For real. I was floored when they said she was 14. Looks so much older!! Partially the early-80s style too. But so composed and articulate as well, you're right.
@@marlon-jl4ge the planet begs to differ. 100 years from now Zappa will still be respected as an extremely talented individual. You, maybe not so much.
not sure anyone is interested in this but back in '72 when Frank was nursing his broken leg, he had some free time on his hands. It was at this point that my friend Ruben Guevara ( I hadn't met him yet) met Frank and they both decided to put a group together called Ruben and the Jets after Frank's 1968 album Cruisin with Ruben and the Jets. They held auditions and I was chosen as one of the members ( I sang, danced and played the hammond). We made 2 albums with the first one produced by Frank himself. I was amazed by his knowledge of music and his love of doo wop which is the first music I listened to back in the 50's. Unfortunately we only made 2 albums and Frank did not produced our 2nd album. Shortly after, we had internal problems within the group with half the group leaving. We tried to regroup but it didn't work out with our new members. Knowing and working with Frank for these 2 years was such an honor and opportunity. It s something I will cherish and never forget. I was so sad when I learned of his illness and death. There will never be another like him. BTW, my kids attended Moon Unit and Dweezil's birthday parties back in the 70's. After my musical career ended in '83 ( I attended USC for my masters degree), I worked in the San Fernando Valley for almost 20 years and I hated it at first but grew to accept the part of Los Angeles a population of over 1 million people with the worst traffic ever.
Oh do I miss the sound of the Hammond Organ (& Leslie, hope my spelling is ok). When I was a grad student in Ohio, I played keyboards in a cover band and we played a very popular “oldies night” every Sunday night for over a year. On occasion, the current house band of the week might have a Hammond organ on stage and I would play that. The other guys in the band would look at me as if I were a new and better player. Same notes. Better sound on the Hammond.
Quite a story.. I'm not musically inclined, although I LISTEN to all types😅 Have always loved Frank's "stuff". I can't even to begin to understand his genius.
I’m jealous. I know the original Ruben and the jets album by heart. I fully celebrate Franks entire catalogue. My 10 and 12 year old daughters are probably the only children in America that can sing “Billy the Mountain” word for word.
Imagine having such a creative father who had the ability to see the world in a most unique and and original way. Zappa was amazing. Moon at the delicate age of 14, absolutely delightful, intelligent and confident.
I got only tattoo after Frank Zappa concert in Austin Texas. I was on the second row at the show, I stood up in my chair to get an unobstructed view and Frank was kind enough to look me in the eye, winked at me, pointed at me and stuck his long tongue out, for the perfect photo op. Priceless. Thank you Frank. Miss you.
i saw Frank Zappa at the music hall in Boston mass 15 minutes into the concert a beam fell onto the stage an all most hit him. The thing was huge it would have killed him. Took a small break and finished the show .but said some shit about the a cure ince during the show. Haha good times had by a ll. But he was lucky.......becuse. that thing made a mess was loud dusty and I think there was nothing else to do exept keep on going. But it was surly fucked up.frank Zappa was a good man good person and a good human being..miss you my friend..
@@bond823 thing is he probably didn't see it coming at him but you all did. Later when he looked in the footage he saw what y'all saw. That's crazy. Karma was on his side. I sure wish she was still alive. He could make sense out of this bullshit today. Like no other. He was a wise man.
This is awesome..I miss those times when you could see musical living legends like Zappa on popular TV.. A time that's sorely missed!! I also miss the good old days of Letterman.. Thank you for another awesome archive Don!
At 14 I was a zombie compared to Moon as I road skateboards, surfed and hated talking to adults till I was maybe 45. Lucky child to have a father like Frank.
We home-schooled our 4 kids. They are the same way. Have always been able to carry on a conversation with adults or kids and all those in between. When my youngest son was 11 or 12, we went to visit my father, who was about 86-87 yo. Pa asked my youngest what year he was born and he said '90 and all my kids were there and Pa asked each what year they were born. They replied '81, '82, '87. And Pa said, "I was born in '18." youngest asked him "18~....?" Pa looked over to me and said, "Sharp!" Smartest guy I know, my youngest; and ain't a one of 'em 'not sharp'. I guess they take after their mama. I guarantee you that every one of Frank's kids is brilliant, too.
I had a cat about 15 years ago named Moon Unit, named after Franks daughter. Still have her tags. She was a free spitit , like Frank and never took a picture well. She was all black but the tips of her fur had a deep red to it, that you could see when she was backlit by the sun, almost looked like a red aura around her. She was always frazzled looking like, Bill the Cat from Bloom County comics. :)
Absolutely. He was interviewing for a new band member in the late 60's and who shows up but Ian Underwood. Ian said, "Mr. Zappa, I really like your music and I want to join your band." Frank asked him, "What do you play fantastic?" Ian said, "Well, I play a pretty good saxophone." and Frank said "Whip it out." Ian got the job. So did Ian's wife, Ruth. {If memory serves. Numerous severe concussions can do things to your memory.}
The reference may have been related to Deep Purple and their album Motorhead which immortalized Frank in the true song, Smoke on the Water. At the end, Ian Gillan says, Break a leg Frank. Frank broke many things when attacked on stage in 67, London. His studio etc burned down as noted in the classic DP song
Jim Motorhead Sherwood is another and probably original reason in this cyclical yarn, Deep Purple was influenced by Zappa and Sherwood. Motorhead is a top album of all time
What I really like about Letterman's shows is that he gives his guests time... Time to say in an unhurried manner what they'd like to get across. Without constant interruption that other talk show hosts feel the need to do.
14? You can tell she's a Zappa! She talks like an Adult of 3 times her age. Well educated by FRANK! Wherever you are FRANK you and the UNIT did good!. Bless you FRANK ZAPPA!.
