the abnuceals emuukha electric symphony orchestra
There were two versions of the Abnuceals Emuukha Electric Symphony Orchestra:
4 | frank
zappa: lumpy gravy
(1967, lp, usa, verve) |
|
65 |
frank zappa: läther
(1996, 3cd, usa, ryko) |
|
74 |
frank zappa: quaudiophiliac (2004, dvda, usa, dts entertainment 69286-01125-9-9) |
|
83 |
frank zappa: one shot deal (2008, cd, usa, zappa records) |
|
From: Patrick Neve
(splat@darkwing.uoregon.edu)
The first version of the AEESO served as the ensemble backing much of the
orchestration on Lumpy Gravy. Until now, it wasn't clear whether the
orchestra was recorded in 1966 or 1967.
There were two conflicting FZ quotes:
FZ: (in Jan. 1974 Melody Maker) ...there was a thirteen month litigation
that held up the release. (which was December, 1967)
or
FZ: (From Civilization Phaze III booklet) In 1967, we spent about four
months recording various projects (Uncle Meat, We're Only In It For The
Money, Ruben and The Jets and Lumpy Gravy)
In any event, most of the musicians and chorus were accounted for in the
Lumpy Gravy liner notes; (and whatever happened to them?)
HOWEVER... in November of '00, Greg Russo comes to the rescue with
information straight from the Local 47 Musicians Union, in the form of
contracts for the Lumpy Gravy Sessions. The following information is by
kind permission of Greg.
From: Greg Russo
(grusso2787@aol.com)
Thanks to Local 47, I have copies of the contracts for the Capitol "Lumpy
Gravy" sessions. Contrary to the recording date listed on the album
(February 1967), the original version of the album was recorded on March
14, 15 and 16, 1967. The personnel listings for each date are too long to
list here. If anyone cares, Capitol paid for the sessions on April 7,
1967!
All sessions took place at Capitol Studios, 1750 North Vine Street,
Hollywood, CA
All sessions were paid by Capitol on April 7, 1967.
All listings are as shown. If something is wrong, that's how it was
listing on the session sheet!
MARCH 14, 1967
Capitol Master #: 57290
Titles: none shown, but this is the first part of the original "Lumpy Gravy" LP. It also includes "Sink Trap."
Recording Time: 8PM to 12AM (1 hour overtime)
Musicians:
Frank Zappa
Sidney Sharp (contractor)
Ted Nash (4 doubles) - flute, alto sax, contra b. clarinet, clarinet, bass clarinet
Jules Jacob (4 doubles) - oboe, English horn, flute, piccolo, tenor sax)
Johnny Rotella (4 doubles) - flute, baritone sax, E flat contra clarinet, B.clarinet, clarinet
John L. "Bunk" Gardner (4 doubles) - flute, clarinet, bassoon, bass, soprano, tenor saxes
Emil Radocchia (= Emil Richards) (3 doubles) - mallets, percussion, tympani,Latin
Gene P. Estes (3 doubles) - mallets, percussion, tympani, Latin
James C. Zito (2 doubles) - trumpet, flugelhorn, piccolo
Thomas J. Tedesco (2 doubles) - guitar, bells, bongos
Kenneth Shroyer (1 double) - tenor and bass trombone
Frank Capp (1 double) - drums, Latin
Don Christlieb (1 double) - bassoon, contra bassoon
Michael A. Lang
John Balkin
Alfred Viola
Robert West
Dennis Budimir
Arthur E. Briegleb
George F. Price
Lyle Ritz
Joan Steele
Robert M. Calderwood (copyist)
Russell N. Brown (copyist)
Vincent Bartold (copyist)
Jack DuLong (copyist)
MARCH 15, 1967
Capitol Master #: 57320
Titles: Lumpy Gravy (13:00) - this is the second part of the original "Lumpy Gravy" LP. It also includes "Gypsy Airs."
Recording Time: 8PM to 12AM (1 hour overtime)
Musicians:
Frank Zappa
Sidney Sharp (contractor)
Ted Nash (3 doubles) - flute, bass flute, alto sax, clarinet
Johnny Rotella (3 doubles) - E flat clarinet, flute, piccolo, clarinet, E flat contra clarinet
John L. "Bunk" Gardner (4 doubles) - piccolo, flute, bassoon, b. clarinet
Gene P. Estes (3 doubles) - typani, Latin, percussion, mallets
Victor Feldman (3 doubles) - tympani, Latin, percussion, mallets
Gene Cipriano (3 doubles) - oboe, flute, bass flute, E flat clarinet
Kenneth Shroyer - tenor and bass trombone, bass trumpet
James C. Zito (2 doubles) - trumpet, flugelhorn, piccolo, trumpet
Thomas J. Tedesco (2 doubles) - guitar, bells, bongos
Don Christlieb (1 double) - bassoon, contra bassoon
Robert West
John Balkin
Charles Berghofer
Lincoln Mayorga
George F. Price
David A. Duke
Alfred Viola
Trefoni Rizzi
Shelly Manne
Leonard Malarsky
William Kurasch
Arnold Belnick
Ralph Schaeffer
Jerome A. Kessler
Raymond J. Kelley
Leonard Selic
Joseph DiFiore
Harry Hyams
Philip Goldberg
Joseph Saxon
Jesse Ehrlich
Tibor Zelig
Harold Ayres
Jerome J. Reisler
Robert Ross
R.D. McMickle (copyist)
John Donahue (copyist)
Robert Calderwood (copyist)
C.D. Goodwin (copyist)
Russell N. Brown (copyist)
Joan Steele (copyist)
MARCH 16, 1967
Capitol Master #: 57336
Titles: Lumpy Gravy Unit 3A - the sheet incorrectly lists this as #57320. This number was already signed to the previous day's session. Capitol's files show this session as 57336. This session is not part of the original Capitol album.
