david logeman

david logeman

David Logeman beat out 54 other candidates for the drummers chair in Zappa's band after Vinnie Colaiuta's brief departure in 1980.

He can be heard on Zappa's "Tinseltown Rebellion", "You Are What You Is", and on volumes 1 and 4 of the "You Can't Do That On Stage Anymore" series.

David also played the drums for Jan & Dean (and got interviewed in a Jan & Dean "Behind The Music" documentary that aired on 1998/08/23 on VH1), Jeff Jones, Shannon Beaty, ...

In the random notes section, you can find some extra info by David, and an interview that Pat Buzby did with David.

	mingo lewis: flight never ending (1976, lp, usa, ??) - feat. david logeman)
	jakob magnusson: special treatment (1979, lp, ??, ??)
30	frank zappa: tinseltown rebellion (1981, 2lp, usa, barking pumpkin)
34	frank zappa: you are what you is (1981, 2lp, usa, barking pumpkin)
	1983 bette midler- no frills
	1984 back to the future II- ost
	1984 back in the u.s.a.- ost
	1985 jack wagner- don't give up your day job
	1986 dreams- ost (also cast member)
	198? jeff jones- nightfood
51	frank zappa: you can't do that on stage anymore vol.1 (1988, 2cd, usa, ryko)
57	frank zappa: you can't do that on stage anymore vol.4 (1991, 2cd, usa, ryko)
	1996 jan & dean- golden summer days
	1998 listen- ost
	1998 shannon beaty
	1999 deterence- ost

Hey everybody. This is David Logeman, alive and well in the Los Angeles area.
I am still playing music for a living and having a blast!
Your discography is pretty correct. You might add the Jack Wagner release "Don't Give Up Your Day Job" in about 1985. I toured with Jack for several years. Also add the soundtracks to "Back To The Future II", "Back In The U.S.A." (1984), "Dreams" (1986, which I was also a cast member), "Listen" (1998), and "Deterence"(1999). This last film I produced a track and played drums on, as well. Tt stars Timothy Hutton and Kevin Pollack.

I left Frank's band to persue tv work which kept me busy for awhile with recording dates (original songs, live presentations, and background music): Country Jamboree (house band 1981), General Hospital ( 1982-1986), Dreams (1986), The Young & The Restless, and On & on.
I have toured with the fabulous surf duo Jan & Dean since 1988, as well as a stint with the Beach Boys and Mike Love's California Beach Band (both in 1996). I now continue to tour with Jan & Dean as well as head up their merchandise company. While doing all of that, I have been producing, arranging, recording, and playing drums with a hot new artist- Shannon Beaty. She's not on a label yet, but is on a few movie and tv soundtracks and has co-written material for artists in europe. You can get her cd, with much production and playing by me, at the e-address listed in the above letter. So now, all the rumors can be laid to rest. People can contact me through my business of head of merchandise for j&d at http://www.jananddean.com/ or jan_dean@earthlinlk.net. Thanks for the opportunity to set the record straight.

hello,
Thank you for your reply. I have some questions in mind for you when you have the time. If these are too many, don't worry about answering them all.
- What was your musical background? Prior to Zappa, you were involved in fusion projects with Mingo Lewis and Jakob Magnusson. What became of those records?
- How was the FZ audition? Recently, word has gotten out that you got hired a very short time before the tour.
- What are your memories of the tour (including playing with Shankar, with Pierre Boulez in the audience, on bills with Peter Gabriel and Santana, and so forth) and the sessions? Arthur Barrow commented to me that the YAWYI rhythm tracks were done very quickly. Do you remember if any of the tracks came from concert recordings rather than the studio? "Theme from the Third Movement of Sinister Footwear" is perhaps the strangest cut on the record. How did this come together?
- Did you work on anything not heard onstage or on record? There is one instrumental (which fans call the "Mystery Rehearsal Piece") which FZ would quote in his solos and it sounds as though you knew it.
- FZ's intros on a concert tape from Zurich include "David Logeman on drums and dust particles." Do you remember what this was about?
- FZ seemed to concentrate on "pop" material while you were in the band, and since then it seems that you have done more in this vein rather than "fusion." Did your tastes change over time?
- Did you keep in touch with FZ or the others after leaving? It seems that you've been more fortunate in your career than some who stayed longer and became more identified with his music.
- One rumor i've heard is that you were involved with christian rock bands circa the late 80's/early 90's. True?
- Your previous note to the site gives a good picture of your current career. Anything to add?

