dick barberdick barber
Dick
Barber, a high school friend of Ronnie Williams, is name-checked on the cover of
"Freak Out!" (1966) under the heading "These People Have
Contributed Materially In Many Ways To Make Our Music What It Is. Please Do Not
Hold It Against Them". He was the Mothers' road manager in the late 60's
and early 70's.
He also
played with great emotion the role of the industrial strength Gypsy Mutant
Vacuum Cleaner that Motorhead falls in love with in the "200 Motels (the
Film)" (1971). Appears in the Uncle Meat (The Film) (1987) and "The
True Story of 200 Motels" (1989) videos. Barber, the "Gnarler",
performed snorts and various vocal noises on several FZ recordings.
According
to Ray Collins, Barber was present during the recording of the single
"How's Your Bird?" / "The World's Greatest Sinner" (1963,
Baby Ray & The Ferns), recorded at PAL Recording Studio (Cucamonga),
available on various Cucamonga-era compilations; according to Paul Buff, owner
of the studio, he (Buff) was the "Godfather of Snorks" and other such
early Zappa noises...
Barber
is also credited for contributions on the "Dear Jeepers"/"Letter
To Jeepers" single (1963, Bob Guy), and "The Big Squeeze", the
Luden's Cough Drop Commercial, recorded in 1967, available on "The Lost
Episodes" (1996) album. He snorked on "We're Only In It For The
Money" (1968) and "Lumpy Gravy" (1968). More Barber can be found
on the "You Can't Do That On Stage Anymore Vol. 5" (1992) album:
"JCB & Kansas On The Bus #1" and "JCB & Kansas On The Bus
#2", both recorded in 1969 in a Greyhound bus, and Mozart Ballet (Piano
Sonata in B Flat)", recorded in 1969, at the Royal Albert Hall (London).
discography:
| 3 | the
mothers of invention: we're only
in it for the money
(1967, lp, usa, verve) |
|
| 4 | frank
zappa: lumpy gravy
(1967, lp, usa, verve) |
|
|
11 |
frank
zappa: chunga's revenge
(1970, lp, usa, bizarre) |
|
|
13 |
frank
zappa: 200 motels
(1971, 2lp, usa, united artists) |
|
|
58 |
frank zappa: you can't do that on
stage anymore vol.5 (1992, 2cd, usa, ryko) |
 |
| 60 | frank zappa: playground psychotics (1992, 2cd, usa, ryko) |
 |
|
64 |
frank zappa: the lost episodes
(1996, cd, usa, ryko) |
 |
| tony palmer's film of frank zappa's 200 motels (2010, dvd, uk, tony palmer) |
|
|
|
94 |
frank zappa: finer
moments (2012, cd, usa, zappa records) |
|
filmography:
1967 The Big Squeeze- Luden's Cough Drop Commercial
1971 Frank Zappa's 200 Motels (as the industrial
vacuum)
1987 Uncle Meat (as himself)
random notes
He is often attributed as being the Mothers' original
snorker, and without a doubt he added a most flatulent tone to the Mothers'
sound.
While the 1967 recording of ‘The Big Squeeze’ (“Lost Episodes”) is regarded as his first
recorded snork, a similar sound is heard as far back as 1963 with Zappa's "How's
Your Bird?". Though not
officially credited to Dick, it would appear that his relationship with Frank
goes back further than previously thought.
And yet as seen below, the jury remains out as to whether the snork on
this particular tune should be credited to Dick Barber or Paul
Buff.
From:
Román (donlope@globalia.net)
I've read recently the Ray Collins interview, and found a bit of
information to add a little mess to your Dick Barber page:
"I told Frank, "Well, I've got this idea for a
song called How's Yer Bird? from the-- it was a Steve Allen saying, and so Frank said, "Oh,
great idea! I have access to a studio in Cucamonga. Maybe we'll get together and
do it." So he called me up a couple of days later(we exchanged phone
numbers, obviously), and he said, "I have written the song, How's Yer
Bird?" So he said, "Would you like to record it?" I said,
"Yeah, of course," so we went up to Studio Z and we did How's Yer
Bird? with Dick Barber, "Gnarler," on snorts and vocal noises. "
From:
Paul Buff (buffo@white-lightning.com)
I wasn't aware of Dick Barber - aka the snorker, and have to take full credit
for myself being the godfather of snorks and other such early Zappa noises.
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