In commemoration of the FOURtieth Anniversary of a World That Contains Freak Out! we are so very pleased to present the FZ Audiography and Documentary Evidence (for the first time this century) of those certain recording sessions that occurred in Los Angeles between March and April of 1966. Who Could Imagine??? Well, we all know the answer to that question. This exciting and Deluxe, Limited Edition contains FOUR historically magnificent discs for your Audio Gratification. And a Gorgeous booklet—with the original art and lots of special surprises—and your name too. [...]
This is Exclusive to Barfko-Swill. Shortly after you receive this email with all of this stunning information you will be able to go to Zappa.com and see that the Pre-Order is for real. And we also want to assure those of you who are possibly frightened of something that costs as much as Ms. Pinky in these days of (speaking of) highly inflated gas prices and unseasonably rising global tensions and air temperatures that there will also be available a Very Wonderful Two Disc FZ Audio Documentary Release that might well turn up in greater convenience in your favorite record store (Is there such a Beast Anymore?). [...]
Yes, it's true. We never promised you a Rose Garden (too late to see Zappa in the White House). And speaking of late & the autumnal equinox, we sincerely regret to inform all of you wonderful people who have contributed materially to make this music possible, that our production, sadly, is delayed at this moment in time and space. For very good reasons though which will be readily apparent when you find MOFO in your mailbox in late October.
We are pleased to inform you that MOFO is currently in production. We regret to inform you that we're not going to make our inaugural vicinity 21 September ship date. We anticipate that for those of you who pre-ordered, MOFO (The Limited Edition—4 Discs & a 60 page booklet!) will wend its way to you when the frost is on the pumpkin, just in time for Halloween. As soon as we have a confirmed delivery to Barfko-Swill date, we will advise you all, and it will be posted on the site.
We are also pleased to inform you that the official street date for MOFO (2 Discs & a 30 page booklet!) is 11 November. Yes. In stores. Unless you live in a socially retarded area. In which case you can always find it at Barfko-Swill.
Joe (and Gail) want you to know that both releases are thoroughly encrusted with the remnants of the Freak Out! Sessions, but only Disc 1 of both Releases are the same.
MOFO Project/Object CD [sic] available for pre-order at CD Universe; announced to be scheduled for release on November 7, 2006, on the WEA [sic] label.
So you know Trance-Fusion is out at long (fill in the blank) last. We here at UMRK were certainly hoping that MOFO would be on its heels. This is the busiest time for production for Everyone In The World. I'm not here to talk about excuses but rather to say, be of good cheer, it will be here this year. The original street date for the 2 CD MOFO was set for 11/7/2006 and it looks like there will be at least a two week delay. This is not an official confirmation. When we know for sure, we will let you know for sure. Yes and but also we sincerely regret to inform you the 4 CD Limited Edition MOFO is a Monster with BIG TEETH and is madly chomping its way through the calendar and we're hoping that it doesn't develop a strong Taste for Turkey. If it does, it'll probably leave the table on 4 December. Some times things just happen that way around here.
MOFO Project/Object (2 CD version) delayed until December 5, 2006.
This List with your name on it will be in the Superb Deluxe Edition (in all its Splendid Project/Object Radiance) Four Disc Commemoration of the making of Freak Out! [...] Shipping in the vicinity of 12 December 2006. This will not be available in stores this year.
Re: MOFO Deluxe
Our best information at this time is that MOFO Deluxe could ship as late as the week of FZ's birthday. Sadly, unless you and Santa have a special relationship with FedEx, you might not get it by Christmas.
The MOFO Project/Object (fazedooh) (2 CD version) starts shipping.
The MOFO Project/Object (4 CD version) starts shipping.
