STUCK IN THE VINYL AGAIN - THE BIG BALL - VARIOUS ARTISTS

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Good morning faithful readers and welcome back to the Sunday edition of Stuck In The Vinyl Again. Today we remember Glendale, California native,  singer, songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, and visual artist, Captain Beefheart (Don Glen Vliet), on what would have been his 82nd Birthday. He was born January 15, 1941  to parents Glen Alonzo Vliet, a service station owner and his Wife,  Willie Sue Vliet. At age 3, Don started sculpting and by age 9 had won his first competition. His teenage years saw the Family move to  the Los Angeles area where he became interested in music while hanging out with members of local bands such as the Omens and the Blackouts, when he met Frank Zappa, who was the drummer at the time of the latter. Frank was the first one to capture Beefheart on tape. Their association would lead to collaborations between the two. During his career he released 13 studio albums from 1967 to 1982, which after at that time he would again focus on his artwork. He passed away  December 17, 2010, age 69, from complications from multiple sclerosis.

Today we have him on this wonderful double compilation sampler. The Big Ball was released in 1970 on the Warner Brothers label as part of the Loss Leaders series. These samplers were bargain priced promotional mail order albums available for $2. This particular release has it all, collecting well known acts as as The Beach Boys, Arlo Guthrie, Norman Greenbaum, The Mothers Of Invention, Van Morrison, Fleetwood Mac, Jethro Tull, Small Faces, and many, many, more, while balancing it out wioth lesser known artists like The Fifth Avenue Band, Eric Andersen, Savage Grace, The Pentangle, Family, Ed Sanders, the GTO's and others. 

The Beefheart track on Side 4 is "Ella Guru" from his third LP, Trout Mask Replica. Painter and musician, Ella Drauglis, who performs as Ella Guru, took her name from the song.

A1 The Fifth Avenue Band– Nice Folks
Producer – Erik Jacobsen, Jerry Yester, Zal Yanovsky
Written-By – Kenny Altman
2:25

A2 John Sebastian– Red-Eye Express
Producer – Paul Rothchild
Written-By – John Sebastian
2:53

A3 The Beach Boys– This Whole World
Producer – The Beach Boys
Written-By – Brian Wilson
1:55

A4 Geoff* & Maria Muldaur– New Orleans Hopscop Blues
Producer – Joe Boyd
Written-By – George Thomas
2:45

A5 Arlo Guthrie– Coming In To Los Angeles
Co-producer – Lenny Waronker, Van Dyke Parks
Written-By – Arlo Guthrie
3:08

A6 Eric Andersen – I Was The Rebel, She Was The Cause
Producer – Paul Tannen
Written-By – Eric Andersen 
2:34

A7 Norman Greenbaum– Jubilee
Producer – Erik Jacobsen
Written-By – Norman Greenbaum
2:56

A8 Savage Grace – Ivy
Producer – Joe Wissert
Written-By – Ron Koss
4:00

B1 Van Morrison– Caravan
Producer – Van Morrison
Written-By – Van Morrison
4:57

B2 Fleetwood Mac– Oh Well
Producer – Fleetwood Mac
Written-By – Peter Green 
9:00

B3 The Pentangle– Sally Go Round The Roses
Producer – Shel Talmy
Written-By – Stevens, Sanders
3:36

B4 Jethro Tull– Nothing Is Easy
Producer – Ian Anderson, Terry Ellis
Written-By – Ian Anderson
4:20

B5 Small Faces– Flying
Producer – Small Faces
Written-By – Stewart, Wood, Lane
4:12

B6 Family – No Mule's Fool
Producer – Family 
Written-By – Whitney, Chapman
3:14

B7 Kinks– When I Turn Out The Living Room Light (previously unreleased)
Producer – Ray Davies
Written-By – Ray Davies
2:15

C1 The Everly Brothers– I'm On My Way Home Again
Producer – Lenny Waronker
Written-By – V. Stevenson*
2:25

C2 Tim Buckley– Happy Time
Producer – Tim Buckley
Written-By – Tim Buckley
3:15

C3 Joni Mitchell– Big Yellow Taxi
Arranged By – Joni Mitchell
Written-By – Joni Mitchell
2:16

C4 Neil Young– The Loner
Producer – Neil Young
Written-By – Neil Young
3:55

C5 Gordon Lightfoot– Approaching Lavender
Producer – Joe Wissert
Written-By – Gordon Lightfoot
2:56

C6 Randy Newman– Mama Told Me Not To Come
Producer – Lenny Waronker
Written-By – Randy Newman
2:12

C7 James Taylor – Fire And Rain
Producer – Peter Asher
Written-By – James Taylor 
3:20

C8 Dion – Sit Down Old Friend
Producer – Phil Gernhart
Written-By – Dion 
3:22

D1 Ed Sanders– The Illiad
Producer – Ed Sanders
Written-By – Ed Sanders
4:05

D2a GTO's– Kansas And The BTO's
Producer – Frank Zappa
1:13

D2b GTO's– The Captain's Fat Theresa Shoes
Music By – Davy Jones
Words By – GTO's
2:35

D2c Captain Beefheart– Ella Guru
Producer – Frank Zappa
Written-By – Don Van Vliet
2:23

D2d GTO's– The Original GTO's
Written-By – GTO's
1:06

D2e The Mothers Of Invention– WPLJ
Producer – Frank Zappa
Written-By – Frank Zappa
3:02

D2f Wild Man Fischer– The Taster & The Story Of The Taster
Producer – Frank Zappa
Written-By – Wild Man Fischer
2:55

D2g Pearls Before Swine– Footnote
Producer – Richard Alderson
Written-By – Tom Rapp, W. H. Auden
1:16

D3 The Grateful Dead– Turn On Your Love Light (abridged)
Producer – Grateful Dead
Written-By – D. Malone, J. Scott
6:30