- Rockette Morton
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Rockette Morton
Rockette MortonBackground information Birth name Mark Boston Born 1949 Origin Salem, Illinois
United StatesGenres Rock, alternative rock Occupations Musician Instruments Bass, guitar, keyboards, backing vocals Years active 1963–present Associated acts Captain Beefheart
Mallard
Frank ZappaWebsite rockettemorton.com Rockette Morton (real name Mark Boston; born 1949 in Salem, Illinois) is an American musician, best known as a bass guitarist and guitarist for Captain Beefheart and the Magic Band in the 1960s and 1970s.
Contents
Career
Early years
In 1963, after moving to Lancaster, California, he joined up with future Magic Band member Bill Harkleroad aka Zoot Horn Rollo in a band named B.C. & The Cavemen. Later, while performing in The Magic Band, he played on such critically acclaimed albums as The Spotlight Kid and Trout Mask Replica produced by Frank Zappa. His performances earned him nomination for Bass Player of the Year by Playboy Magazine in 1969.
While working with Captain Beefheart, Boston received his nickname by which he was most often associated for the duration of his career. He performed on five successful albums, which include Trout Mask Replica (1969), and Lick My Decals Off, Baby (1970), which spent eleven weeks on the UK Albums Chart, the most commercially successful of Captain Beefheart's recordings. Following them, 1972 saw the release of two albums: The Spotlight Kid, and Clear Spot, and last, Unconditionally Guaranteed (1974), which was Beefheart's eighth LP, but failed to climb the Billboard Top 200, perceived by the Magic Band's fans as too commercial.
In the book Lunar Notes: Zoot Horn Rollo's Captain Beefheart Experience, guitarist Bill Harkleroad details some of the tensions that arose between Don Van Vliet (best known by his stage name, Captain Beefheart) and members of the band. These tensions led to a split in 1974, when Rockette Morton left to form Mallard with bandmates John French, Bill Harkleroad, John Thomas, and Art Tripp. Following the demise of Mallard, he continued performing in various bands as guitarist and bassist. Always interested in studio performance, he remained active in his own recording studio. From 2003 to 2006 members of The Magic Band regrouped and performed on a world tour. Morton has also released a solo album, Love Space in 2003. Of this album he said, "If you enjoy listening to this music even half as much as I enjoyed recording it I'll be happy".
Discography
Captain Beefheart and the Magic Band albums
- Trout Mask Replica (1969)
- Lick My Decals Off, Baby (1970)
- The Spotlight Kid (1972)
- Clear Spot (1972)
- Unconditionally Guaranteed (1974)
Mallard albums
- Mallard
- In a Different Climate
Solo albums
- Love Space (2003)
References
Further reading
- Harkleroad, Bill (1998). Lunar Notes: Zoot Horn Rollo's Captain Beefheart Experience. Interlink Publishing. ISBN 0-946719-21-7.
External links
Categories:- 1949 births
- Living people
- American bass guitarists
- The Magic Band members
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