Herb Bermann

Born: 1936 [location unknown]

aka Herb Masters

Bermann, a West Coast TV actor, aspiring poet and now former resident of Lower Topanga Canyon, was an influential catalyst in the creation of Don Van Vliet's "Safe As Milk" album and was lyricist/co-writer of a number of "Captain Beefheart" songs in the mid 1960's.

He also collaborated with actor Dean Stockwell and musician Neil Young on a screenplay for a film, titled "After The Goldrush". Young was also a resident of Topanga Canyon at this time. The film project was shelved by Universal, although the songs written for it by Young were released as the album "After The Gold Rush", on which Bermann is sleeve credited.

As a TV actor, living on California's Sunset Strip in the early 60's, Bermann was a typical character of the counterculture which followed in the wake of the beat generation. Unlike many, he was in work, performing in TV's "The Asphalt Jungle" and "Dr. Kildare" (through which he befriended Dean Stockwell). An aspiring poet and writer at heart Bermann moved with his young wife to a cabin house in Quartz Hill, California, along with a trunkful of scripts, poems and scribbled ideas. Bermann had decided the solitude of the Mohave Desert would provide for inspiration, leading to the possibility of a career in writing.

Their cabin, in Quartz Hill, was situated west of Lancaster and just two avenues south of the college once attended by Don Van Vliet and Frank Zappa. A chance meeting was inevitable. One Saturday night, in 1966, Bermann happened to attend a performance of "Captain Beefheart and His Magic Band" at a bar on the Sierra Highway, Lancaster. Bermann and Vliet met during a set break. Bermann had been enthused by Vliet's rendering of Delta blues material, such as Howlin' Wolf, whilst Vliet was intrigued by Bermann's poetic slant on life. They arranged to meet the following day at Bermann's cabin so that Vliet could review his work.

From this meeting a writing relationship was forged between Bermann and Vliet. Bermann's skills were those of a writer and lyricist, he was not a musician but, over a period of almost two years, the duo created the majority of songs that would appear on "Safe As Milk", working mainly at Vliet's residence in Carolside Avenue. Bermann was also present during the later rehearsals (which included Buddah Records.

The song "Autumn's Child" was written one idyllic Sunday afternoon by Bermann whilst with his wife, Vliet and girlfriend Laurie, in the grounds of a Catholic monastery retreat in Valyermo, near Lancaster. Some five years senior to Vliet, it seems that other of The Magic Band saw Bermann as an 'outsider', generally ignored him, or were never witness to his existence.

Bermann moved, around the time Vliet had a regional hit with "Diddy Wah Diddy", to Lower Topanga. He quietly shared a lot of life and times with of the Topanga community, such as Mama Cass and Vliet in his "Magic Band" house up the road in Woodland Hills. But his musical involvement, since "After The Goldrush" in 1970, effectively faded. The career he sought as a writer came to fruition, thanks to the aborted screenplay and attention his recorded works received.

One of his following notable works, with co-writer Tom Drake, was for a Universal /NBC TV mini-series called ‘The Psychiatrist’. Bermann and Drake developed an episode called ‘Par For The Course’, directed by Steven Spielberg and aired in 1971. The theme of the episode was the subject of dealing with terminal illness and the social issues it raised. Portions of its script were subsequently used in Congressional hearings as leverage for funding oncology and terminal therapy units, a vital public service that grew from such 1970's activity and focus.

In 2004 the Topanga State Park laid claim to the wetlands area of Lower Topanga, known as 'The Rodeo Grounds', with the aim of extending the Park to the shore. Bermann and many of the Canyon's established Bohemian style residents have had to relocate. One of the residents, Pablo Capra, is the publisher of "Idlers Of The Bamboo Grove". A collection of creative works by the community. One of Bermann's works appears in this publication.

Bermann remains a reclusive character. He now occupies a trailer in a park off the Pacific Coast Highway. He is a member of the Writers Guild of America, a guest lecturer at UCLA Film Department, and provides workshops for budding poets, screenwriters and songwriters. He still receives regular worldwide royalties from the activities of "Safe As Milk". Much can be learned of the man, as he reads "Colophon" at "Beyond Baroque Venice, Ca" as part of what is perhaps a diatribe, "Goodbye To The Rodeo Grounds", linked here in the URL.