Uncle Meat

Album History
Previous	Next
Uncle Meat
Released April 1969
See also: IINK, Patio, KUR The Old Masters, Box II Uncle Meat (The Film)

Players

The Mothers:

• Frank Zappa (guitar, 'low grade' vocals, percussion)
• Ray Collins ('swell' vocals)
• Jimmy Carl Black (drums, 'droll humor', 'poverty')
• Roy Estrada (electric bass, 'chesseburgers', 'Pachuco falsetto')
• Don (Dom De Wild) Preston (electric piano, 'tarot cards', 'brown rice')
• Billy (The Oozer) Mundi (drums 'on some pieces before he quit to join RHINOCEROS')
• Bunk (Sweetpants) Gardner (piccolo, flute, clarinet, bass clarinet, soprano sax, alto sax, tenor sax, bassoon '(all of these electric and/or non-electric depending)')
• Ian Underwood (electric organ, piano, harpsichord, celeste, flute, clarinet, alto sax, baritone sax, 'special assistance', 'copyist', 'industrial relations' & 'teen appeal')
• Artie (With the Green Mustache) Tripp (drums, timpani, vibes, marimba, xylophone, wood blocks, bells, small chimes, 'cheerful outlook' & 'specific enquiries')
• Euclid James (Motorhead/Motorishi) Sherwood ('pop star', 'frenetic' tenor sax 'stylings', tambourine, choreography, 'obstinance' & 'equipment setter-upper when he's not hustling local groupies')

Also:

• Pamela Zarubica as Suzy Creamcheese, uncredited (vocals)
• Ruth Underwood (marimba and vibes with Artie 'on many of the tracks')
• Nelcy Walker (soprano voice with Ray & Roy on Dog Breath & The Uncle Meat Variations)

Tracks

LP Side One Uncle Meat: Main Title Theme (1:54) - related to Uncle Meat The Voice Of Cheese (0:27) Nine Types Of Industrial Pollution (5:56) Zolar Czakl (0:57) Dog Breath, In The Year Of The Plague (5:51) - related to Dog Breath The Legend Of The Golden Arches (1:24) Louie Louie (At the Royal Albert Hall in London) (2:28) The Dog Breath Variations (1:36) - related to Dog Breath Side Two Sleeping In A Jar (0:49) Our Bizarre Relationship (1:05) The Uncle Meat Variations (4:40) - related to Uncle Meat Electric Aunt Jemina (1:53) Prelude To King Kong (3:24) - related to King Kong God Bless America (Live At the Whisky A Go Go) (1:22) A Pound For A Brown On The Bus (1:29) Ian Underwood Whips It Out (Live On Stage In Copenhagen) (5:08) Side Three Mr. Green Genes (3:10) We Can Shoot You (1:48) "If We'd All Been Living In California..." (1:29) The Air (2:57) Project X (4:49) Cruising For Burgers (2:19) Side Four King Kong Itself (As Played By The Mothers In A Studio) (0:53) King Kong (It's Magnificence As Interpreted By Don DeWild) (1:15) King Kong (As Motorhead Explains It) (1:44) King Kong (The Gardner Varieties) (6:17) King Kong (As Played By 3 Deranged Good Humor Trucks) (0:29) King Kong (Live On A Flat Bed Diesel In The Middle Of A Race Track At A Miami Pop Festival...The Underwood ramifications) (7:22)

CD Disc One Uncle Meat: Main Title Theme (1:55) - related to Uncle Meat The Voice Of Cheese (0:26) Nine Types Of Industrial Pollution (6:00) Zolar Czakl (0:55) Dog Breath, In The Year Of The Plague (3:59) - related to Dog Breath The Legend Of The Golden Arches (3:27) Louie Louie (At the Royal Albert Hall in London) (2:19) The Dog Breath Variations (1:48) - related to Dog Breath Sleeping In A Jar (0:51) Our Bizarre Relationship (1:05) The Uncle Meat Variations (4:46) - related to Uncle Meat Electric Aunt Jemima (1:46) Prelude To King Kong (3:38) God Bless America (Live At The Whisky A Go Go) (1:11) A Pound For A Brown On The Bus (1:29) Ian Underwood Whips It Out (Live On Stage In Copenhagen) (5:05) Mr. Green Genes (3:14) - Remix We Can Shoot You (2:03) "If We'd All Been Living In California..." (1:14) The Air (2:57) Project X (4:49) Cruising For Burgers (2:18) Disc Two Uncle Meat Film Excerpt Part I (37:34) - Bonus Track Tengo Na Minchia Tanta (3:46) - Bonus Track Uncle Meat Film Excerpt Part II (3:51) - Bonus Track King Kong Itself (0:51) King Kong II (1:19) King Kong III (1:45) King Kong IV (6:18) King Kong V (0:34) King Kong VI (7:25)

Release Notes

Released April 1969.
Recorded: Apostolic Studios, NYC, October 1967-February 1968.
Produced by Frank Zappa.
Engineer: Richard "Dynamite Dick" Kunc.
Percussion overdubs at Sunset Sound Recorders, LA, c. March-April, 1968.
Engineered by Jerry Hansen.
Package designed by Cal Schenkel.

Liner Notes

The Story Of Uncle Meat

Background Information

The teeth motif on the front and back covers satirized the old teenybopper posters that had featured "kissable close-ups" of the Beatles' lips, gums and teeth.

