Frank Zappa And The Mothers Of Invention In The 1960s (Part 13 of 13)
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 5 ก.พ. 2025
- 'Where the hell did that come from?' was likely the response from many on hearing The Mothers of Invention's debut album Freak Out upon its release in June 1966 -- a time when music was changing, but to a degree that hadn't yet hinted anything this bizarre was on the horizon. But once the freaks and the beautiful people had cottoned on to what Uncle Frank and his Merry Men were up to (despite the latter community often being the target for some of Zappa's most hilarious lampooning), the scene was set for a fanbase of the most dedicated variety to emerge and a respect from critics, musicians, performers and the intelligentsia almost unparalleled in the history of pop culture.
This film reviews the true story of The Mothers of Invention and the music they made uring the first incarnation of the band. With group members Jimmy Carl Black, Bunk Gardner, Don Preston and Art Tripp taking up the tale and revealing - often for the first time -- what the real Frank Zappa was all about; and with contributions from 'scenesters' like LA wildman Kim Fowley, biographer Billy James, Zappa academic Ben Watson, music journalist Richie Unterberger and English writer and musician Alan Clayson --acclaimedbiographer of Edgar Varèse- this programme is the most detailed, informative and enjoyable documentary on Frank Zappa and The Mothers of Invention yet toemerge.
Also features rare footage of Frank and The Mothers from throughout the 1960s, archive interviews, seldom seen live performances, and a host of other features. - เพลง
I write about this final meeting in my memoir, Freak Out! My Life with Frank Zappa. Of course the book is my own journey through the experience of living and working in Frank Zappa's house. 1968 - 1971.
I'm looking forward to reading your book, are you a fan of The Mothers music? My favorite period was from 1967 - 1969, the most unique and creative period of Zappa's music. The original Mothers were essential and I think were Zappa's muse. By 1973 I had I stopped buying Zappa's albums. I met Zappa in 1976 before a concert and I asked him if he would ever do more chamber music like what was on "Uncle Meat" and he seemed confused by my question and changed the subject, but he was polite. He had become a Rock Star with his Zoot Allures band, so I got my answer. The first book I read about Zappa and The Mothers was "No Commercial Potential" by David Walley in 1973 and Walley seems to feel the same as me. Thanks.
@@andragg Your view supports what I've seen in the last 12 years, that fans focus on particular periods of Frank's work, convinced that that's the best. Frank himself appeared to be annoyed by fans who indicated they preferred the earlier Mothers. You've no doubt seen these comments in his interviews. I understand your losing interest in the early 1970s with the Flo and Eddie period, but I feel he picked up again late 1970s, early 80s. On Frank's confusion by your question about chamber music - is it possible, do you think that he did not think of his own music in terms of 'chamber music'?
@@paulinebutcherbird Thanks for writing back. Zappa must have known what I meant by my question and the reason he didn't reply was maybe because it was like what you said, that he appeared annoyed by fans (like me) who indicated they preferred the earlier Mothers. Thinking back on it, I should not have asked Zappa that question, I should have thanked him for taking the time to say hello to me and all the great music he did. I understand now that he needed to move on to other things. He inspired me to become a musician/composer myself and his influence will always be with me. I love the videos you posted, they're very interesting. Your experiences help clarify a lot of what was going on in those years, not only Frank Zappa, but that whole scene around him.
@@andragg Interesting that you are a composer and musician yourself. How difficult is that without publicity?
@@paulinebutcherbird I learned how difficult it was to make a living from music when I was in college, so I have a career in civil engineering and do music as a side gig. I made a couple bucks years ago, but now I post my music on TH-cam and Spotify for free because it's not a commercial product. It really amazes me how Zappa was able to make the music he wanted to make and be successful and even famous. And you got to be there to witness it and here I am being fortunate enough to contact have dialog with you. I first read about you in 1973 in the book by David Walley "No Commercial Potential", plus there was a photo of you with the other staff members. I liked his book because it seemed very direct and honest. How do you feel about that book? Thanks.
met don a few years ago at grandmothers show. going to see project object soon (with don). 83 years old now. helluva nice guy.
