Category Archives: Zappa

ON THE TURNTABLE: November of 1967

01 Thursday Nov 2018

Posted by in #WhiteBoyBlues, Arthur Lee, BigBrotherHoldingCo., blue eyed soul, Cream, Creedence, Dr. John, DYLAN, Elektra Records, Eric Clapton, Golden Age of Radio, Grateful Dead, Jeff Beck, Jefferson Airplane, Kevin Patrick, LOVE, Michael Bloomfield, Neil Young, Otis Redding, Rock music, rock music trivia, Steve Winwood, The Beatles, The Byrds, The Doors, The KinKs, THE MOTHERS of INVENTION, The radio, The Rascals, The Who, Ticket Stubs, Traffic, Uncategorized, Vinyl Records, Zappa

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ON THE TURNTABLE: In November of 1967 I was purchasing mostly albums, having drifted away from single (45rpm) releases.This change in my purchasing, as well as the purchases of like minded teens listening to the same current music, was due in part, a large part, by one singular event; that being the change in FM radio broadcasting.

(A brief history thanks to Allen Sniffen) In 1966 the Federal Communications Commission ruled that major market FM radio stations could no longer simulcast their AM sister stations.  FM had to become separate with individual programming.  This was deemed necessary to allow FM to grow and develop its own audience.  The ruling put radio station owners in a bind.  They needed to come up with new formats for these weaker and less desirable stations. Since FM was more difficult to receive,  its universe of potential listeners was much smaller… and so was its billing.  The new formats therefore had to be both different and relatively inexpensive to program. It was in that environment that RKO General Broadcasting launched its new WOR-FM  (98.7Mhz) “Hot 100” format on July 30, 1966.  The name is deceiving because, in fact, it was the first progressive rock station in the country.  It marketed itself as stereo as a way to distinguish itself from AM radio.  The problem was that many of the records played by the station were not in stereo.  While it was true that most record albums were stereo, singles were not.  Since the singles came out before the albums, much of the new music it was breaking was in mono.

So to me as a 14 year old, my listening experience changed overnight, well actually after purchasing an AM-FM radio which did not exist in my house.The newly staffed WOR-FM hired some of NYC’s hottest “Top Ten” dj’s, specifically MURRAY“The K”(Kaufman) from 1010 WINS, SCOTT MUNI from 570 WMCA and later 770 WABC, and ROSKO, the coolest sounding person on the radio, anywhere. Murray The K appeared to be the draw for WOR-FM and the “new” MURRAY was a 180 degree departure from what I was familiar with while listening to him on 1010 WINS (AM). This was not “Top 40” jive talking any longer, as a matter of fact it was a “cool” MURRAY, one who it has been claimed broke the song  “Society’s Child” in the Summer of 67 (because it should be heard), as well as PROCOL HARUM’s “Whiter Shade of Pale” simply because HE “liked it”.AND Murray  was famous in the area  for his holiday stage show extravaganzas, the last which brought THE WHO and (as billed) THE CREAM to NYC for the first time, Easter of 1967. My buddy went and raved about those two bands.

But WOR-FM was a short lived experiment as program directors tried to rein in the playlist, to the chagrin of the radio hosts. Murray was fired in September of 67 despite having the highest rated FM program in NY, even higher than most AM shows. During his short tenure at WOR-FM “The K” attracted not only a large audience but in the audience advertisers found a different demographic, a newer demographic,that being a more mature college aged kid and with this newer, older audience the station drew in record companies as their advertisers. Record companies had found the station (WOR-FM) was highly valuable at influencing sales of rock albums especially new artists and groups like Cream, The Doors, Jefferson Airplane, and The Jimi Hendrix Experience, acts which were having their records played and /or being introduced.

At WOR-FM (October 1967)with a new tighter playlist ROSKO quit while “on the air”. He was soon found (October 30,1967) hosting the 7PM to midnight program at the “all girls dj’s” of WNEW-FM 102.7 FM. WNEW-FM was at that time a MOR station with an entire staff of female Dj’s, a unique experiment at the time. But at the 7PM hour Rosko had a free hand to “do his thing”. JONATHAN SCHWARTZ (10AM- 2PM) was added on November19, and a few days later SCOTT MUNI (2-6PM) joined the staff. ALLISON STEELE  later dubbed “The Nightbird” (2AM-6AM) was held over from the formerly “all girl” staff and WNEW-FM took off.

