Peter's music has been heard on hundreds of radio stations and has been on SiriusXM rotation for over a decade. As a multi-award winning artist, Peter's music has also topped Billboard's Classical and Crossover charts.
For Captain Beefheart, a maverick-artist-musician, who was not just a complicated man but highly demanding and by most accounts very difficult to deal with. It was appropriate that Beefheart's Magic Band was to prominently feature a bassist as accomplished, bold and adventurous as Mark Boston, a.k.a Rockette Morton.
Born on July 14, 1949, Mark began life in the small town of Salem, Illinois before his family moved out to Lancaster, California when he was 13. With a bassist and steel player for a father, Mark gained a great appreciation for country and bluegrass along with the R&B and rock’n’roll that was on the rise. Within a year of the Boston clan moving out to Lancaster, Mark befriended a young guitarist by the name of Bill Harkleroad.
At a time when the bass guitar was seen as the dummy’s instrument, Mark left quite an impression on Bill with his talent and equipment, leading to the two joining forces to form BC And The Cavemen. With Mark’s mother sewing some outfits for them, the band developed a decent reputation, and the two would also play in a band with Jeff Cotton and John French known as Blues In A Bottle. And then a local hero came calling. Or perhaps screaming and howling!
In that same Lancaster scene, Captain Beefheart And His Magic Band were making a big splash as a top flight blues rock outfit, with 'Safe As Milk' having made a strong impression and 'Strictly Personal' being a strong record as well. But even with a sound that was speaking to people, one that perhaps would have been a more pragmatic one as far as a career goes, Don Van Vliet just wasn’t meant for conventional norms.
The Captain had all these ideas, ideas far too out for many, including early members. He needed new musicians, younger and more impressionable ones that wouldn’t object to his ideas. Already having John and Jeff in the band, now 'Drumbo' and Antennae Jimmy Semens, he then recruited Bill, dubbed Zoot Horn Rollo. And on bass, he found Mark Boston, who took the name Rockette Morton due to his love of outer space. And the classic Magic Band was born.
Trout Mask Replica (TMR) wasn’t an easy album to make. Yet even with all the bizarre ideas and the difficulty in preparing those ideas into music, Mark was a total champ through it all. The Beefheart sound is one of great dichotomy, and Mark can capture all of it. He’s so tight and precise, and yet there’s this raw grit and dirt. He’s highly intelligent and sophisticated in his playing, and yet there remains this childlike sense of wonder and curiosity.
He takes after all the great traditional American music, yet out into a whole other realm of time and space. The bass traditionally serves the role of grounding the harmony while locking in with the drums to provide a foundation, yet Mark’s playing often serves as another melody line in the music. In a lot of ways, he’s like a third guitarist that just happens to be playing bass.
The TMR on its own is a legacy few can compete with, and yet Mark contributed to more classic records like "Lick My Decals Off, Baby", "The Spotlight Kid", and "Clear Spot". There on Decals, you get the equivalent of Godfather II. With Mother Art Tripp on marimba and drums rather Jeff on guitar, you get an album that captures a great deal of TMR's brilliance while being brilliant in its own unique way.
Then you get to 'The Spotlight Kid', with bass godliness on cuts like “When It Blows Its Stack”, resulting in a bass solo that often opened shows, yet Mark proves himself just as talented on traditional in-the-pocket styles as demonstrated on cuts like “I’m Gonna Booglarize You Baby”. And that thing about bassists being failed guitarists? In the 'Clear Spot', with Mark taking guitar and the rhythm section now being a mini Mothers reunion of Art and Roy Estrada, yet nobody missed a beat. Throughout the record, Bill and Mark’s kinship really shines, their weaving right there with what Bill and Jeff had done, or what was done with Alex St Clair early on.
Of course, dealing with Don was quite a task of its own, so it’s inevitable that Mark and the others would all end up departing by 1974. He and Bill soon formed a group of their own called Mallard. For two albums, the first with Art and having some writing help from John French 'Drumbo', Mallard showed itself a pretty decent blues rock outfit. And giving that it was Mark who finally had a chance to create something that was truly his own rather than helping some achieve their vision, it’s understandably the work that he takes pride in. And over time, he’d end up making a solo record and create some cool artwork of his own, as well as performing with 'Drumbo' in the reformed Magic Band, allowing the music to live and breathe on stage again.
