Over-Nite Sensation

Quadraphonic Sound

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FZ, interviewed in Phoenix, April 7, 1973 by Dan Foote, Chuck Bufe & John Ridgway, New Times, April 18, 1973

I'll tell you how quad it's going to be. I've had some special instruments manufactured. Like that marimba and vibes that she (Ruth Underwood) is playing? Well you're hearing then mono right now, but both of them are quad instruments. There's a transducer on every bar, and they're fed out to a four-channel box. When you go into a studio, each one of those channels represents three half-steps on the keyboard. On the vibes it's F, F-sharp, G-channel one and any F, F-Sharp or G will come out on channel one. And then G-sharp, A and B flat will come out on channel two and so forth, so when she plays it will go bo-i-i-ing all the way around the room, like that . . . The piano pickup that George (Duke) is using on the grand is also the only one of its kind—its a magnetic pickup that goes across all the strings just like a guitar pickup. When he plays, in quad, the low notes are behind you, and the middle of the piano is in front of you and the high notes are over there . . . it just zooms around the room. When we record the drums in quad, we place the position of the bass drum mike in the center of the room, it will sound like it's hitting on top of the head . . .

A lot of quad layouts, are done in such a way that it will appear like the panorama of the group in front of you and the room echoes in back of you—that's the legit quad. But what we do is make the person who is listening to it sit right in the middle of the instruments, not in the middle of the band, but inside of the instruments themselves, and the result is pretty astonishing . . . It's just covering you up with notes. So I'm very enthusiastic about a quad release on that . . .

FZ, interviewed by Go-Set, Australia, July 14, 1973

The new album that's coming out is quad, and all the rest of our albums will be quad from now on. It's recorded in quad. Like for instance, instead of miking your drum set for a two-channel spread we have four overheads, and the placement of the kick drum comes up in quad centre so that when you hear the drum set you're sitting on the drummer's seat and it's all happening around you.

FZ, interviewed by Charles Shaar Murray, Go-Set, September 22, 1973

This is our first quad release. I think it's a very excellently recorded album. It's got a very clear production, and on two speakers it still gets the idea across. It even sounds good on cassette machine.

 

Censorship

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FZ, interviewed by Go-Set, Australia, July 14, 1973

Jenny [Brown]: Do you ever censor yourself?

Zappa: Sure. That's even more necessary now with the new Supreme Court Ruling in the United States so now it's up to the individual communities to decide and use their own discretion as to what is and what isn't obscene. The difference from community to community in the U.S. and the extent to which you can be prosecuted is pretty frightening. I mean, you get one guy or District Attorney or policeman in one small town that you go to or send a record to and he's going to go "Aha, I'll get my name in the papers with this."

 

The Recording Sessions

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Liner notes by FZ, 1973

engineers:
BARRY KEENE
TERRY DUNAVAN
FRED BORKGREN
STEVE DESPER

re-mix:
KERRY McNABB

studios:
BOLTIC SOUND
WHITNEY
PARAMOUNT

FZ, interviewed by Go-Set, Australia, July 14, 1973

Well, there's various procedures that I've used in recording albums and the new album which is out in the States in about four weeks is done in layers. Did the rhythm section—brought them in—most of the material they'd already played on stage—so I put the finishing touches on it as we "layered down". Certain things that are good for performance on stage were omitted on record because they didn't add anything to the event on record and certain things that would be impractical on stage were included to add interest to the record. After the rhythm section was down the vocals went on. And after the vocals we put on the horns, then the guitar solos. It went on in layers like that. I think it added to about two or three hundred hours onto this album.

FZ, interviewed by J.C. Costa, International Musician And Recording World, February 1979

When we made the second deal with Warner Bros. they, in their infinite wisdom, allowed us a budget of $60,000 per album. And this was a time when your average 'big time' group was spending a quarter of a million per album.

Guitar Sound

FZ, interviewed by Guitarist, March 1993 (from Guitarist, August 18, 2021)

Your guitar style underwent a marked change around the time of Over-Nite Sensation.