Materially & Absurdly, So Also Have These:
Zola Frank, Mathilda Plum, Diva, Ahmet Emmukha Rodan, Dweezil, Moon Unit, Lauren, Paul Doucette, Gregory Peck, Jim Henson, John Cage, Matt Groening, Don Johnson, Billy Connolly, Harry Andronis, Warren De Martini, Beverly D'Angelo, Al Malkin, Bruno Moderna, Douglas Adams, Jack Sloatman, Tonga of the Pacific, Richard Avedon, Jack Nicholson, Pamela Mayall, Luciano Berio, Nicolas Slonimsky, Ernie Kovacs, George Duke, Sun Ra, Chou Wen-Chung, Chris Rock
Herman Kretzchmar, Todd Yvega, David Anderle, George Lucas, Madonna, Katie Couric, Martin Gardiner, Tom Waits, John Frusciante, Martin Luther King, Louis Steven Inghilterra, Kevin Spacey, Haskell Wexler, John Lennon, Yoko Ono, John Judnich, Lenny Bruce, Melanie Starks, Steve Vai, Terry Bozzio, Elliot Ingber, John Alexander, Harriet Pilpel, Charles Fort, Ed Begley Jr., Ian Underwood, Dogess, Jon Stewart, Tod Browning, Malcolm McNab, Charles Laughton, Richard Brautigan
Donald "Roller" Wilson, Bill Clinton, Keith Moon, Jenny Brown, Jim Jarmusch, Steve Di Furia, Howard Stern, Patrick O'Hearn, Chester Thompson, Van Carlson, Vinne "Zeets" Colaiuta, Kelly Lange, Vaclav Havel, Magdalena, Michael Kocab, Ringo Starr, Paul McCartney, Mike Nichols, Elaine May, Terry Gilliam, Eric Idle, Chris Riess, Jamie Lee Curtis, Elliot Carter, Tracey Ullman, John Cassavetes, Jeff Beck, Greg Gorman, Verona Calhoun Johnston, Midget, Squidget, Mr. Sting, Abel Salazar
John French, Ed Sanders, Ali N.Askin, Christine Frka, Gene Simmons, Lily Tomlin, Aleister Crowley, Keith Richards, Paracelsus, St. Agnes, Koko, George Harrison, Joe Travers, Duke Ellington, Simon Prentis, Alice, Barney Frank, Pamela Des Barres, Ronald Reagan, Dr. Gene Scott, Mick Jagger, Rdnzl, Bonecake, Terence Donovan, Nina Simone, Garry Marshall, Lala, Ozzy, Tipper Gore, Larry Flynt, Lalo Schifrin, Miranda Stein, Adrian Belew, Selma Blair, Keith Lawler, Alfonso Cuaron
Edward Van Halen, Antonio, Burt Bacharach, Owen Sloane, Bob Kahan, Larry Stein, Gary Iskowitz, Jane Fonda, Brian Lamb, Cathy Berberian, Dr. Norman Krevoy, Cynthia Watson, Jesse Jackson, Conlon Nancarrow, Vincent Price, Whoopi Goldberg, Andrew Tenenbaum, Justice Mocatta, Kylie Wyote, Danny DeVito, Scott Thunes, Jim Nagle, Tom Hayden, Maria Shriver, Tom Hanks, Allee Willis, Dan Eldon, Louis Armstrong, David Lynch, Conan O'Brien, Peter Eotvos, John Belushi, Chrissie Hynde, Alexander Calder, Sid Ceasar, Robert De Niro
Dick Pearce, Phil Parmet, Rob Leacock, John Smothers, Prince, Nando Boero, Godzilla & Olive, Claude Barthelemy, Chi Chi, Simon & Coralie Bollier, Al Gore, Jacques Cousteau, Madeline Kahn, Jimi Hendrix, Zal Yanovsky, Jackie, Iannis Xenakis, Marcia Zappa, Maurice Ravel, Robert Plant, John Gilkerson, Dylan Thomas, Lois & Roddy Mancuso, Claudia, Denny Walley, Roy London, David Abel, eric white, Alain & Natasha, Rob Cohen, Billy Barty, Billy Bob Thornton
Rumi Ogawa, Peter Rundel, Dietmar Wiesner, Catherine Milliken, Roland Diry, Wolfgang Stryi, Veit Scholz, Franck Ollu, Stefan Dohr, William Formann, Michael Gross, Uwe Dierksen, Michael Svoboda, Daryl Smith, Ueli Wiget, Rainer Römer, Andreas Böttger, Detlef Tewes, Jürgen Ruck, Ellen Wegner, Mathias Tacke, Claudia Sack, Hilary Sturt, Friedemann Dähn, Thomas Fichter, Jurgen Hempel, Rutger Hauer, Tracy Veal, Elsa Lancaster, Judith Owen, Bob Geldof, Frank Scheffer, David Fricke, Larry Charles
Tommy Tedesco, Paddy Maloney, William Burroughs, Warren Cuccurrullo, Jan Hooks, Robert Treuhaft, Germaine Greer, Lene Lovich, Kongar-ol Ondar, David Raksin, Angus & Malcolm Young, Michael Palin, Graham Chapman, Terry Jones, John Cleese, Richard Feynman, Robert Graves, Robert Wagner, Emil Richards, Jodie Foster, Roko & Adrian Belic, Hana Mayall, Jamey Hampton, Julian Barratt, Noel Fielding, Michael Fielding, Rich Fulcher, Dave Brown, Bill Murray, Chano Urveto
Ella Fitzgerald, Ruth Underwood, Harpo Marx, Herbie Hancock, Paul Reubens, Pete Townshend, Robert Downey Jr., Eddie Murphy, Tom Fowler, Bruce Fowler, Al Pacino, Sidney Lumet, Roseanne, John Clark III, Scheila Gonzalez, Aaron Arntz, Jamie Kime, Pete Griffin, Billy Hulting, Ornette Coleman, Melanie Sloane, Chloe & Robert Trujillo, Lauren Hutton, Annie Leibovitz, Marianne Faithful, Richard & Karen Carpenter, Sally Kellerman, Don Brewer, Ian Copeland, Tim Conway, Elliott Carter, Ian La Frenais, Frank Filipetti, Clint Eastwood
Disc 1 exists of Original 1966 Vinyl Stereo Mix of Freak Out!
