Chad Wackerman's is even better; AND it mentions Steve Vai...:)... Any drummers or zappa fans that haven't seen "The drummers of Frank Zappa" yet; do so ASAP ...It's beautiful, profound, and almost moving, while being the coolest drummers "round table" discussion in history...th-cam.com/video/mIsAB_MzUtc/w-d-xo.html
Belew is such a singular, unique, and amazing player. He can evoke and coax sounds from a guitar that you have never heard or even imagined possible, short of maybe Jeff Beck, Eddie Van Halen, and a few others. And he makes everybody's music he plays on better and broadens their sonic palette and landscape. His work with Talking Heads, among others, for example, is absolutely incredible. Just a great artist, who is often forgotten about and not mentioned on the perennial and requisite lists of best guitarists, probably because his playing is unconventional, unpredictable, and highly original.
Calling him a singular talent then saying he is not as good as the two guitarists you mentioned is simply disrespectful. Amongst others, his take and talent could possible be "short" of - Fripp, Zappa definitely as those two were also singular talents and created unique sounds (just as Iommi or Holdsworth and others), not to mention that Fripp and Zappa hired him detecting the similar mindset they had. Many guitarists have (and still do) sounded like Beck and Eddie Van Halen when they started out. Look up guitarists from Amon Duul, Ashra, Faust, CAN who also had singular minds as Fripp, Iommi, Zappa, Holdsworth, Manzanera, Belew. What Beck started could be heard in the sounds of many contemporaries such as Plant, Clapton, Blackmore, McLaughlin who sadly sold more records than Beck just like Eddie Van Halen. Who really knows much about the underrated, behind the scenes contribution - to the point where music had to branch out to subgenres - from Fripp, Holdsworth, Belew, Rory Gallagher, Iommi, Eno, Wyatt, Ayers, Czukay, Rundgren, Asherton brothers, John Cale et al? They had done it quietly and people will still revisit and discover their music from 50 years ago and appreciate their "singular talent", hopefully, without drawing asinine comparisons with popular sounds.
I saw Zappa in 1978, at SDSU, and was really impressed by this Adrian Belew guy I'd never heard of. A few months later I saw Bowie at The San Diego Sports Arena, and there he was again.
@@buzzbabyjesus hello alan, that was at the SDSU outdoor amphitheater...the (bowl) I was running the center spotlight..with a company called " St. Elmos Fire..its still one of my most favorite concerts of FZs I attended..
@@fenderjazz6213 It was also memorable for the extended standing ovation, which seemed to last 20 minutes. At any rate, Frank and the band came back and he said, "You people are crazy! We could hear you all the way in the dressing room". Then they played another hour or so.
In 1988, Adrian and The Bears were playing at a small-ish Hollywood club. I was in the second row. He began playing his semi-hit, "Oh, Daddy, Daddy," whatever it was called - the song explains to his daughter how hard he's working towards being a big star. Someone in the front row calls out "You already are." It got really quiet, and Adrian bowed towards the person calling out. Then the show continued.
If the cover band Adrian was playing with was his old band SWEETHEART, no wonder FZ dug him! I saw them at a club in Jackson, MS, once...they walked out to a half-empty house and played The Royal Scam...not the song...the WHOLE EFFIN' album! Keep on playin', Lone Rhino!
I really like its work on the bass in the improv named Paris (orinaly israp on the CD) during the 25 june 2000 concert , just after prozack blues, it was my birthday and I was in the Olympia venue in Paris (you catch the name game with it ?) in France , a dream came true, here : th-cam.com/video/tHAJncjlQHM/w-d-xo.html
Many have talked about getting to work with FZ - and how he taught them how to survive out on the road - most bands would do a sound check a few hours before show time - FZ & band would do 3 or 4 throughout the day - so his band stayed out of trouble as they were too busy constantly rehearsing - writing new stuff etc. - Frank was pretty much the ultimate workaholic.
I was privileged enough to see a Frank Zappa soundcheck one afternoon before an 8pm show. They had started before I arrived at 2 and were still playing when I went to dinner at 5pm. Took a short break in there.
I watched Adrian's "Big Electric Cat" video on LSD (also "The Residents" - it's a man's man's man's world video). I've been hooked ever since...on the music, lol. (It saved me from Hair Metal) *I must've been only 16 years old.~ sorry ♡mom♡...not sorry:)
Love Adrian, but I have to say, I feel like he might have broken Frank's heart after all the extra energy he had invested in him for that year. Especially since Adrian didn't read and, as he says himself in this interview, Zappa took him under his wing. I believe after Adrian left was the point at which Zappa had other band members rehearse the band, probably because he just didn't have the energy to re-teach his material over and over again. The story of Zappa and Bowie meeting face to face after he poached Adrian away is pretty hilarious; Zappa kept calling him "Captain Tom". He demoted him! lol. Anyways, Zappa pulled the rug out from under the early Mothers so I guess what goes around comes around.
I love Zappa, but your last sentence couldn't be truer. There's an interview floating around YT of Gary Lucas who was Beefheart's manager and guitarist in '82. He talks about going to a Zappa tour-rehearsal that year to get Frank's permission to release a song from Batchain Puller (that's another story). Aside from the difficulty of getting Frank to even acknowledge their presence, he said that the place was filled with ex-Mothers' members basically begging to get picked for the touring band in the hours before boarding the plane. He said it was a pretty depressing sight.
