Music Blog

Captain Beyond

Nancy's Notes 🖊️🎶

Written for Song Lyric Sunday.
Here’s how the theme inspired me.

© Discogs

This week at Song Lyric Sunday, Jim Adams’ theme is “It’s A Bird, It’s A Plane”, and our challenge is to write about a song by a supergroup. A supergroup is a musical group comprised of well-known and successful musicians who are already famous from other, separate bands or solo careers. 

One of the longest serving supergroups, Captain Beyond formed in  Los Angeles in 1971 and, despite a handful of periodic breakups in between, toured as recently as 2015. We were fans and saw Captain Beyond perform at the Schaefer Music Festival in July, 1972 where their album Live In New York was recorded.

Blending prog-rock intricacy with blues-based psychedelia, the band featured original Deep Purple singer Rod Evans, guitarist Larry “Rhino” Reinhardt and bassist Lee Dorman, both of Iron Butterfly, and Johnny Winter drummer Bobby Caldwell. The group’s sound was characterized by a unique fusion of hard rock and progressive rock and featured complex time signatures, intricate arrangements and an often mystical feel reminiscent of a heavier Pink Floyd.

The band released three records including the previously mentioned live album during their initial run from 1971-73. The current touring lineup includes Caldwell as the only original member; Reinhardt and Dorman both died in 2012.

Captain Beyond’s biggest hit was the song “Dancing Madly Backwards (On A Sea Of Air)” from their 1972 self-titled debut album. While the band achieved critical acclaim for their blend of psychedelic hard rock, they never had widespread commercial success, remaining an “under-the-radar supergroup” known for their innovative sound rather than chart-topping hits. 

This is “Dancing Madly Backwards” by Captain Beyond


LYRICS

Dancing madly backwards
I’m dancing on a sea
Erasing all my memories
Of blackness in my dreams

Tip toe, tip toe quickly
Forget about your cares
And remember underneath you
Is just a sea of air
Just remember underneath you
Is just a sea of air

Wishing all your wishes
Are landing on a star
Knowing you are planted here
And knowing that’s so far

Dance, dance faster
I madly dance away
But remember underneath you
Is just a sea of air
Just remember underneath you
Is just a sea of air

Well, it’s alright now, looked it face to face
Don’t complain, if it seems too late
No no no no no

Ah, ’cause I’m not sitting on the Golden gate
Love and a peace and a war and hate
No no no no no

Well I’m not gonna sit around and wait
All I’m a doing is losing my face
No no no no

But we’re all on station that’s for sure
Searching is endless when there ain’t no cure

Source: LyricFind
Dancing Madly Backwards (on a Sea of Air) lyrics © Cohen And Cohen

“I Can’t Feel Nothin'” is the concluding section of the “Thousand Days of Yesterdays” medley, which closes the debut album by Captain Beyond. The track was one of our favorites; it is a mood piece with a “trippy” vision quest lyrical theme, showcasing a blend of hard rock, psychedelic rock, and progressive rock.

This is “I Can’t Feel Nothin’” by Captain Beyond.


LYRICS

Stand near me baby
Trying to find myself
I’m looking at the window
Seeing no one else

I can’t remember
Whether it’s night or day
My mind is burning
And it don’t feel right

No, I can’t feel nothing!
I can’t feel nothing! No! No!

Thinking of oceans
Birds in the sky
A feeling’s coming
But it just ain’t right

Sky’s sliding at stars
Winking at the night
The orange world is sinking
Tommorow’s burning bright

I can’t feel nothing! ……

Source: LyricFind
I Can’t Feel Nothin’ lyrics © Cohen And Cohen

It’s a Bird, It’s a Plane

Big thanks to Jim Adams for hosting another great Song Lyric Sunday this week and very week. Be sure to follow the link and check out Jim’s site.

Thanks for stopping by and listening to some tunes.

That’s all she wrote, kids. See you on the flip side. 😎

NAR©2025

All text, graphics and videos are copyright for Nancy Richy and are not for use by anyone without permission. NAR©2017-present.