He didn't do that well by denying her an education, encouraging her to leave the system as soon as she was allowed. If she was as intelligent as you believe, she could could have gone to an Ivy League and I think she would have achieved much more.
@@allgunsblazed9106 Hmmm. Is there? Some people manage to achieve what they want without education but most benefit, I would say. I certainly did. And let's not get into a debate about 'what is education'!
I don't know where you get the idea that the Zappa family were more sane than most. Moon herself has written about how she yearned for a 'normal' family where the parents had rules and made the children go to bed by a certain time, and so forth. It wasn't quite the way you think. And I document their home life 1968 to 1972 in my own book and you will see it it was not all rosy.
@@paulinebutcherbird exactly. I don't want say what (because who knows how accurate or true it is) but some of the stuff I heard about was pretty...unconventional, let's say. (Probably covered in your book). As I always say, Zappa is undoubtedly a music genuis. A perceptive and funny satirist. But...was not mr. sensible and normal either.
Hardest working man in the business. Highly intelligent (that's an under statement). Politically and dare I say spiritually conscious.. Way ahead of his time!
@@CuriousCritter17 I'd say he was more lousy a husband, given testimony & evidence. Most of his kids have great respect & cherish the time they spent with him
Amazing how friendly , respectful, humorous and natural David Letterman deals with "difficult" characters. Moon Unit 14 years old? I thought she was 21, incredible! Good work, Frank!
I'm still waiting for our symphony here in Chicago to have a go at Zappa ,and although they may be considered a premier modern performance group they haven't mustered the nuts totry one yet.
True dat. While some of Zappa's music had changes of meter and tempo, a lot of what he wrote didn't. I've heard college bands (usually at football half-time) perform some of his music from the "Hot Rats" LP which were all, except one ("Willie The Pimp"), instrumentals. March on, Frank!!
"I have a personal relationship with my fans where I don't mess around." The respectful simplicity of that statement coming from the genius complexity that is Frank Zappa is almost shocking.
Not really. He just had an integrity that he would not compromise. He COULD have made a boatload more $$, if he'd just given in a bit. The dough was important, but not THAT important.
My brother and I who grew up on Long Island were big fans of Frank's in the late 60s and we had all of the Mothers albums. At that time his band used the Garrick Theater in the East Village in NYC as a base. One Saturday afternoon bro and I, both still teenagers, were in the Village walking around and stopped by the front door of the theater looking at some of the pics that were posted there. Suddenly the door opened and it was Frank, wearing his guitar. Bro and I stood there gaping. Frank said "hey you guys wanna be in a movie?" "Uhhh..sure!" "Okay, follow me!" and he led us into the theater and showed us where to sit (each sitting in an aisle seat). It turned out that it wasn't a movie exactly but rather a commercial for Hagstrom guitars that was being filmed, and they needed the aisle seats to be full so that when a cameraman came up the aisle in a crouch the venue would appear to be full. Well the whole Mothers band was there, and playing. My brother and I and a few other lucky souls got a 3-hour long free concert by Frank and the Mothers of Invention! Talk about being in the right place at the right time. The musicians' wives, girlfriends and kids (little kids running around naked) were there too...I remember during one break one of the women yelled "Hey Frank, where's Bunkie?" (Bunk Gardner) Frank: "How the fuck should I know?" On the way home my brother and I kept looking at each other and laughing in disbelief, barely able to converse, still giddy over what had just happened. I was so excited I could hardly sleep for a couple of days and couldn't wait to get to school Monday morning to tell all of my friends about it...their initial disbelief turned to "you lucky son of a bitch" when I provided all of the details.
@@davidmolnar8251 There's more. On our way out of the theater my brother grabbed a program from a stack of them that were sitting by the front door. It had a picture of the band, names of the musicians, and some other info. He held onto it and then years later went to see Frank perform with a different group of players and brought the old program with him. Frank was accessible and open to fans and after the show my brother approached him with the program in hand and asked Frank if he remembered the incident with filming the commercial, which Frank did remember and laughed about it. He autographed the program, writing on it "my old band". Years later after my brother died his wife gave me the program. I wondered if it was worth anything and contacted one of the major auction houses here (L.A.) to ask about it, and learned they were having an auction of rock and roll memorabilia just a couple of weeks later. So I gave it to them to auction off, which they did, and I got $300 for it! Frank Zappa: the gift that never stopped giving.
It's a sin what happened with the Zappa trust, and taking Moon out of the decisions. Moon was CLEARLY the apple of his eye, and she shares his humor, wit, and way of doing things (with her own flare and individuality which is Frank's hallmark).
Happy I got to zee Dweezil perform Zappa Does Zappa before his family put the kibosh on that. I don't exactly know what they're protecting by not letting people experience their Father's music, let alome by his own loving son.
Last I read seemed they were reconciling. Not much has been out in public for information since then, as they agreed they were going to figure things out as a family and the public blasting of each other was harmful.
It's in their blood to be crazy with finances and what to do with the music. Frank was almost disenchanted with anything society, so the kids inherited it. The wife is or was tough too. Eventually, the music will get out their unencumbered.
What I intended to comment has, I'm pleased, been commented, in many ways. I enjoyed the heck, out of this. I loved the record, also. R.I.P., Mr. Zappa; God bless, Moon.
