Recording details
Date – April 1967
Studio – Sunset Sound, Hollywood; RCA Studios, Hollywood
Producer – Richard Perry, Bob Krasnow
Engineer – Hank Cicalo, Gary Marker
Musicians
- Don Van Vliet – vocals, harmonica, bass marimba
- Ry Cooder – guitar, bass
- Alex St Clair Snouffer – guitar, backing vocals
- Jerry Handley – bass
- John French – drums, backing vocals
- Doug Moon – guitar (Sure Nuff only)
- Milt Holland – percussion
- Russ Titelman – guitar
- Taj Mahal – percussion
- Sam Hoffman – theremin
unknown horn players, harpsichord player and harpist.
See Leach’s Listings for a thorough guide to who did what on Safe As Milk, compiled for the Radar Station by Jasper Leach.
Track list
- Sure ‘Nuff ‘N Yes I Do
- Zig Zag Wanderer
- Call On Me
- Dropout Boogie
- I’m Glad
- Electricity
- Yellow Brick Road
- Abba Zaba
- Plastic Factory
- Where There’s Woman
- Grown So Ugly
- Autumn’s Child
Album overview from Graham Johnston
This was the very first Beefheart album I heard, about 23 years after its first release. I doubt I could have had a better starting place.
It’s all very explosive yet accessible and there isn’t a slack tune on the album. “Autumn’s Child” is one of my very favourites of his songs – it is so hard not to start the whole album over again as “Autumn’s Child” closes. An essential album for any Beefheart fan, and any fan of garage, psychedelia, blues, r ‘n’ b, music, etc.
A 1999 re-issue features massively improved mastering and packaging, and also includes a selection of hard to find outtakes from the Plain Brown Wrapper / Mirror Man sessions.
The Safe As Milk bumper sticker
The original release of Safe As Milk came with a splendid free bumper sticker, as pictured above (thanks to Michael Stanowski).
John Lennon reportedly liked the album so much that he had two bumper stickers on display in his Weybridge home, beating George Harrison’s paltry single sticker (see below; thanks to Bob Harkleroad for the JL picture and Richard Morton Jack for the GH picture).
Safe As Milk and The Beatles
Steve speculates about the Beatles and those bumper stickers! Read this article
The Safe As Milk Demos
A look at the session in March 1967 that produced demo versions of several songs to appear on Safe As Milk.
The Safe As Milk Acetate
Some of the album’s songs were pressed on an acetate. These are almost the finished article but have not had the final production polish. Read about this fascinating artifact.
Advertising
Some of the images used to advertise Safe As Milk on its release – take a look
Safe As Milk releases
View the Radar Station’s full information about the various editions of Safe As Milk which have appeared over the years.
The sound of Safe As Milk
A look at the why Safe As Milk sounds the way it does, why some versions have faults and which are the best sounding versions.
John French talks about Safe As Milk
A fascinating chat with John about the album in 2017 to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the album.
Reviews
- Brief review from Cheetah Magazine, November 1967
Media appearances
- 1968 Bouton Rouge – the legendary “Cannes beach” performance of Electricity and Sure ‘Nuff “N Yes I Do
Purchase Safe As Milk
- CD from amazon.co.uk
- Mp3 from amazon.co.uk
- Vinyl from amazon.co.uk
- CD from amazon.com
- Mp3 from amazon.com
- Vinyl from amazon.com
Related links
- Safe As Milk on Wikipedia
- Safe As Milk on Discogs
- Safe As Milk on AllMusic
- Safe As Milk articles by Thomas ‘Tearaway’ Schulte and Alastair Dickson at Perfect Sound Forever
- All Safe As Milk-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.