January 15, 1985
57 min.
UK TV
46 min.
Interview and some rock videos.
I think this refers to the MUSIC BOX special (british video channel, now defunct) aired from the EMI studios in the U.K. Most videos are unrelated to FZ (maybe theme related). Interview is very interesting, very european. FZ talks about classical music, nuclear war, how business will prevent wars (at least in his opinion), distribution deal with EMI, lawsuits against Warner and CBS, (supposedly) hatred in the rest of the world vs. non-hatred in the US (how about the blacks? 'You have to ask them').
August 13, 1985
CNN
36 min.
Larry King interviews FZ on the PMRC issue. FZ talks about the old Mothers suing him, John Lennon, Beatles songs he likes.
YouTube: Frank Zappa on Larry King Live Part 1 August 13, 1985 (09:14 min.) · Part 2 (10:00 min.)
August 24, 1985
KABC
5 min.
Hosted by Cynthia Allison and Steve Edwards. Short report on the PMRC issue, with interviews to Susan Baker, Casey Kasem, Ronnie James Dio and FZ. Includes a short clip of "Whipping Post" from the Does Humor Belong In Music? video.
YouTube: Hollywood Closeup August 24, 1985 (04:48 min.)
August 26, 1985
CBS TV
33 min.
FZ and Kandy Stroud debate live about Porn Rock, with an introductory report which includes comments by Smokey Robinson, and later an interview with Dr. Thomas Radecki ("Natl. Coalition on TV Violence"), psychiatrist.
The first time I got involved with the PMRC issue was when I debated Kandy Stroud in Washington, D.C., on CBS Nightwatch in August 1985. It was supposed to be a one-hour taped debate in front of a live audience (which happened to include Stroud's young children, listening raptly as Mom recited the familiar litany of "oral sex at gunpoint," etc., etc.).
YouTube: Nightmatch - Part 1 (09:50 min.) · Part 2 (09:58 min.) · Part 3 (09:56 min.) · Part 4 (02:25 min.)
September 9, 1985
CNN
11 min.
FZ interviewed about the PMRC issue and the Senate hearings
YouTube: CNN "Take Two" August 25, 1985 (09:57 min.)
September 13, 1985
ABC TV
20 min.
Hosted by Ted Koppel. FZ (from Los Angeles), Kandy Stroud (from Washington) and Donny Osmond (from Los Angeles) debate about Porn Rock, with an introductory report by Jeff Greenfield which includes various musical clips and taped declarations by Susan Baker ("Parents' Music Resource Ctr"), Nat Hentoff ("Journalist"), Jeff Ling ("Parents' Music Resource Ctr"), FZ and Donny Osmond.
Ted Koppel leads a debate with FZ, Donny Osmond and Candy Stroud from the PMRC, on the subject of record labelling.
YouTube: Nightline - Part 1 (09:42 min.) · Part 2 (09:47 min.) · Part 3 (09:48 min.)
September 18, 1985
CBS
9 min.
FZ debates Sen. John Danforth on "Porn Rock" from Washington, D.C.
YouTube: CBS Morning News, September 18, 1985 (8:44 min.)
September 19, 1985
Senate Commerce, Technology and Transportation Committee
CSPAN TV
33 min.
FZ's testimony with comments and questions by Sen. John Danforth (R-Missouri, Committee Chairman), Sen. J. James Exon (D-Nebraska), Sen. Albert Gore, Jr. (D-Tennessee), Sen. Slade Gorton (R-Washington), Sen. Ernest F. Hollings (D-South Carolina) and Sen. Paula Hawkins (R-Florida).
Finally on September 19, 1985, the Senate Commerce, Technology and Transportation Committee held a day of highly publicized hearings to discuss the PMRC's proposal.
Hearings on rock lyrics. FZ appears for 33 min. There are 4 hours, 6 minutes of hearings available.
YouTube: Record Lyric Labeling - Part 1 (09:40 min.) · Part 2 (08:33 min.) · Part 3 (08:17 min.) · Part 4 (07:04 min.)
September 19, 1985
PBS TV
8 min.
Frank, Tipper Gore and Susan Baker discuss censorship.
September 26, 1985
ABC TV
14 min.
Hosted by Regis & Kathy Lee. FZ debates Rick Rizzi on rock lyrics controversy.
YouTube: Zappa ABC Morning Show September 26, 1985 Part 1 (9:47 min.) · Part 2 (4:21 min.)
September 29, 1985
KOMO TV, Seattle, WA
51 min.
Frank at KOMO studios, Susan Baker in Washington with live studio audience discussing record ratings
October 2, 1985
PSA
about 8 of them, 8 min.
October 28-November 1, 1985
USA TV
5 episodes, from 7 to 13 min.
Frank co-hosts for the week, introduces videos (USA TV)
Radio 1990 was a thirty-minute program during primetime that ran on weekdays on USA network. A lot of the things seen on Night Flight were also shown on Radio 1990 like music videos and musician interviews. The program ran somewhere in the 1982 to 1986 time frame and was hosted by Lisa Robinson and Kathryn Kinley. Apparently Lisa Robinson was the original host and then became an interviewer/reporter after Kathryn Kinley was brought in.
The show also had musical guests help host the show and in August of 1985, Paul Stanley of KISS fame, was a co-host for an entire week.
October 31, 1985
WPVI-TV
17 min.
Interview with Frank Zappa & Kal Rudman (Music Forecaster) on the subject of censorship and the Senate hearings, with questions from the studio audience and some phone calls.
YouTube: Part 1 (9:07 min.) · Part 2 (7:56 min.)
November, 1985
WWHT Ch 68, Newark; WSNL TV Ch 67, Smithtown
26 min.
Bill Roller interviews FZ on rock 'n roll censorship. Introduction by Dr Demento.
YouTube: Frank Zappa Channel 68 Bill Roller Part 1 (09:22 min.) · Part 2 (09:33 min.) · Part 3 (07:24 min.)
