the '76 press conference in Japan
TAN Mitsugu
ago (Jan. 31st '76). As I had to translate the Japanese translation
back to English, it might be totally different from the original
wording. (If you find any improper wording, please point them out to
me.) Notes between square brackets in the translation are the one in
the original Japanese text. My own notes (with asterisked numbers)
are attached at the bottom.
----------
Article: "The Mothers at the Press Conference"
Transcribed by Suzy Caowan
Translated from English to Japanese by NAKAMURA, Toyo
Magazine title: New Music Magazine
Publisher: New Music Magazine Co., Tokyo
Published date: April 1976
Pages: pp. 30-37
Question: Mr. Zappa, you've just visited Australia before you came to
Japan. Comparing rock scenes in the U.S., Europe and Australia, do
you notice any difference between them?
Zappa: The main difference is that, in every country except the U.S.,
musicians and rock groups are eagerly trying to export their music to
the U.S. In the countries like Australia and Britain, their efforts
are motivated by big money coming from export, rather than by music.
Question: In Tokyo, why are you going to give us a concert in Asakusa
where foreign musicians have never used for their performance?
Zappa: The official answer for that official question is, that was
because I didn't decide by myself, so I really don't mind if we
wouldn't do our concert in this area.
Question: What did you think when you entered to this place [Matsubaya
in Yoshiwara]?
Zappa: Very cold. [Note: Zappa wore a sleeveless shirt.] Here, the
indoor temperature is as cold as outdoors in Britain. And this
interior design is very similar to the one that I saw in my favorite
monster movies.
Question [from a cameraman with a video camera]: I'm shooting a video,
and what do you think of video?
Zappa: Are you asking what kind of video camera I like? I'm not sure
what you are asking about, but is it a technical question?
Question: There are rising movements of making video movies, and I
heard that you are interested in video too, so I'd like to hear your
opinion on those....
Zappa: I've done a lot of things by video.[*1] Speaking of video
camera, the one you're using seems to work very well, so I'd like to
buy one during our visit in Japan. [After that, FZ borrowed the
camera and shot the room.]
Question: Mr. Roy Estrada, your name sounds like Mexican. Please tell
us where you come from?
Roy Estrada: Soy de California. ["I'm from California" in Spanish.]
Question: Do you have any plan to shave your moustache?
Zappa: The answer for that question is, No!
Question: How do you keep your moustache?
Zappa: It's not very difficult. The most effective thing for growing
this moustache is "natural body juice." Before coming to Japan, in
Australia, I gave it plenty of body juice, so it nearly grew all over
my face. Last night I had the same trouble again, but this morning, I
shaved it by a tool that an American scientist invented in order to
solve that particular problem. It is called a "razor," a tool with
two blades, and it can cleanly shave off everything on your face.
I've used it just before I came here. I hope this explanation helps
you.
Question: Have you ever heard Japanese rock music?
Zappa: I met a Japanese rock band once, but didn't hear their music.
They were called the Tigers[*2], and we met at Whisky A Go Go in Los
Angels about eight years ago. They didn't speak English and I didn't
speak Japanese, so I just waved my hand to them.
Oh yes... in Los Angels, there's a TV station that broadcasts in
Japanese. In that channel, I saw a variety show similar to the Ed
Sulivan Show. There would be an MC and an orchestra, and solo singers
and rock bands would show up. I saw that show, but what they played
was not a progressive sort of music. And I know the theme song of
"Mothra" very well.
Uchida Yuya [Japanese musician, one of who invited FZ to Japan]: Mr.
Zappa is a great fan of Japanese monster movies, such like "Godzilla"
and "Mothra." Last night he wanted to meet two girls who appeared in
"Mothra." Later I found out that they were the Peanuts[*3].
Zappa: Now, Roy Estrada is going to sing a real Japanese song. Among
the Japanese melodies introduced to the U.S., it is the best one.
American children are growing with this melody too, and they love it
very much.
Estrada: [In falsetto] Mothra... Mothra... Mothra...
Question: Why are you so interested in monsters?
Zappa: I've been studying monster movies for a long time. I'm very
interested in Japanese special effect techniques. And fireworks and
explosives are interesting, too. However, American monster movies
don't have a human touch, so they are not interesting. It's only
Japanese people who invented a monster that shoots out a ring of smoke
when he is stomped on his tail. Mother Godzilla steps on Baby
Godzilla's tail, and then, a ring of smoke is coming out from Baby's
mouth[*4]. It's definitely an excellent art.
