Playground Psychotics

Original Recordings

Liner notes by FZ, 1992

Most of the dialog recordings were made by me on a portable Uher 7 1/2 ips recorder, except where otherwise indicated. The musical selections are from live analog recordings originating from either the Fillmore East NYC (16 track), the Pauley Pavilion, UCLA (4 track), or the Rainbow Theater, London (8 track).

 

The Official Mothers Of Invention Bootleg Album

Mark Volman, interviewed by Co de Cloet, fall, 1993

Well, I don't know if Frank tells you the story of Playground Psychotics the way I will tell you the story, but it's no secret that Frank used to carry his Uher tape recorder with us on tour constantly, and Playground Psychotics' basic foundation started during a weekend when we travelled to Spokane, Washington, Seattle, Washington, to the Edgewater Hotel, which was the foundation for the "Mudshark" and the whole story on the white Live at the Fillmore East [Fillmore East, June 1971] album, and we also played Portland, Oregon, and Eugene, Oregon, it was a trip to the northwest of the United States. And Frank edited together that weekend into an album that he gave to Warner Brothers Records, and it was called the Official Mothers of Invention Bootleg Album, and [...] that was given to Warner Brothers right after we did the album "Billy the Mountain", Just Another Band From L.A., and Frank gave it to Warner Brothers as our album, as his new album. 'Cause he was trying desperately to leave Warner Brothers, he had two albums that he owed them. And what he was trying to do was to put together two records quickly, back to back, and one of them was this live touring record, which was kind of an offshoot of what had really transpired during the movie 200 MOTELS, which was really life on the road with a band, purely documentary.

And Warner Brothers turned it down. And so the Official Bootleg Album went up on the shelf, and Frank basically sat on it, and squelched it. It was a bit too . . . I guess you could say listening to it now, for that time, 1973 or 1974, it was way far ahead of its time, obviously, as alternative music goes—there wasn't very much music on the Bootleg Album, it only had "Easy Meat" at a rehearsal and it had another, maybe, "Tears Begin to Fall" ["Tears Began to Fall"], a live version of it. And those didn't actually even make it to Playground Psychotics, in fact, what he did was basically took the outtakes of the live Fillmore East recordings with John Lennon and a few other things, "Billy the Mountain", the original version, the 30-35-some-odd minute version, excellent version, with Studebaker Hoch, all of the ramifications of Studebaker Hoch . . .

It was, I went up to the house the day he got copies, and we sat at his house and listened to the record, and I swear, I cried and I laughed and he, him and I just listened to it with relish because here we were hearing this history, and those intimacies, I mean, the girl on the airplane, and the things that you thought you'd never see, let alone being released to the public! To be made available!

 

disc 1

1. "Here Comes The Gear, Lads"

Liner notes by FZ, 1992

As we depart for the first date of the tour [...]

Mark: "Hey, John Lennon here . . . "

Like to welcome you aboard United's flight 664 to Spokane.

Charles Ulrich, Frank Zappa Gig List: 1970, December 12, 2012

70/09/17, Spokane, WA, Coliseum, CONFIRMED

Charles Ulrich, August 29, 2005

I don't list any shows for the preceding 26 days. So it does indeed seem to have been "the first date of the tour," as stated in the notes for "Here Comes The Gear, Lads."

"Here Comes The Gear," Lads was recorded in the airport (presumably LAX) en route to Spokane.

 

2. The Living Garbage Truck

Bruce Bisell: The FM chart that's put out here in Vancouver, has a distribution of about fifty thousand.

FZ, interviewed by Beetle, September 1971

I understand that Bruce Bissel met you at the airport in Vancouver with a garbage truck. Whose idea was that?

Warner Brothers. We arrived and there was Bruce with this garbage truck. He was ecstatic about the idea and said it would be a real gas if we were photographed beside it.

Oh, you mean you weren't happy with the idea?

