Tracklist
Sure 'Nuff 'N Yes I Do | 2:15 | ||
Zig Zag Wanderer | 2:40 | ||
Call On Me | 2:37 | ||
Dropout Boogie | 2:32 | ||
I'm Glad | 3:31 | ||
Electricity | 3:07 | ||
Yellow Brick Road | 2:28 | ||
Abba Zaba | 2:44 | ||
Plastic Factory | 3:08 | ||
Where There's Woman | 2:09 | ||
Grown So Ugly | 2:27 | ||
Autumn's Child | 4:02 |
Credits (9)
- Jerry HandleyBass
- John FrenchDrums, Percussion
- Hank CicaloEngineer [At Rca]
- Gary Marker*Engineer [Uncredited, Sunset Sound]
- Alex St. Clair*Guitar
- Ry CooderGuitar, Slide Guitar, Bass
Notes
The making of Safe As Milk, the debut album of Captain Beefheart And His Magic Band, is a long and convoluted story, revealed at length elsewhere upon the Web and in written s. However, some rudimentary details are worth having here for those wishing to submit.
Early US issues had red labels, followed by 'kaleidoscope' labels, then later black labels (under Arista). For some stereo issues a foil 'stereo' sticker was applied to mono sleeves. First inner liners had a photo-montage & loose sticker.
The band recorded in the Spring of 1967 at Sunset Sound Studios, later for the finished work at RCA Studios, Hollywood, C.A., USA.
The band were:
Don Van Vliet, aka Captain Beefheart, publishing in his real name and performing by his alias. (Vocals, Harmonica & Bass Marimba).
Alex Snouffer, aka Alex St. Clair, also known as Alexis St. Clare Snouffer. (Guitar).
Jerry Handley (Bass Guitar).
John French, aka John 'Drumbo' French or simply Drumbo. (Drums & Percussion).
Ry Cooder (Guitar, Slide Guitar & Bass Guitar) [A subsequently disaffected member & not appearing in photos].
Session or Guest Musicians [that are known. Others were present]:
Taj Mahal (Percussion), Russ Titelman (Guitar), Milt Holland (Log Drums & Percussion), Dr. Samuel J. Hoffman aka Sam Hoffman (Theremin).
Vliet wrote all of the songs, with the exception of Grown So Ugly, by Robert Pete Williams. Herb Bermann (Lancaster resident & soul-mate at the time) co-wrote the lyrics with Vliet on all songs - with the exception of the aforesaid and; Call On Me, I'm Glad and Abba Zaba. Jerry Handley co-wrote Plastic Factory with Vliet & Bermann. Cooder arranged Sure 'Nuff 'N Yes I Do & Ugly, Vliet arranged the remainder.
At this time, in 1967, 'Kama Sutra' records had a distribution deal with MGM. Meanwhile a Verve 3000 series catalog was allocated for Beefheart (FTS 3054), but not used because Vliet had signed with Kama Sutra after failing to be picked up by A&M. To extricate from MGM, Kama Sutra had created Buddah Records late in 1967, headed by Neil Bogart. Thus, Vliet & the band were recording for Buddah, although signed to Kama Sutra and Kama Sutra is shown on international releases. Bob Krasnow and Richard Perry produced the sessions. Some engineering was done by future TMR bassist Gary Marker*, then Hank Cicalo at RCA. This is the first mono & stereo album on the Buddah label, later celebrated by the reissue on BMG's new-look & retitled Buddha in 1999.
After "Safe As Milk" the band line-up was in flux. When they re-entered a recording studio in October 1967, for what was to be a double album "It Comes To You In A Plain Brown Wrapper", the project met various problems. Tracks from sessions surfaced on Beefheart's 2nd "Strictly Personal" & 5th "Mirror Man" albums, among other releases. Consequently, some of the recordings from these sessions appear later, issued as 'bonus' tracks on "Safe As Milk" releases**.
The album's working title was "Abba Zaba", after the American candy bar of Cardinet Candy Co., in a yellow/black checkered wrapper (hence the back cover design). See; Abba Zaba. However, the company vetoed use of the name and a title that was as 'safe as milk' was used. (A track titled "Safe As Milk" can be found on "Strictly Personal").
