Frank Zappa & The Mothers - King Kong - Essen, 1968

[@BrothaVoodoo]

I don't care what anyone says, this incarnation of the Mothers is the best. They were a movement, freak revolution incarnate! None of Zappa's later bands were this organic.

[@John_13_35]

Dunno. The ensemble on OSFA is the funkiest and most groovy IMHO

[@JamesJones-i2v]

I don't compare eras. I love Zappa as a whole

[@ariannaclearday]

Zappa, understandably, had the least musical dominance over the original Mothers. But Zappa was the original visionary force from the time he joined the Soul Giants.

[@gustavovalverde6226]

Maybe

[@FulfilledJew]

You possible 'loony'.....

[@BlackKaweah]

A few years ago my gf and I were walking down Sierra Madre Blvd when I hear King Kong emanating from a bar up the street. And there on a sidewalk blackboard was written "Don Preston Quartet." What a great night that was.

[@helpimarock66]

Easily the most stylish mothers video. The dim lighting and the black and white camera make them look like a bunch of ghosts. Great performance of Kong too.

[@gorgegorge5061]

It,s5:14in the morning 🌄 and this is the 1st time for me and I,m digg,n just às much as I do any of Zappa,s work done,t even have to think about it this is very good mother's music 🎵🎵🎵🎵🎵🎵🎶🎶🎶🎶🎵🎶🎵 Thanks 👍😊👍😊😊👍 🦈 SHARK 🦈

[@electriczoo5310]

moving picture version of the absolutely free cover

[@timowalker24]

I love how the final edit of this vid really shows the musicians face and groove they’re feeling and then sometimes the fingering work on the instrument. Love Franks face … just listening to the piece he wrote … ALL LIVE STUFF … so good…

[@kurtputnam9963]

Zappa liked the later lineups, but this was my favorite (1968-69). Black-Tripp-Estrada=unbeatable rhythm section!

[@deeceea9488]

I agree. They were also the funniest and most Charismatic.

[@jonmeltzer1361]

Motorhead, best snorkist in the music business.

[@mvwoon]

Jazz psychedelic folk rock blues fusion jam. Grateful Floyd Doors Crazy Horse.

[@zombywoof7583]

If there really is a heaven, then it's soundtrack should be Zappa music. I never want to be without it.

[@cliffspencer9989]

Probably one of the greatest versions of King Kong. Mr Zappa you truly were a genius 🙏❤️

[@GetUpTheMountains]

Excellent. Something about these original Mothers really makes it.

[@squeakeththewheel]

And it's not brown shoes.

[@themitchies]

Yea without a doubt in my mind they were the best rock band of this time period. Nobody else was doing anything like them.

[@davidnorden1972]

I always come back to their 1967-1970 period. It speaks to me in a way that the later music of FZ doesn't.

[@187tomw]

@@themitchies Not disagreeing, but I hear some commonality with Sun Ra, and they were both in NYC during this period(I think).

[@timoj24]

This will never get old!

[@tomn9094]

I agree it seems to get "newer" each time I listen

[@adrianonogueiraaleixo2452]

I totally agree!!!! This song and the Frank Zappa’s songs won’t never be old !!! Awesome musicians and amazing music!!! I’ve felt in ecstasy when I’ve listened them!!! Thank God for listening Frank Zappa for more than 44 years!!!

[@jameskennedy721]

Ultra rare film of Frank's original band .

[@adrianonogueiraaleixo2452]

Thank you God for listening this song and Frank Zappa songs for more than 43 years!!! This version of King Kong is definitely one of the best !!! Sounds awesome!!!

[@mikesullivan6603]

I love this version classic zappa

[@borisblade564]

what a performance...a masterpiece

[@Anzevuil]

Zappa at his best. B&W closeup grimy noir filming: great. Musical rendering: killer. 14:07 of satisfaction. :-)

[@TraceyRolandelli]

God this version is gorgeous.

[@robinbolton6064]

Jesus! This predates Miles fusion ..... Weather Report...Tony Williams Emergency....this is way ahead. A Jazz Rock fusion comet!