Well, we would have actually preferred the more conventional limousine but after all, what could we do? Here was this promotion man who thinks that it's a great publicity stunt (after all, we'd never met him, and we didn't want to offend him or Warner Brothers) so we did it. It was more like what we were into in '67.

Charles Ulrich, Frank Zappa Gig List: 1970, December 12, 2012

70/09/19, Vancouver, BC, Canada, Coliseum, CONFIRMED

 

3. A Typical Sound Check

Ben, January 3, 2020

Hey i have a tracklisting for the 9 LP set of the history and collected improvisations of the mothers and just found out a typical soundcheck is from spokane washington

Volume 2 Side 5 1:42 Soundcheck in a spokane skating rink

 

4. "This Is Neat"

The rooms are in Foon's name, eh?

 

5. The Motel Lobby

Mark: Hey, what is this, man? Is this the Can-Can Room?
Howard: This place waits for us, man
Mark: This place waits us! Is there a piano?
Howard: There's a juke box with a lotta hokie country songs on it. I am coming in here and getting blotto in about ten minutes
Mark: Oh, man, me too!

Charles Ulrich, August 29, 2005

If the Can-Can Room was really the name of the lounge in the motel in Spokane, then The Motel Lobby was recorded in Spokane too.

[...] Howard indicates his intention to get drunk in ten minutes. So I would guess that they got to Spokane a day before the concert. That would make the recording date September 16, 1970.

 

6. Getting Stewed

Howard: And we're sitting here in Spokane, Washington.
[...]
Mark: The Can-Can Room.

Charles Ulrich, Frank Zappa Gig List: 1970, December 12, 2012

70/09/17, Spokane, WA, Coliseum, CONFIRMED

 

7. The Motel Room

Charles Ulrich, January 31, 2019

What's playing in "The Motel Room" on Playground Psychotics is season 4, episode 2 [of Rowan & Martin's Laugh-In], which was broadcast on September 21, 1970. So, yes, it must have been recorded in Portland, Oregon.

 

8. "Don't Take Me Down"

Charles Ulrich, August 29, 2005

There were two opening acts at the 9/17/70 Spokane show, Notary Sojac and Sleepy John. A member of Notary Sojac told me that it's not them on "Don't Take Me Down." So if this is from Spokane, it's presumably Sleepy John (from Lewiston, Idaho).

 

9. The Dressing Room

 

10. Learning "Penis Dimension"

 

11. "You There, With The Hard On!"

 

12. Zanti Serenade

Liner notes by FZ, 1992

This was the opening vamp for the ill-fated Rainbow Theatre show. One week earlier, all of our gear was destroyed in a fire at the Montreux Casino. We cancelled a week's worth of dates, went shopping for new gear, and were still trying to make it all work correctly as the show began. What purports to be some sort of avant-garde extravaganza was really just a sound check with the audience in attendance.

Sources & Edits

Playground Psychotics (1992) The Mothers 1971 (2022)
1.11. "You There, With The Hard On!" 7.07. Zanti Serenade
  00:00-00:14
0:00-0:25 00:14-00:40
1.12. Zanti Serenade  
0:00-0:49 00:40-01:29
  01:29-01:50
0:47-1:18 01:50-02:21
  02:21-02:53
1:16-1:36 02:53-03:13
  03:13-03:19
1:34-2:40 03:19-04:24
  04:24-12:38

 

13. Divan

Liner notes by FZ, 1992

This recording from the Pauley Pavilion is all that remains of a larger piece which included "Sofa" and other material.