December 8, 1985
MTV
20 min.
Broadcast from Frank's basement. He introduces videos for a battle-of-the-bands type contest. Franks clips = 19 min., entire show = 63 min.
January 5, 1986
KHJ-TV, LA
20 min.
FZ ("National Treasurer") discusses porn rock lyrics with Jim Hodson ("Prod./Host. Real Videos") and Norma Downs ("California State PTA Communications Comm."). Hosted by Roberta Weintraub.
Frank debates with two women and a Christian rock DJ about the PMRC. Frank seems very pissed here, and one of the women seems to constantly give Frank an ugly look. Frank is censored out for discussing Prince wanting to sing a song about someone "jerking off" with a magazine.
Frank's super reads "Frank Zappa - National Treasurer." He appears with a christian rock video producer and 2 concerned ladies. I have a vhs copy of this show taped when it aired.
YouTube: School Beat, January 5, 1986 - Part 1 (08:48 min.) · Part 2 (07:01 min.) · Part 3 (04:45 min.)
February 14, 1986
Maryland State Senate
On February 14, 1986, the Maryland State Senate Judiciary Committee held a hearing on a bill proposed by delegate Judith Toth to modify the existing state pornography statute so as to include records, tapes and CDs. (...) I was able to acquire video tape of the State Senate proceedings in 1987, just as I was editing together the first of the Honker Home Video projects. I decided to combine parts of my testimony with the actual statements made by Ms. Toth and Delegate Owens in a way that would dramatize the issue, and included this in a one-hour show called Video from Hell.
c. 1986
Unidentified Maryland TV
The show [Video From Hell] ends with me talking over the credits, in an interview with a Maryland TV station, giving the final chapter to this silly story [the Maryland State Senate Hearings].
March 8, 1986
Playboy Channel TV
8 min.
Playboy video magazine. Subject is censorship. 1987 re-broadcast.
YouTube: Playboy Interview (06:03 min.)
March 14, 1986
Episode #60048 "Payback" AKA: Episode #41 (Season 2, episode 19)
NBC TV
48 min.
FZ guests as "Mario Fuentes"
Featured Music: Sly & Robbie- Bass and Trouble, INXS- Three Sisters, Chris Isaak- Dancin', X- Soul Kitchen.
Someone sets up Crockett while he and Tubbs work with a govt agent to set up a reclusive drug dealer played by FZ. Incorrect sources list the air date as March 13, 1985.
Franks appearance = 5 minutes, entire show = 48 min.
I remember seeing the last bit of this episode, I think it was the only one I ever did see. I was flipping channels and there was Frank, playing some drug lord-type. All I remember is that at the end, he was forced to jump from a boat into the water (they couldn't arrest him for some reason). I think he went in holding his nose. He didn't do that great a job of acting, but then, neither did Don Johnson.
I have a copy of it. Roberto Duran (the boxer) plays a guy that blows his head off in the first scene. Zappa talks about coke as "weasel dust" and jumps off a boat holding his nose. He looked great.
At a 1990 press conference in Prague, Frank said the producers of the show offered him the part but he initially turned them down (didn't say why). But then Dweezil, who was a big fan of the show at the time--it's OK, he was still pretty young--was really disappointed that Frank turned it down, so Frank called back and accepted the part.
Miami Vice was shown here in Germany on tv, too. Here all non-german films were aired with new german dialog, so everyone is able to understand the action. If the film is produced in stereo, and IIRC MV is stereo, then only the german language is listenable. Foreign films in mono are sometimes available with the original language, too. You can switch between the languages.
I found the german translation of "weasel dust" very funny, ("Wieselstaub") because I think this expression sounds very "Zappa" to me, and they made a word by word translation of this.
RERUN DATES:
Fri 2/26/99 FX 2pm cst
Thu 3/22/01 TNN 6pm and 11pm cst, 7pm est
Thu 10/11/01 TNN 3:00pm est
Thu 10/11/01 TNNW 6:00pm est
Fri 10/12/01 TNN 2:00am est
Fri 10/12/01 TNNW 5:00am est
Mon 3/11/02 TNN 2:00AM
Additional informants: Robbert Heederik, mikedp, Furbelly, Xavier Onassis, jaco0g
March 28, 1986
CNN TV
21 min.
Hosts: Tom Braden & Robert Novak
Guests: John Lofton (Washington Post) & Frank
Zappa (Musician)
A CNN show called Crossfire covered the PMRC topic twice with me as a guest, the first time in 1985 (when I told that guy from The Washington Times to kiss my ass), and then again in 1987.
really amusing debate with John Lofton
FZ's Crossfire appearance is tough to out-do. He provided a little more substance than [Jon] Stewart [on his October 15, 2004 appearance], and obviously his "kiss my ass" comment was beautiful. Anybody know if a video of this exists anywhere?
The video can be seen at <http://www.ifilm.com/ifilmdetail/2658805>.
April 3, 1986
NBC TV
10 min.
Original Airdate: 04-03-1986
Host: Johnny Carson
Announcer: Ed McMahon
Conductor: Doc Severinsen
Director: Bobby Quinn
Guests: Zappa, Frank; Davis, DorothyFrank Zappa--Censorship, wanting to be introduced as a national treasure, testifying on censorship committee trying to censor explicit lyrics on records, PMRC
If Gail wants to smoke the tapes, it's STILL her business, right or wrong.
Unless someone passes a bill in congress, declaring Zappa's recordings a "national treasure" ... and have them carried off to the Smithsonian.
FZ actually referred to himself as a national treasure once. It was on the Late Show with Johnny Carson, though, so he might have been kidding...
Additional informant: computeruser
Scan from Eric Peterson's ZIRP
April 6, 1986
ABC TV
14 min.
Frank and 3 others on a Q&A panel about censorship.
August 14, 1986
Lifetime Television
18 min.
