My friend and colleague Charles Pelkey will be appearing on “The Outspoken Cyclist” with Diane Lees on Saturday. You should give it a listen.
But first, listen to Frank and the band performing the Allman Brothers classic “Whipping Post” live in Barcelona, circa 1988 — with a few interesting alterations to the original lyrics — and praise Jeebus that Frank never got hooked up with Cher the way Gregg Allman did.
Mad Blog Media 
Frank had better taste and more self awareness.
Happy Zappadan!
Good choice… I was going to be putting that one up at some point during the Blessed Holiday.
Now for the Conceptual Continuity part of the show…
Whipping Post became a staple of the post 1974 bands after a concert in Helsinki. A fan in some sort of chemically impaired state was wanting them to play Whipping Post. After the band heckled him a bit, they played Montana, in which Frank morphed the lyrics into Whipping Floss. After that, they worked it up. Whipping Floss can be found on YCDTOSA#2. Or… http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ETgAchWF1is
Mighty fine, Jeff, mighty fine … you win the Token of My Extreme Medal with Solar Beef Clusters.
Shallow thoughts: Frank’s kids could go and compete on ‘Dancing With The Stars’ like Chaz Bono did. Young children left behind when their young-ish father dies of cancer is a backstory that plays very well on reality tv. Besides, they are musicians and artists. Practically makes them naturals for the ballroom. In addition, Frank’s musical legacy would receive exposure as there are numerous opportunities for participants to recount personal histories kn (ye I don’t think Elijah Blue will participate as bro and sis Kardashian and Osmond have done.
Regarding Cher: she gave a great performance with a fantastic ensemble in one of my all-time fave movies, ‘Moonstruck’.
That’s one of our favorite movies as well. Big Night might be my all-time favorite film of those having nothing to do with cycling, but Moonstruck is right up there.
He always had incredible bands — I’ve been listening to the last tour band a lot (Make a Jazz Noise Here, The Best Band You Never Heard in your Life, etc).
Does anyone know who the vocalist is in that clip?
Here’s a plug for a fantastically good former Zappa sideman, Mike Keneally, here seen performing for a tiny but enthusiastic crowd. Talk about undeserved obscurity!
Mike is my favorite of all “Stunt Guitarists” that Frank employed.
If you mean the Whipping Post clip above, That would be Bobby Martin. Man can he sing.
Mike – Here’s a clip I’m using later…. Mike tears it up
I meant John… Sorry about that
Jeff — That’s amazing — thanks!
And no worries about the name. “Mike” is an honorific, given the artist in question.
I love the Helsinki version of Inca Roads from You Can’t Do That On Stage Anymore Vol. 2 — turns out FZ cut the solo down for the studio version on One Size Fits All, and the extra material is excellent. That, plus the slow-tempo “Pygmy Twylyte” is a revelation.
Inadvertently spilled the beans about who I am, but I don’t mind.
Frank always had tits bands, saw him when he had Steve Vai playing. Then again years later. You Are What You Is!
The Outspoken Cyclist says – “FRANK ZAPPA is/was one of the finest musicians of our time”… Went to several of his “concert productions” here in NE Ohio back in the day. Anyone remember “Billy the Mountain”? And, I’m looking forward to speaking with Charles Pelkey this week on the show.
Diane, that’s five thirty Saturday, Eastern Standard Time, right?
5:30pm EST for the “live” broadcast or streaming from the station. 6:30pm for the podcast on the station, iTunes, or Stitcher.
Thanks for listening!
http://www.wjcu.org/media/audio/shows/outspokencyclist
Say CIAO to Diane for me. She was kind enough to invite me out to speak to her customers at Hubbub many years ago.
Figured out the question — the vocalist in the Whipping Post clip is Robert Martin …