Sources & Edits

Los Angeles, CA, August 7, 1971 (audience tape) Playground Psychotics (1992)
13. Sofa Suite 1.13. Divan
00:00-10:55  
10:55-11:41 0:49-1:46
11:41-12:34  
12:34-13:23 0:00-0:49
13:23-13:40  

 

14. Sleeping In A Jar

Sources & Edits

Playground Psychotics (1992) The Mothers 1971 (2022)
1.14. Sleeping In A Jar 8.08. Sleeping In A Jar
  0:00-0:18
0:00-1:30 0:18-1:48
  1:48-2:24

 

15. "Don't Eat There"

Sources & Edits

Playground Psychotics (1992) The Mothers 1971 (2022)
1.15. "Don't Eat There" 8.07. Pound For A Brown Part II
  0:00-1:36
0:00-0:07 1:36-1:43
  1:43-2:12
0:07-1:11 2:12-3:16
[0:54-2:26]  
2:18-2:26 3:45-3:52
Charles Ulrich, November 24, 2005

The background music at breakfast is "Moonlight Bay".

Charles Ulrich, March 22, 2012

Howard quotes Autumn Leaves at the end of Don't Eat There (2:21-2:26), with the last note extending into the first second of Brixton Still Life.

It's much easier to identify the quotation on the audience recording of 12/10/71 London.

 

16. Brixton Still Life

Sources & Edits

Playground Psychotics (1992) The Mothers 1971 (2022)
1.16. Brixton Still Life 8.07. Pound For A Brown Part II
0:00-0:01 3:52-3:53
0:00-2:58 4:51-7:50
  8.05. Pound For A Brown Part I
2:50-2:59 5:18-5:27

 

17. Super Grease

Sources & Edits

Playground Psychotics (1992) The Mothers 1971 (2022)
1.17. Super Grease 8.06. Super Grease
0:00-0:03 0:00-0:03
  0:03-0:09
0:03-0:13 0:09-0:19
  0:19-0:36
0:13-0:26 0:36-0:50
  0:50-1:02
0:25-1:05 1:02-1:42
  1:42-1:53
1:04-1:07 1:53-1:56
  1:56-1:59
1:07-1:12 1:59-2:04
  2:04-2:06
1:12-1:39 2:06-2:34

 

18. Wonderful Wino

Sources & Edits

Playground Psychotics (1992) The Mothers 1971 (2022)
1.18. Wonderful Wino 8.06. Super Grease
0:00-0:01 2:34-2:35
  8.09. Wonderful Wino
0:00-4:52 0:00-4:50

 

19. Sharleena

Sources & Edits

Playground Psychotics (1992) The Mothers 1971 (2022)
1.19. Sharleena 8.10. Sharleena
0:00-3:29 0:00-3:28
  3:28-3:44
3:29-4:23 3:44-4:37

right here at the Rainbow Theatre where Melanie ripped it up last night

Charles Ulrich, January 7, 2009

Melanie [Safka] had played a sold-out concert at the Rainbow the previous night. Her "Brand New Key" reached #1 in the Billboard chart later that month.

 

20. Cruisin' For Burgers

Sources & Edits

Playground Psychotics (1992) The Mothers 1971 (2022)
1.20. Cruisin' For Burgers 8.11. Cruising For Burgers
0:00-2:53 0:00-2:52
  2:52-3:39

 

21. Diptheria Blues

Liner notes by FZ, 1992

From a Florida dressing room. While Dunbar keeps time on a bottle of Scotch whisky and a wooden table, Howard relates the tale of the San Antonio diptheria epidemic which we had just escaped.

Play the harmonica, boy.

Oh, diphtheria got me down
Oh, San Antonio epidemic now

Charles Ulrich, Frank Zappa Gig List: 1970, December 12, 2012

70/10/09, Tallahassee, FL, Tully Gymnasium, Florida State University, CONFIRMED

 

