Page "Captain Beefheart" Paragraph 9

After Zappa began regular occupation at Paul Buff's PAL Studio in Cucamonga he and Van Vliet began collaborating, tentatively as " The Soots ".

By the time Zappa had turned the venue into Studio Z the duo had completed some songs.

These were " Cheryl's Canon ", " Metal Man Has Won His Wings " and a Howlin ' Wolf styled rendition of Little Richard's " Slippin ' and Slidin '".

Further songs, on Zappa's Mystery Disc ( 1996 ), " I Was a Teen-Age Malt Shop " and " The Birth of Captain Beefheart " also provide an insight to Zappa's ' teenage movie ' script titled Captain Beefheart vs. the Grunt People, the first appearances of the Beefheart name.

It has been suggested this name came from a term used by Vliet's Uncle Alan who had a habit of exposing himself to Don's girlfriend, Laurie Stone.

He would urinate with the bathroom door open and, if she was walking by, would mumble about his penis, saying " Ahh, what a beauty!

It looks just like a big, fine beef heart.

" In a 1970 interview with Rolling Stone, Van Vliet requests " don't ask me why or how " he and Zappa came up with the name.

He would later claim in an appearance on Late Night with David Letterman that the name referred to " a beef in my heart against this society.

" In the " Grunt People " draft script Beefheart and his mother play themselves, with his father played by Howlin ' Wolf.

Grace Slick is penned in as a ' celestial seductress ' and there are also roles for future Magic Band members Bill Harkleroad and Mark Boston.