Here is a happy birthday to the late Tony Duran, slide guitarist for Frank during the Wazoo era and collaborator of various Mothers in later years.
Let’s knock them out! The Everly Brothers, Beat & Soul (Jim Gordon) [1965] Mel Tormé, Right Now! (Gordon) [1966] Gene Clark, Gene Clark with Gosdin Brothers (Gordon) [1967] Van Dyke, Song Cycle (Gordon) [1967] The Stone Poneys, Evergreen, Volume 2 (Billy Mundi, Gordon) [1967] Canned Heat, Canned Heat (Henry Vestine) [1967] Tim Buckley, Goodbye And Hello (Jim Fielder, Gordon) [1967] Fred Neil, Fred Neil (Mundi) [1967] Wolfgang Dauner, Free Action (Ponty) [1967] Judy Collins, Who Knows Where The Time Is (Gordon) [1968] Harry Nilsson, Aerial Ballet (Gordon) [1968] Harry Nilsson, Skidoo Soundtrack (Gordon) [1968] Randy Newman, Randy Newman (Gordon) [1968] Canned Heat, Boogie With Canned Heat (Vestine) [1968] Canned Heat, Living The Blues (Vestine) [1968] Earth Opera, Earth Opera (Mundi) [1968] The One O’Clock Lab Band, Lab:68 (Bruce Fowler, Sal Marquez) [1968] Canned Heat, Hallelujah (Vestine, Elliot Ingber) [1969] The Hamilton Face Band, Hamilton Face Band (Ruth Komanoff-Underwood) [1969] Bread, Bread (Gordon) [1969] Hoyt Axton, My Griffin Is Gone (Gordon) [1969] Gerald Wilson Orchestra, Eternal Equinox (George Duke, Ponty) [1969] Jeff Simmons, Naked Angels Soundtrack (Jeff Simmons) [1969] Michele, Saturn Rings (Ingber, Lowell George) [1969] Dave Mason, Alone Together (Gordon) [1970] Randy Newman, 12 Songs (Gordon) [1970] Canned Heat, Vintage (Vestine) [1970] Hamilton Face Band, Ain’t Got No Time (Ruth) [1970] John Mayall, USA Union (Sugarcane) [1970] Don “Sugarcane” Harris, Sugarcane (Sugarcane) [1970] Joe Cocker, Mad Dogs And Gentlemen (Gordon) [1970] Geoff & Maria Muldaur, Pottery Pie (Mundi) [1970] Performance: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack (Lowell) [1970] Ivan Ulz, Ivan The Ice Cream Man (Lowell, Estrada) [1970] Don “Sugarcane” Harris, Keep on Driving (Sugarcane) [1971] Don “Sugarcane” Harris, Fiddler On The Rock (Sugarcane) [1971] Nolan Porter, No Apologies (Lowell, Roy Estrada, Jimmy Carl Black) [1971] Bob Smith, The Visit (Don Preston) [1971] T. Rex, Electric Warrior (Mark Volman, Howard Kaylan) [1971] Canned Heat and John Lee Hooker, Hooker n Heat (Vestine) [1971] Canned Heat, Live At Topanga Corral (Vestine) [1971] Canned Heat, Historical Figures And Ancient Heads (Vestine) [1971] B.B. King, B.B. King in London (Gordon) [1971] Leon Russell, Leon Russell And The Shelter People (Gordon) [1971] Traffic, The Low Spark Of High Heeled Boys (Gordon) [1971] Tom Rapp/Pearls Before Swine, Beautiful Lies You Could Live In (Mundi) [1971] Maxayn, Maxayn (Andre Lewis) [1972] Nolan Porter, Nolan (Lowell, Estrada, Black) [1972] Domenic Troiano, Domenic Troiano (Bunk Gardner, Buzz Gardner) [1972] Nicholas Greenwood, Cold Cuts (Bunk) [1972] John Lennon and Yoko Ono, Sometime In New York City (Live Jam/tracks 3-6 featuring Frank, Mark and Howard, Ian, Don Preston, Bob Harris #1, Jim Pons, Dunbar) [1972] T. Rex, The Slider (Mark And Howard) [1972] Pure Food & Drug Act, Choice Cuts (Sugarcane) [1972] New Violin Summit (Sugarcane, Ponty) [1972] Albert Hammond, It Never Rains in Southern California (Gordon) [1972] Bobby Whitlock, Bobby Whitlock (Gordon) [1972] Bobby Whitlock, Raw Velvet (Gordon) [1972] Skip Battin, Skip (Mundi) [1972] Tom Fogerty, Tom Fogerty (Mundi) [1972] Razmataz, For The First Time (Mundi) [1972] Eric Von Schmidt, 2nd Right, 3rd Row (Mundi) [1972] Geoff and Maria Muldaur, Sweet Potatoes (Mundi) [1972] Peter Yarrow, Peter (Mundi) [1972] The Nat Adderley Sextet and Rick Holmes, Soul Zodiac (Duke) [1972] The Nat Adderley Sextet and Rick Holmes, Soul Of The Bible (Duke) [1972] Shakey Jake Harris, The Devil's Harmonica (Ingber) [1972] Roxy Music, Stranded (Jobson) [1973] Buddy Miles, Chapter VII (Lewis) [1973] Johnny “Guitar” Watson, Listen (Lewis) [1973] Maxayn, Mindful (Lewis) [1973] Don “Sugarcane” Harris, Sugar Cane’s Got the Blues (Sugarcane) [1973] Canned Heat, The New Age (Vestine) [1973] Canned Heat, One More River to Cross (Vestine) [1973] Art Garfunkel, Angel Clare (Gordon) [1973] Donovan, Essence to Essence (Gordon) [1973] The Incredible Bongo Band, Bongo Rock (Gordon) [1973] Albert Hammond, The Free Electric Band (Gordon) [1973] David Gates, First (Gordon) [1973] The Hues Corporation, Freedom for the Stallion (Gordon) [1973] John Cale, Paris 1919 (Lowell) [1973] Happy Ends, Happy Ends (Lowell) [1973] Borderline, Sweet Dreams and Quiet Desires (Mundi) [1973] John Compton, To Luna (Mundi) [1973] Flora Purim, Butterfly Dreams (Duke) [1973] Joe Williams, Joe Williams Live (Duke) [1973] Tret Fure, Tret Fure (Lowell) [1973] Kathy Dalton, Amazing (Lowell) [1973] Chico, The Master (Lowell) [1973] Gordon Lightfoot, Stallion (Gordon) [1974] Tom Waits, The Heart Of Saturday Night (Gordon) [1974] John Sebastian, Tarzana Kid (Lowell, Gordon) [1974] Robert Palmer, Sneakin Sally Through the Alley (Lowell) [1974] Mick Ronson, Slaughter on 10th Avenue (Dunbar) [1974] Roxy Music, Country Life (Jobson) [1974] Howdy Moon, self titled album (Lowell George, Roy Estrada) [1974] Luis Gasca, Born to Love You (Duke, Bozzio) [1974] Billy Cobham, Crosswinds (Duke) [1974] Maxayn, Bail Out For Fun! (Lewis) [1974] Roger McGuinn, Peace on You (Mark And Howard) [1974] Dave Mason, Dave Mason (Sal Marquez) [1974] Herbie Mann, London Underground (Dunbar) [1974] Freddie Hubbard, High Energy (Ian Underwood) [1974] Don “Sugarcane” Harris, Cup Full Of Dreams (Sugarcane) [1974] Don “Sugarcane” Harris, I’m On Your Case (Sugarcane) [1974] Junior Hanson, Magic Dragon (Lewis) [1974] Souther-Hillman-Furay Band, The Souther-Hillman-Furay Band (Gordon) [1974] John Stewart, The Phoenix Concerts (Gordon) [1974] Claude DuBois, Claude DuBois (Mundi) [1974] Mahavishnu Orchestra, Apocalypse (Ponty) [1974] Cannonball Adderley, Love, Sex, And The Zodiac (Duke) [1974] Cannonball Adderley, Pyramid (Duke) [1974] Flora Purim, Stories To Tell (Duke) [1974] Gene Ammons, Brasswind (Duke) [1974] Herb Ellis & Ray Brown, Herb Ellis & Ray Brown’s Soft Shoe (Duke) [1974] David Axlerod, Heavy Axe (Duke) [1974] The Peter Ivers Band, Terminal Love (Ingber) [1974] Martin And Finley, Dazzle 'Em With Footwork (Lowell) [1974] Etta James, Come A Little Closer (Lowell) [1974] Roxy Music, Siren (Jobson) [1975] Freddie Hubbard, Liquid Love (Ian) [1975] Billy Cobham, A Funky Thide Of Sings (Walt Fowler) [1975] Down And Dirty Duck Soundtrack (Preston, Mark Volman, Howard Kaylan, Pons, Dunbar) [1975] Mick Ronson, Play, Don’t Worry (Dunbar) [1975] Nils Lofgren, self titled (Dunbar) [1975] Don “Sugarcane” Harris, Keyzop (Sugarcane) [1975] Mallard, Mallard (Art Tripp) [1975] The Carpenters, Horizon (Gordon) [1975] Minnie Riperton, Adventures in Paradise (Gordon) [1975] Art Garfunkel, Breakaway (Gordon, Max Bennett, John Guerin) [1975] Joan Baez, Diamonds And Rust (Gordon) [1975] Darryl Hall and John Oates, Darryl Hall And John Oates (Gordon) [1975] Richard “Groove” Holmes, Six Millionare Dollar Man (Gordon) [1975] Thelma Houston, I’ve Got the Music In Me (Gordon) [1975] Gordon Lightfoot, Cold on the Shoulder (Gordon) [1975] Robert Palmer, Pressure Drop (Lowell) [1975] Mahavishnu Orchestra, Visions Of The Emerald Beyond (Ponty) [1975] Cannonball Adderley, Phenix (Duke) [1975] Nat Adderley, Double Exposure (Duke) [1975] Eddie Henderson, Sunburst (Duke) [1975] Joe Henderson, Canyon Lady (Duke) [1975] Stanley Clarke, Journey to Love (Duke) [1975] Tom Jans, The Eyes Of An Only Child (Lowell) [1975] Joan Baez, From Every Stage (Gordon) [1976] The Brothers Johnson, Look Out For #1 (Ian) [1976] The Carpenters, A Kind Of Hush (Gordon) [1976] Neil Diamond, Beautiful Noise (Gordon) [1976] Journey, Look Into The Future (Dunbar) [1976] Jean-Luc Ponty, Aurora (Ponty, T. Fowler) [1976] Roxy Music, Viva! [1976] Spirit, Farther Along (Ian) [1976] Jean-Luc Ponty, Imaginary Voyage (Ponty, T.Fowler, Allan Zavod) [1976] Grand Funk, Good Singin, Good Playin (Produced by Zappa) [1976] Air Pocket, Fly On (T. Fowler, Bruce Fowler, W. Fowler, Thompson) [1976] Stephen Stills, Illegal Stills (Mark And Howard) [1976] Ian Hunter, All American Space Boy (Dunbar) [1976] Flo and Eddie, Moving Targets (Mark, Howard, Ian) [1976] T. Rex, Futuristic Dragon (Mark and Howard) [1976] Nils Lofgren, Cry Tough (Dunbar) [1976] Carmen MacRae, Can’t Hide Love (Ian) [1976] Sammy Hagar, Nine On A Ten Scale (Dunbar) [1976] Alphonso Johnson, Moonshadow (Ian) [1976] Marathon Man Soundtrack (Ian) [1976] George Duke, Liberated Fantasies (Duke, Napoleon Murphy Brock, Ruth) [1976] Don “Sugarcane” Harris, Flashin’ Time (Sugarcane) [1976] Captain Beefheart And The Magic Band, Bat Chain Puller (Beefheart, Denny Walley) [1976] Seals & Croft, Sudan Village (Ralph Humphrey) [1976] Joan Baez, Gulf Winds (Gordon) [1976] Harvey Mason, Earthmover (B. Fowler, Ian) [1976] Stallion, Stallion (B. Fowler, W. Fowler, Albert Wing) [1976] Cannonball Adderley, Lovers (Duke) [1976] Flora Purim, Open Your Eyes You Can Fly (Duke) [1976] The Billy Cobham/George Duke Band, “Live” On Tour In Europe (Duke) [1976] Nancy Wilson, This Mother’s Daughter (Duke) [1976] Phil Keaggy, Love Broke Thru (Gordon) [1977] The Brothers Johnson, Right on Time (Ian) [1977] Dolly Parton, Here You Come Again (Ian) [1977] Chunk, Ernie, & Novi, Chunk, Ernie, & Novi (Ian) [1977] George Duke, From Me to You (Duke, Glenn Ferris) [1977] Demon Seeds Soundtrack (Ian) [1977] Journey, Next (Dunbar) [1977] Jean-Luc Ponty, Enigmatic Ocean (Ponty, Zavod) [1977] Little Feat, Time Loves A Hero (Lowell) [1977] Genesis, Seconds Out (Thompson) [1977] Quincy, Jones, Roots (Ian) [1977] Mandré, Mandré (Lewis) [1977] Alphonso Johnson, Spellbound (Thompson) [1977] Bob Meighan Band, (Me’hun) (B. Fowler) [1977] Flora Purim, Encounter (Duke) [1977] Jimmy Webb, El Mirage (Lowell) [1977] Valerie Carter, Just A Stone's Throw Away (Lowell) [1977] Journey, Infinity (Dunbar) [1978] U.K., self titled (Eddie Jobson) [1978] Lynda Carter*, Portrait (Humphrey) (*yes, the same one who played Wonder Woman) [1978] George Duke, Reach For It (Duke) [1978] George Duke, Don't Let Go (Duke) [1978] The Brecker Brothers, Heavy Metal Be-Bop (Bozzio) [1978] Jean-Luc Ponty, Cosmic Messenger (Ponty, Zavod) [1978] Steve Hackett, Please Don’t Touch (T.Fowler, Chester Thompson) [1978] David Bowie, Stage (Adrian Belew) [1978] Alice Cooper, From the Inside (Mark And Howard) [1978] Ambrosia, Somewhere I’ve Never Travelled (Ian, Ruth) [1978] Herb Alpert and Hugh Masekela, Herb Alpert/Hugh Masekela (Ian) [1978] Captain Beefheart And The Magic Band, Shiny Beast (Bat Chain Puller) (Beefheart, B.Fowler, Tripp) [1978] Lao Schifrin, Gypsy (Ian) [1978] Barbara Streisand, Songbird (Ian) [1978] Little Feat, Waiting For Columbus (Lowell) [1978] Mandré, Mandré Two (Lewis) [1978] Karen Alexander, Voyager (Humphrey) [1978] The Grateful Dead, Shakedown Street (Lowell) [1978] Al Stewart, Time Passages (Tripp) [1978] Eric Von Schmidt and The Cruel Family, S/T (Mundi) [1978] Andre Heller, Basta (Bozzio, Vinnie Colaiuta, Ed Mann, Patrick O’Hearn, Peter Wolf) [1978] Michael White, The X Factor (Duke, B. Fowler, W. Fowler, Wing, Napoleon) [1978] SofTouch, SofTouch (B. Fowler) [1978] Flora Purim, That’s What She Said (Duke) [1978] Sonny Rollins, Easy Living (Duke) [1978] Yvonne Elliman, Night Flight (Lowell) [1978] U.K., Danger Money (Jobson, Terry Bozzio) [1979] Jean-Luc Ponty, Live (Ponty, Zavod) [1979] David Bowie, Lodger (Belew) [1979] Big Sonny and the Lo Boys, In Heat (Black) [1979] Apocalypse Now Soundtrack (Preston) [1979] The Residents, Eskimo (Preston) [1979] Jefferson Starship, Freedom at Point Zero (Dunbar) [1979] Lowell George, Thanks, I’ll Eat It Here (Lowell) [1979] Peggy Lee, Close Enough For Love (Ian) [1979] Little Feat, Down On The Farm (Lowell) [1979] George Duke, Follow the Rainbow (Duke, Nappy) [1979] George Duke, Master Of The Game (Duke, Nappy) [1979] Tony Banks, A Curious Feeling (Thompson) [1979] Jean-Luc Ponty, A Taste for Passion (Ponty, Zavod) [1979] Freddie Hubbard, The Love Connection (Thompson) [1979] Lalo Schifrin, No One Home (Ian) [1979] The Warriors Soundtrack (Ian) [1979] Mandré, M3000 (Lewis) [1979] Ray Pizzi, The Love Letter (Humphrey) [1979] Leroy Hutson, Unforgettable (Thompson) [1979] David Pritchard, City Dreams (Thompson) [1979] Mary McCaslin & Jim Ringer, The Bramble & The Rose (Mundi) [1979] Randy Vanwarmer, Warmer (Mundi) [1979] Robert Lee, Escapade (Mundi) [1979] Joe Dassin, Blue Country (B. Fowler, W. Fowler) [1979] Flora Purim, Carey On (Duke) [1979] Dee Dee Bridgewater, Bad For Me (Duke, Brock) [1979] The Muppet Movie Soundtrack (Gordon) [1979]
Jeff Simmons, Naked Angels Soundtrack: Naked Angels is an outlaw bike film that was released September 19, 1969 by Favorite Films (this being. Directed by Bruce D. Clark and starring Michael Greene (“Mother”), Jennifer Gan (“Marlene”), and Richard Rust (“Fingers”), the film depicts a feud between two rival biker gangs as well as providing insight into the outlaw biker lifestyle from an insider perspective. The film was financed by B-movie mogul Roger Corman and has a case made up of UCLA students who were advised by an ex-Hell's Angel. Producing the film was film student David R. Dawdy, with the aid of Francis Ford Coppola's camera truck and technician. However, music fans would likely know this film for the soundtrack by our very own Jeff Simmons and released on Straight Records. Produced by Randy Steirling, Jeff scored the film as he was watching the film. I cannot find any musical personnel listed, but from I gather, Jeff plays guitar, keyboards, and bass on here in addition to vocals on select tracks. This album is sometimes described as psychedelic jamming. There is some of that, but it's actually fairly concise overall. The music is obviously more straightforward than something many would expect from a guy that played with Frank, but it's also well written and constructed for what it's aiming for. The music does a very effective job at conveying a dirty, gritty feel as befitting a biker film. It also shows some nice variety for what could be a very formulaic, very meat and potatoes record. From the heavy acid rock of the main theme to the jazzy boogie woogie of “Vegas Boogie”, and even some hints of chamber and avant garde as befitting the Zappa connection. I’ve been revisiting Lucille recently, and of course that 1970 set came out this year, so naturally I’ve been contemplating Jeff Simmons’ work/legacy as a result. I can certainly see why Frank took interest in Jeff, as he was a good singer, talented songwriter, pretty solid multi-instrumentalist, and charismatic stage personality. And of course, he’s among the few musicians to get a writing credit on Frank’s records. He certainly showed promise as a musician and artist, but it ultimately went unrealized. He has the Zappa connection (which is still more than most have, in fairness), and that’s really it. And frankly (pardon the pun), Jeff has nobody to blame for that but himself. He wanted to be the star, wanted to be this and that, and as a wise woman once said, ain’t nobody got time for that. No matter, we still have two strong records from him, and yes, I’d say this is a pretty strong record overall. Not perfect, but pretty strong. If you’re into acid rock, film soundtracks (especially rare ones), or you’re a Zappa completist, this is worth having.
