Tag Archives: Roy Estrada

The Mothers Of Invention: Ahead Of Their Time

On March 23, 1993, “Barking Pumpkin” label released “Ahead of Their Time”, the 19th Mothers of Invention (The) album. It was recorded in October 1968, at the “Royal Festival Hall” in London, and was produced by Frank Zappa.

Personnel:

  • Frank Zappa – vocals, guitar, arrangements
  • Ian Underwood – alto saxophone, piano
  • Bunk Gardner – tenor saxophone, clarinet
  • Euclid James “Motorhead” Sherwood – baritone saxophone, tambourine
  • Don Preston – electric piano, odd noises (homemade oscillation boxes)
  • Roy Estrada – vocals, bass guitar
  • Jimmy Carl Black – vocals, drums
  • Arthur Dyer Tripp III – drums, percussion
  • Members of the BBC Symphony Orchestra

Track listing:

All tracks by Frank Zappa.

Progress?

  1. Prologue
  2. Progress?
  3. Like It or Not
  4. The Jimmy Carl Black Philosophy Lesson
  5. Holding the Group Back
  6. Holiday in Berlin
  7. The Rejected Mexican Pope Leaves the Stage
  8. Undaunted, the Band Plays On
  9. Agency Man
  10. Epilogue

1968 performance

  1. King Kong
  2. Help, I’m a Rock
  3. Transylvania Boogie
  4. Pound for a Brown
  5. Sleeping in a Jar
  6. Let’s Make the Water Turn Back
  7. Harry, You’re a Beast
  8. The Orange County Lumber Truck (Part I)
  9. Oh No
  10. The Orange County Lumber Truck (Part II)

Ry Cooder: Same

In December 1970, “Reprise” label released the self – titled, debut Ry Cooder album. It was recorded in 1970, and was produced by Van Dyke Parks and Lenny Waronker.

Personnel:

  • Ry Cooder– vocals, guitar, mandolin, bass guitar
  • Van Dyke Parks– piano, arranger
  • Chris Ethridge – bass guitar
  • Richie Hayward – drums guitar
  • Roy Estrada – bass guitar
  • Max Bennett – bass guitar
  • Milt Holland – drums, percussion
  • John Barbata – drums
  • Bobby Bruce – violin
  • Gloria Jones- backing vocals
  • Judy Betz – production assistant
  • Lee Herschberg – engineer, mixing
  • Doug Botnick – engineer
  • Thaddeus James Lowe – engineer
  • Rudy Hill – engineer
  • Bob Kovach – engineer
  • Kirby Johnson – conductor, orchestrator
  • Airstream– photograph of the 1937 trailer pictured on the front of the album sleeve
  • Frank Bez – photograph of the Airstream trailer
  • Susan Titelman – Ry Cooder photograph on the back of the album sleeve
  • Ed Thrasher- art direction

Track listing:

  1. Alimony – Brenda Jones, Welton Young, Robert Higginbotham
  2. France Chance – Joe Callicott
  3. One Meat Ball – Louis Singer, Hy Zaret
  4. Do Re Mi – Woody Guthrie
  5. My Old Kentucky Home (Turpentine & Dandelion Wine) – Randy Newman
  6. How Can a Poor Man Stand Such Times and Live? – Alfred Reed
  7. Available Space – Ry Cooder
  8. Pigmeat – Huddie Ledbetter
  9. Police Dog Blues – Arthur Blake
  10. Goin’ to Brownsville – John Estes
  11. Dark Is the Night – Blind Willie Johnson

Little Feat: Same

In January 1971, “Warner Bros” label released the self-titled, debut Little Feat album. It was recorded August – September 1970,  at “United Western Recorders” and “The Record Plant” in Los Angeles, and was produced by Russ Titelman.

Personnel:

  • Lowell George– lead and backing vocals, alead, rhythm and slide guitars, harmonica
  • Bill Payne– lead and backing, keyboards, piano
  • Roy Estrada– bass, backing vocals
  • Richard Hayward– drums, backing vocals
  • Russ Titelman– percussion, backing vocals, piano
  • Ry Cooder– slide guitar
  • Sneaky Pete Kleinow– pedal steel
  • Kirby Johnson – string and horn arrangements

Track listing:

  1. Snakes on Everything – Bill Payne
  2. Strawberry Flats – Bill Payne, Lowell George
  3. Truck Stop Girl – Bill Payne, Lowell George
  4. Brides of Jesus – Bill Payne, Lowell George
  5. Willin’ – Lowel George
  6. Hamburger Midnight – Lowell George, Roy Estrada
  7. Forty-Four Blues/ How Many More Years – Roosevelt Sykes, Chester Burnett
  8. Crack in Your Door – Lowell George
  9. I’ve Been the One – Lowell George
  10. Takin’ My Time – Bill Payne
  11. Crazy Captain Gunboat Willie – Bill Payne, Lowell George

Captain Beefheart: Clear Spot

In October 1972, “Reprise” label released “Clear Spot”, the seventh Captain Beefheart and the Magic Band album. It was recorded in1972 at “Amigo Studios” in Los Angeles, and was produced by Ted Templeman and Don Van Vliet.