@@PeteCockcroft-rd3ud I wouldn't have wanted to miss Adrian's work with Talking Heads or on "Discipline", and I love the "Joe's Garage" band (maybe we'd never have gotten Ike Willis!), so all's well that end's well. Wouldn't have minded hearing Adrian play on Watermelon In Easter Hay, though!
That whole Sheik Yerbouti album is phenomenal with Adrian and the incredible Terry Bozzio at his best and in his "prime" on the drums! SoEspecially on the song "City Of Tiny Lights"! What a great Zappa jam! Adrian's voice is flawless on that song and that fast, super tight beat and amazing fills that Terry throws down is phenomenal! Frank had such an incredible ear and feel for talent! To pluck up Adrian like that was amazing! He definitely kicked ass on that album and fit into the band so well!
Another memory shook loose I remember the Warner sucks banner or something of that nature. Some guy rushed the stage and threw a soft drink ( I think it was Coke) towards FZ but from my perspective most of it ended up on AB who was standing in front of a tower of rack mount effects. My first thought was what a jerk you could have electrocuted the rhythm player and that would really ruin the show. Thank goodness no one was hurt except maybe the guy who threw the drink. Believe me if Frank commanded the crowd would have torn that dude limb from limb. I also set the car on fire driving to the show. I was sitting in the backseat passenger side of an old Mercury I think, you know the kind with the push button transmission. Anyway I flicked my cigarette out the window or so I thought. About five minutes later smoke started to pour out from under the front passenger seat. Being an intelligent college student I poured my beer under the seat successfully extinguishing the fire. When the driver, let's call him Paul, found out what I had done I was in a deep load of trouble. I thought for sure they were going to leave me on the shoulder of the Eisenhower express way. Well my cigarettes, lighter, pipe and weed were confiscated and I was officially "cut off" for the rest of the night. They did let me smoke a cigarette at the show. Need I say a freaky fantastic show. "I'd like to teach the world to sing in perfect harmony..."
I have heard this story before but I never get tired of hearing it because it reinforces for me the importance of being ready for the next creative step. For artists, this is a continuous process.
Great story! Adrian's work with Zappa, Bowie, Talking Heads, and King Crimson, made me a life-long fan. I get to see his Power Trio every couple years!
I saw KC on the Thrak tour in Chicago. About have way through the show something clicked in my head and I realized I had seen AB on the Sheik Yorbuti (sp) tour with F Z . That's the funny thing about growing old sometimes we need some loud freaky music to shake a memory loose.
Hello, Loved the Girl Scout thing. I saw you at the Paradise in Boston. Lonely Rhino. At the foot of The Sonic Temple. You are a Master. Thank you, jcw You really don't have any idea of how much you are Loved. Amazing
:)...I saw Belew with Crimso in 84- at Berkeley's greek theater, for a philly dude; it was surreal...They had a juggler to open...:)...Fuckin 80's...smh... Loved his work for decades and this is First time I heard him interviewed...AN AXEMAN EXTRAORDINAIRE! ...
I love his story about breaking the news to Zappa that he Bowie wanted him in his band. Bowie's understated "that went well". The lone time I saw Bowie was at the Forum in L.A. and Adrian was playing with him. I spent has much time watching Adrian as I did Bowie.
You still living in Champaign? - I remember seeing you at Mabel's... you were fantastic! I had a show on WEFT in the mid-80's until I was thrown out after I played Frank's "Ain't it fuckin' great to be alive?" rant on impulse one afternoon...!!! -- c'est la vie!
That's funny.The much loved morning dj on WXRT in Chicago, Lin Brehmer used to play that early mornings on his show but the naughty bits were always edited so fortunately it never cost him his job. Sorry to hear about your fate.In my opinion to high a price to pay for a harmless bit of humor.
Hey, I had a show on WEFT about that time as well. Moved to New Orleans in 1985. I still get up there a couple of times a year. Unfortunately, Mable's is long gone, although there is a Fans of Mable's Facebook group.
Belew is such a cool guy. Imagine a guitarist of his calibre working with the likes of Bowie, Zappa, and the Heads who still insisted on living in Champaign, IL (where he befriended local band the Elvis Brothers and produced their second album for CBS) and, later, Lake Geneva, WI, where he had free run of a nice recording studio there for many years (Royal Recorders, I believe). That's what we in da Midwest like to call a nice midwstern guy who never lost his roots yet could hang with the big city boys in every way. Glad to see he's still out there making magic every night.