If you’re a Beefheart fan, how can you not love Rockette Morton? Not only a uniquely talented bass player but such a great stage presence full of joy, along with a lovably quirky personality and such a sweet guy. Easily one of my favorites from Magic Band members, you can’t help but smile when thinking about Mark. He’s been through some rough weather, including his health scares, and yet he’s still the same Mark we’ve known and loved all the years.
Happy birthday Mark! Thank you for all you have given us and look forward to more.
___________________
Patrick Moore is a freehand drawing artist and freelance music writer.
By Subhash K Jha
MUMBAI: Indo-Canadian porn queen Sunny Leone came to the Indian entertainment industry in 2011 when she entered the reality show Big Boss without disclosing her status as a porn star.
But it was during her participation in Big Boss that she was offered a role by Mahesh Bhatt in Jism 2 (sequel to the 2003 film Jism that featured Bipasha Basu). Later, she was signed by Ekta Kapoor for Ragini MMS 2. In Shootout at Wadala, Sunny also featured in the item song Laila.
Sunny Leone opens up with Subhash K. Jha about her life in Bollywood and her future plans and how her family has reacted to her choices. Here is the interview:
Q: A lot has been happened to your career in Bollywood since we last spoke. How do you feel about the changes in your life and career?
This has been the most amazing transition that I could hope for. Being accepted and liked in another country is not something that happens all the time.
[caption id="attachment_83397" align="alignnone" width="800"]
Sunny Leone with her brother Sandeep Vohra.[/caption]
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Sunny Leone with her husband Daniel Weber (standing right to her), brother Sandeep Vohra (sitting left) and her father-in-law and mother-in-law.[/caption]
Q: How accepting has Bollywood been of you? Do you feel completely at home here?
Bollywood has been very accepting. I know there are people out there that don't like me but there are more people liking me so it doesn't bother me. I am very lucky that when I entered Bollywood I was coming with a fan-following already. And the Big Boss Season 5 show helped everyone else get to know me as a person. Moving to India from Hollywood was one of the easiest moves I have ever made. Effortless really.
Q: You performed an item song in Shootout At Wadala. How difficult was it for you to master all those filmy manoeuvres?
It was a challenge but I fortunately was working with one of the easiest choreographer Ahmed Khan and his team Karishma, Khalid and Bob. They made me feel so comfortable that is was able to relax and just dance. I was the child growing up that wanted to play football, hockey, basketball and so on, so this is a challenge for me to learn a whole new art. But something that I can promise anyone one I work with is that I am a fast learner and I work very very hard to get it right within the scope of my ability.
Q: Your next project was Ekta Kapoor's Ragini MMS 2? How comfortable were you in the horror genre?
Honestly I loved working on this film. There is a lot of performance in this movie and a huge range of emotions and of course horror. I don't mind the idea of not looking pretty in every shot. To me this is my way of getting out of who I am and becoming someone completely different for the day. I'll be able to talk in more detail once the movie comes out.
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Sunny Leone.[/caption]
Q: How much of the Indian film industry have you so far come to terms with?
I am not sure I fully understand this question. But I grew up in a typical Punjabi home and watched Hindi movies during my childhood. I understand Hindi and Punjabi and the Indian film industry is like every entertainment industry across the world. It all functions the same just in a different language. I have moved my whole world here and love this industry of Bollywood.
Q: Do you feel it's hard for an outsider like you to crack the Bollywood code?
I can't speak for someone else's experiences in life but for me because of my background and the fact that I have been in entertainment for years did give me the basic understandings of how things work. But also again I work very very hard and around the clock trying my hardest to learn everything that Bollywood is. I'm not even sure if I have fully cracked the "code" but I have begun the process hopefully. It all depends on how my second, third and forth movies do. In all reality, I have only made one movie that has been released to the world. It all depends on how the world accepts me in those movies to come.
Q: Are you now a full-on Mumbai girl? Have you and your husband settled down in Mumbai?