Hosted by Joan Lunden. FZ talks about his children's careers and names, and about the PMRC and record labeling issue.
YouTube: Mother's Day with Joan Lunden - Part 1 (07:48 min.) · Part 2 (09:58 min.)
November 21, 1986
(also listed as November 26, 1986)
FOX TV
10 min.
Hosted by Joan Rivers
FZ talks about the names of his sons and AIDS, with Chuck Norris and a disguised guy in attendance.
Joan Rivers was guest hosting, and during her monologue she made some lame jokes about the names Dweezil and Moon Unit. When he finally came on, the first thing he did was chastise her for making fun of his children's names - basically that it's rude, and that she should consider their feelings. Don't remember much more than that. He did not perform.
Do you at least remember Joan's response?
She apologized! He put her on the spot and embarrassed her for using his kid's names as fodder for jokes. It was awkward and hilarious - especially if, like me, you don't much care for Joan Rivers.
She just made some corny comment on the opening of the show. The audience didn't even laugh, it was really a dorky comment about Dweezil's name or something like that. Her writers should know better than that, because that was tried once before on Johnny Carson when some young brat pack actor -- I can't remember who it was -- went on there and started making fun of Dweezil's name and got a real negative reaction from the audience. Some people might think that that's really funny. But Dweezil ain't no joke, not his name or his person.
YouTube: The Late Show with Joan Rivers, November 21, 1986 (09:42 min.)
December 19, 1986
Sigma TV
January 15, 1987
Honker Home Video/MPI #MP 4001
62 min.
Details from: http://catalog.loc.gov/
Type of Material: Moving Image or Slide/Transparency
Brief Description: Bunny, bunny, bunny / director, Frank Zappa. 1987. 1 videocassette of 1 (VHS) : sd., col. ; 1/2 in. viewing copy.
Author on © Application: director: Frank Zappa; spoken text, performance: Frank Zappa, employer for hire of Lala Sloatman, Kyle Richards & Moon Zappa.
I think it's a play performed by Moon and some friends.
A friend of mine told me today, when I asked him about this, that it is mentioned on the liner notes of "Video From Hell" as an upcoming release, and is something that Moon shot.
From my memory this is a Video title that was to be released on Honker Home Video. Buny Buny Buny was not the only title to never be released. Of the top of my head there was another release with Al malkin and American Disadent rings a bell. I'd have to go back and look at my HHV releases. Something is written on one of the boxes but from my memory BBB was a project that Moon was involved in. I never heard of anyone actually having it.
Another video project is 'Bunny, Bunny, Bunny', which is loosely described as a punk version of the absurdist style of theater developed by dramatist and playwright Eugene [Ionesco], and is supposedly based around a conversation between three Valley girls. Although this project has been completed, we understand that for some mysterious reason, it will probably not be released to the public.
Additional informant: Charles Ulrich
June 13, 1987
CNN TV
22 min.
Hosts: Peter Gemma & Michael Kinsley
Guests: Jeff Ling (PMRC) &
Frank Zappa (Rock Musician)
A CNN show called Crossfire covered the PMRC topic twice with me as a guest, the first time in 1985 (when I told that guy from The Washington Times to kiss my ass), and then again in 1987, when George Michael's sex song was 'controversial.' Believe it or not, ladies and gentlemen, the premise of that second debate on Crossfire was (don't laugh) "Does Rock Music Cause AIDS?", with an opening bumper that included clips from Mr. Michael's video.
FZ debates record labeling with Jeff Ling of the PMRC. The video can be seen at <http://www.ifilm.com/ifilmdetail/2664570>.
Also: Crossfire, June 13, 1987 - Part 1 (10:00 min.) · Part 2 (10:06 min.)
June 28, 1987
MTV
4 min.
FZ talks about the difference between the old and the new executives from the record industry, a camp to control children behaviour called Back In Control and the new PMRC strategy promoting safe sex.
YouTube: The Cutting Edge (04:17 min.)
August 7, 1987
KHJ TV
43 min.
Frank and four others discuss numerous topics.. 1st gen.
c. 1987
3 min.
September 15, 1987 / January 15, 1988
100 min.
Unknown date (1988?)
5 min.
Interviews with FZ, Pamela DesBarres, Cynthia Plaster Caster and some other people talking about groupies.
YouTube: Groupies (04:43 min.)
February 2, 1988
Palace Theater, Albany, NY
FZ--lead guitar, vocals
Ike Willis--guitar, vocals
Scott Thunes--bass
Ed Mann--percussion
Chad Wackerman--drums
Mike Keneally--guitar, keyboards, vocals
Bobby Martin--keyboards, vocals
Bruce Fowler--trombone
Walt Fowler--trumpet
Albert Wing--sax
Paul Carman--sax
Kurt McGettrick--sax, clarinet
February 4, 1988
Beacon Theatre, NYC, NY
130 min., audience recording
Setlist informant: Chris Rigas
February 12, 1988
Tower Theatre, Upper Darby, PA
30 min.
Soundcheck and rehearsal, includes about 30 minute soundboard feed. From a 1st generation dub made before the masters were given to FZ.
FZ solo incl Watermelon In Easter Hay, FZ tries out tonight's loops, Sleep Dirt, Sofa, Girl From Ipanema, Zoot Allures
February 14, 1988
Tower Theatre, Upper Darby, PA
Colonial Instructional Television, PA
26 min.
FZ interviewed by Chuck Ash, from the Pennsylvania State Police, on stage at the Tower Theatre. FZ talks about the 1988 tour, the 1988 band, the auditions, music radio, drugs, how he started his vote registration campaign in 1971, mail order, his next releases, and the plot for his movie project about Mummers. Includes some scenes from the Tower Theatre soundcheck (including "Zoot Allures" and "Sofa") and Baby Snakes. See also Talking With Frank Zappa (1981).
