The Mothers 1970: Notes & Comments

The Cover Picture

Liner notes

Cover Photo: Mirrorpix/Getty Images

Mirrorpix, retrieved June 14, 2020

[Spot the differences.]

Frank Zappa. Another American rock group hits London town: Frank Zappa and his outfit the Mothers of Invention are at present on tour in the U.K. next weekend they visit the Bath Pop Festival. Yesterday Sunday they saw some of the sights of London, which included a visit to the Round House Entertainment Centre in Camden town. The boys hail from Los Angeles: Frank Zappa (foreground), George Duke, Ian Underwood, Jeff Simmons, Mark Volman, Howard Kalen and Aynsley Dunbar. June 1970 70-5893-001

Image number: 00061459
Date created: 22/06/1970
Source: WATFORD
Copyright Notice: Mirrorpix
File size: 3976px x 2640px 30.0MB 33.7cm x 22.4cm (300dpi)
URL: https://www.mirrorpix.com/id/00061459

disc 1

1. Red Tubular Lighter

Edits

1.1. Red Tubular Lighter	1.9. Red Tubular Lighter (Unedited Master)
0:00-1:00	0:00-0:59
	0:59-1:23
1:00-1:23	1:23-1:46
	1:46-2:19
1:23-2:07	2:19-3:03
	3:03-3:09
2:07-2:18	3:09-3:20
	3:20-4:52
2:18-3:01	4:52-5:35
	5:35-7:25
3:01-4:14	7:25-8:38
	8:38-8:43
4:14-4:50	8:43-9:20
	9:20-9:22

See notes on possible identifications for THACIOTMOI (9-LP version).

2. Lola Steponsky

Andrew Greenaway, July 7, 2020

Just wondering if in the lyrics for Giraffe/Lola Steponsky, Harry Atley should be spelled Harry Atlee—there was a guy called Harry Atlee Burdette who was sent to the electric chair in 1951 for stomping a man to death. It's possible the young FZ read about the case?

See notes on possible identifications for THACIOTMOI (9-LP version).

3. Trident Chatter

Toodle pip-ley.

Andrew Greenaway, July 17, 2020

Pretty sure, it's "toodle pip-ley" which is an American trying to say the posh British slang for 'goodbye'.

Charles Ulrich, September 9, 2020

Isn't that Aynsley Dunbar?

4. Sharleena (Roy Thomas Baker Mix)

5. Item 1

6. Wonderful Wino (FZ Vocal)

FZ, Unreleased Chunga's Revenge Original Liner Notes, 1970

5. WONDERFUL WINO features Ian Underwood (momentarily) on tenor sax, George Duke on piano, Jeff Simmons on bass, Aynsley Dunbar on drums & Frank Zappa on guitar and vocal. This song was recorded before on Jeff's album. I had written the words (in a motel someplace) and had practiced with The mothers an earlier version of this song (using "Bringing In The Sheaves" for an intro). While working on "LUCIELLE HAS MESSED MY MIND UP", it became necessary to get another track together for one side. Jeff already had an instrumental cut that seemed to match the mood of the text, so we laid the words on it. This version is a combination of the old & new way . . . it is, of course, dedicated to all those men you step over when you walk from the Hotel One Fifth Avenue to The Fillmore East.

See notes on "Wonderful Wino" on Zoot Allures (1976).

7. "Enormous Cadenza"

8. Envelopes

9. Red Tubular Lighter (Unedited Master)

See notes on "Red Tubular Lighter."

10. Wonderful Wino (Basic Tracks, Alt. Take)

11. Giraffe—Take 4

12. Wonderful Wino (FZ Vocal, Alt. Solo)

See notes on "Wonderful Wino" on Zoot Allures (1976).

disc 2

1. Introducing . . . The Mothers

2. Wonderful Wino

3. Concentration Moon

4. Mom & Dad

5. The Air

6. Dog Breath

7. Mother People

8. You Didn't Try To Call Me

9. Agon

10. Call Any Vegetable

11. King Kong Pt. I

12. Igor's Boogie

13. King Kong Pt. II

14. What Kind Of Girl Do You Think We Are?

15. Bwana Dik

16. Daddy, Daddy, Daddy

17. Do You Like My New Car?

Feet on fire! Alvin Lee!

See notes on Alvin Lee on "Peaches III" on Tinsel Town Rebellion (1981).

18. Happy Together

disc 3

1. "Welcome To El Monte Legion Stadium!"

Art Laboe! Welcome to El Monte Legion Stadium!

See Art Laboe in the Freak Out! List Of Contributors.
See notes on El Monte Legion Stadium.

The last time we played here, in this attractive dungeon, was about five years ago, for a thing called The Moonfire Happening. Does anybody remember that event? Ew. History, yes it was. It ate it.

See notes on Moonfire Happening, June 18, 1966.