Personnel:
• Captain Beefheart (Don Van Vliet) – vocals, harmonica, “wings on Singabus”
• Zoot Horn Rollo (Bill Harkleroad) – guitar, slide guitar, mandolin
• Rockette Morton (Mark Boston) – guitar, bass
• Ed Marimba (Art Tripp) – drums, percussion
• Roy Estrada – bass
• Milt Holland – percussion
• Russ Titelman – guitar
• The Blackberries – backing vocals

Track listing:

All ltracks by Don Van Vliet.
1. Low Yo Yo Stuff
2. Nowadays a Woman’s Gotta Hit a Man
3. Too Much Time
4. Circumstances
5. My Head Is My Only House Unless It Rains
6. Sun Zoom Spark
7. Clear Spot
8. Crazy Little Thing
9. Long Neck Bottles
10. Her Eyes Are a Blue Million Miles
11. Big Eyed Beans from Venus
12. Golden Birdies

Little Feat: Sallin’ Shoes

In May 1972, “Warner Bros” label released “Sailin’ Shoes”, the second Little Feat studio album.It was recorded in 1971, at “Amigo Studios”, “Sunset Studios”, “TTG Studios” in Los Angeles, and was produced by Ted Templeman.

Personnel:

  • Lowell George – lead and backing vocals, guitar, harmonica, baritone saxophone, drum machine
  • Sneaky Pete Kleinow- pedal steel guitar
  • Ron Elliott- rhythm guitar
  • Bill Payne – lead and backing vocals, Hammond organ, Wurlitzer electric piano, piano, accordion
  • Roy Estrada- bass, backing vocals
  • Richie Hayward- drums, percussion, backing vocals
  • Milt Holland- percussion
  • Debbie Lindsey – backing vocals
  • Neon Park – artwork

Track listing:

All tracks by Lowell George, except where noted.

  1. Easy to Slip – Lowell George, Fred Martin
  2. Cold, Cold, Cold
  3. Trouble
  4. Tripe Face Boogie – Richie Hayward, Bill Payne
  5. Willin’
  6. A Apolitical Blues
  7. Sailin’ Shoes
  8. Teenage Nervous Breakdown
  9. Got No Shadow – Bill Payne
  10. Cat Fever – Bill Payne
  11. Texas Rose Café

Little Feat: Same

little-feat

In January 1971, “Warner Bros” label released the debut, self-titled Little Feat album. It was recorded August – September 1970, and was produced by Russ Titelman. The cover shows a mural in Venice, California, painted by the L. A. Fine Arts Squad in 1970 – “Venice in the Snow”.

Personnel:

  • Lowell George – lead and backing vocals, lead, rhythm and slide guitars, harmonica
  • Bill Payne – lead and backing vocals, piano, keyboards
  • Roy Estrada- bass, backing vocals
  • Richard Hayward- drums, backing vocals
  • Russ Titelman- percussion, piano, backing vocals
  • Ry Cooder – slide guitar
  • Sneaky Pete Kleinow – pedal steel
  • Kirby Johnson – string and horn arrangements

Track listing:

  1. Snakes on Everything – Bill Payne
  2. Strawberry Flats – Bill Payne, Lowell Georg
  3. Truck Stop Girls – Bill Payne, Lowell George
  4. Brides of Jesus – Bill Payne, Lowell George
  5. Wilin’ – Lowell George
  6. Hamburger Midnight – Lowell George, Roy Estrada
  7. Forty-Four Blues / How Many More Years – Roosevelt Sykes, Chester Burnett
  8. Crack in Your Door – Lowell George
  9. I’ve Been the One – Lowell George
  10. Takin’ My Time – Bill Payne
  11. Crazy Captain Gunboat Willie – Bill Payne, Lowell George

Frank Zappa: Zoot Allures

zoot_allures

On October 20, 1976, “Warner Bros” label released “Zoot Allures”, the twenty-second Frank Zappa album. It was recorded May–June, 1976, at “Record Plant Studios” in Los Angeles, and live in Osaka, Japan, February 3, 1976, and was produced by Frank Zappa.

