Warren Cuccurullo - Frank Zappa - Gracias A Frank:(Th@nks 2 Fr@nk) 1995 HQ. audio.
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- čas přidán 27. 08. 2024
- Warren play the acoustic version of Th@nks 2 Frank VH-1 England 1995:(Gracias a Frank), in Honor and Respect for Frank Zappa Memory: (1940-1993).
Guitarists such as Steve Vai and Joe Satriani received the lion's share of attention during the late '80s/early '90s, due to their otherworldly instrumental chops. But several other guitarists were just as talented, yet failed to receive as much recognition, especially Warren Cuccurullo.
Born on December 8, 1956 and raised in Brooklyn, New York, Cuccurullo started playing drums at an early age, before moving over to guitar in time to jam with friends.
By the early '70s, Cuccurullo had become a diehard Frank Zappa fan, and for much of the decade, would travel far and wide to catch Zappa in concert.
It wasn't long before Cuccurullo became friends with members of Zappa's backing band, and eventually, Zappa himself.
Cuccurullo appeared during a backstage segment for Zappa's concert movie, Baby Snakes, and in December of 1978, got the phone call he'd been waiting for, when he was invited to try out to for a vacant guitar slot in the band.
Warren got the gig, appearing on several Zappa tours and such albums as Joe's Garage: Acts 1-3, Shut Up & Play Yer Guitar, Tinseltown Rebellion, and volumes one, four, and six of the You Can't Do That On Stage Anymore series. Shortly after the dawn of the '80s, Cuccurullo quit Zappa's band to form the new wave outfit Missing Persons, along with the husband-wife team of Terry Bozzio (drums) and Dale Bozzio (vocals). The band enjoyed success early on with such hit singles as "Words" and "Destination Unknown," as well as a gold certified debut album, 1982's Spring Session M.
But after two further albums that failed commercially, 1984's Rhyme and Reason and 1986's Color in Your Life, Missing Persons broke up. Cuccurullo got word from an insider that one of the world's most popular pop groups, Duran Duran, was about to lose founding guitarist Andy Taylor, and he inquired about joining.
Warren was soon invited onboard, and appeared on such subsequent albums as 1986's Notorious, 1988's Big Thing, 1990's Liberty, 1993's self-titled release, 1995's Thank You, 1997's Medazzaland, and 2000's Pop Trash.
During the same time, Cuccurullo began issuing solo albums on his own, including 1995's Thanks to Frank, 1997's Machine Language (an album he'd been working on since the '80s), 1998's Roadrage, and 2000's the Blue. The '90s also saw Warren either collaborate or record with Blondie, Meat Loaf, and Michael Jackson, but in all three cases, the material was ultimately shelved.
Cuccurullo eventually left Duran Duran (when it was announced that its original line-up was reuniting), but kept himself busy with running his own extensive website, opening up an Italian restaurant in Santa Monica ("Via Veneto"), and issuing his own adult toy, the "Rock Rod."
The guitarist also took part in several Missing Persons reunion shows during 2001, while his next solo release, Trance Formed, is scheduled to be released sometime in late 2002.
Th@nks 2 Frank and the Zappa Family.
www.zappa.com
www.cuccurullo.tv
![Frank Zappa & The Mothers - Live at The Roxy 1973 [extras]](/img/n.gif)
Thank you Ju from Quebec !
Warren is such an Ace The first time I heard this on his CD I cried . A class act.
Awesome acoustic version. Still makes my hair stand on end.
Bravo Warren C !
Quite a treasure!
awesome song, th@nks 2 warren actualy..
Work out Warren! FZ forever 🙏👏👏👏👏👏
So beautiful
Thanks... not seen this before!
A copy/paste from today on Facebook, to accompany another posting of the link to this rarely heard song.
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I've posted this a few times before over the past 9+ years I've been on Facebook, but it never got many views or likes....not that I post just for vicarious accolades. I just wonder whether people never saw it, or bothered to click through and listen, or, if they did, it just wasn't their cuppa tea, and didn't want to comment.
But geez, it's all too beautiful...he references Frank's note choices, and chord voicings, structure, and phrasings in this; every real Zappa fan will recognize those touches.
This song is so pretty, a heartfelt homage to Frank Zappa for helping to launch and install Warren Cuccurullo into a pantheon of musicians whose skill and credibility earned him a place beside one of the most demanding and brilliant composers of the past 400 years.
I actually wept a little the first time I heard this on VH1, because I could feel Warren's heart spilling out of every note. Furthermore, I have to tip my tam to the AV engineers at VH1. Warren's guitar across the full frequency range was captured very nicely...his guitar just rings. I'm even cool with the few articulations that weren't as perfect as I'd guess he wished they were...but that's OK...that's what makes it a real, human performance.
I love that I can hear the evidence and differences as his pick alternately caresses and slams the strings, the squeaks as his fretting hand moves between chord voicings, as he hammers on and pulls off notes in arpeggiated flurries are artifacts worth remembering.
The audio for this clip is absolutely pristine...the only noise & hum probably comes from a less-than-professional transfer from analog to digital.
On a scale of 10, I'd give this a 9.8.
Muchas felizidades cuccurullo en tu cumple q es hoy
Warren only did one tour with Frank. The European Tour of 1979 that lasted under 2 months.
yes, then he left & started Missing Persons with Bozzio & O'hearn
good talent gets picked early (2 months)
Nice.
What kinda place was this recorded at?
VH-1 Studio, I suppose.