Tag Archives: Frank Zappa

Mothers Of Invention: Cruising With Ruben & The Jets

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Frank_Zappa_-_Cruising_With_Ruben_&_the_Jets

On December 2, 1968, “Bizarre”  and “Verve” labels released “Cruising with Ruben & the Jets”, the fourth Mothers of Invention studio album. It is part of Mothers project named “No Commercial potential” which featured three albums: “Uncle Meat”, We’re in it Only for the Money” and “Lumpy Gravy”. The album was recorded December 1967 – February 1968, at the “Apostolic Studios” in New York, and was produced by Frank Zappa.

Personnel:

  • Frank Zappa– low grumbles, oo-wah and lead guitar, bass, piano, drums
  • Ray Collins– lead vocals
  • Roy Estrada– high weazlings, dwaedy-doop and electric bass
  • Jimmy Carl Blackand/or Arthur Dyer Tripp III – lewd pulsating rhythm
  • Ian Underwoodor and Don Preston – redundant piano triplets
  • Motorhead Sherwood– baritone sax, tambourine
  • Bunk Gardner, Ian Underwood – alto and tenor saxophone
  • Cal Schenkel – artwork, cover art

Track listing:

All tracks by Frank Zappa, except where noted.

  1. Cheap Thrills
  2. Love of My Life – Frank Zappa and Ray Collins
  3. How Could I Be Such a Fool
  4. Deseri – Ray Collins and Paul Buff
  5. I’m Not Satisfied
  6. Jerry Roll Gum Drop
  7. Anything – Ray Collins
  8. Later That Night
  9. You Didn’t Try to Call Me
  10. Fountain of Love – Frank Zappa and Ray Collins
  11. No. No.
  12. Anyway the Wind Blows
  13. Stuff Up the Cracks

Frank Zappa: The Yellow Shark

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Frank_Zappa,_Yellow_Shark

On November 2, 1993, “Barking Pumpkin Records” label released “The Yellow Shark”, the sixty second Frank Zappa’ album. “The Yellow Shark” features live recordings from the “Ensemble Modern’s” 1992 performances of Zappa’s orchestral music, and was produced by  Frank Zappa.  This was Zappa’s  last album released before his death one month later.

Personnel:

  • Frank Zappa – conductor, performer
  • Detlef Tewes – mandolin
  • Jürgen Ruck – banjo, guitar
  • Andreas Böttger – percussion
  • Dietmar Wiesner – flute
  • Catherine Milliken – oboe, English horn, bass oboe, didjeridu
  • Roland Diry – clarinet
  • Wolfgang Stryi – bass clarinet, tenor saxophone, contrabass clarinet
  • Veit Scholz – bassoon, contrabassoon
  • Franck Ollu, Stefan Dohr – French horn
  • William Formann, Michael Gross – cornet, flugelhorn, piccolo trumpet, trumpet
  • Uwe Dierksen – trombone, soprano trombone
  • Michael Svoboda – trombone, euphonium, didjeridu, alphorn
  • Daryl Smith – tuba
  • Hermann Kretzschmar – celeste, harpsichord, voices, piano
  • Ueli Wiget – celeste, harpsichord, harp, piano
  • Rumi Ogawa-Helferich – cymbalom, percussion
  • Ensemble Modern
  • Peter Rundel – violin, conductor
  • Ellen Wegner – harp
  • Mathias Tacke, Claudia Sack – violin
  • Hilary Sturt – violin, voices
  • Friedemann Dähn – violoncello
  • Thomas Fichter- contrabass, Fichter electric upright bass

Track listing:

All tracks by Frank Zappa.