YouTube: Talking With Frank Zappa . . . Some More - Part 1 (09:49 min.) · Part 2 (09:54 min.) · Part 3 (05:45 min.)
February 19, 1988
[It] shows a little footage (at the beginning and ending of the clip) of the band performing "The Black Page" at the February 19, 1988 Orpheum Theatre concert. It also shows an interview with Frank Zappa backstage after (or before?) the concert.
(...) At the beginning (...) the Freak Out song "You're Probably Wondeirng Why I'm Here" is set to people walking into the Orpheum Theatre. (...) In addition to Frank Zappa's backstage interview and "The Black Page" excerpt the clip also shows an interviewer asking random people if they thought a lot of people registered to vote during the concert that wouldn't register at city hall.
Here's what Frank said over the vamp of "The Black Page" at the beginning of the clip:
"We have a project to get people to register to vote and so we have provided for your convenience some tables in the lobby where you can register easily and comfortably here at the concert. The first part of the show is about an hour and then we take a half an hour intermission and you can go back out there in the lobby and if you didn't register on the way in you can do it."
February 26, 1988
Royal Oak Music Theatre, Detroit, MI
Frank specifically put "When The Lie's So Big" and "Jesus Thinks You're A Jerk" at the beginning of the set because ABC News was taping the beginning of the show and he wanted to get that stuff in.
March 5, 1988
ABC TV
3 min.
Hosted by Barry Serafin
March 5, 1988
Music Hall, Cleveland, OH
120 min. (Poor first 20min, frequent obstructions)
Black Page No.2, Dickie's Such An Asshole, When The Lie's So Big, Planet Of The Baritone Women, Any Kind Of Pain, Texas Motel (Norwegian Jim, Lousiana Hooker w/ Herpes, Strawberry Fields), Jesus Thinks You're A Jerk, Sofa, Let's Move To Cleveland, Packard Goose, King Kong (synclavier variations), I Am The Walrus, Andy, Inca Roads, Peaches En Regalia, Stairway To Heaven, Sharleena, Let's Make The Water Turn Black
One of the slightly better (but only slightly) audience recordings from the 88 tour.
Primary informant: Chris Rigas
YouTube: I Am The Walrus (03:10 min.)
March 6, 1988
Veterans Memorial Auditorium, Columbus, OH
It finally dawned on Frank after it got to be about 5:30 or so that there was no [name deleted]. That was upsetting to Frank because this was the night that the "60 Minutes" crew was supposed to come around. (...)
On to the show...it started out with some local luminary, while we were vamping "Black Page", giving Frank some kind of plexiglass-looking award thing, and dubbing him the honorary Secretary of State of Ohio, and the audience went entirely nuts. The "60 Minutes" guys were roaming the stage; they were also taping the rehearsal, so that stuff about [name deleted] not showing up might end up on CBS. But the cameramen were roaming the stage and it seemed like they just couldn't get enough of me, every time I turned around they had their cameras trained on me. I don't know what that was about.
To top it off, CBS' 60 Minutes had a camera crew recording the night for a future broadcast.
March 28, 1988
CBS TV
6 min.
Interview by Harry Smith
I see [the This Morning live footage was] labelled in the Videography as being from 3/6/88 Columbus.
However, I think it is actually from the first show of the tour, 2/2/88 Albany. Two reasons: FZ is heard commenting "Did you miss me?" at the start of his remarks during the Black Page vamp, which I believe only happened at the Albany show. Also, all songs shown in the clip were performed at Albany, but two ("Dickie's" and "Packard Goose") were not in the Columbus show.
Additional informat: Brian Lagerman
YouTube: CBS This Morning (06:01 min.)
c. May 1, 1988
14 min.
FZ talks about the repertoire of the tour, the new LSO album, the remixes for CD release of the old albums, the PMRC and Dweezil's career.
YouTube: Nightflight Scandinavia - Part 1 (06:40 min.) · Part 2 (05:21 min.)
April 11, 1988
SFB1, Germany
2 min.
I believe this to be the footage which was aired by a local german tv station (SFB1 in Berlin, evening news 'Abendschau', running time: 2:10) on 04-11-88 when FZ arrived at Tegel airport prior to his concert (04-12-88, Deutschlandhalle). Some footage from 1968 is included plus other concert clips.
April 19, 1988
Wembley Stadium, London, UK
BBC interview in the dressing room
April 26, 1988
Olympen, Lund, Sweden
110 min., audience recording
Black Page, Dickie's Such an Asshole, Stick Together, My Guitar Wants to Kill Your Mama, Willie the Pimp, Montana, City of Tiny Lites, Pound for a Brown on the Bus, The Dangerous Kitchen, What's New in Baltimore, Outside Now, Eat that Question, Black Napkins, Disco Boy, Teenage Wind, Bamboozled by Love, Cruising for Burgers, Bolero, I am the Walrus, Illinois Enema Bandit, Stairway to Heaven
Setlist informant: Chris Rigas
c. May 8, 1988
Vienna, Austria
(probably)
Rudi Dolezal interviews FZ
May 8, 1988
Stadthalle, Vienna, Austria
75 minutes, aud. rec.
Half the show only.
Songs: Black Page, Eat That Question, Black Napkins, Trouble Every Day, Penguin in Bondage, Hot Plate Heaven, Peaches en Regalia, Stairway to Heaven, Sharleena, Montana, City of Tiny Lites, Whipping Post
There are also audience vidos of various 1988 gigs such as Vienna, and a few German shows. Quality varies, but Vienna is OK.
5-8 Vienna, Austria. Single shot audience. And sometimes the roof of the hall... and the colour goes "Now you see it - now you don't".
I have reviewed the list songs from the Stadthalle, Vienna, May 8, 1988 -
private video recording.After "Black Page" the next theme is "Eat that Question" & not " Big Swifty" which did not appear in this recording.The rest of the list songs are right.
