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(cheers and applause)
2
00:00:26,826 --> 00:00:30,396
Announcer:
(speaking indistinctly)
3
00:00:31,397 --> 00:00:33,064
Uh, I'll just show you a chord.
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00:00:33,200 --> 00:00:34,566
Man: Yes.
5
00:00:34,701 --> 00:00:36,179
And we just set up a rhythm
on one chord
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00:00:36,203 --> 00:00:39,436
and I'll start doing something.
Make it up.
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00:00:39,572 --> 00:00:40,771
Man: That's good.
8
00:00:40,908 --> 00:00:42,351
Tell me a little bit
about the stage.
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00:00:42,375 --> 00:00:44,020
Yeah. It's... look,
it's not going to...
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00:00:44,043 --> 00:00:46,712
It won't be professional.
It'll just be music.
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Man: Okay.
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00:00:48,014 --> 00:00:49,481
Homemade hoopla.
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00:00:49,616 --> 00:00:51,015
Man: (laughs)
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(cheers and applause)
15
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Announcer: (speaking in Russian)
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(cheers and applause)
17
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This is the first time
that I've had a reason
18
00:01:43,903 --> 00:01:47,072
to play my guitar
in three years. So...
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(cheers and applause)
20
00:01:56,150 --> 00:02:00,084
I'm sure you already know it,
21
00:02:00,219 --> 00:02:01,953
but this is just the beginning
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of your new future
in this country.
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(cheers and applause)
24
00:02:10,963 --> 00:02:15,265
And I hope that your new future
will be very perfect.
25
00:02:15,401 --> 00:02:16,668
Very perfect.
26
00:02:16,802 --> 00:02:20,472
(cheers and applause)
27
00:02:23,610 --> 00:02:26,110
And as you confront
the new changes
28
00:02:26,246 --> 00:02:27,612
that will take place,
29
00:02:27,747 --> 00:02:31,449
please try
and keep your country unique.
30
00:02:31,585 --> 00:02:33,985
Don't change
into something else.
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Keep it unique.
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00:02:35,622 --> 00:02:39,790
(cheers and applause)
33
00:02:43,062 --> 00:02:46,364
And now, I will try
and tune my guitar.
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Man: (speaks Russian)
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(tunes guitar)
36
00:03:02,949 --> 00:03:07,552
(cheers and applause)
37
00:03:17,163 --> 00:03:19,209
Lardner: Many have always
considered Frank Zappa
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00:03:19,233 --> 00:03:20,664
a rock legend.
39
00:03:20,800 --> 00:03:22,177
And one of his friends tonight
told me
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00:03:22,201 --> 00:03:24,081
that he wrote and composed music
41
00:03:24,137 --> 00:03:25,637
to the very end.
42
00:03:26,006 --> 00:03:27,683
He was known for elaborate,
unconventional songs,
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00:03:27,707 --> 00:03:29,106
often with raunchy lyrics.
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00:03:29,241 --> 00:03:31,020
The social commentary
in his songs
45
00:03:31,044 --> 00:03:32,443
targeted the music industry,
46
00:03:32,579 --> 00:03:34,712
the educational system,
and politics.
47
00:03:34,848 --> 00:03:37,207
Reporter: In America, Zappa
was denounced by the Church,
48
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had his concerts broken up
by the police,
49
00:03:39,186 --> 00:03:41,265
and his records banned
by radio stations.
50
00:03:41,388 --> 00:03:43,366
Lardner: His wife and all four
children were with him.
51
00:03:43,389 --> 00:03:45,056
They are together tonight
52
00:03:45,192 --> 00:03:47,391
at their Laurel Canyon area
home with friends.
53
00:03:47,493 --> 00:03:49,794
Frank Zappa, dead at 52.
54
00:03:49,930 --> 00:03:51,096
Back to you.
55
00:03:55,534 --> 00:03:59,003
Children:
(shouting indistinctly)
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00:04:15,254 --> 00:04:16,555
Zappa: Rolling?
57
00:04:16,689 --> 00:04:18,055
Man: And... yes.
58
00:04:19,358 --> 00:04:21,759
Zappa: Okay. This aisle here
59
00:04:21,894 --> 00:04:24,762
is where some
of the best-known titles lurk.
60
00:04:24,898 --> 00:04:26,964
Here's stuff from the Hot Rats.
61
00:04:28,668 --> 00:04:32,637
Here's the original 24-track
masters of "Dinah-Moe Humm,"
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00:04:32,771 --> 00:04:37,175
"Dirty Love," "Montana,"
"Inca Roads," "RDNZL."
63
00:04:37,911 --> 00:04:40,646
Shut Up n' Play Yer Guitar,
Joe's Garage.
64
00:04:42,281 --> 00:04:43,982
Here's Sheik Yerbouti.
65
00:04:46,218 --> 00:04:49,519
Tinsel Town Rebellion,
Drowning Witch, Utopia.
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("Valley Girl" playing)
⪠She's a valley girl âª
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00:04:51,458 --> 00:04:52,656
⪠Valley girl âª
68
00:04:52,793 --> 00:04:54,091
⪠She's a valley girl âª
69
00:04:54,528 --> 00:04:56,848
Oh, here's Eric Clapton
when he came over to my house.
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00:04:59,999 --> 00:05:01,500
Wild Man Fischer.
71
00:05:02,134 --> 00:05:03,434
Captain Beefheart,
72
00:05:03,569 --> 00:05:05,704
a little jam in the basement.
73
00:05:07,906 --> 00:05:09,507
And around here,
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00:05:10,576 --> 00:05:12,476
down this darkened aisle,
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00:05:12,946 --> 00:05:15,512
is a collection of videotapes
76
00:05:15,648 --> 00:05:19,151
from when I borrowed
my father's 8mm camera
77
00:05:19,286 --> 00:05:20,851
and made a bunch of movies.
78
00:05:21,822 --> 00:05:25,990
(growling)
79
00:05:43,976 --> 00:05:46,810
Zappa: I became obsessed
with editing.
80
00:05:47,146 --> 00:05:50,314
And I would edit
just because I liked to edit.
81
00:05:51,817 --> 00:05:55,552
I would splice any 8mm film
that was in the house
82
00:05:55,855 --> 00:05:57,555
to anything else.
83
00:06:06,699 --> 00:06:08,333
When I was little...
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00:06:08,869 --> 00:06:11,601
I didn't have too much interest
in music at all.
85
00:06:11,737 --> 00:06:14,505
When I was about,
say, five or six years old
86
00:06:14,641 --> 00:06:17,007
up until the time
I was about 13,
87
00:06:17,144 --> 00:06:19,444
I was interested in chemistry
88
00:06:20,346 --> 00:06:22,379
and especially in explosives.
89
00:06:23,716 --> 00:06:26,584
I... I learned how to make
gunpowder when I was six.
90
00:06:28,321 --> 00:06:30,922
At that time,
my father was working
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00:06:31,057 --> 00:06:33,190
at a place on the East Coast
92
00:06:33,326 --> 00:06:35,293
called the Edgewood Arsenal.
93
00:06:35,696 --> 00:06:37,928
Edgewood Arsenal is where
they made poison gas
94
00:06:38,064 --> 00:06:39,430
during World War II.
95
00:06:40,500 --> 00:06:42,377
Presenter: At Edgewood Arsenal,
Maryland,
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00:06:42,401 --> 00:06:44,903
the Army Chemical Corp
developed the machinery
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for producing the nerve gas GB,
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which had been developed
by Nazi Germany.
99
00:06:49,408 --> 00:06:53,444
And the nerve gas VX,
which was developed in England.
100
00:06:54,781 --> 00:06:58,483
Man: There is enough gas there
and enough gas coming
101
00:06:58,617 --> 00:07:00,250
of the nerve gas variety
102
00:07:00,786 --> 00:07:06,557
to cause the death
of 681,481,000 persons.
103
00:07:09,596 --> 00:07:11,408
Everybody that lived
in the project
104
00:07:11,432 --> 00:07:14,932
had to have gas masks
in their house
105
00:07:15,067 --> 00:07:17,668
in case the tanks
of mustard gas broke.
106
00:07:17,903 --> 00:07:20,737
So the... the toys
that I remember growing up with
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00:07:20,874 --> 00:07:25,110
were the little chemical beakers
that my father would bring home
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and the gas masks that were
hanging in the hall closet.
109
00:07:29,415 --> 00:07:31,060
And I used to wear that out
in the yard
110
00:07:31,084 --> 00:07:32,350
and run around in it.
111
00:07:32,485 --> 00:07:33,896
And I thought
it was a space helmet.
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00:07:33,920 --> 00:07:35,720
(alarm blaring)
113
00:07:36,255 --> 00:07:38,790
⪠Any way the wind blows âª
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⪠Is-a fine with me âª
115
00:07:44,064 --> 00:07:46,064
⪠Any way the wind blows âª
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00:07:47,600 --> 00:07:51,069
⪠It don't matter to me âª
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00:07:51,939 --> 00:07:53,978
⪠'Cause I'm through
with-a fussin'... âª
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Zappa: I had a lot of asthma.
119
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I was very ill.
120
00:07:58,411 --> 00:08:00,851
Almost cacked out a few times
from the climate back there.
121
00:08:01,113 --> 00:08:02,791
And so, he was looking
for a place
122
00:08:02,815 --> 00:08:04,927
where I wouldn't be
constantly folding up
123
00:08:04,951 --> 00:08:07,163
and a place where he could earn
a better income.
124
00:08:07,187 --> 00:08:10,086
And so, he took a position at
the Naval Postgraduate School
125
00:08:10,223 --> 00:08:13,024
in California,
teaching metallurgy.
126
00:08:15,694 --> 00:08:18,562
The last experimentation
that I did with explosives
127
00:08:18,699 --> 00:08:20,619
was when I was about
15 years old.
128
00:08:21,434 --> 00:08:24,367
I'd mixed up
this quantity of powder
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00:08:24,903 --> 00:08:27,738
which consisted of, uh,
regular black powder
130
00:08:27,874 --> 00:08:30,141
and then flash powder,
131
00:08:30,276 --> 00:08:33,878
which is 50 percent zinc
and 50 percent sulfur,
132
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mixed with sugar,
133
00:08:35,782 --> 00:08:38,349
and attempted to set fire
to the high school
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00:08:38,485 --> 00:08:39,682
that I was attending.
135
00:08:39,818 --> 00:08:44,556
(dramatic music playing)
136
00:08:47,427 --> 00:08:50,227
Zappa: It always seemed to me
that if you could get a laugh
137
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out of something, that was good.
138
00:08:51,965 --> 00:08:53,808
And if you could make life
more colorful
139
00:08:53,832 --> 00:08:55,832
than it actually was,
that was good.
140
00:08:55,934 --> 00:08:58,201
So, any artist
or individual who worked
141
00:08:58,337 --> 00:09:01,206
in those two directions
was doing something good.
142
00:09:04,344 --> 00:09:06,677
My family was really poor.
143
00:09:07,346 --> 00:09:09,057
Not only that, they didn't
like music too much.
144
00:09:09,081 --> 00:09:11,581
So I didn't really come
into contact
145
00:09:11,717 --> 00:09:15,753
with musical expression
until 14 or 15 years old.
146
00:09:16,054 --> 00:09:20,823
And my parents were opposed
to any involvement in music
147
00:09:20,960 --> 00:09:22,860
that I might be interested in.
148
00:09:23,163 --> 00:09:26,897
But I remember this magazine
article about Sam Goody.
149
00:09:27,033 --> 00:09:29,866
Was saying what a wonderful
merchandiser he was
150
00:09:30,001 --> 00:09:31,961
because he could even sell
an album
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00:09:32,004 --> 00:09:34,038
that had this ugly music on it.
152
00:09:34,173 --> 00:09:36,273
The writer described this
as, like,
153
00:09:36,408 --> 00:09:38,320
literally the most
frightening thing
154
00:09:38,344 --> 00:09:40,154
that a human being
could listen to.
155
00:09:40,178 --> 00:09:43,214
This evil, vile album.
156
00:09:44,049 --> 00:09:46,195
The description was something
that stuck with me,
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00:09:46,219 --> 00:09:47,717
and then a few months later,
158
00:09:48,020 --> 00:09:51,523
I actually saw the album
in a store and bought it.
159
00:09:53,426 --> 00:09:55,236
It was because of that
Varâªse album
160
00:09:55,260 --> 00:09:56,972
that I read about in a magazine.
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00:09:56,996 --> 00:09:58,629
And hearing "Ionisation,"
162
00:09:58,865 --> 00:10:01,298
that I...
Writing orchestra music.
163
00:10:04,870 --> 00:10:07,037
I had no interest
in Beethoven, Mozart,
164
00:10:07,173 --> 00:10:08,572
or any of that kind of stuff.
165
00:10:08,774 --> 00:10:10,385
It just didn't sound
interesting to me.
166
00:10:10,409 --> 00:10:11,975
I wanted to listen to the man
167
00:10:12,110 --> 00:10:15,179
who could make music
that was that strange.
168
00:10:15,816 --> 00:10:17,625
Because the role
of the percussion
169
00:10:17,649 --> 00:10:20,083
in most classical music
is you wait a long time,
170
00:10:20,219 --> 00:10:22,452
and then somebody goes ping
with a triangle.
171
00:10:23,188 --> 00:10:25,657
To me, that was all boring.
172
00:10:26,225 --> 00:10:28,058
But in Varâªse's music,
173
00:10:28,193 --> 00:10:31,327
the percussion was playing
an integrated melodic part.
174
00:10:31,464 --> 00:10:32,830
And it was in the foreground.
175
00:10:32,965 --> 00:10:34,599
And since I liked drums,
176
00:10:34,734 --> 00:10:36,900
it was a pleasure for me
to listen to it.
177
00:10:37,102 --> 00:10:39,537
(drums playing, cymbal crashes)
178
00:10:39,905 --> 00:10:41,616
Zappa:
I thought it was fantastic.
179
00:10:41,640 --> 00:10:43,418
I couldn't understand
why people just didn't love it
180
00:10:43,442 --> 00:10:44,643
the minute they heard it.
181
00:10:50,081 --> 00:10:51,782
High school in Lancaster
182
00:10:51,918 --> 00:10:54,250
wouldn't be equivalent
to high school any place else
183
00:10:54,386 --> 00:10:56,488
because Lancaster
was a small town,
184
00:10:56,623 --> 00:10:58,922
and very few people in the area
185
00:10:59,057 --> 00:11:00,924
liked rhythm and blues music.
186
00:11:01,059 --> 00:11:03,827
(blues guitar playing)
187
00:11:03,964 --> 00:11:05,941
Zappa: And the rest of 'em
were kind of white-bread,
188
00:11:05,965 --> 00:11:07,865
Elvis Presley fanatic types.
189
00:11:09,235 --> 00:11:11,668
And I don't even remember
how I met Don.
190
00:11:11,804 --> 00:11:15,438
But he had dropped out
of school by that time
191
00:11:15,575 --> 00:11:18,042
and spent most of his time
staying at home
192
00:11:18,177 --> 00:11:20,256
listening to rhythm
and blues records.
193
00:11:20,947 --> 00:11:23,780
So, I used to hang out
over there after school
194
00:11:24,116 --> 00:11:27,150
and listen to
Clarence "Gatemouth" Brown
195
00:11:27,287 --> 00:11:29,721
and Guitar Slim,
196
00:11:30,456 --> 00:11:31,889
Elmore James,
197
00:11:32,926 --> 00:11:34,158
Lowell Fulson,
198
00:11:34,726 --> 00:11:37,695
and Johnny "Guitar" Watson
R&B records
199
00:11:37,830 --> 00:11:39,750
till three o'clock
in the morning.
200
00:11:41,500 --> 00:11:43,144
Went out of my way to get ahold
201
00:11:43,168 --> 00:11:44,779
of the rhythm and blues records.
202
00:11:44,803 --> 00:11:46,403
And it was very hard to obtain
203
00:11:46,772 --> 00:11:48,985
because most of the white
music stores didn't stock it.
204
00:11:49,009 --> 00:11:50,206
And, uh...
205
00:11:50,643 --> 00:11:52,602
I just heard that music
and I liked it
206
00:11:52,677 --> 00:11:54,322
and couldn't understand
why other people didn't like it
207
00:11:54,346 --> 00:11:55,546
as much as I did.
208
00:11:55,682 --> 00:11:58,414
(rhythm and blues playing)
209
00:11:58,551 --> 00:12:00,528
Zappa: When I first picked up
the guitar, I said,
210
00:12:00,552 --> 00:12:04,321
"How in the world could anybody
get any sound out of this thing
211
00:12:04,456 --> 00:12:06,856
other than
the open string sound?"
212
00:12:06,993 --> 00:12:08,770
I couldn't conceive
of what the frets were for.
213
00:12:08,794 --> 00:12:10,928
But when rhythm and blues
came along
214
00:12:11,063 --> 00:12:13,431
and I heard examples
of blues guitar playing,
215
00:12:13,567 --> 00:12:15,811
I thought that it was something
I really wanted to do.
216
00:12:15,835 --> 00:12:17,835
So, I just taught myself
how to do it.
217
00:12:17,903 --> 00:12:19,815
Once I figured out
that the pitch changed
218
00:12:19,839 --> 00:12:21,484
when you put your finger down
on the fret,
219
00:12:21,508 --> 00:12:22,874
I was hell on wheels.
220
00:12:23,842 --> 00:12:26,876
⪠You're probably wondering
why I'm here âª
221
00:12:27,145 --> 00:12:28,879
⪠And so am I âª
222
00:12:29,014 --> 00:12:30,881
⪠So am I âª
223
00:12:39,692 --> 00:12:41,892
⪠You're probably wondering âª
224
00:12:42,160 --> 00:12:45,296
- ⪠Why I'm here âª
- ⪠Not that it makes âª
225
00:12:45,432 --> 00:12:47,471
⪠A heck of a lot
of difference to ya! âª
226
00:12:50,269 --> 00:12:53,269
Zappa: I had my first group
playing other people's material
227
00:12:53,405 --> 00:12:55,874
when I was about 16 or 17.
228
00:12:56,009 --> 00:12:57,208
It was called The Blackouts.
229
00:12:57,277 --> 00:12:59,809
A racially mixed ensemble.
230
00:13:00,812 --> 00:13:04,615
Which did not go down well
with the, uh, cowboys
231
00:13:04,750 --> 00:13:06,828
and other bigots
who lived in this area.
232
00:13:06,852 --> 00:13:09,921
And, uh, we managed to play
several jobs,
233
00:13:10,056 --> 00:13:12,557
but the school
and the city authorities
234
00:13:12,759 --> 00:13:15,136
were against having it performd
because it was regarded
235
00:13:15,160 --> 00:13:17,528
as a threat to the decency
of the community.
236
00:13:17,797 --> 00:13:22,000
(rock and roll music playing)
237
00:13:25,571 --> 00:13:27,582
Zappa: I started writing
orchestra music
238
00:13:27,606 --> 00:13:29,907
before I ever wrote
a rock and roll song.
239
00:13:30,476 --> 00:13:33,277
And then didn't try writing
any rock and roll
240
00:13:33,412 --> 00:13:34,946
until I was in my 20s.
241
00:13:36,548 --> 00:13:39,482
And as long as a person
has to earn a living
242
00:13:39,619 --> 00:13:42,352
and if he happens
to be a person who makes music,
243
00:13:43,722 --> 00:13:46,722
he's going to have to dosomething to generatean income.
244
00:13:48,594 --> 00:13:51,095
And the more humiliating
the conditions
245
00:13:51,230 --> 00:13:53,897
under which the income
is generated,
246
00:13:54,332 --> 00:13:56,301
the more the music suffers.
247
00:13:58,671 --> 00:14:00,482
I did earn my living
as a commercial artist
248
00:14:00,506 --> 00:14:03,006
for a little while.
I did greeting cards.
249
00:14:03,142 --> 00:14:06,176
I wrote advertising copy for
the place I was working for,
250
00:14:06,312 --> 00:14:09,480
called the Nile Running
Greeting Card Studio.
251
00:14:10,450 --> 00:14:13,350
I talked 'em into letting me do
my own line of greeting cards
252
00:14:13,485 --> 00:14:15,019
on an experimental basis,
253
00:14:15,154 --> 00:14:17,587
and one of 'em was, uh,
254
00:14:17,724 --> 00:14:20,357
"Captured Russian photo
shows evidence
255
00:14:20,493 --> 00:14:22,793
of Americans' presence
on Moon first."
256
00:14:23,363 --> 00:14:24,940
And you open it up,
and there's a picture
257
00:14:24,964 --> 00:14:27,029
of a lunar crater
with "Jesus Saves"
258
00:14:27,166 --> 00:14:28,264
inscribed on it.
259
00:14:28,400 --> 00:14:29,500
(laughs)
260
00:14:30,503 --> 00:14:32,937
Man: You are to hang
by the neck until you are dead.
261
00:14:33,172 --> 00:14:35,206
I'll see you in hell.
262
00:14:37,842 --> 00:14:40,311
God: And they don't take me
seriously, do they?
263
00:14:40,446 --> 00:14:42,947
They're only reporters.
They're all the same, God.
264
00:14:43,081 --> 00:14:45,917
Zappa: I had scored a couple
of films about that time.
265
00:14:46,052 --> 00:14:48,152
The one that I got paid for,
266
00:14:48,287 --> 00:14:50,533
I went out and boughta good guitarand, uh, took over
267
00:14:50,557 --> 00:14:53,557
the debts and the assets
of a recording studio
268
00:14:53,692 --> 00:14:56,727
in a town called
Cucamonga, California.
269
00:14:59,164 --> 00:15:01,043
Zappa:
I'm living in this studio.
270
00:15:01,067 --> 00:15:03,278
It doesn't have a bathtub.
It doesn't have a shower.
271
00:15:03,302 --> 00:15:04,934
Doesn't have hot water.
272
00:15:05,071 --> 00:15:07,182
I don't have anything to eat
except peanut butter,
273
00:15:07,206 --> 00:15:09,840
instant mashed potatoes,
and coffee.
274
00:15:09,975 --> 00:15:11,886
I go around gathering up
pop bottles
275
00:15:11,910 --> 00:15:13,443
so I can buy cigarettes.
276
00:15:13,712 --> 00:15:15,256
But I've got all
the electronic stuff I need
277
00:15:15,280 --> 00:15:17,014
to make recordings.
278
00:15:19,586 --> 00:15:21,051
Well, I've had long hair.
279
00:15:21,253 --> 00:15:23,053
It was shorter than Beatle hair.
280
00:15:23,856 --> 00:15:26,090
So, there was a certain amount
of resentment
281
00:15:26,225 --> 00:15:28,826
in the community for
my presence there at the studio.
282
00:15:29,296 --> 00:15:34,131
And this mysterious
13.50 an hour recording studio
283
00:15:34,267 --> 00:15:36,600
was, uh, bad
for their community.
284
00:15:37,035 --> 00:15:40,370
So, they designed to, uh,
get me out of there.
285
00:15:42,006 --> 00:15:44,741
Eventually this guy came to me
and said
286
00:15:44,878 --> 00:15:48,245
that he was a used car salesman
and that he and the boys
287
00:15:48,380 --> 00:15:50,514
were having a party
next Wednesday
288
00:15:50,649 --> 00:15:53,417
and they would like to have
a stag film made.
289
00:15:53,552 --> 00:15:55,152
And I said, "Are you kidding?"
290
00:15:55,287 --> 00:15:57,654
He said, "Well,
we have about 100 dollars."
291
00:15:57,789 --> 00:15:59,600
And I said,
"Well, I can't make you a movie
292
00:15:59,625 --> 00:16:02,559
for 100 dollars, but how
would you like a nice tape?"
293
00:16:03,096 --> 00:16:06,196
So, that night,
we manufactured a tape,
294
00:16:06,331 --> 00:16:09,366
which was supposed to be
sex on tape,
295
00:16:09,501 --> 00:16:12,402
but there's absolutely no sex
involved in this thing.