  1. Intro
  2. Dog Breath Variations
  3. Uncle Meat
  4. Outrage at Valdez
  5. Times Beach It
  6. III Revised
  7. The Girl in the magnesium Dress
  8. Be Bop Tango
  9. Ruth is Sleeping
  10. None of the Above
  11. Pentagon Afternoon
  12. Questi Cazzi Di Piccione
  13. Times Beach III
  14. Food Gathering in Post Industrial America 1992
  15. Welcome to the United States
  16. Pound for a Brown
  17. Exercise #4
  18. Get Whitey
  19. G-Spot Tornado

Frank Zappa: Chunga’s Revenge

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Frank_Zappa_-_Chunga's_Revenge

On October 23, 1970, “Bizzare” label released “Chunga’s Revenge”, the second Frank Zappa solo album. It was recorded July 1969 – August  1970, and was produced by Frank Zappa.

Personnel:

  • Frank Zappa– vocals, guitar, harpsichord, Condor, drums, percussions
  • Ian Underwood– organ, rhythm guitar, piano, electric piano, alto and tenor saxophone, pipe organ, electric alto saxophone with wah-wah pedal, grand piano
  • George Duke– organ, electric piano, vocal sound effects , trombone
  • Howard Kaylan– vocals
  • Mark Volman– vocals, rhythm guitar
  • Don “Sugarcane” Harris– organ
  • Max Bennett– bass
  • Jeff Simmons– vocals, bass
  • Aynsley Dunbar– drums, tambourine
  • John Guerin– drums

Track listing:

All tracks by Frank Zappa

  1. Transylvania Boogie
  2. Road Ladies
  3. Twenty Small Cigars
  4. The Nancy & Mary Music
  5. Tell Me You Love Me
  6. Would You Go All The Way
  7. Chunga’s Revenge
  8. The Clap
  9. Rudy Wants to Buy Yez a Drink
  10. Sharleena

Frank Zappa: Them Or Us

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Frank Zappa_Them_or_Us

On October 18, 1984, “Barking Pumpkin” label released “Them or Us”, the fortieth Frank Zappa album. It was recorded November 1981 – June 1984 (except “Planet Of My Dreams” and “Ya Hozna” recorded in 1974), and was produced by Frank Zappa.

Personnel:

  • Frank Zappa – lead vocal, guitar, keyboards, arrangements
  • Johnny “Guitar” Watson– vocals, guitar
  • Ray White – vocals, guitar, choir, chorus, harmony and backing vocals
  • Steve Vai– guitar, soloist, fills
  • Dweezil Zappa– soloist, guitar
  • Tommy Mars – vocals, keyboards
  • Bob Harris – vocals, keyboards, harmony vocals
  • George Duke – vocals, keyboards, piano
  • Bobby Martin – vocals, keyboards, saxophone, falssetist, harmony vocals, harmonica
  • Brad Cole – piano
  • Patrick O’Hearn – wind, bass guitar
  • Arthur Barrow – bass guitar
  • Roy Estrada– vocals, backing vocals, choir, chorus, bass guitar
  • Scott Thunes– vocals, Minimoog, synthesizer, bass guitar
  • Chad Wackerman – drums, vocals
  • Ed Mann – percussion
  • Napoleon Murphy Brock– saxophone, vocals, harmony vocals
  • Moon Unit Zappa– vocals
  • Thana Harris – vocals
  • Ike Willis – vocals, backing vocals, choir, chorus, harmony vocals

Track listing:

All compositions by Frank Zappa, except where noted.

  1. The Closer You Are
  2. In France
  3. Ya Hozna
  4. Sharleena
  5. Sinster Footwear II
  6. Truck Driver Divorce
  7. Stevie’s Spanking
  8. Baby, Take Your Teeth Out
  9. Marque-son’s Chicken
  10. Planet of My Dreams
  11. Be in My Video
  12. Them or Us
  13. Frogs With Dirty Little Lips – Frank Zappa, Ahmet Zappa
  14. Whipping Post – Gregg Alman

Frank Zappa: Hot Rats

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Hot Rats

On October 10, 1969, “Bizarre” label released “Hot Rats”, the first  Frank Zappa album. It was recorded July- August 1969, at the “T.T.G” and “Sunset Sound” in Los Angeles, “Whitney Studios” in Glendale, and was produced by Frank Zappa.