thanks again.
-- Pat

Dear Pat,
the Mingo Lewis and Jakob Magnusson records are now out of print.
The FZ audition was incredible. "Do you have big ears? Can you read? Can you play rock?". That was what he wanted. First question involved the band playing a groove in 7/8-3/16 and then FZ handing you the sticks and saying-- Play! Wow! The reading was tough, but I had played a lot of rock.
He asked me back 4 times and after 54 guys, hired me, much to my surprise. The tours were a gas. Private plane in Europe. rotating venues with Led Zepplin, The Rolling Stones, and Bob Marley with Frank outselling all of them. A fun U.S. tour with alot of friends and family coming to see me.
My background was in classical, rock and jazz. Schooling was at University Of Illinois, Interlochen Arts Academy, and Berklee College Of Music.
YAWYI was recorded after one of the tours with no live tracks. Tinseltown Rebellion had both a studio cut that i was on as well as a live cut or two. I am all over the Shut Up N Play Your Guitar series, as well as a few "best of" packages. I did work on some tracks that have not been released as well as a live album in Philadelphia that was to come out on the You Can't Do That On Stage Anymore series. Perhaps it might still be released by Rykodisk. The other pieces you mention were just impromptu jams that Frank turned into tunes. He gave me a lot of freedom within a certain context. He wanted to do a rock album like he used to do.
Overnight Sensation was my favorite album and the stuff I did with him is close to that. My parting with fusion was mere economics. My goal has always been to play as many types of music as possible while being able to play live and record to make enough money to pay my bills. Thank God, that is what I have been blessed with.
Frank's Zurich intro was his form of humor based on the fact that i did not do drugs.
Even though i am a Christian, I have never been in a christian band as of yet.
Yes, i did stay in touch with FZ. He felt bad about letting Vinnie back in the band and gave me a lot of cash to ease his conscience. I was cool about it and he appreciated that.
I went on to do alot of tv work for the next 8 years after that, but I did miss playing with him. He was great.
Nothing to add at the moment as I am being quite busy with all the different projects that I am involved with. Sorry that I can't give you more detail, but so much happened the year and a half that I was with Frank. It was the highlight of my career, but not the most fun or rewarding thing that I have ever done. I do thank God for the opportunity because it was a miracle that it all came about---no doubt about it.......
thanks,

from: David Logeman
Dear Patrick,
here is how I met Zappa and got in the band: I heard about the auditions from a friend of mine who was a keyboardist. He gave me Frank's management number. I called and they screened me right away. After they found out that I had recorded with Mingo Lewis of Santana, jazz-fusionist Jakob Magnusson, and had replaced Steve Gadd in Michel Columbie's band, they let me come down to Joe's Garage to audition. There were about five guys there that day. I just went to meet a legend, never thinking i might get a chance to make the band. Frank immediately said, "You have to have big ears, be able to read, and be able to play rock." There was a drum kit already set up and the band (Ike Willis-guitar/vocals, Ray White-guitar/vocals, Tommy Mars-keys. and Arthur Barrow-bass) began to play an odd meter (alternating7/8-3/16 groove) without Frank and without any warning or cues. Frank handed the sticks to the first guy and said, "Play!" I saw what was happening and went to the end of the line immediately. The first guy could not figure out the time signature, so within 10 seconds Frank stopped the band and said, "Thanks for coming down!" I thought-holy shit! By the time he got to me at the end, I had figured out the groove and I found one and began to play. so, Frank asked me to come back the next day.
There were even more guys that day! Big name guys were coming in from all over-L.A., New York, etc. I slipped back to the end of the line again. When he got to me, he wanted me to sight read The Black Page. About 2 lines into it I stopped. Frank said,"What's Wrong?' I replied that it was too hard to sight read, but I could probably figure it out. He said that Vinnie sight read it and i said, "Bullshit. No one could sight read this." Frank still insisted. (Vinnie later told me that he had memorized it from the live rendition that Terry Bozzio had recorded). So much for the sight read, but Frank said, "You can't read." I insisted that I could and asked to read another piece, which he declined, so I picked another piece of music off of the stack and read it. He liked that and asked me to come back again. The next day, it was-play some rock- no jazz stuff. Well, I grew up playing in tons of hard rock bands, so that was a breeze. A lot of the other big name guys were jazzers, funkists, studio cats that couldn't do the rock thing. I had been very quiet during all of this, so Frank came up to me and said,"Do you even want this gig?" I still didn't think I had a chance-not after all the horror stories about how demanding Frank could be (he used to be a drummer before he turned to guitar). I told him,"Yeah." Then Frank calls me days later saying that they were going into full production rehearsals and it was between me and one other guy. He would have this other guy go first and then me. Well, the day that they were to start, I get another call from Frank,"This other guy cracked. We took a break for lunch and he never came back! Can you come first thing tomorrow?" So, I brought my kit and he called out a tune. I didn't know it. Frank called another tune. Didn't know it. He calls out one more. Nope. (I had not listened to him since Overnight Sensation). Frank says,"What do you know of mine?" We played some tunes off of Overnight. He tried some new stuff on me and then offered me the job. I couldn't believe it! Of course This all came about because Vinnie had tried to squeeze a raise out of Frank just before a tour and Frank fired him. I had to learn a 2 hour show in 10 days! It may not have been the Mothers of Invention anymore, but it was the Brother's of Retention! Ha! I had a great time doing it, knowing that I would go through the revolving door, but it was the best musical experience of my life.
Frank was very demanding, but he was honest, fair, and not hard to get along with at all. He treated me great and we remained close even after I went on to do tv and studio work. I am glad that I stopped by his house about 6 months before he died. It was great to pay my respect to him while he was still alive. May he rest in peace.....