don van vliet SINGING INK
poetry and fine art - drawing

the captain beefheart VALENTINE INFO RACKET
aka
a philadelphia valentine greeting from captain beefheart

BACKGROUND INFORMATION

first half february 1972, touring the us north-east coast for 'the spotlight kid' concerts, captain beefheart and the magic band hadn't much work to do and just was hanging out in philadelphia, pennsylvania for dull days on end. it even seems that don van vliet got a problem with his eternal need to make drawings: at a certain point he ran out of sketchbooks... - but brilliantly solved that disaster by attacking the front page of a 'yellow pages' telephone guide uselessly lying around.
when he had finished the job, he sent his 'reversable versable valentine info racket' to his record label's publicity office in california. that department ran 'a weekly news device from warner/reprise' called 'circular' and decided to include the treated piece of paper in the issue which would be published on valentine's day.... though, the editors renamed don's art work into 'a side' and 'b side' of 'a philadelphia valentine greeting'.

THE A SIDE



of course you can make out yourself what don has drawn and written on the front page of the guide
but perhaps you would like to compare it with mý findings and surmises:

the captain beefheart VALENTINE INFO RACKET

drawings:
* big outline of a heart
* several sketches of what mostly appears to be birds, and other unidentified things

stand-alone texts:
* wish it was thunder
not racquet
* air
* artist 'n' these turb timing timz [= times];
are under covering agents
not cops [but] artists
* this [is] ah [= a] square
but your heart is ♥️

remark about 'bell of pennsylvania' logo:
* the liberty bell couldn't be more cracked racket

remarks about the people (from above, and left to right) according to the arrows:
* man with teevee: tv cata[t]onic racket
* man in apron: captain beefheart
* man in white shirt: ama murder racket
* man in white shirt (with added dog on his arms): be good to animals i hope racket
* man in neck tie: racket sportz
* woman in flowery skirt: why did she pick flowers [? - well,] they can't pick her
* woman holding flower cloth: wool over the eyes racket
 * woman in 'pop art cubes' dress: womtns[?] lib racket
* man in smoking, holding a folder: token racket
* man in black suit:
the monday tues wed thurs friday sat sun gasp
the sky breathes one day
why do you think there[']s smog racket

THE B SIDE



my findings and surmises:

remarks about the emergency numbers:
* do without these if possible
* this are these if possable [= possible] (what does he mean?)
* dial air 4 [= for] murder [is] an old 1972 movie

remarks about specific numbers:
* police: police sign / (wrong symbol) peace sign [:] hacred of ha has the 60 (could someone explain this one?)
* water and sewer emergencies: canal suicide (redirecting to 'suicide prevention center')
* u.s. secret service: why be secret[:] it breeds anxiety
* other important numbers: where are the whales (etc)

stand-alone texts:
* hi pete[,] repeat this please[.] don valentine
* we pay at this end
we all take the charge
they get at there [= their] ends
* [in normal writing:]
reversable [= reversible] versable
valentine info racket
make it a good one
and one will be a good one
be my valentine
be but dare it
let it sting

van vliet 72

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