I feel very comfortable living here and it's been the easiest move for he and I. We are very much settled and know the ins and out of Mumbai. I think the day I felt totally comfortable was when I started giving my driver directions.
Q: How does your family react to your new career as a Bollywood actress?
My husband obviously is my biggest supporter. He runs two other businesses and has his own musical band and yet still finds the time to be my husband and manage my career, he's kind of like superman. My brother is very very supportive and has been from the beginning of my career. He's a head chef in America and I hope one day he can move here so I see him more. My parents have passed away and I know they are looking down on me and smiling. If my mom and dad knew I met Madhuri Dixit the other day I know they would have been so excited. My father always told me over and over again, do what you want in life but make sure you are the best at what you do and work hard. My father left India to Canada with $200 USD in his pocket and worked his way up and I always admired his hard work.
Q: Have you bought your own home in Mumbai? Was it difficult for you to get property in Mumbai?
I have not purchased a home yet because my husband and I decided to see how things would move forward here in Bollywood before committing to buying something. It has also giving us a chance to get to know our surrounding and neighborhood that are nice to live in. It was a very easy process to find something we like and all tenants were very excited at the thought of a Bollywood actress living in their place. We are currently looking at new builds that fit in our time frame to buy. It's very exciting.
Q: Have you left your days as an adult star behind? How do you look back on that experience?
Right now my whole focus is in Bollywood and nothing else. I believe I have been given the opportunity of a lifetime and I plan to keep my focus and energy here till the fans want me. If it wasn't for my past I would not be who I am. I am not ashamed of it because it has brought me here to India. If I came here as regular me with no entertainment experience, then I would not be as popular as I am today with the public.
Q: How do you react to a director like Anees Bazmi saying he wouldn't want to work with you as he has a family audience to consider?
I have no idea what this is all about. But I am very lucky that there are plenty of people that want to work with me.
Q: What are your immediate plans in Bollywood?
I am starting a new project at the moment. I am in Hindi dialogue lessons and I don't thing that will ever end. My plan as always is to not plan and just keep working hard, like every project could be my last and give it my all.
Q: Is it true your husband Daniel is also seeking a career in Bollywood?
My husband is entertaining several opportunities and for information you'll have to ask him.
Q: Women and children in India have lately been subjected to unprecedented violence and brutality. How do you react to the perception that the commodification of women in the glamour industry is a major cause for provoking crime against women?
Well, what has been going on is not something that just stared recently. But what has now started is that the media is being tuned into what has been going on for decades and finally bringing light to these horrible psychotic events. Its not an industry that makes people do things, it's an individual and that individual needs help. These things happen all over the world at every minute of the day. The entertainment industry cannot be blamed. It's fiction meaning make-believe.
READ NEXT: 4 love affairs of Sunny Leone
Ningkhangam Awungshi: You are who u are Sunny
...... don't listen to all this negative peoples .. chase your dreams and hit it ... I admired you for your honesty and boldness .... We are all with you ....
rahulkumarspeiya: i like ur point
bhanjan singh: Wow kya life jee rahi ho sunny jee
Eff: Hahahahaha funny how you even NOTICED her EYES!!!!! U doughnut LOL
Eff: Agree. Bollywood should be boycotted for allowing this filth to infiltrate. It was already bad enough what was once a 'family' enjoyment with all the actresses going on skin show but bringing in someone like this dog just takes the biscuit
Sunny leone biggest fan sneha: Sunny leone i m bip fan of urs i love ur charm n cuteness.u r so sweet n i love ur features spcly ur eyes
Josephjohnmonaco: Sunny Leone come back to the Usa and make more movies. Joseph Monaco
m.Krishna: Sunny leone is abeautiful lady. I
Sunny Leone is a beautiful lady. I love her.
raj: Ey kamine haramzade teri maa ka chutiya maa ke sath fuck kar behan ke sath kar......
mad: hahahaha shut up
mahmad ansari: good luck with sunnyleone
rahul: sahi h aur bnao bf new new
fucker: ye sali randi sunny leone kutiya bhen ki lodi india me ise koi chod k chla jaega.. iss ki to rape ki report bhi police nhi likhegi saali rand
Blanca Delgado: A whore is a whore regardless of her ethnicity.