Recording Time: 8PM to 12AM (1 hour overtime)
Musicians:
Frank Zappa
Sidney Sharp (contractor)
Johnny Rotella (5 doubles) - bass and alto sax, flute, E flat clarinet, bass clarinet, E flat contra clarinet
John L. "Bunk" Gardner (4 doubles) - flute, clarinet, bass clarinet, bassoon
Gene Cipriano (3 doubles) - oboe, flute, bass flute, bass clarinet, contra b.clarinet
Ted Nash (3 doubles) - flute, bass flute, bass clarinet, contra b. clarinet
Alan Estes (3 doubles) - tympani, mallets, percussion, Latin
Victor Feldman (2 doubles) - tympani, mallets, percussion
Thomas Tedesco (2 doubles) - guitar, bells, bongos
Don Christlieb (1 double) - bassoon, contra bassoon
James C. Zito (1 double) - trumpet, flugelhorn
Lew McCreary
John Balkin
Lincoln Mayorga
Dennis Budimir
Robert West
Trefoni Rizzi
Vincent DeRosa
Arthur Maebe
Shelly Manne
Harry Hyams
Joseph DiFiore
Harold G. Bemko
Jerome A. Kessler
Joseph Saxon
Jesse Ehrlich
Alexander Koltun
Tibor Zelig
Ralph Schaeffer
Bernard Kundell
William Kurasch
James Getzoff
Philip Goldberg
Leonard Selic
Arnold Belnick
James E. Bond, Jr.
Robert H. Ross (arranger)
John Donahue (copyist)
Ok, this is some amazing information, but it doesn't account for the following musicians credited on the album:
The Abnuceals Emuukha Electric Symphony Orchestra & Chorus:
Piano, celeste, electric harpsichord
Paul Smith
Pete Jolly
Drums
Johnny Guerin
Frankie Capp
French horns
Vincent De Rosa
Richard Parisi
Trumpet
Jimmy Zito
Trombone
Kenneth Shroyer
Guitars
Jim Haynes
Tommy Tedesco
Tony Rizzi
Al Viola
Dennis Budimer
Bass
Bob West
John Balkin
Jimmy Bond
Lyle Ritts
Chuck Berghofer
Strings
Alexander Koltun
Tibor Zelig
Ralph Schaeffer
Bernard Kundell
William Kurasch
James Getzoff
Philip Goldberg
Leonard Selic
Arnold Belnick
Leonard Malarsky
Harold Ayres
Jerome J. Reisler
Harry Hyams
Joseph DiFiore
Jerome A. Kessler
Raymond J. Kelly
Joseph Saxon
Jessa Ehrlich
Harold G. Bemko
Chorus
Louie The Turkey (Kuneo)
Ronnie Wiliiams
Dick Barber
Foon The Younger
Roy Estrada
Spider
Jim Motorhead Sherwood
J.K. Adams and Tony
Gilly and the girls from Apostolic (Maxine, Becky, Monica)
All Night John (Kilgore)
The Other John
Cal Schenkel
Pumpkin
Larry Fanoga
Eric Clapton & Charlotte
Jimmy Carl Black
Sammy
Harold
Charlie
Bruce
and the rest of the guys from Atlanta.
From: Pat Buzby
(pbuzby@surfnetcorp.com)
Col. Bruce Hampton contributed to the dialogue on Lumpy Gravy (anyone know
which dialogue?).
Glenn Phillips mentions in his liner notes to the Hampton Grease Band CD
reissue of Music To Eat that FZ recorded a conversation involving Bruce
and Glenn's brother Charlie that he used on Lumpy Gravy. I'm not sure
where - it might be the conversation in the background during the long
Motorhead monologue about his job switches in the middle of the first side
(after the orchestral Oh No).
