Bill Harkleroad (born January 8, 1949), known professionally as Zoot Horn Rollo,[1] is an American guitarist. He is best known for his work with Captain Beefheart and The Magic Band. In 2003, he was ranked No. 62 in a Rolling Stone magazine list of "the 100 greatest guitarists of all time".[2]
Zoot Horn Rollo | |
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| Background information | |
| Birth name | Bill Harkleroad |
| Also known as | Zoot Horn Rollo |
| Born | January 8, 1949 Palmdale, California, United States |
| Genres | Experimental rock, rock, blues |
| Occupation(s) | Musician, instructor, producer |
| Instrument(s) | Guitar, mandolin, accordion |
| Years active | 1968–present |
| Labels | Straight, Reprise, Proper |
| Website | www |
Early life
editBorn in Hawthorne, California, Harkleroad was trained as an accordionist as a child but changed to guitar in his teens.
Career
editIn nearby Lancaster, California, he became involved in local bands. With a future member of the Magic Band, Mark Boston, he joined a band named B.C. & The Cavemen (with Ernie Wood, vocals/guitar and Bruce Newkirk, drums). The two later played in the group Blues in a Bottle along with the future Magic Band guitarist Jeff Cotton. He joined the Magic Band in 1968 after the departure of Alex St. Clair.
After recording Trout Mask Replica and several further albums, he left in 1974, with several other band members, to form Mallard. His book, Lunar Notes, describes some of the tensions that contributed to the split between Captain Beefheart and the other band members.
After the break up of Mallard, Harkleroad had a limited involvement with the music community as a performer. He continued his involvement in another capacity, however, as a record store manager and guitar instructor in Eugene, Oregon.
On November 27, 2001, he released We Saw a Bozo Under the Sea. In 2008, John French (a.k.a. Drumbo) released an album City of Refuge on which Harkleroad played guitar on all twelve tracks.
In 2003, he was ranked No. 62 in a Rolling Stone magazine list of "the 100 greatest guitarists of all time".[2]
In 2013, Harkleroad contributed lead guitar to a psychobilly track on the Eugene-based band Cherry Poppin' Daddies' album White Teeth, Black Thoughts.
Discography
editStudio albums
edit| Year | Title | Notes | Magic Band personnel |
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| 1968 | Strictly Personal |
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| 1969 | Trout Mask Replica |
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| 1970 | Lick My Decals Off, Baby |
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| 1971 | Mirror Man |
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| 1972 | The Spotlight Kid |
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| 1972 | Clear Spot |
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| 1974 | Unconditionally Guaranteed |
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Singles
edit| Year | Single | Album |
|---|---|---|
| 1970 | "Pachuco Cadaver" / "Wild Life" | Trout Mask Replica |
| 1972 | "Too Much Time" / "My Head Is My Only House Unless It Rains" | Clear Spot |
| 1974 | "Upon the My-O-My" / "Magic Be" | Unconditionally Guaranteed |
- 1975 Mallard
- 1976 In a Different Climate
Solo
edit- 2001 We Saw a Bozo Under the Sea
- 2014 Masks
Bibliography
edit- Harkleroad, Bill (1998). Lunar Notes: Zoot Horn Rollo's Captain Beefheart Experience. Interlink Publishing. ISBN 0-946719-21-7.
References
edit- ^ "Zoot Horn Rollo, horoscope for birth date 8 January 1949, born in Long Beach, with Astrodatabank biography - Astro-Databank". Astro.com. October 24, 2019. Retrieved November 11, 2020.
- ^ a b "62: Zoot Horn Rollo". The 100 Greatest Guitarists of All Time. Rolling Stone. Retrieved September 28, 2010.