FZ album(s) in which song has appeared

• Freak Out! (1966), as You Didn't Try To Call Me, recorded at T.T.G., Los Angeles, CA, March 10-11, 1966
  • same version (original vinyl mix) on The MOFO Project/Object (fazedooh) (2006) and The MOFO Project/Object (2006)
    • same mix on The **** Of The Mothers (1969)
    • same mix on The Worst Of The Mothers (1971)
  • same version, basic tracks, on The MOFO Project/Object (2006), as You Didn't Try To Call Me—Basic Tracks
    • same version on The MOFO Project/Object (fazedooh) (2006), as You Didn't Try To Call Me (Basic Tracks)
    • same version on Zappa—Original Motion Picture Soundtrack (2020)
• The MOFO Project/Object (2006), as You Didn't Try To Call Me, performed in San Francisco, CA, June 25, 1966
  • same version, shorter edit, on The MOFO Project/Object (fazedooh) (2006), as part of Watts Riot Demo/Fillmore Sequence
• BTB I: 'Tis The Season To Be Jelly (1991), as You Didn't Try To Call Me, performed in Stockholm, Sweden, September 30, 1967
• Cruising With Ruben & The Jets (original vinyl) (1968), as You Didn't Try To Call Me, recorded at Apostolic Studios, New York, NY, 1968
  • same version on Greasy Love Songs (2010), as You Didn't Try To Call Me
  • same version on Cruising With Ruben & The Jets (1985 remix) (1985), as You Didn't Try To Call Me, with overdubs recorded at UMRK, c. 1982-83
• The Mothers 1970 (2020), as You Didn't Try To Call Me, performed in Uddel, Netherlands, June 18, 1970
• Road Tapes, Venue #3 (2016), as You Didn't Try To Call Me, performed in Minneapolis, MN, July 5, 1970
• The Mothers 1970 (2020), as You Didn't Try To Call Me, performed in Santa Monica, CA, August 21, 1970, and Spokane, WA, September 17, 1970
• BTB II: Disconnected Synapses (1992), as You Didn't Try To Call Me, performed in Paris, France, December 15, 1970
• Philly '76 (2009), as You Didn't Try To Call Me, performed in Philadelphia, PA, October 29, 1976
• Zappa/Erie (2022), as You Didn't Try To Call Me, performed in Montreal, Canada, November 10, 1976
• Zappa/Erie (2022), as You Didn't Try To Call Me, performed in Erie, PA, November 12, 1976
• Zappa '80—Mudd Club/Munich (2023), as You Didn't Try To Call Me, performed in New York, NY, May 8, 1980
• Zappa '80—Mudd Club/Munich (2023), as You Didn't Try To Call Me, performed in Munich, Germany, July 3, 1980
  • same version on You Can't Do That On Stage Anymore Vol. 1 (1988) as You Didn't Try To Call Me

 

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

• June 1966 (The Mothers)—known performances: 1
• September-October 1967 (1st MOI European Tour)—known performances: 1
• October 1967-August 1968 (MOI)—known performances: 1
• June-December 1970 (MOI)—known performances: 16
• October-November 1976 (North America)—known performances: 15
• March-May 1980 (North America)—known performances: 14
• May-July 1980 (Europe)—known performances: 32
• October-December 1980 (North America)—known performances: 3

 

Comments

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

1968: This charming little piece appears several times in the 60's as part one of the ridiculous little medley that appears on "Tis the Season to Be Jelly". The medley consists of "You Didn't Try To Call Me"-> "Petrushka"-> Bristol Stomp"-> "Baby Love"-> Big Leg Emma", and the '68 version is essentially performed as on that Beat the Boots track.

1970: Essentially performed as on "Disconnected Synapses" from Beat the Boots Volume II.

1976-77: THE reason to track down a tape from the Bianca portion of this tour- this is a Bianca tour-de-force. This ultimate version of this song starts off nice and simple, with Bianca singing her lungs out before even finishing the first "You." She just wails, producing some of the most beautiful vocal gymnastics that any Frank vocalist ever attempted, let alone succeeded at. Once the song proper starts, it's just her and keyboards, before the remainder of the band slowly enters, here some drums, here some guitar. Ray joins in at one point, creating a spine-tingling duet, before Frank decides to completely ruin the mood. What is this- ska? We're into the fast version of this tune now, with Bianca still doing a great job, but the sultry mood completely ruined. Wait, now its the arena rock version, nice and slow but a little too dramatic. Wait, we're turning again, this time into reggae. Please no, not reggae. All seems lost, though Bianca's ad-libbing and Frank's soloing help salvage some dignity. Then, before Frank can do anymore damage, the tune ends. What we have here is possibly the greatest half of singing that a Frank tune ever saw witness to (amen!), followed by a horrible example of what an overactive imagination can do. Still, despite the ugly spectre of FZ reggae rearing its head, we have a "must hear" performance. Hear that Gail.

1980 (Mar-Jul): Essentially performed as on YCDTOSA Volume I, and another treat from this tour. [Yet more info from the desk of Buzby: "Interesting interjection from FZ during the 6/11 Paris show—"You didn't try to call me at all—even though I was doing 15 in the space of 16—didja?" I interpreted this as a jab at Logeman for not being more reponsive during the Pound solo that night, though I could be wrong."]

1980 (Oct-Dec): Essentially performed as on YCDTOSA Volume I, accounting for obvious differences in instrumentation. [Jon Naurin calls me on this one- "Guess this seemed like a safe assumption to make, but in fact it isn't true. This song was performed as nowhere else—full of weird vocal interjections, especially from Bob Harris. The "Tell me, tell me who's loving you now" part consists of some freaky drums from Vinnie, with Bob singing the vocals in extreme falsetto, and very "sporadic". He also delivers the "All you got to do..." in inimitable style. Quite a fascinating arrangement, impossible to describe, but somewhat remniscent of the vocal chaos in "Fine Girl". Apparently, FZ wasn't too happy with it, as this song was only played at the first few shows to my knowledge."]