Wow Don, thank you for these archives, lovingly edited and sorted as you do. They're all worth the time but this one especially so. One "gasp" moment I had was after the cameo when Dave mentioned Magic Johnson was to be his guest when they returned. I remember with some tiny bit of resentment the day that the news of Frank's cancer was announced, was the same day it was revealed that Magic had HIV -- and that dominated the news for days while Frank's news was practically buried by that. And Frank was gone just six months later and Magic... he's still with us thankfully... but I think because of that, Frank's passing came as a surprise to most for not hearing he was ill. So surprised to hear that Moon was a mere 14 years old in 1982 when that record was released. It can't have been too many years later she was co-hosting Friday Night Videos with Justine Bateman -- I remember that mostly because it was sort of like eavesdropping into a private conversation and it was... kinda sexy, and now I'm thinking, oh gosh, was she only 16 or 17 or so then? (Wish I knew the date! Don, do you have any archives of that show?) One small note, too -- your edit is always so good, but particularly at about the 25:50 mark as they head out to commercial... you really can't even see or hear the edit point, it's so clean. Amazing!
It would be nice to be Moon's boyfriend yet absolutely terrifying to be scrutinized by her father. I'd probably be vaporized under the weight of his incredible mind. Thanks again, Mr. Giller, for another fantastic upload for the ages.
@@paulinebutcherbird His tastes always interested me. He liked Black Sabbath and Queen, liked the Velvet Underground's first album but probably not the band itself, apperently only liked three Beatles songs, and disliked Charlie Parker and Karlhienz Stockhausen's work, which seemed up his alley. Very interesting.
@@paulinebutcherbird He was a guest DJ on Star Special in 1980 and said "So what? I still like Black Sabbath!" after playing one of their songs. I think it was a Larry King interview where Frank said the only three Beatles songs he liked were Strawberry Fields, I Am The Walrus, and Paperback Writer. In some other interview he said the first Velvet Underground album was good because of Tom Wilson producing it. Him and Lou Reed had some sort of anger at each other. The other information I learned from websites like Globalia and the Zappa Wiki.
The point is, Frank was not weird. He was very conservative, and the only weird part was his own infidelity and his refusal to allow Gail, his wife, to do the same.
@@AA-sn9lz Leaving out Frank Zappa's sexual antics, he was a traditional family man, lived and worked at home, did not allow his wife to blink an eye at another man, built up enormous personal wealth which he spent on himself and his home, was strict with his children in many ways, drove around in a Rolls Royce, decried unions. In other words, he did not live like a hippy or a left-wing person. And of course he was totally anti-drugs, although he did believe they should be legalised. Does that work?
@@jonaldblip_ First time I've heard that concept. So those with last names beginning with A are thought of as upright, are they? And how about Zuckerberg? Would you consider him rebellious?
God the early Letterman show was just way ahead of anything anyone else was doing. The bit about previewing tomorrows Show was just brilliant. And an extremely young Jim Downey.
The first time I heard the Thing Fish album (which was to be the Broadway play) I laughed so hard and couldn’t stop laughing from beginning to end. It was over the top and would’ve been unlike anything before or since. RIP Frank.
The sound production of the first interview itself is interesting. Feels much more "live" than modern late night. Like you can feel the emptiness of sound in the silences.
@@aasetorp847 well conservatives at the time were in a corner altogether. they made the Black Panthers look dangerous, which is totally ridiculous as well. propaganda.
Except the night the band pinned the voodoo bugglee ugleee monkey shrunken head on his door. (the one who slept with the ugliest pickup groupie when on tour would get that, every night . true story, from George Duke. Frank was not demonstrating the epitome of jovial collegial comraderie the next day)
Except when he said Elvis would have been nothing if it weren't for Leiber and Stoller. Elvis recorded over 700 songs, about 20 of which were written by Leiber and Stoller.
I bought Frank Zappa's FREAK OUT album in the year 1966. In my opinion, rock'n'roll music can be divided into: (1) Motown sound (Impressions, Coasters, Temptations); (2) Psychedelic (Hendrix, Grateful Dead, Byrds, Jefferson Airplane); (3) Beatles; (4) Mothers of Invention, and (5) New Wave (Devo, Talking Heads, Kraftwerk, Bow Wow Wow). Of course, most Americans can add a couple of additional categories of rock'n'roll music to my list. But my point is that Frank Zappa and the Mothers of Invention established one of the several cornerstones of the rock'n'roll music genre. The most obvious question is this. Have there been any other rock'n'roll bands that fuse straight-ahead rock'n'roll (such as doo-wop music) with either jazz music or with classical music, as Frank Zappa has? I am not able to name any right now, but I am sure that there are some others. - - - Tom Brody, Berkeley, CA
I listened to FZ and co purely and utterly because it was SO different. To me this was musical art displaying serious social behaviours and issues executed with wit, humour and all the while introducing you to real and definable escapism. He was unique.
if you know Dave's sense of humor, I think he honestly respects Frank & appreciates his art... Dave even poking fun at commercialism & media HIMSELF as he always does/did... but deep down, respect... just as Conan would do... all comedic geniuses, even when it's a serious subject.
Frank Zappa is to music what Andy Kaufman was to comedy. He was a genius, incredibly talented. He also had a certain contempt for authority, and societal norms. He was not afraid to make people uncomfortable to make a point, and to call out the hypocrisy of society. Like Andy, even his fans were sometimes thrown off by what he did.
I heard Zappa in Toronto in 1978. Zappa played great as expected. I looked around at the audience at one point and thought,' wow the audience is aging. Many were in their middle or late twenties. lol Things changed so much by 1978.
What a man..just so far ahead of his time with his music and thoughts..... always get a certain feeling that I can't explain when listening to his music or even hearing him talk.. genius and also mystifying.🤟🤔
There are three types of people in this world. Those who love and understand Frank's music and message. Those who don't and those who will never try because of what they perceive Frank and his music to be about. I personally think Frank Zappa is the 20th century musical peer of Mozart, Beethoven, Bach, Wagner etc. Thanks for uploading these clips Don! Awesome!
+Seederman Certainly in regards to musical influence. One could argue, though, that he was somewhat Bach-like in terms of technical innovation in his time.
