Psycle Sluts
Avi Runkel
I read on a John Cooper Clarke site that Zappa played Psycle Sluts on a
radio show in England in 1979. It was the kind of show where the guest
just plays a variety of stuff that they like. According to the site Zappa
also played some Howlin' Wolf and Black Sabbath.
Does anybody know any more about this show and what else was played?
For everone's benefit here is the poem:
PSYCLE SLUTS (PARTS 1 & 2)
part one...
this disc concerns those those pouting prima-donnas
found within the swelling j. arthur ranks of the sexational psycle sluts
those nubile nihilists of the north circular
the lean leonine leatherette lovelies of the leeds intersection
luftwaffe angels locked in a pagan paradise
no cash
a passion for trash
the tough madonna whose cro-magnon face and crab nebular curves haunt the
highways of the UK, whose harsh credo captures the collective libido like
lariats
their lips pushed in a neon-arc of dodgems
delightfully disciplined, dumb but deluxe
deliciously deliciously deranged
twin-wheeled existentialists steeped in the sterile excrements of a
doomed democracy, whose post-nietzschean sensibilities reject the bovine
gregariousness of a senile oligarchy
whose god is below zero, whose hero is a dead boy
condemned to drift like forgotten sputniks in the fool's orbit bound for
a victim's future
in the pleasure dromes and ersatz bodega bars of the free world the
mechanics of love grind like organs of iron to a standstill
hands behind your backs
in a noxious gas of cheek to cheek totalitarianism
hail the psycle sluts
go go the gland gringos
for the gonad a-go-go age of compulsory cunnilingusa
part two...
the dirty thirty
the naughty forty
the shifty fifty
the filthy five
zips, clips, whips and chains
wait for you to arrive
hell's angels by the busload
stoned stupid, how they strut
smoked woodbines till they're banjoed
and smirk at the swedish smut
life on the straight and narrow path
drives you off your nut
by day you are psycopath
by night you're a psycle slut
on a bsa with two bald tires
you drove a million miles
you cut your hair with rusty pliers
and you suffer with the pillion piles
you got built in obsolescence
oh you got guts
but you don't reach adolescence
slow down psycle sluts
motor cycle michael
wants to buy a tank
only twenty-nine years old
and he's learning how to wank
yesterday he was in the groove
today he's in a rut
my how the moments move
brut fun psycle sluts
he cacks on your originals
he peepees on his boots
he makes love like a footballer
he dribbles before he shoots
the goings on at the gang-bang ball
made the citizen's tut-tut-tut
but, what do you care, piss all
you tell 'em psycle sluts
now your boyfriend burned his jacket
ticket expired
tyres are knackered
knackers are tired
you can tell your tale to the gutter press
get paid to peddle smut
now you've ridden the road of excess
that leads to the psycle sluts
or you can dine and whine on stuff that's bound to give you boils
hot dogs direct from cruft's
done in diesel oil
or the burger joint around the bend
where the meals thank christ are skimpy
for you that's how the world could end
not with a bang but a wimpy.
---------------------------
Avi
Jon Naurin
Fred H. Banta writes:
>Avi Runkel <xj...@dial.pipex.com> wrote:
>>I read on a John Cooper Clarke site that Zappa played Psycle Sluts on a
>>radio show in England in 1979. It was the kind of show where the guest
>>just plays a variety of stuff that they like. According to the site Zappa
>>also played some Howlin' Wolf and Black Sabbath.
>>
>>Does anybody know any more about this show and what else was played?
>I recollect reading a transcription of this show that I found on the
>internet somewhere ages ago; maybe on Evil Bob's site? I remember
>because Frank played "I Live in a Car" by the UK Subs, a classic punk
>tune, and he even remarked that he liked it.
I have a transcription of a radio show on BBC Radio One 2/28/82, which was
made and posted here by Paul Icke (who had confused Edgar Varese with Edgar
Froese of Tangerine Dream) a couple of years ago. It has the JC Clarke and UK
Subs stuff mentioned above, so I'd guess it's the same show you guys are
talking about.
- Jon
================================================================
FZ: This is the best radio show you've ever heard, in your life!