Note: a few years later the line up included John Zacherle and Pete Fornatale with Vince Scelsa added on weekends.

So all this AM/FM babble is the background to my “new” listening experiences which in turn changed my record purchases from TOP 40 hits (45RPM) to albums.

During that November I purchased “Love Forever Changes”, my first LOVE lp, their third and final collection. I picked up  CREAM’s “Disraeli Gears” (did not have “Fresh Cream”) and spent hours looking at the cover while trying to decipher the meaning of “SWLABR”. Incidentally, the album was recorded (May 1967) following the nine days of CREAM being part of MURRAY THE K’S “Music In The Fifth Dimension” series.

Murray The K’s Music In The 5th Dimension | RKO 58 St Theater (28 shows over nine days and nights) featuring:

Mitch Ryder & Detroit Wheels, Wilson Pickett, The Who, Hardly-Worthit Players, Cream, Blues Magoos, The Blues Project, Smokey Robinson & the Miracles, Jim & Jean, Mandala, The Chicago Loop, Phil Ochs, Simon & Garfunkel, The Young Rascals

(udiscovermusic.com)When both The Who and Cream made their live debut in America, it could hardly have been any less auspicious. It happened for both of them on 25 March 1967 at the RKO Keith Theater on 58th and 3rd Ave in New York City. The shows were redolent of the old 1940s variety shows with a bill packed with artists that actually began at 10 o’clock in the morning and ran all day with a movie thrown in for good measure. All the artists on the bill played five shows a day and it was grueling; the whole thing was promoted by New York’s legendary DJ, Murray the K.

The Who and Cream, or The Cream as they were billed, were well down the bill. Headlining were Mitch Ryder and the Detroit Wheels, Wilson Pickett, with Buddy Miles was on drums, The Hardly Worthit Players, The Mandala, the Chicago Loop, Simon & Garfunkel, Jim & Jean, Phil Ochs, The Young Rascals and The Blues Project, Al Kooper’s band.

My next album was “Buffalo Springfield Again” their second album (my first) followed by JEFFERSON AIRPLANE’s  “After Bathing at Baxters”. “Surrelistic Pillow” was a man stay on my turntable before this collection was released on November 30,1967. This was departure and I loved that band. By the end of the CHRISTMAS release season I also had Hendrix’s “Axis As Bold As Love”, Dylan’s “John Wesley Harding” and an album I still love “The Who Sell Out”. Times surely had changed and so did my record collection.

Recently, I checked the files for purchases I made when I was 16 years old in 1968. Not surprisingly, those discs were all receiving heavy rotation on WNEW-FM: “Super Session”-Bloomfield,Kooper and Stills, The Airplane’s “Crown of Creation”, Jeff Beck’s amazing “Truth”, Big Brother and The Holding Company’s “Cheap Thrills”, Traffic’s second album, The Doors “Waiting For The Sun” and a fav of mine The Small Faces “Ogden’s Nut Gone Flake”. Also included were:Dance To The Music,We’re Only In It For The Money, The Notorious Byrds Brothers, Anthem of The Sun, Child Is The Father To The Man, Odessey and Oracle, SweetHeart of The Rodeo, The Village Green Preservation Society, Wheels of Fire, Dr John’s GRIS GRIS, Electric Ladyland, Beggar’s Banquet, Music From Big Pink and of course THE BEATLES akaThe White Album.

 

TICKETS TORN IN HALF:ZAPPA’s HALLOWEEN in New York.

31 Wednesday Oct 2018

Posted by in #WhiteBoyBlues, Cruise With Ruben, Fillmore East, Garrick Theatre, Hot Rats, jazz-rock, John and Yoko, PALLADIUM,NYC, Rock music, rock music trivia, Ten Years After, THE MOTHERS of INVENTION, Ticket Stubs, Uncategorized, Vinyl Records, Zappa

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TICKETS TORN IN HALF:ZAPPA’s HALLOWEEN in New York.

