Frank Zappa, Bunk Gardner,Jimmy Carl Black, Art Tripp, Motorhead Sherwood, Roy Estrada, Ian Underwoodi, Don Preston, Buzz Gardner, Lowell George

MOTHERS OF INVENTION PHOTO COLLECTION

(Click on photos in gallery below to view larger version with instructions for ordering)

Phoenix Memorial Coliseum – 11/29/68

Appeared with Chambers Brothers

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The Mothers of Invention were an American rock band from California that served as the backing musicians for Frank Zappa, a self-taught composer and performer whose diverse musical influences led him to create music that was often impossible to categorize[citation needed]. Their work is marked by the use of sonic experimentation, innovative album art, and elaborate live shows.

Originally an R&B band called The Soul Giants, the band’s original lineup included Ray Collins, David Coronado, Ray Hunt, Roy Estrada and Jimmy Carl Black. Zappa was asked to take over as the band’s guitarist following a fight between Collins and the band’s original guitarist. Zappa insisted that the band perform original material, changing their name to The Mothers. Founded in 1964, the band first became popular playing in California’s underground music scene in the late 1960s. Under Zappa’s leadership, the band signed to Verve Records, releasing a début album, Freak Out! (1966), with a lineup which consisted of Zappa, Collins, Black, Estrada and Elliot Ingber.

Under Zappa’s leadership and a fluctuating lineup, the band released a series of acclaimed albums, including Absolutely Free, We’re Only in It for the Money and Uncle Meat, before being disbanded by Zappa in 1969. In 1970, Zappa formed a new lineup of The Mothers which included Ian Underwood, Jeff Simmons, George Duke, Aynsley Dunbar and singers Mark Volman and Howard Kaylan, formerly of The Turtles, who were credited as The Phlorescent Leech & Eddie for contractual reasons. Later adding another ex-Turtle, bassist Jim Pons, this lineup lasted until the end of 1971, when Zappa was injured by an audience member during a concert.

Zappa focused on big-band and orchestral music while recovering from his injuries, and later formed the Mothers’ final lineup in 1973, which included Ralph Humphrey, Sal Marquez, George Duke, Tom and Bruce Fowler and Ruth and Ian Underwood. The final album using the Mothers as a backing band, Bongo Fury (1975), featured guitarist Denny Walley and drummer Terry Bozzio, who continued to play for Zappa on non-Mothers releases.