[@dylanwesley3964]

Mikes put out Miles in the sky, and Files De Kiliminjaro out in 1968. He was tapping into the fusion by then

[@jessicasfakeaccount]

@@dylanwesley3964 yeah, but you need guitar to do the style, meaningfully. frank was first...it's just the facts.

[@jessicasfakeaccount]

_however_ there is a caveat, and an open question in history - miles was waiting for jimi to react, and he ultimately didn't. might miles have beaten frank to it if jimi had responded sooner? it's hard to say. and, if jimi _had_ responded sooner, might he have taken the concept in a different direction, altogether?

[@robinbolton6064]

@@jessicasfakeaccount excellent point Jessica. Timing is everything and had Miles collaborated with Jimi you would have to wonder how cosmic that might have been. I like the way you think Jessica.

[@robinbolton6064]

@@jessicasfakeaccount also Jessica.... Miles had an eye for talent and Wayfinders. You can bet he dropped bits for Hendrix but as you eluded to he didn't bite. It's a shame....I don't deny that Cosey's work during Miles SuperFunk Electronic period wasn't groundbreaking.. especially after the work McLaughlin laid down....but you can't help but wonder what would Miles or Mahavishnu have sounded like with the sonic capabilities of Mr. Hendrix.

[@robertjermantowicz7487]

Jazz lives! The MOI Band at their improvisational best!

[@NaguaLvsTonaL]

Not an ounce of improvisation with zappa. Everything was carefully repeated.

[@weeooh1]

@@NaguaLvsTonaL You are wrong. Zappa improvises a lot. Many of his live performances of studio songs differ greatly almost every time he plays them.

[@NaguaLvsTonaL]

@@weeooh1 In music we call "variation" the fact of modifying pieces. So it is obvious that zappa was not going to play the same way for 30 years. And I say it to you for having read a lot of books about him that he left no place for the improvisation. Everything was meticulously repeated in advance. It's very well known to him and his fans.

[@pechondelgado]

@@NaguaLvsTonaL You aren't correct. There was plenty of improv throughout his whole career with Frank himself and every soloist he invited into the band.

[@llamaking9835]

@@NaguaLvsTonaL Zappa himself said there was improvisation in his bands. skip to around a minute into the interview linked below. kzbin.info/www/bejne/e6mcnJKcrNymra8

[@JsRf13]

this is the best version of King Kong I think I've ever heard. maybe one of the best versions of any song I've ever heard. definitely in the annals of great fucking music.

[@Civilizashum]

I got so bored I bailed. They're not doing anything.

[@JsRf13]

they really are. you're just trying too hard to be cool, so it's okay. just move along.

[@Psychedelic_Psychedeler]

Listen to Good God's version

[@mandoprince1]

I like this, but my favourite version is the one they recorded for the BBC.

[@severalboogie]

Personally, the Boston/Ark/69 version is my favorite as Buzz Gardner blows a solo like no other. This is a close second though.

[@bigdawg7703]

There's that perfect sliver of life that only a few get to travel. I would give most of anything to go back in time and witness this creation were the four sat and changed so many filling voids thought impossible to comprehend. LZ forever.

[@fabrikk60]

Finally - that snork instructional video I've been looking for!

[@LaserGuidedWhitehaus]

Yeah! This band with Don Preston and Bunk Gardner. All those guys. Funny and totally serious at the same time. It's still solid gold.

[@NSY319]

High-quality sound !!!

[@robinbolton6064]

Crazy trivia… the original Mothers lineup played they’re last show ever as an ensemble right down the road here from me in Aug ‘69 just as they were packing up at Woodstock coincidentally. (Ottawa Canada) .The band thought maybe they should have looked into appearing in upstate New York but elected to do a Montreal festival and then a trip here to film a late night TV special instead….after which the flew back to L.A. Where they were promptly disbanded for good. Neat bit a trivia there for ya.

[@generaldefault8861]

This is SOOOOO Damn GOOD!!