That's what I was thinking. He has said that Beethoven didn't interest him, but he respected what he did. He was more moved by Bach, but wouldn't buy an album. He said that Wagner was the most interesting and challenging, considering the time at which he wrote what he wrote.
I love the fixed stare Frank got from time to time, very intence , you can kinda tell whats going on, usualy comes when someone asks stupid or borderline rude questions
what can i say about frank zappa only that he was a ginious at his guitar playing and his music he was the king of rock comedy many people loved him for his sence of humor. may he rest in peace and give god a laf or 2 up in heaven....
Way WAY beyond his time. Genius, troublemaker, musical tyrant. Maybe one of the most accomplished musicians EVER. Thanks Frank. RIP
To have a daughter, at 14 so composed and articulate proves, once again that Frank was doing something right.
My daughter is 11 and is similarly composed, but she did most of it on her own.
@@charleslehner6083 good for you, but most kids aren't like that.
For real. I was floored when they said she was 14. Looks so much older!! Partially the early-80s style too. But so composed and articulate as well, you're right.
Shit ugly zappa was an arrogant boring clown and his music too
@@marlon-jl4ge the planet begs to differ. 100 years from now Zappa will still be respected as an extremely talented individual. You, maybe not so much.
Frank was a different make n model and Dave knew that. Great to see them both show each other the respect they deserve
not sure anyone is interested in this but back in '72 when Frank was nursing his broken leg, he had some free time on his hands. It was at this point that my friend Ruben Guevara ( I hadn't met him yet) met Frank and they both decided to put a group together called Ruben and the Jets after Frank's 1968 album Cruisin with Ruben and the Jets. They held auditions and I was chosen as one of the members ( I sang, danced and played the hammond). We made 2 albums with the first one produced by Frank himself. I was amazed by his knowledge of music and his love of doo wop which is the first music I listened to back in the 50's. Unfortunately we only made 2 albums and Frank did not produced our 2nd album. Shortly after, we had internal problems within the group with half the group leaving. We tried to regroup but it didn't work out with our new members. Knowing and working with Frank for these 2 years was such an honor and opportunity. It s something I will cherish and never forget. I was so sad when I learned of his illness and death. There will never be another like him. BTW, my kids attended Moon Unit and Dweezil's birthday parties back in the 70's. After my musical career ended in '83 ( I attended USC for my masters degree), I worked in the San Fernando Valley for almost 20 years and I hated it at first but grew to accept the part of Los Angeles a population of over 1 million people with the worst traffic ever.
Oh do I miss the sound of the Hammond Organ (& Leslie, hope my spelling is ok). When I was a grad student in Ohio, I played keyboards in a cover band and we played a very popular “oldies night” every Sunday night for over a year. On occasion, the current house band of the week might have a Hammond organ on stage and I would play that. The other guys in the band would look at me as if I were a new and better player. Same notes. Better sound on the Hammond.
Quite a story.. I'm not musically inclined, although I LISTEN to all types😅
Have always loved Frank's "stuff". I can't even to begin to understand his genius.
Wow!
Awesome! Thanks for taking the time to share!
I’m jealous. I know the original Ruben and the jets album by heart. I fully celebrate Franks entire catalogue. My 10 and 12 year old daughters are probably the only children in America that can sing “Billy the Mountain” word for word.
1st Interview solid gold man. Letterman threading carefully
Moon at 14 is smarter and more articulate than most people three times her age.
She's actually three times her age now!! :D
I totally agree with you
you noticed that too.
Was
Seriously --- most 14-year-olds aren't smart enough, and articulate enough, to say things like "I like my name" and "my Dad's a normal guy".
Thank you, Mr. Giller, for another treasure. All your years of toil have benefitted us fans immensely. Bless you, sir.
I never considered it toil. Thanks!
Imagine having such a creative father who had the ability to see the world in a most unique and and original way. Zappa was amazing. Moon at the delicate age of 14, absolutely delightful, intelligent and confident.
I am lucky that my older brothers introduced me to Zappa when i was a kid.....now im 60 years old and still love it!!! one of a kind man
I got only tattoo after Frank Zappa concert in Austin Texas. I was on the second row at the show, I stood up in my chair to get an unobstructed view and Frank was kind enough to look me in the eye, winked at me, pointed at me and stuck his long tongue out, for the perfect photo op. Priceless. Thank you Frank. Miss you.
i saw Frank Zappa at the music hall in Boston mass 15 minutes into the concert a beam fell onto the stage an all most hit him. The thing was huge it would have killed him. Took a small break and finished the show .but said some shit about the a cure ince during the show. Haha good times had by a ll. But he was lucky.......becuse. that thing made a mess was loud dusty and I think there was nothing else to do exept keep on going. But it was surly fucked up.frank Zappa was a good man good person and a good human being..miss you my friend..
@@bond823 thing is he probably didn't see it coming at him but you all did. Later when he looked in the footage he saw what y'all saw. That's crazy. Karma was on his side. I sure wish she was still alive. He could make sense out of this bullshit today. Like no other. He was a wise man.
?
Ill pay for a copy of the pic!
Overnight Sensation is one of my all time favorite albums ever. Worth the listen.
She's 14. Look how well-composed, well-spoken and highly-communicative she is.
Because she's got an intelligent father, who obviously encouraged her to be curious about life and the world.
i thought the same thing..but physically,she seems well older than 18
Home schooled by private teachers?
Raised in an atmosphere of intellectual curiosity and cultural diversity... the horror...
She has an amazing father, and probably mother
This is awesome..I miss those times when you could see musical living legends like Zappa on popular TV.. A time that's sorely missed!! I also miss the good old days of Letterman.. Thank you for another awesome archive Don!
Great interviews ...Frank was a genius with a great sense of humor ...his kids had a great mentor in him 🌈😊
Still missed by so many. The great Frank Zappa.
*RIP Frank!*
How great was he?