296
00:16:12,738 --> 00:16:15,304
But suddenly, the next day,
297
00:16:15,506 --> 00:16:18,741
the door swings open
and vice squad officers
298
00:16:18,876 --> 00:16:21,578
from the San Bernardino
Sheriff's Department
299
00:16:21,715 --> 00:16:22,835
come blasting in there.
300
00:16:23,081 --> 00:16:24,681
Pictures. Flash bulbs,
301
00:16:24,817 --> 00:16:26,777
and it was right out
of a bad movie.
302
00:16:26,918 --> 00:16:28,785
They took every tape,
303
00:16:28,922 --> 00:16:32,789
every piece of film
in the studio as evidence.
304
00:16:33,625 --> 00:16:34,993
And I went to jail.
305
00:16:42,333 --> 00:16:44,601
They sentenced me
to six months in jail
306
00:16:44,736 --> 00:16:46,671
with all but ten days suspended
307
00:16:46,806 --> 00:16:48,639
plus three years' probation.
308
00:16:51,110 --> 00:16:53,309
⪠It can't happen here âª
309
00:16:53,446 --> 00:16:56,681
⪠Can't happen here,
can't happen here... âª
310
00:16:57,249 --> 00:17:03,053
Zappa:
311
00:17:10,863 --> 00:17:13,529
That's the kind of stuff
I had to put up with
312
00:17:13,665 --> 00:17:16,166
living in small-town
environments.
313
00:17:17,804 --> 00:17:19,748
I don't have anything
against small towns.
314
00:17:19,771 --> 00:17:22,239
I think they're wonderful
if you like that kind of stuff.
315
00:17:23,041 --> 00:17:25,541
But it's very difficult
to do the kinds of things
316
00:17:25,678 --> 00:17:28,011
that I do
in a small-town situation.
317
00:17:29,082 --> 00:17:33,217
And the only thing
I wanted to do was write music.
318
00:17:33,885 --> 00:17:37,020
And so, if I was ever
going to hear what I wrote,
319
00:17:37,289 --> 00:17:39,289
I would have to put
a band together.
320
00:17:41,693 --> 00:17:43,560
⪠Motherly love âª
321
00:17:45,396 --> 00:17:47,298
⪠Motherly love âª
322
00:17:48,334 --> 00:17:51,669
⪠Forget about the brotherly
and other-ly love âª
323
00:17:51,971 --> 00:17:55,105
⪠Motherly love
is just the thing for you âª
324
00:17:55,240 --> 00:17:57,218
⪠You know your mother's
gonna love ya âª
325
00:17:57,241 --> 00:17:59,162
⪠Till ya don't know
what to do âª
326
00:18:03,249 --> 00:18:04,382
⪠Nature's been good âª
327
00:18:04,517 --> 00:18:06,282
⪠To this here band âª
328
00:18:06,719 --> 00:18:09,185
⪠Don't ever think we're shy âª
329
00:18:10,221 --> 00:18:11,900
⪠Send us up
some little groupies âª
330
00:18:11,923 --> 00:18:13,624
⪠And we'll take their hands âª
331
00:18:13,759 --> 00:18:16,593
⪠And rock 'em
till they sweat and cry âª
332
00:18:16,729 --> 00:18:18,229
⪠What you need is âª
333
00:18:19,230 --> 00:18:20,631
⪠Motherly love âª
334
00:18:20,900 --> 00:18:22,098
⪠Get it now âª
335
00:18:22,768 --> 00:18:24,067
⪠Motherly love âª
336
00:18:25,770 --> 00:18:28,770
⪠You know I've gota little motherly lovefor ya, honey âª
337
00:18:29,642 --> 00:18:31,220
⪠You know it
doesn't bother me at all âª
338
00:18:31,243 --> 00:18:33,163
⪠That you're only
18 years old âª
339
00:18:33,278 --> 00:18:35,678
⪠'Cause I've got a little
motherly love for you, baby âª
340
00:18:38,718 --> 00:18:43,753
(scatting)
341
00:18:45,057 --> 00:18:48,025
All right. This is a song that
we've been work... working on
342
00:18:48,160 --> 00:18:51,294
in secret for a... a while now.
343
00:18:51,430 --> 00:18:53,174
Going to make an attempt
to record it.
344
00:18:53,199 --> 00:18:54,675
If we mess it up,
we'll just stop
345
00:18:54,700 --> 00:18:55,766
and do it over again.
346
00:18:55,901 --> 00:18:57,433
It doesn't have a name yet.
347
00:18:57,903 --> 00:19:01,538
But, uh, doesn't really
need one.
348
00:19:03,843 --> 00:19:05,586
Johnny: He was a such a genius
in his writing,
349
00:19:05,611 --> 00:19:07,730
and he knew so much
about all the old music.
350
00:19:07,980 --> 00:19:10,092
He was able to marry
all of that together, man.
351
00:19:10,115 --> 00:19:13,116
It was... I... I haven't heard
anything like it
352
00:19:13,719 --> 00:19:15,318
before or since.
353
00:19:17,356 --> 00:19:19,396
Zappa: Whatever brought you
to Hollywood?
354
00:19:20,425 --> 00:19:22,960
I came in search of Bob Dylan.
355
00:19:23,328 --> 00:19:26,529
And, uh, I came to see
the Lovin' Spoonful.
356
00:19:26,664 --> 00:19:29,500
And I came to get away
from my father, mainly.
357
00:19:29,634 --> 00:19:31,579
And then we started
living on the streets here
358
00:19:31,604 --> 00:19:34,337
because he wasn't too happy
about the overall situation.
359
00:19:35,141 --> 00:19:39,777
(band playing)
360
00:19:43,981 --> 00:19:45,759
Pamela: So, one night
we came in there,
361
00:19:45,784 --> 00:19:47,151
expecting to see our favorites,
362
00:19:47,286 --> 00:19:48,997
the Grassroots
and Billy Preston,
363
00:19:49,020 --> 00:19:50,298
and lo and behold,
after two weeks,
364
00:19:50,321 --> 00:19:51,755
they changed the bill.
365
00:19:51,890 --> 00:19:53,669
And there was a group
called Mothers playing.
366
00:19:53,692 --> 00:19:56,727
(band playing)
367
00:19:59,198 --> 00:20:01,109
Pamela:
The main thing I remember
368
00:20:01,134 --> 00:20:03,414
is that they played a song
that was 20 minutes long.
369
00:20:03,536 --> 00:20:07,438
And everybody was getting tired
dancing in the middle of it.
370
00:20:09,008 --> 00:20:11,642
And on the second set
that you played,
371
00:20:11,778 --> 00:20:14,545
you played a song called
"How Could I Be Such a Fool?"
372
00:20:14,681 --> 00:20:16,357
And I remember listening
to that song
373
00:20:16,382 --> 00:20:18,026
and thinking
I'd never heard it before.
374
00:20:18,049 --> 00:20:19,749
And I was really surprised.
375
00:20:19,884 --> 00:20:22,619
I started thinking to myself,
"God, did he write that?"
376
00:20:22,755 --> 00:20:24,532
And when I figured out
that you had,
377
00:20:24,557 --> 00:20:26,134
'cause I asked you
after you came off stage,
378
00:20:26,157 --> 00:20:27,490
I was going,
379
00:20:27,792 --> 00:20:29,436
"My god, he's got talent.
I don't believe it."
380
00:20:29,461 --> 00:20:31,560
⪠When I won your love âª
381
00:20:31,864 --> 00:20:33,798
⪠I was very glad âª
382
00:20:34,665 --> 00:20:36,232
⪠Every happiness... âª
383
00:20:36,501 --> 00:20:38,212
Interviewer: Do you think that
perhaps you might, uh,
384
00:20:38,237 --> 00:20:40,356
in a year or two be
the new musical messiah?
385
00:20:40,405 --> 00:20:42,271
As in the Beatles and Presley
386
00:20:42,406 --> 00:20:45,107
ten years ago and ten years
before that? Whoever it was.
387
00:20:45,243 --> 00:20:48,377
Zappa: I can honestly say
that I do not think so.
388
00:20:48,681 --> 00:20:52,215
(band playing)
389
00:20:52,785 --> 00:20:54,884
Announcer:
The Mothers of Invention.
390
00:21:06,365 --> 00:21:09,933
Bunk: I... I don't remember,
in all the years with Frank,
391
00:21:10,169 --> 00:21:12,936
hearing too many bands
that had horns.
392
00:21:13,605 --> 00:21:16,106
Guitar players, you know,
all over the place.
393
00:21:16,241 --> 00:21:19,410
Not too many, uh,
bands had horns.
394
00:21:20,913 --> 00:21:22,833
But, you know, at the same time,
395
00:21:22,882 --> 00:21:25,281
I didn't hear any other bands
396
00:21:25,751 --> 00:21:29,086
playing Stravinsky
or classical music or anything.
397
00:21:29,221 --> 00:21:31,954
So, uh, that was fairly unique.
398
00:21:32,090 --> 00:21:33,990
And that made me feel good
399
00:21:34,125 --> 00:21:36,861
about what we were doing
musically.
400
00:21:41,233 --> 00:21:44,602
I'm not a weirdo or any of
these other things.
401
00:21:44,804 --> 00:21:47,237
But when you get around
other people
402
00:21:47,372 --> 00:21:51,607
that are just naturally
funny and do weird things,
403
00:21:52,178 --> 00:21:56,012
I ended up just feeling
very comfortable.
404
00:21:56,415 --> 00:21:59,082
It was exciting
in the beginning.
405
00:21:59,217 --> 00:22:00,483
It truly was.
406
00:22:00,986 --> 00:22:05,690
But of course,
it was musically difficult.
407
00:22:07,159 --> 00:22:09,626
Some nights, Frank would jump
up into the air
408
00:22:09,761 --> 00:22:12,762
and come down,
and he would expect us
409
00:22:12,897 --> 00:22:15,531
to know what song
he was gonna go into.
410
00:22:16,301 --> 00:22:18,342
You know, a perfectionist here,
you know.
411
00:22:19,570 --> 00:22:22,838
That made an impression that,
jeez, well, you know...
412
00:22:22,974 --> 00:22:27,376
So, it became our duty...
413
00:22:28,079 --> 00:22:31,213
to engage in, uh,
these kind of things
414
00:22:31,349 --> 00:22:33,817
that... that...
That would make him laugh.
415
00:22:36,154 --> 00:22:38,588
Ian:
The band wasn't specifically
416
00:22:38,958 --> 00:22:42,057
anything other
than Frank's ideas.
417
00:22:43,028 --> 00:22:46,630
And each show
was like a composition.
418
00:22:47,467 --> 00:22:50,166
And they happened
because the band
419
00:22:50,301 --> 00:22:52,737
is following his direction.
420
00:22:55,874 --> 00:22:57,219
Ruth: You know, I used to think,
421
00:22:57,242 --> 00:22:58,674
"Okay, he's called me here,"
422
00:22:58,809 --> 00:23:00,489
and I don't mean
in the early days,
423
00:23:00,512 --> 00:23:02,289
I mean in full flower
of playing with him.
424
00:23:02,314 --> 00:23:04,358
We'd talk for a minute,
and then there isn't even
425
00:23:04,383 --> 00:23:06,884
a "Thanks for coming by"
or "Okay, see you later."
426
00:23:07,019 --> 00:23:08,830
He would just turn
the other way,
427
00:23:08,855 --> 00:23:10,898
and I would be waiting
for him to turn back to say,
428
00:23:10,923 --> 00:23:13,457
"Oh." But if he turned back,
it would be, "You still here?"
429
00:23:13,593 --> 00:23:15,470
You know, it's like,
I was dismissed
430
00:23:15,493 --> 00:23:17,193
without even being dismissed.
431
00:23:17,328 --> 00:23:19,528
And you could interpret that
as being, you know,
432
00:23:19,664 --> 00:23:22,365
what a fucking self-centered
asshole.
433
00:23:22,701 --> 00:23:26,269
But I think that he was just
so single-mindedly
434
00:23:26,404 --> 00:23:28,772
needing to get his work done.
435
00:23:31,410 --> 00:23:33,876
Bunk: In the four years
I was with Frank,
436
00:23:34,012 --> 00:23:37,580
he shook my hand once
and said, "Good job."
437
00:23:39,551 --> 00:23:44,587
I don't ever remember Frank
embracing somebody.
438
00:23:46,357 --> 00:23:50,193
Maybe that was his environment
when he was growing up.
439
00:23:51,496 --> 00:23:55,965
So, I kind of accepted that
as...
440
00:23:58,036 --> 00:24:00,903
"Don't get too close, okay?"
441
00:24:01,405 --> 00:24:03,240
And, uh, I didn't.
442
00:24:05,411 --> 00:24:08,644
Zappa: I must say, this isa rather unprecedentedresponse
443
00:24:08,779 --> 00:24:10,525
for the bullshit that we do,
so sit down
444
00:24:10,548 --> 00:24:12,548
and we'll do some more
if you like it.
445
00:24:20,125 --> 00:24:22,792
Gail: So...
so, it was in April of 1966.
446
00:24:23,429 --> 00:24:26,128
It was at Los Angeles Airport,
actually.
447
00:24:26,498 --> 00:24:30,200
I was working as a secretary
at the Whisky,
448
00:24:30,336 --> 00:24:32,935
and there was another girl
doing filing.
449
00:24:33,071 --> 00:24:34,904
And little did I know
450
00:24:35,039 --> 00:24:37,106
that she actually lived
with Frank.
451
00:24:37,241 --> 00:24:38,607
She shared a house with him.
452
00:24:38,743 --> 00:24:40,544
And she got a phone call.
453
00:24:40,913 --> 00:24:42,311
And it was Frank.
454
00:24:42,446 --> 00:24:45,316
And he said, "Come pick me up."
455
00:24:46,184 --> 00:24:48,163
The night that I went
to pick you up at the airport,
456
00:24:48,186 --> 00:24:49,797
and when I told you that
I was bringing
457
00:24:49,820 --> 00:24:51,086
this lovely young thing with me
458
00:24:51,222 --> 00:24:53,182
because she was
a lovely young thing.
459
00:24:53,259 --> 00:24:54,602
And you needed
to get some action.
460
00:24:54,625 --> 00:24:56,226
And you said, "No, come alone."
461
00:24:56,362 --> 00:24:57,826
And so, I said, "Okay."
462
00:24:57,962 --> 00:24:59,840
So, I took her with me
to the airport.
463
00:24:59,865 --> 00:25:01,777
And then we brought you home.
We went and got those steaks,
464
00:25:01,800 --> 00:25:03,932
and I gave her
my black slip to sleep in.
465
00:25:04,068 --> 00:25:05,501
And you guys slept in my room
466
00:25:05,837 --> 00:25:07,315
'cause I had the only double
bed in the house.
467
00:25:07,338 --> 00:25:09,084
- Zappa: Mm.
- And I slept on the couch.
468
00:25:09,107 --> 00:25:10,550
And you waited and took her
to work at the Whisky
469
00:25:10,575 --> 00:25:11,808
in the morning.
470
00:25:12,377 --> 00:25:14,544
It was that weekend,
and... and she called
471
00:25:14,680 --> 00:25:16,012
on the phone. You said,
472
00:25:16,281 --> 00:25:17,791
"Tell her if she wants to fuck
to come over."
473
00:25:17,816 --> 00:25:19,460
And I said,
"Huh, I can't say that to her.
474
00:25:19,483 --> 00:25:21,183
You'll have to say it yourself."
475
00:25:21,319 --> 00:25:23,230
And so you did.
And then she came over
476
00:25:23,255 --> 00:25:25,855
and you guys were on the couch
fucking.
477
00:25:25,990 --> 00:25:29,093
(opera music playing)
478
00:25:36,769 --> 00:25:41,238
(rock music playing)
479
00:25:47,246 --> 00:25:49,880
Gail: One thing
that I'm very clear about
480
00:25:50,015 --> 00:25:51,882
is I married a composer.
481
00:25:52,017 --> 00:25:54,218
I don't know about whatever
he is to anybody else,
482
00:25:54,353 --> 00:25:57,354
but to me he was a composer.
483
00:25:57,623 --> 00:26:01,023
And you have to be
out of your mind
484
00:26:01,226 --> 00:26:04,694
to begin with to take it on.
485
00:26:05,431 --> 00:26:07,442
There's no guarantee
that you're ever going to be
486
00:26:07,465 --> 00:26:08,897
able to earn an income.
487
00:26:09,034 --> 00:26:11,867
No one cares about
what composers do.
488
00:26:12,003 --> 00:26:14,403
And everything is against you.
489
00:26:14,539 --> 00:26:18,942
Absolutely everything
is against you,
490
00:26:19,077 --> 00:26:21,711
which makes the odds
pretty fantastic.
491
00:26:23,214 --> 00:26:25,749
Zappa: The guy who came
to see us, Tom Wilson,
492
00:26:25,884 --> 00:26:28,384
was having a good time
with some girls.
493
00:26:28,752 --> 00:26:31,386
And he was dragged
to the Whisky a Go Go
494
00:26:31,623 --> 00:26:33,289
to witness one of our songs,
495
00:26:33,425 --> 00:26:36,125
which happened to be a blues
kind of a number.
496
00:26:37,028 --> 00:26:40,029
He said, "Oh. White blues band.
Okay, we'll sign them,"
497
00:26:40,566 --> 00:26:42,432
and signed the group
498
00:26:42,567 --> 00:26:44,734
and then went right back
to the girls.
499
00:26:46,372 --> 00:26:48,404
Bunk: I don't think Wilson
500
00:26:48,539 --> 00:26:50,673
heard a lot of the other things
501
00:26:50,809 --> 00:26:54,109
because when we went
into the studio,
502
00:26:54,246 --> 00:26:56,380
he was totally surprised.
503
00:26:56,515 --> 00:26:58,315
And I'm sure he wasn't sure
504
00:26:58,550 --> 00:27:01,084
whether this was
going to sell or not.
505
00:27:01,720 --> 00:27:03,287
And we were out there.
506
00:27:11,863 --> 00:27:13,674
Zappa: This is a number
we always play
507
00:27:13,699 --> 00:27:15,765
when people ask us to play more.
508
00:27:15,901 --> 00:27:17,478
Because we know
that after we play this,
509
00:27:17,501 --> 00:27:20,703
they couldn't possibly
ever want to hear us again.
510
00:27:22,273 --> 00:27:25,141
Crowd: (cheers, applauds)
511
00:27:25,277 --> 00:27:26,788
Zappa: We're going to play
a piece of music
512
00:27:26,811 --> 00:27:28,731
that was written
by Edgar Varâªse,
513
00:27:28,880 --> 00:27:30,480
called "Octandre."
514
00:27:31,482 --> 00:27:35,318
(band plays)
515
00:27:43,662 --> 00:27:45,306
Interviewer: Do you consider
that your group
516
00:27:45,329 --> 00:27:47,142
is just as talented
and as skilled as, say,
517
00:27:47,165 --> 00:27:48,832
men from a symphony orchestra?
518
00:27:48,968 --> 00:27:50,945
Zappa: Oh, I... I think
there are definitely things
519
00:27:50,970 --> 00:27:53,369
that this group of musicians
can do that you...
520
00:27:53,672 --> 00:27:56,440
you wouldn't be able to find
symphony musicians to do.
521
00:27:56,575 --> 00:27:58,118
Because not only
do they manipulate
522
00:27:58,143 --> 00:27:59,753
their instruments
with great skill,
523
00:27:59,778 --> 00:28:01,323
but they have to do it all
from memory.
524
00:28:01,346 --> 00:28:03,846
And they have to do it
with choreography.
525
00:28:04,449 --> 00:28:05,961
Interviewer:
You insist on very high
526
00:28:05,984 --> 00:28:07,517
and exacting standards.
527
00:28:07,986 --> 00:28:09,353
Yeah. I have to insist on them.
528
00:28:09,788 --> 00:28:11,266
I don't always get them,
but I have to insist on them.
529
00:28:11,289 --> 00:28:12,799
I think if you shoot
any lower than that,
530
00:28:12,824 --> 00:28:14,602
you're going to wind up
with something sleazy.
531
00:28:14,625 --> 00:28:15,858
So, we try and... like,
532
00:28:15,994 --> 00:28:17,439
the parts are real complicated,
533
00:28:17,462 --> 00:28:18,694
so if you don't stay on it
534
00:28:18,830 --> 00:28:20,674
and make sure
everything is right
535
00:28:20,699 --> 00:28:22,699
you don't get
an accurate performance.
536
00:28:23,868 --> 00:28:25,434
Bunk: Man, we would go in
537
00:28:25,569 --> 00:28:28,738
for a minimum eight,
ten, twelve hours.
538
00:28:28,874 --> 00:28:31,141
I mean, you know,
drinking black coffee.
539
00:28:31,276 --> 00:28:32,976
(stammers) He wouldn't stop.
540
00:28:33,112 --> 00:28:35,711
I mean, it was, you know,
it's like, "God."
541
00:28:36,382 --> 00:28:38,326
It didn't matter
if it was Christmas
542
00:28:38,349 --> 00:28:39,894
or Thanksgiving
or whatever, man.
543
00:28:39,919 --> 00:28:41,999
We were going to rehearse
and, you know,
544
00:28:42,621 --> 00:28:45,255
make sure that we were ready
to... to play the music
545
00:28:45,390 --> 00:28:49,424
because he was just writing
all the time. All the time.
546
00:28:49,560 --> 00:28:52,362
So, we were always
introducing stuff.
547
00:28:52,897 --> 00:28:54,397
It was, uh,
548
00:28:54,532 --> 00:28:57,267
a very unusual approach,
I think.
549
00:28:58,170 --> 00:29:00,203
⪠Ooh, I remember âª
550
00:29:00,739 --> 00:29:05,875
⪠Those wonderful dances
in El Monte âª
551
00:29:06,010 --> 00:29:09,480
⪠Ba-da-da-da
Der-duh-duh-duh-duh âª
552
00:29:10,781 --> 00:29:17,054
Interviewer:
553
00:29:17,689 --> 00:29:22,792
Zappa:
554
00:29:26,230 --> 00:29:28,731
(whirring)
555
00:29:32,537 --> 00:29:35,605
⪠It can't happen here âª
556
00:29:44,282 --> 00:29:46,816
Zappa: But we were never
that popular in Los Angeles.
557
00:29:47,117 --> 00:29:50,653
Our market really wasn'tthe peace, love,hippie type people.
558
00:29:51,022 --> 00:29:52,521
That wasn't our market.
559
00:29:52,656 --> 00:29:55,357
Hippies did not like us
because we didn't do
560
00:29:55,492 --> 00:29:57,413
the things
that they approved of.
561
00:29:59,397 --> 00:30:00,931
Compared to New York,
562
00:30:01,066 --> 00:30:03,226
Los Angeles
is a very conforming community.
563
00:30:04,470 --> 00:30:05,934
When we moved to New York
564
00:30:06,070 --> 00:30:07,714
there was virtually
no scene at all.
565
00:30:07,739 --> 00:30:09,450
There was no
long-haired anything there.
566
00:30:09,473 --> 00:30:11,674
People looked at us
like we were from Venus.
567
00:30:13,112 --> 00:30:15,111
⪠Freedom, freedom âª
568
00:30:15,246 --> 00:30:17,114
⪠Kindly loving âª
569
00:30:17,249 --> 00:30:21,284
⪠You'll be absolutely free âª
570
00:30:21,420 --> 00:30:23,519
⪠Only if you want to be âª
571
00:30:23,654 --> 00:30:26,021
Interviewer: A lot of people
have associated you,
572
00:30:26,157 --> 00:30:28,357
rightly or wrongly,
with the drug culture
573
00:30:28,493 --> 00:30:30,861
that came into being in the
'60s about the same time
574
00:30:30,996 --> 00:30:33,036
as your music
first became prominent.