But above all this private video attracked my attention when "Stairway to Heaven" is playing & Ike Willis singing. Close to him on stage we can see a bearded-man with a cap & on his knees with a film camera. It seems to be he's charging a film reel or something & afterwards looks like he's testing the shooting & other guy comes to ask him something.
When "Montana" sounds we can see a glimpse of this cameraman who now is standing up, shooting the show.
As far as I know FZ confirmed himself that the show in Madrid (May 14, 1988) was shot as well. So that, now I think FZ had a crew member who shot some of the shows of 1988 tour & hope someday will be released officially those unknown concerts.
Informants: Chris Rigas, Jon Naurin
Soundcheck & concert.
May 13, 1988
BBC
8 min.
YouTube: Zappa On Zappa (07:15 min.)
May 13, 1988
Pabellón de los Deportes de La Casilla, Bilbao, Spain
2 min.
From a news clip on Spanish TV the other day. Music heard: "Black Page #2." Includes some comments on FZ's fight against censorship, images of FZ with Spanish promoter Gay Mercader, a short interview on that subject, and a short clip from the Bilbao concert the day before.
Surprisingly I have verified with TVE in Bilbao (Spanish public TV) they filmed to Frank Zappa in that date & have an archive of 15'29'' which includes an interview to FZ performed by Juancho Vidal, the rehearsal with his musicians & images of the live concert filmed. Some of this footage was broadcasted in a local tv program about that time.
There's also a short 2 min. clip from ETB (Basque TV) with FZ arriving at the airport and getting into a car.
Additional informant: Al Fresco (Javier)
May 14, 1988
Auditorio de la Casa de Campo ("Rockódromo"), Madrid, Spain
A much better show [than the Barcelona one], which was also filmed professionally, was in Madrid. All the tapes from all the camera angles are in the vault, but there are technical problems which, so far, have rendered it impossible to sync the film to tape. That may get fixed in the future, and I hope it does, because it really is a much better show and no one has seen it yet.
The Barcelona video is in wide circulation. A show three nights earlier in Madrid was also taped (I believe only as a single-camera job) but is not in circulation.
The concert of Madrid (05-14-88) took place in the Auditorio de la Casa de Campo.
DS: I hear also that there was one made in Madrid. Is that right?
FZ: Yeah.
DS: Did you access tapes of that, and will we see any of that show?
FZ: (...) The thing from Madrid was just a three-quarter [inch tape].
Additional informant: Al Fresco (Javier)
May 17, 1988
Palacio de los Deportes, Barcelona, Spain
120 min.
c. May 20, 1988?
5, France
B&W, 9 min.
Interview by Ardisson, dubbed in French.
YouTube: Frank Zappa Interview Ardisson 1988 (08:31 min.)
June 29, 1988
NBC TV
9 min. (Interview)
Hosted by Jay Leno
FZ talks about how he was asked to play in the Soviet Union, and how he tried to convince the guy who called him to tear down the Berlin Wall.
Original Airdate: 06-29-1988
Host: JAY LENO
Announcer: DOC SEVERINSEN
Conductor: DOC SEVERINSEN
Director: BOB OSTBERG
Guests: STROHECKER, DANNY & CAPASSO, SHANNON; FLEISCHER, CHARLES; WALSH, SYDNEY; ZAPPA, FRANKFRANK ZAPPA--was asked to perform at the Summit in the Soviet Union but unfortunately was given late notice & was unable to attend; conversation he had with the gentleman that gave him the offer; why he thinks it might be a good idea to tear down the Berlin Wall.
Additional informant: computeruser
YouTube: The Tonight Show, June 29, 1988 (08:36 min.)
August 31, 1988
Network Ten, Australia
7 min.
FZ interviewed by Mike Gibson, in Hollywood, on registration to vote and his book.
YouTube: Good Morning Australia (06:20 min.)
December 10, 1988
USA Network
23 min.
Profile on FZ
YouTube: Cover Story (USA Network) - Part 1 (06:18 min.) · Part 2 (06:11 min.) · Part 3 (06:08 min.) · Part 4 (04:13 min.)
c. 1988
Swedish TV
Directed by Måns Hergren
A documentary in Swedish Television from 1988. The documentary was made by Måns Herngren. The subject was about the development of the satellite channels and television. Frank Zappa had a big part of the programe and he comments certain things about television in the US. The interview with Zappa was made at his home in Los Angeles.
c. 1989?
Zappa Home, LA, CA
1989
45 min.
Das Beste
von
FRANK ZAPPA
1969-1989
20 Jahre
Extravaganza
Written & Directed by Rudi "Cadillac" Dolezal & Hannes Rossacher
January 31, 1989
Honker Home Video
59 min.
1989
60 min.
February, 1989
West 3, Germany
60 min. (FZ content, 8 min.)
Ein Film von
Michael und
Joachim Rüsenberg
The documentary is built coupling some 68 archive videos (interviews and live performances) with various late eighties takes, including some FZ interviews. It includes short extracts of the 1968 Essen performances by various artists, including Amon Düül, Gunter Hampel, John McLaughlin, Alexis Corner, Julie Driscoll, Tim Buckley, The Family and The Mothers Of Invention.
The video has a '88 copyright (West 3).
Most interesting it features some short video excerpts of a "King Kong" live performance that for what I know are not available elsewhere (the fragments are about 45 seconds long...).
About the Zappa contents: the documentary starts out with the Berlin riot footage that has been shown elsewhere. Then there is a short FZ interview segment (taken from the original Essener Songtage documentary) but it's difficult to hear what FZ is saying because of the German language overdub. You can hear the two opening notes of "In The Sky" but then it cuts to a FZ 88 (probably) interview and "In The Sky" is not featured here.
Near the end of the movie short segment of a live "King Kong" from 1968 are nested with the 88 FZ, where he's giving his recollections of the festival and his thoughts about "revolution", "red revolution" and "young people infiltration".
