FZ album(s) in which song has appeared

• Lumpy Gravy (1968), as parts of Oh No, Switching Girls, Oh No Again and At The Gas Station, recorded at Capitol Studios, Hollywood, February-March 1967
  • same version, 1984 mix with overdubs, on The Lumpy Money Project/Object (2009) as part of Lumpy Gravy—Part One
    • part of the same overdubbed version on The Old Masters Box One Sampler (1985) as part of "Lumpy Gravy (Excerpt)"
  • part of the same version on Frank Zappa & The Mothers Of Invention (Transparency) (1975) as part of Excerpt From Lumpy Gravy
  • same version, different edits, on The Lumpy Money Project/Object (2009) as parts of Sink Trap, Gum Joy, Up & Down, Hunchy Punchy and Foamy Soaky
  • same recordings, original takes, on The Lumpy Money Project/Object (2009) as How Did That Get In There? and Unit 2, Take 9
• The Lumpy Money Project/Object (2009), as part of Lonely Little Girl (Original Composition—Take 24), recorded at Mayfair, New York, NY, 1967
• Lumpy Gravy (1968), as part of Oh No, probably recorded at Mayfair, New York, NY, 1967
  • same version, 1984 mix with overdubs, on The Lumpy Money Project/Object (2009) as part of Lumpy Gravy—Part One
  • same version on Frank Zappa & The Mothers Of Invention (Transparency) (1975) as part of Excerpt From Lumpy Gravy
• Weasels Ripped My Flesh (1970), as Oh No, recorded at Apostolic Studios, New York, NY, October 1967
  • same version on Zappa—Original Motion Picture Soundtrack (2020)
• Road Tapes, Venue #1 (2012), as part of The Orange County Lumber Truck, performed in Vancouver, BC, Canada, August 25, 1968
• Ahead Of Their Time (1993), as Oh No, performed in London, UK, October 25, 1968
• You Can't Do That On Stage Anymore Vol. 1 (1988), as Oh No, performed in Stratford, CT, February 16, 1969
• Road Tapes, Venue #3 (2016), as part of Oh No/Orange County Lumber Truck, performed in Minneapolis, MN, July 5, 1970
• Zappa/Erie (2022), first part as Oh No, performed in Edinboro, PA, May 8, 1974
• Zappa/Erie (2022), last part as Son Of Orange County, performed in Edinboro, PA, May 8, 1974
  • second part of guitar solo on Roxy & Elsewhere (1974), as part of Son Of Orange County
    • same version on Zappa Picks by Jon Fishman of Phish (2002)
• Roxy & Elsewhere (1974), last part (except second part of guitar solo) as Son Of Orange County, performed in Chicago, IL, May 11, 1974
  • same version on Zappa Picks by Jon Fishman of Phish (2002)
• BTB I: Unmitigated Audacity (1991), as Oh No, performed in South Bend, IN, May 12, 1974
• A Token Of His Extreme (2013), as Oh No/Son Of Orange County, performed in Los Angeles, August 27, 1974
  • same version on A Token Of His Extreme Soundtrack (2013) as Oh No/Son Of Orange County
• You Can't Do That On Stage Anymore Vol. 2 (1988), quoted in Don't You Ever Wash That Thing?, performed in Helsinki, Finland, September 22-23, 1974
• Zappa/Erie (2022), as Oh No and Son Of Orange County, performed in Erie, PA, November 12, 1974
• Joe's Garage Acts II & III (1979), quoted in Sy Borg, recorded at Village Recorders, LA, April 1979
• Make A Jazz Noise Here (1991), as Oh No, performed in 1988
• Trance-Fusion (2006), guitar solo as Soul Polka, performed in Allentown, PA, March 19, 1988

Other recordings:

• Vocal version (with different lyrics) originally released by The Fraternity Of Man, The Fraternity Of Man (ABC Records, ABCS-647, June 24, 1968)

 

Tour(s) on which song is known to have been performed (main source: FZShows, v. 7.1)

