Bill Harkleroad (born January 8, 1949), known professionally as Zoot Horn Rollo, 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".
Early life Born in Hawthorne, California, Harkleroad was trained as an accordionist as a child but changed to guitar in his teens.
Career In 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. In March 2005, Q placed "Big Eyed Beans from Venus" from Clear Spot at number 53 in its list of the 100 Greatest Guitar Tracks.
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".
In 2013, Harkleroad contributed lead guitar to a psychobilly track on the Eugene-based band Cherry Poppin' Daddies album White Teeth, Black Thoughts.
Discography With Captain Beefheart & His Magic Band Studio albums YearTitleNotesMagic Band personnel1969Trout Mask Replica Released on June 16, 1969 Label: Straight John French Jeff Cotton Bill Harkleroad Mark Boston Victor Hayden1970Lick My Decals Off, Baby Released in December 1970 Label: Straight John French Bill Harkleroad Mark Boston Art Tripp1972The Spotlight Kid Released in January 1972 Label: Reprise John French Bill Harkleroad Mark Boston Art Tripp Elliot Ingber1972Clear Spot Released in October 1972 Label: Reprise Bill Harkleroad Mark Boston Art Tripp Roy Estrada1974Unconditionally Guaranteed Released in April 1974 Label: Mercury (US), Virgin (UK) Bill Harkleroad Mark Boston Alex St. Clair Mark Marcellino Art Tripp
Singles YearSingleAlbum1970"Pachuco Cadaver" / "Wild Life"Trout Mask Replica1972"Too Much Time" / "My Head Is My Only House Unless It Rains"Clear Spot1974"Upon the My-O-My" / "Magic Be"Unconditionally Guaranteed
With Mallard 1975 Mallard 1976 In a Different Climate
Solo 2001 We Saw a Bozo Under the Sea 2014 Masks
Bibliography Harkleroad, Bill (1998). Lunar Notes: Zoot Horn Rollo's Captain Beefheart Experience. Interlink Publishing. .
References
External links
HiFi Mundo interview, 1997 Guitar Player magazine biography Interview in University of Oregon Voice Mallard (band) web pages online since 1995