*Marker engineered at Sunset Sound, as he describes in the 'Grow Fins' set.
**These are technically 'Compilation' releases, as indicated thereon by reissue distributors BMG [for example]. Being compiled by 3rd parties from 2 different recording sources and significantly remastered without control by the artists.
Early US issues had red labels, followed by 'kaleidoscope' labels, then later black labels (under Arista). For some stereo issues a foil 'stereo' sticker was applied to mono sleeves. First inner liners had a photo-montage & loose sticker.
The band recorded in the Spring of 1967 at Sunset Sound Studios, later for the finished work at RCA Studios, Hollywood, C.A., USA.
The band were:
Don Van Vliet, aka Captain Beefheart, publishing in his real name and performing by his alias. (Vocals, Harmonica & Bass Marimba).
Alex Snouffer, aka Alex St. Clair, also known as Alexis St. Clare Snouffer. (Guitar).
Jerry Handley (Bass Guitar).
John French, aka John 'Drumbo' French or simply Drumbo. (Drums & Percussion).
Ry Cooder (Guitar, Slide Guitar & Bass Guitar) [A subsequently disaffected member & not appearing in photos].
Session or Guest Musicians [that are known. Others were present]:
Taj Mahal (Percussion), Russ Titelman (Guitar), Milt Holland (Log Drums & Percussion), Dr. Samuel J. Hoffman aka Sam Hoffman (Theremin).
Vliet wrote all of the songs, with the exception of Grown So Ugly, by Robert Pete Williams. Herb Bermann (Lancaster resident & soul-mate at the time) co-wrote the lyrics with Vliet on all songs - with the exception of the aforesaid and; Call On Me, I'm Glad and Abba Zaba. Jerry Handley co-wrote Plastic Factory with Vliet & Bermann. Cooder arranged Sure 'Nuff 'N Yes I Do & Ugly, Vliet arranged the remainder.
At this time, in 1967, 'Kama Sutra' records had a distribution deal with MGM. Meanwhile a Verve 3000 series catalog was allocated for Beefheart (FTS 3054), but not used because Vliet had signed with Kama Sutra after failing to be picked up by A&M. To extricate from MGM, Kama Sutra had created Buddah Records late in 1967, headed by Neil Bogart. Thus, Vliet & the band were recording for Buddah, although signed to Kama Sutra and Kama Sutra is shown on international releases. Bob Krasnow and Richard Perry produced the sessions. Some engineering was done by future TMR bassist Gary Marker*, then Hank Cicalo at RCA. This is the first mono & stereo album on the Buddah label, later celebrated by the reissue on BMG's new-look & retitled Buddha in 1999.
After "Safe As Milk" the band line-up was in flux. When they re-entered a recording studio in October 1967, for what was to be a double album "It Comes To You In A Plain Brown Wrapper", the project met various problems. Tracks from sessions surfaced on Beefheart's 2nd "Strictly Personal" & 5th "Mirror Man" albums, among other releases. Consequently, some of the recordings from these sessions appear later, issued as 'bonus' tracks on "Safe As Milk" releases**.
The album's working title was "Abba Zaba", after the American candy bar of Cardinet Candy Co., in a yellow/black checkered wrapper (hence the back cover design). See; Abba Zaba. However, the company vetoed use of the name and a title that was as 'safe as milk' was used. (A track titled "Safe As Milk" can be found on "Strictly Personal").
*Marker engineered at Sunset Sound, as he describes in the 'Grow Fins' set.
**These are technically 'Compilation' releases, as indicated thereon by reissue distributors BMG [for example]. Being compiled by 3rd parties from 2 different recording sources and significantly remastered without control by the artists.