575
00:30:33,330 --> 00:30:35,710
Zappa: First of all,I have nothing to dowith the drug culture.
576
00:30:35,733 --> 00:30:37,166
I don't use drugs,
577
00:30:37,435 --> 00:30:39,635
and I don't advise other people
to use drugs.
578
00:30:39,805 --> 00:30:41,848
And a lot of the things
that I think are wrong
579
00:30:41,873 --> 00:30:43,306
with the society today
580
00:30:43,508 --> 00:30:46,476
are a direct result
of people using drugs.
581
00:30:47,846 --> 00:30:50,046
It's so prevalent
that if you don't use drugs,
582
00:30:50,182 --> 00:30:51,615
people think you're weird.
583
00:30:52,517 --> 00:30:55,352
(song continues)
584
00:30:55,554 --> 00:30:57,473
Gail: The Beatles
played in Hamburg,
585
00:30:57,555 --> 00:30:59,855
and they had their way
with this club
586
00:30:59,990 --> 00:31:01,423
for months on end.
587
00:31:01,559 --> 00:31:03,792
And in a similar way,
Frank had the Garrick.
588
00:31:03,928 --> 00:31:05,573
You get to work out
what you want to do.
589
00:31:05,596 --> 00:31:07,508
You get to experiment
with the audience.
590
00:31:07,531 --> 00:31:10,601
You get to really be intimate
with an audience.
591
00:31:12,202 --> 00:31:14,703
That really helped Frank
to perfect
592
00:31:14,838 --> 00:31:17,673
what he could get away
with on stage.
593
00:31:19,443 --> 00:31:21,743
Zappa: The attention
to the theatrical side grew
594
00:31:22,047 --> 00:31:23,480
when we moved to New York
595
00:31:23,615 --> 00:31:25,714
and had to do
a show every night.
596
00:31:26,718 --> 00:31:29,051
The bulk of what could be
classified
597
00:31:29,186 --> 00:31:31,621
as theater of cruelty took
place at the Garrick Theater
598
00:31:31,757 --> 00:31:33,022
in '67.
599
00:31:33,659 --> 00:31:37,692
And that was a unique situation
because it was the same people
600
00:31:37,828 --> 00:31:40,068
who kept coming back
to the theater all the time.
601
00:31:40,898 --> 00:31:43,567
It was part of, uh, this little
routine that we had
602
00:31:43,701 --> 00:31:45,313
with the two
or three hundred people
603
00:31:45,336 --> 00:31:47,537
that made up the audience
at the Garrick.
604
00:31:48,906 --> 00:31:50,506
Bunk: We'd get out and play,
605
00:31:50,642 --> 00:31:53,076
and Frank would start
abusing people in the audience,
606
00:31:53,211 --> 00:31:55,178
you know, or calling people up.
607
00:31:55,313 --> 00:31:58,146
Or turning his back
on the audience, saying,
608
00:31:58,450 --> 00:32:01,450
"You know, let's run through
this," and ignoring them.
609
00:32:01,586 --> 00:32:02,920
And they... they loved it.
610
00:32:07,659 --> 00:32:11,461
Gail: For Frank,
his measure of success
611
00:32:11,695 --> 00:32:14,998
is how close did you get
612
00:32:15,799 --> 00:32:17,599
to the realization
613
00:32:17,736 --> 00:32:23,373
of the idea that you first heard
the first time you heard it?
614
00:32:23,709 --> 00:32:27,443
If you get anywhere near that,
you can call it a success.
615
00:32:27,578 --> 00:32:29,739
But most of the time,
you never even get close.
616
00:32:29,882 --> 00:32:31,792
'Cause you have to rely
on all these other people
617
00:32:31,817 --> 00:32:33,615
to do all this other stuff.
618
00:32:34,586 --> 00:32:37,086
You know, people like musicians
and things like that.
619
00:32:40,392 --> 00:32:42,604
Zappa: To do the kind of music
theater that we were doing,
620
00:32:42,627 --> 00:32:44,438
you needed people
who weren't afraid
621
00:32:44,461 --> 00:32:47,596
to act up on a stage
and do ludicrous things.
622
00:32:48,400 --> 00:32:50,701
'Cause that was part of
what the music was saying
623
00:32:50,935 --> 00:32:52,779
that the whole world
was absolutely absurd,
624
00:32:52,804 --> 00:32:55,070
and so, here it is.
We're giving it back to you.
625
00:32:55,472 --> 00:32:58,307
In fact,
if we hadn't left Los Angeles,
626
00:32:58,576 --> 00:33:01,176
we would have just evaporated
after the first album.
627
00:33:01,779 --> 00:33:03,579
Band member: One, two, three.
628
00:33:03,781 --> 00:33:06,782
⪠Oh no, I don't believe it âª
629
00:33:06,919 --> 00:33:11,688
⪠You say that you think
you know the meaning of love âª
630
00:33:14,558 --> 00:33:17,526
⪠You say love is all we need âª
631
00:33:17,662 --> 00:33:21,130
⪠You say with your love
you can change âª
632
00:33:21,266 --> 00:33:24,299
⪠All of the fools,
all of the hate âª
633
00:33:24,435 --> 00:33:28,005
⪠I think you're probably
out to lunch âª
634
00:33:32,777 --> 00:33:35,479
Ruth: I was a percussion major
at Juilliard.
635
00:33:35,614 --> 00:33:37,534
I mean, this was back in the...
636
00:33:37,816 --> 00:33:40,450
the times of dynasties in music.
637
00:33:41,752 --> 00:33:43,519
I thought that I would love it,
638
00:33:43,988 --> 00:33:46,423
and all of that derailed for me,
639
00:33:46,557 --> 00:33:48,023
it just crashed and burned,
640
00:33:48,358 --> 00:33:51,227
when I heard my first
Frank Zappa concert.
641
00:33:51,797 --> 00:33:53,496
I just suddenly realized,
642
00:33:53,632 --> 00:33:55,832
"I don't want to be
a timpanist in an orchestra.
643
00:33:56,167 --> 00:33:58,078
And I don't want to be
a triangle player
644
00:33:58,103 --> 00:33:59,234
in an orchestra."
645
00:33:59,471 --> 00:34:01,538
To have to sit
in the back row on stage
646
00:34:01,673 --> 00:34:03,605
to play my three triangle notes.
647
00:34:03,875 --> 00:34:06,041
That was not anything that
appealed to me
648
00:34:06,178 --> 00:34:09,144
from the moment
I heard Frank's music.
649
00:34:09,280 --> 00:34:12,047
And it's not that I was
inexperienced as a listener
650
00:34:12,617 --> 00:34:16,018
with other popular music
or music theater or any of that.
651
00:34:17,655 --> 00:34:19,688
Frank embodied everything.
652
00:34:19,824 --> 00:34:24,460
Everything that showed me
in that one concert
653
00:34:24,730 --> 00:34:26,563
that I wanted to do that.
654
00:34:28,900 --> 00:34:31,800
I would sit in my orchestration
classes at Juilliard
655
00:34:32,070 --> 00:34:33,902
in my baroque history.
656
00:34:34,038 --> 00:34:37,706
These classes taught
by the greatest people on Earth.
657
00:34:38,309 --> 00:34:41,043
One day, I was in one
of the piano practice rooms
658
00:34:41,179 --> 00:34:43,612
and I was absolutely
not even allowed to be there
659
00:34:43,847 --> 00:34:45,887
because "That's just
for the pianists."
660
00:34:46,985 --> 00:34:50,385
And there I would be,
trying to recall the melody
661
00:34:50,521 --> 00:34:52,422
or the melodic shape of "Oh No."
662
00:34:53,525 --> 00:34:55,057
Nobody was there.
663
00:34:55,193 --> 00:34:57,626
And on this fabulous
grand piano,
664
00:34:57,762 --> 00:35:00,996
I played that piece
to the best of my recollection.
665
00:35:01,132 --> 00:35:04,434
And I can't tell you,
probably within 30 seconds,
666
00:35:04,568 --> 00:35:07,302
an officer of the school
came in.
667
00:35:07,438 --> 00:35:08,737
"What are you doing?"
668
00:35:09,041 --> 00:35:11,273
"I'm just playing
this beautiful music."
669
00:35:11,576 --> 00:35:14,322
"Doesn't sound like any music
you're supposed to be playing
here."
670
00:35:14,346 --> 00:35:16,322
And I said,
"It's 20th-century music.
671
00:35:16,347 --> 00:35:18,746
What are you talking about?
It's by a living composer."
672
00:35:18,916 --> 00:35:19,916
"Get out."
673
00:35:22,820 --> 00:35:25,588
And if you were to hear
that piece on the piano,
674
00:35:25,722 --> 00:35:27,690
it could live in a concert hall.
675
00:35:27,826 --> 00:35:30,827
It was that type of music
that he could produce
676
00:35:30,961 --> 00:35:34,163
that was a product of
everything that was in him.
677
00:35:34,465 --> 00:35:36,431
But you couldn't
really categorize it.
678
00:35:37,068 --> 00:35:39,380
You couldn't say, "Oh yeah,
that's rock and roll,"'cause it
wasn't.
679
00:35:39,403 --> 00:35:41,114
"It's jazz."
No. It really wasn't.
680
00:35:41,139 --> 00:35:43,018
"It's pop music."
No. Not at all.
681
00:35:43,074 --> 00:35:44,474
Well, what the hell is it?
682
00:35:45,309 --> 00:35:46,509
It's Zappa.
683
00:35:46,644 --> 00:35:51,914
Zappa: (harmonizing)
684
00:35:52,650 --> 00:35:54,983
Ruth: And I knew
that it had changed my life.
685
00:35:55,119 --> 00:35:56,619
That's the thing.
686
00:35:57,088 --> 00:35:58,900
I didn't live my life and
then look back on it and go,
687
00:35:58,923 --> 00:36:01,490
"Yeah. That was
the life-changing moment."
688
00:36:01,626 --> 00:36:05,027
I walked out of that theater,
and I was actually disoriented.
689
00:36:05,163 --> 00:36:08,465
I... my whole world
had been shaken up.
690
00:36:08,599 --> 00:36:10,166
(laughter)
691
00:36:10,402 --> 00:36:13,601
And Frank recently came back
from a town near Brussels
692
00:36:13,737 --> 00:36:16,639
where they had a kind
of a European pop festival.
693
00:36:16,775 --> 00:36:19,007
How did you communicate
with these kids
694
00:36:19,143 --> 00:36:21,510
who speak Walloon,
who speak Flemish,
695
00:36:21,646 --> 00:36:23,980
who speak, uh,
sort of a dialect of French?
696
00:36:24,115 --> 00:36:26,748
- What did...
- I only talked to them once.
697
00:36:27,117 --> 00:36:28,485
Murray: What did you say?
698
00:36:28,619 --> 00:36:30,364
I said, "I'm really glad
that you... you guys
699
00:36:30,389 --> 00:36:32,889
had a pop festival in spite
of the French government."
700
00:36:33,824 --> 00:36:35,090
It's really very square.
701
00:36:35,226 --> 00:36:36,769
It's just very depressing,
you know,
702
00:36:36,793 --> 00:36:39,027
to think of what Paris
used to be famous for...
703
00:36:39,297 --> 00:36:42,030
- (censored)
- (laughter)
704
00:36:42,266 --> 00:36:43,532
(sighs)
705
00:36:43,668 --> 00:36:44,867
Zappa: Go ahead, bleep it.
706
00:36:45,003 --> 00:36:46,670
Oh, Frank.
707
00:36:46,804 --> 00:36:49,172
(applause)
708
00:36:49,606 --> 00:36:51,967
Well, in the past Paris
was famous for its... (censored)
709
00:36:52,043 --> 00:36:53,275
But now it... (censored)
710
00:36:53,577 --> 00:36:55,210
Audience: (laughs)
711
00:36:55,512 --> 00:36:57,458
Frank, you're going to kill
the tourist business
712
00:36:57,481 --> 00:36:59,126
as far as the French
are concerned.
713
00:36:59,150 --> 00:37:00,449
I hope so.
714
00:37:00,851 --> 00:37:03,211
Fr... France ought to get
its... (censored)...together.
715
00:37:05,889 --> 00:37:08,391
Bunk: You know,
when you look at stuff now,
716
00:37:08,527 --> 00:37:10,425
I mean, e... everything goes.
717
00:37:10,561 --> 00:37:12,061
And it also brings to mind,
718
00:37:12,195 --> 00:37:14,731
because we played
with Lenny Bruce,
719
00:37:15,000 --> 00:37:20,436
you know, how difficult it was
in terms of your language, uh,
720
00:37:20,572 --> 00:37:22,938
that people would not accept.
721
00:37:23,909 --> 00:37:26,019
Mike: Lenny Bruce had a... an
incredible impact,
722
00:37:26,043 --> 00:37:27,476
an incredible influence.
723
00:37:28,246 --> 00:37:31,780
But, you know, Frank'sinfluence was really, reallystrong.
724
00:37:32,083 --> 00:37:35,985
And... and it instantly just,
like, made a beeline
725
00:37:36,119 --> 00:37:40,023
for the most influential
archetypes and figureheads
726
00:37:40,157 --> 00:37:43,960
in rock music. You know,if you listen to Sgt. Pepper.
727
00:37:44,094 --> 00:37:45,806
It was obvious
that the Beatles knew
728
00:37:45,829 --> 00:37:47,807
what... what was going on
with Frank.
729
00:37:47,831 --> 00:37:51,400
They've explicitly said that
Sgt. Pepper was our attempt
730
00:37:51,536 --> 00:37:52,969
to make our own Freak Out!
731
00:37:54,606 --> 00:37:56,525
And the inner spread
of the album,
732
00:37:56,606 --> 00:37:59,175
whether Frank liked it or not,
was powerful and iconic,
733
00:37:59,309 --> 00:38:01,389
and... and, you know,
the... the record company
734
00:38:01,413 --> 00:38:03,579
were not wrong
in terms of making an impact.
735
00:38:03,715 --> 00:38:04,947
It definitely made an impact.
736
00:38:05,083 --> 00:38:07,349
But Frank didn't think of it.
737
00:38:07,485 --> 00:38:09,751
So there's a part of him
that just bristled
738
00:38:09,887 --> 00:38:12,288
because it wasn't his baby,
you know.
739
00:38:12,422 --> 00:38:15,123
And the second album,
he put his foot down.
740
00:38:15,260 --> 00:38:17,460
Not only was he in charge
of... of the artwork
741
00:38:17,527 --> 00:38:20,295
and he did his own collage
on the back cover,
742
00:38:20,632 --> 00:38:22,965
but if he had had the time
and inclination,
743
00:38:23,101 --> 00:38:26,601
he could have continued
on doing his own album artwork.
744
00:38:26,737 --> 00:38:28,858
And... and it would have been
fascinating.
745
00:38:29,474 --> 00:38:33,509
But I think when Cal Schenkel
crossed his path
746
00:38:33,844 --> 00:38:36,211
and he saw somebody
that got what he was doing
747
00:38:36,514 --> 00:38:39,282
and could capture it
and could also focus on it
748
00:38:39,416 --> 00:38:41,577
exclusively while,
you know, Frank would look
749
00:38:41,652 --> 00:38:43,893
over Cal's shoulder and say,
"Try that, try that."
750
00:38:44,288 --> 00:38:46,688
Frank just hands him his head,
and you get just amazing cover
751
00:38:46,791 --> 00:38:47,956
after amazing cover.
752
00:38:48,260 --> 00:38:49,793
And that... it's beautiful
753
00:38:49,994 --> 00:38:51,905
'cause they built
a world together.
754
00:38:51,929 --> 00:38:55,632
Those album covers plays
into that thing of feeling
755
00:38:55,766 --> 00:38:58,201
like you're part
of an alternative movement.
756
00:39:12,282 --> 00:39:15,284
Zappa: There had already beentwo other Sgt. Pepper parodies
757
00:39:15,418 --> 00:39:18,320
by the time
that our package was ready.
758
00:39:18,456 --> 00:39:22,157
And MGM was panic stricken
759
00:39:22,293 --> 00:39:24,559
that they would be sued
by The Beatles
760
00:39:25,130 --> 00:39:26,695
and wanted legal assurance
761
00:39:26,831 --> 00:39:28,809
that The Beatles
weren't going to harm them
762
00:39:28,833 --> 00:39:30,365
for putting this package out.
763
00:39:30,701 --> 00:39:34,170
And all the legal gyrations
took about 13 months.
764
00:39:43,313 --> 00:39:45,126
Zappa: I know
I talked personally
765
00:39:45,150 --> 00:39:46,960
to McCartney at one time
and said that, you know,
766
00:39:46,985 --> 00:39:48,862
"The record company
is panic stricken over this,
767
00:39:48,887 --> 00:39:50,887
and can you do anything
to help me?"
768
00:39:51,556 --> 00:39:53,668
And it was like he wason the other end of the line,taking the phone and going,
769
00:39:53,692 --> 00:39:56,358
"You mean,
you talk about business?"
770
00:39:57,695 --> 00:40:00,695
Like, "Oh, we have lawyers
who do that."
771
00:40:01,264 --> 00:40:04,733
He just had no interest in
participating in a discussion
772
00:40:04,869 --> 00:40:06,469
of the legal ramifications
773
00:40:06,603 --> 00:40:08,643
of a parodyof the Sgt. Pepper cover.
774
00:40:09,007 --> 00:40:11,606
That was at a time when
it was very, very unfashionable
775
00:40:11,742 --> 00:40:14,043
to be a businessman
or even to have any contact
776
00:40:14,179 --> 00:40:15,644
to the world of commerce.
777
00:40:16,213 --> 00:40:18,333
I mean, people were living
in a dream world.
778
00:40:18,416 --> 00:40:20,161
How did they expect
to earn a living
779
00:40:20,184 --> 00:40:23,286
doing their music
if they didn't have some idea
780
00:40:23,420 --> 00:40:25,065
that the people
who were distributing it
781
00:40:25,088 --> 00:40:27,088
were only there
to steal from them?
782
00:40:28,260 --> 00:40:31,561
Most of the artists that I knew
were too busy getting ripped.
783
00:40:32,963 --> 00:40:34,876
If you just got high
and went out
784
00:40:34,900 --> 00:40:38,134
and did your groovy music and,
you know, then there were
785
00:40:38,269 --> 00:40:40,769
business people who took care
of that other stuff.
786
00:40:47,744 --> 00:40:50,056
It's time for a revolution
but probably not in the terms
787
00:40:50,081 --> 00:40:51,547
that people imagine it.
788
00:40:53,351 --> 00:40:55,429
The thing that's wrong today
is that the... the people
789
00:40:55,452 --> 00:40:59,088
who are in control of the media
and the government
790
00:40:59,222 --> 00:41:01,923
and, you know, things
that... that run the lives
791
00:41:02,059 --> 00:41:04,193
of the average person
in the street,
792
00:41:04,728 --> 00:41:06,106
they aren't doing
a good job of it
793
00:41:06,130 --> 00:41:07,630
'cause they don't really care.
794
00:41:08,132 --> 00:41:09,943
Man: Why don't you run
for president?
795
00:41:09,967 --> 00:41:11,878
I thought about it
a number of times before.
796
00:41:11,902 --> 00:41:14,103
And then the thing
that always holds me back
797
00:41:14,304 --> 00:41:16,938
is that what would it feel like
to actually be the president,
798
00:41:17,074 --> 00:41:19,195
you know, and have to stay
in Washington DC
799
00:41:19,309 --> 00:41:22,411
in a house for four years?
That'd be pretty grim.
800
00:41:22,813 --> 00:41:27,416
- (singers vocalizing)
- (tambourine playing)
801
00:41:33,324 --> 00:41:37,893
Zappa: A lot of what we do
is designed to annoy people
802
00:41:38,028 --> 00:41:40,461
to the point where they might,
just for a second,
803
00:41:40,597 --> 00:41:42,565
question enough
of their environment
804
00:41:42,701 --> 00:41:44,067
to do something about it.
805
00:41:47,605 --> 00:41:49,416
As long as they don't feel
their environment,
806
00:41:49,440 --> 00:41:50,940
they don't worry about it.
807
00:41:51,074 --> 00:41:53,235
They're not going to do
anything to change it.
808
00:41:53,344 --> 00:41:54,844
And something's got to be done
809
00:41:54,978 --> 00:41:58,114
before America scarfs up
the world and shits on it.
810
00:41:58,349 --> 00:42:01,117
⪠We are the other people
We are the other people âª
811
00:42:01,251 --> 00:42:04,219
⪠We are the other people
You're the other people too âª
812
00:42:05,456 --> 00:42:06,989
⪠Found a way to get to you âª
813
00:42:07,992 --> 00:42:10,726
⪠We are the other people
We are the other people âª
814
00:42:10,862 --> 00:42:13,862
⪠We are the other people
You're the other people too âª
815
00:42:15,199 --> 00:42:16,932
⪠Found a way to get to you âª
816
00:42:18,335 --> 00:42:20,737
⪠Do you think
that I love you... âª
817
00:42:21,005 --> 00:42:22,815
Zappa: I wasn't
in the United States
818
00:42:22,840 --> 00:42:25,139
when Moon was born.
I was on the road.
819
00:42:25,275 --> 00:42:26,954
As I walked out the door
to get on the bus,
820
00:42:26,978 --> 00:42:30,512
I said, "Well,
if it's a girl, name it Moon,
821
00:42:30,648 --> 00:42:32,728
and if it's a boy,
name it Motorhead."
822
00:42:34,686 --> 00:42:39,255
("Final Hymn" from Stravinsky's
The Firebird plays)
823
00:43:42,119 --> 00:43:44,231
Reporter: In California,
actor Ronald Reagan
824
00:43:44,255 --> 00:43:46,132
and Mrs. Reagan arrive
to cast their votes
825
00:43:46,157 --> 00:43:48,036
in the state's primary election.
826
00:43:48,226 --> 00:43:50,525
He's the Republican nominee
for governor.
827
00:43:50,661 --> 00:43:52,862
It's his first
political contest.
828
00:43:57,568 --> 00:44:00,168
Gail: Reagan was the governor
of California.
829
00:44:01,039 --> 00:44:06,576
And there was a freakcontingent starting inLA at the time.
830
00:44:07,144 --> 00:44:11,547
And in those days, if you had
long hair in this town
831
00:44:11,916 --> 00:44:13,449
and you were driving a car,
832
00:44:13,585 --> 00:44:15,545
it was such
an infrequent occurrence
833
00:44:16,021 --> 00:44:18,181
that people would actually
wave to each other.
834
00:44:18,255 --> 00:44:20,523
That's how...
what a tigh... what a small
835
00:44:20,657 --> 00:44:22,557
and tight community it was.
836
00:44:23,860 --> 00:44:25,773
Pamela:
Well, Frank was considered
837
00:44:25,797 --> 00:44:28,262
by everyone on the strip
and all the people in the clubs
838
00:44:28,398 --> 00:44:31,833
to be sort of the...
I mean, the ersatz Pied Piper
839
00:44:31,969 --> 00:44:33,302
of Laurel Canyon.
840
00:44:33,603 --> 00:44:35,648
He was right in the center
of it in the log cabin,
841
00:44:35,672 --> 00:44:37,806
which was Tom Mix's old cabin
842
00:44:38,108 --> 00:44:40,376
with his horse buried
under the bowling alley.
843
00:44:40,510 --> 00:44:41,989
People can't believe
these kind of things.
844
00:44:42,012 --> 00:44:44,090
With Houdini's house
right across the street.
845
00:44:44,114 --> 00:44:47,483
And he... he was this
centrifugal force
846
00:44:47,851 --> 00:44:49,217
of Laurel Canyon.
847
00:44:49,853 --> 00:44:51,519
Any kind of rock star,
848
00:44:51,655 --> 00:44:53,266
especially the British guys
who came to town,
849
00:44:53,291 --> 00:44:56,324
wanted to meet Frank.
