Have I Offended Someone?

The Original Project

Spencer Chrislu, quoted by Patrick Neve, alt.fan.frank-zappa, March 6, 1998

All of this stuff was done in spurts and stops. When this project started, it started as a proposal for Disney (believe it or not), then mutated into proposed animated project with Klasky/Csupo (neither of which ever got off the ground). You have to remember that we never worked on one thing in any sort of a linear fashion.

Spencer Chrislu, interviewed by Andrew Greenaway, June 3, 2020

You also did some remixes for the Have I Offended Someone? album.

That's true! [laughs] Yeah, again it was just every once in awhile he would throw me something, and I wouldn't know what album they would end up on. [...] I thought that album was hilarious, an absolute blast.

 

The Cover Art

"Ralph Steadman Cartoons from 'Born Under A Bad Sign'," DVD Extras, All My Loving, Isolde Films/Voiceprint, 2007

Ralph Steadman

Román, January 24, 2008

It appeared originally in the book Born Under A Bad Sign by Tony Palmer, illustrations by Ralph Steadman, foreword by John Lennon (William Kimber, London, April, 1970).

Neil Slaven, Electric Don Quixote—The Definitive Story Of Frank Zappa, 2003, p. 163

[Tony Palmer had] also written Born Under A Bad Sign, a slim volume with collage illustrations by Ralph Steadman and a foreword by John Lennon. It was Palmer's personal view of pop music in which he included interviews with various music personalities, including Frank. In his preface, Palmer wrote, "I do not know whether pop music is good or bad and I'm not concerned with its musical stature or social significance. Such conclusions as might become evident in the course of the book, therefore, are yours and not mine."

 

1. Bobby Brown Goes Down (Remixed)

Spencer Chrislu, quoted by Patrick Neve, alt.fan.frank-zappa, March 6, 1998

This was interesting in the fact that, quite honestly, I had never heard many of these songs before. FZ often let me just experiment away on this stuff. Then, after a few hours of mixing, he would pop into the control room and tweeze the mix to his liking. On "Bobby Brown", I knew it was one of his biggest sellers, and I wanted to squeeze out every last bit of detail so that even the hard-core fan might hear something new. Love that floor tom. Let me say here also, how wonderfully recorded most of these tracks were. I believe it is Kerry McNabb who deserves a lot of credit for getting great sounds on tape.

 

2. Disco Boy (Reconstructed & Remixed)

Mike Keneally, quoted by Scott Chatfield, alt.fan.frank-zappa, May 11, 1997

Definitely Wackerman drum overdub - I like how it turns the beat around after "comb your hair again".

Spencer Chrislu, quoted by Patrick Neve, alt.fan.frank-zappa, March 6, 1998

The "Never Go Doody" bits were edited out by FZ . FZ also insisted that the "Stroke It" line be pushed.

Spencer Chrislu, interviewed by Andrew Greenaway, June 3, 2020

The Disco Boy mix was a fun one because I had never come across that. And he left me alone with it and I went kind of Gonzo on it. And he looked at me and went, "What have you done?!" [laughs] I kind of backed off on some of my original over the top effects and brought it back to where it was.

(Stroke it!)

 

3. Goblin Girl (VSO'd To Slower Speed)

Spencer Chrislu, quoted by Patrick Neve, alt.fan.frank-zappa, March 6, 1998

This song especially, was supposed to be a nice sort of a break from CPIII and other Synclavier stuff we were doing. It was pretty simple to mix until the end. I couldn't believe how many background vocal tracks were stacked on the tape.

 

4. In France (Remixed)

 

5. He's So Gay

Spencer Chrislu, quoted by Patrick Neve, alt.fan.frank-zappa, March 6, 1998

I believe FZ took this directly from the "Thing Fish" digital master and then did the new EQ and mastering in the Sonic Solutions.

 

6. SEX

Spencer Chrislu, quoted by Patrick Neve, alt.fan.frank-zappa, March 6, 1998

This is the same remix from the MFU re-release.

 

7. Titties 'N Beer (Different Edit)

Spencer Chrislu, quoted by Patrick Neve, alt.fan.frank-zappa, March 6, 1998

I still don't know why FZ didn't make a more suave edit on this one. But if you want the original edit, you can get it on "Lather"

 

8. We're Turning Again (Remixed)

Spencer Chrislu, quoted by Patrick Neve, alt.fan.frank-zappa, March 6, 1998

I've never heard the original. FZ made the call on the Vai guitar effect and using Ike on the last verses.

 

9. Dumb All Over (Previously Unreleased Live Version)

Spencer Chrislu, quoted by Patrick Neve, alt.fan.frank-zappa, March 6, 1998

This one was included at my request. Originally, FZ had intended to use the album version, but during the mix of that one, I told him that I liked the '84 version from the Pier Shows (Humor in Music video) better, especially the solo (FZ called it his Bo Diddley solo). We had been remixing all of the Pier shows for the video and I'm glad he used it, despite it's inferior sound.

 

10. Catholic Girls

 

11. Dinah-Moe Humm (Reconstructed & Remixed)

Spencer Chrislu, quoted by Patrick Neve, alt.fan.frank-zappa, March 6, 1998

We mixed this one as an experiment early on in my career here at UMRK. It just sat on the shelf for years until FZ decided to put it on this disc. You should hear it in it's 6-channel surround incarnation (maybe a special DVD release someday).

[...] There are no complete albums done in 6-channel. Only selected songs and tidbits.

Sources & Edits

 

12. Tinsel Town Rebellion (Previously Unreleased Live Version)

Spencer Chrislu, quoted by Patrick Neve, alt.fan.frank-zappa, March 6, 1998

This is from those same remixes of DHBIM? that were intended for the video. The glitch [at 0:55] is definitely there.

 

13. Valley Girl

Spencer Chrislu, quoted by Patrick Neve, alt.fan.frank-zappa, March 6, 1998

I was waiting for FZ to dig into this one, but he never wanted to. I'm always disappointed at how compressed this one sounds.

 

14. Jewish Princess

Spencer Chrislu, quoted by Patrick Neve, alt.fan.frank-zappa, March 6, 1998

An FZ remastering from the original mix.

 

15. Yo Cats (Remixed)

Mike Keneally, quoted by Scott Chatfield, alt.fan.frank-zappa, May 11, 1997

Entirely new Synclavier orchestration, fun to hear. Drum part sounds new too, y'think?

Spencer Chrislu, quoted by Patrick Neve, alt.fan.frank-zappa, March 6, 1998

Remixed at the last minute when some other tune (can't remember which one) got the ax. This one was a lot of fun for me especially in light of the fact that I was still doing Hollywood sessions and working for FZ at the same time. I had more than my share of "Yo Cats".

 

 

Research, compilation and maintenance by Román García Albertos
http://www.donlope.net/fz/
This page updated: 2026-10-06