Sources & Edits

August 21, 1970—Santa Monica, CA	The Mothers 1970 (2020)
[missing]	0:00-0:35
01. 0:00-1:39	0:35-2:16
02. 0:00-0:02	2:16-2:18

2. Agon

Sources & Edits

August 21, 1970—Santa Monica, CA	The Mothers 1970 (2020)
02. 0:02-0:49	0:00-0:47

3. Call Any Vegetable (Edited)

Sources & Edits

August 21, 1970—Santa Monica, CA		The Mothers 1970 (2020)
03. 0:00-0:04		0:00-0:04
	[Spokane]	0:04-0:19
03. 0:19-0:25		0:19-0:25
	[Spokane]	0:25-1:13
03. 2:15-8:38		1:13-7:33
04. 0:00-0:54		7:33-8:28

4. Pound For A Brown

Sources & Edits

August 21, 1970—Santa Monica, CA	The Mothers 1970 (2020)
04. 0:54-0:59	0:00-0:05
05. 0:00-4:33	0:05-4:37

5. Sleeping In A Jar

Sources & Edits

August 21, 1970—Santa Monica, CA	The Mothers 1970 (2020)
06. 0:00-2:45	0:00-2:44

6. Sharleena

Sources & Edits

August 21, 1970—Santa Monica, CA	The Mothers 1970 (2020)
07. 0:00-1:52	0:00-1:52
07. [missing]	1:52-2:24
07. 1:53-3:22	2:24-3:53
08. 0:00-0:13	3:53-4:07

7. The Air

Sources & Edits

August 21, 1970—Santa Monica, CA		The Mothers 1970 (2020)
08. 0:47-1:20		0:00-0:32
09. 0:00-3:11		0:32-3:41
	[Spokane]	3:41-3:55

8. Dog Breath

9. Mother People

10. You Didn't Try To Call Me

Sources & Edits

August 21, 1970—Santa Monica, CA		The Mothers 1970 (2020)
	[Spokane]	0:00-1:00
12. 1:00-4:32		1:00-4:32

11. King Kong Pt. I

Sources & Edits

August 21, 1970—Santa Monica, CA		The Mothers 1970 (2020)
13. 00:00-01:03		0:00-1:03
	[Spokane]	1:00-4:03

12. Igor's Boogie

13. King Kong Pt. II

14. "Eat It Yourself . . . "

15. Trouble Every Day

16. "A Series Of Musical Episodes"

17. Road Ladies

18. "The Holiday Inn Motel Chain"

Here's a little jar of golden tinsel glitter. Golden glitter. Three Dog Night uses this.

See notes on Danny Hutton.

19. What Will This Morning Bring Me This Evening?

20. What Kind Of Girl Do You Think We Are?

disc 4

1. "What's The Deal, Dick?"

Charles Ulrich, July 10, 2020

Howard quotes "Everything's Coming Up Roses" (0:03-0:08).

FZ: I got two great ones on tape, so we don't need to do it tonight.

See "Another M.O.I. Anti-Smut Loyalty Oath" on The Mothers 1970 (2020), recorded in Tallahassee, FL, October 9, 1970; and "The M.O.I. Anti-Smut Loyalty Oath" on You Can't Do That On Stage Anymore Vol. 6 (1992), probably recorded in Orlando, FL, c. October 1970 (between Tallahassee and Jacksonville, FL).

2. Another M.O.I. Anti-Smut Loyalty Oath

3. Paladin Routine #1

4. Portuguese Fenders

See notes on possible identifications for THACIOTMOI (9-LP version).

5. The Sanzini Brothers

6. Guitar Build '70

7. Would You Go All The Way?

8. Easy Meat

See notes on possible identifications for THACIOTMOI (9-LP version).

9. "Who Did It?"

Charles Ulrich, July 14, 2020

In "Who Did It?", "Cab Driver" by the Mills Brothers is playing in the background (starting at 0:10). Mark even sings along briefly (1:05-1:07).

"Cab Driver" was written by Carson Parks (older brother of erstwhile Mother Van Dyke Parks). The Mills Brothers recording reached #23 on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1968—their 64th top forty hit since 1931.

10. Turn It Down!

Tony Roche, May 1, 2021

"Turn It Down!" from The Mothers 1970 originally appeared in a slightly shorter edit as the second track of the first draft (that we know of) of FZ's "On The Road" album -as played during the David Walley interview from August 1971.

See notes on possible identifications for THACIOTMOI (9-LP version).

11. A Chance Encounter In Cincinnati

12. Pound For A Brown

13. Sleeping In A Jar

See notes on possible identifications for THACIOTMOI (9-LP version).

14. Beloit Sword Trick

And now, from high atop the Mayor Daley Inn in downtown Beloit, Wisconsin, it's the Minsky's Clam from Chicago, Illinois

Charles Ulrich, July 14, 2020

Richard Daley was mayor of Chicago, 1953-1976, most notably during the 1968 Democratic National Convention.