Michele, Saturn Rings: Saturn Rings is a studio album by Michele O'Malley, released in 1969 on ABC. Produced by Mike Deasy, Michele is backed here by our very own Lowell George on flute and harmonica, our very own Elliot Ingber on electric guitar, and Bobby Narcoff on electric violin and violas, with Mike Melvoin handling arrangements. Not a well known album, nor is it one I was familiar with prior to this thread. I will say Michele has a nice voice, pleasant on the ears, and there are some occasional flashes of inspiration in the arrangements. As a whole, this reminds me of “Listen To The Flower People” by Spinal Tap. Seriously, this is the most generic hippie dippy crap, the kind that Frank was ripping on with We’re Only In It For The Money. Unless you are a completist, I’d say skip it.
Let me wish a happy 69th birthday to the amazing Tommy Mars, keyboardist for Frank Zappa from 77-82. Following the likes of Don Preston and George Duke is no small task, but boy did Tommy prove up to it. The man is a bunny ears lawyer through and through: a complete kook and a brilliant musician. You can give him just about anything and he’ll be able to play it in his sleep. His mastering of various keyboard and synthesizers is second to none, able to fill the role of three people with his two hands. The synth brass sounds can be pretty dicey in the wrong hands, but hearing what Tommy does with it really makes you see just how good it can be in the right hands. He’s also responsible for helping introduce Frank to several new synth models, which allowed Frank to keep on the cutting edge as we want him. There’s also his role as backing vocalist, bringing back the zaniness of the early Mothers into the modern Zappa aesthetic. In general, I love just his weird energy and sense of exuberance he always projected on stage, perhaps no more evident than in Baby Snakes. Already a great performance and a great band, every time you see Tommy on screen, you see a guy playing with Frank, a man known for expecting the best of his players, deliver exactly that with such ease and have such a blast while doing so. Seeing Tommy on stage reminded me of any time I did something that required a fair bit of me; it don’t come easy as Larry the Dwarf used to say, but it sure is worth it. Simply put, Zappa records like Sheik Yerbouti, Joe’s Garage, and the recent Halloween 77 and 81 sets wouldn’t be the same without Tommy. He was and is a one of a kind human being and artist, one who made the world of Zappa just a little bit more colorful. Happy birthday Tommy and thank you for all you’ve given us.
Thanks. What might also be a hoot (zorn rollo) would be if you drew impressions of certain forum members, how you imagine them, maybe even with their birth dates in consistency with your other ones.
Performance- Original Motion Picture Soundtrack: Performance is a British crime drama film, released August 3, 1970 by Warner Bros. Directed by Donald Cammell and Nicolas Roeg, the film stars James Fox as a London gangster on the run from the law, resulting in him hiding with an eccentric and reclusive rockstar played by Rolling Stones frontman Mick Jagger in his second film. Though filmed in 1968, Warner Bros was reluctant to release the film due to its graphic violence and sex, resulting in its two year delay. Onto the soundtrack! Originally, the plan was for the Stones to do the soundtrack, but due to tensions between Jagger and Richards over rumors that the former and Anita Pallenberg, who was dating Richards, went, shall we say, method for certain scenes, this didn’t happen. Instead, former Spector associate and early Stones keyboardist and arranger Jack Nietzsche produced a soundtrack with multiple artists contributing songs. The core band was made up of Ry Cooder and our very own Lowell George playing guitars, Gene Parsons from The Byrds on drums/guitars, Milt Holland on drums and percussion, Amiyo Das Cupta on sitar, and Bobby West on bass. The featured artists consist of Jagger, Cooder, Nietzsche, Merry Clayton, Randy Newman, and The Last Poets. I first want to apologize for the delay in this review. I did take some of that time to revisit both the album and the movie itself, which can be found on YouTube (though you’ll have to sign in as it’s age-restricted). Overall, it’s a very solid film with some strong acting on Fox’s and particularly Jagger’s part as well as some very striking visuals, especially for the time. As far as the soundtrack itself, it does an extremely effective job of conveying the menace that fills the film. And it helps that it’s a very strong record on its own, with some stellar performances by both the musicians and the guest artists. Plus they got The Last Poets involved, how cool is that? The movie and the album are both strongly recommended, particularly to those with a strong interest in sixties rock and the era.
I saw Performance about 15 years ago or so. Interesting and visually engrossing film for sure, though I wouldn't call what Jagger did "acting" (hedonistic, drug-addled rock star wasn't exactly a stretch). The most surprising thing to me was how graphic it was; if it had been toned down a bit it likely would've been a bigger hit given how massive the Stones were.
Want to wish a Happy Veteran’s Day to everybody! Among those veterans were Frank’s brother Bob as well as Ray White. Here is a picture of Frank with Bob in uniform.
On a sadder note, we’ve lost Frank’s other brother Carl. Hopefully, he, Frank, and Bob are together again.