• September-October 1967 (1st MOI European Tour)—known performances: 1
• October 1967-August 1968 (MOI)—known performances: 3
• September-October 1968 (2nd MOI European Tour)—known performances: 3
• November 1968-May 1969 (MOI)—known performances: 3
• May-August 1969 (MOI)—known performances: 2
• May 1970 (MOI Reunion)—known performances: 4
• June-December 1970 (MOI)—known performances: 1
• April-May 1974 (MOI 10th Anniversary Tour)—known performances: 7
• June-August 1974 (MOI)—known performances: 4; known quotations: 1
• September-October 1974 (MOI European Tour)—known performances: 6
• October-December 1974 (MOI)—known performances: 9
• July-September 1984 (North America)—known performances: 12
• February-March 1988 (North America)—known performances: 14
• April-June 1988 (Europe)—known performances: 14

 

Comments

The Fraternity Of Man version:

Román, December 9, 2002

I've heard The Fraternity Of Man version of "Oh No I Don't Believe It" and it has a completely different set of lyrics, supposedly written by FZ himself.

Patrick Neve, December 9, 2002

Really? Where was this stated? I think just because FOM credit FZ with the song, doesn't imply that he actually wrote the lyrics, or for that matter, the majority of the music.. I suspect that since FOM were rather generously copping the tune they just gave full credit to FZ. Possibly Tom Wilson's influence was at work here, as well. I don't know how a band would credit such a recording nowadays.. (Music: FZ/FOM, Lyrics: FZ/FOM, Arr: FOM?).. but my guess is that credits for arrangements have become more precise and complicated since the 60's.

It's a pretty crappy lyric, actually, and I would be very suprised if FZ actually wrote this. ("flying zoomies"? PLEEZ.)

Charles Ulrich, March 13, 2010

Elliot [Ingber] thinks the Fraternity Of Man recorded Oh No in late 1967. He was not aware of any FZ lyrics existing at that time. Larry "Stash" Wagner (and possibly Warren Klein) wrote the "flying zoomie" lyrics.

Larry "Stash" Wagner, interviewed by Klemen Breznikar, It's Psychedelic Baby, April 16, 2011

"Oh No I Don't Believe It," was another interesting story. Frank Zappa was quite proud of his guitar work on a cut he was working on and gave Elliot [Ingber] a tape. After Frank left, Elliot complained that it was too placid and he took the tape and turned it over. Elliot told Warren [Klein] to work out the backwards guitar part, note for note and the result was "Oh No I Don't Believe It"

Oh No, I Don't Believe It (by The Fraternity Of Man, 1968)

Original transcription by Román
Additions and corrections by Patrick Neve and Charles Ulrich

Foggy G, "The Songs That Were Played," We're Only In It For The Touring

1968: The instrumental version, complete with guitar solo, essentially performed as on "Ahead of Their Time". (There is at least one performance from this tour—captured on tape—that features vocals. The date escapes my mind right now, but I know its there).

1974 (May): Essentially performed as on "Roxy and Elsewhere", with the standard deviation coming in Frank's solo. The arrival of this tune, along with "More Trouble Every Day", is one of the great developments of this era in Frank's career. As the performances on this tour show, along with the even more insane performances from the following tour, these songs were a constant inspiration to the band, and always seemed to bring out the most intense performances from everyone involved. The rhythm section seem to be particularly fond of this tune, and of "More Trouble Every Day", locking into some serious grooves and pushing Frank's solos to continually great heights.

1974 (Jul-Dec): Essentially played as on "Roxy and Elsewhere", accounting for obvious differences in instrumentation, and with the standard deviation coming in Frank's solo. Occasionally, the lyrics would fall victim to the whims of Frank and Napoleon, and thus we got versions about politics, and also versions about chord changes. This was another song on this tour where Frank's solos were typically ferocious. He alternated between a clean and distorted sound, and typically worked the rhythm section into a frenzy before segueing into "Son of Orange County."

1984: Forget "Roxy and Elsewhere". Forget any '74 versions you may have heard of this. Those were transcendent, spine-tingling, god-like. This ain't that. Luckily, Brock got an aisle or a window and this tune was dropped like a dead fish. Played in that mock reggae style (a la "Muffin Man") that '80's Frank was so fond of, this year's performance simply doesn't hold a candle anywhere near the '74 performances of this tune (or the '88 performances, for that matter). Brock screeched it, the band remote controlled it, and then, just like the good ol' days, it went into "More Trouble Every Day". But NO, this isn't the good ol' days. It's a cheap facsimile. A nightmare. Get me out of here.

1988: Essentially performed as on MAJNH, with the standard deviation coming in Frank's solo. This always appears as part of the Big Medley (except for a single performance on 5/18 when this serves as the first tune of a not-so-Big Medley).