One Of A Kind, Unpublished, Frank Zappa Audio Interviews by Michael Canterbury

Description

These are never before heard interviews with the great musician, and entertainer, Frank Zappa, that were recently discovered. The interviewer is a Canadian broadcaster named Michael Canterbury. They sit down for casual, entertaining and enlightening interviews, over the span of several years, talking about music, performance, politics and more!
What you are bidding on is the original tapes, the professional audio digitization, placed on a USB thumb drive, with full rights to the content.
The audio quality is very good, clear and intelligible, especially considering it’s age.
The topics, length and locations of these interviews are:
Tape 1 [Five Interviews]
1 - Recorded backstage in 4-28-69 (though the tape says 1967) at
the Grande Ballroom in Detroit MI
: the opening act plays in the background. 7-8min
TOPICS:
Restlessness, government and leadership.
Caring about society, and fixing it by voting.
Zappa liked JFK; wrote him a letter.
On the Monkees - he feels it's a marvel that they succeeded, their music is more competent than "so-called advanced San Fran groups." Talking to them on tour. Comments on the individuals in the Monkees.
Eric Clapton and Hendrix fan, Beefheart, and The Chrysalis.
Early days of struggle?
Using comedy for change, audience attention span.
2 -
Paradise Island Hotel lobby in Nassau, the Bahamas, 1968 convention
: 8 minutes [The year is 1969. The tape is labeled wrong.]
This is a private 1=on=1 interview in the lobby before the conference!
TOPICS:
Frank is there to do record business, speaking at a seminar.
Understanding the Underground Artist - 2 talks.
The teenage market - needs more reality in entertainment.
Television is the Great Electronic Child Molester, etc.
What would FZ do on television instead?
Sexuality and TV.
What philisophies should be promoted on TV?Smothers Brothers show.
Herb Cohen manager comes in - Bizarre Records, but no
3 -
The Olympic Auditorium
, Los Angeles, 3-7-70: 8min
TOPICS:
What is Hot Rats? New group name to be called Chunga.
They play Chunga rhythms.
Jon Luc Ponty album,  Wanted to do a suite for violin and orch.
16/17th of May concert with Mothers and LA Philharmonic Orch,
Rotterdam Philharmonic summer project.
Beefheart and GTOs, their stories.
20MIN IN: Alice Cooper - dada rock, their new album Easy Action is quite nice, freezing people song.
People still won't understand his music, Chunga is guitar music, mainly instrumental.
Dinner with Leonard Bernstien, Seiji Ozawa was Mothers fan
23MIN IN: Likes Randy Newman, Davy the Fat Boy. Likes mainly classical, Stravinsky, Varese, Ravel, Honniger recently, his favorites.
4 - 1971 Interview at
Morikami Wolf Animation Studios
for 200 Motels animation
TOPICS:
Frank Zappa records a few "The Action Set" station ID's.
Working on trailer for 200 Motels. Can't tell what it's about. Mothers, Ringo, Bikel, dancers, chorus, peculiar.
Live and special animation. Morikami and Wolf animation studios.
0,000 for Motels, previous movies Burnt Weenie, Uncle Meat, 1964 Capt Beefheart vs the Grunt People.
Films are strictly a matter of dollars.
Who are the new Mothers; the current band members.
40 concerts coming, lots of touring.
Reforming Mothers the night of the UCLA Pauley Pavilion - first orch music from 200 Motels.
FZ loved the Turtles live stage show, invited them to join.
Live at the Fillmore is new album, vs old Mothers, now the opposite.
Plaster Casters, Cynthia, her memoirs and releasing them. Legal advice.
GTO: Now Pamela is their governess, Mercy came by, details on the others now.
The Nazz/Alice Cooper at the Cheetah; they're doing well. They owe him another 2 albums.
Wild Man Fisher: released from his contract, working for him and Beefheart - then they trash you publicly.
FZ read Beefheart's harsh words back to him, they are still friends, but... strange.
200 Motels soundtrack is coming, what's in the package. Mothers and Royal Philharmonic of London, Jimmy Carl Black.
Jon Luc Ponty - played live in Paris, on French TV film.
All projects are interesting. More coming.
200 Motels shot on video in European standards, then put onto film. Sept. 15th first print is coming.
Can show him the trailer. 39 20
5 - Interview at
Zappa tour rehearsal space
: 11-27-72
TOPICS:
Introduction of people present
Going to Kansas Nebraska Seattle Portland Vancouver, etc
New album is out - Grand Wazoo, story comes from recording session jokes that happened.
Based on people's personalities. Each night they would add to it.
The cover is a Cal Schenkel illustration, the funky emperor, FZ describes the front and back covers in rather intricate detail!
Who is Cal Shenckel, met 1967 during Freak Out sessions.
Story of Wazoo.
On 200 Motels - released, response complaints, working on another film a SciFi film.
Who is Uncle Meat - Stu Meat = Old Zircon.
Tape 2 [Two Interviews at the same venue]
1 - Billboard Conference at Paradise Isle Hotel: Nassau, Bahamas, April 1969.
12min
There is some microphone rustling noise sometimes during the speech.
Frank Zappa on The Underground Artist:
Timbre of new music, The Cream, fuzztone
Problems of young people today are different; being subjected to horrors.
Their music sounds the way it does because of this
They are also not as practical as the older/label generation.
Not interested because of how they live, get stoned, live more poorly.
They see their work as Art. You don't get it, but maybe you'll make money - maybe not
Early days of FZ, most A&R knew nothing about music - just commerce of music.
Hopeful philosophy, idealistic optimism, few hundred thousand others DO believe it
Their musical education is rather small.
Musical education is dated generally. Modern music never taught. Webern, Penderecki, etc.
Teach everyone to read music, scores.
They believe in magic, music is integral to that;
When "these creeps" bring you their demo, you might understand it better now.
43min Q&A
Then Q and A session with FZ and various panelists (unknown)
"Mr. Gallagher": Label should not interfere with product development. The Who is one of theirs who know their art well. Otherwise the label does employ people
FZ says label should hire young people to do artwork. Not just slap "psychedelic" cover on something. Exterior should reflect music inside - a clue for the buyer.
FZ comments on his school mentions before, he moved when young, universally mediocre or bad schools. Music education is as bad. Gives examples.
FZ talks about excuses of underground artists, impractical
Gallagher says it's difficult for a label to handle artists without management and proper legal representation. He tries to make sure artist knows that being prompt and making scheduled appointments is for their own good.
FZ says highschool has potential talent, should use courses for them
Asked if the kids are called "creeps" by labels, what do kids call label people"? FZ: "Old farts"
FZ says "... which brings us to the Company Hippie" - everyone howls in laughter.
How the Company Hippie works... great description of the role.
Artists need good representation with label
Artists concern w album artwork
more talk and comments
The pictures should show you everything but if you have any questions at all please feel free to ask.
Thank you so much
One Of A Kind, Unpublished, Frank Zappa Audio Interviews by Michael Canterbury.