[@paulinebutcherbird]

While this was going on, I was living at Frank's log cabin in Laurel Canyon with Gail, his wife, their daughter, Moon Unit and seven others. Read about the extraordinary experience told by a young English girl suddenly thrust in their midst - the only book to describe Zappa's home life day to day. 1968 - 1971. 'Freak Out! My Life with Frank Zappa.'

[@fabrikk60]

Really enjoyed the book! A very realistic account of life in the Zappa household, warts and all. Any FZ fan will learn new and insightful things.

[@paulinebutcherbird]

@@fabrikk60 Thank you for letting me know. Here's the test. Give me one insightful thing you learned!

[@fabrikk60]

@@paulinebutcherbird Hello. I'm going to defer your test, until I read the updated edition of your book! (I only learned of it today.)

[@ingomeyer4153]

Wish i had been to the Essener Songtage 1968...but i was just 5 years old then...

[@ewanleitch-g3h]

Can't get enough of king Kong live recordings, braw song far an out of this world composer and freak band , woww

[@weeooh1]

Zappa introduced Hendrix to the wah-wah.

[@Stinkfoot1403]

Other way around

[@suterb]

Del Casher (the guy that invented the wah pedal) was actually part of the Mothers for a while.

[@G7flat5]

Thanks for this memory

[@deparlaregis7864]

je suis né cette même année, 68, Franck jouait déjà comme ça!? Tu m'étonnes qu'il soit ma référence musicale... 🥰

[@PaulPadoan]

That band could only exist in that time and space continuum, and we hev all been here to experience it, on way or another. Amazing. I don't think music ever will find its way back to orignality in composing.

[@udomatthiasdrums5322]

still love this music!

[@scottberkowitz6530]

Mind blowing this creation in '68. Genius.

[@leethomaston4314]

Eargasm awesome

[@diddywahdaddy]

Shocked big time in a positive way to find this on YT! And with King Kong, as well!! (The BBC version is devine, and so is this)

[@alexspsychedelicchannel2521]

I just saw Dweezil last night and he played the King Kong interlude!!!

[@slunkyferrailleur7799]

Chacun de ses concerts sont différents et passionnants par tant de richesses infinies...

[@tomn9094]

Bunk's look and playing are iconic.

[@gabrieldelasablonniere1814]

Merci beaucoup Ça m'a permis de jouer avec eux au clavier. Ce document est génial

[@jimmypsychonaut9530]

King kong forever

[@Drbellotus]

Many thanks Zappa Jam, much appreciated share!

[@ERAZERHEAD-54]

Impressive beyond grammar’s ability to correlate a proper or adequate explanation. In other words, I just love this!

[@blur5725]

You can’t go wrong with that rhythm section

[@marthabetancourt441]

My Friends, putting in perspective that 52 years ago, there were a bunch o guys capable of doing this music! Zappa "aesthetic, mostly hilarious sense of art" is increasingly growing to the infinite, relentlessly...........I was exposed to this music very late and fragmentarily, for reasons not important to mention. King Kong, as cubism, reflects and deflects in a way that its Reading is everchanging!

[@CCASS1953]

This is great video, great music......

[@marcoviniciochiriboga8970]

Magical!! Fabulous !!! The Muse was there !!

[@rockettebob]

THANK YOU !!! all this vote-in thing makes me worry, but this makes me smile again... i am going to listen and watch again before going about my day...bob

[@dancarter6044]

Great stuff, thanks!

[@Erik-se7sy]

Fantastic footage...thanks for sharing!

[@pbuotte]

Damn - hot playing !

[@pfaffman100]

2017, St. Patrick's day. Perfect find. Big Thank you Zappa Jam.

[@gutmensch9339]

Wonderful song-melody !

[@clintstewart5545]

THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR SHARING MISS YOU FRANK ZAPPA !!!

[@sayeddarwish]

truly amazing!

[@marckustin9531]

Everyone in this room is wearing a uniform. (thanx for posting)

[@scifiwriter98]

At 7:25 Don Preston gets his jam on. This will always be the BEST version of the Mothers band, IMHO.

