Difference between revisions of "Dick Barber"
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* [https://www.zappanews.co.uk/interviews/dick-barber 2023 interview with Dick Barber] | * [https://www.zappanews.co.uk/interviews/dick-barber 2023 interview with Dick Barber] | ||
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[[Category:Road Managers|Barber, Dick]] | [[Category:Road Managers|Barber, Dick]] | ||
[[Category:Engineers|Barber, Dick]] | [[Category:Engineers|Barber, Dick]] | ||
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[[Category:Freak Out! (The List)|Barber, Dick]] | [[Category:Freak Out! (The List)|Barber, Dick]] | ||
[[Category:The Real Frank Zappa Book (The List)|Barber, Dick]] | [[Category:The Real Frank Zappa Book (The List)|Barber, Dick]] | ||
| + | [[Category:Friends|Barber, Dick]] | ||
Revision as of 10:25, 25 May 2026
Dick Barber was a high school friend of Ronnie Williams and Bob Zappa.
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 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 From 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).
Since Zappa didn't drive a car, Barber was his unofficial chauffeur in the early years, driving him, for instance, to his appearance on the Steve Allen show. [1]
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), where he strangles a rubber chicken.
Barber is name-checked in the liner notes 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".
Barber was the Mothers' road manager in the late 1960s and early 1970s. According to Zappa, he was a fourth grade school teacher who quit to go on the road with the Mothers (from the recording of a lecture at the University of Tennessee, April 28, 1969, at the 50:38 mark). By the mid-1970s, he quit, since Gail Zappa was taking more charge of things. [2]
Barber also played with great emotion the role of the industrial strength Gypsy Mutant Vacuum Cleaner that Motorhead falls in love with in 200 Motels (1971). He also appears in Uncle Meat (1987) and The True Story Of 200 Motels (1989) videos.
For One Size Fits All (1975), he was the Assistant Engineer, who also snorked. He is also mentioned "The Real Frank Zappa Book" (1989).
Zappa named Dick Barber in Data For Sensitive or Critical-sensitive Position as his favorite "well known personage".