@@erepsekahs Not that great.
Zappa was an ugly boring clown and his music too
You can tell Zappa respects letterman. I don’t think I’ve EVER heard him say “that’s a perfect format” about something someone pitched
The look on Frank`s face is one of pure purpose. Even relaxed , he looks so intense.
You described his being perfectly
you mean 'insane'
@@erepsekahs I don't think that's what he meant, no.
It’s no advantage to be super bright & perceptive if your goal is to be happy & content.
Could shit zappa play guitar with his ugly nose? 🤣
Frank was a giant, a maverick genius, and a helluva guitar player. He also had a great speaking voice.
He was also a great actor he was awesome when he appeared on Miami vice
Absolutely. All of the above.
Frank Zappa was a genius. Gone way too soon. RIP
Only 53 - that's younger than I am now...and it's staggering.
He was so cool and completely chilled ... my favorite musician of all time
I miss frank, I would love to hear what he would say about what’s going on now. A legend, never will there be another.
He would be disgusted and enraged….but not at all surprised.
When Moon gets a laugh with a quirky joke, you can see the love in Frank’s eyes
That's what I thought. Gave me the wet eye.
Yeah, he's been accused of that.
Zappa was filth and he looked like filth
He's so proud of her!
I was a teen and had a crush on Moon after seeing her on MTV in 1984. Absolutely beautiful with long hair. Sean Lennon was with her.
We need more Frank Zappas in 2022.
Many, many more.
And in 2024 more than ever!
We'll never get another, sadly.
And in 2024 and probably every year going forward...
We need a world that's no longer possible
At 14 I was a zombie compared to Moon as I road skateboards, surfed and hated talking to adults till I was maybe 45. Lucky child to have a father like Frank.
We home-schooled our 4 kids. They are the same way. Have always been able to carry on a conversation with adults or kids and all those in between.
When my youngest son was 11 or 12, we went to visit my father, who was about 86-87 yo. Pa asked my youngest what year he was born and he said '90 and all my kids were there and Pa asked each what year they were born. They replied '81, '82, '87. And Pa said, "I was born in '18." youngest asked him "18~....?"
Pa looked over to me and said, "Sharp!" Smartest guy I know, my youngest; and ain't a one of 'em 'not sharp'. I guess they take after their mama.
I guarantee you that every one of Frank's kids is brilliant, too.
I’ve heard Moon say it wasn’t all Peaches en Regalia
Moon is a breathe of fresh air. Charming, articulate and creative. A real credit to Frank and Gail.
I had a cat about 15 years ago named Moon Unit, named after Franks daughter. Still have her tags. She was a free spitit , like Frank and never took a picture well. She was all black but the tips of her fur had a deep red to it, that you could see when she was backlit by the sun, almost looked like a red aura around her. She was always frazzled looking like, Bill the Cat from Bloom County comics. :)
Lol i used to have a rabbit called Frank Zappa 😜
"I have a personal relationship with my fans where I don't mess around" --FZ That's why he was the best of all time. IMHO.
Absolutely. He was interviewing for a new band member in the late 60's and who shows up but Ian Underwood. Ian said, "Mr. Zappa, I really like your music and I want to join your band." Frank asked him, "What do you play fantastic?" Ian said, "Well, I play a pretty good saxophone." and Frank said "Whip it out."
Ian got the job. So did Ian's wife, Ruth. {If memory serves. Numerous severe concussions can do things to your memory.}
His daughter seems smarter than the average 14 yr old. I wish people were like Frank Zappa.
Thanks Don for all the Details. Great House Band, Frank 1982-1983. Frank is so great, in interviews.
I, really loved him playing a bicycle on the Steve Allen Show! Miss him... He was the First True Artiste of our time!
"It was a choice between that or Motorhead" Hilarious. RIP Lemmy.
As much as I love Lemmy and Motorhead, he was talking about Jim "Motorhead" Sherwood from The Mother's of Invention if I'm not mistaken
@@mattmurray517I know right! I got a chub when he said motorhead
The reference may have been related to Deep Purple and their album Motorhead which immortalized Frank in the true song, Smoke on the Water. At the end, Ian Gillan says, Break a leg Frank. Frank broke many things when attacked on stage in 67, London. His studio etc burned down as noted in the classic DP song
Jim Motorhead Sherwood is another and probably original reason in this cyclical yarn, Deep Purple was influenced by Zappa and Sherwood. Motorhead is a top album of all time
Saw Frank in 77 and 78 at the Palladium Halloween shows in NY. Outrageous shows!
Damn. So that's to say you saw Terry Bozzio & Vinnie Colaiuta on drums, live ? Damn...😎
What I really like about Letterman's shows is that he gives his guests time... Time to say in an unhurried manner what they'd like to get across. Without constant interruption that other talk show hosts feel the need to do.
@Nature and Physics : I perceived the same; one, of the reasons, I enjoy this interview, so much.
He learned that from Carson.
I never get tired of listening to Frank.
14? You can tell she's a Zappa! She talks like an Adult of 3 times her age. Well educated by FRANK! Wherever you are FRANK you and the UNIT did good!. Bless you FRANK ZAPPA!.
So is son Dweezil. He's been on tour with his band, performing music of his dad's, and some of his own works, too.
...if Frank played chess she would've been a grandmaster at 14!.....
He didn't do that well by denying her an education, encouraging her to leave the system as soon as she was allowed. If she was as intelligent as you believe, she could could have gone to an Ivy League and I think she would have achieved much more.
@@paulinebutcherbird probably knows there's more to life than education.
@@allgunsblazed9106 Hmmm. Is there? Some people manage to achieve what they want without education but most benefit, I would say. I certainly did. And let's not get into a debate about 'what is education'!
The Zappa family were probably more sane than most.