From: Charles Ulrich
(ulrich@sfu.ca)
Ms. Sill appears to spell her first name Judee. Her 1973 album Heart Food
featured erstwhile Mothers Gene Cipriano, Jesse Ehrlich, William Kurasch,
Leonard Malarsky, Emil Richards, Ralph Schaeffer, Tibor Zelig, Vincent
DeRosa, Jim Gordon, and Ray Kelley.
You already list her self-titled debut album on your Jim Pons page.
take a look at <http://users.cableaz.com/~lantz/pages/emuukha.html>
for more info !
From: Patrick Neve
We know precious little about the second incarnation of this orchestra.
However there are few important sources from which we can glean something
of a personnel list. The first is an essential interview with Pamela
Goldsmith, who was lead violist. Via the Ocker interview, and Bill
Lantz's correspondence with Pamela we learned that many of the following
people played the Royce Hall concert. Add to this the recent surprise
e-mail from Jock Ellis who informs us of additional personnel, and an
anecdote of Captain Beefheart showing up late, and we have the following
working member list:
Andre Lewis- organ
Bobby Dubow- violin
Bruce Fowler- trombone
Dana Hughes- bass trombone
Dave Parlato- bass
David Duke- french horn
David Shostak- flute
Don Waldrop- trombone
Don Van Vliet- soprano sax
Earle Dumler- oboe
Emil Richards- percussion
Frank Zappa- guitar
George Duke- keyboards
Glenn Ferris- trombone
Jerry Kessler- cello
Jock Ellis- trombone
John Wittenberg - violin
Malcolm McNabb- trumpet
Gene Goe - trumpet
Roy Poper - trumpet
Marty Perellis?
Mike Altschul-flute, trumpet
Mike Lang- keyboards
Pamela Goldsmith- viola
Ray Pizzi- reeds
Ray Reed- flute
Terry Bozzio- drums
Tommy Morgan- harmonica
Tom Raney- percussion
Alan Estes- percussion
John Bergamo- percussion
Lou Anne Neill- harp
From: Patrick Neve
(splat@darkwing.uoregon.edu)
This is looking like a Wazoo reunion, isn't it? (thanks to Bill Lantz
(lantz@cableaz.com) You should recognize Earle Dumler, Malcolm McNabb, Ray
Reed, and Glenn Ferris from the Grand Wazoo and Petit Wazoo touring
orchestras, and Emil Richards was in the original Emuukha Orchestra back
in '67! Couple that with the fact that several members of the original
members of of the '67 Emuukha Orchestra show up in the Grand and Petit
Wazoos, and I'd say there's a strong likelyhood that the '75 Emuukha
Orchestra was comprised of other '67 alumni as well.
From: Jasper Leach
(jasperleach@metawire.com)
Don played soprano sax at the very end of one of the concerts, according
to Matt Groening. He reports that at the end of the concert, after all the
musicians had left, Don appeared, sax in hand. He played freely for a few
minutes.
Here is the excerpt from the David Ocker interview
which is specific to the Royce Hall concert. (reprinted with kind
permission of Bill Lantz. Also check out his AEEO page for more
information on the '75 incarnation)
GREGGERY PECCARY
BL -- Do you have any idea when and with whom
Greggery Peccary was recorded?
==
DO -- I remember going through the folders
(leatherette with gold lettering) which held the parts for the Abnuceals
Emulkha Electric Orchestra (I never knew what that title meant - I'm
probably not spelling it correctly) which played the famous Royce Hall
concert. That was before my time. It was a very large big band,
essentially - 4 or 5 winds (all multi-doublers), 4 or 5 each of trumpets
and trombones, horns & tuba (maybe), 3 keyboards, an amplified string
quartet, loads of percussion, plus guitar, bass and drums (of course). I
used those parts when I reorchestrated Bogus Pomp for large orchestra.
Also in the folders were the parts to Greggary Peccary - actually the G.P.
music was in sections, a few of the titles were Big Swifty, Brown Clouds,
something about Billy the Mountain.
Anyway, in one of the folders was a list of the players - all studio
people, good ones. I remember only a few of the names - Pam Goldsmith was
the violist (she had to play the fiendish viola solos in Bogus Pomp). Her
part to that piece had been run over by a tire of some sort - like a car
or motorcycle tire. I met her once and asked if the part had been run over
intentionally. She denied it. Other names that I remember are Earle Dumler
(an oboist who was also the contractor), Emil Richards (percussionist) and
Malcolm McNabb (trumpet).
Chances are good that that list - and all those folders - are still
sitting up at the house, maybe someone knows who to ask to get access to
it.
Another way of going would be to look for the contracts filed at the
Musicians Union here in LA - although I have absolutely no confidence that
such a thing would still be accessible or be any easier to find than the
list up at the Zappas. All I can do for you is promise to ask questions in
case I ever run into some of these people - I have very little contact
with studio types, many of whom are probably close to retirement by now.
I'm sure these people would have gotten appropriate credit on any album
Frank was in charge of. They certainly deserve it.
Did I mention that Greggery Peccary is my FAVORITE FZ piece?