Question: I heard that in '69 you sat in with Roland Kirk.... [Note: a
unique black jazz player who plays three saxophones simultaneously.]
Zappa: I met him at the backstage of Boston Jazz Festival, and asked
him to play together if he was interested in our music. Then, during
our set, led by his attendant, he came up to the stage. As you know,
he's blind. But his body understood all of our signals. At one
point, everybody in the band was supposed to get down on their back
and kick their feet in the air while they still keep playing. As soon
as we got on our back, he also got his back. When we got up, he also
got up. He grasped everything. He is an excellent musician. Three
weeks later, we played together again in Florida Jazz Festival.
Question: Now you use the name Mothers, but at first didn't you use
the Mothers of Invention?
Zappa: No, at first we were the Mothers. However, when we were going
to release our first album from MGM, the record company told us that
they couldn't release the record by the name of the Mothers. They
said that it sounded like abridgment of a dirty word [motherfucker]
and DJ's would never play a record with that kind of name. Thus, out
of "necessity," we became the "Mothers of Invention."
Question: Do you have any plan of recording with Captain Beefheart
again?
Zappa: Perhaps, some time soon.
Question: Who is your favorite classical composer?
Zappa: Varese, Stravinsky, Penderecki, and I like some of Takemitsu's
compositions, and I have some scores by Mayuzumi.
Question: Do you know Tomita Isao?
Zappa: No.
Question: What do you think about synthesizer?
Zappa: It's possible to use synthesizer as an instrument, but
unfortunately, you can hardly see it is fully utilized as an
instrument, especially in classical field. American composers who
write synthesizer music are producing nothing but ugly and boring.
But small-sized synthesizers, which are easy to use in live
performance, are getting essential part of a formation of a band.
However, it's very usual for those small-sized synthesizers to be out
of tune, and sometimes, musicians meaninglessly change timbres or add
effects. Unless musicians can control over these points, synthesizers
will continue to be a kind of toy.
Question: What is the difference between the Mothers' music and pop
music, a la the Bay City Rollers?
Zappa: The biggest difference is that while they only play 23 minutes,
we play 2 hours. Starting from that point, the difference will become
limitless if you utilize your imagination. Anyway it's good for their
fans that they only keep playing 23 minutes, because those young girls
would hurt their throats after screaming for 2 hours.
Question: The Mothers have often changed their personnel. Mr. Zappa,
is it because you replace existing members with other musicians you
like?
Zappa: The basic principle is that we don't make any contract from the
start point, so it depends on whether you want to join or quit. And
if members change, the music will change, because music is formed
according to skills of musicians who play that music.
Question [to members of the Mothers]: What do you think of playing
with Zappa?
Terry Bozzio: It's very fun and educational to play with Zappa. I can
raise money, too. I love the way he plays guitar, and when I play
with him, I can be very popular with girls.
Andre Lewis: I've been playing R&B, but Zappa's music is totally
different from that. He's a great guitarist and other members are all
excellent musicians.
Estrada: There're a lot of reasons to play with him, but anyway I love
playing with him because both of us are perverted.
Napoleon Murphy Brock: It's good for my mind and body. It helps
keeping my body clean and comfortable, you know. When playing with
him, it makes me discharge extra nectar [note: sperm?] and keeps my
body healthy.
Question: What do you think about the 200th anniversary of the
National Foundation of the United States?
Zappa: I think it's very characteristic that it only took a short
history of 200 years to bring such a broad destruction.
Question: Do you know what kind of place this building used to be?
Zappa: No. Please tell me.
Uchida: [in English] I'm a singer, so I explain by a song, which goes:
"There is a house in New Orleans, they call the Rising Sun..."
Zappa: A whorehouse! And then, what will happen next?
Uchida: [again in English] After the press conference of Frank Zappa,
we have the Oiran[*5] show, for which you all have been waiting, and
that will have some dances and pornographic scenes.
Zappa: Porno? Start it right away!
[Later FZ made an unplanned appearance in the routine of the Oiran
show, playing a role of a customer, but there was no pornography at
all.]
*** Translator's notes:
[*1] Maybe FZ implied his video usage in "200 Motels."