Until he died... Now they’re all crazy and can’t get along... over money
I don't know where you get the idea that the Zappa family were more sane than most. Moon herself has written about how she yearned for a 'normal' family where the parents had rules and made the children go to bed by a certain time, and so forth. It wasn't quite the way you think. And I document their home life 1968 to 1972 in my own book and you will see it it was not all rosy.
@@paulinebutcherbird whats your book called? is it out?
@@johnbear4698 it must not be done
@@paulinebutcherbird exactly. I don't want say what (because who knows how accurate or true it is) but some of the stuff I heard about was pretty...unconventional, let's say. (Probably covered in your book).
As I always say, Zappa is undoubtedly a music genuis. A perceptive and funny satirist. But...was not mr. sensible and normal either.
I love that bit about tomorrow night's show. cool seeing a young Jim downey and Frank was a good sport to play along and he's a great interview.
Hardest working man in the business.
Highly intelligent (that's an under statement).
Politically and dare I say spiritually conscious..
Way ahead of his time!
Unfortunately he was lousy as a dad.
@@CuriousCritter17 how do you know that?
No reply = no point
@@CuriousCritter17 I'd say he was more lousy a husband, given testimony & evidence. Most of his kids have great respect & cherish the time they spent with him
@@jeffrobdine It's quite obvious that Laverne doesn't know who Frank was/is.
This is funny. She has Frank's sense of humor.
Zappa has a sensitive heart. So does his daughter. He eminates a person who speaks truthfully.💐🌸🌺🍀 Rest In Peace...
Always. He didn't have time to lie. Just call it the way you see it.
She has a hell of a personality for 14 years old being on a talk show and not nervous one bit
Amazing how friendly , respectful, humorous and natural David Letterman deals with "difficult" characters. Moon Unit 14 years old? I thought she was 21, incredible! Good work, Frank!
This girl's pride in her father is evident throughout the play... and Moon Zappa is an otherworldly beautiful name.
Really good interview.
I met Dweezil Zappa a few years ago. Really nice guy.
I've always loved Letterman.
Great host 👏
FRANK owns his interviews he can't be controlled he always sends a message and Moon actually takes the lead
Frank Zappa...musical genius...100 years from now every orchestra will know his music.
Any orchestra worth its salt already does
They're playing his stuff now. 2019
I'm still waiting for our symphony here in Chicago to have a go at Zappa ,and although they may be considered a premier modern performance group they haven't mustered the nuts totry one yet.
Many college marching bands do, indeed, perform some of his music. :-)
True dat. While some of Zappa's music had changes of meter and tempo, a lot of what he wrote didn't. I've heard college bands (usually at football half-time) perform some of his music from the "Hot Rats" LP which were all, except one ("Willie The Pimp"), instrumentals. March on, Frank!!
"I have a personal relationship with my fans where I don't mess around."
The respectful simplicity of that statement coming from the genius complexity that is Frank Zappa is almost shocking.
Not really. He just had an integrity that he would not compromise. He COULD have made a boatload more $$, if he'd just given in a bit. The dough was important, but not THAT important.
@@FulfillingTorahMinistries
ruclips.net/video/U56sGInCQec/видео.html
😏
i'm just finally getting interested in zappa. these interviews are great. thanks don!
My brother and I who grew up on Long Island were big fans of Frank's in the late 60s and we had all of the Mothers albums. At that time his band used the Garrick Theater in the East Village in NYC as a base. One Saturday afternoon bro and I, both still teenagers, were in the Village walking around and stopped by the front door of the theater looking at some of the pics that were posted there. Suddenly the door opened and it was Frank, wearing his guitar. Bro and I stood there gaping. Frank said "hey you guys wanna be in a movie?" "Uhhh..sure!" "Okay, follow me!" and he led us into the theater and showed us where to sit (each sitting in an aisle seat). It turned out that it wasn't a movie exactly but rather a commercial for Hagstrom guitars that was being filmed, and they needed the aisle seats to be full so that when a cameraman came up the aisle in a crouch the venue would appear to be full. Well the whole Mothers band was there, and playing. My brother and I and a few other lucky souls got a 3-hour long free concert by Frank and the Mothers of Invention! Talk about being in the right place at the right time. The musicians' wives, girlfriends and kids (little kids running around naked) were there too...I remember during one break one of the women yelled "Hey Frank, where's Bunkie?" (Bunk Gardner) Frank: "How the fuck should I know?" On the way home my brother and I kept looking at each other and laughing in disbelief, barely able to converse, still giddy over what had just happened.
I was so excited I could hardly sleep for a couple of days and couldn't wait to get to school Monday morning to tell all of my friends about it...their initial disbelief turned to "you lucky son of a bitch" when I provided all of the details.
Hilarious!
@@davidmolnar8251 There's more. On our way out of the theater my brother grabbed a program from a stack of them that were sitting by the front door. It had a picture of the band, names of the musicians, and some other info. He held onto it and then years later went to see Frank perform with a different group of players and brought the old program with him. Frank was accessible and open to fans and after the show my brother approached him with the program in hand and asked Frank if he remembered the incident with filming the commercial, which Frank did remember and laughed about it. He autographed the program, writing on it "my old band". Years later after my brother died his wife gave me the program. I wondered if it was worth anything and contacted one of the major auction houses here (L.A.) to ask about it, and learned they were having an auction of rock and roll memorabilia just a couple of weeks later. So I gave it to them to auction off, which they did, and I got $300 for it! Frank Zappa: the gift that never stopped giving.
@@tradewins I hope you’re joking about auctioning it ogf
Zappa was garbage
@@marlon-jl4ge ok
Frank was a legend. I regret never getting a chance to see him live.
Frank had the most elegant way of calling people kiss asses.