[...] REMASTERED 2006 BY DOUG SAX WITH SANGWOOK "SUNNY" NAM IN OJAI, CALIFORNIA.
Audio Restoration & Mastering by John Polito, Audio Mechanics, Burbank, CA, 2006.
Note: This is the master take as it happened, but recorded on FZ's machine, in full track mono. Tracks 4, 5, 6 & 16 were recorded by FZ in the same way—as were all of the other tracks which did not become the master takes for Freak Out!
I never thought I'd cut a record by myself, but . . .
"Laugh At Me" was Sonny Bono's only hit song as a solo artist under the name Sonny. The song was released in 1965 and reached #1 in Canada on the RPM national singles chart [...]. The song begins with Sonny saying, "I never thought I'd cut a record by myself but I got somethin' I wanna say. I want to say it for Cher and I hope I say it for a lot of people."
Mix by Joe Travers (original 4-Track Master), UMRK, September 2005
Mix by Joe Travers (original 4-Track Master), UMRK, August 2005
Paul McCartney and Ringo too
Says she balls better than Epstein do
Audio Restoration & Mastering by John Polito, Audio Mechanics, Burbank, CA, 2006.
FZ directs Kim Fowley in crowd control [...]. Participants also include Vito Paulekas, Carl Franzoni, the freak scene of Los Angeles & assorted other guests including but not limited to Danny Hutton and Cory Wells, Mike Clarke, P.F. Sloane, Paul Butterfield—per original liner notes and of course, Terry Gilliam. Who knew(?).
Kim Fowley's revelations [...]. Known quantities: FZ—Guitar; Ray Collins—Vocals, Harmonica; Elliot Ingber—Rhythm Guitar; Roy Estrada—Bass; Jim Black—Drums; Les McCann—Piano;
Freak Out Drum Track w/ Timp. & Lion
(FZ wrote this on tape box**) From FZ Build Reel.
Lion Roar & Drums From Freak Out **
Taken from an FZ Build Reel.
Another event from the Later-that-night Session, featuring Vito and his special message.
Excerpt from an interview at KBEY-FM Kansas City, MO, 22 October 1971
Willy: Frank, who is Suzy Creamcheese?
The following tracks (10-14) recorded Live to 1/4" tape by John Judnich at San Francisco's Fillmore Auditorium, 25 June 1966:
An introduction by Bill Graham
FZ—Guitar, Vocals; Ray Collins—Vocals, Harmonica, Tambourine; Elliot Ingber—Guitar; Roy Estrada—Bass; Jim Black—Drums
Dance troupe accompaniment by The Cherry Sisters
I gave you my high school ring
At the Hippo Burger, baby
From 1950 till 1987, Hippo Burger was a gourmet hamburger restaurant in San Francisco. You can read about it at [San Francisco Eater], [Flickr], and [The Quagmire].
Audio Restoration & Mastering by John Polito, Audio Mechanics, Burbank, CA, 2006.
Tracks 1-4, all Basic Tracks, remixed by FZ with Stan Agol at The Record Plant, Los Angeles, 8 January 1970.
Single edit (Mono) by MGM, 11 October 1966.
And there was no such thing as Suzy Creamcheese, or "Freak Out", or . . .
Interview excerpts:
7. "Psychedelic Music" 2:34
8. "MGM" 1:54
Above are Mixed Media, Detroit, 13 November 1967
Recorded Nov. 13, 1967 at Mixed Media bookstore, Cass & Palmer in Detroit:
Frank Zappa Interview on WCBN Strobe Show Aired Nov. 18, 1967
On November 13th, 1967, Frank Zappa was interviewed by two radio DJs at a head shop in Detroit. The conversation aired on the 18th and was promptly forgotten about. [...] The interviewers, Joe Doll and Dave Pierce, were involved with the University of Michigan's student-run community radio station, WCBN. Their 30-minute chat with Zappa aired on Doll's program, Strobe.
When they first heard us, we were working at a club in Hollywood called the Whisky à Go-Go, and the A&R man, uh, producer, Tom Wilson, came in, he heard us play one song, it was the Watts riot song.
Interview with Matty Biberfeld at WRVR, New York City, Summer 1967.
WDET Detroit, 13 November 1967
WRVR, NYC with Matty Biberfeld as above
Eric Burdon from the Animals liked it very well, he performs, uh, several of the songs from the first album with his group.
Mixed Media, Detroit, 13 November 1967
WRVR, NYC with Matty Biberfeld as above
Tracks 15, 16, 17 Remixed by FZ with Bob Stone at UMRK, 4 August 1987
Titles 18-21 from original BBC Late Show interview with Nigel Leigh, UMRK, March 1993
The guy who came to see us, who was the staff producer at Verve, Tom Wilson, had other priorities.
Titles 22 & 23 are from a 1986 MTV interview/And from an FZ Build Reel
Tom [Wilson] was a great guy.
From 1986 Playboy Magazine interview taped at UMRK
Research, compilation and maintenance by Román García Albertos