First, there was a residency at the Garrick Theatre in 1967. I was a youngster but do remember the poster of their shows gracing many walls and telephone poles throughout lower Manhattan.(see attached). Then there were the “Mother’s Day” shows at Fillmore East, and finally the HALLOWEEN EXTRAVAGANZA’s. What a glorious time it was. Here’s what I wrote in my “music journal”, by date, not years, so pay attention.

TICKETS TORN IN HALF: FRANK ZAPPA-OCTOBER 28,1978 at THE PALLADIUM  in New York. This is my fifth Zappa show and second for HALLOWEEN @The Palladium. It’s a tradition for ZAPPA, one which I needed to see again and my wife arranges a babysitter so she can come. It’s another fantastic ZAPPA extravaganza, long and of course with the mandatory audience participation. The HALLOWEEN dvd was recorded the night we were there. The only problem with sitting in the orchestra is that the tall ass mother…who sat in front of me had on a huge, round bunny head with large floppy ears costume, making my vision to the stage blocked quite a bit.

(discog.com)

Instruments Check

The Deathless Horsie

Intro / Band Introduction

Dancin’ Fool

Easy Meat

Honey, Don’t You Want A Man Like Me?

Keep It Greasey

The Meek Shall Inherit Nothing

City Of Tiny Lights

A Pound For A Brown (On The Bus)

Thirteen

NYC Audience

Bamboozled By Love

Sy Borg

Mo’s Vacation

Bobby Brown Goes Down

Prelude To “Packard Goose”

Packard Goose

Encore Intro

Don’t Eat The Yellow Snow

Nanook Rubs It

St. Alfonzo’s Pancake Breakfast

Father O’ Blivion

TICKETS TORN IN HALF:FRANK ZAPPA- October 29,1977:My fourth Zappa show and first HALLOWEEN experience@ The Palladium.This was an amazing spectacular performance. The band was tight, the audience loose and me mellow as can be. What a great night it was. We need to do this again,soon. Prior to the show while waiting on line to get in, I’m having a smoke and four drunken teens walk by. One said loudly “ Hey man, ain’t you the new teacher?” I looked him directly in the eye and said What?”, to which he restated the question. I said, “I’m not a teacher, man”. They left. The next Monday in school I saw the kid sitting on the radiator outside my class. I walked over and asked, “How was Zappa?”. He jumped up and said, “I knew it was you.”

FRANK ZAPPA and THE MOTHERS.

From zappa.com:

1.  10-29-77 Show 1 Start/Introductions  4:06

2.  Peaches En Regalia  2:42

3.  The Torture Never Stops  12:59

4.  Tryin’ To Grow A Chin  3:34

5.  City Of Tiny Lites  7:15

6.  Pound For A Brown  8:26

7.  Bobby Brown Goes Down  6:06

8.  Conehead (Instrumental)  5:50

9.  Flakes  3:53

10. Big Leg Emma  1:52

11. Envelopes  2:42

12. Terry’s Solo #3  3:51

13. Disco Boy  3:57

14. Lather  3:40

15. Wild Love  22:51

16. Titties N Beer  6:01

17. Audience Participation #3  2:42

18. The Black Page #2  3:05

19. Jones Crusher  2:53

20. Broken Hearts Are For Assholes  3:50

21. Punky’s Whips  9:18

22. Encore Audience #3  1:46

23. Dinah-Moe Humm  5:12

24. Camarillo Brillo  3:29

25. Muffin Man  5:09

TICKETS TORN IN HALF:October 31, 1980_FRANK ZAPPA@The Palladium This is my sixth Zappa show and third Halloween Palladium event. I did not write much in my journal after this but did note” CHUNGA’s REVENGE but no PEACHES. Another great ZAPPA show”.