I love Jimmy, and I whole heartedly agree...BEST 60s BAND IN THE WORLD (next to Beefheart)
the longstanding rock station here in Maine is WBLM " the rock and roll blimp" and they do and have always played the clip "its the blimp frank its the blimp" - I never knew where it came from or that the Frank was my favorite MR Zappa !
'The best line-up' is subjective, and is about as useful as all the silly top-ten lists. However it is hard to dispute that the original Mothers featured in this video laid the foundation and established the public recognition that paved the way for FZ and his subsequent line-ups. They were all talented and inventive players whose music attracted future FZ musicians like Ian and Ruth Under wood.
Btw - great video!
The irony. If it's so subjective, why reacting in the first place?
Although Art Tripp and the other Mothers talk about Frank's wish to break up the band in 1969, in fact, he told me on May 6th 1968 that he wanted to break it up but didn't know how to tell them because they were his friends. He said they couldn't play the difficult music he was then beginning to write.
Hi Pauline, I have read about half of your book and I love it. Your writing style is really good and it's a joy to read. There's so much you touched on that I didn't know about, it was my favorite period for Zappa and The Mothers and you were very fortunate to have been there at that time. It seems that you contributed a lot in helping Frank get his projects completed. I hope that the other people who watched this video series will buy it. I have some questions for you but I'll wait after I'm done reading it. I have your email address and I hope it's okay to write to you. Thanks, Andrew
@@andragg Hi, Andrew, Good to hear from you especially with such complimentary words about my book. I hope you find the second half as enjoyable, and yes, fire away with questions. Pauline
I’m sorry but the original mothers were in NO WAY Zappa’s best musicians, and there were other bands by him that had more comradery. Hell, look at the next line-up, the 70-71 band and see how well their synergy and improvs are on stage. They stand out so much more than the people in the 67-69 band. Every band Frank had felt right and homey and he always changed things up so they didn’t get boring. He could have kept on playing with the original mothers line-up, but didn’t because it would have felt different without him liking it as much.
@7:41 it's too difficult for me to understand why Ian Underwood not in that list.
great documentary. only thing was lacking was discussing Lowell George and Buzz Gardner joining the band which I wish they would have mentioned.
Back around 1972 I was hijacked for a few weeks by Ronnie and Kenny Williams. They needed a lead guitarist for their new band "Snailsaw". They were original collaborators with Zappa waaay back in teenage time. Their biggest claim to fame was being sung about on a Mother's lp for having a giant "numie jar" in their garage with a foot of boogers in it. It was still there too. But they also had some items that today would be nearly priceless. They had some independently produced 45's featuring Frank from AGES ago. They were on the "Cucamonga" label. And that's where they still lived and I was. The band never really jelled. They were so broke they were eating the front lawn cactus. But God, I wish I had offered them some $$ for those records. The labels even said "written and produced by Frank Zappa". Freakin' priceless. Ronnie Williams was a helluva guitarist too.
Interesting.
Pretty funny watching Kim Fowley talking about someone elses ego.
I highly recommend reading Pauline Butcher's book "Freak Out! My Life with Frank Zappa". She gives us a fascinating account and much insight into what I think is Zappa's best, most creative period. I think the original Mothers were his main muse and everything he did after 1969 was not as interesting to me. And Pauline Butcher was there to witness all this.
I can only imagine the shock of being told the Mothers are done, but with all due respect to Jim Carl Black (and there is a hell of a lot due) Ruth Underwood, Chester Thompson, Napolian Murphy Brock, George Duke, and Tom Fowler was my favorite Zappa incarnation.
+smogfood Besides, Roy had to go help Little Feat get off the ground.
1966 TO 1973 the best of the mother's .
'73 band was amazing. '74 band carried on as well. If Zappa kept Ponty and Ian Underwood into '74 with the greatness of the rest of the band, you'd have the greatest Mothers ever!
Sometimes you are in an epoch that is a trend. Like the flower power age. But you must prepare for the next one too. And Zappa was an Engineer. Anyway he was preparing for the next level.
There is an error: It was $10,000, not $20,000 they owed Frank.
