Dates And Shows

Dennis Hunt, "Zappa And Mothers Perform At Roxy," Los Angeles Times, December 11, 1973

True to form, the group performed sensationally at the Roxy on Sunday night.

The show, which also included comical country and western singer John Kaye, was only scheduled for Sunday [December, 9] and Monday [December, 10]. A club engagement is unusual for Zappa and the Mothers, who primarily play concerts.

FZ, Roxy & Elsewhere (1974), liner notes

Most of the material in this double set was recorded Dec. 10, 11 & 12, 1973, at The Roxy, Hollywood.

FZ, You Can't Do That On Stage Anymore Sampler (1988), liner notes

date: December 12, 1973 location: THE ROXY, HOLLYWOOD, CA

FZ, You Can't Do That On Stage Anymore Vol. 1 (1988), liner notes

date: December 12, 1973 location: THE ROXY, HOLLYWOOD, CA

FZ, You Can't Do That On Stage Anymore Vol. 3 (1988), liner notes

date: DECEMBER 12, 1973 location: THE ROXY, HOLLYWOOD, CA

FZ, You Can't Do That On Stage Anymore Vol. 4 (1991), liner notes

date(s): November, 1973 [...] location(s): THE ROXY [...], HOLLYWOOD

The Roxy Trailer, December 2000

Frank Zappa
and these Mothers
played at The Roxy
on Sunset Blvd.
8, 9 & 10 December, 1973

[...]

20 ORIGINAL SONGS

3 COMPLETE SHOWS

4 HOURS UNCUT

Roxy By Proxy (2014), liner notes

December 9 & 10, 1973

Roxy—The Movie (2015), liner notes

8, 9, 10 December 1973—Frank Zappa & The Mothers, Live at the Roxy, Hollywood

John Albarian, Roxy—The Movie (2015), liner notes

Frank's four separate performances at The Roxy [...]. Each show ran for about 80 minutes. [...] Not to mention the additional filming done backstage and at Bolic Studios the day after the final show. [...] FZ was smart enough to shoot four different performances of essentially the same set over two days.

Charles Ulrich, "Frank Zappa Gig List: 1973," The Planet Of My Dreams, 2012

12/09-10 from ad, listing, and reviews. session sheet says 12/10. R+E has 12/10-12. Roxy trailer has 12/08-10. [Kevin Boyton] has 12/08-12. held over to 12/11? rehearsal in Roxy on 12/08?

Vaultmeister, Zappateers, November 9, 2015

Exactly, one soundcheck/invite-only type show on the 8th. Then two shows on each night after.

Billboard, December 22, 1973

Frank Zappa filmed a rehearsal of his well-received Roxy engagement with the invited audience dressed in black . . .

 

The Sources And Edits

Special thanks to Patrick Buzby.