So, we would,
850
00:44:56,460 --> 00:44:58,304
you know, meet these rock stars,
851
00:44:58,329 --> 00:44:59,628
and they right away would say,
852
00:44:59,764 --> 00:45:01,496
"C... can we meet Zappa?"
853
00:45:01,632 --> 00:45:03,751
So, of course,
Jagger was there, the Stones,
854
00:45:03,800 --> 00:45:05,668
and all the local bands too.
855
00:45:05,802 --> 00:45:07,068
But Jeff Beck, I mean.
856
00:45:07,371 --> 00:45:09,150
Any... anybody
you can think of at that time.
857
00:45:09,173 --> 00:45:13,041
It was the center
of the world at that point.
858
00:45:13,543 --> 00:45:15,344
⪠A brown felt top hat âª
859
00:45:15,478 --> 00:45:17,045
⪠Wrapped with a bow âª
860
00:45:17,181 --> 00:45:19,141
⪠Yellow wrap-around
girl-watchers âª
861
00:45:19,217 --> 00:45:20,715
⪠That never show âª
862
00:45:20,851 --> 00:45:22,396
⪠His blue eyes, his blue eyes âª
863
00:45:22,420 --> 00:45:24,186
⪠What a fantastic disguise âª
864
00:45:24,320 --> 00:45:27,356
⪠He's so grand and fantastic,
so wonderful âª
865
00:45:27,824 --> 00:45:31,092
Pamela: Frank suggested,since he had starteda record label,
866
00:45:31,228 --> 00:45:35,063
that we actually
become our own group.
867
00:45:35,398 --> 00:45:36,998
It was very ra... unusual.
868
00:45:37,135 --> 00:45:38,945
I mean, there were no rock...
Girl rock bands at all
869
00:45:38,969 --> 00:45:41,871
or rock groups.
We didn't play any instruments.
870
00:45:42,907 --> 00:45:46,407
And he wanted us just tocapture our lives inLaurel Canyon,
871
00:45:46,543 --> 00:45:47,876
on the Strip.
872
00:45:48,077 --> 00:45:50,038
He thought
we had something to say.
873
00:45:50,181 --> 00:45:53,648
He always liked to preserve
moments in time.
874
00:45:54,684 --> 00:45:57,585
Man: Uh, what kind of, uh, girls
are these groupies?
875
00:45:57,887 --> 00:46:00,000
Zappa: Well, not all of 'em
are groupies, you know.
876
00:46:00,023 --> 00:46:02,423
Some girls that will readily
admit that they are groupies
877
00:46:02,525 --> 00:46:04,893
have a very special
sort of mentality, you know,
878
00:46:05,028 --> 00:46:07,628
and they... they aspire
to that position.
879
00:46:07,764 --> 00:46:10,909
But there are other girls
who would never admit
that they are groupies,
880
00:46:10,934 --> 00:46:13,302
but who function
in that capacity anyway.
881
00:46:13,438 --> 00:46:15,518
Man: And the...
what about, uh, your wife?
882
00:46:15,606 --> 00:46:17,672
I mean, does she like it?
883
00:46:17,807 --> 00:46:19,619
Well, she's become
accustomed to it
884
00:46:19,643 --> 00:46:21,110
over a period of years.
885
00:46:24,215 --> 00:46:25,514
Pamela: Well, early, early days,
886
00:46:25,782 --> 00:46:28,583
I did not notice
any messing around.
887
00:46:29,420 --> 00:46:31,331
When... when Moon
was a little baby,
888
00:46:31,355 --> 00:46:32,898
and then she got pregnant
with Dweezil,
889
00:46:32,922 --> 00:46:34,989
and she insisted
they leave that scene.
890
00:46:35,126 --> 00:46:36,224
I remember that.
891
00:46:36,427 --> 00:46:37,592
Okay, that's it.
892
00:46:37,795 --> 00:46:39,606
She... she was having
another kid.
893
00:46:39,630 --> 00:46:43,266
And, uh, you know,
I don't think she liked it.
894
00:46:43,902 --> 00:46:46,101
She didn't. In fact,
I know she didn't like it,
895
00:46:46,237 --> 00:46:47,969
but she knew about it.
896
00:46:48,605 --> 00:46:50,606
Zappa: I'm a human being,
you know.
897
00:46:51,141 --> 00:46:52,641
I like to get laid.
898
00:46:53,911 --> 00:46:56,612
I mean, is... you have to be
realistic about these things.
899
00:46:56,746 --> 00:46:59,382
You go out on the road,
you strap on a bunch of girls,
900
00:46:59,516 --> 00:47:00,717
you come back to the house,
901
00:47:00,885 --> 00:47:02,630
you find out
you've got the clap.
902
00:47:02,653 --> 00:47:04,130
What, you're going to keep it
a secret from your wife?
903
00:47:04,155 --> 00:47:06,322
You know.
So, I come back there, I said,
904
00:47:06,456 --> 00:47:08,617
"Look, I got the clap.
Go get a prescription."
905
00:47:08,659 --> 00:47:11,260
So, she goes out and gets
some penicillin tablets.
906
00:47:11,396 --> 00:47:13,461
We both take them,
and that's it.
907
00:47:14,764 --> 00:47:17,166
She grumbles every once
in a while, but, you know,
908
00:47:17,802 --> 00:47:19,235
she's my wife.
909
00:47:19,704 --> 00:47:23,539
Pamela: And he did include
her in... in almost everything
910
00:47:23,675 --> 00:47:24,974
that... that he was doing.
911
00:47:25,175 --> 00:47:27,376
She was right there
at all times.
912
00:47:27,510 --> 00:47:29,188
All right. Now what
do you want to do about...
913
00:47:29,213 --> 00:47:30,579
Gail: I'll tell you the secret
914
00:47:30,715 --> 00:47:32,458
to keep maintaining
a relationship,
915
00:47:32,483 --> 00:47:36,518
apart from the hideous
uh, occupational hazards
916
00:47:36,653 --> 00:47:39,554
that in... that are specific
to rock and roll,
917
00:47:39,791 --> 00:47:43,559
um, which can throw you
for an... take you
918
00:47:43,693 --> 00:47:48,197
on an emotional rollercoaster
if you let it from time to time.
919
00:47:48,331 --> 00:47:49,364
But...
920
00:47:50,166 --> 00:47:53,001
the main thing is don't have
those conversations.
921
00:47:54,137 --> 00:47:57,039
So, Frank does what he does,
and I do what I do.
922
00:48:00,077 --> 00:48:03,210
You know, I used to...
had an expression
in my own mind about it.
923
00:48:03,447 --> 00:48:05,181
A polarity of passions.
924
00:48:06,516 --> 00:48:08,050
Two different worlds there,
925
00:48:08,186 --> 00:48:10,351
and it's sometimes
very uncomfortable
926
00:48:10,487 --> 00:48:13,320
because he couldn't fucking wait
to get out of the house
927
00:48:13,456 --> 00:48:14,690
and go on the road.
928
00:48:15,226 --> 00:48:17,893
But then, he was also
very happy to come home
929
00:48:18,027 --> 00:48:19,594
just to feel safe again.
930
00:48:24,668 --> 00:48:26,179
Gail: One of the reasons
why I said,
931
00:48:26,202 --> 00:48:28,081
"Let's get the fuck
out of here,"
932
00:48:28,106 --> 00:48:31,072
because Manson had set up shop
in the mountain behind us
933
00:48:31,208 --> 00:48:32,608
at the log cabin.
934
00:48:34,043 --> 00:48:36,945
There was this trail
that was maybe ten feet
935
00:48:37,081 --> 00:48:38,246
from the bedroom window,
936
00:48:38,682 --> 00:48:40,983
and every morning,
I would see their feet
937
00:48:41,485 --> 00:48:43,445
cruising around
the neighborhood.
938
00:48:43,820 --> 00:48:45,221
They were creepy.
939
00:48:47,224 --> 00:48:49,184
I mean, the thing
about the '60s,
940
00:48:49,594 --> 00:48:51,726
you just know stuff.
941
00:48:52,228 --> 00:48:54,407
You don't know why you know it,
but you just know it.
942
00:48:54,431 --> 00:48:56,898
You feel it.
It's... it's just in the air.
943
00:48:57,034 --> 00:48:58,668
And I remember that.
944
00:48:58,969 --> 00:49:01,237
Reporter: The family's leader,
Charles Manson,
945
00:49:01,371 --> 00:49:03,472
denied that they were
a violent group.
946
00:49:03,940 --> 00:49:06,742
Gail: I don't know if previous
generations felt that.
947
00:49:07,376 --> 00:49:08,978
But I know we did.
948
00:49:09,847 --> 00:49:11,980
Whoever was alive then did.
949
00:49:12,516 --> 00:49:15,251
(sinister music playing)
950
00:49:28,664 --> 00:49:30,943
Alice: The way we met was that
I met Miss Christine
951
00:49:30,967 --> 00:49:32,333
from the GTOs.
952
00:49:32,670 --> 00:49:34,614
And they knew we were looking
for a contract,
953
00:49:34,637 --> 00:49:37,077
and... and they knew Frank was
just starting his own label.
954
00:49:37,375 --> 00:49:41,076
And we were this little band
coming to LA to try to make it.
955
00:49:41,644 --> 00:49:44,246
Not knowing that he was going
to be our savior.
956
00:49:44,782 --> 00:49:47,081
Every record company
turned us down
957
00:49:47,217 --> 00:49:48,550
except for Frank.
958
00:49:49,119 --> 00:49:50,251
It was weird.
959
00:49:50,487 --> 00:49:52,086
He had the freaks,
960
00:49:52,322 --> 00:49:54,956
and he had the very,
extremely intelligent
961
00:49:55,358 --> 00:49:57,893
and the very artsy people
behind him.
962
00:49:58,161 --> 00:50:00,521
And then there was the whole
middle that didn't get it.
963
00:50:00,998 --> 00:50:05,367
(band playing)
964
00:50:12,777 --> 00:50:17,780
Man: You formally disbanded
the Mothers in 1969. Why?
965
00:50:19,182 --> 00:50:21,063
Zappa:
Because it was a disaster.
966
00:50:21,418 --> 00:50:22,617
We were doing a tour.
967
00:50:22,753 --> 00:50:24,753
The tour wasn't successful.
968
00:50:25,289 --> 00:50:28,858
At the beginning, I took 400
dollars out of my bank account
969
00:50:28,992 --> 00:50:30,159
so I could eat.
970
00:50:31,128 --> 00:50:32,871
And by the time the tour
was over,
971
00:50:32,896 --> 00:50:34,541
after paying everybody
and everything,
972
00:50:34,565 --> 00:50:36,731
I was 10,000 dollars in debt.
973
00:50:37,034 --> 00:50:39,467
And it just seemed to me
that this was not the...
974
00:50:40,103 --> 00:50:42,170
A lifestyle
I wished to continue.
975
00:50:42,840 --> 00:50:45,708
Hey. That sounds like shit.
976
00:50:48,445 --> 00:50:51,380
Want to get a level on this
before we actually make it?
977
00:50:53,951 --> 00:50:56,684
Bunk: When we first went out
to play, after the concert,
978
00:50:56,820 --> 00:50:59,722
we wanted to know if we were
actually going to get paid.
979
00:51:00,891 --> 00:51:03,057
There was always that kind of,
980
00:51:03,193 --> 00:51:06,094
"Wow.
What's going on financially?"
981
00:51:06,896 --> 00:51:09,998
So, we didn't even get
a two-week notice.
982
00:51:10,134 --> 00:51:11,934
And... and I remember saying,
983
00:51:12,170 --> 00:51:14,235
"I just bought a new Chevy,"
whatever.
984
00:51:14,371 --> 00:51:15,903
You know. So, no.
985
00:51:16,039 --> 00:51:18,407
It was totally out of the blue.
986
00:51:19,076 --> 00:51:20,409
Totally.
987
00:51:23,347 --> 00:51:25,914
Mike: I think that
Frank realized, "Wow.
988
00:51:26,050 --> 00:51:27,969
I just wanted
to create something,
989
00:51:28,018 --> 00:51:29,896
and I wanted to make
a statement artistically,"
990
00:51:29,920 --> 00:51:32,121
but there's people
relying on you.
991
00:51:32,255 --> 00:51:34,322
There's people expecting
paychecks.
992
00:51:34,458 --> 00:51:37,458
And then Frank is like,
"This isn't fun for me anymore.
993
00:51:37,594 --> 00:51:40,228
I don't want to feel as though
I'm responsible
994
00:51:40,364 --> 00:51:41,974
for the... the happiness
and livelihood
995
00:51:41,998 --> 00:51:43,998
of... of a bunch
of other people."
996
00:51:45,335 --> 00:51:47,436
"All I want to do
is... is make statements
997
00:51:47,570 --> 00:51:50,106
and see how they sound."
998
00:51:52,076 --> 00:51:55,244
Zappa: The new format
that I'm working with now is...
999
00:51:55,545 --> 00:51:57,791
that if I want to form a group
called The Mothers of Invention
1000
00:51:57,815 --> 00:51:59,855
I'll stick anybody in it
that I want to.
1001
00:51:59,884 --> 00:52:03,318
It's just whoever happens
to be right for the type of work
1002
00:52:03,452 --> 00:52:04,786
that we're doing.
1003
00:52:05,121 --> 00:52:06,900
Like, for instance,
if I'm going to do a concert
1004
00:52:06,923 --> 00:52:08,802
with a symphony orchestra
and I don't necessarily
1005
00:52:08,826 --> 00:52:11,358
want to do a lot of vocals
with the orchestra,
1006
00:52:11,494 --> 00:52:12,960
then I don't bring the vocals.
1007
00:52:13,362 --> 00:52:16,130
Or I... I have, uh,
occasion to play a job
1008
00:52:16,266 --> 00:52:18,077
with a small group,
like four or five pieces,
1009
00:52:18,101 --> 00:52:19,679
where I'm just going
to play the guitar,
1010
00:52:19,702 --> 00:52:21,514
I'll bring along
an instrumentation
1011
00:52:21,538 --> 00:52:23,349
- like Hot Rats.
- Man: Uh-hmm.
1012
00:52:23,373 --> 00:52:25,474
So, I... it gives me
a little bit more
1013
00:52:25,610 --> 00:52:27,675
artistic flexibility,
you might say.
1014
00:52:28,277 --> 00:52:30,311
Most of what occurred
after that,
1015
00:52:30,579 --> 00:52:32,947
the groups were not
as permanent.
1016
00:52:33,784 --> 00:52:36,050
They didn't have the same
kind of personality
1017
00:52:36,186 --> 00:52:37,266
as the early Mothers.
1018
00:52:38,655 --> 00:52:42,157
The one that followed on
after that 1969 batch
1019
00:52:42,293 --> 00:52:44,137
was the group
with Mark and Howard.
1020
00:52:44,161 --> 00:52:45,594
And it had an identity.
1021
00:52:45,728 --> 00:52:48,295
- Oh, you're so professional.
- Oh, okay.
1022
00:52:48,431 --> 00:52:51,800
The way you get to travel
to all those exotic places.
1023
00:52:52,268 --> 00:52:56,038
Do you really have a hit single
on the charts with a bullet?
1024
00:53:00,844 --> 00:53:03,545
⪠Imagine me and you, I do âª
1025
00:53:03,681 --> 00:53:07,215
⪠I think about you day
and night, it's only right âª
1026
00:53:07,351 --> 00:53:10,985
⪠To think about the girl
you love and hold her tight âª
1027
00:53:11,121 --> 00:53:14,757
⪠So happy together âª
1028
00:53:15,860 --> 00:53:19,793
⪠I can't see me lovin'
nobody but you âª
1029
00:53:19,929 --> 00:53:22,797
⪠For all my life âª
1030
00:53:22,932 --> 00:53:26,867
⪠When you're with me,
baby, the skies'll be blue âª
1031
00:53:27,003 --> 00:53:30,371
⪠For all my life âª
1032
00:53:31,141 --> 00:53:33,052
Zappa: They had been in a group
called The Turtles,
1033
00:53:33,077 --> 00:53:35,117
but I guess The Turtles
had broken up.
1034
00:53:35,211 --> 00:53:36,710
And I had done a concert
1035
00:53:36,847 --> 00:53:38,391
with the Los Angeles
Philharmonic,
1036
00:53:38,414 --> 00:53:40,282
and they came to the concert.
1037
00:53:40,684 --> 00:53:42,461
And we decided that
I would put together
1038
00:53:42,485 --> 00:53:44,230
another touring band
called the Mothers
1039
00:53:44,253 --> 00:53:46,554
and go out
and do amusing things.
1040
00:53:50,327 --> 00:53:51,393
Hey!
1041
00:53:58,235 --> 00:54:00,635
⪠Call any vegetable âª
1042
00:54:01,204 --> 00:54:02,938
⪠Call it by name âª
1043
00:54:05,742 --> 00:54:07,442
⪠Call one today âª
1044
00:54:08,344 --> 00:54:10,579
⪠When you get off the train âª
1045
00:54:13,516 --> 00:54:15,782
⪠Call any vegetable âª
1046
00:54:15,918 --> 00:54:21,923
⪠And the chances are good! âª
1047
00:54:24,994 --> 00:54:26,360
Zappa: We were redefining
1048
00:54:26,496 --> 00:54:28,373
the expectations
of entertainment.
1049
00:54:28,398 --> 00:54:30,043
But it seemed to me
there was no reason
1050
00:54:30,067 --> 00:54:31,878
why that audience
shouldn't experience
1051
00:54:31,902 --> 00:54:33,612
some of the things
that had already happened
1052
00:54:33,637 --> 00:54:36,304
since 1920
in musical development.
1053
00:54:36,440 --> 00:54:38,418
Things that they were
completely unaware of
1054
00:54:38,442 --> 00:54:41,309
just because they were
a "rock audience"
1055
00:54:41,445 --> 00:54:44,144
and therefore deprived
of musical experience.
1056
00:54:44,280 --> 00:54:46,514
It wasn't being presented
to them in any kind
1057
00:54:46,650 --> 00:54:48,949
of music appreciation class
in school.
1058
00:54:49,585 --> 00:54:51,820
Unfortunately,
there were some people
1059
00:54:51,956 --> 00:54:55,757
who thought that it was bad
because nothing should change
1060
00:54:55,893 --> 00:54:57,759
real rock and roll.
1061
00:54:57,893 --> 00:55:00,795
And anybody who would interfere
with that kind of aesthetic
1062
00:55:00,931 --> 00:55:04,465
was viewed as a threat
and needed to be disposed of.
1063
00:55:05,135 --> 00:55:08,302
And basically, my career
has been...
1064
00:55:09,405 --> 00:55:12,141
year after year,
waiting to be disposed of.
1065
00:55:41,338 --> 00:55:43,338
Man: How do you know
about success?
1066
00:55:43,974 --> 00:55:45,650
Zappa: How do I know
about success?
1067
00:55:45,675 --> 00:55:46,909
I don't know.
1068
00:55:48,644 --> 00:55:50,289
I watched The Beatles
in the '60s.
1069
00:55:50,313 --> 00:55:51,679
I guess that's success.
1070
00:55:52,081 --> 00:55:53,815
(cheers and applause)
1071
00:55:54,083 --> 00:55:56,184
Hey. Sit down
and cool it for a minute
1072
00:55:56,320 --> 00:55:58,164
so I can hear
what we're going to do.
1073
00:55:58,188 --> 00:56:00,655
And for... and for those of you
in the band who have no idea
1074
00:56:00,791 --> 00:56:03,557
what's about to happen,
this is in A minor.
1075
00:56:03,693 --> 00:56:04,893
And it's not standard...
1076
00:56:05,027 --> 00:56:06,672
Mike:
You pretty much couldn't find
1077
00:56:06,695 --> 00:56:08,829
a... a more pristine example
of somebody
1078
00:56:08,965 --> 00:56:10,833
at the absolute pinnacle
1079
00:56:10,967 --> 00:56:13,001
of mainstream musical success...
1080
00:56:13,903 --> 00:56:16,605
who decides,
"Wow. This is bullshit."
1081
00:56:17,474 --> 00:56:19,041
I'd just like to say hello.
1082
00:56:19,909 --> 00:56:24,980
Mike: And so, when Lennon and
Zappa finally crossed paths...
1083
00:56:27,617 --> 00:56:32,253
in some ways, it gave John
and Yoko's artistic expression
1084
00:56:32,389 --> 00:56:35,690
a framework that they never
really enjoyed
1085
00:56:35,992 --> 00:56:37,791
in any other context.
1086
00:56:37,927 --> 00:56:40,128
And in some ways,
makes more sense
1087
00:56:40,262 --> 00:56:43,030
when the imprimatur of Frank
and the Mothers
1088
00:56:43,166 --> 00:56:44,298
are surrounding them.
1089
00:56:44,568 --> 00:56:45,800
⪠Stupid âª
1090
00:56:46,902 --> 00:56:48,369
⪠Stupid âª
1091
00:56:49,905 --> 00:56:51,407
⪠Stupid âª
1092
00:56:53,009 --> 00:56:54,275
⪠Stupid âª
1093
00:56:55,811 --> 00:56:57,378
⪠Stupid âª
1094
00:56:58,681 --> 00:56:59,713
⪠Stupid âª
1095
00:57:00,817 --> 00:57:04,952
Alice: I really think Frank was
afraid to have a hit record.
1096
00:57:06,190 --> 00:57:08,722
Because I think Frank could have
written hit records all day.
1097
00:57:09,858 --> 00:57:13,561
And he purposely sabotaged
a lot of his records.
1098
00:57:15,264 --> 00:57:16,909
It was interesting
'cause everybody
1099
00:57:16,932 --> 00:57:19,092
was going for the hit record,
and he never did.
1100
00:57:20,804 --> 00:57:23,505
Ian: That makes absolutely
no sense to me.
1101
00:57:25,208 --> 00:57:28,876
But I don't disagree with it
because I... I think
1102
00:57:29,012 --> 00:57:31,324
that that's probably correct,
but I don't think Frank was...
1103
00:57:31,347 --> 00:57:36,617
Had any interest whatsoever
in writing an... any hit tunes.
1104
00:57:37,753 --> 00:57:40,188
That's not even on his radar.
1105
00:57:42,659 --> 00:57:43,824
Ruth: This man...
1106
00:57:44,394 --> 00:57:47,295
was just a walking mass
of contradictions,
1107
00:57:47,563 --> 00:57:50,465
and yet... now I'm going
to contradict myself.
1108
00:57:50,599 --> 00:57:52,032
At the same time,
1109
00:57:52,268 --> 00:57:54,507
he was very consistent
with those contradictions.
1110
00:57:56,271 --> 00:57:58,806
(orchestra plays)
1111
00:58:02,711 --> 00:58:05,246
Man: Do you see any commercial
potential in it?
1112
00:58:05,481 --> 00:58:08,416
I sure as hell hope so. (laughs)
1113
00:58:11,588 --> 00:58:14,387
From 200 Motels
he expects the worst reviews
1114
00:58:14,523 --> 00:58:16,623
of any movie ever put out.
1115
00:58:17,693 --> 00:58:21,996
His intention is to create
a piece of film so bizarre
1116
00:58:22,264 --> 00:58:25,867
and parts of it
so full of bullshit
1117
00:58:26,804 --> 00:58:29,871
and other parts of it
so technically perfect
1118
00:58:30,007 --> 00:58:32,440
that the people are going
to leave the theater, going...
1119
00:58:32,576 --> 00:58:35,010
"I didn't understand it at all.
What's he doing?
1120
00:58:35,144 --> 00:58:37,478
What's... what's the message?
What's he trying to say?"
1121
00:58:37,614 --> 00:58:39,815
Well, that's the message.
1122
00:58:40,284 --> 00:58:41,916
Martin walks over in here.