An interesting thing is that the "King Kong" footage belongs to a different performance that the "In The Sky" footage that his available in a short clip I have with the label "Essener Songtage outtakes" (the band wear different clothes).
At now I think that the "In The Sky" belongs to a short TV performances, while "King Kong" comes from the Festival performance. But these are just speculations.
Also note that the 1968 interviews segments that appear in this documentary are instead from the same footage available in the "In The Sky" outtake I cited above.
Informant: Oscar Bianco
February 1, 1989
FOX TV
12 min.
Rebroadcasted: June 19, 1989
One of the funniest things I ever saw on TV was when Frank was on the Aresenio Hall show several years ago (go figure). Ass-Hall, is his usaul boot-licking "style" introduces Zappa as "the Z-man"!! Zappa comes out with a slighty amused look(sneer) on his face.. Hall was trying to get some kind of "outrageous" response out of Frank by asking him stupid questions about his kids' names, etc., which Frank answered very straight, actually he said that "luna" which translates to "moon" ius a very common name in other parts of the world and it was only because Americans were so lame and uptight that anyone made a big deal about it. Aresenio was clearly out of his element by then... Then, he asks Zappa about a song he's writing about Michael Jackson, Zappa says that he was watching a news story about a MJ tour and they were interviewing a black girl who was about 10-11, they asked her what she thought about Michael, and her response was (imagine Zappa imitating a little black girl" "...he UGLY! he look WHITE!!". Zappa quips, "that about says it all for me...". Hall is visibly shaken, he can't seem to tell if Zappa was kidding or not, they cut to a commercial with nothing else being said. they come back from commercical, Hall says he's not going to ask FZ anymore questions and they both just sit there for about 30 seconds until the band starts playing the closing theme !! Hall looking very uncomfortable, Zappa with this "cat-that-ate-the-canary" grin.. Excellent!!
Yes! I remember that. I thought it was HILARIOUS that he even DID an Arsenio show! I couldn't believe it. Arsenio was such an IDIOT! He knew -nothing- about Frank Zappa or his music, other than what he most likely read in the bio. If I remember correctly I believe Frank just kinda had this sneer when speaking with him. I do recall the comment about the band after a break. He said something like "You have a really great band there, you should let them play more often" (or maybe "...an entire song once in a while") or something like that.
YouTube: The Arsenio Hall Show (09:53 min.)
May 15, 1989
52 min.
c. 1989
min.
FZ, "born 48 years ago," talks about TV, stuff in the room, The Real Frank Zappa Book and how it was made, his cottage industries, the Grammy for "Jazz From Hell," the Synclavier, how his favorite rock artist is Allan Holdsworth and raising up his kids.
YouTube: At Home With Frank Zappa - Part 1 (06:38 min.) · Part 2 (05:50 min.)
June 5, 1989
CNN
13 min.
FZ talks about The Real Frank Zappa Book, lyrics on records, the power of televangelists, the names of his children, radio, why he didn't drive, the Zappa sound, and then some phone calls about John Lennon, drugs, music, lyrics. It also includes some extracts from Honker Home Video to the sounds of "G-Spot Tornado" from Jazz From Hell.
YouTube: Larry King Live, June 5, 1989 - Part 1 (06:20 min.) · Part 2 (06:55 min.)
June 7, 1989
NBC TV
5 min.
June 28, 1989
TVE 1, Spain
68 min. (FZ appearance: 1:29 min. approx.)
Special TV show about the 3rd Ibiza 92 festival that took place in the Ku discotheque, Ibiza, June 1-3, 1989. FZ acted as MC, introduced the festival and some of the groups, including Duncan Dhu and La Luna Les Canta.
Informant: Javier Al Fresco
July 3, 1989
CNN TV
2 min.
Report on The Real Frank Zappa Book with a short interview to FZ.
YouTube: Headline News (02:22)
November 22, 1989
CBS
You Don't Have Every FZ Video Yet
Directed by Tony Charmoli
Cast (in credits order)
Stacy Keach .... Himself (Ringmaster)
Barbara Mandrell .... Herself (Ringmaster)
Leslie Nielsen .... Himself (Ringmaster)rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Willie Aames .... Himself (Performer--Human Cannonball)
Kristian Alfonso .... Herself (performer)
Melissa Sue Anderson .... Herself (performer) (as Melissa Anderson)
Rebeca Arthur .... Herself (performer)
Mayim Bialik .... Herself (performer)
Karen Black .... Herself (Performer-Elephant Act)
Maureen Flannigan .... Herself (performer)
Jennie Garth .... Herself (Performer-Trapeze Artist)
Deidre Hall .... Herself (performer)
Telma Hopkins .... Herself (performer)
Omri Katz .... Himself (performer)
Allan Kayser .... Himself (performer)
David Leisure .... Himself (performer)
Mario López .... Himself (Performer--Trapeze Artist)
Jamie Luner .... Herself (Performer-Comedy Acrobat)
Julie McCullough .... Herself (Performer--High Wire Act)
Alan Rachins .... Himself (performer)
Lynn Redgrave .... Herself (performer)
Giovanni Ribisi .... Himself (as Vonni Ribisi)
Tracy Scoggins .... Herself
Alex Trebek .... Himself (performer)
Ben Vereen .... Himself (performer-Circus Band Leader)
Fred Willard .... Himself (performer)
David Yost .... Himself (performer)
Ahmet Zappa .... Himself (Performer-Comedy Acrobat)
Frank Zappa .... Himself (uncredited)
1990
There's a cool little video for Fine Girl that FZ produced with a czech film team circa 1990. As I've understood, it was tacked to the end of a czech music film, called "Prager leben gut" in german.
January 20-24, 1990
444 min.
1/20 through 1/24/90, private recording of Frank's visit. Filmed with his knowledge. Covers 3 full 120 tapes and 72 mins. of 4th tape.
February 26-28, 1990
FNN
March 25, 1990
TBS
48 min.