22. Well

Sources & Edits

Some Time In New York City (John & Yoko, 1972) Playground Psychotics (1992) Fillmore East—June 1971—50th Anniversary Expanded Version (3 LPs, 2022)—[timing approximate] The Mothers 1971 (2022)
      June 6, 1971, late show
2.03. Well (Baby Please Don't Go) 1.21. Diptheria Blues 3.01. Well 6.01. Well
      0:00-0:04
0:00-0:16     0:04-0:21
4:10-4:31     0:21-0:42
      0:42-1:25
  5:37-6:07 0:01-0:31 1:25-1:54
    0:31-0:31 1:54-1:55
0:16-0:17   0:31-0:32 1:55-1:56
0:17-0:20 6:07-6:09 0:32-0:35 1:56-1:59
0:20-0:33     1:59-2:12
0:33-0:42 6:09-6:19 0:35-0:45 2:12-2:21
  1.22. Well    
0:42-4:21 0:00-3:40 0:45-4:25 2:21-6:00
  3:40-4:04 4:25-4:49 6:00-6:24
      6:24-7:43
  4:04-4:43 4:49-5:28 7:43-8:21
      8:21-9:02
FZ, Dr. Demento Radio Show, KMET CA, December 24, 1973

I don't know where [John Lennon] got it from—it was pointed out to me some time later that it was originally recorded by The Olympics on the Demon label.

davmar77, Zappateers, February 24, 2012

this is really from the june 6, 1971 late show. i went the night before to the late show and still have my stub.

FZ, interviewed by Steve Rosen, Record Review, June 1982

We were working at the Fillmore East and they came in and sat in with us and it just happened to be the same night we recorded the Live at the Fillmore album. So the whole event got on tape. And a deal was made in the dressing room afterwards where they said they wanted to be able to release the tapes and I said I wanted to be able to release the tapes and we mutually released each other. In other words I'll give you a copy of the tapes and you can do what you want with them and I'll do what I want with them. I've never released it but what they did with it was really the pits. They turned off some of the words that Howard (Kaylan) and Mark (Volman) were singing in a song called "Scum Bag" and they left some of the best stuff out of it. And what they did was they took a song called "King Kong" that we were playing and retitled it "Jam Rag" and claimed the publishing on it. So I'm not too thrilled about the results of that particular collaboration and one of these days I'm going to mix the stuff from that particular performance so you can hear everything that went on. Because Mark and Howard were talking about "sticking Yoko in a scumbag." I never had any further conversation with them because at that point it was one of those things where you'd have to go to a lawyer. I think there were some questions asked by Capitol Records as to why that had been done but in order to straighten it out, you'd have to go in with an accountant and see the sales of that particular album and start a lawsuit over the fact that they took the publishing and this and that. I Just thought it was a real cheap shot thing to do.

FZ, Picture Disk Interview #2, 1984

The day before the show, a journalist in New York City woke me up—knocked on the door and is standing there with a tape recorder and goes, "Frank, I'd like to introduce you to John Lennon," you know, waiting for me to gasp and fall on the floor and I said, "Well, Ok. Come on in." And we sat around and talked, and I think the first thing he said to me was, "You're not as ugly as I thought you would be." So anyway, I thought he had a pretty good sense of humor so I invited him to come down and jam with us at the Fillmore East.

We had already booked in a recording truck because we were making the "Live at the Fillmore" album at the time. After they had sat in with us, an arrangement was made that we would both have access to the tapes. He wanted to release it with his mix and I had the right to release it with my mix—so that's how that one section came about.

The bad part is, there's a song that I wrote called "King Kong" which we played that night, and I don't know whether it was Yoko's idea or John's idea but they changed the name of the song to "Jam Rag," gave themselves writing and publishing credit on it, stuck it on an album and never paid me. It was obviously not a jam session song—its got a melody, its got a bass line, it's obviously an organized song—little bit disappointing. I've never released my version of the mixes of that night.

"Hello Goodbye: Guest Of The Month—Frank Zappa," Stereo, April 1976 [English translation by Tan Mitsugu]

Q: You look much better than your photograph.

Zappa: John Lennon said the same thing.

Rubens Nogueira, Facebook, November 17, 2021

John Lennon & Yoko Ono at the Fillmore East before joining Frank Zappa onstage (1971).

John & Yoko

Anybody who comes to the Fillmore East can sing the song.

