Please check out this page for Mark Boston aka Rockette Morton.
Now I love Mark’s artwork (nearly as much as I love his bass playing - perhaps my favourite Magic Band Bassist ever since seeing them in Oxford ’73 around the time of Clear Spot and the Magic Band on their own back in 2005 at The Zodiac
so to hear he has fallen on hard times and is in need of a bit help to find new accommodation is hard to deal with but we can help by supporting the Go Fund Me page organised by J Turner
Now I have said (here prolly ) that I have bought and owned as much of Beefheart's output as I could ever find (official and unofficial) and this leads up to and includes the Magic Band on their own and Mallard too, band members separately as well, so am something of a completist, as to the Don Van Vliet creative output (including his paintings)
It therefore comes as no surprise to find I am something of an apologist for the so called ‘tragic’ band formed hurriedly less than a year after I saw the Cap’n and the band in what I consider their finest incarnation the UK tour of ‘73
Don’t get me wrong I appreciate the hardcore fans who HATE this incarnation and I DO get it . . . . I just don’t agree. Quite.
I was such a fan at the time I thought the 'love over gold' time of his romantically trying be more ‘successful', to make more money (sic?) and get hits post the Magic Band leaving him after the depths of his bullying and abuse which all the then band members faced (sic John French and Bill Harkleroad separate published accounts serve as public record) I thought Bluejeans and Moonbeams a delight, Unconditionally hilariously fun, I found Same Old Blues (JJ Cale cover) and that ilk a sheer delight and still do too. The signs were always there that Don would sing about the opposite sex whether in a horny sexual way (Sun Zoom Spark, Big Eyed Beans, Crazy Lil Thing, Long Necked Bottles to My Head is My Only House Unless It Rains, Peaches, etc)
Here in mitigation I present the band in 1974 in Manchester and with Del Simmons on sax and the band rocking their very best to keep up, I maintain they did their very best to match and back the Captain. You may disagree and you are welcome to but I ask nay plead that you pause a moment and suspend your judgement as we revisit Full Moon Hot Sun!
Brilliant live footage of Captain Beefheart and his Magic Band in full cry, performing Full Moon in 1974 at Manchester. There are no half-measures here, an outstanding rhythm section laying down solid groove behind Beefheart wailing on harmonica and one out-of-this-world saxophonist. An enigmatic, mysterious and troubled artist, the whole band walked out on Beefheart at some point, but in terms of sheer artistry, this performance provides ample evidence of a legacy characterised by unique greatness.
Frankly I agree!
in addition I add :
Barely a year after we saw them at Oxford Poly 2/05/1973 when it was the classic line up of John, Mark, Bill, Ed (and possibly Orejon on bass who I do not name as he is now a convicted pedophile serving life)
Featuring Del Simmons on sax with a towering solo (IMHO) here . . . .
Nice entry on one of my very favourite bass players bar none . . . . . . Mark Boston
Rockette Morton, Drumbo, Zoot Horn Rollo, Antennae Jimmy Semens and The Captain!
Mark Boston aka Rockette Morton on joining Captain Beefheart and His Magic Band in late 1968:
'From the get-go, I had to start learning that really complicated, bizarre music. But I recognized it as a true art form. And I really wanted to be a part of it. That's why I stuck with it, even though it could get unbearable, some of the crap we had to go through with Don. I wouldn't call it mind control. He was just domineering, and everything had to be his way.
But he was right-on. Everything he did was creative. I even helped him with some of his paintings -- mixing the paints, keeping the brushes clean, and changing the easel. He would go out to the yard and do a bunch of new ones.
When we were practicing, John (French) took over as musical director. Don would ramble on the piano for hours, and John would stand over him with a notepad. Don always came up with interesting patterns and rhythms, and John would sit there and jot it down, because he was good at music notation. He had to sit down and teach the parts to each one of us. Then we would practice on our own. We had a little shed out back for a laundry room, and we would take turns going there to practice. Then we would all come together and try to play the songs.'
'Wisdom from a Beefheart bassist'.
Mark Boston aka Rockette Morton Interview by Austin Woods
(December 2023)
'Perfect Sound Forever recently spoke to him about recording Trout Mask Replica, as well as his time in Mallard (a short-lived group made up of former Magic Band members), and his own solo work.'
Mark Boston:
"Anybody that's got a chance to do something different from everybody else -- do it. Work at it. It takes a lot of work, and you've got to be determined. But I think music is a good thing. The gift of humanity is art... (Art) is the universe expressing itself. That's the way I see it."
The brilliant drummer and musicologist John French on his Facebook page posted a clip of Frank (Zappa) playing ‘Black Napkins’ on the Mike Douglas Show which of course I didn’t know and hadn’t seen. Turns out there was more to Douglas than met the eye even then in the mid seventies |( he was a vocal proponent of the civil rights movement apparently) A supporter of Martin Luthor King Jnr and clearly a broad minded individual subverting the format by including stars like Zappa
Now I stated my feeling about the piece Frank played on the page and got taken to task not least by my hero bass player Mark ‘Rockette Morton’ Boston who told me off for being jaded! Fame at last! Ha ha ha ha John himself has been more muted and some Beefheart fans seem intrigued as I am by the role Zappa played in ‘exploiting’ the good Captain! but mostly disagreed which of course is fine!
I said of this piece of music
Frank Zappa - Black Napkin remastered on the USA TV
Noodle Poodle!
Gosh this is dull. All that I hate about Zappa musically; ego driven show off middle of the road jazz music for the intellectually challenged
TV show prime time ersatz lounge jazz; listen to the bass, drums and horn section could be anybody from some small jazz band. Boring. All to show off Zappa noodles! Tiresome and old fashioned incredibly dated wallpaper music. John French, Mark Boston, Artie Tripp III and Bill Harkleroad this ain’t!
Not an original idea for miles!
Try listening to French Frith Kaiser Thompson say 'Invisible Means' for example and you will see what I mean? Frank couldn’t hold a candle and couldn’t have sat in with those boys.
Just my opinion.😏
#OnThisDay in 1976 (the episode was aired on November 11, 1976).
In fairness and balance
John truly appreciated Frank
"I thought it was pretty amazing that Mike Douglas had Frank on his show. Frank was most likely a pretty busy guy during this period. It was the year that "Bat Chain Puller" was recorded, and I remember him touring a lot. He's playing with the studio band, so had to choose something simple and quick -- to be in and out of there. It was nice of Douglas to give him a chance to expose other people who would maybe never have given him a chance. The exposure probably helped him, and they probably requested something that would be easy for the band to pick up without rehearsal. So, he picked something simple and repetitive. Say all the negative stuff you want, but I noticed that they never asked Don to come on and blow sax with the band. Why? Because he couldn't have really done it. Frank was much more successful as a musician / composer mainly because he could size up a situation and use it to his best advantage, which he did here. He was much more flexible in this respect"
"You have become too jaded to appreciate simple emotional spontaneous music from the heart. That's my opinion.”
I replied
Markwell that ‘s me told off by one of my all time heroes! oops! Kind of an achievement! Just never cared for Zappa. Don and the Magic Band were/are streets ahead of anything he ever achieved. His including the Cap’n live (which) may have payed Beefheart some welcome readies but they don’t quite cut it like John, Bill, Art and your good self. Hell I’d sooner a duck than Zappa! Ya get me?! Not jaded BTW just too busy listening to the Magic Band!
Remember it’s just a matter of taste! Booglarise!
Just my opinion!
I do not think I come off well here incidentally but hey ho!
