From: AJ Wilkes <u6n71[at]keele.ac.uk>
Subject: Re: Recording timetable
Date: 1998/08/14
Message-ID: <6r2i8q$379$1[at]cfs2.kis.keele.ac.uk>
Distribution: world
Sender: AJ Wilkes <u6n71[at]jabez.kis.keele.ac.uk>
References: <6r2i6i$2i7$1[at]cfs2.kis.keele.ac.uk>
Newsgroups: alt.fan.frank-zappa


This document details the recording sessions from 1965 through to 1980 and
the material that was recorded at these sessions. Most of it is information
from liner notes and a few reliable books - some of it is educated
guesswork. The books used during the construction of this timetable were
'Miles - A Visual Documentary' and 'Zappa: Electric Don Quixote'. To keep
warm during this process, I burned a copy of Michael Gray's 'Mother'.

The one interesting piece of information (yes, only one) I deduced from this
project was the reason for releasing an album as being by The Mothers or
under Zappa's own name. The solo albums (Chunga's Revenge, Apostrophe') were
recorded at various times and didn't necessarily feature the current band
all the way through, whereas by contrast something like Overnite Sensation
was a collection of the touring band's repertoire at that time.

The two problem albums I found were Burnt Weeny Sandwich and Apostrophe' -
more on these later.

If you have anything to add to this, or think there are errors, email them
to:

u6n71[at]keele.ac.uk

After FZ built the recording studio in his basement during 79-80, he could
record at any time he liked - which means it's almost impossible to
determine when the later albums were constructed. Much of it is live
material, often basic live tracks overdubbed in the studio. A track could be
worked on over a long period of time with not all of the band members
necessarily present - an example, it being difficult to pinpoint when Chad
Wackerman overdubbed the drum tracks on Money, Ruben and various other
songs.

Layout is "date - studio - material recorded" - individual songs have their
destination album following in brackets.



Nov 65-Jan 66: Sunset Highland Studios, LA
    The majority of Freak Out.

Mar 66: Sunset Highland Studios, LA
    The Return Of The Son Of Monster Magnet (Freak Out)

Nov 66: MGM Studios, NYC
    Absolutely Free, during four 6 hour sessions.

Dec 66: Capitol Studios, LA
    The orchestral parts from Lumpy Gravy and We're Only In It For The
Money.

Feb 67: Apostolic, NYC
    Non-orchestral Lumpy Gravy tracks.

Aug-Sep 67: Mayfair Studios, NYC
    We're Only In It For The Money.
    The Big Squeeze (Lost Episodes)

Oct 67-Feb 68: Apostolic Studios, NYC
(The below were recorded at various times during this five month period)
    We're Only In It For The Money.
    Cruisin' with Ruben and the Jets.
    Uncle Meat.
    Handsome Cabin Boy/Wedding Dress Song (Lost Episodes)
    Oh No (Weasel's Ripped My Flesh)
    Dwarf Nebula Processional March/Dwarf Nebula (Weasel's Ripped My
Flesh)

Mar-April 68: Sunset Studios, LA
    Uncle Meat continued.

1969, month unknown: Thee Image, Miami
    2nd half of Toads Of The Short Forest (Weasel's Ripped My Flesh)

1969, month unknown: Criteria Studios, Miami
    My Guitar Wants To Kill Your Mama (Weasel's Ripped My Flesh)
    German Lunch (YCDTOSA#5)

1969, month unknown: A&R Studios
    My Guitar Wants To Kill Your Mama (alternate version - YCDTOSA#5)
    Eric Dolphy Memorial Barbecue (Weasel's Ripped My Flesh)

Aug-Sep 1969: Whitney Studios, Glendale + TT&G, LA + Sweet Sound, LA
    1st half of Toads Of The Short Forest (Weasel's Ripped My Flesh)
    Lil' Clanton Shuffle (Lost Episodes)
    Overture To A Holiday In Berlin (Burnt Weeny Sandwich)
    Directly From My Heart To You (Weasel's Ripped My Flesh)
    Twenty Small Cigars (Chunga's Revenge)
    All songs for Hot Rats album.
    Basic tracks for Excentrifugal Forz (Apostrophe')

NB: Remainder of Burnt Weeny Sandwich material was recorded during the
sessions between October 67 and September 69 - there is no studio
information on this album.

Spring 70: Record Plant, Hollywood
    Sharleena (Lost Episodes)
    Chunga's Revenge and Transylvania Boogie (Chunga's Revenge)

Late Jun 70: Trident Studios, London
    All six vocal tracks to be used on Chunga's Revenge.

NB: The material recorded at Trident was possibly worked on later in the
summer at The Record Plant, but this isn't 100% certain.

Feb 71: Pinewood Film Studios, UK
    200 Motels album material recorded during five days of filming.

Apr-May 71: Whitney Studios, Glendale
Overdubs on 200 Motels album material.