Sadda kaam att karoni: Att madam ji tusi taan ਉਹ ਗੱਲ ਵੱਖਰੀ ਅਸੀਂ 10 ਪਾਸ ਹਾਂ......
ਪਰ ਮੋਟਰ ਸਾਡੀ ਤੇ B.tech
M.A ਵਾਲੀਆਂ ਵੀ ਅਾਈਆਂNe..
metal head: Really?? how some of you can support her? just think about it more. what is wrong with you? where is our culture? what are we now? please just think how do you want to live like this? it's not late to change.throw away these shits, we can't support someone who is a dirty creature not a human,she is destroying our culture, our rules, and with your support you are helping her. please wake up.
Abi: FOR LADIES WHO COMMENTED HERE.. DONT SUPPORT HER BECAUSE SHE IS A LADY.. YOUR ASHAMED AND THATS WHY YOU PPL SUPPORTING HER. WHO SAID THAT ITS 2014 AND NOT 1925? IF YOU GO FAR AWAY MILLION YEARS AGO, THERE WAS LIKE ONLY 2 PPL ADAM & EVE.. SO WE ARE ALL BASTARDS RITE? FUCKING WITH BROTHERS AND SISTERS? BUILDING CULTURE IS A GREAT THING.. BUT FUCKING UP WITH IT ITS VERY EASY LIKE YOU SUPPORTING HER. INDIA IS KNOWS FOR RELIGIOUS AND CULTURE NOW ITS ALL GONE. JUST SHUT THE FUCK UP AND DONT SUPPORT HER.
Ajmal khan: sex is part of hindu religion why are you so ashamed of this? watch kama sutra its more shameless then this.
Karthik: s i agree with u
Laila: Why go to Afgayyyynistan? It already needs help plus it's been a playground for a decade.
twinkle: Nouman. .....u don't hv rite to say lk dat...don't comment on nationality. We indian welcum all people frm outside.we r secular country. We respect everyone frm outside country...even pakistani actors r hunting in bollywood for job.so discuss on individual not on nationality. ....I love india...east or west india is de best...
twikle: Deepak I agree with u...
Ashiq: Really appreciatable. Am proud to be your fan....
taha: chet pakistanion ne tere ghar mein teri maaan k pas bomb phara tha
Patel: The good old days of watching a Bollywood movie with family are over
happy: OK miss khan..tumhari phuddi ma b mera Lamba Lun.. Tum b mera lmba Lun lay lo phir q k tmhy koi objection nahi hot a na.
franklin ojeaga: if she do not do this will u pay her from ur pocket .and it is the job of the indian government to keep a check on this. think positively
Nisha: She is professional actress n gud dancer.
So many gls gone crazy on her dance. In fact in marriages n parties select her dance perfomance
'YEH DUNIYA PITTAL DI'
Your Name...Nisha: Yeah I agree, it is her profession. Yaar Indian film main bhi ek se badhakar ek item songs main intimate scenes actress deti hai. It is profession.
Nadia k: My brother is 32 and will be 33 soon. He served in the U.S. army
malik khawar: Sunny Leone very sexy.nude girl.
Babar ali: Sunny Leone isis so beautiful.sunny smile very well.and acting very well.
S.khan: Sunny is baster lady and have not religian
iqbal: I m Iqbal and contact me.
FEMINIST: 98% of the horrible comments are from MEN. Blame the women for corruption. Stop the abuses. Our Country should follow Dubai. Where Women can wear Bikini, Men are forbidden to abuse in public, stare directly at Arab women & Capital Punishment Death for Rape instantly. What she did was her profession in Canada. Don't be judgmental, look at your self first before pointing fingers. In America if you were to call an escort a Bitch she could sue you and win the case. The work she does is for her living it does not give any person the right to criticize another person coz of his strong point of view & backgrounds. You should respect the persons job.....
Bijay: sale tum log india ke bare me jante hi kya ho ham ek bar me jintna mutte hai utna tumhari sarir me khun nahi hoga sale afganistani.
