Famous Failed FZ Auditions?
Frunobulax
(either before or after the attempt) musicians who failed an audition
with one of FZ's bands.
It'd be interesting to note.
Charles, I'm looking at you, bub.
pbuzb...@yahoo.com
> I was just curious if there has ever been a list compiled of famous
> (either before or after the attempt) musicians who failed an audition
> with one of FZ's bands.
I imagine most people who didn't pass the audition kept the news to
themselves, but here's some failed auditions or semi-related stories
that come to mind:
Bill Payne (keyboards - attempted to audition in 1969 but with Don and
Ian in the band FZ wasn't hiring)
Craig Twister Stewart (harmonica - tried to join as early as 1973 or
1974 but wasn't good enough yet, ended up doing some sessions with FZ
circa 1979-81)
Albert Wing (tenor sax - almost hired circa 1974 but FZ decided there
wasn't room in the budget)
Jeff Feyman (drums - former diarist on the Discipine Global Mobile
website mentioned an audition with FZ that went awry when he tried to
play off of FZ's solo and got lost)
Sinclair Lott (drums - spring 1980, appeared in a photo and briefly
rehearsed but, if David Logeman's account is correct, left during a
lunch break and didn't come back)
Derek Thunes (guitar - probably 1981, not hired, presumably because he
wasn't better than Steve Vai, but he told FZ about his brother Scott)
Jim Cox (keyboards - auditioned in 1981, may have been hired if FZ
hadn't heard about his parody song Frankie's In Town)
John Patittuci (bass - also reportedly involved in the Frankie's In
Town incident above)
Lisa Popeil (keyboards/vocals - her boyfriend was a failed drum
auditioner in 1981, she auditioned, was hired and rehearsed for a
short time but was cut from the band although she made some guest
appearances)
John Frusciante (guitar - presumably 1988)
Pat Buzby
Chicago, IL
Charles Ulrich
pbuzb...@yahoo.com wrote:
> On Jul 21, 12:01 pm, Frunobulax <sevri...@aol.com> wrote:
> > I was just curious if there has ever been a list compiled of famous
> > (either before or after the attempt) musicians who failed an audition
> > with one of FZ's bands.
>
> Lisa Popeil (keyboards/vocals - her boyfriend was a failed drum
> auditioner in 1981, she auditioned, was hired and rehearsed for a
> short time but was cut from the band although she made some guest
> appearances)
If we're counting people who rehearsed but didn't tour, don't forget
Robert "Frog" Camarena and Novi Novog in summer 1975. See also
<http://members.shaw.ca/fz-pomd/lineups/rehearsals.html>.
--Charles
TAN Mitsugu
Frunobulax :
> I was just curious if there has ever been a list compiled of famous
> (either before or after the attempt) musicians who failed an audition
> with one of FZ's bands.
Steve Lukather (guitar - auditioned in summer 1976, but couldn't make
it.
See more details:
http://groups.google.com/group/alt.fan.frank-zappa/msg/dda3446eb9d2da12)
Stuart Hamm (bass - one of the last three auditioners for the 1981
band, upon recommendation from Steve Vai, but didn't show up the last
day of the audition in order to see a Miles Davis concert. And Scott
Thunes got the gig.)
--
TAN, Mitsugu
studiotan2[at]yahoo.co.jp
studiotan3[at]yahoo.com
pbuzb...@yahoo.com
> If we're counting people who rehearsed but didn't tour, don't forget
> Robert "Frog" Camarena and Novi Novog in summer 1975. See also
> <http://members.shaw.ca/fz-pomd/lineups/rehearsals.html>.
In the case of Novi, I read that the issue was that she wanted to
concentrate on her group, so it might be wrong to call this a "failed"
case. (Of course, I don't know how true that was.)
IIRC, I read in Negative Dialectics that Johnny Guitar Watson was
considered for the 84 band but asked for too much money. Similarly,
Jeff Berlin in '81.
And, of course, FZ claimed once that Beefheart auditioned for his band
in 1974 and failed.
Pat Buzby
Chicago, IL
Strictly Commercial
> Jim Cox (keyboards - auditioned in 1981, may have been hired if FZ
> hadn't heard about his parody song Frankie's In Town)
>
> John Patittuci (bass - also reportedly involved in the Frankie's In
> Town incident above)
If true, a blot on the Zappa escutcheon.