Personnel:

  • Frank Zappa– lead vocals, guitar, bass, synthesizer, keyboards, director of recreational activities
  • Terry Bozzio– drums , backing vocals
  • Davey Moiré – lead and backing vocals, engineer
  • Andre Lewis– lead and backing vocals, organ
  • Roy Estrada– lead and backing vocals, bass, drone bass
  • Napoleon Murphy Brock– vocals
  • Ruth Underwood– synthesizer, marimba
  • Captain Beefheart– harmonica (credited as “Donnie Vliet”)
  • Ruben Ladron de Guevara – backing vocals
  • Ian Underwood– saxophone
  • Bruce Fowler– trombone
  • Sal Marquez – trumpet
  • Dave Parlato – bass
  • Lu Ann Neil –harp
  • Sparky Parker – backing vocals
  • Michael Braunstein – engineer
  • Arnie Acosta – mastering
  • Amy Bernstein – layout, design
  • Cal Schenkel– design
  • Gary Heery – photography

Track listing:

All tracks by Frank Zappa, except where noted.

  1. Wind Up Workin’ in a Gas Station
  2. Black Napkins
  3. The Torture Never Stops
  4. Pinky
  5. Find Her Finer
  6. Friendly Little Finger
  7. Wonderful Wino – Simmons, Frank Zappa
  8. Zoot Allures
  9. Disco Boy

Frank Zappa: Lumpy Gravy

Lumpy Gravy

On August 7, 1967, “Capitol” label released “Lumpy Gravy”, the debut Frank Zappa album. It was recorded in February 1967, and was produced by Nick Venet. “Lumpy Gravy” is an album of orchestral, electric and concrete sound, performed by a group of session players Zappa dubbed the Abnuceals Emuukha Electric Symphony Orchestra.

Personnel:

  • Frank Zappa – conductor
  • Glenn Phillips – vocals
  • Tommy Tedesco – guitar
  • Al Viola – guitar
  • Dennis Budimir – guitar
  • Jimmy “Senyah” Haynes – guitar
  • Tony Rizzi – guitar
  • Michael Lang – piano, celeste, harpsichord
  • Lincoln Mayorga – piano, celeste, harpsichord
  • Paul Smith – piano, celeste, harpsichord
  • Pete Jolly – piano, celeste, harpsichord
  • Bob West – bass
  • Jimmy Bond– bass
  • Chuck Berghofer – bass
  • Roy Estrada– bass, chorus
  • Frank Capp – drums
  • John Guerin – drums
  • Shelly Manne – drums
  • Alan Estes – percussion, drums
  • Victor Feldman– percussion, drums
  • John Rotella – percussion, woodwind
  • Emil Richards – percussion
  • Gene Estes – percussion
  • Jimmy Zito – trumpet
  • Kenny Shroyer – trombone
  • Richard Parissi – French horn
  • Vincent DeRosa– French horn
  • Arthur Maebe – French horn
  • Arnold Belnick – strings
  • Harold Bemko – strings
  • Joseph DiFiore – strings
  • Jesse Ehrlich – strings
  • Ray Kelly – strings
  • Jerome Kessler – strings
  • Alexander Koltun – strings
  • Bernard Kundell – strings
  • William Kurasch – strings
  • Harry Hyams – strings
  • Leonard Malarsky – strings
  • Jerome Reisler – strings
  • Joseph Saxon – strings
  • Ralph Schaeffer – strings
  • Leonard Selic – strings
  • Tibor Zelig – strings
  • James Getzoff – strings
  • Philip Goldberg – strings
  • Bunk Gardner – woodwind
  • Jules Jacob – woodwind
  • Ted Nash – woodwind
  • Donald Christlieb – woodwind
  • Gene Cipriano – woodwind
  • Harold Kelling – vocals
  • Larry Fanoga (Euclid James “Motorhead” Sherwood) – vocals, chorus
  • Jimmy Carl Black– chorus
  • Monica Boscia – chorus
  • Louis “Louie the Turkey” Cuneo – chorus
  • Bruce Hampton – chorus
  • Cal Schenkel – artwork

Track listing:

All tracks by Frank Zappa.