Back in the day, we had Hendrix and Zappa... Gene Krupa and Buddy Rich goin' balls-out-MAD with their Tappa-tappa-tappa... What happened to all those cats, man... what happened to the SCENE?!? I listen to the sounds they're playin' these days and it's hard for me to believe they're even the same type of Human BEAN... Gimme Moving Pictures, gimme Bark At The Moon, gimme Kashmir, Black Dog and Fool In The RAIN... Knowing that these pretenders to the throne are rakin' in such big bux confuses all-hell outta me and causes me so much PAIN! Hey, mister... can I borry a quarter for the jukebox? I gotta get this Lady Gaga out of my HEAD... Go home and look at my face in the mirror... these Tracks Of My Tears gotta be washed off, my tear ducts left behind evidence of how much I've BLED! I dunno what we're gonna do, I'm not sure any of us can survive... Changing definitions of words erry' day... better look up the entry for Music and make sure they didn't remove all the shuck and JIVE... You tell me if I'm wrong, make your best case and convince me it's just ME that's gone crazy... 7 Nation Army marchin' off to war? How do they expect to be victorious with 3 whole-friggin' notes... when did we start to reward somethin' so damn LAZY? This video's pretty old. I'm not sure how many people will even notice my little comment-bitch... I mighta stepped on some toes... if people come in here and beat me down, I better be careful not to hear any Justin Beiber or I'll laugh so hard I might bust a STITCH!
Hey! That's Andre from Project/Object!! Where have I been?? Every time you guys came around to Valentines in Albany it was sure to be an awesome night! Love Adrian and all things FZ. Music is the Best!
love AB in KC, he took that band stylistically into the next decade like no one else could. Fripp knew what he was doing. Rabin did the same for Yes, not nearly as well, in my opinion, but i'm sure many would disagree.
I'm puzzled by this. We all understand what Mr. Belew brings to the table, but I heard that he doesn't really read music and we also know what a stickler Zappa is for sight reading and music theory. How did Mr. Belew pull that off? Yes I'm a big Belew fan so I know what he can do, but I'm also a big Zappa fan and I know what a stickler he is about his musicians.
i read in a Zappa book(not the official one)that Adrian didn't read,but started to learn real quick!.not the easiest phrasings or time signatures to start off on.Viva Zappa by Dominique Chevalier was the book,i just dug it out.
I met Adrian in the early 80s. Each time he was the nicest, most genuine person. First time I met him somehow I was at his place for a small party through some friends. I didn't realize who he was at that time. Later, he was looking into backing/producing a few of my friends' band. They imploded before it went any where.
@@MakeWeirdMusic Ha! I'm with ya there, Weirdo. But even way back then (25 yrs ago) I knew the world needed more weird music - the freakier the better, so we proceeded to make our own. Never got famous, remained obscure but honest in our eccentricity, and hit every cool show we could afford to go to, sneak into, or get on the guest list for. Music is life. Making weird music is living it!
Despite his amazing level of talent, Belew is no different than other musicians earning a living: he could be fired at any time and often was. It's a hard way to sustain an income or career. How could he apply for a mortgage, not having a steady income? Could he be described as a session musician?
Sir, Even though I terrorize my neighbors with sounds emanating from my home, I truly don't care. Jimi FZ JB Adrian Belew Steve Stevens Keith Emerson That's it. I have Always liked EVH. He was straight ahead Rock. I explore. It makes me calm, happy. Good medicine. Especially in this Clown Coocoo Land. Just imagine if Frank were here today ?
@@MakeWeirdMusic Obviously I would be a fan of music you make judging by the content on the channel. Honestly, it is very original, I really enjoyed that bit. Smooth for the outro. Where can I listen to the entire track? Do you have a band camp? Every so often I get a recommendation to a video of yours and its always so great to hear/see whats exactly up my alley. And I've heard that Belew story from his lips, but knowing who was with Frank at that show seeing Adrian was great to find out. I feel like he was super comfortable and really gave a hell of an answer to the question from one of the best Zappa/Belew stories.
Adrian Belew was a guest on a music trivia show in Australia. Rockwiz was the show. The contestants had to guess who the mystery guest was in order to have the guest on their team. Clues of the guest were given. I am sitting there shouting at the t.v. ADRIAN BELEW!!!!!! No one knew who he was. Radio has a lot to answer.
Hey, Andre, have you checked out the likes on the "Snail Pie" video? Loved the last show I saw with Brand-X in Philly! My most recent book "The Beatdown" is available on Amazon. You should come back to the ABC with Project Object in Harrisburg; we dig seeing your band!
I always wondered how Zappa felt when Bowie sort of stole Belew away from him. I asked Belew that once on his FB page (where he responds to people a lot) but he didn't answer my question.
i do remember i read a interview of Bowie, he was saying that when he talked with Frank Zappa about taking belew from him, all the replies he got was : F*ck You,and the one that talked about Belew to Bowie was, Brian Eno , the guy in the middle of lots of things in music
@@sound-ur1bq I think I had heard that Zappa was pissed off at Bowie, but was he pissed off towards Belew? After that night when Bowie gave him the offer, Belew still had to finish the tour with Zappa, so that might have been uncomfortable. Personally, I would rather have played with Bowie and Eno than Zappa, but Zappa is the guy who discovered him and tutored and groomed him, and Belew left Zappa for greener pastures in less than an year.
I saw an interview where Adrian recounted that Bowie came to talk to Frank at a restaurant where he was eating with his band after a show in Europe. He told Frank he loved his show and wanted permission to talk to Adrian about hiring him. Frank responded to everything David said with "Fuck you Major Tom". I saw Adrian with Talking Heads on the Remain in Light tour with Busta Jones and Nona Hendryx. One of the best live shows ever. I was also fortunate to see Zappa three times and Adrian with King Crimson in NYC. Also saw Adrian with The Bears at The Bottom Line. Spoke to him between sets. Super nice and down to earth fellow. Imagine playing with Zappa, Bowie, Crimson, and the Heads? Probably the best guitarist that most ppl have never heard of.