(background)It must have been that GARRICK THEATRE poster that I saw while walking around Greenwich Village especially the one which lasted for years outside the movie theatre on 8th Street that piqued my interest in this strange looking ensemble known as THE MOTHERS OF INVENTION. Strange name also. Who or what are they?

It’s Spring of 1967, me a fifteen year old who most every Saturday when the weather was good was checking out the street art shows in and around THE VILLAGE with my art teacher, a Franciscan Nun. She was hip to what was happening, and years later left the order for a commune or something. Anyway back to the poster. We get off the subway and there it is. A few steps later there is another and another, and another. So on down the street. THE MOTHERS (written in bold) of Invention (not so bold) at THE GARRICK THEATRE Tuesday thru Sunday ,each poster with a photo of a man with a pronounced almost comical mustache and the heads of some other guys under his photo.

A few months later Back at school (September) a guy in one of my art classes brings in two albums: THE MOTHERS OF INVENTION- Freak Out and ABSOLUTELY FREE. Hey, that’s the poster, I thought. Who are these guys? I must admit my naive ears where not accepting what I was hearing. This isn’t rock music. WTF. I gave up early.

1969: I got an 8 track copy of CRUSIN’ WITH RUBIN AND THE JETS (released 1968) which never left my player for the longest time. It was a blast. This lead me to buy the album WE’RE ONLY IN IT FOR THE MONEY (released before R&TJ). October finds the HOT RATS album in the racks of the local record store and I’m sold on FRANK ZAPPA.A few months later CHUNGA’S REVENGE (1970) is joining my ever growing collection of vinyl. I need to see this band and soon.Until then add as many MOTHERS records to the pile.

I had every intention of seeing THE MOTHERS at their FILLMORE EAST performance November 13, 1970 but as I had tickets for TYA at MSG I missed it. It’s a long story.Geez, it would have been nice in more ways than one to see ZAPPA that night.

Now, I have two tickets for the late show June 1971.It’s never been the same as that night along with other nights changed my perception of live music. Even thought I left early AND missed John and Yoko with the MOTHERS, it WAS never the same. They were funny and musically sound. WOW

 

ROCK’S IN MY HEAD: Chapter 15-THE FUZZ BOX and TECHNO THINGS 

29 Friday Jun 2018

Posted by in DYLAN, Garrick Theatre, Jimi Hendrix, LES PAUL, Rock music, rock music trivia, Stevie Ray Vaughn, THE MOTHERS of INVENTION, The Stones, Zappa

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Funny how we take things for granted, things that are common place, unnoticeable until something brings it to our attention. Example: THE FUZZ BOX. Most folks don’t know what a FUZZ BOX is let alone its significance to rock music. The Stomp Box, aka FUZZ, was in the news with the death of a 96 year old, GLENN SNODDY. Mr. Snoddy was a Nashville recording engineer who stumbled upon a unique sound when recording MARTY ROBBINS’ “Don’t Worry” in 1961. According to various reports, the console used to record the bass tracks malfunctioned causing a “rumbling” fuzz sound. Against the producer’s request for a retake the recording was issued as is, and history begins.

Mr. Snoddy went about developing a device which could recreate the unique sound on demand.The FUZZ BOX is actually a(stomp) foot controlled preamp device which changes the tone of the guitar sound from “clean to dirty”. Listen to Keith Richards’ buzzing guitar riffs during, “(I Can’t Get No) Satisfaction” or select songs by CREAM, JIMI HENDRIX and basically every garage band during the late 60’s and you will hear the FUZZ tone.

 

THE WAH WAH PEDAL:  A mid range boost switch developed by DICK DENNEY at VOX UK was the prototype for THE WAH WAH PEDAL . An American guitarist DELTON KASHER aka DEL CASHER took that device to another level. Previously, at age 21 CASHER “invented” a tape delay system. In subsequent years he was working as a performer with his band THE THREE SUNS, also as a featured guitarist on THE LAWRENCE WELK SHOW, as a guest performer on THE GENE AUTRY SHOW and could be found jamming with the legendary MOTHERS OF INVENTION in Los Angeles. Pretty impressive credentials.

