow. We were competing with Beefheart who they were also considering. Beefheart got the nod and my band later signed with Bob Theile for ABC Bluesway for a two album deal.

Also there was a couple of things that happened with Zappa that I omitted. He gave me a nickname which I won't mention because I found it kind of offensive, and even though it wasn't an expensive meal he made us all pay individually for that lunch at the Mexican restaurant at his invitation!


thanks again Leon

Posted by derek@beefheart.com at 10:44 AM - post a comment