Track 1: "I'm In The Music Business" - Jeff Simmons
FZ: That was Jeff Simmons with "I'm In The Music Business" and
this is Frank Zappa being a fraudulent disc jockey on BBC 1. And the
next thing you're going to hear is a song that my children really
like, its called "Straight Lines", by New Music.
Track 2: "Straight Lines" - New Music
FZ: We're gonna' do something now that, er, they don't usually like
to have done on this particular radio station, and that is segue
one record into another, but I think that its appropriate to make
this segue because, er, these are two of my very favourite records
and I think they should be heard as a pair. The first is "The
Closer You Are" by The Channels, and this will lead directly into
"Hyperprisms" by Edgar Froese.
Track 3: "The Closer You Are" - The Channels
Track 4: "Hyperprisms" - Edgar Froese
FZ: You've just heard "The Closer You Are" by The Channels and
"Hyperprisms" by Edgar Froese, or 'Varase' [FZ pronounces Froese as
'Varess' and offers an alternative], depending on how good your
pronounciation of the names of famous composers that you can't
pronounce too good. Froese was a really cool guy. The only thing
that he did that was wrong was he stopped composing for 25 years
because people gave him a bad time. If people wouldn't have given
him a bad time, he could have been writing for 25 more years and
there would be 25 more years worth of stuff like that for the
people who like that kind of stuff. But most people don't, so this
is "Jesus Just Left Chicago" by ZZ Top.
Track 5: "Jesus Just Left Chicago" - ZZ Top
Track 6: "Golden Birdies" - Captain Beefheart
FZ: Well, you know what that means! And its time - oh that was, er,
Captain Beefheart in case you didn't know, and prior to that was,
er, ZZ Top with "Jesus Just Left Chicago" and I don't know whether
they play very much of, er, ZZ Top kind of music in this country; it
seems a little bit too *robust* for the countryside from what
I've been able to detect. But if you go for that kind of stuff, I
recommend a song called "The Mexican Blackbird" on, er, one of
their other albums. Have you heard that one? Ah it has a good line
in there. You should check out "The Mexican Blackbird". Er and now
we have "I Live In A Car" by the UK Subs.
Track 7: "I Live In A Car" - UK Subs
Track 8: "Soul Motion" - Don Harris
FZ: This is Radio 1, and this is Frank Zappa, and this is the best
radio show you've ever heard in your life. And, of course, what
wonderful radio show would be complete without a performance by
Don Harris on violin and a bunch a' guys in the background that you
can just barely hear playing trombones and saxophones and stuff
that I never knew was there until I put these earphones on. Can you
hear? That is the weirdest mix I've ever heard in my life. They're
in there; they must have spent another 25 dollars to hire those guys
and you can barely hear 'em! Anyway, that was called "Soul Motion",
and before that you heard "I Live In A Car" by the UK Subs. And in
case you didn't know I chose all of these records because I like
these songs for various, er, reasons. And the next one - we're going
to play two in a row again, because these things should be heard
together - this is "All Tomorrow's Parties", by The Velvet
Underground followed by the "Royal March" from "L'Histoire du
Soldat" by Igor Stravinsky. Take it away!
Track 9: "All Tomorrow's Parties" - The Velvet Underground
Track 10: "Royal March" [from "A Soldier's Tale"] - Igor Stravinsky
FZ: That was "All Tomorrow's Parties" by The Velvet Underground,
with, er, Nico singing, and the "Royal March" from "L'Histoire du
Soldat" by Igor Stravinsky. And this is Radio 1 and I'm Frank Zappa
playing a bunch of records that I like.
Track 11: "Iron Man" - Black Sabbath
FZ[voiceover]: I don't care what you say - I still like Black
Sabbath!
Track 12: "Lucky Number" - Lena Lovitch
FZ: OK, that's, er, Lena Lovitch with "Lucky Number" and before
that you heard "Iron Man", by Black Sabbath. And now its time for
the "Eureka Springs Garbage Lady" by the GTOs.
Track 13: "Eureka Springs Garbage Lady" - GTOs
FZ: I..[My tape auto-changed direction]..[the GTOs] used to exist a
long time ago this is a *very rare* album and, er, he had one! That
guy in there [Radio 1 engineer] he had one and he brought it in here
so, er, we could, er, play it on this show. Actually, if you get
another chance you gotta' try and talk somebody else who does one of
these 'star specials' into playing "I'm In Love With The Ooh-Ooh
Man" which is another good cut from this record. Anyway, here's
another song that I like: This is "Killer Queen" by Queen.