Versions
Filter by
118 versions
Image | , | – | In Your Collection, Wantlist, or Inventory |
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Safe As Milk
LP, Album, Mono, Red Label
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Buddah Records – BDM 1001 | US | 1967 | US — 1967 |
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Safe As Milk
LP, Album, Mono, Promo
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Buddah Records – BDM 1001 | US | 1967 | US — 1967 |
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Safe As Milk
LP, Album, Test Pressing
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Buddah Records – BDS 5001 | US | 1967 | US — 1967 |
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Safe As Milk
LP, Album, Promo, Stereo, White Labels
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Buddah Records – BDS 5001 | US | 1967 | US — 1967 |
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Safe As Milk
LP, Album, Stereo, Red Label
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Buddah Records – BDS 5001 | US | 1967 | US — 1967 |
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Safe As Milk
LP, Album, Stereo, Red Label
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Buddah Records – BDS 5001 | US | 1967 | US — 1967 |
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Safe As Milk
LP, Album, Mono, Red Label
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Buddah Records – BDM 1001 | US | 1967 | US — 1967 |
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Safe As Milk
LP, Album, Stereo, Santa Maria Pressing
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Buddah Records – BDS 5001 | US | 1967 | US — 1967 |
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Safe As Milk
4-Track Cartridge, Album, Stereo
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Buddah Records – F-1-5001 | US | 1967 | US — 1967 |
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Safe As Milk
8-Track Cartridge, Album, Stereo
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Buddah Records – L-1-5001 | US | 1967 | US — 1967 |
New Submission
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Safe As Milk
LP, Album, Mono, Promo
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Buddah Records – BDM 1001 | US | 1967 | US — 1967 |
New Submission
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Safe As Milk
Acetate, LP, 33 ⅓ RPM, Album, Mono
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Kama Sutra – BDL-1001 | US | 1967 | US — 1967 |
New Submission
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Safe As Milk
LP, Album, Stereo, Pitman Pressing
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Buddah Records – BDS 5001 | US | 1967 | US — 1967 |
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Safe As Milk
LP, Album, Mono
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Astor – PLP 1249 | Australia | 1968 | Australia — 1968 |
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Safe As Milk
LP, Album, Stereo
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Astor – SPLP 1249 | Australia | 1968 | Australia — 1968 |
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Safe As Milk
LP, Album, Mono
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Pye International – NPL.28110 | UK | 1968 | UK — 1968 |
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Safe As Milk
LP, Album
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Buddah Records – HBDS 5001 | Netherlands | 1968 | Netherlands — 1968 |
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Safe As Milk
LP, Album, Stereo
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Buddah Records – 203 009 | 1968 | — 1968 | |||||
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Safe As Milk
LP, Album, Promo, Stereo
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Buddah Records – 203 009 | 1968 | — 1968 |
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Safe As Milk
LP, Album, Mispress, Stereo, Mono
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Astor – SPLP 1249 | Australia | 1968 | Australia — 1968 |
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Safe As Milk
LP, Album, Stereo
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Buddah Records – 203 009 | 1968 | — 1968 |
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Safe As Milk
LP, Album, Mispress, Stereo
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Astor – SPLP 1249 | Australia | 1968 | Australia — 1968 |
New Submission
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Safe As Milk
LP, Test Pressing, White Label
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Pye Records – NPL 28110 | UK | 1968 | UK — 1968 |
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Safe As Milk
LP, Album, Mono
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Pye International – MAL 1117 | UK | 1969 | UK — 1969 |
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Safe As Milk
LP, Album
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Buddah Records – BDS 5001 | 1969 | — 1969 |
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Dropout Boogie
LP, Album, Stereo, Reissue
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Buddah Records – 2349 002 | UK | 1970 | UK — 1970 |
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Safe As Milk
LP, Album, Reissue
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Buddah Records – BDS 5063 | US | 1970 | US — 1970 |
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Plastic Factory
LP, Album, Reissue
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Buddah Records – 2318 014 | 1970 | — 1970 | |||||