Personnel

  • Frank Zappa– guitar, octave bass, percussion
  • Captain Beefheart– vocals
  • Lowell George– rhythm guitar
  • Ian Underwood – piano, Organus Maximus, saxophones, flute, clarinets
  • Max Bennett– bass
  • Shuggie Otis– bass
  • Ron Selico – drums
  • Paul Humphrey– drums
  • John Guerin– drums
  • Don “Sugarcane” Harris– violin
  • Jean-Luc Ponty– violin

All tracks by Frank Zappa.

  1. Peaches en Regalia
  2. Willie the Pimp
  3. Son of Mr. Green Genes
  4. Little Umbrellas
  5. The Gumbo Variations
  6. It must be a Camel

Frank Zappa: Studio Tan

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Studio_Tan

On September 15, 1978, “DiscReet” label released “Studio Tan”, the twenty – fourth Frank Zappa album. It was recorded from 1969, 1974 – 1976 at “The Record Plant” in Los Angeles; “Royce Hall”, “UCLA” and “Caribou Studios” in Nederland, Colorado and was produced by Frank Zappa.

Personnel:

  • Frank Zappa – vocals, guitar, percussion
  • George Duke– keyboards
  • John Berkman – piano
  • Eddie Jobson– keyboards, yodeling
  • Max Bennett– bass guitar
  • James “Bird Legs” Youmans – bass guitar
  • Edward Meares – upright bass
  • Tom Fowler– bass guitar
  • Terry Bozzio– drums
  • Paul Humphrey– drums
  • Davey Moire – vocals
  • Don Brewer– bongos
  • Ruth Underwood– percussion, synthesizer
  • Alan Estes – percussion
  • Emil Richards– percussion
  • Victor Morosco – saxophone
  • Graham Young – trumpet
  • Jay Daversa – trumpet
  • Malcolm McNab– trumpet
  • Bruce Fowler– trombone
  • Don Waldrop – trombone
  • Jock Ellis – trombone
  • Dana Hughes – bass trombone
  • Earle Dumler – oboe
  • JoAnn Caldwell McNab – bassoon
  • Mike Altschul – flute
  • Ray Reed – flute
  • John Rotella – woodwind instruments
  • Michael Zearott– conductor
  • Murray Adler – violin
  • Sheldon Sanov – violin
  • Pamela Goldsmith – viola
  • Jerry Kessler – cello

Track listing:

All tracks by Frank Zappa.

  1. Greggery Peccary
  2. Let Me Take You to the Beach
  3. Revised Music for Guitar & Low-Budget Orchestra
  4. REDUNZL

Frank Zappa and the Mothers of Invention: Over-Nite Sensation

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Frank-Zappa-Overnite-Sensation

On September 7, 1973, “DiscReet” label released “Over-Nite Sensation”, the seventeenth Frank Zappa and the Mothers of Invention studio album. It was recorded March – June 1973, at “Bolic Sound”, Inglewood and “Whitney Studios”, Glendale, and was produced by Frank Zappa.

Personnel:

  • Frank Zappa – vocals, guitar
  • George Duke– synthesizer, keyboards
  • Tom Fowler– bass
  • Ralph Humphrey – drums
  • Ruth Underwood– percussion, marimba, vibraphone
  • Kin Vassy– vocals
  • Ricky Lancelotti– vocals
  • Sal Marquez – vocals, trumpet
  • Ian Underwood– clarinet, flute, alto saxophone, tenor saxophone
  • Bruce Fowler– trombone
  • Jean-Luc Ponty– violin, baritone violin
  • Tina Turner and the Ikettes – backing vocals

Track listing:

All tracks by Frank Zappa.

