Zappa's Universe
Zappa’s Universe | |
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Studio album by Various Artists | |
Released | 1993 |
Genre | Rock, jazz |
Label | Verve[1] |
Zappa's Universe is a 1993 Frank Zappa tribute album featuring alumni from many of Zappa's bands. The music was compiled from a series of concerts from four consecutive nights of concerts at The Ritz in New York City, and filmed for a concert video of the same name.[2] Steve Vai’s cover of the song "Sofa" from the album won a Grammy Award for Best Rock Instrumental Performance in 1994.[3]
Exposing Zappa’s illness
When the Zappa’s Universe project was first underway Frank Zappa was supposed to be part of the project, but was too ill to attend the shows. When reporters attempted to find out why, they reported that he was ill. This led to Zappa's children, Moon and Dweezil exposing to the public for the first time their father's prostate cancer during a press conference in the fall of 1991. His cancer had been first diagnosed during the spring of 1990.[4]
Track listing
All Songs were written by Frank Zappa
- "Elvis Has Just Left the Building" – 2:48
- "Brown Shoes Don’t Make It" – 7:26
- "The Jazz Discharge Party Hats" – 4:48
- "Inca Roads" – 9:38
- "Mōggio" – 2:46
- "Nite School" – 5:00
- "Echidna’s Arf (Of You)" – 3:53
- "Hungry Freaks, Daddy" – 3:28
- "Heavenly Bank Account" – 4:12
- "The Meek Shall Inherit Nothing" – 2:54
- "Waka/Jawaka" – 3:28
- "Sofa" – 3:51
- "Dirty Love" – 7:03
- "Hot Plate Heaven at the Green Hotel" – 6:28 [2]
Personnel
Musicians
- Joel Thome – conductor
- Sal Scarpa – assistant conductor
- The Persuasions – choir
- Rockapella – choir
- Dweezil Zappa – guitar (track 13)
- Steve Vai – guitar (tracks 12, 13)
- Mike Keneally – guitar, keyboards, vocals
- Scott Thunes – Bass, vocals
- Dale Bozzio – vocals (track 14)
- Mats Öberg – keyboards, piano, vocals
- Marc Ziegenhagen – keyboards
- Morgan Ågren – drums
- Abe Appleman – violin
- Alvin Rogers – violin
- Joyce Hammann – violin
- Ming Yeh – violin
- Peter Vanderwater – violin
- Sandra Billingstea – violin
- Sanford Allen – violin
- Sheila Reinhold – violin
- Stan Hunte – violin
- Al Brown – viola
- John Dexter – viola
- Richard Spencer – viola
- Bruce Wang – cello
- Fred Zlotkin – cello
- John Beal – double bass
- Cynthia Otis – harp
- Marvin Stamm – trumpet, flugelhorn
- Ron Sell – horn
- Jim Pugh – trombone
- Dave Taylor – bass trombone, tuba
- Virgil Blackwell – clarinet, bass clarinet
- Dave Tofani – flute, piccolo, soprano saxophone
- Robert Magnuson – oboe, alto saxophone
- John Campo – bassoon, tenor saxophone
- Roger Rosenberg – baritone saxophone
- Jonathan Haas – percussion
The Persuasions
- Jay Otis Washington
- Jerry Lawson
- Jimmy Hayes
- Joe Russell
Rockapella
- Barry Carl
- Elliot Kerman
- Scott Leonard
- Sean Altman [1]
Production staff
- Virgil Blackwell – music coordinator
- Walt Taylor - Production Manager
- James Badrak - Stage Manager
- Mitch Keller - Lighting
- Dave "Pops" Clements - Guitar Tech
Record Production
- Produced (sort of) by Davitt Sigerson
- Executive Producer and Album Compilation by Guy Eckstine
- Recorded by David Hewitt[5]
- Mixed by Carl Beatty
References
- ^ a b "Various - Zappa's Universe: A Celebration Of 25 Years Of Frank Zappa's Music (CD, Album) at Discogs". discogs.com. Retrieved 2015-06-24.