 

23. Say Please

Sources & Edits

Some Time In New York City (John & Yoko, 1972) Playground Psychotics (1992) Fillmore East—June 1971—50th Anniversary Expanded Version (3 LPs, 2022)—[timing approximate] The Mothers 1971 (2022)
      June 6, 1971, late show
2.03. Well (Baby Please Don't Go) 1.23. Say Please 3.02. Say Please 6.02. Say Please
      0:00-0:04
4:31-4:41     0:04-0:13
2.04. Jamrag      
0:00-0:17     0:13-0:31
0:17-0:25 0:00-0:07 0:00-0:07 0:31-0:39
0:25-0:27   0:07-0:09 0:39-0:41
0:27-1:17 0:07-0:57 0:09-0:59 0:41-1:30
      6.03. King Kong
1:17-2:26     0:00-1:08

 

24. Aaawk

Sources & Edits

Some Time In New York City (John & Yoko, 1972) Playground Psychotics (1992) Fillmore East—June 1971—50th Anniversary Expanded Version (3 LPs, 2022)—[timing approximate] The Mothers 1971 (2022)
      June 6, 1971, late show
2.04. Jamrag 1.24. Aaawk 3.03. Aaawk 6.04. Aaawk
2:26-2:49 0:00-0:23 0:00-0:23 0:00-0:23
2:49-3:00     0:23-0:34
3:00-5:36 0:23-2:59 0:23-2:59 0:34-3:10

 

25. Scum Bag

Sources & Edits

Some Time In New York City (John & Yoko, 1972) Playground Psychotics (1992) Fillmore East—June 1971—50th Anniversary Expanded Version (3 LPs, 2022)—[timing approximate] The Mothers 1971 (2022)
      June 6, 1971, late show
2.05. Scumbag 1.25. Scum Bag 3.04. Scumbag 6.05. Scumbag
0:00-4:27 0:00-4:28 0:00-4:29 0:00-4:27
2.06. Aü      
0:00-1:25 4:28-5:53 4:29-5:55 4:27-5:52

 

26. A Small Eternity With Yoko Ono

Sources & Edits

Some Time In New York City (John & Yoko, 1972) Playground Psychotics (1992) Fillmore East—June 1971—50th Anniversary Expanded Version (3 LPs, 2022)—[timing approximate] The Mothers 1971 (2022)
      June 6, 1971, late show
2.06. Aü 1.26. A Small Eternity With Yoiko Ono 3.05. A Small Eternity With Yoko Ono0 6.06. A Small Eternity With Yoko Ono
1:25-7:31 0:00-6:07 0:00-6:13 0:00-6:06
7:31-7:52     6:06-6:27
7:52-8:04      

 

disc 2

1. Beer Shampoo

Liner notes by FZ, 1992

An argument in Ohio regarding beer being poured on Howard during the show.

Charles Ulrich, Frank Zappa Gig List: 1970, December 12, 2012

70/10/21, Cincinnati, OH, Music Hall, CONFIRMED

 

2. Champagne Lecture

Liner notes by FZ, 1992

Somewhere in the midwest, the intimate details of our adventures in Jacksonville are revealed.

 

3. Childish Perversions

 

4. Playground Psychotics

 

5. The Mudshark Interview

Martin Tickman: This is the Edgewater Inn
FZ: In Seattle, Washington.

Charles Ulrich, Frank Zappa Gig List: 1970, December 12, 2012

70/09/20, Seattle, WA, Moore Theater, 2 shows, CONFIRMED

 

6. "There's No Lust In Jazz"

 

7. Botulism On The Hoof

 

8. You Got Your Armies

 

9. The Spew King

Howard: Walterdale.

Charles Ulrich, Frank Zappa Gig List: 1970, December 12, 2012

70/09/18, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada, Kinsmen Field House, CONFIRMED

 

10. I'm Doomed

Howard: We gotta do two shows tonight?
Jeff: Yep. [...]
Aynsley: And there're two shows in Portland, I mean.