That was partly because of the rhythm section and partly because of the equipment I was using. I imagine that anybody's guitar playing would change if one day your keyboard player was Don Preston and suddenly the next day it's George Duke—know what I mean? Or the difference between [drummers] Jimmy Carl Black and Chester Thompson; that certainly made a difference.

When you have a completely different rhythm section with a different musical perspective, you'd be a fool not to take advantage of it. It also changed because I started playing an SG.

So, you could put the difference in your guitar sound down, at least in part, to a new instrument?

Not just a different instrument but also different amplification because prior to that time I'd been playing either a Gold Top Les Paul or a Gibson ES-5 Switchmaster, which was a large, fat three-pickup jazz guitar, which really had uncontrollable feedback.

I was playing through a Fender amp or an Acoustic amp with a fairly nondescript tone—I just didn't have enough money to invest in new equipment. But by the early '70s I was playing this SG and I switched over to Marshalls, and started playing through a device that a friend built for me, which had compression, phase shifting and some other little specialities.

Vocals

FZ, interviewed by Charles Shaar Murray, Go-Set, September 22, 1973

I am back in the singing business again. For the kind of lyrics that I write, it's hard to get somebody else to identify with them to the extent that they express 'em properly. There's millions of people who can sing better than me, but there's not many who understand the lyrics sufficiently to get them across. So I figured that I might as well do it myself. I have a pretty limited range—I can't sing very high so there are certain things that have to be done by other people. Ninety percent of that album is me singing the lead vocals.

FZ, interviewed in April 7, 1973 by Dan Foote, Chuck Bufe & John Ridgway, New Times, April 18, 1973

We've been in the studio for about three weeks and you ought to hear that stuff; that's terrifying. I mean, I hate to even come out to do a show sometimes when I know how good it can sound in the studio.

March 19-20, 1973—Bolic Sound, Inglewood, CA

Classic Albums (2007)—0:06:50

Bolic Sound, 3-19-73, Dynamo Hum, Dirty Love, Young Sophisticate. Master.
Bolic Sound, 3-20-73, Excentrifugal Forts, Redunzel. Master.

Joe Travers, Classic Albums (Bonum) (2007)—0:28:36

This is the original for "Dirty Love," "Dinah-Moe Humm," recorded March 19th and 20th, 1973, and this is Barry Keene's handwritting at Bolic Sound.

Greg Russo, Cosmik Debris: The Collected History And Improvisations Of Frank Zappa (The Son Of Revised), 2003, p. 286

03/19/73 (11AM-2PM, 3-6PM & 6:30-11:30PM) Bolic Sound—Dinah-Moe Humm; Dirty Love; For The Young Sophisticate; Roadie Music (Part One)
MUSICIANS: FZ, George Duke, Tom Fowler, Ralph Humphrey

03/20/73 (1-4PM & 5-9:30PM) Bolic Sound—Excentrifugal Forz; Montana; Curse Of The Zombads
MUSICIANS: FZ, George Duke, Tom Fowler, Ralph Humphrey

April 3-4, 1973—Whitney Studios, LA

Greg Russo, Cosmik Debris: The Collected History And Improvisations Of Frank Zappa (The Son Of Revised), 2003, p. 286

04/03/73 (1-4PM, 4:30-7:30PM & 8-11PM) Whitney Studios, Glendale, CA—Inca Roads, Fifty-Fifty
MUSICIANS: FZ, George Duke, Tom Fowler, Ralph Humphrey, Ian Underwood, Ruth Underwood, Bruce Fowler, Salvador Marquez

04/04/73 (1-4PM & 4:30-7:30PM) Whitney Studios, Glendale, CA—Redunzl; Camarillo Brillo
MUSICIANS: FZ, George Duke, Tom Fowler, Ralph Humphrey, Ian Underwood, Ruth Underwood, Bruce Fowler

Nigey Lennon, interviewed by Bob Dobbs, August 7, 1995

[FZ] used some of that personnel—for lack of a better term people tend to call that group the "Petit Wazoo." It was really terrific stuff, and I was there for those sessions—they were being held at Whitney Studios, and Paramount [Studios in Hollywood], but mostly at Whitney in Glendale.

