Frank Zappa Interview with Bill Boggs, DEC. 1977
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- čas přidán 1. 05. 2012
- Frank Vincent Zappa[1] (December 21, 1940 -- December 4, 1993) was an American composer, singer-songwriter, electric guitarist, recording engineer, record producer and film director. In a career spanning more than 30 years, Zappa wrote rock, jazz, orchestral and musique concrète works. He also directed feature-length films and music videos, and designed album covers. Zappa produced almost all of the more than 60 albums he released with the band The Mothers of Invention and as a solo artist. While in his teens, he acquired a taste for percussion-based avant-garde composers such as Edgard Varèse and 1950s rhythm and blues music. He began writing classical music in high school, while at the same time playing drums in rhythm and blues bands; he later switched to electric guitar.
He was a self-taught composer and performer, and his diverse musical influences led him to create music that was often impossible to categorize. His 1966 debut album with The Mothers of Invention, Freak Out!, combined songs in conventional rock and roll format with collective improvisations and studio-generated sound collages. His later albums shared this eclectic and experimental approach, irrespective of whether the fundamental format was one of rock, jazz or classical. His lyrics-often humorously-reflected his iconoclastic view of established social and political processes, structures and movements. He was a strident critic of mainstream education and organized religion, and a forthright and passionate advocate for freedom of speech, self-education, political participation and the abolition of censorship.
Zappa was a highly productive and prolific artist and gained widespread critical acclaim. He had some commercial success, particularly in Europe, and for most of his career was able to work as an independent artist. He also remains a major influence on musicians and composers. Zappa was posthumously inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1995 and received the Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award in 1997. Zappa was married to Kathryn J. "Kay" Sherman from 1960 to 1964. In 1967, he married Adelaide Gail Sloatman, with whom he remained until his death from prostate cancer in 1993. They had four children: Moon Unit, Dweezil, Ahmet Emuukha Rodan and Diva Thin Muffin Pigeen. Gail Zappa manages the businesses of her late husband under the name the Zappa Family Trust. - Wikipedia
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I've never heard of this host before, but he's already my favorite interviewer. He asks exactly what I would if I wasn't starstruck, and he's not merely respectful; he's kind. I've never seen Frank smile so much, look so comfortable, and loosen up like that in an interview. This made my night!
Totally agree..........guy got classs and Listens..........
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Dear Bill- I was sick in bed in 8th Grade when you and Frank made this interview- I watched with rapt fascination! THANKS so much for uploading this SUPER memory!
Dear Bill, you did this interview with class and poise. I love it man. Way to make Frank feel comfortable! Only real FZ fans will know what that means.
this guy gets it!
westcoastgoose . Yes i agree. Very endearing interview
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Seeing someone treat frank with respect in an interview is a nice change
Zappa was really a victim of his own humor or synicism, politicians don't like it so it restricted him.
Frank was a total genus! And one of the all time top composers ever....period!
Well said. What a guy.
My guess is that this is during the time FZ first appeared on SNL, and was about to record what would eventually become Zappa in New York. This was indeed a great, productive period for the band, which was augmented by SNL players (and Don Pardo !!)....
Frank was royally fucking with this guy right out of the chute - being sarcastic as hell.... but, interestingly, seemed to warm up to him. From about 4.28 on, Frank's demeanor changed. I think he eventually realized that Boggs is truly a bonafide dork, and then seemed to enjoy the rest of the conversation with him.
Frank and Bill both seem to be enjoying this interview.
Thanks for this, another FZ interview I had never seen. Frank is not taking the piss, he knew how to function in the business and entertainment world and Bill Boggs does not strike me as a fool either.
Based on the content, this was taped on December 22, 1976.
Quite a nice interview really. Pleasant, not personal, little bit of light piss-taking. All good fun. And you can always see it in the interviewee's manner.
Very good interview.
Awesome interview. This was ahead of the shows at the Palladium that wound up on the Live in New York LP and CD. And Don Pardo does sing The Slime. Excellent CD, too.
Looks like Will Farrell interview Rasputin
My vote is for Joe Piscopo interviews Jesus.
Or Bradley Cooper for that matter ;)-
Wow, it looked like Frank really liked this guy. Un like just about every other interviewer I ever saw.