Charles Ulrich, Frank Zappa Gig List: 1970, December 12, 2012

70/09/20, Seattle, WA, Moore Theater, 2 shows, CONFIRMED
70/09/22, Portland, OR, Lewis + Clark College, 2 shows?, CONFIRMED

 

11. Status Back, Baby

Liner notes by FZ, 1992

An unreleased cut from the Fillmore East 1971 recording.

Sources & Edits

Playground Psychotics (1992) The Mothers 1971 (2022)
  June 6, 1971, early show
2.11. Status Back Baby 3.10. Shove It Right In
0:00-0:04 8:49-8:54
  8:54-9:00
0:04-0:12 9:00-9:08
  9:08-9:24
0:12-0:14 9:24-9:26
  3.11. Status Back Baby
0:14-2:47 0:00-2:33
  3.12. Concentration Moon Part I
2:47-2:49 0:00-0:01
2.12. The London Cab Tape  
0:00-0:01 0:01-0:02

 

12. The London Cab Tape

Liner notes by FZ, 1992

Dunbar and I were hanging out one night after the gig in my motel room. Mark knocked on the door and offered to play a cassette recording he had made of Howard, Simmons and Underwood, riding in a London cab, planning to have some sort of confrontation with me. As he played the tape, I turned on my Uher. This is a recording of the three of us listening to Mark's very own anthropological field recording.

 

13. Concentration Moon, Part 1

Sources & Edits

Playground Psychotics (1992) The Mothers 1971 (2022)
  June 6, 1971, early show
2.13. Concentration Moon, Part 1 3.12. Concentration Moon Part I
  0:02-0:10
0:00-1:18 0:10-1:29
  3.13. The Sanzini Brothers (Sodomy Trick)
1:18-1:20 0:00-0:02

 

14. The Sanzini Brothers

Liner notes by FZ, 1992

Back to the Fillmore East for a moment.

Sources & Edits

Playground Psychotics (1992) The Mothers 1971 (2022)
  June 6, 1971, early show
2.14. The Sanzini Brothers 3.13. The Sanzini Brothers (Sodomy Trick)
0:00-0:58 0:02-1:01
  1:01-1:08
0:58-1:27 1:08-1:36
  3.14. Concentration Moon Part II
1:27-1:33 0:00-0:06
2.15. "It's A Good Thing We Get Paid To Do This"  
0:00-0:02 0:06-0:09

 

16. Concentration Moon, Part 2

Sources & Edits

Playground Psychotics (1992) The Mothers 1971 (2022)
  June 6, 1971, early show
2.16. Concentration Moon, Part 2 3.14. Concentration Moon Part II
0:00-2:04 0:12-2:16

 

17. Mom & Dad

Sources & Edits

Playground Psychotics (1992) The Mothers 1971 (2022)
  June 6, 1971, early show
2.17. Mom & Dad 3.15. Mom & Dad
0:00-0:15 0:00-0:16
  0:16-1:07
0:15-3:06 1:07-3:58
  4.01. The Story Of Billy The Mountain
2:56-3:03 0:00-0:13
  0:13-3:43
  4.02. Intro To Music For Low Budget Orchestra
3:03-3:16 0:00-0:07

 

18. Intro To Music For Low Budget Orchestra

Sources & Edits

Playground Psychotics (1992) The Mothers 1971 (2022)
  June 6, 1971, early show
2.18. Intro To Music For Low Budget Orchestra 4.02. Intro To Music For Low Budget Orchestra
0:00-1:32 0:07-1:39

Mark: Photography by Art Laboe

 