Bobby knightRUclips Bobby said when my days are over and my time is passed they can bear me upside down so everybody can kiss my ass
It's a sin what happened with the Zappa trust, and taking Moon out of the decisions. Moon was CLEARLY the apple of his eye, and she shares his humor, wit, and way of doing things (with her own flare and individuality which is Frank's hallmark).
gotohoward are they still feuding at this moment? I read Ahmet’s open letter to Dweezil and was really upset that their family was in turmoil.
@@guitarguru.3572 I don't know the absolute current thing going on.
Happy I got to zee Dweezil perform Zappa Does Zappa before his family put the kibosh on that. I don't exactly know what they're protecting by not letting people experience their Father's music, let alome by his own loving son.
Last I read seemed they were reconciling. Not much has been out in public for information since then, as they agreed they were going to figure things out as a family and the public blasting of each other was harmful.
It's in their blood to be crazy with finances and what to do with the music. Frank was almost disenchanted with anything society, so the kids inherited it. The wife is or was tough too. Eventually, the music will get out their unencumbered.
What I intended to comment has, I'm pleased, been commented, in many ways. I enjoyed the heck, out of this. I loved the record, also. R.I.P., Mr. Zappa; God bless, Moon.
Over 5 minutes in and I feel like this interview still hasn't begun. Damn.
Wow Don, thank you for these archives, lovingly edited and sorted as you do. They're all worth the time but this one especially so.
One "gasp" moment I had was after the cameo when Dave mentioned Magic Johnson was to be his guest when they returned. I remember with some tiny bit of resentment the day that the news of Frank's cancer was announced, was the same day it was revealed that Magic had HIV -- and that dominated the news for days while Frank's news was practically buried by that. And Frank was gone just six months later and Magic... he's still with us thankfully... but I think because of that, Frank's passing came as a surprise to most for not hearing he was ill.
So surprised to hear that Moon was a mere 14 years old in 1982 when that record was released. It can't have been too many years later she was co-hosting Friday Night Videos with Justine Bateman -- I remember that mostly because it was sort of like eavesdropping into a private conversation and it was... kinda sexy, and now I'm thinking, oh gosh, was she only 16 or 17 or so then? (Wish I knew the date! Don, do you have any archives of that show?)
One small note, too -- your edit is always so good, but particularly at about the 25:50 mark as they head out to commercial... you really can't even see or hear the edit point, it's so clean. Amazing!
Found it here - December 13, 1985 - ruclips.net/video/tu3o99RAWvk/видео.html
And thanks!!
Thanks for the upload!
It would be nice to be Moon's boyfriend yet absolutely terrifying to be scrutinized by her father.
I'd probably be vaporized under the weight of his incredible mind.
Thanks again, Mr. Giller, for another fantastic upload for the ages.
Everyone laughs when he says Motörhead. He was very serious, they were his two options.
As in Motorhead Sherwood.
🤘♠️🤘
Love Zappa, and I so miss the early Late Night days.
v-town1980 Me Too :)
Hard to fathom that Moon is only 14 in this appearance.
At 27:30 Frank describes the format of Politically Incorrect.
That's exactly what I was thinking. 14?!?!?! She was the most well spoken, mature, informed, intelligent 14 year old in the history of the world.
Reflection of her parents.
Yeah, I can hardly believe it. I would have guessed 19
We had it down in the 80's.
The world would be a better place If frank zappa was our president. I miss him.what a genius.
1968-72, my high school years, would have been a disaster without FZ. He is my musical hero. A modern day Mozart.
Interesting you mention Mozart. I believe Frank had no interest in Mozart's music.
@@paulinebutcherbird His tastes always interested me. He liked Black Sabbath and Queen, liked the Velvet Underground's first album but probably not the band itself, apperently only liked three Beatles songs, and disliked Charlie Parker and Karlhienz Stockhausen's work, which seemed up his alley. Very interesting.
@@destroyernoah Where did you get this information from? You don't mention The Blues, Doo-Wop, Stravinsky, Varese.
I was in school 91-95 and Frank got me thru as well. Peace. His music does transcend time.
@@paulinebutcherbird He was a guest DJ on Star Special in 1980 and said "So what? I still like Black Sabbath!" after playing one of their songs. I think it was a Larry King interview where Frank said the only three Beatles songs he liked were Strawberry Fields, I Am The Walrus, and Paperback Writer. In some other interview he said the first Velvet Underground album was good because of Tom Wilson producing it. Him and Lou Reed had some sort of anger at each other. The other information I learned from websites like Globalia and the Zappa Wiki.
Dave: "You're weird. Are you aware of that?"
Frank: "If you say so."
The point is, Frank was not weird. He was very conservative, and the only weird part was his own infidelity and his refusal to allow Gail, his wife, to do the same.
@@paulinebutcherbird conservative?? Could you elaborate? Cause i have no idea really
@@AA-sn9lz Leaving out Frank Zappa's sexual antics, he was a traditional family man, lived and worked at home, did not allow his wife to blink an eye at another man, built up enormous personal wealth which he spent on himself and his home, was strict with his children in many ways, drove around in a Rolls Royce, decried unions. In other words, he did not live like a hippy or a left-wing person. And of course he was totally anti-drugs, although he did believe they should be legalised. Does that work?
@Jiri Skoda Well, I lived and worked in his house from 1968 to 1972, so perhaps it's not made up!!!
@@jonaldblip_ First time I've heard that concept. So those with last names beginning with A are thought of as upright, are they? And how about Zuckerberg? Would you consider him rebellious?
God the early Letterman show was just way ahead of anything anyone else was doing. The bit about previewing tomorrows Show was just brilliant. And an extremely young Jim Downey.
The first time I heard the Thing Fish album (which was to be the Broadway play) I laughed so hard and couldn’t stop laughing from beginning to end. It was over the top and would’ve been unlike anything before or since. RIP Frank.