Track 14: "Killer Queen" - Queen
Track 15: "Mannish Boy" - Muddy Waters & Johnny Winter
FZ: Ahhh, a refreshing rendition of "Mannish Boy" by Muddy Waters
with Johnny Winter's band and before that "Killer Queen" by Queen.
And now, the *hottest* thing to come out of Manchester in at least
15 minutes, is this record by a group called Jerry and The
Holograms. When I was in New York I was doing a disc jockey show on
a station there and I played this song all week and it got really
good response and I think it ought to be a *hit* in this country
too because its a nice record; its a nice, wholesome, family
kind of a record so lets go for it!
Track 16: "Jerry And The Holograms" - Jerry and The Holograms
FZ: There they go, Manchester's pride, Jerry and The Holograms! And
now, direct from The South, its "Sweet Home Alabama" by Lynyrd
Skynyrd.
Track 17: "Sweet Home Alabama" - Lynyrd Skynyrd
FZ: When I was in New York I went to this, er, club, called the Mudd
Club, and I was a disc jockey there for a night and I brought in a
bunch of records and tried them out on the clientele at this
particular establishment. One toon that got their buttocks pumping
up and down in quite a frenzied manner was this next number, erm, by
The Plastics. Its called "Robot".
Track 18: "Robot" - The Plastics
FZ: That was, er, "Robot" by The Plastics, a Japanese ensemble.
And, er, in order to truly appreciate the nuances involved in this
particular production you have to imagine it being played over a
really loud disco system in a room that's concrete with no
decorations and, er, a guy about 6-foot-5, with a blue mohawk and a
black leather jacket, dancing to it, and it suddenly comes alive in
your imagination. And now, this, er, its time for a little
romance. This is Radio 1 and, of course, Frank Zappa being an
artificial disc jockey momentarily. Here is a really good song that
is probably older than you are.
Track 19: "Desiree" - The Charts
Track 20: "I Am The Walrus" - The Beatles
FZ: Now wasn't that wonderful? Just sitting here today, so
sophisticated as we all are, in this modern age that we call The
Eighties, and to be able to hear something like that with thousands
of people in the background on that record saying 'everybody smoke
pot'. It makes you want to tighten your headband and stick a
flower in the end of somebody's gun. Anyway, before that you heard
"Desiree" by The Charts, and that was, of course, "I Am The
Walrus" by The Beatles, and this is "Soldier Soldier" by Spizz
Energy.
Track 21: "Soldier Soldier" - Spizz Energy
FZ: Did you know that heaven is in your mind?
Track 22: "Heaven Is In Your Mind" - Traffic
Track 23: "I'm Working For The Federal Bureau Of Narcotics" - Wild
Man Fischer
FZ: Well, I'm sure you know that that was Wild Man Fischer and right
before that you heard Traffic with "Heaven Is In Your Mind". And,
that guy in there asked me to say something about Wild Man Fischer
and one thing that you must remember is that he actually *is* a Wild
Person. He lives in the street and, er, sleeps in places where,
er, it is possible for natural objects to accumulate in his hair;
and on his clothes; and elsewhere in secret parts of his personage
that you don't find out about until its too late if you're a girl.
And Larry *is* dangerous; er, he has brothers and other relatives
and some of them have been attacked by Larry. I think it was his
brother who had his chest-bone broken with a ball-peen hammer at
UCLA shortly before this album was made. They were walking towards
each other on the campus; Larry had the hammer; and his brother
had the bad luck. And the name of this song is "Paint It Black".
Track 24: "Paint It Black" - The Rolling Stones
FZ: You know what's really good about that record? Is the way
the bass part is there 'n'then where he's going 'wooom, wooom'
[that's what it sounds like!] like that, that's really exhilarating,
its probably the, one of the finest things that's ever happened in
British Rock. Don't you think? Aside from what you just told me
about the liner notes on that album, I haven't had a chance to read
them personally, but, er, that guy in there told me that there's a
part on the record cover that says, and I'm quoting him now, he's
probably paraphrasing this, but the record says that in 1967,
Brian Jones took to the sitar like a native. What do you make of
that? Anyway, this is "Caravan Man" by Lew Lewis and his band.