Ivan Ulz, Ivan The Ice Cream Man: Ivan The Ice Cream Man is the first studio album by singer-songwriter Ivan Ulz, released in 1970 on Stanyon Records. Produced by Wade Alexander, this marks Ulz’s sole studio album before his transition to children’s music. Backing him on here is our very own Lowell George and Roy Estrada on guitar and bass respectively, fellow Little Feat member Bill Payne on keyboards alongside Jerry Trosper, fellow guitarists Jackson Browne (yes, that Jackson Browne), Dick Rosmini, Jim Rubin, and Steve Trosper, fellow bassists Eli Craig and Paul Ruhland, guitarist/bassist Jimmy Smith, and drummer/percussionist Jimmy Brown. This isn’t an easy album to find, so I’m not able to review the entire album as of now. That said, what I have heard is decent if somewhat standard folk rock with some occasional tasty contributions by the members of Little Feat. Fun fact: Neon Park picking up Ivan on the side of the ride and taking him to Lowell’s place was how the two met after Neon did the artwork for Weasels. So thanks, Ivan! For Zappa or Little Feat collectors/completists, it’s worth a look, though it probably won’t have much interest beyond that.
How about a happy birthday for the amazing Ike Willis, guitarist and singer for Frank Zappa who hits the big 6-5 today! Possibly the longest lasting member of the band, Ike was a near constant of Frank’s later career from the minute The Central Scrutinizer took us to Joe’s Garage in 1978 all the way to the final tour in 1988. His boisterous joy and vocal talents virtually always lifted the spirit of any stage he stepped onto, helping many a show feel like a good time even as mind bending as the music could be for both fan and band. With a voice so casual and smooth, he perfectly projected a carefree vibe that would seem to be at odds with the craziness and complexity of Frank’s music, yet it fit like a glove. And as much of a goofball as Ike can be, he can just as easily be touching when given the opportunity, most notably on “Outside Now”. The Zappa band has a well known and well earned reputation for being top notch pros, and was filled with countless brilliant musicians over the years. But just as important as the sense of professionalism was the joy, the laughter, and even, dare I say it, the heart that balanced out the ambition and the sardonic humor. And indeed, you could not help but love Ike or seeing him and Frank goofing around and enjoying each other’s company, which is as always a highlight of the later tours. Even revisiting the recent Halloween 81 set and YCDTOSA Vol 5, the 81/82 band was stellar and really on fire, but it definitely felt weird not having Ike there as it just felt so natural having Ike around by that point. Even when Frank was sick, Ike still made sure to visit him as much as he could, and swore to keep the music alive after Frank was gone. Sure enough, he still does his part to keep that music alive and may he continue doing so. Happy birthday to Ike, may he continue to bless us with his talents and have the best life possible.
Shaky Jake Harris, The Devil's Harmonica: The Devil’s Harmonica is a studio album by blues harmonica player Shaky Jake Harris, released in 1972 on Polydor and Crusade. Produced by Mayall, the album sees Harris backed by Mayall on rhythm and slide guitars and piano, our very own Elliot Ingber on guitar alongside Freddy Robinson, Larry "The Mole" Taylor on bass, and drummers Phil Parker and Ron Selico. Well, what can I say? It’s a damn good slice of electric blues highlighting Harris’ harp skills and vocals. Mole, Parker, and Selico play a nice, dirty feel, and Elliot holds his own with these cats. If you’re into the blues and delta blues, definitely look into this record.
Tret Fure, Tret Fure: Tret Fure is the self-titled debut studio album by singer-songwriter Tret Fure, released in 1973 on UNI Records. Produced by our very own Lowell George, the album sees Fure backed by Lowell on guitar/slide guitar/flute fellow Little Feat members Richie Hayward, Bill Payne, Kenny Gradney, and Sam Clayton in their usual capacities as well as Bonnie Raitt on guitar and backing vocals, Freebo on tuba and fretless bass, Sneaky Pete Kleinow on pedal steel guitar, Van Dyke Parks on piano, Jean Mulligan from Fanny on bass and backing vocals, June Mulligan from Fanny on guitar and backing vocals, and Buell Neidlinger on cello. While singer-songwriter folk isn’t normally my speed, this is actually a pretty decent record. Fure shows herself a strong singer and writer with a capable presence behind the mic, and the musicians likewise provide a complentary support to her songs. Overall, if you’re into this style of music, it’s worth looking into.