[*2] The Tigers were a Japanese pop group in the '60s. Some resources
tell that they visited the U.S. in Dec. '68, so it might be around
that time when FZ happened to meet them. BTW, their lead singer,
SAWADA Kenji (AKA "Julie") was the most famous among the group and
after they disbanded, he has achieved a very successful career as a
solo singer and an actor. You can see his entry in the Internet Movie
Database: http://us.imdb.com/Name?Sawada,+Kenji
[*3] The Peanuts were a singing duo of female twins named ITO Emi and
ITO Yumi. Not only they released a lot of hit records in Japan, but
they also appeared in three monster movies as "Twin Fairy" (see:
http://us.imdb.com/Name?Ito,+Yumi). And they did appeared in the Ed
Sullivan Show in '66 (check out some pictures from that appearance at:
http://www.ma.nma.ne.jp/~anchor/ed-sullivan-show.htm). An interesting
coincidence: in May '75, The Peanuts suddenly retired from the music
business, and only a month later, Emi married with a singer named
SAWADA Kenji. So, if FZ had got acquainted with the Tigers more
closely, it would have been a better connection to reach his favorite
Little Fairies.... (http://www.ma.nma.ne.jp/~anchor/mothra.htm)
[*4] Definitely, "Son of Godzilla" (see:
http://us.imdb.com/Title?0061856).
[*5] "Oiran" refers to "the courtesan with the highest rank in
pleasure quarters" in the pre-modern Tokyo (quoted from:
http://www.jci-kyoto.com/maikotayuoiran.htm).
--
TAN Mitsugu
studiot[removethis]@anet.ne.jp
Román García
news:5e74fe2d.02013...@posting.google.com...
> This is a translation of the press conference that took place 26 years
> ago (Jan. 31st '76). As I had to translate the Japanese translation
> back to English, it might be totally different from the original
> wording. (If you find any improper wording, please point them out to
> me.) Notes between square brackets in the translation are the one in
> the original Japanese text. My own notes (with asterisked numbers)
> are attached at the bottom.
>
Thanks, Tan! That was really great reading!
Michael Gula
it.
A.Adriaanse
AA
Patrick Neve
This has a few interesting things going on. I like how the language
barrier leaves them sort of straining to find subjects in common, and it
gets reduced to Roy Estrada singing the Mothra theme! I laughed til I
cried when I read that.. I'd sure like to hear that.
The Roland Kirk information is first rate, as are your footnotes.
And my favorite quote of the whole interview was "Porno? Start it right
away!"
Thanks again for a fascinating read.
-Patrick
*************************************************
http://darkwing.uoregon.edu/~splat/zappapage.html
Gary
> Question: How do you keep your moustache?
>
> Zappa: It's not very difficult. The most effective thing for growing
> this moustache is "natural body juice." Before coming to Japan, in
> Australia, I gave it plenty of body juice, so it nearly grew all over
> my face.
Hmmm... "Ride my Face to Osaka"?
Bossk (R)
> Question: How do you keep your moustache?
>
> Zappa: It's not very difficult. The most effective thing
> for growing this moustache is "natural body juice."
> Before coming to Japan, in Australia, I gave it plenty of
> body juice, so it nearly grew all over my face. Last night
> I had the same trouble again, but this morning, I
> shaved it by a tool that an American scientist invented
> in order to solve that particular problem. It is called a
> "razor," a tool with two blades, and it can cleanly shave
> off everything on your face. I've used it just before I
> came here. I hope this explanation helps you.
Ha ha ha ha ha! Thanks a lot for translating this!
Bossk (R) <bossk-...@telia.com>
THE ZAPPA PATIO: http://zappapatio.unixlover.com
TAN Mitsugu
> Most excellent, Tan. (Sorry for the top-post.)
Thanks! (I'm glad to see my post make some experts in affz
laughing...)