Hey Andre. Just came across this channel. Long time no see. I was Ike's buddy from Boston at the North Hampton shows that said you guys should crash at my house and play Boston. Hope all is well my man. Merry Christmas fellas. I love hearing these stories. ✌🏾
I saw Adrian at a Northside Chicago club (late 70's or early 80's). In between sets, I shook his hand and got an Electric shock! He said he liked my sweater (was a droopy dark green cardigan). Good sense of humor.
Adrian didn't mention he failed the first tryout because Frank had people building his studio while he tried, Adrian asked Frank if he could try again somewhere else in the house where there weren't any distractions and ended up getting the job.
I met both of these fine musicians on separate occasions. Both are as pleasant as they are talented. Down to earth and willing to talk to people after the show.
Saw Belew several times, like '81 for Discipline. Incredible. Saw the Bears in '90. They opened the show with Purple Haze! How can anybody do that? And it totally worked!
Imagine having Zappa, Talking Heads, Bowie and King Crimson on your resume.
RIP John Smothers who passed in 2019.
And Paul Simon.
And Laurie Anderson
This is the story 'bout Bald headed John...Dong work for Yuda dong dong
And NIN
@@cravinbob "He talks alot, & it's usually wrong."
Adrian's vocals and of course his signature duet lead with Frank on "City of tiny lights" just sticks in your brain like glue.
Love to try and sing it - it’s tight - powerful…
“Li-ttle tiny Auto-mat”!!
@@birdzzzondayflu2489 Not to mention, Terri Bozzio was a beast during his stint with Frank: th-cam.com/video/YBbH6EsNBAQ/w-d-xo.html
@@merlepatterson punky's whips!
@@merlepatterson youre positively right. Bozzio kicks raw ass
If you could dig up Steve Vai's narration of how HE got into Frank's band, the two tales would go well back-to-back. Steve's a very funny guy!
I love that story. "I hear Linda Ronstadt is looking for a guitarist."
@@MakeWeirdMusic whoever that was playin' for karla bonoff, now that kat could rock that, jack!
th-cam.com/video/rCurPh_ee28/w-d-xo.html
He used to cut the grass
Chad Wackerman's is even better; AND it mentions Steve Vai...:)... Any drummers or zappa fans that haven't seen "The drummers of Frank Zappa" yet; do so ASAP ...It's beautiful, profound, and almost moving, while being the coolest drummers "round table" discussion in history...th-cam.com/video/mIsAB_MzUtc/w-d-xo.html
@@davedecker1725 He was a very nice boy!
Belew is such a singular, unique, and amazing player. He can evoke and coax sounds from a guitar that you have never heard or even imagined possible, short of maybe Jeff Beck, Eddie Van Halen, and a few others. And he makes everybody's music he plays on better and broadens their sonic palette and landscape. His work with Talking Heads, among others, for example, is absolutely incredible. Just a great artist, who is often forgotten about and not mentioned on the perennial and requisite lists of best guitarists, probably because his playing is unconventional, unpredictable, and highly original.
Calling him a singular talent then saying he is not as good as the two guitarists you mentioned is simply disrespectful. Amongst others, his take and talent could possible be "short" of - Fripp, Zappa definitely as those two were also singular talents and created unique sounds (just as Iommi or Holdsworth and others), not to mention that Fripp and Zappa hired him detecting the similar mindset they had. Many guitarists have (and still do) sounded like Beck and Eddie Van Halen when they started out. Look up guitarists from Amon Duul, Ashra, Faust, CAN who also had singular minds as Fripp, Iommi, Zappa, Holdsworth, Manzanera, Belew. What Beck started could be heard in the sounds of many contemporaries such as Plant, Clapton, Blackmore, McLaughlin who sadly sold more records than Beck just like Eddie Van Halen. Who really knows much about the underrated, behind the scenes contribution - to the point where music had to branch out to subgenres - from Fripp, Holdsworth, Belew, Rory Gallagher, Iommi, Eno, Wyatt, Ayers, Czukay, Rundgren, Asherton brothers, John Cale et al? They had done it quietly and people will still revisit and discover their music from 50 years ago and appreciate their "singular talent", hopefully, without drawing asinine comparisons with popular sounds.
I saw Zappa in 1978, at SDSU, and was really impressed by this Adrian Belew guy I'd never heard of. A few months later I saw Bowie at The San Diego Sports Arena, and there he was again.
You're a lucky man, Alan!
Are you still in San Diego?
@@josephsdsu1 New Jersey
@@buzzbabyjesus hello alan, that was at the SDSU outdoor amphitheater...the (bowl) I was running the center spotlight..with a company called " St. Elmos Fire..its still one of my most favorite concerts of FZs I attended..
@@fenderjazz6213 It was also memorable for the extended standing ovation, which seemed to last 20 minutes. At any rate, Frank and the band came back and he said, "You people are crazy! We could hear you all the way in the dressing room". Then they played another hour or so.
In 1988, Adrian and The Bears were playing at a small-ish Hollywood club. I was in the second row. He began playing his semi-hit, "Oh, Daddy, Daddy," whatever it was called - the song explains to his daughter how hard he's working towards being a big star. Someone in the front row calls out "You already are." It got really quiet, and Adrian bowed towards the person calling out. Then the show continued.