What is the piece of music playing during the final credits?
No one appears to know which is strange.
I disagree with some of the comments made toward the end of this video. Frank was a composer and an artist. Great artists evolve. He had other ideas to realize. To say that the original band “were the best musicians” is obviously ridiculous. I’m sure they were unique and contributed in ways nobody else could to those early recordings, but Frank obviously had bigger fish to fry. He went on to hire musicians who actually were some of the “best” players in the world. He could not have realized his later compositions if he had not moved on from the original lineup.
But he never fried a bigger fish. Bigger money, maybe. End of story :)
Lets face it, Frank could be an arrogant A-hole, despite being a genius who pioneered new genres of music. Deep down below Franks artistic prowess lies a business man with an ego. He was constantly trying to protect what he felt was his intellectual property and did what he could legally to secure it, even if it meant hurting his closest and most loyal partners. In a way he is not much different than Andy Warhol or Lou Reed who did a similar thing with the Velvet Underground once things seemed to be ready to explode. Jimmy Carl Black is right in saying they would have been the next Grateful Dead and I say probably bigger. But, people like Frank and Lou are shrewd and protective of their accomplishments and so before their bands members get any feeling of success and perhaps demand certain royalties or even credit the "boss" disbands them (literally). It's a shame, but business as usual even if Zappa would never admit to doing business by the book of the establishment. Like Warhol, Zappa thrived on hanging out with actual freaks for his inspiration. He never saw himself as one, but tried to harness the spontaneity and reality of what could come out them at any given time hence the constant recording to hopefully catch a real moment. He was a regular P.T. Barnum, but unlike Barnum he was interacting with the sideshow talent and publicly posing as one of them. This is an old scenario that is constantly being revisited by shrewd talented individuals like Howard Stern who's career was built on exploiting freaks and keeping talent around him for help, all while making sure the property stays under his name by firing and replacing that talent along the way. I am not saying anything is wrong with this practice as this is the way it is and will always be. This doesn't take anything away from Frank Zappa or make him any less great, and the fact is many people seem happy they were given the opportunity to play along and be part of something however short or long! I just think Frank could have been more honest with his intentions in dealing with the Mothers as well as his other side projects. However, (disclaimer) I wasn't there, so don't know all the facts, just using my latent investigating, life experiences, and common sense expertise to develop an opinion.
+Richard Federico
Well observed, and I agree with you.
+Richard Federico. Well written Richard. The comparisons to Andy Warhol and Howard Stern. Oh, wow. It's hurtful.
Fair enough. I gotta say, however, that it makes me respect him somewhat less. His artistic legacy is undeniable, but the cynicism and duplicity of his business dealings with the people who helped him build that legacy mar his personal legacy as a man to look up to, or emulate. Genius, however revelatory or beneficial, cannot excuse or cover all sins (for lack of a better term). Calling it merely "the way it is" drives a chasm between what we understand as respectful and fair treatment of those we collaborate with in life and what we believe matters in the pursuit of success, and lessens us thereby.
In his Studio Z days, when Frank's first marriage ended and he was living in the studio, Motorhead Sherwood brought Zappa food to keep him from starving. Later, fresh from his prison stay, Ray Collins brought Frank into his band (soon to be The Mothers), which gave him the platform to restart his career. The original Mothers of Invention were more than Zappa's first sidemen, they were the friends that made his whole vision possible.
Very well said, sir!
Oh course it was wrong. Zappa knew it as well, hence his later defensiveness. But he was ever the 'great composer'.
Life can be a mess.
However, Jimmy Carl Black - Get Over It!! You seem to have used this as your defining trope for the past 50 years. You did some later stuff - let's hear about that for a change.
Trevor Barre well he’s dead so you wont be hearing any of that. Why would they put him talking about his later efforts in a documentary about the original Mothers though?
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I had to laugh when he said those were the best musicians he ever worked with, really dude that's ridiculous, after Zappa broke up the band he went onto to record Hot Rats, imagine that album with Jimmy Carl Black on drums, it would be awful, I'm surprised Zappa played so long with these guys, none of which went onto do anything worthwhile after being in the mothers.