Track 25: "Caravan Man" - Lew Lewis
Track 26: "Cycle Sluts" - John Cooper Clark
FZ: Well, there's your whimper. And now, for another person with
exquisite diction, the Howling Wolf, with "I Asked Her For Water And
She Brought Me Gasoline".
Track 27: "I Asked Her For Water And She Brought Me Gasoline" -
Howling Wolf
Track 28: "Summertime Blues" - The Flyimg Lizards
FZ: Yes, that was The Flying Lizards with their 'petulant
minimalism', as it says on the back of their single sleeve, and that
was "Summertime Blues". I really like that style that they're
performing that particular song in. And if they're listening, and
I hope they are, there's a couple of other toons that I would like
to hear done in that same style. I'd just like to recommend a
sample repertoire for The Flying Lizards; I think they should do
"Ruby Tuesday", they should also do "Paperback Writer", and, erm,
"Last Train To Clarkesdale", or "Clarkesville" or whatever it was,
y'know, heh, give the guys a break. Anyway, this is "My White
Bicycle" by Tomorrow.
Track 29: "My White Bicycle" - Tomorrow
FZ: Well, a lot of you fetishists out there probably wouldn't
recognise it because its being played backwards, but that was
Steve Howe [of Yes] on guitar on that particular, er, in that
particular group. And the song that used to be the B-side of
that, erm, cut, when it was a single, was a toon called "Claremount
Lake". Remember that? That had some even more interesting guitar
formalities on it. Anyway, here's a song that, er, I heard in a
disco one time and I really liked it. I didn't know what it was; I
couldn't make out the words to it, I just thought it had a good
toon. And I was really, er, shocked and chagrined when I found out
exactly what it was that I was enjoying. But, er, its still a
nice song. Its called "Grease" and its by Frankie Valli and was
written by Barry Gibb[!].
Track 30: "Grease" - Frankie Valli
FZ: And the word is Radio 1 and this is Frank Zappa about to play
the last selection on my artificial disc jockey program. And
before I disappear into the wilderness I want to thank Graham,
Martin and Trevor, and remind you that next on Radio 1 its Alexis
Korner. Now they have allowed me, erm, here on this radio station,
to actually play one of my own toons on this radio show, and for
this fact I will be *deeply* indebted to them forever, and, er,
I've chosen as my one representative item from the repertoire that
I can squeeze in here, a song called "Watermelon In Easter Hay". And
I will now provide you with a piece of information about the
title: That's not the complete title of this song. The *real* title
of this song is "Playing A Guitar Solo With This Band Is Like
Trying To Grow A Watermelon In Easter Hay". And that's where it
came from. From me, Frank Zappa, goodbye!
Track 31: "Watermelon In Easter Hay" - Frank Zappa
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Fred H. Banta
Avi Runkel <xj...@dial.pipex.com> wrote:
>I read on a John Cooper Clarke site that Zappa played Psycle Sluts on a
>radio show in England in 1979. It was the kind of show where the guest
>just plays a variety of stuff that they like. According to the site Zappa
>also played some Howlin' Wolf and Black Sabbath.
>
>Does anybody know any more about this show and what else was played?
I recollect reading a transcription of this show that I found on the
internet somewhere ages ago; maybe on Evil Bob's site? I remember
because Frank played "I Live in a Car" by the UK Subs, a classic punk
tune, and he even remarked that he liked it.
Fred H. Banta fhb...@mindspring.com
"Music is the only religion that delivers the goods" Frank Zappa
Biffyshrew
Jon Naurin wrote:
>Track 20: "I Am The Walrus" - The Beatles
>
>FZ: Now wasn't that wonderful? Just sitting here today, so
>sophisticated as we all are, in this modern age that we call The
>Eighties, and to be able to hear something like that with thousands
>of people in the background on that record saying 'everybody smoke
>pot'. It makes you want to tighten your headband and stick a
>flower in the end of somebody's gun.
What Uncle Frankie doesn't know is that he's perpetuating an old Beatles
myth about the alleged "smoke pot" chant at the end of "I Am The Walrus."