> The Roland Kirk information is first rate,
A few years before, I'd sent that portion of the interview to John
Kruth, a writer/musician who was then writing a biography of Kirk
entitled "Bright Moments." As a result, when the book was finally
published in 2000, it was included in the chapter called "We're Only
In It for the Porkchops," which of course describes the connection
between FZ and RRK. Kruth not only interviewed Bunk Gardner and Don
Preston, but long-time Kirk's attendant/percussionist Joe "Habao"
Texidor, who reveals what really happened on his side of the stage:
"We played it [All Night Long] for about forty-five minutes, but about
twenty minutes into it Frank goes down on one knee. Between licks,
Rahsaan asks me: 'What's happening?' I told him 'The cat's on his
knees.' So Rahsaan goes on his knees still playing, blowing his
brains out. Frank is trading eights and fours, back and forth, then I
go down on one knee. Frank continues on guitar, then lies down and
keeps playing. When Rahsaan hears the people's reactions, I tell him,
'The cat's lying down.' So he lies down and so do I; so here's the
three of us on our backs, playing. The people got up out of their
seats and came to the stage - it was pandemonium."
The biography also describes Kirk's connection with Ian Anderson of
Jethro Tull, Jimi Hendrix and Captain Beefheart (only 2 pages for the
last, though). But more importantly for affz, it has a photograph
that captures RRK and MOI playing on the stage of Boston Globe Jazz
Festival. (Sorry, I don't have a scanner....) Has anyone in affz
mentioned (or noticed) this book?
Ron Spiegelhalter
>
> "We played it [All Night Long] for about forty-five minutes, but about
> twenty minutes into it Frank goes down on one knee. Between licks,
> Rahsaan asks me: 'What's happening?' I told him 'The cat's on his
> knees.' So Rahsaan goes on his knees still playing, blowing his
> brains out. Frank is trading eights and fours, back and forth, then I
> go down on one knee. Frank continues on guitar, then lies down and
> keeps playing. When Rahsaan hears the people's reactions, I tell him,
> 'The cat's lying down.' So he lies down and so do I; so here's the
> three of us on our backs, playing. The people got up out of their
> seats and came to the stage - it was pandemonium."
Somewhere in a perfect world there is a pristine videotape of this event.
If only it were in this one... oh if only...
ron
0vercooked
It was very entertaining.
On 31 Jan 2002 01:10:04 -0800, stu...@anet.ne.jp (TAN Mitsugu) wrote:
>This is a translation of the press conference that took place 26 years
>ago (Jan. 31st '76). As I had to translate the Japanese translation
>back to English, it might be totally different from the original
>wording. (If you find any improper wording, please point them out to
>me.) Notes between square brackets in the translation are the one in
>the original Japanese text. My own notes (with asterisked numbers)
>are attached at the bottom.
[...]
Yakinezumi
Way to go,Tan!.I'll follow up this article and tell Japanese other
interviews in the near future.
Yakinezumi (new address: tkyaki...@hotmail.com)
Yakinezumi
articles.This interview includes lots of photos(press
conference,live,menbers.rough pics,though),concert reviews,the program
in Japan,introduction
of menbers,shedule in the future.I excerpt some comments from the
article that Tan did'nt.
+He arrived in Haneda Airport from Australia at 6:15 a.m.Japan time,
on 30th,Jan.
+After arrival,they went to Keio Plaza Hotel.Zappa ordered French
toast and
orange juice.But he said the toast was too soft and withdrew into his
room
in a bad mood.
+A pic which Frank looks through a Sony 8-mm (any footage of this in
his vault?...)
+encore at kyoto---Danah Moe Humm,Camarillo Brillo,Muffin Man,I'm
the Slime,San Ber'dino
at Asakusa--- Dinah-Moe Humm
at Osaka---I'm the Slime,San Ber'dino
+On Napoleon Murphy Brock---Before his participation in the
Mothers,he
had a band named Communication Plus ,in Hawaii.
+Roy Esrtada---He had asthma in childhood.
+Andre Lewis---His confesses that he may marry with Maki-san(who she
is?)
+Zappa received one interview on 30th,Jan.four on 2nd,twice on 6th
Feb.In
off-stages,he hardly went out of his room.He changed his clothes
whenever interviewers changed.
+He says "Pipco"is an abbreviation for"pipe corn"
+He says he will come again around June or July(but never...)
According to Oyama Kojitsu,one of Japanese zappa authority,besides
New
Music Magazine,there are Japanese interviews on Music
Life,Stereo,Rolling
Stone Japan,Kyoto Shimbun Newspapaer,Heibon Punch,Ongaku Senka.