Adrian Belew, such a super nice dude. Met him in 2001 when at Crimson show. Total class!!
Agreed. Great guy
Me too. At a Crimson gig in 82. No ego. Super nice guy
I've met Adrian several times, both at Crimson shows, and at solo shows. He's always amazingly polite, and easy to talk to.
Love hearing anything Zappa related 👌
Me too. Thanks, Chris.
If the cover band Adrian was playing with was his old band SWEETHEART, no wonder FZ dug him! I saw them at a club in Jackson, MS, once...they walked out to a half-empty house and played The Royal Scam...not the song...the WHOLE EFFIN' album! Keep on playin', Lone Rhino!
I tried briefly digging up any video of SWEETHEART, nuthin' .
Believe it or not AB is a HUGE influence on my bass playing and songwriting. Not scared of weird fx on a bass. Thank you Adrian!!
And Adrian is a great drummer!
I really like its work on the bass in the improv named Paris (orinaly israp on the CD) during the 25 june 2000 concert , just after prozack blues, it was my birthday and I was in the Olympia venue in Paris (you catch the name game with it ?) in France , a dream came true, here : th-cam.com/video/tHAJncjlQHM/w-d-xo.html
Many have talked about getting to work with FZ - and how he taught them how to survive out on the road - most bands would do a sound check a few hours before show time - FZ & band would do 3 or 4 throughout the day - so his band stayed out of trouble as they were too busy constantly rehearsing - writing new stuff etc. - Frank was pretty much the ultimate workaholic.
I never tried workahol... Frank said he just wanted to play his guitar. Is that work? For me it is, not him. ZAPPA LIVES!
I should ask some ex bandmates about thay
I was privileged enough to see a Frank Zappa soundcheck one afternoon before an 8pm show.
They had started before I arrived at 2 and were still playing when I went to dinner at 5pm. Took a short break in there.
I watched Adrian's "Big Electric Cat" video on LSD (also "The Residents" - it's a man's man's man's world video).
I've been hooked ever since...on the music, lol. (It saved me from Hair Metal)
*I must've been only 16 years old.~ sorry ♡mom♡...not sorry:)
"City of Tiny Lights....don't you wanna go ?...."🚬😎
Love Adrian, but I have to say, I feel like he might have broken Frank's heart after all the extra energy he had invested in him for that year. Especially since Adrian didn't read and, as he says himself in this interview, Zappa took him under his wing. I believe after Adrian left was the point at which Zappa had other band members rehearse the band, probably because he just didn't have the energy to re-teach his material over and over again. The story of Zappa and Bowie meeting face to face after he poached Adrian away is pretty hilarious; Zappa kept calling him "Captain Tom". He demoted him! lol. Anyways, Zappa pulled the rug out from under the early Mothers so I guess what goes around comes around.
I love Zappa, but your last sentence couldn't be truer. There's an interview floating around YT of Gary Lucas who was Beefheart's manager and guitarist in '82. He talks about going to a Zappa tour-rehearsal that year to get Frank's permission to release a song from Batchain Puller (that's another story). Aside from the difficulty of getting Frank to even acknowledge their presence, he said that the place was filled with ex-Mothers' members basically begging to get picked for the touring band in the hours before boarding the plane. He said it was a pretty depressing sight.
@@JacobVBurg Ooof! That IS heartbreaking! I'll see if I can find that interview.
@@PeteCockcroft-rd3ud I wouldn't have wanted to miss Adrian's work with Talking Heads or on "Discipline", and I love the "Joe's Garage" band (maybe we'd never have gotten Ike Willis!), so all's well that end's well. Wouldn't have minded hearing Adrian play on Watermelon In Easter Hay, though!
That whole Sheik Yerbouti album is phenomenal with Adrian and the incredible Terry Bozzio at his best and in his "prime" on the drums! SoEspecially on the song "City Of Tiny Lights"! What a great Zappa jam! Adrian's voice is flawless on that song and that fast, super tight beat and amazing fills that Terry throws down is phenomenal! Frank had such an incredible ear and feel for talent! To pluck up Adrian like that was amazing! He definitely kicked ass on that album and fit into the band so well!
I met Adrian at the time he release "lone rhino" at a music convention. so talented. talking heads, king crimson etc etc.
Another memory shook loose I remember the Warner sucks banner or something of that nature. Some guy rushed the stage and threw a soft drink ( I think it was Coke) towards FZ but from my perspective most of it ended up on AB who was standing in front of a tower of rack mount effects. My first thought was what a jerk you could have electrocuted the rhythm player and that would really ruin the show. Thank goodness no one was hurt except maybe the guy who threw the drink. Believe me if Frank commanded the crowd would have torn that dude limb from limb. I also set the car on fire driving to the show. I was sitting in the backseat passenger side of an old Mercury I think, you know the kind with the push button transmission. Anyway I flicked my cigarette out the window or so I thought. About five minutes later smoke started to pour out from under the front passenger seat. Being an intelligent college student I poured my beer under the seat successfully extinguishing the fire. When the driver, let's call him Paul, found out what I had done I was in a deep load of trouble. I thought for sure they were going to leave me on the shoulder of the Eisenhower express way. Well my cigarettes, lighter, pipe and weed were confiscated and I was officially "cut off" for the rest of the night. They did let me smoke a cigarette at the show. Need I say a freaky fantastic show. "I'd like to teach the world to sing in perfect harmony..."
