Recording details
Date – Autumn 1971
Studio – The Record Plant, Los Angeles
Producer – Don Van Vliet
Engineer – Phil Schier
Musicians
- Don Van Vliet – vocals, harmonica
- Bill Harkleroad – guitar
- Mark Boston – bass
- Elliot Ingber – guitar
- Art Tripp – drums, marimba, piano, harpsichord
- John French – drums
- Rhys Clark – drums (Glider only)
Track list
- I’m Gonna Booglarize You Baby
- White Jam
- Blabber ‘N Smoke
- When It Blows Its Stacks
- Alice in Blunderland
- The Spotlight Kid
- Click Clack
- Grow Fins
- There Ain’t No Santa Claus on the Evenin’ Stage
- Glider
Album overview from Graham Johnston
Spotlight Kid contains some very heavy, slow and spacious blues.
Although seen as a disappointment by many on its release, due to its tentatively restrained nature, it shines through today as being another Beefheart classic, containing some beautiful songs, such as Glider and Grow Fins, and a few live favourites, such as Alice In Blunderland and Click Clack. The killer opening tune, I’m Gonna Booglarize Ya Baby, never fails in its mission, no matter how many times you’ve been booglarized previously.
It may not be quite as arrestingly strange as that which came before (Lick My Decals Off Baby) and not quite such jaunty fun as that which came immediately after (Clear Spot) but it still has Beefheart’s singularity all over it, even if the band do sound uncharacteristically unsure and reluctant to really let go. This atmosphere really complements a song such as When It Blows Its Stack as the pressure built up around the band seems liable to blow any minute. The tension is almost unbearable.
Reviews
- Spotlight Kid by Colman Andrews, from March 1972 Phonograph Record Magazine.
- Spotlight Kid by Lester Bangs, from 30th March 1972 Rolling Stone.
- Spotlight Kid from June 1972 Stereo Review.
- Spotlight Kid / Clear Spot by Jim Washburn, from 12th January 1995 Los Angeles Times.
Media appearances
- The classic Beat Club 1972 performance of I’m Gonna Booglarize You Baby is not to be missed.
Purchase The Spotlight Kid
- CD from amazon.co.uk – with Clear Spot
- Mp3 from amazon.co.uk
- Vinyl from amazon.co.uk
- CD from amazon.com – with Clear Spot
- Mp3 from amazon.com
- Vinyl from amazon.com
The Spotlight Kid releases
View the Radar Station’s full information about the various editions of The Spotlight Kid which have appeared over the years.
Related links
- The Spotlight Kid on Wikipedia
- The Spotlight Kid on Discogs
- The Spotlight Kid on AllMusic
- The Spotlight Kid on LastFM
- The Spotlight Kid articles by Dave Lang and Steve Froy at Perfect Sound Forever
- All The Spotlight Kid-related items here at the Radar Station
Help us out
If anyone is able to complete or update any of the information above, then please do get in touch.