With Denny Walley (DW), Napoleon Murphy Brock (NMB) and Dick Barber (DB)

DW:  While living in California, I had re-connected with Jim ‘Motorhead’ Sherwood. He told me that Frank was looking for a slide guitar player and told him about me. Frank said for me come on down the following day.
    I loaded up my gear and went into Hollywood to Frank’s rehearsal space and set up my rig. The band at that time was Terry, George, Napi, Tom, and of course Frank.
    The first song I was asked to play on was Advance Romance. It was in the key of G, which was perfect for me as my guitar was already tuned to an open G, plus it is basically a blues. I was nervous as hell, but as soon as we started playing I was totally relaxed. At the end of the song, Frank said, “Anyone with the balls to play those low notes has got the job.” He told his then road manager Marty Perellis, “Sign him up.”
    That was it, I was in!
    The band had been rehearsing for about a week or so before Frank brought Don Van Vliet in to start doing his parts. I had seen Don with The Magic Band a couple of times before this, but hadn’t had a chance to talk with him.

NMB:  Van Vliet – whew! Deep. Quite a funny guy. Within his own right, a genius for what he does. I’ve read some of his lyrics; after you dissect them, it’s really saying something quite powerful.

DW:  I knew Don from back in Lancaster when we went to the same school. He was just amazing. His vocals and harp playing were chilling. He was pure genius. He said twenty brilliant things a day. He was also a handful for Frank’s people to try and control. They were very structured and Don didn’t work like that. Let’s just say that he kept it interesting.

DB:  I would say the only real jerk that Frank was involved with was Captain Beefheart. At the end of the Bongo Fury tour, Frank was saying, “Never again: I’m not taking him on the road again.”
    I remember we were somewhere in Texas, and Beefheart somehow convinced the limo driver that he was in charge, and so he took the limo. We didn’t know where he went. He didn’t show up for soundcheck, and he finally shows up and he’d gone out and bought a big Stetson hat. I don’t think he had a lot of money at the time, because I know he was getting cash advances from me – I was the banker on the road. And Frank was pretty upset about that.

NMB:  Van Vliet spent a lot of time in the bathroom [laughs]. That’s what I remember. He used to come into my room and spent a lot of time in the bathroom. The rest of us were in there talking about whatever and he’d be in the bathroom. He liked to do that. I don’t know why.

DW:  The tour was a whirlwind. It was the first time I had ever played to such huge audiences. I had to work like hell to keep up with all of the material that was developing on a daily basis. My music reading skills were nowhere near that of the other members.

NMB:  Van Vliet used to do his drawings – of him and Frank! Their relationship was a bit strained at that time, as you can tell by the picture on the cover of the album!

DW:  The bottom line is that Beefheart is an amazing talent and added a tremendous amount of excitement to every show. I learned so much from that tour. I owe everything that has come to me in music to Frank Zappa and Don Van Vliet.
    After the Bongo Fury tour, Frank suggested that I play with Don as we got on really great and it would put Don back on the road and in the studio.

All quotes excerpted from interviews I have conducted with Denny, Napi and Dick.