19. Billy The Mountain

Sources & Edits

Playground Psychotics (1992) Fillmore East—June 1971—50th Anniversary Expanded Version (3 LPs, 2022)—[timing approximate] The Mothers 1971 (2022) The Mothers 1971 (2022) The Mothers 1971 (2022)
    June 5, 1971, early show June 6, 1971, early show June 6, 1971, late show
2.19. Billy The Mountain 5.01. Billy The Mountain 1.10. Billy The Mountain 4.03. Billy The Mountain 5.03. Billy The Mountain
  00:00-01:42 00:00-01:41    
    01:41-01:44    
  01:42-02:46 01:44-02:48    
    02:48-03:15    
  02:46-08:24 03:15-08:48    
00:00-00:14     00:00-00:14  
      00:14-00:18  
00:14-04:23     00:18-04:26  
      04:26-04:27  
04:23-09:01     04:27-09:04  
09:01-10:20 08:24-09:43 08:48-10:08    
  09:43-12:18 10:08-12:41    
  12:18-16:50     13:00-17:32
10:20-11:35     10:23-11:38  
      11:38-11:53  
11:34-14:02     11:53-14:22  
14:02-15:00   14:00-14:58    
15:00-15:54     15:47-16:42  
      16:42-16:44  
15:54-15:56     16:44-16:46  
      16:46-16:54  
15:56-16:02     16:54-17:00  
16:02-16:11   16:07-16:16    
16:11-17:11     17:16-18:15  
  16:50-17:16 16:38-17:04    
17:11-17:15 17:16-17:20 17:04-17:08    
  17:20-18:15 17:08-18:02    
  18:15-19:57     19:14-20:55
  [19:57-20:04]—JABFLA (19:42-19:49)      
  6.01. Billy The Mountain Continued      
  00:00-03:03 19:26-22:29    
    22:29-22:52    
  03:03-06:09 22:52-25:58    
  06:09-07:46     29:00-30:37
        30:37-30:50
  07:46-09:55     30:50-32:59
17:15-19:01     18:22-20:08  
      20:08-20:13  
19:01-25:45     20:13-26:56  
      26:56-28:51  
25:45-28:30     28:51-31:37  
      31:37-31:38  
28:30-30:25     31:38-33:33  
      33:33-35:58  

(Homunculus)

(Three Dog Night)

 

20. "He's Watching Us"

Liner notes by FZ, 1992

More tape from Mark—later in the script reading session.

 

21. If You're Not A Professional Actor

 

23. Going For The Money

Jeff: Smurf mee!
Howard: Smurf meee!

FZ, interviewed by Don Menn, "The Mother Of All Interviews, Part 1," Zappa!, 1992, p. 45

When we went to Holland for the first time with the band with Mark and Howard in '70 or '71, the whole place was riddled with fuckin' Smurfs advertising BP. And the joke in the band was "Smurf mee," because on the billboards that's what they said. "Smurf me" spelled "me-e-e." I don't know what it means.

Corné van Hooijdonk, alt.fan.frank-zappa, September 4, 2003

I think there were big BP (British Petroleum) billboards in the street then (in the Netherlands that is), saying: 'Smurf mee!'. You could get Smurfs then at the BP gas stations.

'Smurf mee!' means: Smurf along!
mee (dutch, double e), instead of me (one e, English).

 

24. Jeff Quits

Liner notes by FZ, 1992

More tape from Mark—the following evening at the second script reading. Jeff is advised by his wife, quits the group and bails out of the movie.

Jeff: This is what I joined for. This I don't think is pertinent.

Justin Devlin, January 1, 2015

"Prudent" is the word I hear Jeff Simmons say there rather than "pertinent."

Charles Ulrich, January 6, 2015

I admit that it's not completely clear, but it still sounds like "pertinent" to me.

 

25. A Bunch Of Adventures

 

26. Martin Lickert's Story

 

27. A Great Guy

 

28. Bad Acting

 

29. The Worst Reviews

 

30. A Version Of Himself

 

31. I Could Be A Star Now

You could have played the blues with John Mayall.

 

Special thanks to Patrick Buzby.

Research, compilation and maintenance by Román García Albertos
http://www.donlope.net/fz/
This page updated: 2022-09-25