Al Gore
Al Gore (March 31, 1948) is an American politician of the Democratic Party. He was senator of Tennessee from 1985 until 1993. Then he became vice-president under president Bill Clinton's administraton from 1993 until 2001. Gore ran against George W. Bush in 2000 to become the next president of the United States, but lost Florida (and thus the electoral college and the election) after the U.S. Supreme court ruled against him. Gore then conceded the election.
Since then Gore found new fame and admiration as a vocal environmentalist. He starred in the Academy Award-winning documentary "An Inconvenient Truth" (2007) and won the Nobel Peace Prize that same year.
Gore and Zappa
Gore has been a lifelong Zappa fan. However, his wife Tipper Gore founded the PMRC organisation for stricter regulations and censorship against pop and rock artists. Zappa fought hard against these plans and on September 19, 1985 he and senator Gore met face to face during a live debate about music censorship.
"I have been a fan of your music, believe it or not- not. I ah respect you as a true original and- and a tremendously talented musician. - Al Gore in debate with Frank Zappa, September 19, 1985.
Zappa mentions Al Gore in Z-Pack - L.A. Times article and Z-Pack - Prepared Statement Of Mr. Zappa. Gore can be heard on the tracks Congress Shall Make No Law (The Track) and Porn Wars. [1]
"She's written a book on how to raise children, and she's going to be doing the talk-show circuit. They'll try and make a star out of Tipper, really because one of the subtexts of this thing is getting the Gore family name before the public, because I think Albert wants to run for president. These people are cultural terrorists!" - Frank Zappa in Frank Zappa and the Scarlet Letter, Dot Stone, RIP, June 1985.
"I was so irate at the carryings-on at the Republican convention," he said. "I thought that if I can do anything to make sure that George Bush doesn't get elected again – up to and including shaking hands with Tipper Gore – I'll do it. I mean, it's that bad ... I take back every bad thing I ever said about Clinton and Gore ... Whoever or whatever George Bush is, if you look at his friends, or his fellow travelers, I don't want to see those fellow travelers anywhere near Washington, D.C." - Frank Zappa in Frank Zappa, 1992-10-01, Los Angeles Times, 1 October 1992.
"Though, a moral battle of sorts has been won with the removal of Tipper Gore from the PMRC censorship body. Offering her resignation as soon as her husband Al took the Democratic Vice Presidency. "It wouldn't have looked too good in the position she's now in," remarks Zappa dryly." - Frank Zappa in: Just When you thought it was Safe, Phil Wilding, Cutting Edge, August 1993.
It must have been strange for you when Al Gore was nominated as vice president.
Frank Zappa: "They felt it was a good way to counteract the Dan Quayle-family values nonsense. But why would anybody need to counteract Dan Quayle?" - Frank Zappa. Interview in Playboy, May 2, 1993.
""The media likes to give the illusion that Tipper Gore and I are mortal enemies. That's not a fact. She sent me a sweet letter when she heard I was sick, and I appreciate that." - Frank Zappa in Pulse Interview, August 1993.
Even though Zappa and Al Gore had different opinions about music censorship Al and Tipper both sent a letter of condolence to the Zappa family after Frank's death. Gail Zappa and Tipper later became friends. Tipper later played the drums and her daughter Kristin sang backup on Diva Zappa's single "When The Bell Drops" from 1999.
Al and Tipper Gore are also mentioned and thanked in the liner notes of The MOFO Project/Object (Fazedooh) (2006) album. [2]
Zappa about Al Gore
"I take back every bad thing I ever said - about Clinton and Gore ... Whoever or whatever George Bush is, if you look at his friends, or his fellow travelers, I don't want to see those fellow travelers anywhere near Washington, D.C. Enough already with Pat Robertson and these guys! So I even considered calling the Clinton campaign and say I'd be happy to give them an endorsement if they thought it would be beneficial to them. They might want to run screaming in the other direction."- Quoted from Frank Zappa, 1992-10-01, The Los Angeles Times, 1 October 1992.
