Warren Cuccurullo
Warren Cuccurullo (December 8, 1956) is an American rock guitarist of Italian extraction, songwriter, bodybuilder and former restaurant owner. He played with Frank Zappa between 1979 and 1981.
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Frank Zappa
Cuccurullo was already a huge fan of Zappa in his teenage years. [1] He discovered him at age 13, through a friend who owned Hot Rats and Cuccurullo liked Willie The Pimp for its "great guitar sound and great riff" He later also saw him on TV, performing in The Dick Cavett Show, discovering Fillmore East, June 1971 and Over-Nite Sensation. Cuccurullo began attending concerts and taping shows. Another friend of Cuccurullo was also a Zappa fan: Al Malkin. He befriended Zappa's sound technician Davey Moire. [2]
Cuccurullo was introduced to Zappa just prior to the Halloween '76 run by Davey Moire, one of Zappa's sound engineers and a friendship ensued. Cuccurullo once had an encounter with a woman who turned out to be a transvestite. Zappa felt this anecdote was hilarious, recorded it, and let him tell about it, live, during a performance titled The Story of Ms. X at one of the Halloween shows in 1978 at the Palladium. According to Andrew Greenaway's interview with Cuccurullo in Frank Talk: The Inside Stories of Zappa's Other People, the transvestite was Billy Schumacher, a drag queen who went by the pseudonym International Chrysis. [3]
When Cuccurullo met Zappa, he had a girlfriend, Christine Martin, nicknamed Chrissy. While she claims that the character Chrissy in Titties 'n Beer was named after her, Cuccurullo himself is less sure. [4]
By February 1979, Cuccurullo was a full member of Zappa's band by the resumption of the tour, lasting until April. In the film Baby Snakes (The Film), during Intro Rap, he is seen talking to Zappa backstage about a potentional audition, who promises him: "I'll try you out", whereupon Cuccurullo says: "I don't sing", whereupon Zappa says: "What d'you mean you don't sing? I've heard you singing. You can sing. Sing something. Sing 'Baby Snakes'", whereupon the soundtrack kicks in and Baby Snakes is dubbed over Cuccurullo's voice. He later also appeared in The True Story Of 200 Motels (1989). [5]
Warren Cuccurullo is referenced several times on Joe's Garage as a member of Joe's band:
- Catholic Girls: "All the Catholic boys - Warren Cuccurullo". (he also says the names: Carmenita Scarfone and Toni Carbone during the song)
- Crew Slut: "Of course, I'll introduce you to Warren."
- On The Bus: In the liner notes it is mentioned that Warren recognizes Mary.
- Sy Borg: "Little leather cap and trousers. They look so gay... Warren just bought some, Warren just bought some. Warren just bought some."
- A Little Green Rosetta: "And then everybody moves to New York and goes to a party with Warren."
Warren provided guitar, organ, and/or vocals for Joe's Garage Acts I, II & III, Tinseltown Rebellion, Shut Up 'n Play Yer Guitar set, You Can't Do That On Stage Anymore Vol. 1, You Can't Do That On Stage Anymore Vol. 4, You Can't Do That On Stage Anymore Vol. 6, Frank Zappa Plays The Music Of Frank Zappa and Trance-Fusion; also for the Beat The Boots disk Anyway The Wind Blows (BTB).
During Peaches III, Zappa says: "Let's hear it for another great Italian, ladies and gentlemen, Warren Cuccurullo—work out, Warren." [6] Cuccurullo also says: "Canarsie, where everyone looks the same." during Canarsie. [7]
Frank Zappa also dedicated The Deathless Horsie to "the Cuccurullo family". [8]
Missing Persons
Cuccurullo also played in the band Missing Persons.
Post-Zappa career
Between 1989 and 2001, Cuccurullo performed with the pop band Duran Duran.
In 1996, Cuccurullo released an album titled Thanks 2 Frank and his 2009 album Playing In Tongues includes a piece by Zappa called Wreckelection that he performed as part of his audition for the band. Cuccurullo also played on Dweezil Zappa's What The Hell Was I Thinking?. [9]
Warren Cuccurullo is mentioned and thanked in the liner notes of The MOFO Project/Object (Fazedooh) (2006) album. [10]
Interviews
- Warren Cuccurullo is interviewed in Frank Zappa, Musician, February 1994
Frank Zappa about Warren Cuccurullo
"There's only one guitar player I've ever worked with who has any comprehension of how it works. And that's this new kid who's in the band, Warren Cuccurullo. He was a fan for a number of years, this kid from Brooklyn who worked on his father's garment truck. So he wanted to try out for the band and he was great. Hired him. I mean I can sit down and play some of that stuff for him and he'll look at my hand and be able to play it because he understands what it is. It doesn't come out exactly the same because he plays it cleaner than I do because he picks every note—I usually slur about 60 per cent of what I'm playing. But he can comprehend it. I don't think he could read it off a piece of paper, but he hears it, and the way it's supposed to fit inside the bar. He knows what the joke is, but most people don't. If I try to teach that stuff to keyboard players it's very difficult. Even guys who can read that off a piece of paper, if they sat down and read it it wouldn't sound right, even if they played it exactly in time, because they don't think like a guitar player." - Frank Zappa, interviewed by John Dalton, Guitar, June 1979. [11]
References
- ↑ https://www.donlope.net/fz/notes/1979.html
- ↑ https://www.united-mutations.com/c/warren_cuccurullo.htm
- ↑ https://www.donlope.net/fz/notes/Halloween_78.html#MsX
- ↑ https://www.united-mutations.com/c/warren_cuccurullo.htm
- ↑ https://www.donlope.net/fz/lyrics/Baby_Snakes.html#Snakes
- ↑ https://www.donlope.net/fz/lyrics/Tinsel_Town_Rebellion.html#Peaches
- ↑ https://www.donlope.net/fz/lyrics/Shut_Up_'N_Play_Yer_Guitar.html
- ↑ https://www.united-mutations.com/c/warren_cuccurullo.htm
- ↑ https://www.united-mutations.com/c/warren_cuccurullo.htm
- ↑ http://donlope.net/fz/notes/The_MOFO_Project_Object.html#Contributors
- ↑ https://www.donlope.net/fz/notes/1979.html