1123
00:58:42,052 --> 00:58:44,331
You just come over and stand
near the side of the organ
1124
00:58:44,355 --> 00:58:45,987
and watch from the background.
1125
00:58:46,121 --> 00:58:47,967
Mark: Just the whole idea
that it is Frank Zappa
1126
00:58:47,990 --> 00:58:49,490
and The Mothers of Invention
1127
00:58:49,793 --> 00:58:51,637
has always given us
something to talk about.
1128
00:58:51,661 --> 00:58:55,862
You know, Frank is, you know,
our boss, and so there's always
1129
00:58:55,998 --> 00:59:00,034
that kind of management/worker
relationship.
1130
00:59:00,704 --> 00:59:02,702
It's all very temporary.
1131
00:59:02,938 --> 00:59:06,740
And, uh,
that's the way it works.
1132
00:59:06,876 --> 00:59:09,342
And you just...
You just never know.
1133
00:59:09,478 --> 00:59:11,846
I mean, like,
it isn't the final stay
1134
00:59:11,981 --> 00:59:13,581
for any of us.
1135
00:59:13,717 --> 00:59:14,827
You know, like,
this isn't the final Mothers
1136
00:59:14,851 --> 00:59:16,217
Frank will have.
1137
00:59:16,519 --> 00:59:19,086
It's hard to say
how long we will be together.
1138
00:59:20,423 --> 00:59:22,983
So, they see that you're getting
Martin back there and everybody.
1139
00:59:23,059 --> 00:59:24,525
You're waking them all up.
1140
00:59:25,596 --> 00:59:29,364
Steve: My perspective of it
has changed through the years.
1141
00:59:30,067 --> 00:59:32,467
Because when I was in it,
1142
00:59:33,302 --> 00:59:36,070
I was a tool for the composer
1143
00:59:36,206 --> 00:59:38,373
and... and as...
Is all of his musicians.
1144
00:59:38,574 --> 00:59:42,876
And he used his tools,
uh, brilliantly.
1145
00:59:43,813 --> 00:59:46,882
It's like, whatever you can do
that's interesting and unique,
1146
00:59:47,016 --> 00:59:48,750
it's going to be exaggerated
1147
00:59:49,385 --> 00:59:54,255
and used as he deems fit
for his music.
1148
00:59:57,094 --> 01:00:01,862
Ruth: Frank would often appear
to be cold, aloof,
1149
01:00:01,998 --> 01:00:06,867
and not personally involved
with his trained monkeys
1150
01:00:07,003 --> 01:00:09,036
as once he joked about.
1151
01:00:09,172 --> 01:00:11,132
We're just all
trained monkeys, right?
1152
01:00:11,208 --> 01:00:14,175
He's the circus ringleader
or whatever.
1153
01:00:14,878 --> 01:00:21,115
But I want to tell you that
he had great feelings for us.
1154
01:00:21,818 --> 01:00:24,286
He was... he was human.
1155
01:00:24,420 --> 01:00:27,355
There were times
when I didn't feel
1156
01:00:27,590 --> 01:00:28,956
that he was so much.
1157
01:00:29,092 --> 01:00:31,760
And I did feel
he was cruel at times.
1158
01:00:31,894 --> 01:00:34,663
But he was a passionate man.
1159
01:00:34,797 --> 01:00:37,798
And he developed real love,
1160
01:00:37,934 --> 01:00:40,233
I'm not going to say equally
for everybody.
1161
01:00:40,369 --> 01:00:45,005
But the people that he loved,
he kept bringing back
1162
01:00:45,742 --> 01:00:49,010
over and through
many of the bands.
1163
01:00:49,144 --> 01:00:50,846
Many of the tours.
1164
01:00:53,016 --> 01:00:55,516
(speaking indistinctly)
1165
01:00:55,952 --> 01:00:58,032
Gail: Frank was very loyal
to the people
1166
01:00:58,086 --> 01:01:00,047
that had helped him
along the way
1167
01:01:00,090 --> 01:01:02,190
even if they were
the worst motherfuckers.
1168
01:01:02,759 --> 01:01:06,293
He would, um, go out of his way
to help them.
1169
01:01:07,164 --> 01:01:11,498
And I can count on one hand
the friends that he truly
1170
01:01:11,634 --> 01:01:13,501
would spend time with.
1171
01:01:14,637 --> 01:01:18,539
He was pretty forgiving
for someone that he knew,
1172
01:01:18,675 --> 01:01:20,641
but if he didn't know you,
1173
01:01:21,344 --> 01:01:22,811
one chance, that's it.
1174
01:01:22,945 --> 01:01:24,045
Done.
1175
01:01:24,447 --> 01:01:26,882
You know, so he could be
hardcore as well.
1176
01:01:36,259 --> 01:01:38,170
First of all,
he was not injured.
1177
01:01:38,195 --> 01:01:40,061
He was attacked.
1178
01:01:43,867 --> 01:01:46,367
This myth about him
falling off the stage,
1179
01:01:46,503 --> 01:01:48,302
that didn't happen.
1180
01:01:48,438 --> 01:01:52,773
Some idiot attacked him
and threw him off the stage.
1181
01:01:53,041 --> 01:01:55,161
- (people screaming)
- (indistinct chatter)
1182
01:02:00,916 --> 01:02:03,585
Man: And I know a lot of people
know something happened to you,
1183
01:02:03,719 --> 01:02:05,418
and essentially, it was that
1184
01:02:05,554 --> 01:02:09,023
a person of somewhat
demented condition, apparently,
1185
01:02:09,159 --> 01:02:10,759
had pulled you off the stage
1186
01:02:10,893 --> 01:02:13,094
at a place called
the Rainbow Theatre in London.
1187
01:02:13,896 --> 01:02:16,309
And you were knocked unconscious
and pretty seriously injured.
1188
01:02:16,333 --> 01:02:17,710
And I know you were
in a wheelchair
1189
01:02:17,733 --> 01:02:19,199
a long time after that.
1190
01:02:19,469 --> 01:02:21,746
Uh, there's been a lot of talk
about some of things
1191
01:02:21,771 --> 01:02:24,606
that happened to the Mothers
as a result of that accident,
1192
01:02:24,740 --> 01:02:27,474
but I'm wondering what,
if anything, it did to you.
1193
01:02:27,610 --> 01:02:28,876
Did it affect your thinking?
1194
01:02:29,112 --> 01:02:30,922
Did it change
any of your perspectives?
1195
01:02:30,947 --> 01:02:32,413
Oh, certainly. Of course.
1196
01:02:32,547 --> 01:02:34,492
It helps you to find out
who your friends are.
1197
01:02:34,516 --> 01:02:35,516
(chuckles)
1198
01:02:36,251 --> 01:02:38,518
Try sitting in a wheelchair
for nine months.
1199
01:02:38,655 --> 01:02:40,614
You'll find out
who your friends are.
1200
01:02:43,427 --> 01:02:45,170
The point that I was
in the hospital,
1201
01:02:45,193 --> 01:02:46,561
you have a bunch of guys
1202
01:02:46,762 --> 01:02:48,641
who earn their living
from touring.
1203
01:02:48,664 --> 01:02:50,576
And I was unable to tour
for the bulk of that year.
1204
01:02:50,599 --> 01:02:52,711
So, I'm used to being active
and traveling around
1205
01:02:52,735 --> 01:02:54,467
and having a good time.
1206
01:02:54,804 --> 01:02:57,438
And so, if you're sitting there
and you are an invalid
1207
01:02:57,706 --> 01:03:00,608
against your will, uh,
it does change your outlook
1208
01:03:00,744 --> 01:03:01,909
a little bit.
1209
01:03:32,275 --> 01:03:34,809
Bruce: The nose
is the important part
1210
01:03:35,945 --> 01:03:38,579
when you're making a Zappa head.
1211
01:03:39,882 --> 01:03:42,416
'Cause no one else
has one like it.
1212
01:03:45,621 --> 01:03:49,190
It doesn't have ears,
but that's because
1213
01:03:49,324 --> 01:03:52,260
they wouldn't be seen
once you get the hair on.
1214
01:03:54,931 --> 01:03:58,498
But the hair is actually
the... the simpler part
1215
01:03:58,635 --> 01:04:00,467
of this whole thing.
1216
01:04:01,137 --> 01:04:06,574
You can see here
how easily the hair goes on.
1217
01:04:11,014 --> 01:04:13,782
Man: How did you find
the animator, Bruce Bickford?
1218
01:04:14,150 --> 01:04:16,518
Zappa: I was sitting here
with a broken leg,
1219
01:04:16,652 --> 01:04:18,452
and he climbed over my fence
1220
01:04:18,588 --> 01:04:20,721
with two reels of film
under his arm.
1221
01:04:21,257 --> 01:04:22,735
Now, this is tough
'cause the fence
1222
01:04:22,759 --> 01:04:25,427
used to be pretty high,
but he made it.
1223
01:04:28,164 --> 01:04:30,831
Bruce: I hitchhiked
up to Laurel Canyon
1224
01:04:30,967 --> 01:04:33,034
and then found his house.
1225
01:04:34,903 --> 01:04:38,505
We looked at the stuff,
and he was impressed
1226
01:04:38,641 --> 01:04:41,509
by the number of figures
that I could sustain
1227
01:04:41,644 --> 01:04:44,144
in animation in one shot.
1228
01:04:45,815 --> 01:04:48,882
Zappa: As far as I can tell,
he's the best ever.
1229
01:04:49,652 --> 01:04:51,630
And he wanted to know
if I could help him.
1230
01:04:51,655 --> 01:04:53,894
I was sitting in the basement,
and here's this guy
1231
01:04:53,989 --> 01:04:55,090
with this footage.
1232
01:04:55,891 --> 01:04:57,972
And he's been on my payroll
ever since.
1233
01:05:00,762 --> 01:05:02,922
Mike: Motherfucker throws Frank
off the stage,
1234
01:05:03,032 --> 01:05:04,844
and whether Frank
likes it or not,
1235
01:05:04,867 --> 01:05:07,201
that's a huge marker
for a new phase.
1236
01:05:07,336 --> 01:05:08,936
He's got to convalesce.
1237
01:05:09,072 --> 01:05:11,016
And what do you do
if you're Frank Zappa
1238
01:05:11,041 --> 01:05:14,007
with that brain
and you can't move?
1239
01:05:14,143 --> 01:05:15,443
And you can't get up?
1240
01:05:15,811 --> 01:05:17,771
He's got a restless,
creative mind,
1241
01:05:17,847 --> 01:05:19,726
so he's going to start creating.
1242
01:05:19,981 --> 01:05:22,226
Zappa: Ladies and gentlemen,
I suppose you've noticed
1243
01:05:22,251 --> 01:05:23,684
that this is a clay forest,
1244
01:05:23,820 --> 01:05:25,398
and the forest has been
manufactured
1245
01:05:25,422 --> 01:05:26,686
for your edification
1246
01:05:26,822 --> 01:05:29,123
by none other
than Bruce Bickford.
1247
01:05:29,259 --> 01:05:31,418
Bruce, would you please tell us
what's going on
1248
01:05:31,527 --> 01:05:32,893
on this table over here?
1249
01:05:33,128 --> 01:05:35,797
Bruce: Well, all you have to do
is just move it
1250
01:05:35,931 --> 01:05:37,565
a very slight amount.
1251
01:05:38,601 --> 01:05:40,300
And then you take the picture.
1252
01:05:40,536 --> 01:05:43,871
And you move it again.
And just keep going.
1253
01:05:44,007 --> 01:05:46,239
And you can pick up speed
after a while.
1254
01:05:46,376 --> 01:05:49,577
On making sure each time
that you get your fingers out
1255
01:05:49,713 --> 01:05:53,213
from in front of the lens
before you take the picture.
1256
01:05:53,949 --> 01:05:56,251
That's all you got to know.
1257
01:05:58,788 --> 01:06:01,922
Uh, at times, he...
he was stubborn.
1258
01:06:02,925 --> 01:06:04,592
We were gonna make a movie,
1259
01:06:04,728 --> 01:06:10,465
and all he could think about
was control. His control.
1260
01:06:11,768 --> 01:06:15,836
He had some emotions
that ran deep
1261
01:06:16,306 --> 01:06:18,606
that he wouldn't express.
1262
01:06:20,710 --> 01:06:25,679
Bunk: I just accepted everything
rather than questioning
1263
01:06:25,914 --> 01:06:28,115
why are you like you are?
1264
01:06:28,251 --> 01:06:31,152
But I could see the workaholic,
1265
01:06:31,755 --> 01:06:35,657
and that was where his joy
was coming from.
1266
01:06:37,193 --> 01:06:40,293
Mike: I think that Frank didn't,
like, express himself
1267
01:06:40,496 --> 01:06:43,530
as directly in terms
of his own emotions.
1268
01:06:44,766 --> 01:06:47,969
I don't think he saw that
as his purpose.
1269
01:06:50,139 --> 01:06:52,472
Bruce: He had so much talent.
1270
01:06:52,974 --> 01:06:55,677
It defied everything.
1271
01:07:00,583 --> 01:07:03,851
Mike: When something cataclysmic
happens in your life,
1272
01:07:04,721 --> 01:07:07,021
there's any number of ways
you can deal with it.
1273
01:07:07,155 --> 01:07:09,101
You can just go,
"Oh, my god, why me?"
1274
01:07:09,125 --> 01:07:11,192
and be capsized.
1275
01:07:11,327 --> 01:07:14,829
Or you can say, "Well, I got
no choice in the matter here.
1276
01:07:14,965 --> 01:07:16,530
Something has changed."
1277
01:07:16,833 --> 01:07:19,000
He's not going to continue
employing a group
1278
01:07:19,135 --> 01:07:20,668
while he's convalescing,
1279
01:07:20,802 --> 01:07:23,637
so that version
of the Mothers scatters,
1280
01:07:24,206 --> 01:07:25,639
starts doing their own things.
1281
01:07:25,775 --> 01:07:28,742
And as soon
as he's able to write,
1282
01:07:29,512 --> 01:07:32,056
wheel to the rehearsal studio,get some of the horn playersin there,
1283
01:07:32,081 --> 01:07:34,440
put the charts in front of him,
hear what things sound like,
1284
01:07:34,884 --> 01:07:37,751
end up with a stack
of new compositions,
1285
01:07:37,887 --> 01:07:41,021
go out on the road,
surprise people yet again.
1286
01:07:42,159 --> 01:07:44,478
Let me tell you something.
Do you like monster movies?
1287
01:07:44,827 --> 01:07:46,027
Anybody?
1288
01:07:46,596 --> 01:07:49,262
I love monster movies.
1289
01:07:50,400 --> 01:07:53,835
I simply adore monster movies
and the cheaper they are,
1290
01:07:54,036 --> 01:07:56,403
the better they are. All right?
1291
01:07:58,039 --> 01:07:59,773
And this is "Cheepnis" here.
1292
01:08:00,041 --> 01:08:01,742
One, two, three, four.
1293
01:08:09,619 --> 01:08:11,385
⪠I ate a hotdog âª
1294
01:08:11,521 --> 01:08:13,253
⪠It tasted real good âª
1295
01:08:16,326 --> 01:08:18,693
⪠Then I watched a movie
from Hollywood âª
1296
01:08:22,765 --> 01:08:24,265
(cheers and applause)
1297
01:08:39,416 --> 01:08:41,649
I want to tell you
one more time.
1298
01:08:42,252 --> 01:08:43,684
I want to thank you
1299
01:08:43,920 --> 01:08:45,840
because I really
appreciate this.
1300
01:08:46,488 --> 01:08:48,989
(guitar wailing)
1301
01:09:05,007 --> 01:09:08,576
Thank you, thank you. Thank you.
Thank you, thank you, thank you.
1302
01:09:08,712 --> 01:09:11,945
Thank every one of you.
And good night.
1303
01:09:19,087 --> 01:09:22,422
Scott: I think at every point
in his life,
1304
01:09:22,559 --> 01:09:24,591
he was trying to do
the best thing
1305
01:09:24,926 --> 01:09:27,961
that he could
to have no regrets.
1306
01:09:28,831 --> 01:09:35,234
But what was Frank
honestly trying to do?
1307
01:09:35,805 --> 01:09:40,640
He didn't give a shit
about the immediate...
1308
01:09:40,976 --> 01:09:44,578
world of his... of his
attempting to function
1309
01:09:44,713 --> 01:09:46,759
in the way that he chose
to function, which was
1310
01:09:46,783 --> 01:09:49,182
"If I'm alive,
I've got to be in the studio.
1311
01:09:49,319 --> 01:09:52,119
I've got to be
at the music paper."
1312
01:09:52,988 --> 01:09:54,320
Zappa: My desires are simple.
1313
01:09:54,457 --> 01:09:55,967
All I want to do is get
a good performance
1314
01:09:55,992 --> 01:09:57,225
and a good recording
1315
01:09:57,627 --> 01:09:59,438
of everything that I ever wrote
so I can hear it.
1316
01:09:59,462 --> 01:10:00,939
And if anybody else
wants to hear it,
1317
01:10:00,962 --> 01:10:02,197
then that's great too.
1318
01:10:03,733 --> 01:10:05,832
Sounds easy,
but it's really hard to do.
1319
01:10:07,002 --> 01:10:09,904
Steve: Frank was a slave
to his inner ear.
1320
01:10:10,139 --> 01:10:12,179
So, he heard things
a particular way,
1321
01:10:12,274 --> 01:10:14,475
and then he tried
to manifest them in the world,
1322
01:10:14,510 --> 01:10:15,909
but there were limitations.
1323
01:10:16,045 --> 01:10:18,979
And... there's financial
limitations to a degree
1324
01:10:19,114 --> 01:10:21,649
when you're dealing
with orchestra pieces.
1325
01:10:21,783 --> 01:10:24,384
And there's performance
limitations, you know?
1326
01:10:24,520 --> 01:10:27,820
You can just write something
that somebody can't play,
you know.
1327
01:10:28,224 --> 01:10:31,525
But the music needed to
resemble what he was hearing
1328
01:10:31,661 --> 01:10:32,926
in his head.
1329
01:10:33,630 --> 01:10:36,596
So, this led to a lot of...
I think suffering on his part
1330
01:10:36,731 --> 01:10:39,132
due to the inadequacies
and limitations of others,
1331
01:10:39,268 --> 01:10:41,569
you know. Sorry, Frank.
1332
01:10:41,871 --> 01:10:43,636
(laughter)
1333
01:10:44,273 --> 01:10:45,972
Zappa: We rehearse all the time.
1334
01:10:46,842 --> 01:10:49,243
Every day before we play,
we rehearse.
1335
01:10:49,444 --> 01:10:51,078
We'll... we'll rehearse, uh,
1336
01:10:51,213 --> 01:10:54,280
before this tour,
we rehearsed for three weeks
1337
01:10:54,917 --> 01:10:58,185
four days a week,
five hours a day.
1338
01:10:58,854 --> 01:11:01,555
Steve: A lot of people think,
"Oh, he was very demanding."
1339
01:11:02,024 --> 01:11:03,791
No more demanding than anybody
1340
01:11:03,926 --> 01:11:06,126
that has a job
that they need to do.
1341
01:11:06,261 --> 01:11:09,963
But it would be reallydifficult for a musician inFrank's band
1342
01:11:10,099 --> 01:11:12,867
if he was asking you to do
things that you couldn't do.
1343
01:11:13,336 --> 01:11:15,336
But he always asked you
to do things
1344
01:11:15,371 --> 01:11:18,439
that he believed you can do,
but maybe you didn't.
1345
01:11:21,077 --> 01:11:24,279
"Black Page" was a piece
of music that Frank wrote.
1346
01:11:25,347 --> 01:11:28,981
It's probably, um,
at the foref...
1347
01:11:29,118 --> 01:11:30,551
forefront of innovation
1348
01:11:31,119 --> 01:11:34,454
in regard to
rhythmic polymetric notation.
1349
01:11:35,992 --> 01:11:39,158
No doubt. No doubt. Because
there's certain rhythmic
1350
01:11:39,295 --> 01:11:41,229
situations in that piece
1351
01:11:41,797 --> 01:11:44,832
that are extraordinarily
complex,
1352
01:11:45,301 --> 01:11:46,701
but the important thing
1353
01:11:46,935 --> 01:11:49,055
is it sounds like
a beautiful piece of music.
1354
01:11:49,104 --> 01:11:50,470
It's unique.
1355
01:11:50,773 --> 01:11:52,083
It's a comp... and it's nothing
like anything else
1356
01:11:52,108 --> 01:11:54,809
in his catalog.
This is Frank, you know.
1357
01:11:54,944 --> 01:11:58,712
And so, the "Black Page"
is this piece of music
1358
01:11:58,847 --> 01:12:00,480
that was like this, um,
1359
01:12:00,615 --> 01:12:03,283
phenomenon to me
and to many others.
1360
01:12:19,100 --> 01:12:22,869
Ruth: There was no doubt
that there was a person
1361
01:12:23,005 --> 01:12:26,806
who could write music,
fantastic music,
1362
01:12:27,009 --> 01:12:29,377
who cared
that it be played properly.
1363
01:12:31,346 --> 01:12:33,279
And what I'm hearing
1364
01:12:33,983 --> 01:12:36,216
was put on this earth for me.
1365
01:12:36,452 --> 01:12:37,618
It was for me.
1366
01:13:06,849 --> 01:13:08,416
Ruth: That music is there
1367
01:13:09,851 --> 01:13:12,685
for as long as we have
any kind of, uh,
1368
01:13:12,822 --> 01:13:14,555
appreciation for the arts.
1369
01:13:15,625 --> 01:13:17,925
The music that Frank made
I think will last.
1370
01:13:27,069 --> 01:13:29,109
Producer: You guys
fucking nailed that.
1371
01:13:30,005 --> 01:13:31,371
(laughs, cheers)
1372
01:13:31,506 --> 01:13:33,240
Yeah. That was good.
1373
01:13:36,212 --> 01:13:38,744
Man: Now that you
are becoming a successful man
1374
01:13:38,881 --> 01:13:42,082
on... in the music scene,
what consequences
1375
01:13:42,350 --> 01:13:44,162
could this probably have
for you?
1376
01:13:44,185 --> 01:13:45,685
Zappa: I don't think about it.
1377
01:13:45,820 --> 01:13:47,054
A lot of times, the people...
1378
01:13:47,922 --> 01:13:49,990
like what you do
for the wrong reasons.
1379
01:13:51,426 --> 01:13:53,728
Live from New York,
it's Saturday Night.
1380
01:13:53,962 --> 01:13:56,229
(cheers and applause)
1381
01:13:57,399 --> 01:13:59,567
No, I don't do drugs.
1382
01:13:59,702 --> 01:14:03,503
I just don't like the effects
it has on some people.
1383
01:14:06,375 --> 01:14:07,573
What do you mean, man?
1384
01:14:07,775 --> 01:14:09,287
What do you mean
you don't do drugs?
1385
01:14:09,311 --> 01:14:11,078
Frank Zappa doesn't do drugs?
1386
01:14:11,213 --> 01:14:12,313
I don't believe it.
1387
01:14:13,082 --> 01:14:14,426
Zappa: Uh, well,
that was their idea
1388
01:14:14,449 --> 01:14:16,117
of something funny.
1389
01:14:16,386 --> 01:14:18,063
I think they actually did it
just to make fun of me,
1390
01:14:18,087 --> 01:14:19,386
you know, because you know
1391
01:14:19,521 --> 01:14:21,481
what their orientation
is all about.
1392
01:14:21,890 --> 01:14:24,225
You didn't get high
with the original Mothers?
1393
01:14:24,359 --> 01:14:26,270
- No.
- What about Freak Out!, man?
1394
01:14:26,295 --> 01:14:28,614
You mean, you were straight
when you wrote Freak Out!?
1395
01:14:28,698 --> 01:14:30,398
Oh my, God! Oh, my God!