CASHER took the VOX UK mid range booster and further developed it using transistors making it a variable switch so that the mid range boost could be controlled. He further experimented using a VOX organ pedal as the controller. First envisioned for usage by horns,when it didn’t catch on  CASHER used one for his guitar. Soon he was receiving recording dates as the first seat guitarist all due to him having the WAH- WAH sound. Others guitarist paid it no never mind, it was a hard sell. CASHER called his buddy FRANK ZAPPA who took one to NEW YORK when THE MOTHERS were at their GARRICK residency. JIMI HENDRIX experienced it there and requested one (VOODOO CHILE- SLIGHT RETURN) for himself. BINGO.

John W. Troutman, curator of American music at the Smithsonian Institution’s division of culture and the arts stated “Over the last 50 years, only a handful of innovations have truly revolutionized the sound of the electric guitar, The wah-wah is one of them. It radically transformed the instrument’s voice in a slew of genres, and Del Casher stood at the pedal’s ground zero. 

THE WHAMMY BAR aka the fluctuating volume and pitch control arm is a guitar attachment which enables the player to temporarily change the pitch of the strings. Without going into the science behind the device or its invention as there are many different types I’ll focus on the sound by naming artists which will bring its unique sound to the forefront: CHET ATKINS, DUANE EDDY, THE VENTURES, DICK DALE, JIMI HENDRIX, JEFF BECK,FRANK ZAPPA, EDDIE VanHALEN, and of course STEVIE RAY VAUGHN.

LES PAUL:THE KING OF THEM ALL: It was always a great pleasure to head over to THE IRIDIUM for “Monday Nights featuring THE LES PAUL TRIO”. To see the maestro himself in the flesh with his surgically positioned right arm playing one of the legendary guitars that he designed and is named in his honor. But, the LES PAUL solid body guitar is NOT the only thing he invented and without his inspired forward thinking our recorded/ performing music would not be as it is today.

So here’s to LESTER POLSFUSS aka LES PAUL.

As a youngster in WISCONSIN Les played guitar and harmonica. Deciding he wanted to play both simultaneously young RED as he was called, took a coat hanger and fashioned a harmonica holder. BOB DYLAN and NEIL YOUNG as well as other singer- songwriters, guitar- harmonica folks can be seen using it still today.

Next up, LES experimented with multi-track recording (1946) and with AMPEX Corporation (1956) developed an “eight-track recorder” allowing sound on sound recording sessions.  To that he added tape delays and phasing techniques.

THE GUITAR:

Young LES was told by a member of the audience that his acoustic guitar could not be heard so…coil and magnets later and LES invents the guitar pick-up. To that he continues to experiment with the sound of his guitar and tones produced by it. Finally, THE LOG is developed, a 4×4 with strings which creates a “different” sound then the hollow body guitars do. AND that becomes the first “solid body” guitar.

See you next time….Chapter16-BIGGER THAN JESUS …Comments? jazzbus@gmail.com

IN THE HOUSE: June 3, 1971:Frank Zappa and The Mothers @ FILLMORE EAST

03 Sunday Jun 2018

Posted by in Cruise With Ruben, Fillmore East, Garrick Theatre, Hot Rats, John and Yoko, Mothers Day, Rock music, The Beatles, THE MOTHERS of INVENTION, Vinyl Records, Zappa

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IN THE HOUSE: JUNE 3, 1971- FRANK ZAPPA and THE MOTHERS @ FILLMORE EAST-The midnight performance and I was pissed as my date never showed at the door so I headed in all by myself about 1:00 AM missing the first two acts. THE MOTHERS aka ZAPPA and (The TURTLES) Flo and Eddie were amazing but after about two hours I left to catch the 3:05 AM train so I skipped the encore which was surprise guests John LENNON and YOKO joining The Mothers for a rant called “Scumbag”. Years later after hearing the tapes I am glad I took the train.

FRANK ZAPPA and THE MOTHERS

It must have been that GARRICK THEATRE poster that I saw while walking around Greenwich Village especially the one which lasted for years outside the movie theatre on 8th Street that piqued my interest in this strange looking ensemble known as THE MOTHERS OF INVENTION. Strange name also. Who or what are they?