What's actually happening is that the chorus is divided up into two camps,
with the females chanting "Got one, got one, everybody's got one" and the
males chanting "Oompah, oompah, stick it up your jumper" (the latter being
from an old novelty/music hall song about shoplifting; sung in a British
dialect where "jumper" rhymes with "oompah").
Next up: why only Paul was wearing a black carnation...
Your pal,
Biffy the Elephant Shrew @}-`--}----
Papa's got a brand new bug: http://members.aol.com/biffyshrew/biffy.html
"Look at these little red things in my pants here"--Elvis Presley
Fred H. Banta
biffy...@aol.com (Biffyshrew) wrote:
>Jon Naurin wrote:
>
>>Track 20: "I Am The Walrus" - The Beatles
>>
>>FZ: Now wasn't that wonderful? Just sitting here today, so
>>sophisticated as we all are, in this modern age that we call The
>>Eighties, and to be able to hear something like that with thousands
>>of people in the background on that record saying 'everybody smoke
>>pot'. It makes you want to tighten your headband and stick a
>>flower in the end of somebody's gun.
>
>What Uncle Frankie doesn't know is that he's perpetuating an old Beatles
>myth about the alleged "smoke pot" chant at the end of "I Am The Walrus."
>What's actually happening is that the chorus is divided up into two camps,
>with the females chanting "Got one, got one, everybody's got one" and the
>males chanting "Oompah, oompah, stick it up your jumper" (the latter being
>from an old novelty/music hall song about shoplifting; sung in a British
>dialect where "jumper" rhymes with "oompah").
I suspect that that's the story they gave their record company so the
line didn't get censored, but what do I know. I think also that a
listener's honest interpretation of an artist's work is every bit as
valid as the artist's especially when it has been obscured beyond the
point of ambiguity, as has the line in question. I always thought
they said "smoke pot..." etc., and I thought it was interesting to
note that in every rendition of The Walrus that I've heard from FZ's
88 tour, Frank neglected to include that line.
Biffyshrew
Fred H. Banta wrote:
>I suspect that that's the story they gave their record company so the
>line didn't get censored, but what do I know. I think also that a
>listener's honest interpretation of an artist's work is every bit as
>valid as the artist's
Ben Watson, of course, based his whole book on this principle.
>I always thought
>they said "smoke pot..." etc.
Give it another listen through a good pair of headphones (which helps you
catch nuances like the clear "w" sound in "Everybody's got ONE") and I bet
you'll change your mind.
Konrad
Jon Naurin quotes FZ:
: title: That's not the complete title of this song. The *real* title
: of this song is "Playing A Guitar Solo With This Band Is Like
: Trying To Grow A Watermelon In Easter Hay". And that's where it
: came from. From me, Frank Zappa, goodbye!
Thanks for the post John, and that tidbit was especially enjoyable.
BTW i thought they were chanting "Everybody's fucked up" in I am
the Walrus, so i want to be nominated for the Ben Watson Creativity in
Listening Award.
konrad
--
^Z
Ubermolch
Whoops, once again, my poor memory of the Bonzos shows through. (I
haven't listned to them in about a year... I should pull them out.)
"Death Cab for Cutie" ain't representative of their best work either,
though. Why couldn't it have been something like "Ali Baba's Camel", or
"Mr. Apollo"?
"Piggy Bank Love" was the only Bonzo song I've ever seen compiled on
a sixties album... I don't remember the name of the album, but it had
Brute Force's "Tapeworm of Love" on it too.
--Jason Arvey, Der Ubermolch
overcooked
Sounds like "turn me on both sides" to me.
-- -- - --- ---- - overcooked
"The equivalence of acceleration and the experience of gravity is the cosmic priciple of einsteinian physics." -Alanis Morisette
Fred H. Banta
biffy...@aol.com (Biffyshrew) wrote:
>Fred H. Banta wrote:
>
>>I suspect that that's the story they gave their record company so the
>>line didn't get censored, but what do I know. I think also that a
>>listener's honest interpretation of an artist's work is every bit as
>>valid as the artist's
>
>Ben Watson, of course, based his whole book on this principle.
>
>>I always thought
>>they said "smoke pot..." etc.
>
>Give it another listen through a good pair of headphones (which helps you
>catch nuances like the clear "w" sound in "Everybody's got ONE") and I bet
>you'll change your mind.