Great to see Don King and Larry David chatting 💓
Okay, that made me laugh.
Lived in Champaign, Ill. in the mid '80s when Adrian lived there. You'd occasionally bump into him in one of the local music clubs. Pleasant guy.
I have heard this story before but I never get tired of hearing it because it reinforces for me the importance of being ready for the next creative step. For artists, this is a continuous process.
Agreed, Laura
Great story! Adrian's work with Zappa, Bowie, Talking Heads, and King Crimson, made me a life-long fan. I get to see his Power Trio every couple years!
I hope they tour again soon.
I saw KC on the Thrak tour in Chicago. About have way through the show something clicked in my head and I realized I had seen AB on the Sheik Yorbuti (sp) tour with F Z . That's the funny thing about growing old sometimes we need some loud freaky music to shake a memory loose.
Hello,
Loved the Girl Scout thing.
I saw you at the Paradise in Boston. Lonely Rhino.
At the foot of The Sonic Temple. You are a Master.
Thank you,
jcw
You really don't have any idea of how much you are Loved. Amazing
King crimson ❤️
:)...I saw Belew with Crimso in 84- at Berkeley's greek theater, for a philly dude; it was surreal...They had a juggler to open...:)...Fuckin 80's...smh... Loved his work for decades and this is First time I heard him interviewed...AN AXEMAN EXTRAORDINAIRE! ...
I love his story about breaking the news to Zappa that he Bowie wanted him in his band. Bowie's understated "that went well". The lone time I saw Bowie was at the Forum in L.A. and Adrian was playing with him. I spent has much time watching Adrian as I did Bowie.
Great story. Agreed, Glenn
"Fuck you Captain Tom"! ~ Frank Zappa to David Bowie on his request to enlist Adrian's services.😂
Zappa demoted major Tom to captain tom, when he "stole" belew from him..
This joke has expired. Please try again.
Great clip, I’ll have to check the full interview 🤘🏽
It is time well spent 🎵
Belew is great, my first stadium concert was Bowie sound and vision tour 1990, Belew was MD!
You still living in Champaign? - I remember seeing you at Mabel's... you were fantastic!
I had a show on WEFT in the mid-80's until I was thrown out after I played Frank's "Ain't it fuckin' great to be alive?" rant on impulse one afternoon...!!!
-- c'est la vie!
That's funny.The much loved morning dj on WXRT in Chicago, Lin Brehmer used to play that early mornings on his show but the naughty bits were always edited so fortunately it never cost him his job. Sorry to hear about your fate.In my opinion to high a price to pay for a harmless bit of humor.
Hey, I had a show on WEFT about that time as well. Moved to New Orleans in 1985. I still get up there a couple of times a year. Unfortunately, Mable's is long gone, although there is a Fans of Mable's Facebook group.
Lone Rhinoceros
I love Adrian Belew, one of my favorites of all time
He is awesome
Belew is such a cool guy. Imagine a guitarist of his calibre working with the likes of Bowie, Zappa, and the Heads who still insisted on living in Champaign, IL (where he befriended local band the Elvis Brothers and produced their second album for CBS) and, later, Lake Geneva, WI, where he had free run of a nice recording studio there for many years (Royal Recorders, I believe). That's what we in da Midwest like to call a nice midwstern guy who never lost his roots yet could hang with the big city boys in every way. Glad to see he's still out there making magic every night.
Saw him with The Bears several times at Mabel's in Champaign!
Back in the day, we had Hendrix and Zappa...
Gene Krupa and Buddy Rich goin' balls-out-MAD with their Tappa-tappa-tappa...
What happened to all those cats, man... what happened to the SCENE?!?
I listen to the sounds they're playin' these days and it's hard for me to believe they're even the same type of Human BEAN...
Gimme Moving Pictures, gimme Bark At The Moon, gimme Kashmir, Black Dog and Fool In The RAIN...
Knowing that these pretenders to the throne are rakin' in such big bux confuses all-hell outta me and causes me so much PAIN!
Hey, mister... can I borry a quarter for the jukebox? I gotta get this Lady Gaga out of my HEAD...
Go home and look at my face in the mirror... these Tracks Of My Tears gotta be washed off, my tear ducts left behind evidence of how much I've BLED!
I dunno what we're gonna do, I'm not sure any of us can survive...
Changing definitions of words erry' day... better look up the entry for Music and make sure they didn't remove all the shuck and JIVE...
You tell me if I'm wrong, make your best case and convince me it's just ME that's gone crazy...
7 Nation Army marchin' off to war? How do they expect to be victorious with 3 whole-friggin' notes... when did we start to reward somethin' so damn LAZY?
This video's pretty old. I'm not sure how many people will even notice my little comment-bitch...
I mighta stepped on some toes... if people come in here and beat me down, I better be careful not to hear any Justin Beiber or I'll laugh so hard I might bust a STITCH!
Zappa knew when he saw and heard Adrian play and sing like no one else. Frank knew there was an excellent front man in Belew.