40 thoughts on “Captain Beyond”

  1. Well, add me to the bunch who’s never heard of this band. However, I really liked what I was hearing just now. As other have said, they sound a lot like Cream, which I loved, and the whole is sort of like Iron Butterfly. We did go to their concert when they were in our town back then. Still have my ticket stubs! Thanks for sharing this one. 🙂

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      1. I always try to place myself, like where was I, in the year of these songs. So this one was ’71/’72. I might not have heard of them because at the time we were in Germany. We were buying albums I remember of Deep Purple, and the Carpenters, and listening to AFN radio (American Forces Network) or Armed Forces ? whichever it was the only one we could get. I remember hearing America’s A Horse With No Name, and a few others. Strange what we remember. :0

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  7. You’re definitely educating me too. Nancy, … I’ve never heard of this group either, …BUT they’ve definitely got a sound worth listening too,…ok, I’ll just finish this track of Travelling Wilbury’s , End of the Line, .., and I’ll listen some more,..…Alexa!!…🎶💙.🎶

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  8. I guess Willow said it for me, as I never heard of Captain Beyond either. I liked the songs that you selected, and I wonder why mainstream radio ignored them. I read that they didn’t get much promotional support, primarily due to their dysfunctional relationship with their record label, Capricorn Records and that must have hurt them. 

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    1. I’m beginning to think that Bill and I must have traveled on a different astral plane back in the late 60s and early 70s! 🤣 If there was a music group, we saw it. We went to a lot of concerts, bought albums and listened to them with our friends for hours on end. Captain Beyond may not have been the popular or commercial success like some other groups at the time, but for a while, they had a huge “cult” following, for lack of a better word. And honestly … they were around a lot longer than any other supergroup. I’m actually kind of stoked that nobody’s heard of them; that’s what Song Lyric Sunday is all about … sharing our musical knowledge and information and learning about new … or old … music groups and songs. Thanks very much, Jim.

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      1. Certain cities became hubs for music and NYC was surely one of them and you and Bill were in the heart of the scene at the right time to experience everything that it offered, and that is something to be proud of, Nancy.

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        1. That’s a fact, Jim! I am very proud to be a New Yorker and to have experienced music and performers up close and persona for many years. We still have all our albums although we are slowly passing them down to our teenage grandchildren. They love our music and think we’re very cool! You’d have a blast flipping through our record collection, Jim.

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    1. You’re probably about 10 years younger than me so I’ll cut you some slack, Jodi. 😂
      I am stunned, however, that no one else is aware of Captain Beyond! I hope to see at least one person out there in WP land who remembers tripping their faces off to Captain Beyond. Consider my mind officially blown 🤯 but I’m stoked to know you’re digging what you’re hearing.
      Thanks!

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    1. Welcome to my world! 😂 We saw 3-4 music acts each weekend from 1968-1971, then 1-2 after that until 1974. That’s a lot of groups.
      While Cream and Captain Beyond were both influential in the hard rock scene, I don’t think CB was intentionally trying to sound like Cream. They shared some stylistic DNA as part of the broader psychedelic and hard rock scenes, but their members and unique musical approaches set them apart. Thanks for listening and sharing your thoughts, Clive.

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  11. Hi Nancy I totally agree with Jim I have never heard of Captain Beyond before! I enjoyed both songs but have heard neither before… I am surprised they obviously didn’t get much airplay over here … That is the beauty of this challenge we learn so much each week! They sound like Cream to me …that same bass drum mix and the voice too .

    Loved it Sis 💜💜

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  12. Wow, talk about flying under the radar, I have never heard of this group nor have I ever heard either of the songs you selected. Before reading this I’d have bet money that you would select the Traveling Wilburys as your supergroup.

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    1. Going with the Wilburys would have been much too safe and predictable. I’ve written about them many times and I really had nothing new to add. Just recently I included their music as the soundtrack for a story I wrote for Friday Fictioneers. Also, the Traveling Wilburys were the Letter T in my A To Z Challenge this past April and I did a big write-up on them for Glyn’s Mixed Music Bag in 2024. Time to give someone else a spin.

      I’m shocked you’ve never heard of Captain Beyond, Fan. This is the stuff Bill and I cut our teeth on since we first started going to concerts in 1967. I knew going into this CB might be a bit obscure but I never expected the reaction I’m getting. Actually, I’m stoked! It’s all about sharing musical knowledge and info here on SLS!

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        1. Wow! Great question, Fan. I’m just going to think out loud here so bear with me. I’d have to say Captain Beyond can best be described as an influential “cult” band with a worldwide following. They were never just a regional band, but internal issues and poor handling on the part of their record label kept them from achieving national and international mainstream success, despite being a supergroup with great potential. I hope that makes sense to you.

          Thanks!

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