It’s November 19th, so I want to remember the incomparable Ray Collins, vocalist and cofounder of The Mothers Of Invention who would have turned 84 today. Simply put, The Mothers as we know them wouldn’t be without Ray. As one of Frank Zappa’s oldest friends and collaborators, it was he who brought Frank into The Soul Giants. Though not naturally inclined to the avant garde that he and the band would become known for, he likely also recognized that bringing Frank on board would bring the band’s game up a notch, and let’s just say that hunch might have been correct. Rooted in the Doo wop and R&B that made up a large portion of both Frank and several other Mothers’ musical DNA, Ray’s swell vocals could do the things that Frank’s couldn’t, bringing a range of expression to Frank’s music. Whereas many of the singers Frank would work with in later years tended to ham it up (not that I’m complaining), Ray was almost ruthlessly deadpan in his delivery, which just furthered highlighted the absurd nature of Frank’s writing and all he observed. Besides his vocal talents, Ray also proved himself a talented songwriter, being one of the few musicians to share writing credits with Frank as well as being able to get his own songs on an album, a feat that no other Zappa or Mothers alumni ever managed. And these tracks would wind up becoming album highlights. “Go Cry On Somebody Else’s Shoulders”, blending the polished beauty of sixties pop and doo wop, the rich arrangements that Frank would become known for, and the sardonic viewpoint that Frank and Ray could both effortlessly express, is easily an album highlight of Freak Out! And then you get to Cruising With Ruben And The Jets, the detour in the midst of Money and Uncle Meat. An affectionate parody of the doo wop music that Frank and many of the other Mothers loved growing up, this is easily Ray’s finest hour. His rich tenor and falsetto vocals are a consistent bright spot on the record, bringing the fun, joy, and the wink and nod that this record just needs. Ray also delivers one more co-write with Frank as well as two songs of his own in “Deseri” and “Anything”. One being a fun rock and roll number that brings a swing and pull to the record, and the other being a tender, heartfelt ballad (with a sublime tenor solo ny Bunk Gardner, might I add), both likewise highlights of the record. If there’s any complaint I could have about Ray, it’s that I wish we could have had more music from Ray Collins. Not even necessarily with Frank or the Mothers, but just to hear more of his voice on, for example, a solo record or with a new group. Ray is sometimes forgotten in the pantheon of Zappa musicians and collaborators, but he shouldn’t be at all. He was among the best we ever had or ever will have and nobody can truly take his place. Happy birthday to the Mother With The Golden Voice himself, may he Rest In Peace.
The Stylistics, The Stylistics: The Stylistics is the self titled debut by Philadelphia soul group The Stylistics, released November 6, 1971 on Avco. Produced by Thom Bell, the album marks a key point in the development of Philly Soul and seventies soul as a whole. Though the Stylistics consisted at this time of Russell Thompkins Jr, Airrion Love,Herb Murrell, James Dunn,and James Smith, only lead singer Thompkins appeared on the album due to Bell’s antipathy towards the other Stylistics. Harmony vocals come instead from Bell, Carl Hamm, Bunny Sigler, Kenny Gamble, and Phil Hurtt as well as The Sigma Sweethearts (Barbara Ingram, Yvette Benton, and Carla Benson). The instrumental lineup on here consists of our very own Robert Martin on French horn alongside Joe DeAngelis and Stephanie Fauber, guitarists Roland Chambers and Norman Harris, pianist/organist Lenny Pakula, trumpeters Rocco Bene and Bobby Hartzell, trombonists Vincent Forchetti, Richard Genevese, and Bob Moore, alto saxophonist and flutist Jack Faith, flutist George Shaw, oboe player Fredric Cohen, harpist Mary Gale, drummer Earl Young, percussionist Vince Montana, conga player Larry Washington, and string players Don Renaldo, Tony Sinagoga, Albert Berone, Rudy Malizia, Angelo Pretrella, Romeo Di Stefano, Charles Apollonia, Davis Barnett, Richard Jones, and Herschel Wise. This is an album I know pretty well giving my fondness for soul music, though I will admit I had no idea until researching Robert for his birthday and for the thread that he had anything to do with this record or a lot of the classic Philly Soul stuff. As if I didn’t look up to him enough. As far as the album itself, I became aware of it through “Betcha By Golly, Wow!” and particularly Prince’s cover. And I still adore that song. It’s a fairly cornball title but such a beautiful love song, one that is just so pure and so wonderfully captures the feeling of falling in love. And it was also Dick Clark’s favorite song apparently, can’t blame him. But even the rest of the record has some great cuts-“Ebony Eyes”, “Point of No Return”, “People Make The World Go Round”. Just a great slice of early seventies soul music and captures the majestic character that would define Philly Soul. For any R&B or soul fan, this is a must have record.
The Stylistics, Round Two: Round Two is the second studio album by The Stylistics, released October 1972 on Avco. Produced again by Thom Bell, the album is best noted for featuring the hit singles "Break Up To Make Up", "I'm Stone In Love With You", and a cover of Dionne Warwick's "You'll Never Get To Heaven (If You Break My Heart)", as well as the album cut "Children Of The Night". Backing the Stylistics on this record are our very own Robert Martin playing French horn alongside Joe DeAngelis and Stephanie Fauber, Bell on piano and harpischord, guitarists Tony Bell, Roland Chambers, Norman Harris, and Eli Tartarsky, Jack Faith on alto sax and flute, Rocco Bene and Bobby Hartzell on trumpets, Richard Genevese, Vincent Forchetti, and Bob Moore on trombones, George Shaw on flute, Fredric Cohen on oboe, Mary Gale on harp, Linda Creed and Barbara Ingram on additional background vocals, Ronnie Baker on bass, Earl Young on drums, Larry Washington on congas, and Vince Montana on percussion. Providing strings on the record are Charles Apollonia, Davis Barnett, Albert Berone, Romeo Di Stefano, Richard Jones, Rudy Malizia, Angelo Pretrella, Don Renaldo, Tony Sinagoga, and Herschel Wise. The album does start on a kind of so-so note with "I'm Stone In Love With You", which feels overly sugary in its melody and lyrics, and fails to give Russell Thompkins, Jr anything to really bite down on, though it is nice that the other Stylistics are actually on the record. That said, the album really starts to pick up with "If You Don't Watch Out", which brings a strong funk backbone into the group's smooth Philly sound to successful results, which is actually fairly close to disco. And remember that this is 1972. This continues into "You And Me" and a cover of "It's Too Late" by Carole King, which gives Carole's sound a funk/soul reinvention and it's pretty cool. And of course, "Children Of The Night" has this epic, almost cinematic atmosphere and is worth highlighting on the record sleeve. Going into Side Two is the Dionne Warwick cover, which is nicely updated for the seventies soul scene. Following it are three more ballad-y type songs, though "Peek-A-Boo" has a stronger backbone to give the album some pick-me-up, and all three are strongly executed. Ending the album is "Pieces", returning to the Philly funk sound that strikes that balance between smooth pop and a tougher urban sound. And it's done exquisitely on "Pieces". As a whole, the album is not quite as good as its predecessor, though its high points hold their own and make this a strong addition to any soul fan's collection.
