Interview Albums
These are albums with only interview material, put out by some small-time companies who
for some reason had rights to use these interview recordings. I know there are more of
these, so send them my way. One bit of
interview also appears on a flexi-disc issued
with the Rock Generation book, which has ended up another page.
And if you like Zappa interviews, do check out Eric Martin's Zappa interview web page.
- An LP on the Baktabak label (BAK 2019)
- A US Radio LP in the Profiles in Rock series (Watermark, show #802, April 1980) -
pressed for use as a complete radio show, with adverts and programming introductions.
- Incredibly Frank (Roxy XS-LP-105, black &
white picture disc, re-issued on CD in a pink
12" box, as Frank Zappa on Compact
Disc or The Interview, CID012)
- [interview CD in the Conversation Disc
series] (ABCD 016, UK)
- The Supplement Tape (Siësta Productions SPZ10, 1990)
- Frank Zappa - Interview Picture Disc (Baktabak CBAK 4012 /
94012, UK) [also issued as a clock!]
- Interview Picture Disc Collection (4
7" singles) (Baktabak BAKPAK 1003, UK)
- The Interviews Volume 2 (Baktabak CBAK 4074, 1996,
UK)
- In the Beginning (unreleased - originally
scheduled for October 1999 release as Megaworld CHATCLASS01, but was not and
will probably never be released)
Part of a lecture by Zappa also appears on the Zappa tribute CD that came with the
Italian magazine Sonora #4 [external link].
Incredibly Frank (Black & White Picture Disc)
Frank Zappa on Compact Disc / The
Interview
Unique material: A 1970 interview with Zappa
Total time: 48:12
LP Version (Incredibly Frank)
[Side] 1. 13-Sep-1970 Interview, part 1 [23:54]
[Side] 2. 13-Sep-1970 Interview, part 2 [24:18]
Side 1 has a well-known publicity picture of Zappa pointing his Gibson SG towards the
camera, with the Mothers in the background. Side 2 has the "Young Frank"
picture from Cruising with Ruben & the Jets surrounded by newspaper
clippings about Zappa and the Mothers. The disc credits Robert Jones (CTS London) with
remastering and Nigel Godall with graphics. "A Ward Brandon production". A blurb
on the disc reads:
This previously unpublished interview was recorded at Frank Zappa's home in Hollywood,
California. A relaxed Zappa talked at length about his early ventures in the record
business, the production techniques employed on the Mothers' Verve albums and the
relationship with the quirky Captain Beefheart. Zappa's revelations provide a unique
insight into the classic phase of his career.
CD Re-Issue
Label: CID012 (UK)
This interview album has been re-released on CD packaged in a pink 12" box with a
group photo from the late '60s (the one on side 1 of the LP version?). The disc had a
different picture from the same photo shoot on it. From Johnmag:
It comes in an LP-sized box which is colored the same color as the
Studebaker on the cover of Just Another Band from LA. Top center it
says "FRANK ZAPPA"/"On Compact Disc" with a large color
picture underneath of the early Mothers sitting on some bleachers in what
looks like a small auditorium. "C.I.D."/"Productions";
"Limited Edition Boxset" [to the right of "Productions"].
The back is all black / inside is plain with a small section to hold
the CD & jewel case in the center. It has a picture CD which is a
different pose of the same photo shoot. CD says "Frank Zappa The
Interview CID012 Made In U.K. Limited Edition Of 500".
Additional informants: Bossk (R), Tony Burke, Brian Lagerman
Unique material: 3 interviews with Zappa
00:00-23:02 Martin Perlich 1972
23:05-29:03 Two or more reporters interview Zappa before a Halloween show
29:04-42:37 Unknown interview
The Martin Perlich interview is also included on the bootleg Lätherette, but this version is 4.5
minutes longer. Subjects touched upon include classical music, modern music, harmony,
rhythm, quality, serial music, Anton Webern, socio-political commentary and satire in
early Mothers of Invention lyrics, and politics and the media.
The Halloween interview takes place at the Palladium in New York, immediately before
the Halloween concert. They talk about his 7th Halloween show and "the first live
simulcast in the history of cable broadcasting", which would probably put us in 1981.
Zappa gets quite annoyed with one of the reporters (he is pretty dumb).
The third interview touches upon influences, the early years, and the Cucamonga years.
The cover shows a LSO era picture of Frank, in a coat. The back cover reads relates
that "The Conversation Disc series is carefully compiled from tapes of historical
interviews [?]. Any collection naturally reflects different periods of the artist's
thoughts and depending on the recording techniques available at the time there might be
some slight variations in sound quality. This interview has nbeen N.A.B EQ'd [?] ensuring
high quality listening on modern equipment, whilst maintaining the natural warmth [!] of
the original masters." and that the interviews are not available in "any
other format". 2500-copy edition.