Nigey Lennon, interviewed by Andrew Greenaway, The Idiot Bastard, June 15, 2000

I contributed the following to the tracks on Over-Nite Sensation: keyboard and rhythm guitar parts on "Dirty Love"; guitar on "Camarillo Brillo"; backup vocals on "Dirty Love" (which were later re-recorded by Tina Turner); backup vocals on "Camarillo Brillo" (which were not used); and a few VSO'd vocals on "Camarillo Brillo" (which are audible). These tracks were recorded at Whitney Studios in Glendale.

May 26-June 1, 1973—Bolic Sound, Inglewood, CA

Classic Albums (2007)—0:20:16

INVOICE May 31, 1973

Background voices (3) 4:30 pm to midnight a total of seven and 1/2 hours (7 1/2) at the rate of $25.00 per hour per person a total of $187.50 each. Please make checks to the following people:

Tina Turner $187.50
Linda Sims 187.50
Debbie Wilson 187.50

Thank you for giving us the chance to serve you.

Greg Russo, Cosmik Debris: The Collected History And Improvisations Of Frank Zappa (The Son Of Revised), 2003, p. 287

05/26/73 (12-4PM & 4:30-8:30PM) Bolic Sound—Montana; Cosmic Debris
MUSICIANS: FZ, Ian Underwood

05/29/73 (12-3PM, 3:30-6:30PM & 7-10PM) Bolic Sound—Cosmik Debris; Zomby Woof; Fifty-Fifty
MUSICIANS: FZ, Ralph Humphrey, George Duke, Tom Fowler, Ruth Underwood

05/30/73 (12-3PM, 3:30-6:30PM & 7-10PM) Bolic Sound—Zomby Woof; Wonderful Wino
MUSICIANS: FZ, Ralph Humphrey, Ruth Underwood, George Duke, Tom Fowler, Bruce Fowler, Salvador Marquez

06/01/73 (10AM-1PM, 1:30-4:30PM, 5-8PM & 8:30-11:30PM) Bolic Sound—Zomby Woof; Wonderful Wino; Cosmik Debris; Fifty-Fifty
MUSICIANS: FZ, Bruce Fowler, Jose Salvador Marquez, Ian Underwood

Paramount Recording Studios, Los Angeles, CA

Joe Travers, "Over-Nite Sensation 50th Anniversary Super Deluxe Edition—Deep Dish (Episode 2)," Zappacast, February 22, 2024

Nothing was recorded at Paramount. Everything was mixed at Paramount for this record, but Bolic and Whitney were the two recording studios that were utilised in the creation of Over-Nite Sensation.

 

The Musicians

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• See also notes on the early 1973 band.

Ricky Lancelotti

Caroline Boucher, "Frank Talk . . .," [Disc?], March 3, 1973

Frank has now got a new band together to tour America shortly. Old hands are George Duke and Ian and Ruth Underwood; new are Jean Luc [Ponty], Ralph Humphrey on drums, Bruce Valla [Fowler] on trumpet, and Tom Fowler on bass. He also hopes to include a singer who has impressed him called Rick Lansiladi [Lancelotti].

FZ, interviewed by International Times, March 1977

IT: How long was Lancelotti on for?

Z: Lancelotti?—He auditioned—he passed his audition—he rehearsed for 2 weeks and flunked out. He sang a couple of times on one album.

Jack Shumway, quoted in United Mutations

Ricky would hang out with Frank during his recording sessions. After the final mastering of the Grand Wazoo (1972) Frank played the recording to all the band members and than asked each person what they thought of it. Each musician he asked thought the recording was excellent. When Frank asked Ricky for his opinion he said "It had no back-beat" (Frank was shocked).

Later Ricky sang for Frank on Overnight Sensation. Ricky asked Frank how he wanted him to sing ("50-50," "Zomby Woof") and Frank said, "Just act crazy." Ricky's picture was not printed on the album cover along with the other band members because Ricky didn't want his picture on it. During this time period Ricky would drive Frank around in his car (Frank didn't like to drive). Band practice was mostly late at night or after midnight. One night Ricky showed up for practice drunk and Frank told him to "go home and sleep it off" (Frank was paying Rick $80 per hour to sing and didn't tolerate drugs or drinking at work). Later Frank asked Ricky to go on tour but Ricky refused to tour and dropped out of the band (you had to tour with Frank because that was his main source of income at the time). Ricky's friendship with Frank ended badly because Ricky accused Frank of using him so he could learn how to sing.

