10 years with the MOTHERS
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MOTHERS NO. 1: Zappa, Ray Collins, Jimmy Carl Black, Roy Estrada, Elliott Ingber, plus such temporary members as Henry Vestine (later of Canned Heat), Jim Fielder (later of Buffalo Springfield), Alice Stuart (later of the Alice Stuart group),Jim Guercio (later Chicago's producer), Van Dyke Parks (later of the cosmos), and Jeanne from 1964 to 1966, this is the Freak Out group; as Ms. Creamcheese noted, "One guys wears beads and they all smell bad."
MOTHERS NO. 2: Zappa, Cotlins, Black, Estrada, Don P~~eston, Bunk, Gardner ,Jim Sherwood~ Billy Mundi Together in 1966 67 tjiis is the group that cut Absolutely Free in California d then sp4it to New York for the historic six-month engagement at the Garrick Theate~,-wherethéy got r~views.worsé than anyone since the Eugs.
MOTHERS NO. 5: Zappa, Undervtoood, Aynsley Dunbar, George Duke, and Mark Volman and Howard Kaylan (Flo and Eddie), with such temporary members as Jeff Simmons, Don Preston and-r Ruth Underwood. This was 1970-71resulting in Chunga's Revenge and the film/ 200 Mi
LTHE SOLO ZAPPA: During 1969-70, Frank was omg it alone, if tou can ounta solo albuin (Hot Rats) with Underwood, Sugarcane, Harrjs~Max. Bennett, Johri,Guerin, Paul Humphrey,~bnSe1icö,.Captain Beefheart, Jean Luc Ponty and Shuggy Otis as being"atone." During~th.is period, he also organized .`his'Bizarre and Straight labels. He prodUeed albums.for Alice Cooper (their first), Captain Beefheart, Wild..Man Fischer, and his old pals the. GTO's.
MOTHERS NO. 3: Zappa, Collins, £latk, Estrada, Preston, Gardner; Sherwood, Mundi, and Ian Underwood. They were together for but part of 1967, the result being We're Only InltJor the Money. When this.group'made its EngS§f:debut . at the Royal Albert Hall with ten musicians from the London Symphony, the classical musicians, according to Zappa, "became nauseous and wept." This was also the period when Frank cut his first solo album, Lumpy Gravy, which was finally released in May 1968.
MOTHERS NO. 6: Zappa, Underwood ' ‘ ‘ «Kayian, y ■, Preston; i Pons. The 1971, the4&? are Fillmor East and Just Ano ther Band Froh L.A., Zappa also had the solo Waka Marquez, Sneaky Pete Kleiribw, Erroneous, Janet Ferguson, Ken ShroyerMike w Altschuf, 6Hl \ Byers, Joel Peskin, and Chris Peterson.
stance from ie leader of Little Feat "Gridina! Mothers'" Cruisin' Witfi R uben -ncle Meat, Burnt Ween Weasels RippadTMy .Flesh between J 967
MOTHERS NO. 8: As with the last group, there,was an album (Apostrophe) with this 1973-74 aggregation, plustwo additional groups, one for an,an American tour and one for a European tour,. Joining*rank on the album were Preston, Bruce Fowler, Jim Gordon, Guerin, Dunbar, Jack Bruce, Erroneous, Harris, Ponty, Marquez, Ray Collins, Kerry McNabb, Susie Glover, Debbie, Lynn, Ruben Ladron De Guevara, Robert "Frog" Camarena, and Duian. ' i M
ON TV
Frank Zappa receives the Establishment Seal of Approval as mystery guest on What's My Line? Soupy Sales finally guesses his identity, but the dazed half-smiles of Arlene Francis & Co. clearly betray the question on their minds: “Who the fuck is Frank Zappa?”
ueSwoysr, Dursh; Earl Oumtet1 ' Malcolm and Joanne McNab, Tony ; Batman (_)rtega,,JorinnyRotel!3, Fred; Jackson, Ernie Tack, Bob Zimmitti,, /Vlarl Estes, Chunkycirvd Ftnie Watts. : During this time, laere Was also a l|f| European four and an American tour — both with different bands, some members of which had played on the album,, plus some who hadn't. 'Over-Nite Sensation soon followed. ^
MOTHERS NO. 9: And here we are in 1974, with a road group of Ruth Underwood, Tom Fowler, George Duke, Napo 1 eon Brock, Chester Thompsori and the most recent album Zappa/Mothers Roxy & Elsewhere, which also includes Bruce Fowler, Ralph Humphrey, Don Preston, 1 Walt Fowler and Jeff Simmons. ' -
