As noted in the comments by KUR’s Intrepid Eastern Europe Correspondent Balint, ZPZ’s summer/fall tour will not feature Napoleon Murphy Brock on vocals. Filling the void, guitarist and vocalist Ray White is said to join the tour instead. GuitarWorld Magazine:
Joining the tour this year is Ray White, the vocalist who toured and recorded with Frank Zappa during the period of such albums as Tinsel Town Rebellion, You Are What You Is and Zappa in New York (his is the lead vocal on the song “The Illinois Enema Bandit”).
We’d mentioned previously that playlists would differ by an approximate 70% (pun anyone?). Here’s the nitty gritty on that. Quoth Dweezil:
“What we’re preparing to do for this tour is perhaps even more complex than what we did on the first tour,” says Zappa. “Last year we learned about 40 songs from a very popular period of Frank’s career, and this year we will be learning about 30 more new ones that are somewhat more obscure. The tour will include material from [the albums] We’re Only In It for the Money, Absolutely Free, Weasels Ripped My Flesh, Joe’s Garage, You Are What You Is, The Yellow Shark and much more, including orchestral works.â€
This is looking to be very, very interesting — if you ask me…
it will be amazing with ray white. shame about napi, but this is something different, and progress can’t be made without deviation right? heh.
all the new material.. a ‘you are what you is’ medley perhaps, will be brilliant. i’m willing to bet the yellow shark song will be g-spot tornado. imagine that as a closer.
now i just need to get one of those 2000 UK tickets..
Ray Fucking White?!?
That will be kick ass.
I hope his voice has held up and nicely as Napi’s
But wouldn’t G-Spot Tornado be “Jazz From Hell”? I think Dweezil is going for the low budget symphony thing.
My insider ZPZ friend says in rehearsals Ray sounds “Awesome. Like, really fucking awesome”.
I heard (and spoke with) Ray in 2000; he can still whip it out.
I am very happy that Ray White is with ZPZ.
Too bad Ike won’t be with them. Ike and Ray
singing harmonies together is really something to hear.
I have to drive a few hours to the Warner Theatre
in Erie, PA for the ZPZ show. My tickets came today.
I am excited.
It’s official! See the ZPZ site:
Ray White
Guitar and Vocals
Ray White is a rock and blues guitarist most well-known as a member of Frank Zappa’s touring ensembles. He was drafted into Zappa’s band in the fall of 1976, being featured on rhythm guitar and vocals. He participated on such albums as Zappa in New York (featuring a powerful lead vocal on “The Illinois Enema Bandit”), Tinsel Town Rebellion, and You Are What You Is amongst others in Zappa’s voluminous catalogue.
Ray has also worked with jam-oriented groups like KVHW, Don’t Push the Clown and Umphrey’s McGee since his contributions to the Zappa band, and has more recently worked with a variety of Michigan artists, including former Rare Earth Drummer Bob Weaver, as well as members of the funk/fusion combo Generic Produce.
This gets me wondering who else might be singing this year, as I just don’t see Ray singing all the songs.
This could get interesting.
I’m calling a Music For Low Budget Orchesta and Guitar
Bliss…
DOREEN?!!! that would be great. easy meat? illinois? lucille? (i know it was ike but what if?) same with this next one….why does it hurt when i pee?
any other requests, suggestions, or predictions?
ps. DOREEN!!!!!
It would be cool to have some national tv celeb do the Illinois Enema Bandit anouncement. I remember an Elvis Costello tour where he had a comedian from the country he was in on stage every night.
But even if Dweezil does it I’ll be having my blown off.
Maybe Ahmet as second vocalist?
And I have no doubt at all that they’ll play G-Spot, and maybe Outrage at Valdez??
Ooh, speaking af the Illinois Enema Bandit, to hear Ray White sing that one…
I must admit, though, that I would rather hear Bozzio play Black Page again,
but lets see what they can do this year!
My votes are for songs like:
– What’s New In Baltimore?
– Moggio
– G-Spot Tornado,
– Alien Orifice,
– Envelopes
– The Illinois Enema Bandit
– City Of Tiny Lights
– Keep It Greasey
– Outside Now
… and my additional votes for songs are
– Night School
– Put A Motor In Yourself
– Amnerika
/me pictures the Dweez with a baton…
and…Sharleena
Put A Motor In Yourself is (and may always be) my favorite Zappa piece. My imagination tells me that it describes a very abstract factory.
T’Mershi Duween anyone? One of my favirote shorter songs.
Great to hear that Ray White is joining this year’s ZPZ Tour.
Last year we had the “dynamic” Napoleon Murphy Brock.
I met Napoleon (very cool) at a “Ed Palmero Big Band†gig in
NYC back in December ‘06. Napoleon told me he just signed
up for 100 more shows. So what happened?
Brock, Bozzio & Vai have a way stealing a show.
Maybe Dweezil wants to keep the spotlight on the music, not the musicians.
Just a thought.
– Hugh
P. S. Flo & Eddie would be awesome!
What about Ike Willis? That would be awesome!
I would love to see Ike Willis, Ray White, Tommy Mars and Steve Vai share a stage again as guest stars on the Zappa plays Zappa tour, and maybe play a medley of Easy Meat, You are What You Is, Pick Me I’m Clean and other 80’s stuff.
I saw Ray perform with Kimock in Feb. of this year, and he’s in top form, (except he had a problem remembering lyrics to tunes he hadn’t played in awhile).
We spoke before the show and he told me that he was reading ‘The Gospel According to Biff’. He was getting a kick out of it.
Zappa tunes that Ray played regularly with KVHW a few years back include:
Illinois Enema Bandit
City of Tiny Lights
Watermelon In Easter Hay
For whatever that’s worth.