Spring 72: Paramount Studios, LA
    All material recorded for The Grand Wazoo and Waka/Jawaka albums.
    Wonderful Wino (Lost Episodes - overdubbed later)
    Uncle Remus (Apostrophe' - overdubbed later)

Sep 72: Electric Ladyland Studios, LA
    Apostrophe' (Apostrophe', surprisingly)
    Down In De Dew (Lather - only drum track survives from this session)

Mar-Apr 73: Bolic Sound, Inglewood + Whitney Studios, Glendale + Paramount
Studios, LA
    All material recorded for Overnite Sensation album.
    Canard Du Jour (Shut Up n Play Yer Guitar - most likely recording
date)
    RDNZL and Inca Roads (Lost Episodes)
    For the Young Sophisticate (Lather)
    Cosmik Debris and Uncle Remus overdubs (Apostrophe')

Jan-Feb '74: The Record Plant, LA + Bolic Sound, Inglewood + Paramount
Studios, LA
    200 Years Old, Cucamonga and intro to Muffin Man (Bongo Fury)
    Possibly overdubs on material recorded at the Roxy, which includes:
        parts of Penguin in Bondage, Pygmy Twylyte, Dummy Up,
Village Of The Sun, Echidna's Arf, Don't You Ever..., Cheepnis, and BeBop
Tango.

NB: The remaining material for Apostrophe' (Yellow Snow suite and Stinkfoot)
would have been recorded in either of the above two periods, but it's
difficult to narrow it down further - for example, the Yellow Snow suite was
recorded with a variant of the Overnite Sensation band, pointing towards the
73 sessions. However, the live arrangement played on the 73 tour differs
greatly to the Apostrophe arrangement. If it was recorded in early 74, was
Chester Thompson involved? As with the 80s material, it could have been
worked on at various times, allowing for example Sal Marquez and Napoleon
Murphy Brock to appear on the same track - whether this happens, I haven't
checked.

May-July: Bolic Studios, Inglewood + Paramount Studios, Hollywood
    Mixing and possibly more overdubs on material destined for the Roxy
& Elsewhere album.

6-7 Aug 1974: Culver City Studios
    Material for Dub Room Special recorded. Basic tracks from Inca Roads
and Florentine Pogen would wind up on the One Size Fits All album.

Dec 74-Mar 75: Caribou Studios, Colorado + Record Plant, LA + Paramount
Studios, LA
    All material recorded for One Size Fits All album.
    A Little Green Rosetta (Lather)
    Sleep Dirt, Regyptian Strut, Flambay, Time Is Money and Spider Of
Destiny (Sleep Dirt)
    Greggery Peccary, Revised Music, RDNZL (Studio Tan)

17-18 Sep 75 - Royce Hall, UCLA
    Material for Orchestral Favourites recorded during rehearsals.

May-Jun 76: Record Plant, LA
    All material recorded for Zoot Allures album.
    Filthy Habits, The Ocean Is The Ultimate Solution (Sleep Dirt)
    Bass overdubs on Flambay and Spider Of Destiny (Sleep Dirt)
    Lemme Take You To The Beach (Studio Tan)

Mid 77: Record Plant, LA
    Overdubs on Zappa In New York material, possibly including but not
necessarily limited to: percussion on The Black Page, guitar solo on The
Purple Lagoon, and various guitar overdubs on Punky's Whips, Cruisin' for
Burgers, Big Leg Emma and Sofa.

NB: The distorted guitar sound on The Purple Lagoon solo was a Pignose amp
recorded in a studio - similar to the one on the Overnite Sensation
material. This guitar sound was not present on the concert tape I heard from
28/12/76, and so either a) all distorted guitars were overdubbed later, or
b) the concert guitar sound was run through various effects in the studio to
beef it up a little. I think that in concert there was no guitar during
Punky's Whips until the solo finale, a la Lather version, so this points to
the rest being overdubs too.

Spring 78: Village recorders, LA
    All overdubs on Sheik Yerbouti material.

Spring 79: Village Recorders, LA + Ken-Dun Studios, LA
    All material recorded for Joe's Garage albums.
    Overdubs on Canarsie (Shut Up n Play Yer Guitar)

Late 79: Ocean Way Recorders, Hollywood
    I Don't Wanna Get Drafted (Lost Episodes)

Late 79/Early 80: UMRK
    While You Were Out and Stucco Homes (Shut Up n Play Yer Guitar)

Summer 80: UMRK
    All material for You Are What You Is album.
    Fine Girl and beginning of Easy Meat (Tinseltown Rebellion)
    



That's as far as it goes, boys and girls - the only thing I know of that
hasn't been accounted for is The Clap (Chunga's Revenge); and as the man
said to his doctor - who needs The Clap?



Version 1.0: 15th August 1998

(what's the odds there'll be a version 2?...)