List of film footage and programmes about the band known to exist
1966 Where The Action Is
US TV 
The band mime to Diddy Wah Diddy and Who Do You Think You'e Fooling
on a beach surrounding by teens in bikinis and bathing costumes. More
info
1968 Cannes Beach
French
TV
Exhilarating versions of Electricity and Sure Nuff n Yes I Do played
live on the beach at Cannes. Available on the Grow Fins boxset
1968 Rome Pop Festival
Tantalisingly
short piece of film of the band onstage. To think there must have been
more ... but it's probably lost forever.
1969 Trout Promo
Home
movie by Cal Schenkel of the band at the Trout House. Very dark at times
so it's difficult to know what's happening.
1969 Trout Cover Shoot
More
home movie of Don posing with carp head and sax for the cover shot of
Trout Mask Replica.
1969 Amougies Festival
Two
songs - She's Too Much for My Mirror and My Human Gets Me Blues - from
the band that only played this one show in a Belgian turnip field. Available
on the Grow Fins boxset
1970 Decals Album Advert
The
bizarre short film made by Don, from an idea by Elliot Ingber, to promote
the Lick My Decals Off Baby album. Strangely some
people found it obscene so it was banned. However, the Museum of
Modern Art (MOMA) acquired a copy for their collection. A negative version
of this was used to advertise The Spotlight Kid.
1971 Detroit Tubeworks
Wow,
someone needs to be thanked for recording this stunning band in action!
Incredible Big Joan Sets Up, Bellerin Plain and Woe Is Ah Me Bop. Don's
sax microphone seems to have surrenderd by the end of the onslaught.
Available on the Grow Fins boxset
1971 Footage
Presumably
recorded at the same time as the performance above. The band sit at
a table in silence, they have no shoes on and perform foot movements
choreographed by Don moving his fingers.
1972 Bluecoat Gallery
Don
is interviewed about his paintings at his Bluecoat Gallery exhibition
in Liverpool.
1972 Beat Club
German
TV
Stonking version of I'm Gonna Booglarize You Baby played live in a German
TV studio.
1972 Bataclan
French
TV
Dynamic Click Clack from the Paris Bataclan concert
1973 Old Grey Whistle Test
UK
TV
Great footage of the band performing at the London Rainbow, but let
down by the coloured squiggles added to the film and the album cut of
Big Eyed Beans used for sound.
1974 Drury Lane, London
Virgin Records Film
Rummaging through their archives recently to remaster many of Don's
albums and to officially release the 1974 Drury Lane recording for the
first time Virgin came across this piece of pro-shot footage. Just over
14 minutes long it includes Full Moon Hot Sun and a long Peaches. Don
plays a lot of harmonica but, unfortunately, Del Simmons is squealing
far too much on his sax. It should be available to watch here:-
http://exodus.interoutemediaservices.com/?id=b0a0c7a3-8378-4eb9-8b7e-da11acf390cd&delivery=stream
Although the footage claims it is from the London 1974 show it is almost certainly from the Manchester Free Trade Hall shows.
1974 Old Grey Whistle Test
UK
TV
Upon The My Oh My and This Is The Day played live in the studio. Don
seems to be having fun chasing the camera.
1974 Old Grey Whistle Test
UK
TV
Live footage of the band playing Peaches at Manchester Free Trade Hall
1974 Paris
French
TV
Complete concert filmed in Paris.
1974 VPRO
Dutch
TV
Don on his own mimes to Upon The My Oh My during a
strange Dutch comedy show.
1974 Pinkpop
A live performance of Mirror Man from the Dutch music festival, Pinkpop. The footage shows the band, with Don and Jan, arriving by plane, getting in cars to a hotel, arriving at the venue and performing on stage. The recording, however, is not synched with the band performing. Only this track has been released on a compilation dvd. I wonder if the whole show lurks in the vaults? ... and what about more footage? More info
Late 1970s
Home
movie footage shot by John French of Don in a neck brace, and the band
on tour. Short pieces, no sound or performance. Available on The Magic
Band's 'Crow's Milk' dvd.
1980s Interview
Don
sitting outside drawing on one of his big sketch pads while being interviewed.
A few minutes of this was used for the BBC documentary but the whole
thing is much longer. Closely guarded by the agency that owns the film.
1980 Eyewitness on LA
US TV
A
short documentary about the band rehearsing for the new tour and an
interview with Don.
1980 Chorus
French
TV
Part of the excellent show played in Paris. Good black and white version
around as well as an okay colour one.
1980 Saturday Night Live
US
TV
A storming Ashtray Heart and Dirty Blue Gene introduced by Malcolm McDowell,
on what was apparently the worst ever SNL (as far as comedy went anyway!).
1980 Mudd Club
Aka
Dark Footage. A shaky hand held video of this show.
1982 Ice Cream For Crow Promo
Another
wonderful Beefheart promo snapped up by MOMA, but too weird for MTV.
1982 David Letterman Show
US
TV
Don promotes Ice Cream For Crow
1983 David Letterman Show
US
TV
Back by popular demand.
1985 News
US
TV
Short television news item with Don about the opening of his New Work,
MOMA, San Francisco exhibition
1989 Frank Zappa: G-Spot Tornado
The
video to accompany this piece of music by Zappa includes a number of
fascinating film sequences of Don and his family taken during the early
1960s. It needs to be watched on slow motion to fully appreciate what's
in there!
1992 Some Yo Yo Stuff
Anton
Corbijn's touching and idiosyncratic short video portrait of Don, with
Sue Vliet and David Lynch. Released as a video and dvd in its own right
as well as being included as part of the art-box, Riding Some Kind of
Unusual Skull Sleigh. More info
1994 The Artist Formerly Known As Captain Beefheart (short edit)
A
short version of the BBC documentary intended for the Late Show programme
but never broadcast.
1994 The Artist Formerly Known As Captain Beefheart
The
excellent BBC documentary about Don and the band that includes interviews
with John French, Doug Moon, Frank Zappa and Ry Cooder. Essential viewing
2000 Millenium Music
UK
TV
John Peel is interviewed about Beefheart as Trout Mask Replica reaches
#42 in a list of greatest 20th century albums.
2004 The Magic Band at Camber Sands
A
record of part of the first live show played by the reunion band. Mainly
static camera but with a couple of close-up views.
2004 The Magic Band at Shepherd's Bush Empire
Professionally
shot with several cameras. The triumphant return of the Magic Band.
Included on the 'Crow's Milk' dvd.
2004 The Magic Band - Crow's Milk
Excellent
documentary about the band reunion with interviews and film of their
rehearsals.
2004 The Magic Band at Exeter University
An
amateur static camera record of this show.
2004 The Magic Band at the Glastonbury Festival
Another amateur shot video that I believe does exist. Can anyone confirm it? Even better, can you send me a copy!
2006 Under Review
A curate's egg of a release this commercially available documentary has new interviews with many ex-Magic Band members and a devlish quiz. More info
2006 The Magic Band on Swedish Television
During
their short Scandinavian tour the guys appeared on the Swedish T4 channel's
breakfast programme. John French and Mark Boston were interviewed and
the band played Circumstances and an instrumental Steal Softly Thru
Snow.