Roxy, LA, December 9 or 10, 1973	WLIR Un-concert, c. 1973-1974	BTB I: Piquantique	Roxy & Elsewhere (1974)	YCDTOSA (1988-1991)	Various	Roxy By Proxy (2014)	Roxy—The Movie (2015)	Roxy—The Soundtrack (2015)
							1. "Something Terrible Has Happened"/Cosmik Debris	1. Something Terrible Has Happened
								0:00-0:12
							0:00:00-0:00:38	0:12-0:50
								0:50-1:00
							0:00:38-0:00:57	1:00-1:19
1. Cosmik Debris								2. Cosmik Debris
00:00-00:44
							0:00:57-0:01:11	0:00-0:13
00:44-10:07							0:01:11-0:10:45	0:13-9:47
10:07-10:13
10:13-10:19							0:10:45-0:10:52	9:47-9:54
2. Well, Folks								3. Penguin In Bondage
0:00-0:03
0:03-0:27							0:10:52-0:11:16	0:00-0:23
0:27-3:09
3. Pygmy Twylyte			2. Pygmy Twylyte				More Tracks. 1. Pygmy Twylyte
0:00-0:04
0:04-0:19			0:00-0:14
0:19-9:07
			0:14-2:12
							00:00-08:35
			3. Dummy Up		The True Story Of 200 Motels
			0:00-1:19
					38:31-39:14
			1:19-2:22		39:14-40:17
					40:17-41:14
			2:22-2:43		41:14-41:35
			2:43-6:03
4. Idiot Bastard Son							More Tracks. 2. The Idiot Bastard Son
0:00-2:15
							08:35-10:58
			4. Village Of The Sun			7. Village Of The Sun
			0:00-4:17
						0:00-3:21
			5. Echidna's Arf (Of You)			8. Echidna's Arf (Of You)	8. Echidna's Arf (Of You)	7. Echidna's Arf (Of You)
						0:00-3:07
			0:00-3:00				0:40:26-0:43:28	0:00-3:01
			3:00-3:53
						3:07-4:00	0:43:28-0:44:21	3:01-3:54
			6. Don't You Ever Wash That Thing?			9. Don't You Ever Wash That Thing?	9. Don't You Ever Wash That Thing?	8. Don't You Ever Wash That Thing?
			0:00-9:40
						0:00-6:59	0:44:21-0:51:23	0:00-7:02
						10. Cheepnis—Percussion	10. Cheepnis—Percussion	9. Cheepnis—Percussion
						0:00-3:53	0:51:33-0:55:17	0:00-3:53
							0:55:17-0:55:32	3:53-4:08
5. Cheepnis			7. Cheepnis			11. Cheepnis	11. Cheepnis	10. Cheepnis
0:00-3:31
						0:00-3:35
			0:00-3:58				0:55:32-0:59:10	0:00-3:38
							0:59:10-0:59:39	3:38-4:07
			3:58-5:09 (*)
			5:09-6:31				0:59:39-1:01:02	4:07-5:30
							1:01:02-1:01:10	5:30-5:38
							1:01:10-1:01:16
						1. "Carved In The Rock"	7. Inca Roads
						0:00-2:30
						2:30-3:30	0:32:12-0:33:12
						2. Inca Roads
						0:00-7:12	0:33:12-0:40:26
						7:12-7:15
3:31-4:35						7:15-8:21
6. Penguin In Bondage	7. Penguin In Bondage		1. Penguin In Bondage			3. Penguin In Bondage	2. Penguin In Bondage	3. Penguin In Bondage
0:00-5:47						0:00-5:52
			0:00-0:12
			0:12-1:23				0:11:16-0:12:29	0:23-1:36
							0:12:29-0:12:34	1:36-1:41
			1:23-1:25				0:12:34-0:12:36	1:41-1:43
							0:12:36-0:12:47	1:43-1:54
			[1:25-2:19 (1974)]
	0:00-0:13						0:12:47-0:13:01	1:54-2:09
	0:13-0:51
							0:13:01-0:13:39	2:09-2:46
	0:51-0:54						0:13:39-0:13:42	2:46-2:49
	0:54-1:23		2:19-2:48				0:13:42-0:14:11	2:49-3:18
			[2:48-6:48 (1974)]
	1:23-2:39						0:14:11-0:15:27	3:18-4:35
							0:15:27-0:16:50	4:35-5:57
	2:39-3:27						0:16:50-0:17:38	5:57-6:45
	3:27-5:09
							0:17:38-0:19:15	6:45-8:22
7. T'Mershi Duween	8. T'Mershi Duween	4. T'Mershi Duween				4. T'Mershi Duween	3. T'Mershi Duween	4. T'Mershi Duween
	0:00-1:52	0:00-1:54
0:00-1:53						0:00-1:55	0:19:15-0:21:12	0:00-1:56
8. Dog Meat	9. Dog Breath					5. Dog Breath Variations/Uncle Meat	4. Dog/Meat	5. Dog/Meat
	0:00-1:46
0:00-1:41						0:00-1:44	0:21:12-0:22:57	0:00-1:44
	9. Uncle Meat
						1:44-4:01 (*)
1:41-3:55	0:00-2:16						0:22:57-0:25:14	1:44-4:01
	2:16-2:32
3:55-4:07						4:01-4:13	0:25:14-0:25:26	4:01-4:14
9. RDNZL						6. RDNZL	5. RDNZL	6. RDNZL
0:00-3:53						0:00-4:02	0:25:26-0:29:30	0:00-4:03
3:53-4:56						4:02-5:06
						5:06-5:27
							0:29:30-0:30:18	4:03-4:51
							0:30:18-0:30:24
							6. Audience Participation—RDNZL
							0:30:24-0:32:12