Especially,about the one on Kyoto Shimbun,Zappa had a talk with
Ichiyanagi Toshi,Japanese modern composer and ex-Ono Yoko's
husband(I've
never listened to him).If you have a Japanese MSI version of
Orchestral Favorites,you can see it.
Incidentally,I have read a Steve Vai- Steve Lukather talk on a guitar
mag.
On it,They talk about Zappa quite a bit,and Lukather confesses that he
could'nt pass Frank's audition at the age of 17 ,around Bozzio-Jobson
era.It's interesting and worth translating.
Yakinezumi(tkyaki...@hotmail.com)
TAN Mitsugu
> The part of interview is less than a half of whole special
> articles.This interview includes lots of photos(press
> conference,live,menbers.rough pics,though),concert reviews,the program
> in Japan,introduction
> of menbers,shedule in the future.I excerpt some comments from the
> article that Tan did'nt.
More precisely, this 8-page article is horizontally separated into two
sections: the lower (approx. 1/3 of page) is the interview that I've
translated before, and the upper (approx. 2/3) is, as Yakinezumi
explained, a collage of documents, photos and graphics, entitled
"Over-week Sensation of Running After Zappa and the Mothers in Japan".
It was created by Japanese FZ enthusiast Yagi Yasuo, who contributed
many liner notes for FZ vinyls. (His first involvement in Japanese FZ
releases was "Apostrophe(')":
http://w1.858.telia.com/~u85821131/vinylvscds/apostrophe.html#japanesevinyl)
During the Japanese tour, he accompanied FZ and the Mothers, playing
a role of coordinator/reporter.
Speaking of the collage, his style is a kind of tribute to Cal
Schenkel's design for the inner sleeve of "Over-nite Sensation" - with
full of slimy speech baloons!
Some of you may know that he is actually a graphic designer/artist and
has done a lot of graphical works for various artists/projects,
incuding Hosono Haruomi's "exotica" albums ("Tropical Dandy" and "Bon
Voyage").
http://www.mnet.ne.jp/~bebe/pickup/Hosono-Tropical.jpg
http://images.amazon.com/images/P/B00005A1F7.09.LZZZZZZZ.jpg
> +Andre Lewis---His confesses that he may marry with Maki-san(who she
> is?)
She seems to be "Maxayn," with whom Andre actually married later.
I've just found her entry in All Music Guide and am very surprised by
her successful carreer as a backing vocalist!
http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&sql=R98246#APPEAR
http://www.angelfire.com/ab/bss2/maxayn.html
In addition, according to the article, Andre bought an amulet for her
and wrote "Makisan" (in Kata-kana) on it.
> Incidentally,I have read a Steve Vai- Steve Lukather talk on a guitar
> mag.
> On it,They talk about Zappa quite a bit,and Lukather confesses that he
> could'nt pass Frank's audition at the age of 17 ,around Bozzio-Jobson
> era.It's interesting and worth translating.
Oh, I just remember that article. It appeared in the March '01 issue
of "Young Guitar". Lukather said that his favorate Zappa albums are
"Filmore East" and "Beat the Boots!" and that he actually attended one
of Zappa's auditions, where dozens of guitarists arrived and got
frightened by the tight groove of the Bozzio-O'Hearn-Jobson trio.
(Therefore, it seems to be around summer '76 - before Lady Bianca was
hired.) After a while FZ appeared and designated Lukather as the
first person to audition. The first task was sight-reading, but he
couldn't handle the score that contained complicated time signatures.
He said "I can read it, but I have to take it home and learn", but
this put FZ into a bad mood. Then he was asked to replay what FZ
played on the spot, and struggled to do that. In the end, FZ told him
"I guess you lack the skill of musical comprehension. You should
learn some more."
Charles Ulrich
stu...@anet.ne.jp (TAN Mitsugu) wrote:
> > +Andre Lewis---His confesses that he may marry with Maki-san(who she
> > is?)
>
> She seems to be "Maxayn," with whom Andre actually married later.
> I've just found her entry in All Music Guide and am very surprised by
> her successful carreer as a backing vocalist!
> http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&sql=R98246#APPEAR
> http://www.angelfire.com/ab/bss2/maxayn.html
Thanks for the information. I knew about Mandre, but not about Maxayn's
extensive backing vocal credits.
By the way, Mandre covered FZ's "Dirty Love", which of course André had
played on the '75/'76 tour.
--Charles