 

The Cover Art

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Dave McMacken Painting

FZ, interviewed on WABX, Detroit, November 2, 1973

Well, look at what's happening on the cover . . . somebody's having an overnight sensation there . . . [...] The figure in the center of the album cover is a composite of two of our roadies. It's one body with two roadie heads on it . . . ummm, Paul Hof and uhhh . . .Dunt.

[...] The cover painting is by the same artist who did the cover of 200 Motels, his name is Dave McMacken, and he's a very talented graphic artist. Some of the worthwhile details on the cover are the underpants which are rumpled, lying next to the sexually abused grapefruit . . . and the label inside of the underpants, which says 'Rush-Up Chicago' has all sorts of deep significance for people who live in Chicago, and who have one time or another rushed up . . . to the place that they call Rush-Up.

And then there's a little leg sticking up from the abused grapefruit, which says 'Roadie's Delite' on it . . . oh, I'd better tell you about the Roadie's Delight first. About 3 or 4 years ago, we were working in Florida, and there was a sociological discussion taking place around a swimming-pool after Paul Hof had had to drive many miles with his truck full of equipment, and had been wondering when he was ever gonna get a chance to gratify himself by the use of . . . well, with the cooperation of a female assistant. And he had decided while he was driving along that the problem about being a roadie is that you just didn't get enough action, so he had been trying to work out some plan for roadie gratification . . . and in Florida, he came up with the idea of the Roadie's Delite, which was: stop the truck, pick a grapefruit, work out on the grapefruit while you're driving the truck, and by the time you got to the hotel, give the grapefruit to the road manager, because he was having trouble too . . . that's right, that's a warmed up grapefruit that we see on the front.

[...] And then, behind the grapefruit you see a very small, semi- cartooned leg with a up-turned foot that has just kicked a partially transparentized, small white chair out of the way from in front of a large briefcase with backstage stickers on it. Now, that foot represents the foot of Steve Desper, who used to be the sound mixer for The Beach Boys, and who worked for us for two tours, one in the States and one in Australia. He quit working with The Mothers because he was offended by the lyrics, and decided that he was quitting showbiz altogether, and he entered a Christian science seminary in Boston . . . he's a very upstanding gentleman. Now, the leg represents the time that we were working at the Syria Mosque in Pittsburgh [May 6, 1973], and somebody forgot to tell him that the [Arby's] had arrived . . . and the roadies ate [Arby's], but he didn't get any. And so he threw a tantrum and kicked a chair, whereupon I threatened to send him home . . . it's so delicate, you know, and it was so worthwhile commemorating it on the cover.

Then, back behind the large shoe, behind the two-headed roadie, is a fire extinguisher that says 'Perellis' on it. That's a replica, an enlarged replica, of the same extinguisher that was used to chase our road manager in a nude condition down the hall of a motel in Daytona Beach. Paul and Jay got him out there and worked him over a little bit with the fire extinguisher, and behind the hose of the extinguisher, behind the hand of the multiple-headed roadie, is a replica of a Holiday Inn artwork, that as you can tell is bolted to the wall, because of its unbelievable value . . . the possibility that a person might try to steal the artwork from the room, they put these enormous bolts to the wall. And the painting itself is an exact replica of a Venetian blind, as imagined by an artist named Brittini, who has always been a great . . . uhhh . . . motel artist, you know. He's one of those kind of artists that does sort of boring pictures and then writes his name really big in the corner, which is the most interesting thing on the canvas . . .

[...] Cross on the backside, that funny little figure pooching up through the broken concrete, is none other than Herb Cohen, who's the co-founder of Discreet Records . . . that's big business. This is Herb disguised as a Young [?] radio tube, going up through the floor. [...] The Flo & Eddie [Europe] pass is on simply because the artist took one of the briefcases that was owned by the roadies and duplicated it.

