Overture To A Holiday In Berlin

Players On This Song

• FZ acoustic guitar
• Don Preston piano
• Ian Underwood harpsichord, woodwinds
• Bunk Gardner woodwinds
• Motorhead Sherwood baritone sax
• Roy Estrada bass
• John Balkin string bass
• Jimmy Carl Black drums
• Art Tripp drums, percussion

Records On Which This Song Has Appeared

Zappa Albums & Side Projects

• Burnt Weeny Sandwich

Notes About This Song

Bandleader Johnny Otis, who Frank had met in high school and whose mustache-and-imperial look he’d adopted, led the band during the recording of "Overture To A Holiday In Berlin" while Frank worked in the control booth. The short song was recorded at T.T.G. Studios in Hollywood during the Hot Rats sessions. This and its corresponding piece hadn’t been renamed "Holiday In Berlin" until October of 1968; Frank had written some of the music in 1961 for the movie The World's Greatest Sinner. The students who’d attended the Mothers’ Berlin show on October 16 had tried to get Frank to help with their violent anti-government activities, and when he’d refused, they’d thrown tomatoes and other things at the band.