FZ album(s) in which song has appeared

• You Can't Do That On Stage Anymore Vol. 6 (1992) as Thirteen (Shankar/FZ), performed in NYC, October 27 and 31, 1978
• quoted in Shut Up 'N Play Yer Guitar on Shut Up 'N Play Yer Guitar (1981), performed in London, February 17, 1979
• quoted in Canarsie on Shut Up 'N Play Yer Guitar Some More (1981), performed in London, February 19, 1979
• quoted in the guitar solo of He Used To Cut The Grass on Joe's Garage Acts II & III (1979), probably performed in Graz, March 23, 1979
• quoted in the guitar solo of City Of Tiny Lights on BTB I: Anyway The Wind Blows (1991), performed in Paris, February 24, 1979
• quoted in the guitar solo of Easy Meat on You Can't Do That On Stage Anymore Vol. 5 (1992), performed in Geneva, July 1, 1982
• quoted in Bob In Dacron, Second Movement on London Symphony Orchestra Vol. II (1987), recorded at Twickenham Studios, London, January 12-14, 1983
• vamp used in the guitar solo of More Trouble Every Day on The Frank Zappa AAAFNRAAA Birthday Bundle (2008), performed in Vienna, May 8, 1988

Tour(s) on which song is known to have been performed (main source: FZShows, v. 7.1)

• August-October, 1978 (Europe & North America)—known performances: 5; known quotations: 1
• December, 1978 (rehearsals)—known performances: 1
• February, 1979 (rehearsals)—known performances: 2
• February-April, 1979 (Europe)—known quotations: 13
• January-March, 1980 (rehearsals)—known performances: 9
• March-May, 1980 (North America)—known quotations: 9
• May-July, 1980 (Europe)—known performances: 1 (soundcheck); known quotations: 4
• September-October, 1980 (rehearsals)—known performances: 1
• October-December, 1980 (North America)—known quotations: 3
• May-July, 1982 (Europe)—known quotations: 2
• July-September, 1984 (North America)—known quotations: 1
• September-October, 1984 (Europe)—known quotations: 2
• April-June, 1988 (Europe)—known performances: 13 (vamp)

Comments

Foggy G, "The Songs That Were Played," We're Only In It For The Touring

Fall '78: This is not really a tune, per se, just a name given by Frank to a solo section of the "Pound for a Brown's" from the Halloween shows. After Tommy and Petey did their soloing bit, the band began playing a beat in thirteen (hence the name), and Shankar and Zappa used this beat as the backing for their solos. On the YCDTOSA Volume VI version, Shankar's solo is from the 10/27 performance, while FZ's is from the 10/31 show.

Jon Naurin, FZShows Homepage

Mystery Rehearsal Piece:

The longest and most frequently appearing Mystery Song. Appears on several 1979-80 concerts and rehearsals, and was often quoted by FZ.

This riff was augmented in 1980 and worked into a medley with Tink Walks Amok and Thirteen. As such, it has now been released on Banned From Utopia's "So Yuh Don't Like Modern Art"

Arthur Barrow, to Charles Ulrich

"Mystery Rehearsal Piece" was called 13, because it is an expansion of the 13 vamp jammed on with Shankar in NY. Parts of it later became part of Tink. The first part of Tink, BTW, was originally called Atomic Paganini.

A partial list of performances of the "Mystery Rehearsal Piece" (aka "Thirteen") compiled by Charles Ulrich, with additions by Patrick Buzby

2/79 rehearsals
2/12/79 Manchester (stand-alone, including Deathless Horsie, five-five-FIVE)
2/17/79 London (quoted in Inca Roads)
2/18/79 (late) London (stand-alone?)
2/19/79 London (included in Conehead)
2/19/79 London? (quoted in Canarsie)
2/24/79 Paris (quoted in City Of Tiny Lights)
3/19/79 Brest (quoted in Persona Non Grata)
3/23/79 Graz? (quoted in He Used To Cut The Grass)
3/31/79 (late) Munich (quoted in Inca Roads)
4/1/79 Zurich (quoted in Inca Roads)
1/80-2/80 rehearsals
4/1/80 (late) Berkeley (quoted in Easy Meat)
4/11/80 Wichita (quoted in Easy Meat)
4/29/80 (early) Upper Darby (quoted in Easy Meat)
6/5/80 Hanover (quoted in Easy Meat)
10/13/80 (late) Phoenix (quoted in Easy Meat)
7/1/82 Geneva (quoted in Easy Meat)
10/16/84 Rome (quoted in Whipping Post)

Ferval Lankman, October 24, 2006

Thirteen was used again in 1988. The only time I recall at the moment was during the More Trouble Every Day guitar solo in Stockholm (1988 05 01), but I'm sure there were probably others.

Zappa Penguin, August 18, 2011

It should be noted that ALL performances of More Trouble Every Day from 4/20/88 onward used the Thirteen vamp during the guitar solo.

Performances of More Trouble Every Day with Thirteen vamp:

4/20/88 Birmingham
4/29/88 Helsinki
5/01/88 Stockholm
5/03/88 Rotterdam
5/08/88 Wien
5/09/88 München
5/11/88 Zurich
5/14/88 Madrid
5/19/88 Grenoble
5/29/88 Graz
6/01/88 Padova
6/05/88 Modena
6/07/88 Roma