The interior, ladies and gentlemen, is executed by Cal Schenkel. What it represents is the rear view of the television set which is oozing the slime, and as you might have seen, if you ever turned your TV set around, there's some sort of fibreboard background with holes in it for vents . . . and the little noodle-like objects that are leaking out around the things that have the lyrics on it are supposed to be rear-zone slime extrusions that are oozing down over some of the illustrations.

Transcription: Jon Naurin (alt.fan.frank-zappa, November 22, 1999)

Dave McMacken, interviewed by UnCovered, April 2010

Fast forward a couple of years [after 200 Motels] and Frank calls and asks if I want to paint another cover for him. I nearly fell off my chair. He wanted to get started immediately and so that night I listened to a truly bizarre take of the scene that Zappa imagined. In fantastic detail, he proceeded to tell me the story of Over-Nite Sensation and that the cover painting was to be done in a formal, realistic "Dutch Master" style, with the objects in the painting to be portrayed as visual elements from the story.

The painting captures a moment in the life of a band roadie on tour, with "Over-Nite Sensation" being a reference to the horniness of bands on the road. The space we're looking at is in a true perspective, but they're in a mirror and the object on the viewer's side are in reverse. Our focal object is a grapefruit, the symbol of a sexual object, and the grapefruit's been penetrated, with "cum" oozing out of it. The fire extinguisher symbolizes the completion of the act of intercourse, and even the frame is a sexual fantasy, starting off in gold and going to rot. All of the other items—the Holiday Inn, the food, maps and oozing TV—represent the doldrums of being on the road.

I took tight notes during this session—I wasn't given a written assignment or description—and worked on this painting for 2 months, meeting many times with Frank to discuss the work in progress. I started with a pencil and it evolved as we went along, with Frank adding more as "more was always better"—it is really cool when the musical act is also the Art Director and owns the production company! During the process, we had one meeting with Chris Whorf at Warner Brothers just to include the record company at some stage during the development and I showed him the pencil sketch I'd done. He loved it and picked it up and was going to leave with it to use it as the final art. In hind-sight, it might not have been such a bad idea, but there was no way that I was going to miss out on the fun I was having, so I retrieved the sketch and went off to Illustrationland to continue my work. I did the final painting using casein paints, which were a cool mixture of oils and acrylics and had the lovely aroma of vanilla. They later discontinued these paints and I new paint exclusively in acrylics—they're way less fussy.

Barrymore Keene, "Recording Engineer History," Ohm Lad Music

The guy with the fire extinguisher is "Dunt"—the roadie.

He entered my room via the balconies and sprayed me (while playing a borrowed Martin guitar) with a soda-acid fire extinguisher. I spent the rest of the evening cleaning the guitar.

What the roadies did with the ripped-open grapefruit, you don't even want to know. Trust me.

See also a detailed description of the painting here:

• Len Callo interviews Dave McMacken, Studio4004, 2007 (14:58 min.)

Early 1973—Emerson-Loew Studio Session

Liner notes by FZ, 1973

photography: EMERSON-LOEW

Inner Cover

March 23, 1973—Hollywood Palladium, LA, CA

Front Cover

Frank Zappa & The Mothers Of Invention In Australia, 1973

Sam Emerson, Polaris Images

Apostrophe (') (CD inlay 1995)

Road Tapes, Venue #2 (2013) booklet

Photography by Diva Zappa

Roxy By Proxy (2014) booklet

Archive Photos by Emerson-Loew, courtesy ZFT

1995 CD

Calvin Schenkel, alt.fan.frank-zappa

[The people under the CD tray on Over-Nite Sensation are] Paul Hof and Jay "Dunt" Sloatman, who are also the models for the two-headed roadie in Dave McMacken's cover painting.

Jay "Dunt" Sloatman, Paul Hof—Hollywood, February 1999 ©1999RALF

Credits

technicians:
PAUL HOF
JAY "DUNT" SLOATMAN
KANSAS J. CANZUS

 

Additional informants: Charles Ulrich and Javier Marcote.