DEEPAK: OH.. LISTEN
HUMANS DO COMMIT MISTAKES BUT... THEY ALSO FEEL GUILTY FOR THEIR MISTAKES.
but sunny IS NOT accepting her past work as a mistake
she is not feeling guilty about that.
Mukesh sharma: Whatever these girls do for there profession, its there choice we are no body to say anything to them and to interfair in there personal life. Example if a girl move on road as in bikni,nude,in short its there choice there is no rule that they cant in that way as police also cant say anything that why they are in bikni....
rahul: she is very sexy and pretty.
Navjot: Sunny My Drem You Sex With Me
nadia: fuck u
salman: she is not a women, she is a bitch, and her husband is a son of bitch
salman: sunny leone will go in hell after her death, and then she will cry that may i didn,t do that, lanat hai be shumaar esi females pe jinho ne apne jism ko apni job bna lia hai
Naser Mohammady: Sorry for your sorry ass, women in Afghanistan is much covered up than India, Ok??
Just don't blame Afghanistan for what happens in India
lubna: Hey sunny.Ur pretty .y do u HV to do all this dirty stuff.n guys plz stop fighting u all India n Pakistan etc...anyway m husband loves u he thinks Ur hot wants me to b like u wic is impossible.ha ha ha.but Ur really bold.. keep it up so DAT these orthodox men get more cranky
loru din ahmed: dear sunny, tumhari jaise raand hi kafi hai larkio ko barbad karne me. ma ki lori eekta kapoor bhi randi hai jisne tum jaise randi ko india me laya. fuck to both of u.
Ajmal: Dear Nouman....
Don't forget that the Pakistanis too get an opportunity to work in Bollywood Industry. So don't go on to the Nationality. Nationality has nothing to do with all these.
Waheed Ahmed Okara: I like her,she is very sexy and pretty.
miss khan: I like her,she is very sexy and pretty.
Indian cinema already showing things which you cant watch with family, do not blame young lady for that.
Niklesh: Where is that cinema which always makes people comfortable...cinema has become a nude industry....where all want to get profit thats it....shameee
chets: Pakistan and Afghanistan toh pahele se gand hai gand b nahi sandas hai saale sab k sab terrorist and tum logon ko sunny kyu chaiyee saale 2m log toh homo hoo ek dusre ki gand marate rehete hoo....
2mare wahan ladkhiyon ko bolne tak ka haq nahi hai....
saaale double standard saale khud b burkha pehen k ghumoo chakhoo...
Ahmad: Dude, you are most welcome to Afghanistan. But please do not attempt to go to Fuckistan.
Nabo: Marry me Marta if you want lucky husband
manish: I love sunnyleone..ooooooooommmmah....
harry: Kishan u r right...but this will spoil the film industry. . and the profession...
pankaj: So niceeeeeeeee
shreyansh: hats offf to her...!!!!!
digvijay: what has got to our indian minds? ehy r we support ing the girls like malika poonam panday and now this rand who drink cum n piss believe me or not they r being psid through our pockets
Yasir: Apna Gand apny paas rekho ... Pakistan ya Afghnistan na phenko ...
fucker: asim i am also agre with raper kya mast idea dya hay tum ko wo be free
Blinds: your blog is very nice I like it if you want to get more entertainment you would click on
Tripathi: I wonder whether she does double with both her husband and brother together...lol
Though i m an Indian , i can still say..India has doomed.I am really ashamed of it.
Better to go to pakistan or afganistan....
Anuj: With due respect to everyone no offence to anyone! We as Indians take pride in honouring many things which are very decent and digitable. Oftenly we start blaming West for the nudity and crime in india. Okay was nudity never a part of indian culture? If not then were kamasutra come from...known for best postions of sex....were does Khujrao come from...where three men holding a women in a manner which can make a anyperson in world would blush!
yogesh: sunny leone u r bitch...m agree wid vinod
marta: she has lucky husband
marta: Women also can earn money
rickey ponting: yeh husband aor bhi lanat hae in logo pr jo sport krtae hae lanat hae us bap pr jis nae yeh gandi oarat ke sport kr rha hae.
Prashant: I proud of sunny leone she has done hardwork to achieve such a place. 