ZAPPA / MOTHERS OF INVENTION – Discography

• Freak Out! (2LP, Verve/MGM V/V6-5005-2, June 27, 1966)
• Absolutely Free (LP, Verve V/V6-5013, June 26, 1967)
• We’re Only In It For The Money (March 1968)
• Lumpy Gravy (LP, Verve V/V6-8741, May 13, 1968)
• Cruising With Ruben & The Jets (LP, Bizarre/Verve V6-5055, December 2, 1968)
• Mothermania (LP, Bizarre/Verve V6 5068, March 24, 1969)
• Uncle Meat (2LP, Bizarre/Reprise 2MS 2024, April 21, 1969)
• Hot Rats (LP, Bizarre/Reprise RS6356, October 15, 1969)
• Burnt Weeny Sandwich (February 1970)
• Weasels Ripped My Flesh (LP, Bizarre/Reprise MS 2028, August 10, 1970)
• Chunga’s Revenge (LP, Bizarre/Reprise MS 2030, October 23, 1970)
• Fillmore East — June 1971 (LP, Bizarre/Reprise MS 2042, August 2, 1971)
• Frank Zappa’s 200 Motels (October 1971)
• Just Another Band From L.A. (LP, Bizarre/Reprise MS 2075, March 26, 1972)
• Waka/Jawaka (LP, Bizarre/Reprise MS 2094, July 5, 1972)
• The Grand Wazoo (LP, Bizarre/Reprise MS 2093, November 27, 1972)
• Over-Nite Sensation (LP, DiscReet MS 2149, September 7, 1973)
• Apostrophe (‘) (LP, DiscReet DS 2175, March 22, 1974)
• Roxy & Elsewhere (2LP, 2LP, DiscReet 2DS 2202, September 10, 1974)
• One Size Fits All (LP, DiscReet DS 2216, June 25, 1975)
• Bongo Fury (LP, DiscReet DS 2234, October 2, 1975)
• Zoot Allures (LP, Warner Bros. BS 2970, October 29, 1976)
• Zappa In New York (2LP, DiscReet 2D 2290, March 13, 1978)
• Studio Tan (LP, DiscReet DSK 2291, September 15, 1978)
• Sleep Dirt (LP, DiscReet DSK 2292, January 12, 1979)
• Sheik Yerbouti (2LP, Zappa SRZ-2-1501, March 3, 1979)
• Orchestral Favorites (LP, DiscReet DSK 2294, May 4, 1979)
• Joe’s Garage Act I (LP, Zappa SRZ-1-1603, September 3, 1979)
• Joe’s Garage Acts II & III (2LP, Zappa SRZ-2-1502, November 19, 1979)
• Tinsel Town Rebellion (2LP, Barking Pumpkin PW2 37336, May 11, 1981)
• Shut Up ‘N Play Yer Guitar (LP, Barking Pumpkin BPR 1111, May 11, 1981)
• Shut Up ‘N Play Yer Guitar Some More (LP, Barking Pumpkin BPR 1112, May 11, 1981)
• Return Of The Son Of Shut Up ‘N Play Yer Guitar (LP, Barking Pumpkin BPR 1113, May 11, 1981)
• You Are What You Is (2LP, Barking Pumpkin PW2 37537, September 23, 1981)
• Ship Arriving Too Late To Save A Drowning Witch (LP, Barking Pumpkin FW 38066, May 3, 1982)
• The Man From Utopia (LP, Barking Pumpkin FW 38403, March 28, 1983)
• Baby Snakes (March 1983)
• London Symphony Orchestra Vol. I (June 1983)
• Boulez conducts Zappa: The Perfect Stranger (August 1984)
• Them Or Us (2LP, Barking Pumpkin SVBO-74200, October 18, 1984)
• Thing-Fish (3LP, Barking Pumpkin SKCO-74201, November 21, 1984)
• Francesco Zappa (LP, Barking Pumpkin ST-74202, November 21, 1984)
• The Old Masters Box One (April 1985)
• Frank Zappa Meets The Mothers Of Prevention (LP, Barking Pumpkin ST-74203, November 21, 1985)
• Does Humor Belong In Music? (CD, EMI CDP 7 46188 2, UK, January 27, 1986)
• The Old Masters Box Two (November 1986)
• Jazz From Hell (November 1986)
• London Symphony Orchestra Vol. II (September 1987)
• The Old Masters Box Three (December 1987)
• Guitar (2LP, Barking Pumpkin D1 74212, April 26, 1988)
• You Can’t Do That On Stage Anymore Vol. 1 (2CD, Rykodisc RCD 10081/82, May 9, 1988)
• You Can’t Do That On Stage Anymore Vol. 2 (2CD, Rykodisc RCD 10083/84, October 25, 1988)
• Broadway The Hard Way (LP, Barking Pumpkin D1 74218, October 25, 1988)
• You Can’t Do That On Stage Anymore Vol. 3 (2CD, Rykodisc RCD 10085/86, November 13, 1989)
• The Best Band You Never Heard In Your Life (2CD, Barking Pumpkin D2 74233, April 16, 1991)
• Make A Jazz Noise Here (2CD, Barking Pumpkin D2 74234, June 4, 1991)
• You Can’t Do That On Stage Anymore Vol. 4 (2CD, Rykodisc RCD 10087/88, June 14, 1991)
• You Can’t Do That On Stage Anymore Vol. 5 (2CD, Rykodisc RCD 10089/90, July 10, 1992)
• You Can’t Do That On Stage Anymore Vol. 6 (2CD, Rykodisc RCD 10091/92, July 10, 1992)
• Playground Psychotics (2CD, Barking Pumpkin D2 74244, October 27, 1992)
• Ahead Of Their Time (CD, Barking Pumpkin D2 74246, April 20, 1993)
• The Yellow Shark (November 1993)
• Civilization Phaze III (2CD, Barking Pumpkin UMRK 01, December 2, 1994)
• The Lost Episodes (CD, Rykodisc RCD 40573, February 27, 1996)
• Läther (3CD, Rykodisc RCD 10574/76, September 24, 1996)
• Frank Zappa Plays The Music Of Frank Zappa, a memorial tribute (October 1996)
• Have I Offended Someone? (CD, Rykodisc RCD 10577, April 8, 1997)
• Mystery Disc (September 1998)
• Everything Is Healing Nicely (December 1999)
• FZ:OZ (2CD, Vaulternative VR 2002-1, August 16, 2002)
• Halloween (DVD-A, Vaulternative/DTS 1101, February 4, 2003)
• Joe’s Corsage (CD, Vaulternative VR 20041, May 30, 2004)
• QuAUDIOPHILIAc (DVD-A, Barking Pumpkin/DTS 1125, September 14, 2004)
• Joe’s Domage (CD, Vaulternative VR 20042, October 1, 2004)
• Joe’s XMASage (CD, Vaulternative VR 20051, December 21, 2005)
• Imaginary Diseases (CD, Zappa Records ZR 20001, January 13, 2006)
• Trance-Fusion (CD, Zappa Records ZR 20002, November 7, 2006)
• The MOFO Project/Object (fazedooh) (2CD, Zappa Records ZR 20005, December 5, 2006)
• The MOFO Project/Object (4CD, Zappa Records ZR 20004, December 12, 2006)
• Buffalo (2CD, Vaulternative VR 2007-1, April 1, 2007)
• The Dub Room Special! (CD, Zappa Records ZR 20006, August 24, 2007)
• Wazoo (2CD, Vaulternative VR 2007-2, October 31, 2007)

 

Mothers Of Invention – Oh, In The Sky – 1968

MOTHERS OF INVENTION – Links

• http://www.zappa.com/
• http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mothers_of_Invention