Brilliant interview. Good natured sarcasm.
TV interviews from the 60's, and 70's also seem really loose. As opposed to the more uptight, by the book, interviews we usually see him do.
A whole biography on FZ but no information about the air date of this interview. Overlooked in the excitement? Luckily because he mentioned that his 36th birthday was the day before, we can assume this interview was recorded on December 22nd, 1976.
THANKS, I WILL POST.
3:34 BB "How's your hearing?"
FZ "Huh?"
“The vibe is so vital.”
C’mon Bill, he was pulling your leg and putting you on in a friendly but sarcastic manner.
Of course, but Frank and Bill were both being friendly with eachother in a genuine way, despite some of Franks (always present) sarcasm, lol
"Tell us about Bill Boggs" - Norm Macdonald
Fun interview. FZ is the Best.
Amazing interview... Frank meets his match!
I mis Frank a LOT. I remember Bill Boggs.
Yeah, I'm old!
Boggs is amazing
And Frank is even more amazing.
I’m a middle aged guy and these interviews are really fascinating, I know people find friction in the interviews but people nowadays are soft. Nobody likes getting interviewed thousands of times, but he seemed to enjoy talking about his mustache and the 5 person personalized goofy show days. Really cool interview sir.
Bill Boggs totally looks like Will Ferrell
First thing i noticed, except since Bill was long before Will, that means Will actually looks like Bill.
Frank, what a guy. If only more humans had his way of life..the world would be a better place.
Zappa typically hated interviews because of how stiff and formal they are. This interviewer asked some standard pedestrian questions, but was tangential and personable enough to keep things flowing, and Zappa seems genuinely receptive.
I agree. I certainly have not seen ALL of his interviews but he seemed to genuinely like this person. That one w/ Grace Slick was almost painful to watch, although I don't believe he was ever intentionally rude to anyone who didn't ask for it.
Have you seen the interview with Norman Gunson (Australian)
the anchor is like the cops, he ask weird questions to confuse you so you lose focus and tell the truth by mistake
Hey Goatlord! 👋 Good assessment of this interview.
3:18, with The Bass End Jacked Up! YEAH! I'm A Bass Player! I Agree!
Glad the grey's were addressed. I legit couldn't pay attention thinking it was a boogie or something
Amazing interview! finally glad to see someone not treat frank like a sideshow act, so many interviewers are incredibly disrespectful to him in general, while throwing the same lowball questions like his kid's names, the album titles, constantly challenging his entire way of thinking instead of having the decency to be inquisitive.
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The A lot Alures tour was without a doubt my favorite FZ tour , Don Pardo setting up the Illinois Enema Bandit was too fucking cool , you can catch it on the Live in New York album .
LOVE that Zappa in New York Lp; Even the the original censored one, which in my opinion has a better sound quality about it!.
No poo-poo jokes! Although he did make Michael Kenyan a household name in Zappa fan households.
What's with the comments finding foolishness on the host's part and scathing, contemptuous sarcasm on Zappa's part? It was a good and good-natured interview for a general audience, and Frank and Bill were completely kind and cool with each other. The only shot Frank fired was at the romance of the 'cool' New York. Make no mistake (as Obama likes to say), NY was cool, and there was a vibe. The day this was recorded it's likely you could have hit the Village that night and seen the Ramones, the NY Dolls, the Cramps, the Fleshtones, etc. That is, it's not the place itself Zappa was mocking, just the romanticized view of it. New York is gray and drab, like he says, and when there's a garbage strike it stinks. (now i'm picturing Zappa at a Cramps show. would he love Lux or hate him?)
TOTALLY. I grew up in NYC and went to Fieldston, Class of '78. I was sick in bed when Bill and Frank did this, and it made me SO much better! NYC in the 70s was a paradise of grit and filth and LIFE!
+Jim Caton
Great post and I totally agree. On virtually _every_ talk show clip on CZcams these days, there seems to be endless vilification of hosts and mis-directed fawning about how the guest (usually a rock or movie star) has deviously outsmarted said host to 'win' some imaginary battle of wits. It's SO bloody tedious.
@blackmore4 I hate it, I've seen it SO many times on old interviews, especially Zappa ones.. People hearing a normal conversation as some kind of "battle". It's weird as hell.