1396
01:14:30,600 --> 01:14:35,168
Ah, wow, man,
that's such a mind blower.
1397
01:14:35,570 --> 01:14:38,639
Zappa: I thought the whole skit
sucked myself, and, uh,
1398
01:14:38,774 --> 01:14:40,474
I was just stuck doing it.
1399
01:14:40,609 --> 01:14:42,688
They wouldn't let me
write anything for the show.
1400
01:14:42,712 --> 01:14:44,521
What is your function
on this planet?
1401
01:14:44,546 --> 01:14:46,579
I am a musician.
1402
01:14:46,881 --> 01:14:48,082
One, two, three, four.
1403
01:14:50,453 --> 01:14:54,253
Don Pardo: Ladies and gentlemen.
Frank Zappa.
1404
01:14:54,523 --> 01:14:56,335
⪠I don't know muchabout dancing âª
1405
01:14:56,359 --> 01:14:58,158
⪠That's why I got this song âª
1406
01:14:58,293 --> 01:14:59,805
⪠One of my legs is shorterthan the other âª
1407
01:14:59,828 --> 01:15:01,362
⪠And both my feet's too long âª
1408
01:15:01,497 --> 01:15:03,140
⪠Course now right alongwith them âª
1409
01:15:03,164 --> 01:15:04,530
⪠Got no natural rhythm âª
1410
01:15:04,667 --> 01:15:06,233
⪠But I go dancing every night âª
1411
01:15:06,368 --> 01:15:08,313
⪠Hoping one dayI might get it right âª
1412
01:15:08,337 --> 01:15:11,537
⪠I'm a dancing fool âª
1413
01:15:11,939 --> 01:15:15,007
⪠I'm a dancing fool âª
1414
01:15:15,277 --> 01:15:18,578
⪠I'm a dancing fool âª
1415
01:15:18,713 --> 01:15:20,981
⪠He's a dancing fool âª
1416
01:15:21,317 --> 01:15:23,356
⪠I may be totally wrong,but I'm a... âª
1417
01:15:25,020 --> 01:15:27,060
⪠I may be totally wrong,but I'm a... âª
1418
01:15:28,791 --> 01:15:30,831
⪠I may be totally wrong,but I'm a... âª
1419
01:15:32,261 --> 01:15:35,694
⪠I may be totally wrong,but I'm a fool, yeah âª
1420
01:15:36,331 --> 01:15:37,698
Mike: There was a part of him
1421
01:15:38,167 --> 01:15:39,778
that even though he had a lot
of people's attention,
1422
01:15:39,801 --> 01:15:41,841
of feeling cynical
about the fact that,
1423
01:15:41,970 --> 01:15:43,614
yeah, all these people are...
are looking,
1424
01:15:43,639 --> 01:15:45,679
but they don't know
what they're seeing.
1425
01:15:51,079 --> 01:15:53,319
Ray White: Sometimes truth,
when you put truth up,
1426
01:15:53,416 --> 01:15:55,716
really quickly,
like "Here's the truth,"
1427
01:15:55,850 --> 01:15:59,219
uh, it's like, uh,
uh, um, daylight to a vampire.
1428
01:15:59,354 --> 01:16:00,686
You know what I'm saying?
1429
01:16:00,823 --> 01:16:02,863
Some people are used
to avoiding truth.
1430
01:16:02,890 --> 01:16:05,391
When someone puts it
right on the table,
1431
01:16:05,994 --> 01:16:07,905
don't bring that plate
out here again.
1432
01:16:07,930 --> 01:16:10,208
And don't play the music
that the guy that eats off
1433
01:16:10,233 --> 01:16:11,597
that plate on the radio.
1434
01:16:12,600 --> 01:16:14,680
He don't... not only thinks,
he discerns.
1435
01:16:15,371 --> 01:16:18,204
We got to keep this guy
under check, you know?
1436
01:16:18,341 --> 01:16:19,541
'Cause he can't be out there.
1437
01:16:19,608 --> 01:16:21,707
And that's just my eyes
seeing it
1438
01:16:21,844 --> 01:16:23,711
as a Black man in America.
1439
01:16:24,012 --> 01:16:25,690
Anybody that comes
from the outside,
1440
01:16:25,715 --> 01:16:29,615
or so-called outside,
with ideas and new thoughts,
1441
01:16:30,252 --> 01:16:33,220
and you see this unknown hand
just go like this
1442
01:16:33,421 --> 01:16:34,689
and brush you aside.
1443
01:16:36,591 --> 01:16:38,503
Gail: In those days,
record companies
1444
01:16:38,528 --> 01:16:41,228
had a lot
more control over artists.
1445
01:16:41,764 --> 01:16:44,864
Typically, what a record company
would do is like sort of,
1446
01:16:45,067 --> 01:16:46,811
they would get it...
They were getting closer
1447
01:16:46,836 --> 01:16:49,368
and closer to 360 deals,
which means they own
1448
01:16:49,570 --> 01:16:51,771
all the parts of you
around your asshole
1449
01:16:52,041 --> 01:16:54,641
and everything else
that goes with.
1450
01:16:55,144 --> 01:16:57,077
So, Frank wanted to do
a box set.
1451
01:16:57,279 --> 01:17:00,113
They said, "No, nobody can do
box sets. That's insane."
1452
01:17:00,315 --> 01:17:02,448
So then he took
the box set apart
1453
01:17:02,583 --> 01:17:04,417
and made four albums out of it.
1454
01:17:04,552 --> 01:17:06,564
He went over to Warner's,
and he just handed them over
1455
01:17:06,588 --> 01:17:08,521
and said, "Okay,
we're... I'm done.
1456
01:17:08,757 --> 01:17:11,118
That's the end of my contract.
Here's your four albums."
1457
01:17:11,594 --> 01:17:16,328
And that changed everything
from that point on.
1458
01:17:16,564 --> 01:17:19,198
But more than that,
he's the first artist to go
1459
01:17:19,435 --> 01:17:20,801
completely independent.
1460
01:17:21,302 --> 01:17:23,222
You know,
we set up our own label.
1461
01:17:23,672 --> 01:17:27,173
Mike: As Frank and Gail get
into the Zappa Records phase,
1462
01:17:27,309 --> 01:17:29,590
and you know, one of the first
albums that come out,
1463
01:17:29,877 --> 01:17:33,413
Sheik Yerbouti, whichis a very successful album.
1464
01:17:33,548 --> 01:17:36,349
And it's got crowd-pleasing,
really filthy shit on it.
1465
01:17:36,618 --> 01:17:39,353
But... you get into the subject
matter on that record,
1466
01:17:39,488 --> 01:17:42,288
and it's still dark.
He's still in that dark place.
1467
01:17:42,557 --> 01:17:44,302
Almost every song on that record
1468
01:17:44,327 --> 01:17:47,261
is just like attacking
a specific group of people.
1469
01:18:24,365 --> 01:18:28,835
Man: You always were a renegadeagainst the music business.Why?
1470
01:18:29,037 --> 01:18:30,914
Zappa: Because most
of what the music business does
1471
01:18:30,939 --> 01:18:32,405
is not musical.
1472
01:18:32,807 --> 01:18:33,985
Man: How many lawsuits
do you have out now, Frank?
1473
01:18:34,010 --> 01:18:35,542
Zappa: Probably about nine.
1474
01:18:35,877 --> 01:18:37,622
Man: Nine lawsuits against
some of the most famous
1475
01:18:37,645 --> 01:18:39,525
record companies in Los Angeles.
1476
01:18:39,614 --> 01:18:40,814
Zappa: That's true.
1477
01:18:41,149 --> 01:18:42,594
Man 2: What do you think
is the reason
1478
01:18:42,618 --> 01:18:44,578
that Warner Brothers
didn't pay you?
1479
01:18:44,686 --> 01:18:46,726
They're a bunch of assholes,
of course.
1480
01:18:49,725 --> 01:18:52,425
Steve:
Besides the incredible freedom
1481
01:18:52,560 --> 01:18:54,929
of his creative perspectives,
1482
01:18:55,664 --> 01:18:58,798
his business perspectives
were very independent.
1483
01:18:59,167 --> 01:19:01,047
I mean, he started his own label
1484
01:19:01,369 --> 01:19:04,771
back in the day
when this was relatively new
1485
01:19:04,907 --> 01:19:06,984
and he was sort of
at the forefront in a sense,
1486
01:19:07,009 --> 01:19:09,141
and that was very vital
to their, you know,
1487
01:19:09,444 --> 01:19:11,011
organization and their income.
1488
01:19:12,515 --> 01:19:16,783
Gail: By 1982, we had started
a small mail-order company,
1489
01:19:17,019 --> 01:19:18,452
and we did, like,
1490
01:19:18,587 --> 01:19:20,506
a million dollars' worth
of sales.
1491
01:19:20,788 --> 01:19:23,456
For us, that was good business
because you only had to sell
1492
01:19:23,591 --> 01:19:25,671
a quarter as many records
really to make
1493
01:19:25,895 --> 01:19:27,327
the same amount of profit.
1494
01:19:27,563 --> 01:19:29,373
This is where all the fan mail
comes in.
1495
01:19:29,398 --> 01:19:31,342
This is where I read it,
and if you don't believe me,
1496
01:19:31,367 --> 01:19:33,648
look around you. There's boxes,
and I read everything.
1497
01:19:36,238 --> 01:19:38,216
Gail: In retrospect,
people think you're a genius.
1498
01:19:38,240 --> 01:19:40,908
But while it's happening,
you're just,
1499
01:19:41,542 --> 01:19:43,009
"Okay, now what?"
1500
01:19:43,511 --> 01:19:46,880
And it's just an... an idea
comes to you,
1501
01:19:47,015 --> 01:19:48,481
and then you go for it.
1502
01:19:50,418 --> 01:19:51,418
Good evening.
1503
01:19:51,921 --> 01:19:54,555
I'm here tonight
to announce my intention
1504
01:19:54,756 --> 01:19:56,568
to seek
the Republican nomination
1505
01:19:56,591 --> 01:19:58,511
for President
of the United States.
1506
01:19:58,560 --> 01:20:00,305
Mike:
With the onset of Reaganism
1507
01:20:00,328 --> 01:20:02,073
and what was happening
in the country at that time,
1508
01:20:02,097 --> 01:20:04,331
in some ways, I think
that drew Frank out
1509
01:20:04,466 --> 01:20:06,934
of the more solipsistic darkness
1510
01:20:07,136 --> 01:20:09,336
of what was happening
in his career.
1511
01:20:10,072 --> 01:20:12,149
Zappa: This is the dawning
of the dark ages again
1512
01:20:12,173 --> 01:20:13,472
as far as I'm concerned.
1513
01:20:13,975 --> 01:20:16,055
Never have the arts been
in such bad shape
1514
01:20:16,244 --> 01:20:17,478
in the United States.
1515
01:20:20,015 --> 01:20:25,051
Man: (whispering) This isthe Central Scrutinizer.
1516
01:20:25,988 --> 01:20:27,654
As you can see,
1517
01:20:27,856 --> 01:20:32,025
music can get you
pretty fucked up.
1518
01:20:33,828 --> 01:20:38,298
Take a tip from Joe,
and get a good job.
1519
01:20:42,770 --> 01:20:46,606
Zappa: The business of music
is all about this fake list
1520
01:20:46,742 --> 01:20:49,275
of who sold what.
1521
01:20:50,412 --> 01:20:53,980
The whole idea of selling
large numbers of items
1522
01:20:54,115 --> 01:20:56,315
in order
to determine quality to it
1523
01:20:56,452 --> 01:20:58,519
is what's really repulsive
about it.
1524
01:21:00,922 --> 01:21:03,201
Adam Curry: MTV's Top 20
Video Countdown is sponsored
1525
01:21:03,225 --> 01:21:05,693
by Burger King
and by Three Musketeers.
1526
01:21:09,332 --> 01:21:10,707
Zappa:
The record industry decided
1527
01:21:10,731 --> 01:21:12,533
this is the wave of the future.
1528
01:21:13,234 --> 01:21:16,403
And they started signing
only groups who look good.
1529
01:21:17,038 --> 01:21:21,074
And the whole idea
was making picture music.
1530
01:21:22,511 --> 01:21:25,744
When the music business
was still sort of about
1531
01:21:25,881 --> 01:21:27,514
recording songs,
1532
01:21:27,649 --> 01:21:29,349
you could have a hit record
1533
01:21:29,551 --> 01:21:33,185
if it caught on in one of 10,000
1534
01:21:33,322 --> 01:21:35,282
different radio stations
in America.
1535
01:21:36,225 --> 01:21:40,560
Now, instead of having
10,000 chances to make a hit,
1536
01:21:41,563 --> 01:21:43,095
you got one.
1537
01:21:43,664 --> 01:21:46,000
Neil Armstrong:
That's one small step for man,
1538
01:21:47,569 --> 01:21:50,404
one giant leap for mankind.
1539
01:21:54,643 --> 01:21:57,577
⪠And may the Lord âª
1540
01:21:57,845 --> 01:22:03,382
⪠Have mercyOn the fate of this movie âª
1541
01:22:03,652 --> 01:22:06,654
⪠And God bless the mind âª
1542
01:22:06,922 --> 01:22:12,158
⪠Of the man in the street âª
1543
01:22:12,560 --> 01:22:15,662
Steve: Even in the most ugliest
chord he ever wrote,
1544
01:22:16,431 --> 01:22:19,233
there's always a ray of hope
in there, you know.
1545
01:22:21,203 --> 01:22:24,904
As an entertainer,
I'm responsible for delivering
1546
01:22:25,041 --> 01:22:27,774
the best of what I can do
to the audience
1547
01:22:27,909 --> 01:22:29,720
that has bought a ticket
to see it
1548
01:22:29,744 --> 01:22:31,345
or buys a record to hear it.
1549
01:22:31,579 --> 01:22:32,779
And what about your friends?
1550
01:22:32,913 --> 01:22:34,614
Your neighbors? Your family?
1551
01:22:34,884 --> 01:22:36,595
Zappa: Well,
I don't have any friends.
1552
01:22:36,618 --> 01:22:39,085
I have a wonderful wife
and four children.
1553
01:22:39,287 --> 01:22:40,899
I like them. They're my friends.
1554
01:22:40,922 --> 01:22:42,199
Sandi:
So, your wife is your friend?
1555
01:22:42,224 --> 01:22:43,224
Right.
1556
01:22:43,725 --> 01:22:46,292
When you're not working,
do you just sort of
1557
01:22:46,796 --> 01:22:48,773
cut yourself off
from the rest of the world
1558
01:22:48,796 --> 01:22:51,064
and you're with your family?
1559
01:22:51,198 --> 01:22:53,010
Zappa: Well, when
I'm not touring, I'm at home.
1560
01:22:53,033 --> 01:22:55,502
I have a studio in my house.
I do my recording there.
1561
01:22:55,636 --> 01:22:57,837
And when I'm done
doing that part of my work,
1562
01:22:57,972 --> 01:23:00,006
I go off on the road
and travel around
1563
01:23:00,141 --> 01:23:01,341
and do this kind of stuff.
1564
01:23:04,813 --> 01:23:06,345
They're here.
1565
01:23:06,614 --> 01:23:08,148
⪠And we need a new burden âª
1566
01:23:11,854 --> 01:23:14,220
It's coming at you.
1567
01:23:17,158 --> 01:23:19,960
("Sofa" by Frank Zappa plays)
1568
01:23:47,590 --> 01:23:49,989
Pamela: The kids didn't get
to see that much of him.
1569
01:23:50,958 --> 01:23:52,458
Just the way it goes.
1570
01:23:52,661 --> 01:23:55,494
He was on a mission,
and he was going to accomplish
1571
01:23:55,630 --> 01:23:57,063
that mission no matter what.
1572
01:23:58,033 --> 01:23:59,676
Mike: Well, the sweet thing
about "Valley Girl"
1573
01:23:59,701 --> 01:24:01,479
is that it was Frank and Moon
in the studio.
1574
01:24:01,502 --> 01:24:02,902
Them, you know, connecting.
1575
01:24:03,037 --> 01:24:05,072
Undoubtedly having a good time
1576
01:24:05,306 --> 01:24:08,507
even though it was the result
of Moon, you know,
1577
01:24:08,644 --> 01:24:11,177
putting a note under, you know,
Frank's studio door, saying,
1578
01:24:11,313 --> 01:24:13,779
"Hi, my name's Moon.
I live in the same house as you.
1579
01:24:14,649 --> 01:24:16,890
Uh, j... just in case
you're... you're interested,
1580
01:24:17,085 --> 01:24:18,551
I do this Valley Girl voice."
1581
01:24:22,224 --> 01:24:24,167
Mike Douglas:
It was nearly 15 years ago
1582
01:24:24,192 --> 01:24:26,171
when the Beach Boys
brought national attention
1583
01:24:26,194 --> 01:24:27,726
to California girls.
1584
01:24:27,863 --> 01:24:30,063
These days, another kind
of California girl
1585
01:24:30,332 --> 01:24:32,297
is being immortalized on record.
1586
01:24:32,701 --> 01:24:34,311
There's a song
getting heavy airplay
1587
01:24:34,336 --> 01:24:36,470
on Southern California
rock stations
1588
01:24:36,604 --> 01:24:38,070
called "Valley Girl."
1589
01:24:38,439 --> 01:24:41,573
⪠Valley girlShe's a valley girl âª
1590
01:24:41,842 --> 01:24:45,345
⪠Valley girlShe's a valley girl âª
1591
01:24:45,680 --> 01:24:48,282
⪠Okay, fine, fer sureFer sure âª
1592
01:24:48,551 --> 01:24:50,951
⪠She's a valley girlin a clothing store âª
1593
01:24:51,185 --> 01:24:53,364
Hi. You're probably wondering
what we're doing right now.
1594
01:24:53,389 --> 01:24:55,555
Well, you see,
we have this problem.
1595
01:24:55,689 --> 01:24:57,301
We have this record
called "Valley Girl,"
1596
01:24:57,326 --> 01:24:58,903
and all these assholes
keep calling up
1597
01:24:58,926 --> 01:25:00,904
and asking for interviews
and photographs.
1598
01:25:00,929 --> 01:25:02,295
So, in the middle of the night,
1599
01:25:02,530 --> 01:25:05,431
we have to sit on the roof
and stand out here
1600
01:25:05,567 --> 01:25:07,345
and move around
and do dumb things
1601
01:25:07,368 --> 01:25:10,270
so that the world's
most famous photographer,
1602
01:25:10,404 --> 01:25:14,073
Norman Seeff, can take pictures
of this crap for Life magazine.
1603
01:25:14,208 --> 01:25:15,809
That's what we're doing here.
1604
01:25:15,944 --> 01:25:18,677
⪠Valley girlShe's a valley girl âª
1605
01:25:18,814 --> 01:25:20,279
⪠Okay, fine âª
1606
01:25:20,649 --> 01:25:22,889
Zappa: "Valley Girl"
was a very unusual accident
1607
01:25:22,917 --> 01:25:24,251
in the US.
1608
01:25:24,619 --> 01:25:27,688
We were a small label
distributed through CBS.
1609
01:25:27,957 --> 01:25:29,521
Nobody at CBS had any idea
1610
01:25:29,658 --> 01:25:32,024
that that thing would catch on
the way it did.
1611
01:25:32,726 --> 01:25:35,360
The way it happened
was my daughter took
1612
01:25:35,497 --> 01:25:37,831
an acetate of "Valley Girl"
to a station in Pasadena
1613
01:25:38,100 --> 01:25:40,432
called KROQ,
and as soon as they played it,
1614
01:25:40,568 --> 01:25:43,069
the phone started ringing,
and it became an instant hit.
1615
01:25:43,204 --> 01:25:44,505
People loved it right away.
1616
01:25:44,773 --> 01:25:46,439
Like, oh, my God.
1617
01:25:47,041 --> 01:25:49,054
Zappa: Meanwhile,
I'm in Europe on a tour.
1618
01:25:49,078 --> 01:25:51,344
I don't even know
I've got a hit record.
1619
01:25:51,779 --> 01:25:54,980
In 1982, you couldn't walk
around in the United States
1620
01:25:55,117 --> 01:25:57,317
without hearing
something about "Valley Girl."
1621
01:25:57,653 --> 01:25:59,396
Next on Channel Five,
it's awesome
1622
01:25:59,421 --> 01:26:00,653
'cause we're going to, like,
1623
01:26:00,788 --> 01:26:02,199
crank with the whole
Zappa family.
1624
01:26:02,224 --> 01:26:03,600
For sure.
Totally on evening news...
1625
01:26:03,625 --> 01:26:05,235
Pamela:
And that was his first big hit.
1626
01:26:05,260 --> 01:26:06,627
His only big hit.
1627
01:26:08,063 --> 01:26:11,765
But it really came out of Moon
1628
01:26:12,266 --> 01:26:14,186
wanting to spend time
with her dad.
1629
01:26:16,837 --> 01:26:18,617
Man: What's happening
in the future now?
1630
01:26:18,640 --> 01:26:20,283
Have you... Are you planning
a follow-up right away
1631
01:26:20,307 --> 01:26:21,975
to cash in on the, uh,
1632
01:26:22,176 --> 01:26:23,688
the audience's receptivity,
or...
1633
01:26:23,712 --> 01:26:25,422
No. As a matter of fact,
the next thing
1634
01:26:25,447 --> 01:26:28,515
that I'm going to do is go out
to, um, Cal-Arts tonight
1635
01:26:28,716 --> 01:26:31,037
and hear a couple of piano
players give a performance
1636
01:26:31,219 --> 01:26:33,921
of some of my orchestra music.
1637
01:26:40,729 --> 01:26:44,564
Mike: So, there's "Valley Girl."
A success, mainstream success.
1638
01:26:44,699 --> 01:26:47,667
But to Frank, it's like,
"Okay, what can I do now?
1639
01:26:47,802 --> 01:26:49,069
I've got people's attention."
1640
01:26:49,304 --> 01:26:52,005
One. Two. Three.
1641
01:26:56,712 --> 01:26:58,645
David:
From everything I'd heard,
1642
01:26:58,779 --> 01:27:00,979
and heard about Zappa,
1643
01:27:01,815 --> 01:27:05,585
it just seemed like
he should write for Kronos.
1644
01:27:05,854 --> 01:27:07,987
Yeah.
So, if we can play those longer,
1645
01:27:08,122 --> 01:27:09,766
I think that will be
more effective.
1646
01:27:09,791 --> 01:27:11,490
David: How l... uh, what length?
1647
01:27:11,626 --> 01:27:13,926
Hank: I have a quarter note
tie into...
1648
01:27:14,061 --> 01:27:16,529
- Oh, I see.
- It's very strange sheet music.
1649
01:27:16,664 --> 01:27:19,030
David:
I think the first time we spoke
1650
01:27:19,167 --> 01:27:20,699
was after a concert.
1651
01:27:21,269 --> 01:27:25,137
I'm thinking '82, '83.
1652
01:27:25,506 --> 01:27:28,375
Shortly after that
is when he began to write,
1653
01:27:29,578 --> 01:27:31,478
uh, the new piece for us.
1654
01:28:04,179 --> 01:28:08,414
I always appreciated the fact
that he taught himself.
1655
01:28:09,350 --> 01:28:11,229
He went to the library as a kid,
1656
01:28:11,252 --> 01:28:14,154
and he just checked out books
and stayed there and learned.
1657
01:28:14,288 --> 01:28:16,856
For me,
that's been a big inspiration.
1658
01:28:17,792 --> 01:28:19,792
When I think
of Zappa's life's work,
1659
01:28:19,994 --> 01:28:22,994
I'm reminded of Charles Ives,
1660
01:28:23,131 --> 01:28:25,497
Harry Partch, Sun Ra.
