On the evening of December 22, 1989, Den Simms, Eric Buxton, and Rob Samler conducted a four and a half hour interview with Frank Zappa in the comfortable basement listening room of his home in the hills of Los Angeles. In the edited YouTube selection above, and the those that follow, Zappa answers give unique insight into various aspects of the ’88 Band, sources of secret words on tour, and other aspects of Zappa mythology such as “did FZ actually perform with Pink Floyd at the Amougies Festival in Belgium in October 1969?”
For text transcript of full interview click here.
Great interview — thanks! So what’s the signal for “Weather Report”? I couldn’t see it on the audio recording.
Funny Birdman, I was thinking the same thing. Maybe the syringe in the arm?
According to Chad Wackerman in the drummer’s roundtable from a while back (google “Zappa drummers roundtable”), the signal for “Weather Report” is a sprinkle-type gesture made over the head.
Fantastic interview! Does anyone happen to remember which show the secret word was “Ring of Fire”? I think I have it stashed around here somewhere…
The Best Band You Never Heard In Your Life (1988)
1988 04 22 – Carl-Diem-Halle, Würzburg, Germany, courtesy of FZShows.
Whatever happened to all the fun in the world at “We’re Only in it for the Touring”? It’s been gone a while, but garsh darn it, I miss it. Or has it merely moved?
The funniest – and weirdest – thing about this interview is Frank denying that he wrote ‘ Falling In Love Is a Stupid Habit’. I meant, ‘I’m gonna/Ram it/Ram it/Ram it/Ram it up your poop shoot’ is fine, but ‘Doggoneit, Dagnabbit’..no!
It’s so obviously Frank on that tape, and it’s so obviously a Zappa-esque lyric…weird.
We’re Only In It For The Touring is now here:
http://www.members.shaw.ca/fz-pomd/turtlestew/index.htm
[quote comment=”7403″]We’re Only In It For The Touring is now here:
http://www.members.shaw.ca/fz-pomd/turtlestew/index.htm%5B/quote%5D
As always, great page, great resource, plum full of great opinions (never encountered a Zappa freak who wasn’t…)
[quote comment=”7393″]1988 04 22 – Carl-Diem-Halle, Würzburg, Germany, courtesy of FZShows.
Whatever happened to all the fun in the world at “We’re Only in it for the Touring”? It’s been gone a while, but garsh darn it, I miss it. Or has it merely moved?[/quote]
Danke, Birdman!