Cloudbusting -- Kate Bush In Her Own Words

Captain Beefhart

Well, here's certainly one of the all-time cult figures: Captain beefheart, and his magic band. Here's a man who for over a decade has been making music which some people have been absolutely raving about, and yet he's never broken through to mass acceptance.

Yes. Again, I think he's [Laughs], he's such an obvious person to be big here. When you look at a lot of the new wave groups and the punk groups, they're really nothing compared to Beefheart. He's the original. And for me he's a, a natural poet. I mean, he's incredible. I've heard a beautiful quote of his. When he was backstage one day, um, there was someone hanging around who he didn't want to be there; and he told them to get out. And when the someone said ``why didn't you want me here?'' he said he's had too much to think.

And if I may just quote a couple of lines from one of his songs called ``Bat Chain Puller.'' It's about a Voodoo train. His poetry's incredible. It says: ``A chain with yellow lights that glisten like oil-beads;'' and another line: ``It whistles like a root snatched from the dry earth. Sod-busting rakes with grey-dust claws announces it's coming in the morning.'' [??? Inaudible] ...is a poet. Then listen out for the line in this song, which is called ``Tropical Hot Dog Night,'' and it's ``Like two flamingos in a fruit fight."

[The song is played.]

Captain beefheart and the magic band, and ``tropical hot dog night.'' kate, I think I would like to stash that one. Maybe it's the new year's party I'm going to tonight.

Let's play it again right now and get up on the table! (1980, BBC)

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