the soul giants

with jimmy carl black as their new drummer, the viscounts (with roy estrada on bass), started playing blues and r&b standards and soon changed their name to the soul giants.

when the soul giants auditioned at 'the broadside', a club in inglewood, the club owner told them that they would get the job if they would take ray collins as a singer.  collins was working as a carpenter in 'the broadside' at the time.  the soul giants replaced their singer and so their line-up looked like this:

the soul giants #2           roy estrada: bass
                                        jimmy carl black: drums
                                        dave coronado: horn
                                        ray hunt: guitar
                                        ray collins: vocals

after ray hunt had left the soul giants, ray collins brought in frank zappa as a possible replacement.  zappa had just gotten out of jail for (alledged) selling pornographic audio tapes.  zappa liked what the band was doing and vice versa, so he joined the soul giants.  about a month later, coronado left the band as well, leaving the position of leadership wide open. zappa took over and convinced the band to play his compositions.

the soul giants #3           roy estrada: bass
                                        jimmy carl black: drums
                                        ray collins: vocals
                                        frank zappa: guitar

playing zappa's compositions, the band started thinking of a more appropriate name.  for a short while they became the blackouts and later captain glasspack & the magic mufflers, eventually changing it to (on mothers day 1964) the mothers.