- ^ a b "Zappa's Universe - Zappa's Universe | Songs, Reviews, Credits, Awards | AllMusic". allmusic.com. Retrieved 2015-06-24.
- ^ X Motion Picture and Center for New Art Activities (New York, N.Y.) (1994). "Bomb". Bomb: Conversations Between Artists, Writers, Actors, Directors, Musicians. X Motion Picture and Center for New Art Activities. ISSN 0743-3204. Retrieved 2015-06-24.
- ^ Icons of Rock: An Encyclopedia of the Legends who Changed Music Forever. ABC-CLIO. 2008-01-01. ISBN 9780313338458.
- ^ CD Credits
- v
- t
- e
- Frank Zappa
- Roy Estrada
- Jimmy Carl Black
- Ray Collins
- Don Preston
- Van Dyke Parks
- Henry Vestine
- Jim Guercio
- Steve Mann
- Elliot Ingber
- Jim Sherwood
- Jim Fielder
- Bunk Gardner
- Billy Mundi
- Ian Underwood
- Art Tripp
- Lowell George
- Buzz Gardner
- Aynsley Dunbar
- Mark Volman
- Howard Kaylan
- Jeff Simmons
- George Duke
- Jim Pons
- Bob Harris
- Jean-Luc Ponty
- Tom Fowler
- Ruth Underwood
- Ed Mann
- Bruce Fowler
- Napoleon Murphy Brock
- Chester Thompson
- Terry Bozzio
- Denny Walley
- Ricky Lancelotti
- Norma Jean Bell
- Novi Novog
(1966–1993)
official releases
- Lumpy Gravy (Primordial)
- The Guitar World According to Frank Zappa
- Beat the Boots!
- Beat the Boots! II
Compilations |
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Birthday Bundle series |
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- "Trouble Comin' Every Day"
- "Who Are the Brain Police?"
- "WPLJ"
- "My Guitar"
- "Peaches en Regalia"
- "I'm the Slime"
- "Cosmik Debris"
- "Don't Eat the Yellow Snow"
- "Du Bist Mein Sofa"
- "Find Her Finer"
- "Disco Boy"
- "Dancin' Fool"
- "Bobby Brown"
- "Joe's Garage"
- "I Don't Wanna Get Drafted"
- "You Are What You Is"
- "Valley Girl"
- "Cocaine Decisions"
- "Stairway to Heaven"
compositions
- "Absolutely Free"
- "Advance Romance"
- "The Adventures of Greggery Peccary"
- "America Drinks & Goes Home"
- "Are You Hung Up?"
- "Billy the Mountain"
- "The Black Page"
- "Brown Shoes Don't Make It"
- "Camarillo Brillo"
- "Cheepnis"
- "Duodenum"
- "Father O'Blivion"
- "Help, I'm a Rock"
- "G-Spot Tornado"
- "I Have Been in You"
- "Inca Roads"
- "Jewish Princess"
- "Let's Make the Water Turn Black"
- "A Little Green Rosetta"
- "Memories of El Monte"
- "Montana"
- "Muffin Man"
- "Nanook Rubs It"
- "Plastic People"
- "The Return of the Son of Monster Magnet"
- "Rollo"
- "Sleep Dirt"
- "St. Alfonzo's Pancake Breakfast"
- "Take Your Clothes Off When You Dance"
- "A Token of My Extreme"
- "The Torture Never Stops"
- "Uncle Remus"
- "Watermelon in Easter Hay"
- "Who Needs the Peace Corps?"
- "Willie the Pimp"
- "Wind Up Workin' in a Gas Station"
- 200 Motels
- Baby Snakes
- The Dub Room Special
- Does Humor Belong in Music?
- Video from Hell
- Uncle Meat
- The True Story of Frank Zappa's 200 Motels
- The Amazing Mr. Bickford
- In popular culture
- Zappa Plays Zappa
- Pachygnatha zappa
- Phialella zappai
- Zappa confluentus
- 3834 Zappafrank
- Frankly a Cappella
- King Kong: Jean-Luc Ponty Plays the Music of Frank Zappa
- Zappa's Universe
- Category