It is Spring of 1967, me a fifteen year old who mostly every Saturday when the weather was good was checking out the street art shows in and around THE VILLAGE with my art teacher, a Franciscan Nun. She was hip to what was happening, and years later left the order for a commune or something. Anyway back to the poster. We get off the subway and there it is. A few steps later there is another and another, and another. So on down the street. THE MOTHERS (written in bold) of Invention (not so bold) at THE GARRICK THEATRE Tuesday thru Sunday ,each poster with a photo of a man with a pronounced almost comical mustache and the heads of some other guys under his photo.

A few months later, back at school (September) a guy in one of my art classes brings in two albums: THE MOTHERS OF INVENTION- Freak Out and ABSOLUTELY FREE. Hey, that’s the poster, I thought. Who are these guys? I must admit my naive ears where not accepting what I was hearing. This isn’t rock music. WTF. I gave up early.

1969: I got an 8 track copy of CRUSIN’ WITH RUBIN AND THE JETS (released 1968) which never left my player for the longest time. It was a blast. This lead me to buy the album WE’RE ONLY IN IT FOR THE MONEY (released before R&TJ). October finds the HOT RATS album in the racks of the local record store and I’m sold on FRANK ZAPPA. A few months later CHUNGA’S REVENGE (1970) is joining my ever growing collection of vinyl. I need to see this band and soon.Until I see them live I added many more MOTHERS records to my pile.

Then, I get two tickets for the late show June 1971.It’s never been the same as that night along with other nights changed my perception of live music. Even thought I left early AND missed John and Yoko “jamming” with the MOTHERS, it WAS never the same. They were funny and musically sound. WOW

ROCK’S IN MY HEAD: Chapter 7-More Thievery

01 Friday Jun 2018

Posted by in Marconi, Networks, Television Networks History, The radio, Zappa

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Okay, back to more thievery. With The 18th Amendment replaced by the 21st Amendment, PROHIBITION is officially repealed. Its time to have a drink, legally.

The glamorous supper clubs and the “legitimate” night clubs reopened their doors. The speakeasy’s turned their lights on even brighter, as most never truly closed AND all continued to be financed by THE MOB.

The Mob ruled clubs in Cleveland, Portland, Corpus Christi, The swanky Beverly Hills Supper Club of Newport, Kentucky, a jazz venue CLUB 18 on West 52nd St in NYC, The Chez Paree in Chicago,The Cloister of Chicago,The Copacabana (NYC), The Latin Quarter(NYC) just to name a few. To get a paying gig in these establishments you had to join the “local”…As Frank Zappa wrote, “Hey,you can call me Rudy, I’m the union man, and any of you boys not paid up on your card”.

One could seek employment through the AGVA- THE AMERICAN GUILD OF VARIETY ARTISTS, a mob run union or through its sister organization the GAC (General Amusement Corporation) a massive talent agency.

So let’s pick one hot spot away from my NYC… say we travel south to Miami Beach located in beautiful, climate controlled as well as mob controlled south Florida. In the 1950’s Miami Beach had over 300 hotels. (Las Vegas had 4, hold that thought for later). AGVA acts would tour via booking by the General Amusement Corp, these acts would make the circuit from Miami to Chicago to Houston then to NYC and so forth with the agencies taking a piece of the action.

Tennessee was not one of those hot spots where these acts traveled on a regular basis. On January 5, 1950  the senator from Tennessee introduced Senate Resolution 202, AKA, “the investigation of organized crime bill”. In time, many clubs around the country were shut down only to find solace in LAS VEGAS, Nevada.

The BIG BAND acts peaked in the 1940’s and 1950’s with Count Basie, Tommy Dorsey, Duke Ellington Orchestras all rotating into the NYC Broadway houses: The Capitol, The Music Hall, and of course The Paramount (the home of Frank Sinatra and the bobby-soxers booked by not so clean William Morris Agency). A few years later Martin and Lewis are huge hits at the 5500 seat Roxy,

These shows as well as the coffee house folkies, and the comedians will make a smooth transition over to the newest AUDIO/VISUAL medium, the Television.