June, 1990 (also listed as February, 1990)
Czech TV
30 min.
This is a documentary account of FZ's first visit to Czechoslovakia in January of 1990. It was broadcast on Czechoslovak TV in Februery of 1990. It shows Frank arriving at Prague's Ruzyne airport, which was filled with fans. Also shown is US ambassador to Czechoslovakia Shirley Temple Black saying that she does not know who Frank Zappa is. Other footage included FZ taking a sip from a bottle of Becherovka, which was passed around the crowd in a nightclub. FZ also sings Love of my Life accompanied by the Czechoslovak rock group Pulnoc. My copy of this tape is a 1st generation made from a PAL master, which was taped for me by a friend in Czechoslovakia.
June, 1990 (also listed as February, 1990)
Czech TV, pre-broadcast
62 min.
This is a longer, pre-broadcast and unedited version of the above show. It includes a time bar on the bottom of the screen.
c. 1990
The total interview runs about an hour and covers music politics and popular culture from 1950s through 1990.
This interview was never released. It was recorded in 3 segments 1990 in LA, but never completed as a final project.
This was a project to highlight Frank Zappa's 50th birthday and his 30 of the music industry most strident years. Intended to be kind of retrospect of what happened to the personal growth and idealism of 60's as it whitewashed into the self indulgence of the 70s and 80s and the corporatism of America. It was never completed upon his death.
YouTube: Lost Interview - Part 1 (10:00 min.) · Part 2 (09:36 min.) · Part 3 (09:52 min.) · Part 4 (09:31 min.) · Part 5 (09:52 min.) · Part 6 (09:36 min.) · Part 7 (00:53 min.)
1991
The following television commercial is transcribed from page 139 of "Communication Arts #33" (1992) ...samples of advertising that advertising people check out. You may find one in your library. Current technology does not allow me to scan the video stills. Maybe someone out there can, if they find it.
Client: Portland General Electric
Title: "Zappa"(Open on extreme close-up of Frank Zappa)
Frank Zappa:
Portland General Electric offered to pay me to be in this commercial. I told them "I refuse to sell your product." They said, "Great." In fact, I said I would tell people to use less of it. And they said, "Perfect."(Super)
Current thinking on energy. Portland General Electric.
Back in 1991 or so, the commercial came on and I saw it once. It was the first time in my entire life that I saw Frank Zappa. I was like maybe 8 or 9. My Dad told me who he was and that he had Cancer..... It was a short commercial, and I wish I woulda caught it on video. He looked really old to me then. He didn't look as old as the Yellow Shark cover picture(makes me so sad btw). But when I first saw the Apostrophe CD, and saw his face on the front, I immediately recognized him. He looked about like that in the cameraview (as pictured on Apostrophe cover), but looked much older.
YouTube: Frank Zappa Commercial For General Electric (00:25 min.)
June 24, 1991
Nahranove Sportoni Hale, Prague, Czechoslavakia
June 30, 1991
Budapest, Hungary (Maygar TV 2)
43 min.
July, 1991
Joe's Garage & UMRK, LA, CA
October 10, 1991
WDR 3, Germany
60 min.
January-April, 1992
Arts & Entertainment Network (A&E)
600 min. (10 hours)
Class Of The 20th Century
Richard Dreyfuss hosts this time capsule that gives a personal perspective on the events of the 20th century. Amid footage of World Wars I and II, Prohibition and the Roaring '20s, the Cold War, Vietnam, Watergate and the AIDS crisis, renowned Americans William F. Buckley, Mickey Mantle, Ralph Nader, Frank Zappa, Oprah Winfrey and others share their experiences. 9 1/2 hours on six tapes.
Cast: William F. Buckley, Richard Dreyfuss, Mickey Mantle, Oprah Winfrey, Frank Zappa
I was reading wikipedia's article on Woodstock and in the section of the musicians who refused their invitation was a quote by Frank Zappa and it said the source of the quote was from A&E's "Class Of The Century" serial. Just for confirmation I copied and paisted the quote from wikipedia and here it is:
Frank Zappa and The Mothers of Invention Quote: "A lot of mud at Woodstock. We were invited to play there, we turned it down." - FZ. Citation: "Class of the 20th Century", U.S. network television special in serial format, circa 1995.
(...) The Class of the 20th Century, a 13-week documentary series debuting this week on the Arts & Entertainment Network (...). Frank Zappa recalls hiding under the bed during blackouts in World War II.
Informants: computeruser
c. 1992
June 1, 1992
UMRK
July, 1992
Fabrik, Frankfurt, Germany
July 21, 1992
Frankfurt, Germany
85 min.
News conference given by FZ in Frankfurt covering the Yellow Shark concert. This recording features the press conference as taped from two different angles. Angle 1 footage is 46 minutes long, while Angle 2 footage is only 38 minutes long.
August 15, 1992
Nickelodeon
19 min.
August 17, 1992
TVE 2, Spain
7 min.
FZ playing "Bolero" from a Spanish live concert (6:50)
September 17, 1992
German PPV
30 min.
September 17, 1992
Alte Oper Frankfurt
88 min.
1993
Rykodisc
January, 1993
UMRK
90 min.
Perhaps the most intriguing is the two-part film, which appears to be hand-held and home-made footage, shot in and around the Zappa family home and studio in 1993. The film is approx. 1hr 30 in durationand appears to be the raw footage featured, edits of which are briefly glimpsed in the 1993 BBC documentary and the 1994 re-edit of the same.