Frank knew how to spot talent, for sure.
Hey! That's Andre from Project/Object!! Where have I been?? Every time you guys came around to Valentines in Albany it was sure to be an awesome night! Love Adrian and all things FZ. Music is the Best!
Saw him with Frank Zappa, Talking Heads and King Crimson great musician.
You're a lucky man, Edward.
Lucky guy damn
love AB in KC, he took that band stylistically into the next decade like no one else could. Fripp knew what he was doing. Rabin did the same for Yes, not nearly as well, in my opinion, but i'm sure many would disagree.
Muffin Man changed my life, for the longest time I thought AB was Zappa. When I saw it live for the first time, I shit my pants.
Hey Andre! Used to go see Project Object w/ Ike Willis @ the lions den and BB Kings. Good to see you. Thanks for keeping Zappa alive!!!!!
He was 27 when he started playing with Zappa. Young for sure but not a kid.
Anyway, a great guy and a great guitarist / singer.
I'm puzzled by this. We all understand what Mr. Belew brings to the table, but I heard that he doesn't really read music and we also know what a stickler Zappa is for sight reading and music theory. How did Mr. Belew pull that off? Yes I'm a big Belew fan so I know what he can do, but I'm also a big Zappa fan and I know what a stickler he is about his musicians.
Maybe Frank prioritized raw talent above capabilities.
i read in a Zappa book(not the official one)that Adrian didn't read,but started to learn real quick!.not the easiest phrasings or time signatures to start off on.Viva Zappa by Dominique Chevalier was the book,i just dug it out.
Good to see you Adrian. Great podcast! Saw you and Ike many years ago in New Paltz,NY. You guys all slept at my house that night. Stay loose
no way, belew was at new paltz?? i go to school there!!!!
A beautiful trib to the Z man, Zoot, Sheik, Joe Garage, Hot Rat, Mutha of them all.
Belew is a truly weird and unique player who fit in with so many kinds of truly weird and unique groups
Agreed
I was at the concerts at the Palladium in NYC during Adrian's time. It was such a GREAT band. I would talk with Tommy Mars about it out in L.A.
Lucky!
Gosh you guys got such incredible featured artists on your channel.
Aw, shucks. Thanks. We are just people who love music.
I heard that Zappa ask Belew : are you able to read music and Belew said no but i learn fast. Is it true ?
Matte Kudesai
Thanks for posting! 👍🏻
You bet
I met Adrian in the early 80s. Each time he was the nicest, most genuine person. First time I met him somehow I was at his place for a small party through some friends. I didn't realize who he was at that time. Later, he was looking into backing/producing a few of my friends' band. They imploded before it went any where.
Very cool!
dude wasn't a "kid" when he was with Zappa he was like 28 yrs old...i wanna hear about how Davide Byrne ripped him off
I was incredibly stupid until I was 33. 🤷
@@MakeWeirdMusic Ha! I'm with ya there, Weirdo. But even way back then (25 yrs ago) I knew the world needed more weird music - the freakier the better, so we proceeded to make our own. Never got famous, remained obscure but honest in our eccentricity, and hit every cool show we could afford to go to, sneak into, or get on the guest list for. Music is life. Making weird music is living it!
First I heard of Adrian was his hit "Oh Daddy". I bought the album and immediately fell in love. Young Lions was epic! One of my all-time favorites
Despite his amazing level of talent, Belew is no different than other musicians earning a living: he could be fired at any time and often was. It's a hard way to sustain an income or career. How could he apply for a mortgage, not having a steady income? Could he be described as a session musician?
Musicians don't typically have W-2s unless they start their own LLC and pay themselves on a payroll. It's challenging, for sure.
...also Terry Bozzio that went on to play with UK and then form the Missing Persons band...
Also?
Adrian signed a telecaster I had. Nicest dude around.
I’m the twang bar king….🎶🎶🎶
Frank also gave us the serious soul patch.
Hey !
Look Back in Anger.
Brilliant. So Honest.
A Work of Art.
Thank you,
Lodger is Amazing.
Sir,
Even though I terrorize my neighbors with sounds emanating from my home, I truly don't care.
Jimi
FZ
JB
Adrian Belew
Steve Stevens
Keith Emerson
That's it.
I have Always liked EVH.
He was straight ahead Rock.
I explore. It makes me calm, happy. Good medicine. Especially in this Clown Coocoo Land.
Just imagine if Frank were here today ?
Frank zappa also was in miami vice.
Adrian Belew playing with Talking Heads on Live in Rome 1980 is a thing of beauty.
I’ll check it out. Thanks Buck!
If you sampled his work with FZ and Crimson, it would be more than enough.
I don’t understand this comment.
What exactly is playing when the interview is over, the music? Sounds like some really interesting outro music, just not sure exactly what.
It's one of my songs. It's called "Binge." - Anthony
@@MakeWeirdMusic Obviously I would be a fan of music you make judging by the content on the channel. Honestly, it is very original, I really enjoyed that bit. Smooth for the outro. Where can I listen to the entire track? Do you have a band camp? Every so often I get a recommendation to a video of yours and its always so great to hear/see whats exactly up my alley. And I've heard that Belew story from his lips, but knowing who was with Frank at that show seeing Adrian was great to find out. I feel like he was super comfortable and really gave a hell of an answer to the question from one of the best Zappa/Belew stories.