  1. Sink Trap
  2. Gum Joy
  3. Up and Down
  4. Local Butcher
  5. Gypsy Airs
  6. Hunchy Punchy
  7. Foamy Soaky
  8. Let’s Eat Out
  9. Teenage Grand Finale

The Mothers Of Invention: Freak Out!

Freak Out!

On June 27, 1966, “Verve” label released “Freak Out!” the debut Mothers of Invention album. It was recorded in March 1996, at “Sunset-Highland Studios of T.T.G. Inc” in Hollywood, and was produced by Tom Wilson. In 1999, “Freak Out” was honored with the “Grammy Hall of Fame Award”. In 2003, “Rolling Stone ranked it at number 246 on its list of the “500 Greatest Albums of All Time”.

Personnel:

  • Frank Zappa– vocals, guitar, orchestration, arrangements, conductor, musical director
  • Elliot Ingber– alternate lead and rhythm guitar
  • Carol Kaye– 12-string guitar
  • Neil Le Vang– guitar
  • Ray Collins– vocals, harmonica, cymbals, sound effects, tambourine, finger cymbals, bobby pin, weezers
  • Eugene Di Novi – piano
  • Mac Rebennack– piano
  • Les McCann– piano
  • Roy Estrada– bass, guitarron, boy soprano
  • Jimmy Carl Black– vocals, percussion, drums
  • Gene Estes – percussion
  • Arthur Maebe – French horn, tuba
  • John Rotella – clarinet, sax
  • Kim Fowley– hypophone
  • Kurt Reher – cello
  • Raymond Kelley– cello
  • Paul Bergstrom – cello
  • Emmet Sargeant – cello
  • Joseph Saxon – cello
  • Edwin V. Beach – cello
  • Motorhead Sherwood– noises
  • Paul Butterfield– vocals
  • Jeannie Vassoir– the voice of Cheese
  • Val Valentin – engineer
  • Ami, Tom – engineer
  • Eugene Dinovi, Neil Levang, Vito, Ken Watson – engineer assistant
  • Jack Anesh – design

Track listing:

All tracks by Frank Zappa, except where noted.

  1. Hungry Freaks, Daddy
  2. I Ain’t Got No Heart
  3. Who Are the Brain Police?
  4. Go Cry on Somebody Else’s Shoulder – Frank Zappa, Ray Collins
  5. Motherly Love
  6. How Could I Be Such a Fool
  7. Wowie Zowie
  8. You Didn’t Try to Call Me
  9. Anyway, the Wind Blows
  10. I’m Not Satisfied
  11. You’re Probably Wondering Why I’m Here
  12. Trouble Every Day
  13. Help, I’m a Rock (Suite in Three Movements)
  • Okay to Tap Dance
  • In Memoriam, Edgard Varèse
  • It Can’t Happen Here
  1. The Return of the Son of Monster Magnet (Unfinished Ballet in Two Tableaux)
  • Ritual Dance of the Child-Killer
  • Nullis Pretii (No Commercial Potential)

The Mothers Of Invention: Absolutely Free

Frank Zappa-Absolutely Free

On May 26, 1967, “Verve” label released “Absolutely Free”, the second Mothers of Invention album. It was recorded November 15–18, 1966, at “Sunset-Highland Studios of TTG”, and was produced by Tom Wilson and Frank Zappa.

Personnel:

  • Frank Zappa– vocals, guitar, conductor
  • Jimmy Carl Black– drums, vocals
  • Ray Collins– vocals, tambourine
  • Roy Estrada– bass, vocals
  • Billy Mundi– drums, percussion
  • Don Preston– keyboards
  • Jim Fielder– guitar, piano
  • Bunk Gardner– woodwinds
  • Suzy Creamcheese (Lisa Cohen) – vocals
  • John Balkin – bass
  • Jim Getzoff – violin
  • Marshall Sosson – violin
  • Alvin Dinkin – viola
  • Armand Kaproff – cello
  • Don Ellis– trumpet
  • John Rotella– contrabass clarinet
  • Herb Cohen– cash register machine sounds
  • Terry Gilliam, girlfriend and others – voices

Track listing:

All tracks by Frank Zappa.

  1. Plastic People
  2. The Duke of Prunes
  3. Amnesia Vivace
  4. The Duke Regains His Chops
  5. Call Any Vegetable
  6. Invocation & Ritual Dance of the Young Pumpkin
  7. Soft-Sell Conclusion
  8. America Drinks
  9. Status Back Baby
  10. Uncle Bernie’s Farm
  11. Son of Suzy Creamcheese
  12. Brown Shoes Don’t Make It
  13. America Drinks & Goes Home