Rolf
Piper
What did the Zappa escutcheon look like?
Tomasz Michalak
> in 1974 and failed.
I was going to mention this. He likes to emphasize the fact that his school
friend failed the audition and eventually in the spring of 1975 was hired
kind of out of pity once Zappa generously reconsidered his (Beefheart's)
possible role in the band. I've heard this more than once; it's repeated in
a few interviews from different periods. Inability to memorize lyrics was
cited as one of the key reasons. Also worth mentioning here might be this
line from TRFZB (somewhere in chapter 8) where the Man himself claims that
as far as a lead singer he wouldn't have passed the auditions to his own
band.
globual
<pbuzb...@yahoo.com> wrote in message
news:1185059461....@r34g2000hsd.googlegroups.com...
Yesterdays Wafflez
pbuzb...@yahoo.com Wrote:
" ...And, of course, FZ claimed once that Beefheart auditioned for his
band in 1974 and failed."
Q: Was that when Beefheart brought multiple tambourines for the
overdubs? (I love that story)!
Thnx all for your great FZ info...love u guys!
Y.W. (who turned 46 on the 18th..yikes! Zappa fan since age 12)
Charles Ulrich
Yesterda...@webtv.net (Yesterdays Wafflez) wrote:
> Group: alt.fan.frank-zappa Date: Sat, Jul 21, 2007, 4:11pm.
> pbuzb...@yahoo.com Wrote:
> " ...And, of course, FZ claimed once that Beefheart auditioned for his
> band in 1974 and failed."
>
> Q: Was that when Beefheart brought multiple tambourines for the
> overdubs? (I love that story)!
You're thinking of the sleigh bells on Trout Mask Replica. See
<http://www.beefheart.com/datharp/odyssey.htm>.
--Charles
Fhqwhgads!
<pbuzb...@yahoo.com> wrote in message
news:1185040353.9...@d55g2000hsg.googlegroups.com...
> On Jul 21, 12:01 pm, Frunobulax <sevri...@aol.com> wrote:
>> I was just curious if there has ever been a list compiled of famous
>> (either before or after the attempt) musicians who failed an audition
>> with one of FZ's bands.
> John Frusciante (guitar - presumably 1988)
I seem to remember John saying that he was going to audition for the band
but chickened out. Probably wouldn't have made it because he was doing a lot
of coke around that time.
MS
with Jeff Porcaro who said he was at an audition with FZ, but a) didn't get
the gig (I think this was when Terry left and Vinnie finally got the job),
or b) that he was gonna go to the audition, but couldn't make it for some
reason...
Anyone with more info..?
pbuzb...@yahoo.com
I remember him saying that he got called for a session by FZ, but
turned it down because he didn't think he could cut it. Not sure when
that would have been.
Pat Buzby
Chicago, IL
Strictly Commercial
> What did the Zappa escutcheon look like?
It can be seen on the AOTT cover painting, to FZ's left, our right: an
upside down foot rampant (couchant?) on a brown field. The blot would be
a fungal growth on the thong rind.
Or maybe it's the Double Chicken above it?
Rollo
Jimmy Fin
"Frunobulax" <sevr...@aol.com> wrote in message
news:1185037317....@x40g2000prg.googlegroups.com...
pbuzb...@yahoo.com
Barry Leef (vocals, onstage audition, 1973)
Pat Buzby
Chicago, IL
Yesterdays Wafflez
ulr...@sfu.ca (Charles Ulrich) Wrote:
You're thinking of the sleigh bells on Trout Mask Replica.
See <http://www.beefheart.com/datharp/odyssey.htm>.
--Charles
That's right...Thanks! Mi mem ory iz ag ing two!
Y.W.
mhaw...@hotmail.com
> Barry Leef (vocals, onstage audition, 1973)
>
I used to work with Barry Leef's ex-wife (who was his wife at the time
of the Zappa tour). From what I can remember he had actually passed
the auditions and was in the band and ready to tour internationally
but there were some legal issues with his record company that
prevented it happening and just put it in the too hard basket for the
FZ management.