Good God, Good God: Good God is the self-titled debut by Good God, released in 1972 on Atlantic. Produced by Dennis Wilen, Jay Mark, and Skip Drinkwater, Good God was a progressive rock/jazz fusion group based in Philadelphia consisting of Larry Cardarelli ("Zeno Sparkles") on guitar and vocals, Cotton Kent on piano/electric piano/clavinet/soprano saxophone/marimba/vocals, Greg Scott on alto, soprano, and tenor saxophones and vocals, John Ransome on bass, and Hank Ransome on drums and vocals. The members were Captain Beefheart and allegedly called him up to ask what they should call themselves, with "Good God" being Beefheart's response. On this record, which ultimately ended up being their sole record, they're aided by our very own Robert Martin on French horn, Bob Shemenek on trumpet, and Larry Washington on congas, with Johnny Almond playing tenor saxophone on "Galorna Gavorna" and Bruce Solomon playing trombone on "Fish Eye". From two albums I already knew to one I don't really know, so I'm going in cold once again. That said, I did read up a bit on this of course, so I knew it had a warm regard among prog and fusion fans, and going in, I can see why. The group show themselves to be highly proficient musicians with a very inspired touch throughout the record, both on original cuts as well as their takes on John McLaughlin’s “Dragon Song” as well as Frank’s “King Kong”. Appropriate, then, that one of the musicians on here would end up working with Frank. Definitely worth looking into for any prog or fusion fan, this is an excellent addition to the record collection.
Spinners, Spinners: Spinners is the self-titled third studio album by R&B group The Spinners, released April 1973 on Atlantic. Produced by Thom Bell, this marks the group’s Atlantic debut after leaving Motown as well as their first with Bell. It’s also the first album with the Spinners’ classic lineup consisting of original members Bobby Smith, Henry Fambrough, Billy Henderson, and Pervis Jackson as well as new lead singer Phillipe Wynne, replacing cousin GC Cameron. Although the group had previously scored a hit with “It’s A Shame”, this album would prove to be the group’s breakthrough record, producing their first number one hit in “I’ll Be Around” as well as many of the group’s other big hits. Backing the group is our very own Robert Martin on French horn alongside Joe DeAnglis, Bell on piano, Roland Chambers, Johnny Eli, and Norman Harris on guitars, Jack Faith on alto saxophone and flute, Rocco Bene and Bobby Hartzell on trumpets, Richie Genevese, Freddie Joiner, Eddie Keskarella, and Bobby Moore on trombones, Don Renaldo on strings, Ronnie Baker on bass, Earl Young on drums, Larry Washington on congas and bongos, Vince Montana on vibes and marimba, MFSB for orchestration, and Linda Creed, Carla Benson, Yvette Benton, and Barbara Ingram on backing vocals. My first path to this record was through “I’ll Be Around”, which I first discovered through the cover by What Is This?!, which features members of Chili Peppers, Pearl Jam, and Queens of The Stone Age before any of the bands took off or even existed. It’s a cool cover for what it is, but man, the original version by the Spinners was something truly spectacular. So beautifully executed from its groove and particularly the congas and guitar lick, the hook and Bobby Smith’s vocal. Absolutely adore the song and always have, and when I dug more into soul and realized that the Spinners were a pretty noteworthy group in soul, I went to this album since a lot of the hits were here. “I’ll Be Around” is a classic of course, but then you top it off with the hard driving R&B of “One Of A Kind (Love Affair)”, the bold and dynamic “Just Can’t Get You Out of My Mind”, the big band swing of “Don’t Let The Green Grass Fool You”, and that balancing act of tender strings and dramatic funk that Philly Soul is known for. While the Spinners did produce some quality work on Motown, they weren’t always terribly consistent in their overall output, nor did they always succeed at finding their voice in the scope of Motown as a whole. Here, they find a complimentary producer and songwriter who knew how to play to their strengths as a group and as individuals, as well as a new member who ended up fitting like a glove in Phillipe Wynne. Of course, any soul fan should have this record, an absolute classic in the genre that highlights the Spinners at their best.