I stand corrected. I didn't need a good pair of headphones to hear
what you pointed out, in fact I didn't have to listen very hard to
hear it. I, along with a lot of other people (FZ and Jo Papo Pie
included) interpreted something entirely different than what the
Beatles originally constructed. But is it a "myth" or an aural
illusion?
I'm going to go ahead and assume your Ben Watson comment was meant to
show that you disagree with my premise, seeing that Watson is a "war
criminal" to many "hardcore maniacs with all the records".
To illustrate my previous point: the beauty about much of Zappa's work
is that it operates on many levels, and one does not have to
comprehend all of these levels to find Frank's art appealing on an
immediate level. Great art does that. Twain's Huckleberry Finn is a
wonderful example. Although it is not the same medium as Frank's, the
mechanics work on several levels.
If one were to take Wallace Steven's poem "The Emperor of Ice Cream"
and the only other things one had were a brain and a dictionary, I
seriously doubt that one could nail exactly what Stevens was on about.
The same could be said for Coleridge's Kubla Khan. (Xanadu, Rush's
crowning achievement IMHO, was their "interpretation" of Coleridge's
poem and they made themes and visions in the poem magically come to
life.) But for both examples you don't have to be a literary rocket
scientist to perceive their beauty on an immediate level. In that the
casual reader (or listener in the case of great music) has no inkling
of the methods or even motivations of the artists' madness, does that
mean that these impressions are invalid? In my opinion, no. Some
people may be full of shit, but other may open doors of understanding
that even the artist himself failed to consider.
David Wilcher
In article <konradfsE...@netcom.com>,
konr...@netcom.com (Konrad) poot forth:
> BTW i thought they were chanting "Everybody's fucked up" in I am
>the Walrus, so i want to be nominated for the Ben Watson Creativity in
>Listening Award.
When I first heard "I'm So Cute" the lines _screams of agony_ sounded,
to my ears, like: Squeeze the bacon.
two!
--
David Wilcher > Sysop > The Juke Joint BBS > 937-687-2423
wil...@ibm.net
Princess Vespa: I am Princess Vespa, daughter of Roland, King of the
Druids.
Lone Star: Oh great. That's all we needed. A Druish princess.
Barf: Funny, she doesn't look Druish.
-=Spaceballs=-
Konrad
Fred H. Banta (fhb...@ANTI-SPAMmindspring.com) wrote:
: dfly...@homer.louisville.edu (David F Lynch) wrote:
: >How POSTMODERN. Next I suppose you'll be telling us the music was
: >dirt-like. Hey, pull the wool over your own eyes and all that, if you
: >want to believe they're saying "everybody smoke pot", fine, but
: >empirically speaking, that's NOT what they're saying.
: I forgot that I don't have the right to be wrong in this newsgroup
: without some authoritarian making a personal snap judgement about me.
I still say "everybody's fucked up."
konrad
--
^Z
Fred H. Banta
dfly...@homer.louisville.edu (David F Lynch) wrote:
>How POSTMODERN. Next I suppose you'll be telling us the music was
>dirt-like. Hey, pull the wool over your own eyes and all that, if you
>want to believe they're saying "everybody smoke pot", fine, but
>empirically speaking, that's NOT what they're saying.
I forgot that I don't have the right to be wrong in this newsgroup
without some authoritarian making a personal snap judgement about me.
Fred H. Banta fhb...@mindspring.com
D.G. Porter
David F Lynch wrote:
> I always thought
> : they said "smoke pot..." etc.
Remember those things you'd buy before the Fourth of July, and the
instructions read, "Light fuse, | SMOKE POT | Get away." By the time I
was done smoking the pot I'd forgotten to get away and everything was
all smokey and smelled funny.
Konrad
doc rogers (doc...@M6.sprynet.com) wrote:
: Keith Emerson's version (A band I was in was covering it), I thought he
: said the phrases "Sister Golden Boat Hands" and "NH generally see." We even
: considered naming the band "Sister Golden Boat Hands" for awhile (before we
: settled on "Screaming Binky" then "Limited Dustpan Warranty").
Very good! I think Zappa himself got some of his lyrics from
textual corruption, too.
konrad
--
^Z