I have seen documents she showed me of this including telegrams and
letters... I think I have a few photocopied somewhere.
John Henley
> Jim Cox (keyboards - auditioned in 1981, may have been hired if FZ
> hadn't heard about his parody song Frankie's In Town)
Well, that's too bad, Cox is a fantastic studio
pianist.
Where can I find this tale?
John Henley
pbuzb...@yahoo.com
> In article <1185040353.957063.233...@d55g2000hsg.googlegroups.com>,
>
> <pbuzby2...@yahoo.com> wrote:
> > Jim Cox (keyboards - auditioned in 1981, may have been hired if FZ
> > hadn't heard about his parody song Frankie's In Town)
>
> Well, that's too bad, Cox is a fantastic studio
> pianist.
> Where can I find this tale?
I remember a website that had the lyrics for this song as well as some
detail about the incident, but Google is not locating it this
morning. (I found some brief references on the United Mutations
website and the Zappa.com forum.)
Pat Buzby
Chicago, IL
Charles Ulrich
pbuzb...@yahoo.com wrote:
<http://groups.google.com/group/alt.fan.frank-zappa/browse_thread/thread/
7565fcb0b5f43216/>
--Charles
John Henley
Charles Ulrich <ulr...@sfu.ca> wrote:
> > On Jul 23, 8:07 am, John Henley <jhen...@mail.utexas.edu> wrote:
> > > Where can I find this tale?
>
> <http://groups.google.com/group/alt.fan.frank-zappa/browse_thread/thread/
> 7565fcb0b5f43216/>
Thanks. One thing about that old thread - you really have to wonder
if FZ's sense of humor remained intact when _he_ was the topic.
The story suggests not.
JH
Charles Ulrich
John Henley <jhe...@mail.utexas.edu> wrote:
But another issue is whether FZ wanted to hire someone with that much
creative initiative. He wanted proficient musicians, but there wasn't
room in the band for another songwriter.
--Charles
pbuzb...@yahoo.com
> But another issue is whether FZ wanted to hire someone with that much
> creative initiative. He wanted proficient musicians, but there wasn't
> room in the band for another songwriter.
I doubt that was the issue. It was no secret that many past members
of the band were songwriters - Jeff Simmons, Ponty, Beefheart, etc.
I think the evidence is there in some interview exchanges that
although FZ could be self-deprecating, he often didn't take it well
when someone else belittled his work, even jokingly.
Pat Buzby
Chicago, IL
Frunobulax
Oh, man! I want to hear this! Anyone have a copy? Google left me
dry . . .
Martin Gregorie
>
> Thanks. One thing about that old thread - you really have to wonder
> if FZ's sense of humor remained intact when _he_ was the topic.
> The story suggests not.
>
Somewhere there's another thread about this. In it Zoogz Rift says
something about meeting FZ and finding that he quite liked some of ZR's
stuff. FZ got shirty and wouldn't speak to him after a light verbal tweak.
--
martin@ | Martin Gregorie
gregorie. | Essex, UK
org |
Milhouse G
> John Henley wrote:
>
>>
>> Thanks. One thing about that old thread - you really have to wonder
>> if FZ's sense of humor remained intact when _he_ was the topic.
>> The story suggests not.
>>
> I thought that was reasonably established: it didn't.
>
> Somewhere there's another thread about this. In it Zoogz Rift says
> something about meeting FZ and finding that he quite liked some of ZR's
> stuff. FZ got shirty and wouldn't speak to him after a light verbal tweak.
The story I'm remembering at the moment has ZR making a joke to FZ about
FZ being part of Flo & Eddie's backing band, which FZ didn't find
terribly amusing.
--
Milhouse Guidry of the mWo
Empty barrels make the most noise.
mWo. It's not just the coolest, it's fa lyfe, so survey says
whether you like it or don't like it, never E-e-e-ver tell
me he did *not* just SMELL what mWo 3:16 reeks of.
Charles Ulrich
Piper <pi...@gatesofdawn.com> wrote:
FZ: Or, a watermelon in Easter hay proper.
JCB: Argent, a lonesome cowboy vert.
Ensemble Modern: Sable, a pianist ermine.
--Charles