  1. Camarillo Brillo
  2. I’m the Slime
  3. Dirty Love
  4. Fifty-Fifty
  5. Zomby Woof
  6. Dinah-Moe-Humm
  7. Montana

Frank Zappa: FZ:OZ

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FZ OZ

On August 16, 2002,  “Vaulternative Records” (label from the “Zappa Family Trust”), released “FZ:OZ”, a live album by Frank Zappa. The two CD’s set contains almost all material from the concert from January 20, 1976, held at the “Hordern Pavilion” in Sydney. The album was produced by Dweezil Zappa.

Personnel:

  • Frank Zappa – vocals, guitar
  • Andre Lewis – vocals, keyboards
  • Norman Gunston– harmonica
  • Napoleon Murphy Brock – vocals, tenor saxophone
  • Roy Estrada– vocals, bass guitar
  • Terry Bozzio – vocals, drums

Track listing:

All tracks by Frank Zappa.

  1. Hordern Intro (Incan Art Vamp)
  2. Stink-Foot
  3. The Poodle Lecture
  4. Dirty Love
  5. Filthy habits
  6. How Could I Be Such a Fool
  7. I Ain’t Got No Heart
  8. I’m Not Satisfied
  9. Black Napkins
  10. Advance Romance
  11. The Illinois Enema Bandit
  12. Wind Up Workin’ in a Gas Station
  13. The Torture Never Stops
  14. Canard Toujours
  15. Kaiser Rolls
  16. Find Her Finer
  17. Carolina Hard-Core Ecstasy
  18. Lonely Little Girl
  19. Take Your Clothes Off When You Dance
  20. What’s the Ugliest Part of Your Body
  21. Chunga’s Revenge
  22. Zoot Allures
  23. Keep it Greasy
  24. Dinah-Moe-Humm
  25. Camarillo Brillo
  26. Muffin Man
  27. Kaiser Rolls (Du Jour)

The Mothers Of Invention: Weasels Ripped My Flesh

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On August 10, 1970, “Bizarre” label released “Weasels Ripped My Flesh”, the seventh Mothers of Invention (The) album. It was recorded December 1967 – August 1969 at various locations and was produced by Frank Zappa. This is the second Mothers of Invention (The) album released after the band disbanded in 1969 (first one was Burnt Weeny Sandwich).

Personnel:

  • Frank Zappa– vocals, lead guitar
  • Ray Collins– vocals
  • Lowell George– vocals, rhythm guitar
  • Don Preston– organ, electronic effects
  • Roy Estrada – vocals, bass
  • Art Tripp– drums
  • Jimmy Carl Black– drums
  • Ian Underwood– alto saxophone
  • Motorhead Sherwood– baritone saxophone, snorks
  • Bunk Gardner– tenor saxophone
  • Buzz Gardner– trumpet, flugelhorn
  • Don “Sugarcane” Harris– vocals, electric violin
  • Neon Park – cover art

Track listing:

All tracks by Frank Zappa, except where noted.

  1. Didja Get Any Onya
  2. Directly from My Heart to You – Richard Wayne Penniman
  3. Prelude to the Afternoon of a Sexually Aroused Gas Mask
  4. Toads of the Short Forest
  5. Get a Little
  6. Eric Dolphy Memorial Barbecue
  7. Dwarf Nebula Processional March & Dwarf Nebula
  8. My Guitar Wants to Kill Your Mama
  9. Oh No
  10. The Orange County Lumber Truck
  11. Weasels Ripped My Flesh

Lowell George

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On June 29, 1979, Lowell Thomas George, died aged 34. He was musician (guitar, sitar, saxophone, harmonica), songwriter, and producer, member of Frank Zappa’s “Mothers of Invention”, but best known as a leader, guitarist, vocalist, and songwriter of “Little Feat”. George also worked as a producer, he produced the Grateful Dead’s 1978 album “Shakedown Street”, the “Little Feat’s” albums and Valerie Carter’s 1977 album “Just a stone’s throw away”. In 1979 George released his only solo album  “Thanks, I’ll eat it here”.