Or It could be that Cal Schenkel had just moved into a new studio on Melrose Avenue that was formerly a dentist's office and had loads of dental stuff still in there just waiting to be used.

Conceptual Continuity

The liner notes for Uncle Meat explains the "origin" of the Ruben & The Jets album cover.

Versions

ZFT #	Version #	# discs	Format	Catalog #	Release (YYYY-MM-DD)	Barcode (EAN-13)	Artwork	Comment
6	1 Original Stereo	2	LP	Warner Bizarre/Reprise 2MS 2024	1969-04	None	Cal Schenkel, NT&B	US edition. Matrix # Side1: MS-1-2024 WW1 #2 Side4: MS-4-2024 WW-1 #2 Side2: MS-2-2024 WW1 #3 Side3: MS-3-2024 WW-1 #●4
		2	LP	Warner Bizarre/Reprise CRV 2009 (RS 2024)	1969?	None	Cal Shenkel	French edition - manufactured by Vogue - red sticker on top left of the cover: The Mothers Of Invention Deux Albums 30cm - Matrix # Side1: CR 2024 A Side4: CR 2024 D Side2: CR 2024 B Side3: CR 2024 C
		2	LP	Warner Bizarre/Reprise REP 64005 (MS 2024)	?	None	Cal Shenkel	German edition - manufactured by WEA Musik GMBH - Matrix # Side1: 030871 Side2: 030872 Side3: WEA - 64005-C PF Side4: 030874
		2	LP	Transatlantic TRA 197	1969-09	None	Cal Shenkel	UK edition.
	1.2 Remaster Stereo Disc 1:Track 6 is reverbed mix	2	LP	Barking Pumpkin BPR 8888-1	1986-11-25			Included in The Old Masters, Box II set.
	2 Important Remastering, CD1: Track 6 is reverbed mix, Track17 is remixed, CD2: Tracks 1, 2 & 3 are bonuses	2	CD	Rykodisc RCD 10064/5	1987-10	0014431006425 (not printed)		US edition.
		2	CD	Zappa CDDZAP 3	1987-10	5016583600327 (not printed)		UK edition, ADD.
		2	CD	Intercord i.r.s. 970703? i.r.s. 973703?	?			German edition
		2?	CS	Zappa TZAPPA 3	?	5016583600341?		UK edition.
	Unknown	?	CS	Barking Pumpkin D4 74210	1990-10-17?	0013347421049		US edition.
	2.2 Important Remastering, CD1: Track 6 is Original mix Track 17 is remixed CD2: Tracks 1, 2 & 3 are bonuses	2	CD	VideoArts VACK 5025/6	1994-10-26	4988112405288		Japanese edition.
		2	CD	Rykodisc RCD 10506/7	1995-05-02	0014431050626		US edition. Matrix # CD1: IFPI 2U3K WEA mfg. OLYPHANT ifpi L903 Y11982 A4 P2 310506-2.1 02 M1S3 ; CD2: IFPI 2U3K WEA mfg. OLYPHANT ifpi L902 X12068 A4 P2 310506-2.2 01 M1S1
		2	CS	Rykodisc RAC 10506/7	1995-05-02	0014431050640		US edition.
		2	CD	Gravadora Eldorado/Rykodisc 968023	1995	7897181221705		Brazilian edition.
		2	CD	VideoArts VACK 5109/10	1995-09-25	4988112407732		Japanese edition.
		2	CD	VideoArts VACK 5244/45	1996-06-01	4988112408449		Japanese edition = Rykodisc RCD 10506/07 repackaged with an obi strip and extra liner notes in Japanese
		2	CD	VideoArts VACK 1208	2001-09-21	4988112412644		Japanese edition, mini-album papersleeve.
		2	CD	VideoArts VACK 1330/31	2008-06-18	4988112417731		Japanese edition, mini-album papersleeve.
	2.2 Important Remastering, CD1: Track 6 is Original mix Track 17 is remixed CD2: Tracks 1, 2 & 3 are bonuses	2	CD	Zappa/UMe ZR 3839	2012-07-31	0824302383926		US edition, manufactured and distributed by UMe. Source: 1993 1630 Digital Master.
		2	CD	Zappa/UMG Intl 0238392	2012-07-31	0824302383926		EU edition = Zappa/UMe ZR 3839, manufactured in Germany.
		2	CD	Zappa/Universal Music Japan UICY-75355	2012-11-28	4988005737540		Japanese edition, audiophile SHM-CD, mini-album papersleeve with an obi strip and liner notes in Japanese.
	Unknown	2	LP (180 g)	Zappa/UMe ZR 3839-1	2013-11-25	0824302383919		US edition. Source: Original 1968 Analog Stereo Master Digital Transfer. Mastered by Chris Bellman, Bernie Grundman Mastering, 2013.
		2	LP (180 g)	Zappa/UMG Intl 0238391	2013-11-25	0824302383919		GB Side2: -29120- P. USA FVZ-2013-4-B ZAPPA.COM GB Side3: -29121- P. USA FVZ-2013-4-C-2 Zappa.com GB Side4: -29121- P. USA FVZ-2013-4-D ZAPPA.COM GB

See Also

In 2008, a Dutch magazine Wah-Wah asked some people which record they would like to take to a desert island - for some unexplained reason. The Dutch author Nanne Tepper chose this one.