1661
01:28:26,100 --> 01:28:28,935
These are American
experimentalists
1662
01:28:29,069 --> 01:28:32,104
that totally reimagined
the way music
1663
01:28:32,239 --> 01:28:34,875
might be heard,
might be composed.
1664
01:28:36,244 --> 01:28:38,878
And Zappa belongs
in that tradition.
1665
01:29:37,573 --> 01:29:39,149
Zappa:
I still write orchestra music.
1666
01:29:39,173 --> 01:29:41,253
But, you know,
nobody will ever hear it.
1667
01:29:41,975 --> 01:29:43,055
Interviewer: You sure?
1668
01:29:43,145 --> 01:29:45,212
Well, I don't wanna say never,
1669
01:29:45,346 --> 01:29:47,579
but, uh, the chances
of the music being played
1670
01:29:47,716 --> 01:29:51,016
are not very good because every
time we start negotiating
1671
01:29:51,152 --> 01:29:53,130
with somebody about having
a performance of it,
1672
01:29:53,154 --> 01:29:55,394
all these problems arise,
and it always comes down
1673
01:29:55,489 --> 01:29:57,989
to how much money they're
willing to spend to do it.
1674
01:29:58,126 --> 01:30:00,859
Because it... we've had some
offers from orchestras who say,
1675
01:30:00,994 --> 01:30:02,261
"Yeah, we'd love to play it,
1676
01:30:02,396 --> 01:30:04,041
but we'll give you two
rehearsals."
1677
01:30:04,064 --> 01:30:05,975
And it's impossible to play it
in two rehearsals.
1678
01:30:06,000 --> 01:30:07,332
You just can't do it.
1679
01:30:07,469 --> 01:30:09,012
And I would rather not have
it played
1680
01:30:09,037 --> 01:30:11,369
than to have somebody
play it wrong.
1681
01:30:11,572 --> 01:30:13,850
Reporter: Tomorrow night,
the London Symphony Orchestra
1682
01:30:13,875 --> 01:30:16,376
are giving a concert at their
home at the Barbican Centre.
1683
01:30:17,078 --> 01:30:19,189
The program of orchestral music
they'll be playing
1684
01:30:19,213 --> 01:30:21,213
is music written
by the celebrated
1685
01:30:21,349 --> 01:30:23,229
American rock star Frank Zappa.
1686
01:30:23,551 --> 01:30:25,832
Robin Denselow has been looking
at the least known
1687
01:30:25,953 --> 01:30:28,621
and the least commercial side
of Zappa's art.
1688
01:30:29,189 --> 01:30:31,725
Robin: Frank Zappa has been
quietly writing pieces
1689
01:30:31,859 --> 01:30:35,261
for a full orchestra alongside
his rock work for years.
1690
01:30:35,530 --> 01:30:37,240
For their first
ever performance,
1691
01:30:37,265 --> 01:30:39,398
he's using the London
Symphony Orchestra.
1692
01:30:39,533 --> 01:30:43,069
The conductor, Kent Nagano,
was chosen by Zappa.
1693
01:30:43,204 --> 01:30:45,637
Interviewer: Do you expect
to actually make any money
1694
01:30:45,774 --> 01:30:47,685
out of the concert
and the recordings
1695
01:30:47,708 --> 01:30:48,908
that you've come here to make
1696
01:30:49,077 --> 01:30:50,621
- with the LSO?
- No. No.
1697
01:30:50,645 --> 01:30:52,422
Interviewer:
Why then do you do it?
1698
01:30:52,447 --> 01:30:55,448
Well, I think that any artistic
decision that is based on
1699
01:30:55,583 --> 01:30:57,828
whether or not you're going
to make money is not really
1700
01:30:57,851 --> 01:31:00,920
an artistic decision.
It's a business decision.
1701
01:31:01,555 --> 01:31:03,756
And there are a lot of things
that I can do
1702
01:31:03,890 --> 01:31:05,257
to earn a living
1703
01:31:05,393 --> 01:31:07,104
and a lot of things that I have
already done
1704
01:31:07,127 --> 01:31:09,328
to earn a living,
which have produced the amount
1705
01:31:09,430 --> 01:31:11,931
of, uh, capital needed
to do this project.
1706
01:31:12,067 --> 01:31:15,335
I came here to spend money
on an English orchestra
1707
01:31:15,470 --> 01:31:18,069
to record my music
so I can take it home
1708
01:31:18,206 --> 01:31:19,805
and I can listen to it.
1709
01:31:19,940 --> 01:31:22,908
And if somebody else likes
that kind of stuff,
1710
01:31:23,045 --> 01:31:24,889
I will make it available
on a record
1711
01:31:24,912 --> 01:31:26,679
so that they can hear it.
1712
01:31:26,814 --> 01:31:29,481
That is my part of the public
service of spending the money
1713
01:31:29,618 --> 01:31:31,350
to make this event happen.
1714
01:31:31,485 --> 01:31:33,152
No foundation grant,
1715
01:31:33,287 --> 01:31:34,988
no government assistance,
1716
01:31:35,122 --> 01:31:36,555
no corporation,
1717
01:31:36,690 --> 01:31:37,990
no committee.
1718
01:31:38,126 --> 01:31:41,159
Just a crazy guy
who spent the money
1719
01:31:41,296 --> 01:31:45,332
to hire English musicians
to do a concert at the Barbican
1720
01:31:45,466 --> 01:31:48,701
and make an album
for Barking Pumpkin Records.
1721
01:31:49,104 --> 01:31:52,238
How do you get the London
Symphony Orchestra
1722
01:31:52,372 --> 01:31:53,372
to do your stuff?
1723
01:31:53,475 --> 01:31:55,707
- You pay them.
- Yeah.
1724
01:31:56,043 --> 01:31:58,545
But isn't this a really
prestigious organization?
1725
01:31:58,680 --> 01:31:59,811
Of course.
1726
01:32:00,015 --> 01:32:01,426
So, you pay them a lot of money.
1727
01:32:01,449 --> 01:32:03,149
- Yeah.
- (laughter)
1728
01:32:03,284 --> 01:32:06,319
It's just as serious to write
a song like "Valley Girl"
1729
01:32:07,122 --> 01:32:10,390
as it is to write the ballet
called Mo 'N Herb's Vacation.
1730
01:32:10,524 --> 01:32:13,560
To me, they're equally
serious problems in music.
1731
01:32:15,863 --> 01:32:18,197
Unless they have
sufficient time to rehearse it,
1732
01:32:18,332 --> 01:32:20,409
the chances of an absolutely
perfect performance
1733
01:32:20,434 --> 01:32:21,801
are not good.
1734
01:32:22,136 --> 01:32:23,948
David Letterman: Now, uh,
how close did you get?
1735
01:32:23,971 --> 01:32:26,505
Zappa: I would say that we're up
to about 75% on this record.
1736
01:32:26,640 --> 01:32:29,775
Conductor: So, you could you
take a look, please, at 159?
1737
01:32:31,512 --> 01:32:34,947
Robot: The inhabitants here
do not have the intelligence
1738
01:32:35,082 --> 01:32:37,115
to be utilized anymore.
1739
01:32:37,752 --> 01:32:39,752
So, man built me.
1740
01:32:40,855 --> 01:32:42,815
Zappa:
Human beings are expensive.
1741
01:32:43,324 --> 01:32:46,725
If given the choice between not
making music at all
1742
01:32:46,860 --> 01:32:49,729
or making music in a medium
that a person can afford,
1743
01:32:49,863 --> 01:32:52,364
I will make music in a medium
I can afford.
1744
01:32:53,067 --> 01:32:55,068
Ergo, the machine.
1745
01:32:57,204 --> 01:33:00,338
I had bought the Synclavier
and started doing
1746
01:33:00,475 --> 01:33:02,574
all the composition
in that medium
1747
01:33:02,711 --> 01:33:04,791
because you can write it
the way you want,
1748
01:33:04,912 --> 01:33:06,779
and you get to conduct it also.
1749
01:33:06,914 --> 01:33:10,181
Even have it executed
at any speed or any amplitude.
1750
01:33:10,318 --> 01:33:12,953
You can control all the nuances
of the performance.
1751
01:33:13,822 --> 01:33:15,454
I would rather do it myself
1752
01:33:15,590 --> 01:33:17,791
than give it to somebody else
to do.
1753
01:33:18,092 --> 01:33:22,194
(electronic music playing)
1754
01:33:33,407 --> 01:33:34,673
Man: Okay, Ahmet.
1755
01:33:35,810 --> 01:33:39,011
Stop the game, and I want to...
And have him get some
1756
01:33:39,146 --> 01:33:40,578
pictures of you with the clay.
1757
01:33:41,215 --> 01:33:43,483
I don't have any clay. Thanks.
1758
01:33:43,618 --> 01:33:45,595
Man: There's 1,000 pounds of it
around here someplace.
1759
01:33:45,619 --> 01:33:47,765
Woman: There's 1,000 pounds
right behind you, Ahmet.
1760
01:33:47,788 --> 01:33:49,088
Don't lie.
1761
01:33:51,893 --> 01:33:54,527
(laughter)
1762
01:33:58,065 --> 01:33:59,297
What do you want me to build?
1763
01:33:59,434 --> 01:34:00,533
Man: Whatever you want.
1764
01:34:19,220 --> 01:34:21,854
Zappa: It's not easy
to keep converting capital
1765
01:34:21,989 --> 01:34:24,823
from doing other things
and to reinvesting in it
1766
01:34:24,960 --> 01:34:26,970
to doing that kind of stuff
because there's no way
1767
01:34:26,994 --> 01:34:28,939
that the music
that I'm working on
1768
01:34:28,963 --> 01:34:30,764
is gonna pay its own way.
1769
01:34:33,501 --> 01:34:35,740
But I would rather do it
this way than to rely on
1770
01:34:35,802 --> 01:34:39,238
a government or to rely on,
uh, you know,
1771
01:34:39,372 --> 01:34:41,506
a king or a duke or somebody
who, you know,
1772
01:34:41,643 --> 01:34:43,854
wants to take drastic action
if he doesn't approve
1773
01:34:43,877 --> 01:34:45,145
of your work of art.
1774
01:34:45,479 --> 01:34:46,845
You know, forget that.
1775
01:34:47,881 --> 01:34:50,815
Do you still think that
music students in universities
1776
01:34:50,952 --> 01:34:53,353
are studying a dead language
in a dead institution
1777
01:34:53,488 --> 01:34:56,322
by dead professors,
and would you explain why?
1778
01:34:56,457 --> 01:34:57,689
(laughter)
1779
01:34:57,824 --> 01:34:59,391
Well, yes.
1780
01:34:59,527 --> 01:35:02,028
(laughter)
1781
01:35:02,363 --> 01:35:05,564
Because a lot of times, uh,
composers will come to me,
1782
01:35:05,699 --> 01:35:07,800
and they'll say,
"Well, what do I do?"
1783
01:35:07,935 --> 01:35:09,779
And I tell them,
"Get a real estate license
1784
01:35:09,804 --> 01:35:12,837
because if you expect to write
music in the United States,
1785
01:35:12,974 --> 01:35:14,894
what are you gonna do
for a living?"
1786
01:35:15,377 --> 01:35:17,842
If you want to be a composer
in the United States,
1787
01:35:17,979 --> 01:35:20,145
you must write for the media.
1788
01:35:20,280 --> 01:35:22,326
You can't just write music
because you're writing music.
1789
01:35:22,350 --> 01:35:24,390
You have to have some other
kind of a job
1790
01:35:24,519 --> 01:35:25,885
to support your habit.
1791
01:35:26,020 --> 01:35:29,521
And, uh, it's a sad story,
but it's true.
1792
01:35:30,091 --> 01:35:32,692
(applause)
1793
01:35:35,195 --> 01:35:37,762
⪠Your mouth âª
1794
01:35:37,899 --> 01:35:40,399
⪠Is your religion âª
1795
01:35:42,036 --> 01:35:46,605
⪠'Cause what they do
in Washington âª
1796
01:35:47,007 --> 01:35:49,507
⪠They just takes care âª
1797
01:35:50,043 --> 01:35:52,744
⪠Of number one âª
1798
01:35:53,081 --> 01:35:57,250
⪠And number one ain't you âª
1799
01:35:59,587 --> 01:36:02,287
⪠You ain't even âª
1800
01:36:02,423 --> 01:36:04,556
⪠Number two âª
1801
01:36:14,536 --> 01:36:17,170
Man: This is ABC News Nightline.
1802
01:36:17,572 --> 01:36:20,372
Reporting from Washington,
Ted Koppel.
1803
01:36:20,507 --> 01:36:22,252
A lot of people,
and they are becoming
1804
01:36:22,277 --> 01:36:23,609
increasingly vocal,
1805
01:36:23,744 --> 01:36:26,212
find the songs
and the rock video performances
1806
01:36:26,346 --> 01:36:28,247
that go with them offensive.
1807
01:36:28,382 --> 01:36:30,528
Reporter: One group of parents
has heard more than enough.
1808
01:36:30,551 --> 01:36:32,229
The Parents Music
Resource Center
1809
01:36:32,252 --> 01:36:34,412
wants a labelling system
for albums and tapes,
1810
01:36:34,521 --> 01:36:36,442
much like movies
are rated today.
1811
01:36:36,524 --> 01:36:38,234
Later this month,
a Senate committee
1812
01:36:38,259 --> 01:36:39,636
will hold hearings
on the question.
1813
01:36:39,659 --> 01:36:41,604
A tribute to the clout
of the center,
1814
01:36:41,628 --> 01:36:43,573
whose members include
Susan Baker,
1815
01:36:43,597 --> 01:36:45,637
wife of Treasury Secretary
James Baker.
1816
01:36:45,667 --> 01:36:47,711
Susan: "Guess you could say she
was a sex fiend.
1817
01:36:47,734 --> 01:36:50,603
I met her in a hotel lobby,
masturbating with a magazine."
1818
01:36:50,939 --> 01:36:52,817
Reporter: Frank Zappa is one
of the few rock artists
1819
01:36:52,841 --> 01:36:55,041
to come out openly
against the labeling effort.
1820
01:36:55,109 --> 01:36:57,029
I mean,
if it looks like censorship
1821
01:36:57,144 --> 01:36:59,289
and it smells like censorship,
it is censorship
1822
01:36:59,314 --> 01:37:01,224
no matter whose wife
is talking about it.
1823
01:37:01,247 --> 01:37:02,347
It's censorship.
1824
01:37:02,583 --> 01:37:04,494
Ted:
The analogy you draw is a...
1825
01:37:04,519 --> 01:37:07,152
Mike: Frank was being called
upon by Ted Koppel and CNN
1826
01:37:07,287 --> 01:37:08,654
and Larry King
1827
01:37:08,789 --> 01:37:10,734
and a lot of mainstream
news outlets
1828
01:37:10,757 --> 01:37:12,797
to come on and talk
about this stuff.
1829
01:37:13,094 --> 01:37:15,595
Well, he had cleaned up his act
sartorially so much
1830
01:37:15,729 --> 01:37:18,631
that he was no longer visually
the freak from the '60s.
1831
01:37:18,765 --> 01:37:21,600
He was somebody that understood
that "If I'm gonna do battle
1832
01:37:21,735 --> 01:37:23,546
with these people,
I need to like, uh,
1833
01:37:23,570 --> 01:37:25,037
come to them on their turf."
1834
01:37:25,172 --> 01:37:26,817
And they're taking a right
away from him.
1835
01:37:26,841 --> 01:37:30,109
Gail: Frank became
the go-to person for comments
1836
01:37:30,243 --> 01:37:32,404
to deal with record rating
because nobody else
1837
01:37:32,514 --> 01:37:34,434
in the record industry
showed up.
1838
01:37:34,783 --> 01:37:36,726
I think that they're probably
concerned about airplay,
1839
01:37:36,751 --> 01:37:38,595
and they're probably concerned
about their careers,
1840
01:37:38,619 --> 01:37:40,663
and they're probably concerned
about, uh, you know,
1841
01:37:40,688 --> 01:37:42,265
taking a chance and opening
their mouth.
1842
01:37:42,288 --> 01:37:44,023
But I don't speak for them.
1843
01:37:44,158 --> 01:37:46,170
I don't speak for the rest
of the record industry.
1844
01:37:46,194 --> 01:37:48,426
I speak as a private citizen,
1845
01:37:48,563 --> 01:37:52,497
as a middle-aged Italian
father of four.
1846
01:37:52,632 --> 01:37:55,400
I got concerns here
about what's gonna happen
1847
01:37:55,537 --> 01:37:58,537
to the right to have free speech
and right to assemble
1848
01:37:58,671 --> 01:38:00,885
and the right to have somebody
use your own words
1849
01:38:00,908 --> 01:38:03,341
against you
in a legal situation.
1850
01:38:03,711 --> 01:38:05,877
And nobody is sticking
their neck out to say
1851
01:38:06,014 --> 01:38:07,546
that it's all a bunch of crap.
1852
01:38:09,149 --> 01:38:11,550
Mr. Zappa, thank you very much
for being with us.
1853
01:38:11,952 --> 01:38:13,152
Please proceed.
1854
01:38:13,988 --> 01:38:17,588
I've got an idea for a way
to stop all this stuff
1855
01:38:17,725 --> 01:38:21,025
and a way to give parents
what they really want,
1856
01:38:21,162 --> 01:38:23,662
which is information,
accurate information,
1857
01:38:23,797 --> 01:38:25,831
as to what is inside the album.
1858
01:38:26,500 --> 01:38:30,101
I have no objection
to having all of the lyrics
1859
01:38:30,805 --> 01:38:35,041
placed on the album
routinely all the time.
1860
01:38:35,643 --> 01:38:38,243
I think your suggestion is, uh,
is an intriguing one
1861
01:38:38,378 --> 01:38:39,878
and might really be a solution.
1862
01:38:40,148 --> 01:38:42,113
I think your suggestion
is a good one
1863
01:38:42,248 --> 01:38:43,715
that they print those words.
1864
01:38:44,118 --> 01:38:45,484
That would go a long way
1865
01:38:45,618 --> 01:38:47,538
to satisfying
everyone's objection.
1866
01:38:47,588 --> 01:38:49,668
Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
Senator Hawkins.
1867
01:38:50,390 --> 01:38:52,101
Mike: Frank would say
it was a failure
1868
01:38:52,126 --> 01:38:54,203
because it still ended up with
the Parental Advisory sticker
1869
01:38:54,228 --> 01:38:55,761
on the thing.
1870
01:38:55,895 --> 01:38:57,908
But I think he made
a difference there.
1871
01:38:57,931 --> 01:39:00,332
There were times
that I wished that he could
1872
01:39:00,467 --> 01:39:02,427
modulate his approach
a little bit
1873
01:39:02,470 --> 01:39:04,069
with a little bit less anger.
1874
01:39:04,204 --> 01:39:06,072
Sex equals sin.
1875
01:39:06,207 --> 01:39:09,175
Mike: But that anger resulted
in some wonderful moments
1876
01:39:09,310 --> 01:39:11,344
like the Crossfire
with James Lofton.
1877
01:39:11,479 --> 01:39:13,122
James: Do you think
the founding fathers
1878
01:39:13,146 --> 01:39:15,346
really had the First Amendment,
that they gave us
1879
01:39:15,416 --> 01:39:18,317
the First Amendment to defend
songs that glorify Satanism
1880
01:39:18,452 --> 01:39:20,264
and incest and suicide?
Do you really believe that?
1881
01:39:20,287 --> 01:39:22,032
- Absolutely.
- You really believe that?
1882
01:39:22,055 --> 01:39:23,332
- Yeah, I believe it.
- James: You're an idiot then.
1883
01:39:23,356 --> 01:39:24,902
- Yeah?
- James: You're an idiot.
1884
01:39:24,926 --> 01:39:26,002
Well, I'll tell you what.
Kiss my... (bleep)
1885
01:39:26,025 --> 01:39:27,225
How do you like that, buddy?
1886
01:39:27,362 --> 01:39:28,838
James:
Well, take your teeth out.
1887
01:39:28,863 --> 01:39:31,130
I was surprised
to see you heading the protest.
1888
01:39:31,565 --> 01:39:33,298
Why wasn't someone like Prince
1889
01:39:33,434 --> 01:39:35,112
involved with you in that?
I mean...
1890
01:39:35,136 --> 01:39:36,845
He should have been
involved in it,
1891
01:39:36,869 --> 01:39:39,189
but I think that it's his right
to keep his mouth shut.
1892
01:39:39,407 --> 01:39:41,251
It's also
Bruce Springsteen's right
1893
01:39:41,274 --> 01:39:43,576
to keep his mouth shut
and anybody else
1894
01:39:43,711 --> 01:39:45,721
that they went after.
They never attacked my lyrics.
1895
01:39:45,746 --> 01:39:46,979
They attacked those people.
1896
01:39:47,114 --> 01:39:48,559
They even went after
Michael Jackson.
1897
01:39:48,582 --> 01:39:50,161
But you fought real hard
for these people,
1898
01:39:50,185 --> 01:39:51,595
and it was never
your music involved.
1899
01:39:51,618 --> 01:39:52,828
That's the thing
that shocked me.
1900
01:39:52,853 --> 01:39:54,319
It's the principle of the thing.
1901
01:39:54,622 --> 01:39:56,266
We live in a country where
we're supposed to be free.
1902
01:39:56,291 --> 01:39:57,967
Take a look at what happened
in China.
1903
01:39:57,992 --> 01:39:59,802
You got a bunch of kids there
who want democracy.
1904
01:39:59,827 --> 01:40:01,159
They don't even know what it is.
1905
01:40:01,296 --> 01:40:03,494
We supposedly have it here,
what do we do?
1906
01:40:04,164 --> 01:40:06,364
Sit around and go, hmm, hmm.
1907
01:40:06,500 --> 01:40:08,667
"Let somebody else take care
of it for me."
1908
01:40:25,853 --> 01:40:29,121
(cheers and applause)
1909
01:40:29,256 --> 01:40:30,788
Scott: From the very beginning,
1910
01:40:31,125 --> 01:40:33,292
there wasn't literally
anything like it.
1911
01:40:33,828 --> 01:40:37,363
As musicians, that was the way
that we spoke to each other.
1912
01:40:37,497 --> 01:40:40,365
Like, instead of quoting movies,
we quoted Zappa.
1913
01:40:40,501 --> 01:40:41,801
⪠It's about truth âª
1914
01:40:41,935 --> 01:40:43,502
⪠Truth âª
1915
01:40:43,837 --> 01:40:45,649
Scott: And it wasn't until
I started playing with him
1916
01:40:45,672 --> 01:40:49,908
that I realized that
he was fucking with America
1917
01:40:50,043 --> 01:40:51,854
as much as he was fucking
around with music.
1918
01:40:51,878 --> 01:40:54,880
Like, America
was just another canvas
1919
01:40:55,015 --> 01:40:56,582
for him to do his shit on.
1920
01:40:56,717 --> 01:40:59,385
This is working here.
Hello, which one's working?
1921
01:40:59,686 --> 01:41:00,686
None.
1922
01:41:05,726 --> 01:41:07,126
This is censorship.
1923
01:41:07,261 --> 01:41:09,862
(laughter)
1924
01:41:09,997 --> 01:41:12,564
Scott: How did he see himself
in a world
1925
01:41:12,699 --> 01:41:14,733
that was literally going mad?
1926
01:41:15,069 --> 01:41:16,668
He saw the big picture.
1927
01:41:17,337 --> 01:41:20,104
I cannot imagine in any way
1928
01:41:20,240 --> 01:41:23,007
it could keep a man
like him down.
1929
01:41:23,143 --> 01:41:25,912
If anything, he would battle up
1930
01:41:26,046 --> 01:41:29,614
until the last drop
of his blood was shed.
1931
01:41:30,018 --> 01:41:32,097
Overrun by orcs,
he doesn't give a shit.