Hey Andre ! Great interview! I miss seeing you and Project/Object. Y'all come on back to Vermont sometime!
😎 cool deal...excellent artist 🎨
I was so lucky to see that Zappa tour with Adrian!! Later King Crimson... and The Bears!
Adrian Belew was a guest on a music trivia show in Australia.
Rockwiz was the show.
The contestants had to guess who the mystery guest was in order to have the guest on their team.
Clues of the guest were given.
I am sitting there shouting at the t.v. ADRIAN BELEW!!!!!!
No one knew who he was.
Radio has a lot to answer.
Hah, that's not surprising. Adrian is popular in a certain demographic, but that's it.
Hey, Andre, have you checked out the likes on the "Snail Pie" video? Loved the last show I saw with Brand-X in Philly! My most recent book "The Beatdown" is available on Amazon. You should come back to the ABC with Project Object in Harrisburg; we dig seeing your band!
I always wondered how Zappa felt when Bowie sort of stole Belew away from him. I asked Belew that once on his FB page (where he responds to people a lot) but he didn't answer my question.
i do remember i read a interview of Bowie, he was saying that when he talked with Frank Zappa about taking belew from him, all the replies he got was : F*ck You,and the one that talked about Belew to Bowie was, Brian Eno , the guy in the middle of lots of things in music
@@sound-ur1bq I think I had heard that Zappa was pissed off at Bowie, but was he pissed off towards Belew? After that night when Bowie gave him the offer, Belew still had to finish the tour with Zappa, so that might have been uncomfortable. Personally, I would rather have played with Bowie and Eno than Zappa, but Zappa is the guy who discovered him and tutored and groomed him, and Belew left Zappa for greener pastures in less than an year.
I saw an interview where Adrian recounted that Bowie came to talk to Frank at a restaurant where he was eating with his band after a show in Europe. He told Frank he loved his show and wanted permission to talk to Adrian about hiring him. Frank responded to everything David said with "Fuck you Major Tom".
I saw Adrian with Talking Heads on the Remain in Light tour with Busta Jones and Nona Hendryx. One of the best live shows ever. I was also fortunate to see Zappa three times and Adrian with King Crimson in NYC. Also saw Adrian with The Bears at The Bottom Line. Spoke to him between sets. Super nice and down to earth fellow. Imagine playing with Zappa, Bowie, Crimson, and the Heads? Probably the best guitarist that most ppl have never heard of.
Hey Andre. Just came across this channel. Long time no see. I was Ike's buddy from Boston at the North Hampton shows that said you guys should crash at my house and play Boston. Hope all is well my man. Merry Christmas fellas. I love hearing these stories. ✌🏾
he had a nice characterful voice too.
He's a great vocalist!!
I never met Frank but even I thank him. I met Dweezil a couple of years ago and thanked him vicariously.
All the guitars behind him are the ones that were owned by those other 49 guitarists that he beat at the interview.
😂
Good interview , Thanks for letting the good guy talk , seems you can't take yourself too seriously . 😂 Good stuff
Love Adrian Belew and his guitar playing. Still watch Oh Daddy thanks to TH-cam!
Big Electric Cat!
wow Adrian so cool..
Man I love this guy.
So talented yet humble. Much respect. 🙏🏼
I saw Adrian at a Northside Chicago club (late 70's or early 80's). In between sets, I shook his hand and got an Electric shock! He said he liked my sweater (was a droopy dark green cardigan). Good sense of humor.
Met Adrian at Sweetwater Sound 5 yrs ago, such a nice man and great guitarest!
Couldn't agree more!
Zappa & King Crimson. Horrelakoa da.
Indeed
It's amazing Adrian did that much with Frank in only 1 year.
He held a gun in his hand.
Adrian didn't mention he failed the first tryout because Frank had people building his studio while he tried, Adrian asked Frank if he could try again somewhere else in the house where there weren't any distractions and ended up getting the job.
Freak Out and Absolutely Free Turned me into HippieDom!!
A humble guy. Hat's off to you Sir Mr Belew.
Project object
Big fan of Belew.
Thanks for watching, James.
Thank Frank :)
That was a fantastic live stream and it went by so quickly 🎵
thanks Marc! Appreciate you watching..... Adrian stories are the best!
Nice head
And Laurie Anderson!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Yes!
What song plays at the end of the video? It sounds amazing
th-cam.com/video/yIRDk_GOROk/w-d-xo.html
@@MakeWeirdMusic Thanks !!
I met both of these fine musicians on separate occasions. Both are as pleasant as they are talented. Down to earth and willing to talk to people after the show.
Great story Adrian. Good for you brother. That's awesome.
Whoa..... what's the outro music? Also, good moments with Adrien, thanks for posting.
Thanks. It's a piece of mine called "Binge."
Saw Belew several times, like '81 for Discipline. Incredible.
Saw the Bears in '90. They opened the show with Purple Haze! How can anybody do that? And it totally worked!
Fantastic
His work with Talking Heads is also amazing.
"You're the only person I know who might get this." Saw him with The Bears at King's Head in Norfolk around 88. Super nice guy.
Thanks for sharing, David!
❤