10. Montana				Vol. 4. CD 1. 5. Montana	Montana—zappa.com
0:00-2:52
					00:00-04:10
				0:05-1:42	04:10-05:48
2:52-3:43				1:42-2:34
3:43-4:03
4:03-5:06				2:34-3:37
5:06-7:44
					05:48-08:06
				3:37-4:18	08:06-08:47
					08:47-10:49
				Vol. 4. CD 1. 10. Let's Move To Cleveland	Dupree's Paradise—zappa.com	12. Dupree's Paradise
					10:49-32:17
7:44-7:49				0:00-0:05		00:00-00:05
11. Dupree's Paradise
0:00-3:42						00:05-03:51
						03:51-15:12
			10. Be-Bop Tango				14. Be-Bop Tango	11. Be-Bop Tango
			00:00-01:03
							1:14:18-1:15:18	00:00-01:00
			01:03-01:22				1:15:18-1:15:38	01:00-01:19
							1:15:38-1:15:42	01:19-01:23
			01:22-04:10				1:15:42-1:18:31	01:23-04:12
							1:18:31-1:18:42	04:12-04;24
			04:10-04:19				1:18:42-1:18:51	04:24-04:32
			04:19-07:38
			07:38-08:19				1:18:51-1:19:32	04:32-05:13
							1:19:32-1:19:35	05:13-05:17
			08:19-08:38				1:19:35-1:19:55	05:17-05:36
							1:19:55-1:19:57	05:36-05:39
			08:38-08:42				1:19:57-1:20:02	05:39-05:43
							1:20:02-1:20:13	05:43-05:55
			08:42-08:58				1:20:13-1:20:29	05:55-06:11
							1:20:29-1:20:35	06:11-06:16
			08:58-09:30				1:20:35-1:21:07	06:16-06:48
							1:21:07-1:21:12	06:48-06:53
			09:30-09:38				1:21:12-1:21:21	06:53-07:03
							1:21:21-1:21:31	07:03-07:12
			09:38-10:03				1:21:31-1:21:56	07:12-07:37
							1:21:56-1:21:56	07:37-07:38
			10:03-10:25				1:21:56-1:22:18	07:38-08:00
							1:22:18-1:22:36	08:00-08:18
			10:25-10:44				1:22:36-1:22:56	08:18-08:37
							1:22:56-1:23:10	08:37-08:51
			10:44-10:59				1:23:10-1:23:25	08:51-09:07
							1:23:25-1:23:37	09:07-09:19
			10:59-11:38				1:23:37-1:24:17	09:19-09:58
			11:38-11:42
			11:42-12:03				1:24:17-1:24:37	09:58-10:18
							1:24:37-1:24:41	10:18-10:23
			12:03-14:05				1:24:41-1:26:46	10:23-12:28
							1:26:46-1:26:50	12:28-12:32
			14:05-14:10				1:26:50-1:26:55	12:32-12:36
							1:26:55-1:26:56	12:36-12:37
			14:10-14:19				1:26:56-1:27:06	12:37-12:47
							1:27:06-1:27:18	12:47-13:00
			14:19-14:28				1:27:18-1:27:27	13:00-13:08
							1:27:27-1:28:17	13:08-13:58
			14:28-15:09				1:28:17-1:28:58	13:58-14:39
							1:28:58-1:29:23	14:39-15:04
			15:09-15:42				1:29:23-1:29:56	15:04-15:38
							1:29:56-1:30:09	15:38-15:50
			15:42-16:17				1:30:09-1:30:45	15:50-16:26
							1:30:45-1:31:10	16:26-16:51
			16:17-16:39				1:31:10-1:31:32	16:51-17:13
							1:31:32-1:31:50	17:13-17:32
				Vol. 1. CD 1. 12. I'm The Slime			12. I'm The Slime
							1:01:16-1:02:07
				0:00-3:13			1:02:07-1:05:20
				Vol. 1. CD 1. 13. Big Swifty			13. Big Swifty	10. Cheepnis
							1:05:20-1:05:23
				0:02-0:04			1:05:23-1:05:25
				0:04-0:06 / 0:00-0:02			1:05:25-1:05:27
				0:06-8:47			1:05:27-1:14:09
							1:14:09-1:14:15
							1:14:15-1:14:18	5:38-5:40
				Vol. 3. CD 2. 1. Dickie's Such An Asshole	YCDTOSA Sampler (1988) Side 4. 4. Dickie's Such An Asshole		More Tracks. 3. Dickie's Such An Asshole
				00:00-01:19
							10:58-11:28
				01:19-01:24			11:28-11:33
							11:33-11:36
				01:24-01:54			11:36-12:07
							12:07-12:19
				01:54-02:03
				02:03-02:12			12:19-12:29
				02:12-06:03	0:00-3:51		12:29-16:21
							16:21-17:02
				06:03-07:35	3:51-5:23		17:02-18:34
							18:34-18:36
				07:35-07:44	5:23-5:32		18:36-18:45
					5:32-5:52
				07:44-07:49			18:45-18:50
							18:50-19:17
				07:49-08:43	5:52-6:46		19:17-20:11
				08:43-08:55			20:11-20:24
							20:24-20:27
				08:55-09:01			20:27-20:33
							20:33-20:48
					WTFIFZ (Kickstarter, April 9, 2016)	13. King Kong/Chunga's Revenge/Mr. Green Genes
					0:18:12-0:18:45
					0:18:12-0:19:15	0:00-0:30
					0:19:15-0:19:26
					0:19:26-0:28:12	0:30-9:13
					0:28:12-0:28:19