The Supplement Tape
Unique material: at least interview material
This is mostly an interview cassette, from 1990. It was authorised by Zappa, and a
number of official cassettes were made and sold. The cover picture is from the same photo
session as the cover of The Real Frank Zappa Book. Here are the liner
notes, provided by Knut Skogstad:
On October 26th and 27th 1990 I interviewed Frank Zappa in his own L.A. studio, the
UMRK. In between the conversation which were taped by Menno Kalmann, Frank was working on
a new CD. Every once in a while we stopped and had coffee. After two days we had hours of
interview and some exclusive audio material. This resulted in a 4 hour radio show called SUPPLEMENT
for Dutch NOS radio, broadcasted on December 21st 1990, Frank's 50th birthday. This
cassette contains material from that show and also some other stuff. We hope you enjoy it.
- Co de Kloet
Cover photo: Greg Gorman
Produced by: Menno Kalmann and Co de Kloet
Special thanks to Frank Zappa, Gail Zappa and Zappa Records for the use
of the musical fragments.
This package copyrighted 1990 Siësta Productions.
Additional informants: Jon Naurin, Tal, István Fekete
Unique material: 2 interviews with Zappa (50:45)
Re-issued as a clock (!) (CBAK 94012)
1. Interview #1
2. Interview #2
Interview #1 was done in London right after the first Odeon Hammersmith show in 1984.
Zappa talks for example about the 1984 band. Interview #2 also sounds British. It's also
from around that time; Zappa talks about his Them or
Us book and about dead rock stars. (Tabak also issued this interview on a four-single set.) The cover has a picture from
the bootleg Swiss Cheese.
The disc has three pictures: one from around 1978 with a Gibson SG, one portrait from
around 1988, and one picture of Zappa's eyes.
CORNIEST THING: This CD has also been sold AS A CLOCK! The clock was available
at the CD department of Virginstore in London, in January 1998, for £11.99.
- See also: Happy Mother's Day (Ryko VRCD FZ 96,
(probably Mother's Day) 1996) [choccolate, not playable]
Informants: Kristian Kier, Eric Martin, Sam and/or Karen Rouse, "U"
(clock)
Unique material: An interview with Zappa
Label: Baktabak BAKPAK 1003
Matrix number: BAK 1003/1 A, BAK 1003/1 B, SET2 BAK PAK 1003-2 A, SET2 BAK 1003-2 B, SET3
BAK 1003-3-A, SET3 BAK 1003-3 B, SET4 BAK 1003-4 A, SET4 BAK 1003-4 B
The British Baktabak company / Tabak marketing issued this interview spread out over
eight 7-inch single sides. (They have also issued the same interview on a CD.) There is no date, interviewer or location identified. In the
future, however, there may appear links below to transcriptions of the interviews on all
eight sides.
Side 1. Interview
Side 2. Interview (continued)
Side 3. Interview (continued)
Side 4. Interview (continued)
Side 5. Interview (continued)
Side 6. Interview (continued)
Side 7. Interview (continued)
Side 8. Interview (continued)
- Transcription of the
interview, which demonstrates where the side breaks are.
The set came in a PVC plastic bag, "designed to hang the singles to the
wall". Each single has a unique black and white photograph of Zappa, but they all
have the same fifth photograph on the flip side.
Informants: Kristian Kier, Eric Martin, Sam and/or Karen Rouse
Unique material: An interview with Zappa
Label: Baktabak CBAK 4074 (1996)
Barcode: 5 017744 360746
Interview (26:43)
Frank gave this interview some time after the "Valley Girl" hit; it must have
been recorded in New York. The interviewer has been reported to sound Dutch with a slight
British accent.
In the Beginning
This interview CD was planned for release in October 1999, but it was never
released, for whatever reason - financial, or legal?
Anyway, back then, Spencer Kelly promoted the release like this (forwarded via Geir
Corneliussen):
I am from a small commercial record company in the UK, who, next month will be issuing
an unheard Zappa interview conducted in 1966 (please see the press release below) ...
Frank Zappa - In the Beginning - Interview CD.
In The Beginning is the first serious in-depth interview with the
incomparable composer/bandleader/guitarist/social commentator, Frank Zappa.
Recorded in late December 1966, shortly after the release of The Mothers' debut album, Freak
Out!, this hour-long conversation showcases the full range of Zappa's
knife-edged intelligence, keen insights, enthusiastic energy, incisive wit and grandiose
ambitions.
Don Paulsen was one of the 1960’s most prolific interviewers and photographers.
The New York-based journalist was able to extract the most candid and revealing
interviews from a huge array of famous artists who helped shape that remarkable decade. To
this day his photographs adorn galleries all around the world.
The Classic Interview Series captures not only these fascinating
interviews but contains previously unseen photographs taken during the actual interview
within a 6-sided digipak, creating a poignant picture of the era and the artists that made
it so memorable.
Catalogue Number - CHATCLASS01
The company I work for (Megaworld) is based in London, and our website will be up 'n'
running in a couple of weeks. In the meantime please e-mail megaworld@btinternet.com for any further
information.
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