1932
01:41:33,087 --> 01:41:36,121
You cannot live your life
as if you are
1933
01:41:36,256 --> 01:41:39,390
about to not be able to do
your life anymore.
1934
01:41:39,659 --> 01:41:40,659
You know?
1935
01:41:40,761 --> 01:41:43,796
Protesters: (chanting)
1936
01:41:46,768 --> 01:41:48,677
Man: Czechoslovakia today
became the latest
1937
01:41:48,702 --> 01:41:50,780
of the countries
of Eastern Europe once held
1938
01:41:50,805 --> 01:41:53,171
so tightly in the Soviet grip
to throw off
1939
01:41:53,306 --> 01:41:55,274
its hardline Communist yoke.
1940
01:41:55,408 --> 01:41:58,978
(chanting)
1941
01:42:01,247 --> 01:42:02,926
Zappa: I guess it was
about a year before
1942
01:42:02,949 --> 01:42:05,095
the Velvet Revolution,
when I was visited here
1943
01:42:05,118 --> 01:42:07,118
by a Czech composer.
1944
01:42:07,654 --> 01:42:09,322
And through the interpreter,
1945
01:42:09,457 --> 01:42:13,591
he indicated that he wanted
to play some of my music
1946
01:42:13,728 --> 01:42:16,628
and wanted me to come to Prague
for the concert,
1947
01:42:16,764 --> 01:42:19,332
and I thought, well,
the chances of me doing that
1948
01:42:19,466 --> 01:42:22,634
were pretty unlikely because
Czechoslovakia was pretty grim.
1949
01:42:22,936 --> 01:42:25,404
And the next thing I knew,
they had this revolution,
1950
01:42:25,974 --> 01:42:28,240
and this composer
was a member of parliament.
1951
01:42:29,277 --> 01:42:31,944
And I'd already made four trips
to the Soviet Union
1952
01:42:32,079 --> 01:42:34,512
and had been trying to develop
some East-West
1953
01:42:34,748 --> 01:42:35,914
international trade.
1954
01:42:36,050 --> 01:42:37,615
Boy, is it cold here.
1955
01:42:37,752 --> 01:42:41,587
And I arranged to come to
Prague on my way
1956
01:42:42,155 --> 01:42:44,523
back to the United States
from Moscow.
1957
01:42:44,792 --> 01:42:47,158
And it was during
my Prague visit,
1958
01:42:47,293 --> 01:42:49,305
I proposed to them
that if they needed
1959
01:42:49,328 --> 01:42:51,408
some sort of representation
in the West
1960
01:42:51,431 --> 01:42:55,967
to help them get investment
or whatever they needed to do,
1961
01:42:56,104 --> 01:42:58,237
that I would be interested
in doing that.
1962
01:43:01,141 --> 01:43:03,185
So, when I got off the plane,
there was 5,000 people
1963
01:43:03,210 --> 01:43:05,344
waving at me. And, uh, you know,
1964
01:43:05,479 --> 01:43:07,979
never before in my life
had I seen anything like that.
1965
01:43:08,215 --> 01:43:10,748
(chuckles) Get off the plane,
1966
01:43:10,884 --> 01:43:12,628
and, you know,
there's a lot of people,
1967
01:43:12,653 --> 01:43:14,698
but there's no police,
and there's no bodyguards.
1968
01:43:14,721 --> 01:43:16,800
There's no nothing.
Just people waving at you.
1969
01:43:16,823 --> 01:43:19,557
That's nice until you go
through the airport
1970
01:43:19,827 --> 01:43:21,327
and they start piling on you.
1971
01:43:21,695 --> 01:43:24,229
And to get from the door
of the airport to the minibus
1972
01:43:24,364 --> 01:43:26,404
that was going to take us
to the hotel
1973
01:43:26,500 --> 01:43:28,301
took about 40 minutes.
1974
01:43:30,337 --> 01:43:32,578
Gary: When Frank was there,
it was like, Frank was
1975
01:43:32,774 --> 01:43:34,184
the President
of the United States
1976
01:43:34,207 --> 01:43:35,341
coming to visit.
1977
01:43:36,978 --> 01:43:39,377
And Frank was trying
to figure out
1978
01:43:39,512 --> 01:43:41,846
why was everyone there
so happy to see him?
1979
01:43:43,016 --> 01:43:46,985
And evidently,
in Czechoslovakia,
1980
01:43:47,121 --> 01:43:49,822
when young kids
played rock music,
1981
01:43:49,957 --> 01:43:51,356
the police would tell them,
1982
01:43:51,492 --> 01:43:53,412
"Turn off
that Frank Zappa music."
1983
01:43:54,560 --> 01:43:56,600
And all of a sudden,
here's Frank Zappa.
1984
01:43:58,265 --> 01:44:01,100
He was a symbol of this freedom,
1985
01:44:02,435 --> 01:44:04,555
which is incredible
when you think about it.
1986
01:44:05,072 --> 01:44:06,639
He had that kind of effect.
1987
01:44:08,609 --> 01:44:11,576
David: It was like the king
of freedom had showed up.
1988
01:44:11,779 --> 01:44:14,113
I mean, Frank was shocked.
1989
01:44:15,048 --> 01:44:17,817
(cheering)
1990
01:44:19,720 --> 01:44:21,752
⪠Freedom, freedom âª
1991
01:44:21,889 --> 01:44:23,454
⪠Kindly, loving âª
1992
01:44:23,690 --> 01:44:25,234
Kathleen: Rock musician
Frank Zappa,
1993
01:44:25,259 --> 01:44:26,970
who's always been something
of a maverick,
1994
01:44:26,993 --> 01:44:29,072
has just returned from a trip
to the Soviet Union
1995
01:44:29,095 --> 01:44:31,863
and Czechoslovakia.
And in Prague,
1996
01:44:31,998 --> 01:44:33,532
he met with Vâªclav Havel,
1997
01:44:33,667 --> 01:44:35,734
now the President
of Czechoslovakia.
1998
01:44:35,869 --> 01:44:37,829
He also visited
the Czech parliament
1999
01:44:37,871 --> 01:44:40,372
and was named the Czech Cultural
2000
01:44:40,507 --> 01:44:42,667
and Trade Representative
to the United States.
2001
01:44:43,010 --> 01:44:44,386
And Frank Zappa joins us
this morning.
2002
01:44:44,411 --> 01:44:45,854
- Good morning.
- Good morning.
2003
01:44:45,878 --> 01:44:47,724
Twenty years ago,
did you think that
2004
01:44:47,747 --> 01:44:49,747
- this would be your occupation?
- No.
2005
01:44:49,783 --> 01:44:51,716
What are the job specifications?
2006
01:44:51,851 --> 01:44:54,552
I'm supposed to represent them
for trade,
2007
01:44:54,689 --> 01:44:58,090
for tourism,
and for cultural matters.
2008
01:44:58,926 --> 01:45:00,192
Only rock business?
2009
01:45:00,728 --> 01:45:02,905
Zappa: No, no, it's got nothing
to do with rock and roll.
2010
01:45:02,930 --> 01:45:04,541
Kathleen: So, is this
Frank Zappa the businessman
2011
01:45:04,564 --> 01:45:06,685
who's coming to the fore
and not the rocker?
2012
01:45:06,766 --> 01:45:08,478
Well, let's say that
Frank Zappa the rocker
2013
01:45:08,502 --> 01:45:11,936
has been pretty much excluded
from US broadcasting.
2014
01:45:12,073 --> 01:45:14,840
So, Frank Zappa the rocker
will now do something else.
2015
01:45:15,909 --> 01:45:18,810
David: It turns out that, uh,
when he had testified
2016
01:45:19,012 --> 01:45:20,845
before Congress, uh,
2017
01:45:20,980 --> 01:45:22,893
our fine Secretary of State
at the time, James Baker,
2018
01:45:22,917 --> 01:45:25,015
his wife had been involved
in the, uh,
2019
01:45:25,152 --> 01:45:28,487
little Washington clubs
going to save the world.
2020
01:45:28,788 --> 01:45:31,590
And James Baker
went to Czechoslovakia,
2021
01:45:31,725 --> 01:45:33,537
and he had told
the Czech government
2022
01:45:33,560 --> 01:45:35,137
that if they wanted
anything to do
2023
01:45:35,162 --> 01:45:36,773
with the United States
government anymore,
2024
01:45:36,796 --> 01:45:38,797
if they wanted aid or help
or anything
2025
01:45:39,434 --> 01:45:41,444
that they would have
to get rid of this association
2026
01:45:41,467 --> 01:45:42,702
with Frank Zappa.
2027
01:45:43,436 --> 01:45:47,472
(applause)
2028
01:45:47,608 --> 01:45:51,309
Woman: Our primary purpose is
to educate and inform parents
2029
01:45:51,444 --> 01:45:53,256
about this alarming trend,
as well as
2030
01:45:53,279 --> 01:45:56,113
to ask the industry
to exercise self-restraint.
2031
01:45:56,449 --> 01:45:59,051
Some say there's no cause
for concern.
2032
01:45:59,186 --> 01:46:00,720
We believe there is.
2033
01:46:04,190 --> 01:46:05,524
Thank you.
2034
01:46:05,725 --> 01:46:07,037
Mike: When we were
on the road in '88,
2035
01:46:07,060 --> 01:46:08,760
he was already feeling poorly.
2036
01:46:08,895 --> 01:46:11,895
But, you know, he had been told
it was various other conditions,
2037
01:46:12,032 --> 01:46:13,952
various and he was...
He was trying
2038
01:46:14,033 --> 01:46:15,600
different ways to deal with it.
2039
01:46:15,735 --> 01:46:17,935
But, you know, he was getting
sicker all the time.
2040
01:46:18,538 --> 01:46:21,707
He retired
from the concert stage
2041
01:46:22,042 --> 01:46:25,110
at the same time that his
illness was coming on.
2042
01:46:27,014 --> 01:46:28,859
We sat in the...
In the control room,
2043
01:46:28,882 --> 01:46:29,981
and he...
2044
01:46:31,385 --> 01:46:32,583
he said, uh,
2045
01:46:33,119 --> 01:46:34,430
"Well, like, you know,
I've got some news for you."
2046
01:46:34,454 --> 01:46:35,998
And I said, "What?" And he said,
2047
01:46:36,023 --> 01:46:37,667
"I've just been diagnosed
with prostate cancer."
2048
01:46:37,692 --> 01:46:39,858
And he sat back
and took a huge drag off
2049
01:46:40,060 --> 01:46:42,427
his cigarette
and looked resolute
2050
01:46:42,563 --> 01:46:45,229
and, you know,
and somewhat, you know,
2051
01:46:45,364 --> 01:46:48,367
like, you know, "Fuck that."
You know, like it's,
2052
01:46:48,502 --> 01:46:50,012
uh, you know,
"I've just been diagnosed
2053
01:46:50,037 --> 01:46:51,847
with prostate cancer."
He knew the...
2054
01:46:51,872 --> 01:46:54,050
What the effect of those words
were going to be,
2055
01:46:54,073 --> 01:46:56,774
but he also gave off
this attitude of...
2056
01:46:56,911 --> 01:46:59,377
"It's not gonna stop me
from doing what I have to do."
2057
01:47:17,297 --> 01:47:20,332
Zappa: And politically,
I am in the process of, uh,
2058
01:47:20,466 --> 01:47:24,569
doing what we call
a feasibility study to see,
2059
01:47:25,104 --> 01:47:27,439
uh, if it's possible for me
to run for President
2060
01:47:27,574 --> 01:47:29,809
of the United States
against George Bush.
2061
01:47:31,645 --> 01:47:33,779
Interviewer:
That's quite a comment.
2062
01:47:34,847 --> 01:47:36,014
You feel there's a chance?
2063
01:47:36,449 --> 01:47:39,283
Uh, yes. Not a good one
2064
01:47:39,420 --> 01:47:41,701
because, you know,
he has more balloons than I do.
2065
01:47:41,755 --> 01:47:43,699
Interviewer:
(laughs) Makes a lot of sense.
2066
01:47:43,724 --> 01:47:46,791
The next time I interview you,
I may be calling you
2067
01:47:46,926 --> 01:47:49,462
Mr. President
instead of Mr. Zappa.
2068
01:47:51,265 --> 01:47:52,430
Maybe.
2069
01:47:54,702 --> 01:47:56,622
Moon:
Do any of these things work?
2070
01:47:58,137 --> 01:47:59,137
(sighs)
2071
01:48:00,774 --> 01:48:02,452
Uh, we're here
to make a statement
2072
01:48:02,475 --> 01:48:03,975
on behalf of our family.
2073
01:48:05,244 --> 01:48:07,779
Although Frank was looking
forward to being here
2074
01:48:07,913 --> 01:48:09,847
and really intended to be here,
2075
01:48:10,117 --> 01:48:12,484
unfortunately, he's not here.
2076
01:48:13,420 --> 01:48:15,820
As many of you know,
he's been diagnosed
2077
01:48:15,956 --> 01:48:18,189
by journalists as having cancer.
2078
01:48:19,192 --> 01:48:22,159
We'd like you to know
his doctors have diagnosed
2079
01:48:22,296 --> 01:48:26,398
prostate cancer, which he's
been fighting successfully,
2080
01:48:27,100 --> 01:48:30,469
and he has been feeling well
and working too hard
2081
01:48:30,604 --> 01:48:32,070
and planned to attend...
2082
01:48:34,408 --> 01:48:36,118
Jamie:
You're a legendary workaholic.
2083
01:48:36,143 --> 01:48:37,654
- Are you able to work?
- Not anymore.
2084
01:48:37,677 --> 01:48:39,877
Jamie: Not anymore. Tell me.
2085
01:48:40,314 --> 01:48:43,782
Uh, basically on a good day,
I can go 9:30 to 6:30.
2086
01:48:45,152 --> 01:48:46,595
Jamie:
It's really slowed you down.
2087
01:48:46,619 --> 01:48:49,621
- Yeah.
- Has being sick affected
2088
01:48:49,756 --> 01:48:51,916
your music, what kind of music
you're writing?
2089
01:48:51,958 --> 01:48:52,958
No.
2090
01:48:54,127 --> 01:48:57,595
Can you tell me a little bit
about how you've been doing?
2091
01:48:58,364 --> 01:49:00,230
- Uh, fair.
- Jamie: Fair?
2092
01:49:00,367 --> 01:49:02,033
Yeah. Good days, bad days.
2093
01:49:02,168 --> 01:49:04,168
Jamie: More bad days
than good days?
2094
01:49:06,139 --> 01:49:07,139
Yeah.
2095
01:49:12,078 --> 01:49:14,212
Let's do it. Tell her to hurry.
2096
01:49:16,649 --> 01:49:18,493
Yeah, she's got to cover up
the results
2097
01:49:18,518 --> 01:49:20,618
of my botched transfusion here.
2098
01:49:26,426 --> 01:49:27,426
Man: Ready?
2099
01:49:38,838 --> 01:49:41,372
Mike: He is diagnosed,
and he really,
2100
01:49:41,507 --> 01:49:43,475
uh, started working in earnest.
2101
01:49:44,045 --> 01:49:47,546
And that in some ways, I think,
was intentionally
2102
01:49:47,680 --> 01:49:50,916
a summing up while he was ill
in the last couple years.
2103
01:50:33,961 --> 01:50:36,328
Steve: One of the things
that Frank loved
2104
01:50:36,762 --> 01:50:40,332
was musicians that really loved
what they were doing,
2105
01:50:40,467 --> 01:50:44,836
and enjoyed playing
2106
01:50:44,971 --> 01:50:48,073
to the best of their ability
and took great pride
2107
01:50:48,375 --> 01:50:50,975
in the composer's music.
2108
01:50:51,778 --> 01:50:54,179
There was not enough
through the years.
2109
01:50:54,413 --> 01:50:56,747
You know, Frank dealt
with orchestras that were,
2110
01:50:56,884 --> 01:51:00,083
you know, basically paid
and came in
2111
01:51:00,220 --> 01:51:03,087
and did their job just by,
"Okay, here's another chart."
2112
01:51:03,222 --> 01:51:05,690
But then through the years,
the... his music
2113
01:51:05,826 --> 01:51:08,092
as it started touching
more younger people
2114
01:51:08,228 --> 01:51:10,529
who were growing up
and taking up instruments,
2115
01:51:11,364 --> 01:51:13,564
some of them had a deep desire
2116
01:51:13,966 --> 01:51:17,469
to play Frank's music that way.
2117
01:51:18,506 --> 01:51:21,773
So, when Frank discovered
the Ensemble Modern,
2118
01:51:22,475 --> 01:51:26,912
this is a group of musicians
that wanted to play his music
2119
01:51:27,814 --> 01:51:30,416
on a level that was yet
to be achieved.
2120
01:51:33,953 --> 01:51:36,720
Zappa: When the final event
is put together,
2121
01:51:37,056 --> 01:51:40,259
I will make some structure
out of what worked
2122
01:51:40,394 --> 01:51:41,659
during the rehearsal.
2123
01:51:43,529 --> 01:51:45,729
At the end of the day,
you'll have it on paper.
2124
01:51:45,966 --> 01:51:47,365
And you'll be able to read it.
2125
01:51:47,501 --> 01:51:48,501
Okay?
2126
01:51:51,104 --> 01:51:54,806
Okay, so watch, and I'll just
move the pitch around the room.
2127
01:52:01,014 --> 01:52:05,016
(orchestra plays)
2128
01:52:13,260 --> 01:52:15,572
And instead of just playing
your note, style the note.
2129
01:52:15,595 --> 01:52:18,128
Put some sort of different
vibrato rates on it, you know,
2130
01:52:18,265 --> 01:52:20,310
your... that's the one note
you have in life.
2131
01:52:20,333 --> 01:52:22,453
You're really gonna play
the shit out of it.
2132
01:52:22,569 --> 01:52:25,369
And your big chance to be
a star with one note.
2133
01:52:25,505 --> 01:52:26,572
Here we go.
2134
01:52:29,007 --> 01:52:32,110
(orchestra plays)
2135
01:52:41,921 --> 01:52:44,021
Gail:
He worked lots of different
2136
01:52:44,157 --> 01:52:45,724
projects simultaneously.
2137
01:52:46,092 --> 01:52:49,461
But that shifted when it was
becoming more obvious
2138
01:52:49,596 --> 01:52:51,917
that he wasn't gonna have
the time that he needed.
2139
01:52:52,032 --> 01:52:55,367
And then I think
he set up priorities himself.
2140
01:52:55,903 --> 01:52:58,603
Went too fast. Da-da, da-da.
2141
01:52:58,738 --> 01:53:00,137
(coughs)
2142
01:53:00,373 --> 01:53:03,140
(indistinct chatter)
2143
01:53:03,275 --> 01:53:05,711
There's nothing weird
about the tempo relations.
2144
01:53:05,845 --> 01:53:08,646
There's nothing science fiction
about this tempo.
2145
01:53:11,850 --> 01:53:13,318
Yeah.
2146
01:53:13,720 --> 01:53:15,960
Gail: You make decisions
about what you can finish,
2147
01:53:16,055 --> 01:53:18,015
what's really important
to finish,
2148
01:53:18,492 --> 01:53:21,059
which, you know,
2149
01:53:21,929 --> 01:53:24,128
is another kind of composition.
2150
01:53:24,264 --> 01:53:28,265
(vocalizing)
2151
01:53:28,568 --> 01:53:29,967
I see what it is.
2152
01:54:00,734 --> 01:54:04,469
(music playing)
2153
01:55:44,304 --> 01:55:47,405
(cheers and applause)
2154
01:56:11,564 --> 01:56:13,885
Ruth: I had written a letter
that I had hand-delivered
2155
01:56:13,966 --> 01:56:15,065
to the house
2156
01:56:15,801 --> 01:56:18,436
when I really thought I was not
going to see him again.
2157
01:56:19,939 --> 01:56:21,672
It was essentially...
2158
01:56:22,275 --> 01:56:25,777
a letter of love and
gratitude...
2159
01:56:31,083 --> 01:56:33,283
for everything he had done
in the world.
2160
01:56:33,920 --> 01:56:35,787
And not just the world of music
2161
01:56:36,588 --> 01:56:38,489
and not just my little life
2162
01:56:39,192 --> 01:56:40,792
but the world.
2163
01:56:42,328 --> 01:56:43,328
And so...
2164
01:56:44,329 --> 01:56:47,497
I asked him to read it
after I would leave.
2165
01:56:47,634 --> 01:56:49,873
Of course, he opened it right
while I was there.
2166
01:56:50,770 --> 01:56:54,171
He read it, and he said, um,
2167
01:56:54,841 --> 01:56:56,475
he was not effusive.
2168
01:56:56,609 --> 01:56:58,287
I didn't expect him to be,
but he said,
2169
01:56:58,310 --> 01:57:00,845
"That is really, really nice."
2170
01:57:01,581 --> 01:57:03,148
And he hugged me.
2171
01:57:03,283 --> 01:57:05,783
And he looked like he was
in so much pain,
2172
01:57:05,917 --> 01:57:07,185
and he hugged me.
2173
01:57:20,466 --> 01:57:22,634
But nothing. It fucking sucked.
2174
01:57:27,341 --> 01:57:29,273
Gail:
Before Frank died, he said,
2175
01:57:29,408 --> 01:57:31,153
"Sell everything,
and get out of this business.
2176
01:57:31,176 --> 01:57:33,176
It's hateful, and take,
you know,
2177
01:57:33,313 --> 01:57:35,680
go get a house at the beach,
and have a good time."
2178
01:57:37,384 --> 01:57:40,752
So, there you have it
in a nutshell.
2179
01:57:56,136 --> 01:57:59,203
(cheers and applause)
2180
01:58:04,377 --> 01:58:05,543
Zappa: Thank you.
2181
01:59:06,238 --> 01:59:10,274
(cheers and applause)
2182
01:59:32,032 --> 01:59:34,533
Jamie: You got
an extraordinary reaction.
2183
01:59:34,667 --> 01:59:37,668
I mean,
20-minute standing ovation.
2184
01:59:38,671 --> 01:59:40,837
How do you feel about that?
2185
01:59:40,974 --> 01:59:43,018
Well, uh,
there's no accounting for taste.
2186
01:59:43,042 --> 01:59:44,542
Oh, come on.
2187
01:59:44,676 --> 01:59:46,176
You must have been thrilled.
2188
01:59:46,546 --> 01:59:49,814
I was. I was happier
that they did that
2189
01:59:49,949 --> 01:59:51,527
rather than throw things
at the stage.
2190
01:59:51,551 --> 01:59:54,485
(cheers and applause)
2191
02:00:06,265 --> 02:00:10,301
(cheers and applause)
2192
02:00:35,194 --> 02:00:39,230
(music playing)
2193
02:01:36,890 --> 02:01:37,988
Zappa: We were loud.
2194
02:01:39,225 --> 02:01:40,358
We were coarse.
2195
02:01:41,927 --> 02:01:43,461
And we were strange.
2196
02:01:44,930 --> 02:01:48,166
And if anybody in the audience
ever gave us any trouble,
2197
02:01:48,902 --> 02:01:50,367
we'd tell them to fuck off.
2198
02:01:51,002 --> 02:01:54,939
("Watermelon In Eastern Hay"
by Frank Zappa playing)
2199
02:07:17,796 --> 02:07:21,966
Zappa: This is the
Central Scrutinizer.
2200
02:07:22,534 --> 02:07:25,335
Joe has just worked himself
2201
02:07:25,604 --> 02:07:28,171
into an imaginary frenzy
2202
02:07:28,307 --> 02:07:30,106
during the fade-out
2203
02:07:30,242 --> 02:07:32,542
of his imaginary song.
2204
02:07:33,479 --> 02:07:36,680
He begins to feel depressed now.
2205
02:07:36,815 --> 02:07:40,685
He knows the end is near.
2206
02:07:40,708 --> 02:07:42,708
>>>>oakislandtk<<<<<
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