(*) Hard to tell where the edit points are, but it sounds like a different performance.

Notes & Comments

FZ, Syracuse University, Syracuse, NY, April 23, 1975

The status of that film is this: I spent about $30,000-40,000 trying to get the thing on film, and I got it on film, and there's some things that happened down there that were absolutely fabulous. However, they're too weird to show on television, and I don't think there's really a market in the theaters for a straight concert film like that . . . So right now, it's sitting on my shelf, being an expensive piece of home movie. Maybe one day, when TV loosens up a little bit, we'll be able to show the lovely Brenda, doing her . . . That was a real nice piece of film, that Brenda . . .

"'Yes, I Am A Rich Man'—The Sharaton Hotel Press Conference, Oslo," Society Pages, August 1988

Q: Will we be seeing anything of the tape that was made at the Roxy show in 1973?

FZ: There is a piece of that included in the "True Story of 200 Motels." But all the Roxy has been transferred to video tape and one day I'll put together a Roxy concert.

FZ, interviewed by Den Simms & Rob Samler, Society Pages, September 1991

Den Simms: Will we ever get to see some of the film that was made at the Roxy in '73?

Frank Zappa: Not unless I get to be very, very, very, very rich, and have an awful lot of spare time. All the film has been transferred to video, but none of the audio has been synchronized to it. Before you can edit it, it all has to be synchronized, and that's a pretty time consuming and expensive process. Video editing costs a lot of money, and I don't have any of that equipment here at the house, so I always have to rely on somebody else's studio, and it runs about six hundred to seven hundred dollars an hour.

Old Comments

On 20 Apr 1997, Matt M wrote:

I heard a rumor that the concert was shot in 16mm and its lying in the Vault with God know what other tasty morsels. Anyone seen this or heard similar 16mm info?

Patrick Neve

I've heard that too, and FZ provides corraborating evidence in Echidna's Arf when he says, "Ladies & gentlemen, watch Ruth. All through this film,.. etc."

Biffyshrew

Even more compelling corroborating evidence is that part of the Roxy performance of "Dummy Up" can be seen in The True Story Of 200 Motels. *MAN*, I want them to release the whole show!!!

Robbert Heederik

The only footage of the Roxy video that I have seen is on The True Story of 200 Motels in which we see Dummy Up. Supposedly much of the Roxy & Elsewhere concert that originated from the Roxy, was filmed. You can hear a comment on Stage 3 about "while we reload the cameras" before they do Dickie's Such an Asshole. And on parts of Roxy, you hear Frank talk about this "movie". I believe the plan was to air the film/video on US tv (or maybe European TV) like they did with the 1974 performance for KETC (sic) in LA, or the mTV concert from 1981. But as far as I can tell though, it was never aired. I have dug around for a copy of a videotape of this performance and the only feedback I have been given from a videotape collector/bootlegger was that "yes the tape does exist, it is EXTREMELY rare and very expensive and the copy you might obtain would be of horrid quality". I take it that this means that the guy at one time did see a bad copy and it would be very difficult for him to track down another.

Patrick Neve

As of this writing (Jan. 99) the current rumor is that Dweezil is seeing to the transfer and production of this film. GODSPEED, DWEEZ!

pbuzby, Zappateers, August 19, 2015

While we're on the subject, here is a quick attempt at a list of the known Roxy repertoire. Most songs are available in more than one version from the Roxy run. For the ones where the same take is available in more than one place I have listed the two releases with a slash (for instance, the same version of RDNZL is on the audience tape and Roxy By Proxy so I listed it "RBP/audience," but Echidna's Arf is a different version on Proxy than R&E so it is listed "R&E, RBP"). Any additions or corrections welcome.

Penguin In Bondage—R&E, RBP/audience, UnConcert
Pygmy Twylyte—R&E/video ("Dummy Up"), audience
Idiot Bastard Son—audience
Cheepnis—R&E, RBP, audience
Village Of The Sun—R&E, RBP
Echidna's Arf—R&E, RBP
Don't You Ever Wash That Thing—R&E, RBP
BeBop Tango—R&E
Montana—video, audience (YCDTOSA 4 is edit of both)
Dupree's Paradise—video, RBP/audience
Inca Roads—RBP
T'Mershi Duween—RBP/audience, UnConcert
Dog Breath—RBP/audience, UnConcert
Uncle Meat—RBP/audience, UConcert
RDNZL—RBP/audience
Cheepnis (percussion)—RBP
Cosmik Debris—audience
Dickie's Such An Asshole—YCDTOSA (partly different version on YCDTOSA sampler)
I'm The Slime—YCDTOSA
Big Swifty—YCDTOSA
King Kong/Chunga's/Son Of Mr. Green Genes—RBP