The radio networks of yore now become TELEVISION NETWORKS with Milton Berle’s TEXACO STAR THEATRE hitting the airwaves in 1948 as did Ed Sullivan’s TOAST OF THE TOWN .

At that time there was a total of 19 television stations in only 12 cities: Baltimore, Chicago, Cincinnati, Cleveland, Detroit, Los Angles, Milwaukee, NewYork, Philadelphia, St Louis, Washington, DC, and Schenectady-Albany and over 200 different advertisers vied for airtime.

Keep in mind that there were only 750,000 TV sets manufactured by then. Advertisers knew this television thing could be huge if it catches on. And how could it not. People could actually see people, different people, from different regions, males and females, the audience could not only hear the news but actually see footage.

A huge cultural shift is about to happen in America and the world. And that’s part of my story. How my generation benefitted from the vaudevillians, the club circuit, the radio, and ultimately the television to get our entertainment and the news.

See you next time… Chapter 8:BEFORE THE BEATLES . Comments? jazzbus@gmail.com

HAPPY MOTHERS DAY, FRANK ZAPPA

13 Sunday May 2018

Posted by in Cruise With Ruben, ED PALERMO BIG BAND, Fillmore East, Garrick Theatre, Hot Rats, Mothers Day, Rock music, rock music trivia, Vinyl Records, Zappa

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FRANK ZAPPA and THE MOTHERS

It must have been that GARRICK THEATRE poster that I saw while walking around Greenwich Village, especially the one which lasted for years outside the movie theatre on 8th Street, that piqued my interest in this strange looking ensemble known as THE MOTHERS OF INVENTION. Strange name also. Who or what are they?

It’s Spring of 1967, me a fifteen year old who mostly every Saturday when the weather was good was checking out the street art shows in and around THE VILLAGE with my art teacher, a Franciscan Nun. She was hip to what was happening, and years later left the order for a commune or something. Anyway back to the poster. We get off the subway and there it is. A few steps later there is another and another, and another… so on down the street. THE MOTHERS (written in bold) of Invention (not so bold) at THE GARRICK THEATRE Tuesday thru Sunday ,each poster had a photo of a man with a pronounced almost comical mustache with the heads of some other strange looking guys under his photo. A few months later a guy in one of my art classes brings in two albums: THE MOTHERS OF INVENTION- Freak Out and ABSOLUTELY FREE. Hey, that’s the poster, I thought. Who are these guys? I must admit my naive ears where not accepting what I was hearing. This isn’t rock music. WTF. I gave up early.

1969: I got an 8 track copy of CRUSIN’ WITH RUBIN AND THE JETS (released 1968) which never left my player for the longest time. It was a blast. This leads me to the album WE’RE ONLY IN IT FOR THE MONEY (released before R&TJ). October finds the HOT RATS album in the racks of the local record store and I’m sold on FRANK ZAPPA. A few months later CHUNGA’S REVENGE (1970) is joining my ever growing collection of vinyl. I need to see this band and soon. Until then I add as many MOTHERS records to the pile.

I had every intention of seeing THE MOTHERS at their FILLMORE EAST performance November 13, 1970 but as I had tickets for TYA at MSG (a disasterous night for me) I missed Zappa. It’s a long story. Geez, it would have been nice in more ways than one to see Frank and the boys that night.

Finally, June 1971 I have two tickets for the late show at FILLMORE EAST. It’s never been the same as that night along with other nights changed my perception of live music. Even thought I left early AND missed John and Yoko with the MOTHERS, it WAS never the same. They were funny and musically sound. WOW, never the same.

In my collection today I have basically all the major ZAPPA releases and then some.Probably got to see him live a dozen times and many time HALLOWEEN in NYC, truly a major event of two plus hours of music. And currently I enjoy ED PALERMO BIG BAND’s interpretation of the MUSIC OF FRANK ZAPPA, live and on cd.

So, HAPPY MOTHER’S DAY one and all…