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Safe As Milk
LP, Album, Reissue, Kaleidoscope Label
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Buddah Records – 60017 | 1970 | — 1970 |
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Dropout Boogie
LP, Album, Stereo, Reissue, Mispress
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Buddah Records – 2349 002 | UK | 1970 | UK — 1970 |
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Safe As Milk
LP, Album, Reissue, Promo
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Buddah Records – BDS 5063 | US | 1970 | US — 1970 |
New Submission
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Safe As Milk
LP, Album, Reissue, ARP Pressing
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Buddah Records – BDS 5063 | US | 1970 | US — 1970 |
New Submission
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Safe As Milk
LP, Album, Reissue, Stereo
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Buddah Records – 2318 056 | New Zealand | 1970 | New Zealand — 1970 |
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Safe As Milk
LP, Album, Reissue, Sonic Pressing
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Buddah Records – BDS 5063 | US | 1970 | US — 1970 |
New Submission
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Safe As Milk
LP, Album, Promo, Reissue, Stereo
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Buddah Records – BDS 5063 | US | 1970 | US — 1970 |
New Submission
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Safe As Milk
LP, Album, Reissue, ARP Pressing
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Buddah Records – BDS 5063 | US | 1970 | US — 1970 |
New Submission
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Safe As Milk
LP, Album, Reissue, Stereo, Monarch Pressing
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Buddah Records – BDS 5063 | US | 1970 | US — 1970 |
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Safe As Milk
8-Track Cartridge, Album, Stereo
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Buddah Records – BDS 5063 | US | 1970 | US — 1970 |
New Submission
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Safe As Milk
Cassette, Album, Reissue
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Buddah Records – M 55063 | US | 1970 | US — 1970 |
New Submission
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Safe As Milk
8-Track Cartridge, Album, Stereo
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Buddah Records – Y8BDS 4014 | UK | 1970 | UK — 1970 |
New Submission
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Recommendations
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1972 UKVinyl —LP, Album, Stereo
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Reviews
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referencing Gold Rock (LP, Album, Reissue) 201.719
This record features the usual stereo mix. They just boosted the treble and midrange during mastering (especially the guitars on the left channel). It's a bit surprising at first listen, but it gives a nice aggressiveness. The pressing is very good. I don't regret my purchase. Another peculiarity: the spoken introduction of "Yellow Brick Road" is completely gone? -
referencing Safe As Milk (LP, Album, Mono) NPL 28110
This UK issue is a genuine mono mix. I’ve just picked up an original USA stereo Buddah issue and the instrument levels and fade outs are totally different.
This is a real mono album. -
referencing Safe As Milk (LP, Album, Reissue) N 1004
This reissue is fantastic, much better than the 70s Buddah reissues. PRT also reissued a lot of The Kinks stuff around this time - including a Mono version of Village Green Preservation Society put out in which I have that sounds amazing, so there's definitely a lot of effort put into this copy if you're looking for a cheap stereo version.
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Format description is mono but in the notes someone wrote that this pressing is identical to the "blues in vinile" series, which is stereo. There should be an error somewhere, or I am missing something... Can anyone confirm that this pressing is mono and maybe add matrix numbers?
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referencing Safe As Milk (LP, Album, Mono, Promo) BDM 1001
I’m going to marry this promo, if my wife ever leave’s me…
Can’t believe I actually own this record -
Seriously, how was it possible to lose the Captains vocal track in the mix?? Sometimes he’s there, but at others he just drifts away and gets buried..
didn’t realise it was a Scorpio until I had to catalogue it.. -
nice to see that there is a recent stereo pressing of this without all of the CD bonus tracks. bonus tracks are a plague. we hates them
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referencing Safe As Milk (LP, Album, Stereo) SPLP 1249
how does this pressing compare to the other early ones? -
referencing Safe As Milk (LP, Album, Mono, Reissue) LP 5460
I have a recent stereo CD issue of this album (with extra tracks) and yeah, the stereo mix is quite erratic with the good captain being bounced around from the left channel in one track to the right channel in the next, but I still prefer that mix to this Frankensteined so-called "Mono mix from the original tapes". The vinyl sounds a bit muddy to me. Unfortunate... just like I didn't go much on VMP's mono version of the first Doors album... but hey, that's just one fellow's opinion. By all means. check it out. It's one of Don's best.
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