Alex St. Clair
Encyclopedia
Alex St. Clair was an American musician.
Twice guitarist for Captain Beefheart
, St. Clair was a contemporary of Frank Zappa
at Antelope Valley High School
in Lancaster, California
, where St. Clair played trumpet and Zappa played drums. They bought their first guitars within days of each other.
St. Clair joined his first band, The Omens, around 1959; Vliet (Beefheart) did occasional vocals with them. St. Clair went to work around Lake Tahoe
in 1964. He returned to Lancaster in 1965 and teamed up with Doug Moon, Jerry Handley, and Terry Wimberley in a blues band. After Vliet was invited to sing with them and Vic Mortensen joined as drummer, the first incarnation of the Magic Band was formed. It was around this time that Snouffer changed his name to St. Clair and Vliet changed his to Van Vliet. St. Clair claimed, "We changed our names because the police were after us for smuggling sponges into Nevada." Soon thereafter, Van Vliet took on the Captain Beefheart persona.
St. Clair played on the band's first two albums, Safe as Milk
(1967) and Strictly Personal
(1968). He left the group in June 1968, having become both musically and financially disappointed after a botched European tour. Bill Harkleroad
took his place in the band.
St. Clair returned to music in Denny King's Boogie Band and appears on their album Evil Wind Blowing. Surprisingly, he rejoined the Magic Band after the departure of Winged Eel Fingerling, and was with them for the Clear Spot
tour of North America and Europe. St. Clair again left the band due to financial problems, as did Zoot Horn Rollo, Rockette Morton
and Ed Marimba.
St. Clair was found dead in his apartment at the beginning of 2006.
The Captain Beefheart song "Owed T'Alex", which was written in the mid 1960s though it was unreleased until the 1978 album Shiny Beast (Bat Chain Puller)
, was written about St. Clair's trips to Carson City
to visit his mother.
Twice guitarist for Captain Beefheart
Captain Beefheart
Don Van Vliet January 15, 1941 December 17, 2010) was an American musician, singer-songwriter and artist best known by the stage name Captain Beefheart. His musical work was conducted with a rotating ensemble of musicians called The Magic Band, active between 1965 and 1982, with whom he recorded 12...
, St. Clair was a contemporary of Frank Zappa
Frank Zappa
Frank Vincent Zappa was an American composer, singer-songwriter, electric guitarist, record producer and film director. In a career spanning more than 30 years, Zappa wrote rock, jazz, orchestral and musique concrète works. He also directed feature-length films and music videos, and designed...
at Antelope Valley High School
Antelope Valley High School
Antelope Valley High School is located in Lancaster, California, and is part of the Antelope Valley Union High School District, in northernmost Los Angeles County, California. It was founded in 1912. It is located near the western edge of the Mojave Desert...
in Lancaster, California
Lancaster, California
Lancaster is a charter city in northern Los Angeles County, in the high desert, near the Kern County line. Lancaster currently ranks as the 30th largest city in California, and the 148th largest city in the United States. Lancaster is the principal city within the Antelope Valley...
, where St. Clair played trumpet and Zappa played drums. They bought their first guitars within days of each other.
St. Clair joined his first band, The Omens, around 1959; Vliet (Beefheart) did occasional vocals with them. St. Clair went to work around Lake Tahoe
Lake Tahoe
Lake Tahoe is a large freshwater lake in the Sierra Nevada of the United States. At a surface elevation of , it is located along the border between California and Nevada, west of Carson City. Lake Tahoe is the largest alpine lake in North America. Its depth is , making it the USA's second-deepest...
in 1964. He returned to Lancaster in 1965 and teamed up with Doug Moon, Jerry Handley, and Terry Wimberley in a blues band. After Vliet was invited to sing with them and Vic Mortensen joined as drummer, the first incarnation of the Magic Band was formed. It was around this time that Snouffer changed his name to St. Clair and Vliet changed his to Van Vliet. St. Clair claimed, "We changed our names because the police were after us for smuggling sponges into Nevada." Soon thereafter, Van Vliet took on the Captain Beefheart persona.
St. Clair played on the band's first two albums, Safe as Milk
Safe as Milk (album)
Safe as Milk is the début album by Captain Beefheart & his Magic Band, originally released in 1967. It is a heavily blues-influenced work, but also hints at many of the features—such as surreal lyrics and odd time signatures—that would later become trademarks of Beefheart's music.The album is also...
(1967) and Strictly Personal
Strictly Personal
-Personnel:*Don Van Vliet - vocals, harmonica*Alex St. Clair - guitar*Jeff Cotton - guitar*Jerry Handley - bass guitar*John French - drums-External links:* at the Captain Beefheart Radar Station....
(1968). He left the group in June 1968, having become both musically and financially disappointed after a botched European tour. Bill Harkleroad
Bill Harkleroad
Bill Harkleroad, known professionally as Zoot Horn Rollo , is an American guitarist. He is best known for his work with Captain Beefheart and The Magic Band...
took his place in the band.
St. Clair returned to music in Denny King's Boogie Band and appears on their album Evil Wind Blowing. Surprisingly, he rejoined the Magic Band after the departure of Winged Eel Fingerling, and was with them for the Clear Spot
Clear Spot
Clear Spot is the seventh album by Captain Beefheart and the Magic Band, originally released on LP in 1972 in a clear plastic sleeve.After Trout Mask Replica, which was critically acclaimed but sold poorly, each of the group's following three albums was slightly more conventional than the one before...
tour of North America and Europe. St. Clair again left the band due to financial problems, as did Zoot Horn Rollo, Rockette Morton
Rockette Morton
Rockette Morton is an American musician, best known as a bass guitarist and guitarist for Captain Beefheart and the Magic Band in the 1960s and 1970s.-Early years:...
and Ed Marimba.
St. Clair was found dead in his apartment at the beginning of 2006.
The Captain Beefheart song "Owed T'Alex", which was written in the mid 1960s though it was unreleased until the 1978 album Shiny Beast (Bat Chain Puller)
Shiny Beast (Bat Chain Puller)
Shiny Beast is the tenth studio album by Captain Beefheart and The Magic Band. Originally released in 1978, it is considered to be Beefheart's comeback album following 1974's poorly received efforts, Unconditionally Guaranteed and Bluejeans & Moonbeams, and is the first of his three critically...
, was written about St. Clair's trips to Carson City
Carson City, Nevada
The Consolidated Municipality of Carson City is the capital of the state of Nevada. The words Consolidated Municipality refer to a series of changes in 1969 which abolished Ormsby County and merged all the settlements contained within its borders into Carson City. Since that time Carson City has...
to visit his mother.