The Soots

The Soots was an early band in which Zappa performed guitar, Captain Beefheart vocals and Vic Mortenson drums. The bass player is unknown. In 1963, they recorded Cheryl's Canon, Metal Man Has Won His Wings and a cover of Little Richard's Slippin' And Slidin'.

Dot Records rejected the group, claiming they had "No Commercial Potential".[1] Zappa printed this quote in the sleeve of Freak Out! (1966).

Frank Zappa about The Soots

"After I moved into Studio Z, Don Van Vliet came to visit. I made some recordings with him then which predated the Beefheart Magic Band. The group was called the Soots. Some of the songs were Metal Man Has Won His Wings Cheryl's Canon and a cover version of the Little Richard song "Slippin' and Slidin'" (as if sung by the Howlin' Wolf)."

The Real Frank Zappa Book