There are a wealth of intriguing sequences here, including:
- The Chieftains, Johnny 'Guitar' Watson and the visiting Mongolian throat singers 'jamming' (unfortunately that sequence finishes without hearing F.Z.'s guitar, hastily plugged in by Dweezil during the jam)
- Two versions of the tune played in the BBC and A&E programs, apparently shot from different camera angles, in it's complete form and contiguously segued into another tune
- A lot more footage of the Mongolian singers, both solo and in concert. They play a variety of traditional stringed instruments which they tune to different open chords before commencing each song. Most amazing of all is their ability to 'sing chords'; a feat which must be heard to be believed
- Terry Bozzio apparently playing an over-dub track on a large, floor-standing drum. The tape track appears to be a mix of Chieftains and Mongolian musicians
- Various commands, suggestions and requests from F.Z. to everyone involved, via a translator where the Mongolian musicians are concerned
- Joe Travers and Bob Stone (I think...) discussing the technical problems they are facing while attempting to capture all of this on digital multi-track
- Everyone together (plus Gail, Ahmet, Moon, Motorhead, Matt Groening, possibly Dale Bozzio) and several others, tucking into a large buffet, including vast bowls of salad (presumably the rather curious choice of origin for the file name) and having a jolly nice time
Got the video "Tuvans Invade America"? From the Tuva Trader at http://www.feynman.com/trader/
It contains a 5min video clip with FZ and Chieftains, Johnny Guitar Watson, Kaigal-ool Khovalyg and Tolya Kuular (of HHT) and Ondar (FWIW - the rest of the tape is pretty interesting).
Don't forget that L. Shankar, Terry Bozzio, and Motorhead Sherwood can all be seen in this program.
March 12, 1993
BBC-2 TV
48 min.
1993
130 min.
Directed by Henning Lohner
Deutschland 1993
Beta SP, U-matic LB, 130:00Director/Picture/Sound: Henning Lohner
Script: Holger Hof / Henning Lohner
Music: John Cage
Director of Photography: Van Theodore Carlson
Editing: Sven Fleck
Editor: Christoph Jörg
Production: Peter Lohner
Time of Production: Mai 1992 to Februar 1993
Locations: USA, Japan, Hong Kong, Europe, Tschechei,
Germany, France, Italy, Netherlands
This is a full-length documentary honoring the life and work of American
composer and artist John Cage, who died in New York August 12th, 1992.
John Cage is considered to be one of the most influential composers of
the 20th century. Personalities from all fields of endeavour introduce us
to the life and work of this great American artist. This film is structured
according to the compositional methods practiced by John Cage and
translates these musical processes freely to the film medium.
Yves Bazillou
Michael Berger
Farid Chahboub
Noam Chomsky
Merce Cunningham
Jacqeline Daubert
René Delesalle
Kelly Ellsworth
William Forsythe
Corinne Fortin
Betty Freeman
Frank O. Gehry
Murray Gell-Mann
Matt Groening
Ben Habdallah
Rutger Hauer
Dennis Hopper
Alison Knowles
Raymond Kurzweil
Edward Lorenz
Benoit Mandelbrot
Yehudi Menuhin
Mohamed Ben Methnic
Marvin Minsky
Heiner Müller
M. Neraqueller
Jean Nouvel
Yoko Ono
Baramouh Parianen
Soopaya Parianen
Tomaso Poggio
René Sancier
Richard Serra
Giorgio Strehler
Claude Trouve
Iannis Xenakis
Frank Zappa
John Zorn
http://www.medienhaus-hannover.de/distribu/v_engl/loh_rac2.htm
http://www.rutgerhauer.org/filmography/reven.php
May 14, 1993
NBC TV
10 min.
Interview by Jamie Gangel
Out of curiosity, does anyone know when in FZ's last days was the Today Show interview.
It was in the summer sometime, maybe June. (May 14th? -ed.) It was the "Today" show. When the clip was over, Katie Couric said to the interviewer - whose name I forget exactly, I think it was Jamie Gangel - "It looks like he was a tough interview," meaning it was hard to get decent answers to her questions, but Gangel took her to mean that his physical condition made it hard for both of them to sit and talk.
Thanks. I was really shocked at how bad Frank looked and you could just see how much pain he was in. Seeing him with his full grey beard was disheartening with his emaciated face. I'm glad I got to see the interview that morning but it wasn't very uplifting.
... when he was asked what he wanted to be remembered for he replied "I don't want to be remembered for anything."
It seems to me that if you are interviewing someone who is terminally ill, it just might be a bit tactless and impolite to ask them, "what do you want to be remembered for?"
It was the Today show, the interviewer was their regular celebrity interviewer Jamie Gangel, and to be fair she seemed both awed by Frank and obviously uncomfortable with his desperate condition.
He may have said the above but what I do remember him saying was "It doesn't matter" how he was to be remembered. She wasn't prepared for that and asked why it didn't matter. Frank shrugged and said "It's not important."
He may have been playing with her head, he may have been tired out and uninterested in saying more; but I have always felt he was telling the truth. When you can't work anymore, you're done [he seemed to be saying], and after you're gone, it won't matter to you whether anyone remembers. The world moves on. In other words, he was rejecting this notion of celebrity-from-the-grave.
If it's important to other people that you be remembered, that's their business - it can't be yours. And those other people would probably better spend their time keeping up with the living world.
SevenLoad: Zappa Interview at "NBC's Today Show" 1993 (10:20 min.)
June 27, 1993
E!
22 min.
The radio "shock jock" interviews Moon Unit Zappa. In the middle of the interview Frank joins the interview via the phone.
July 11, 1993
ZDF German TV
8 min.
Varèse & Zappa
Correct title is 'Amerikanische Traeume'. It was aired: 07-11-93, Copyright: ORF 1992 (austrian TV) - so I guess they showed it before the german broadcast... It features several artists (Beatles, Stones etc.) and a small segment is dedicated to FZ. Once again (see 'Jam' pics) a DoRo production with the same material they've used in their other FZ documentaries (1970 interview, Vienna, Philadelphia 1980).
July, 1993
Warner Bros. Soundstage, Burbank, California
December 6, 1993
Various news spots (PBS, CNN, ABC, NBC, CBS)
15 min.
SevenLoad: Frank Zappa - News Compilation 12 06 93 (15:08 min.)