Once again yt you've brought me to the best
The sound production of the first interview itself is interesting. Feels much more "live" than modern late night. Like you can feel the emptiness of sound in the silences.
I miss Frank SO much. Look at what we are left with today?!?
Ah yes. A great age of late night tv. With Zappa, even better.
See how much more level headed young teens were before cell phones and the interwebs.
so unfortunately true.
Frank was a very polite man and wore cool shoes.
and civilized, even though grownups at the time tried to frame him otherwise.
Or very patient.
@@aasetorp847 well conservatives at the time were in a corner altogether. they made the Black Panthers look dangerous, which is totally ridiculous as well. propaganda.
Except the night the band pinned the voodoo bugglee ugleee monkey shrunken head on his door. (the one who slept with the ugliest pickup groupie when on tour would get that, every night . true story, from George Duke. Frank was not demonstrating the epitome of jovial collegial comraderie the next day)
Except when he said Elvis would have been nothing if it weren't for Leiber and Stoller. Elvis recorded over 700 songs, about 20 of which were written by Leiber and Stoller.
What a sad shame for the world that he is not still here turning out more of his good music and social comment.
When TV was awesome. I stayed up many late nights watching Dave growing up.
He might have been strange, but atleast he wasn't rude. Brilliant man. We need Frank and we need him NOW.
What’s the opposite of strange?
Normal?
That must be fucking boring.
F.Zappa Was here too short time,...miss him dearly,...
Fantastic upload! Thanks!
I bought Frank Zappa's FREAK OUT album in the year 1966. In my opinion, rock'n'roll music can be divided into: (1) Motown sound (Impressions, Coasters, Temptations); (2) Psychedelic (Hendrix, Grateful Dead, Byrds, Jefferson Airplane); (3) Beatles; (4) Mothers of Invention, and (5) New Wave (Devo, Talking Heads, Kraftwerk, Bow Wow Wow). Of course, most Americans can add a couple of additional categories of rock'n'roll music to my list. But my point is that Frank Zappa and the Mothers of Invention established one of the several cornerstones of the rock'n'roll music genre. The most obvious question is this. Have there been any other rock'n'roll bands that fuse straight-ahead rock'n'roll (such as doo-wop music) with either jazz music or with classical music, as Frank Zappa has? I am not able to name any right now, but I am sure that there are some others. - - - Tom Brody, Berkeley, CA
Very well said
Freak out its one of the main disc on my phone every time.
Letterman brings out Frank's personality more than anyone .
I miss Frank so much. Thanks for posting this video.
I listened to FZ and co purely and utterly because it was SO different.
To me this was musical art displaying serious social behaviours and
issues executed with wit, humour and all the while introducing you
to real and definable escapism. He was unique.
if you know Dave's sense of humor, I think he honestly respects Frank & appreciates his art... Dave even poking fun at commercialism & media HIMSELF as he always does/did... but deep down, respect... just as Conan would do... all comedic geniuses, even when it's a serious subject.
Frank Zappa is to music what Andy Kaufman was to comedy. He was a genius, incredibly talented. He also had a certain contempt for authority, and societal norms. He was not afraid to make people uncomfortable to make a point, and to call out the hypocrisy of society. Like Andy, even his fans were sometimes thrown off by what he did.
They both also died too young
Who is/was Andy Kaufman?
@@crawlinbear1963 ... I agree: but I do think the comparison of the two is pretty darned astute.
@@arthurblakemore Some comedian who was on the moon
@@TheHmm43I assume you are using the word comedian very loosely 😜
Got to see Zappa twice. His last 2 tours in Chicago. Phenomenal shows...
A true genius. The best our century has produced both musically & intellectually. RIP Frankie baby.
love Frank and Moon He actuualy is a great father to his kids.
You have no actual idea what kind of father he was..I'd guess mostly absent.
Gods I miss him for so many reasons, the last zane person in US....
That voice! RIP Frank
That Hawai'ian Punch line is gold.
I heard Zappa in Toronto in 1978. Zappa played great as expected. I looked around at the audience at one point and thought,' wow the audience is aging. Many were in their middle or late twenties. lol Things changed so much by 1978.
70s were great, but now long gone sadly
While working with MB20 I had the great pleasure having wonderful conversations with Moon. She’s fabulous.
Love ZAPPA saw him at Nassau coliseum and stony brook university best concert of my life.
Geez this aired when I was a high school junior ....I'm 57 now....I bought this album soon after its release...."Frankly" speaking it is phenomenal
She certainly had a mature wit at 14.
What a man..just so far ahead of his time with his music and thoughts..... always get a certain feeling that I can't explain when listening to his music or even hearing him talk.. genius and also mystifying.🤟🤔
There are three types of people in this world. Those who love and understand Frank's music and message. Those who don't and those who will never try because of what they perceive Frank and his music to be about. I personally think Frank Zappa is the 20th century musical peer of Mozart, Beethoven, Bach, Wagner etc. Thanks for uploading these clips Don! Awesome!
He is much more like Stravinsky than Mozart, beethoven, or Bach.
+Seederman Certainly in regards to musical influence. One could argue, though, that he was somewhat Bach-like in terms of technical innovation in his time.
Music is the best
That's what I was thinking. He has said that Beethoven didn't interest him, but he respected what he did. He was more moved by Bach, but wouldn't buy an album. He said that Wagner was the most interesting and challenging, considering the time at which he wrote what he wrote.
great comment.
I love the fixed stare Frank got from time to time, very intence , you can kinda tell whats going on, usualy comes when someone asks stupid or borderline rude questions
She's so intelligent for her age. Frank raised her well
what can i say about frank zappa only that he was a ginious at his guitar playing and his music he was the king of rock comedy many people loved him for his sence of humor. may he rest in peace and give god a laf or 2 up in heaven....