That was "The Be-Bop Tango" from our new album Zappa/Mothers Roxy & Elsewhere. I think it's a hot little number, and there's plenty more of it if you ever give the record one listen to. Now, the translation! Here it goes . . .

[German translation]

Hey, and now it's my turn again, ladies and gentlemen, you're going to listen to Octandre, pronounced very improperly by an American person, by great composer Edgard Varèse, also pronounced improperly by an American person. This is one of my favorite tunes, and I think that it's good because it has interesting melodies, interesting rhythms, and a lot of soul. Take it away, Klaus.

[German translation]

[...]

Yes, ladies and gentlemen, I'd like to try and interest you in paying more attention to the works of Edgard Varèse because I think that attention to his music could be good for you. You can start by celebrating his birthday on December 22, and work your way down from there.

[German translation]

Okay, and after you've done that you can do the same thing that I did several years ago and try and find a way to enjoy this particular piece by Olivier Messiaen.

[German translation]

Yes, boys and girls, the hits keep coming at you. That was Olivier Messiaen with Strophe and Antistrophe, number one from Chronochromie. Take it away, [...].

[German translation]

Well, folks, we've come to that terrific part of the program in where we get to play another cut from our new album.

[German translation]

But before we do we have to get very philosophical because we know here at this radio station that that's what you really enjoy.

[German translation]

Now we must discuss the importance of being cheap.

[German translation]

Yes, you must understand that cheapness in the sense of this particular song has nothing to do with low cost.

[German translation]

Cheapness, in this context . . .

[German translation]

. . . refers to such things as gaining the full enjoyment of Pat Nixon's red lipstick.

[German translation]

That's a good one. And then you also have to think of Richard Nixon in a swimming pool with Bebe Rebozo drunk in Florida.

[German translation]

And, to take you one step further . . .

[German translation]

. . . Gerald Ford building a swimming pool at the White House.

[German translation]

Now, that's cheap. But the cheapest thing of all is a 1950s black & white monster movie.

[German translation]

Or, to bring it home to the German public, how about Der Gorilla van Soho?

[German translation]

 

 

Yes, that was "Penguin In Bondage," that's for sure.

[German translation]

And the next tune that we're going to play is called "I'm Your Hoochie Coochie Man," by Muddy Waters, and the reason I'm playing this song is because I think that Muddy Waters is one of my favorite blues singers, and the message contained in this song is eternal.

[German translation]

Yes, that was Muddy Waters singing "I'm Your Hoochie Coochie Man." The reason I selected all these records to play on the show today is because they're things that I enjoy listening to at home, and it will show you how weird I am. I would put that record on for a while, and then turn it right around and play this next thing, by Igor Stravinsky, which is called The Royal March.

[German translation]

 

And that was Igor Stravinsky with The Royal March from L'Histoire du Soldat, boys and girls. And now we're going to hear something wonderful, wonderful. It's very wonderful, from Anton Webern. This is the Five Pieces For Orchestra, and it's only 4 minutes and 10 seconds long, it won't take up too much of your time, we hope that you'll enjoy it.

[German translation]

 

And there you have it, boys and girls, and you G.I.s too, the Five Pieces For Orchestra by Anton Webern. I'd like to say that when I first started listening to this music, I liked it right away while I heard it, nobody had to tell me that it was good or bad, I just liked the sound of it.

[German translation]

Okay. I read in a magazine about the work of Edgard Varèse and I searched around and I found that album.

[German translation]

And then I listened to the record and I liked it and I asked my music teacher in high school whether or not there were other composers who were writing material like this, and he gave me some other names.

[German translation]

So I was buying these records and listening to them and enjoying them at the same time that I was listening to Muddy Waters and Howlin' Wolf and other people like that.

[German translation]

In other words, folks, I had peculiar taste. And now, ladies and gentlemen, here's another tune from our album. The name of this song is "Village Of The Sun," and it tells the story of a black community in the desert in California, where the people raise turkeys.

[German translation]

In this area, I used to work in a little club called the Village Inn and Barbecue. I used to play there on weekends with a band.

[German translation]

The club was owned by a woman named Thelma.

[German translation]

And Thelma was married to a guitarist that used to work with some jazz bands during the thirties and forties named Teddy Bunn. Maybe you know him.

[German translation]

So Teddy used to hang out and sit on the side and wait to sit in with the group. We were playing songs like "High Heel Sneakers" . . .

[German translation]

. . . and "Steal Away" and "Midnight Hour."

[German translation]

But when we would stop for a minute, Teddy would come over and play jazz on the guitar.

[German translation]

Of course this was a marvelous opportunity for me to get something to eat.

[German translation]

Okay, play the record.