I'm a native born New Yorker..... & I approve this post.
btw- did Frank have a nose job, sometime after this interview? His schnoz looked huge here!
I think he liked the interviewer too.
Love the cigarette.
rocking teenage combo... terry bozio roy estrada .. ain't this boogie a mess ?
Don't foget Lowell's falsetto!
Will Ferrell looked young here.
It's actually Chad Smith from RHCP.
Did Frank have a nose job later on in life...? his schnoz looks gynormous here.
He's fucking with you, Bill.........
Of course he's with him, they're in the same studio. But you don't have to swear about it.
Billy, Billy, Billy, big tv career and all can't you get a better quality video than this?
I didn’t know Will Ferrell had an interview show in the 1970s?!
great interview! fz is ... FZ. love FZ.
Great Bill Boggs interview. How much did that blank tape cost you then?; let alone the machine to record it on...
where can I get the transcript for this interview?
son of mr green genes
Thanks! Frank's talking to a tool. "So, clearly, Frank, you have no intention of pulling out of the music business...." Love them journalists!
Franks snicker speaks volume.
Intreviewer looks like Will Farrell
Will Farrell is so young in this footage ha ha ha
...and Sandler, with all that hair
Ron Burgundy before he grew a mustache.
lol the guy looks like will farrell and he isnt even getting any of Zappa's sarcasm, it's hilarious when he brought up the 'vibes' over and over
If he wasn’t lying and had just turned 36 here, this is not 1977, it’s 1976. He was born in 1940.
Fuck its Will Farrell!
"Have you been to Bloomingdale's?"
Whats new in Baltimore ? Vibrant.
...but later on he did own a Rolls Royce with a Zappa license plate
OP: how's bout posting what this clip is rather than a long winded FZ bio.
Frank said "Yesterday was my b-day... I'm 36" so, by that, it would've been Dec. 22 -1976 (according to the bio in the drop-down)
What year is this? -77, -78 ?
Frank said "Yesterday was my b-day... I'm 36" so, by that, it would've been Dec. 22 -1976 (according to the bio in the drop-down)
Will Ferrell anchor man!
Frank's TinyTim Goth phase
Zappa built his career on being a brilliant prick, nice to see him neutralized by a brilliant gentleman...
The BASS Made Him A Little Deaf in His Left Ear! For ALL of us Bass Players out there Frank, We Are Very Sorry For That!
At that time, his two most recent bass players had been Patrick O'Hearn and Roy Estrada. Tom Fowler before them. I suppose any bass player at loud volume would give a pounding to your ear.
The only reason Frank didn’t ridicule him is because deep down he knew Boggs was on the spectrum. Before there was a spectrum.
It's because Bill treated him with kindness, above all else, in my opinion - even if what you say was a factor (it may have been). The kindness on either side didn't seem fake at all, either.
Bill Boggs sounds and looks like Will Ferrell
Have you been to Bloomingdales???? WTF? hilarious.
thats will ferrels dad?
Actually, Zappa's music was a lot nearer to "Broadway" than virtually every other 'rock' artist. Y,know, at least the guy had a sense of humour. To say nothing of his total rejection of all these really boring tags or 'genres' most people conform to.
`disco it fulfills it function`
`any kinda music with the base amp kicked up will affect your body someway!`
my man!!...
liked only 1 Zappa album `joes garage` but no denying a controversial,intelligent,talented fruitcake!! ;-)
franls all over him from the very start:)
Bill, you asked Frank Zappa if he had been to Bloomingdales!!! Shame on you! I guess you just don't know him, so we'll forgive 'ya.
Hey now get all your education, you're gonna wind up workin' in a gas sta-shun. How did he know?
Zappa has no respect for this superficial boggs
Frank always enjoyed the theatrics, and "respect" was not an issue for either of these guys - Frank got to tell his stories and voice his opinions because of guys like, and yes, Even Better interviewers, than this one. I don't think he respected Anyone who could not communicate artisticly - the important thing is that he DISrespected fraud , and while Boggs may not be Leonard Bernstein, he was being his own true curious self. . .
So tiresome to have to be confronted by such vacuous cardboard cutouts for interviewers