[@musiclover01ization]

Great performance.

[@OkraProductions]

so fing cool! more! more!

[@instantdogma]

Jim and Art kicking some ass here.

[@r.menzel8020]

Timeless piece of music 🎶

[@marioquintas808]

Sensitivity supreme. Timeless music. There is the sharing.

[@skeen267]

This is fucking spectacular.

[@mikethenumber1]

pretty good Brian Wilson impression by Roy Estrada

[@jasond3938]

No webz for about two weeks , get it back . Going through utube , and this comes up . Epic tune , makes having the internet worth it ✌️👊

[@neonkarat]

Holy shit... I’m blown away.

[@sims9006]

they always were a step further, simply unique.

[@yeshuaeclecticistide7427]

Best version ever

[@robertotto5811]

Damn that was good! Can I have some more?

[@paolamarin2677]

Love Zappa!

[@zaperfan]

1968 IT COULD HAVE BEEN YESTERDAY !!

[@redbully7146]

NOT...stuff can't happen today..thnx liberal sissy whiners...arf...

[@nigelmills3738]

Thank you for posting this. I am familiar with the BBC performance which I think was done the same year, but this is better. Plus the filming it first rate. Any one know who responsible for it? The BBC version is ruined by the awful Tony Palmer style filming which plagued the BBC at the time.

[@zappajams]

A documentation by Michael and Joachim Rüsenberg from 1968, production: WDR Television. More information about the show -> www.mahnert-online.de/songtage-programm.html

[@nigelmills3738]

Zappa Jam Thanks

[@Grithron2]

+Nigel Mills But the filming here's nothing to be proud of. Ian plays a long solo and is never even glimpsed on camera. In fact, save for a brief moment with Bunk (who's not actually doing much) we never see the horn section at all.

[@synthonaplinth5980]

WHAT? No tambourine credit for Motorhead?!?

[@zolarczakl3880]

No snorks credit either. What a travesty!

[@tomn9094]

never required happy to just ride along

[@gianzag7102]

Wow!!!

[@MrHarry0000010]

This is music

[@warshipsatin8764]

yes, music is music

[@gennadyivanov2614]

Заппа навсегда!

[@claudioquadrana7341]

The King Frank

[@scottconnors8419]

Essen show Zappa guitar at like 1:23 solo is amazing,like a badly unbiased fuzztone(maestro may guess?) but the creamy harmonics n octaves or unbiased tubes in amp.. some things awesome about it,been a listener 54 yrs. Thanx for loading,check out the name is The king Kong guitar Solos on youtube XLT comp 67-8+..enjoy..fz is still alive....

[@Lankie89]

Found this by accident!! WOOOOOOOOOOOOW!!!!!

[@jan_Travis]

Sick! Be sure to check out the rest of Zappa if you haven't.

[@boudierantoine912]

GREAT PRESTON ! AND ME !

[@augustohenriques1753]

FZ, the Best!!

[@chuckjls]

Great vocals!

[@liveoak144]

genius.

[@stefannolte6603]

thank you.

[@michumichutek7215]

najlepsze kurwa ech bo nie moge najlepsza wersja bez slów żetam cośtam , dziekujęmimo ze na pamiec znam

[@anAeijingBuffoon]

I'm looking for that second guitar while Zappa is playing rhythm and I think it's Ian Underwood or Bunk Gardner on a clarinet...or a saxophone that certainly sounds like a guitar...

[@earthrider2417]

Jef ier it’s the sax

[@trevorbarre5616]

They obviously thought it was Zappa soloing,when it's Bunk and/or Ian on treated reeds. Same on the well-known OGWT show, when the camera pans around, totally clueless as to where particular sounds came from. Some bands like AMM sought this effect, but here its sheer incomprehension from the German crew?

[@christopherpetersen9956]

OGWT SHOW?

[@christopherpetersen9956]

Aha... Old Grey....of cource 😄

[@bigtone1348]

Such a shock to read about Roy Estrada spending the rest of his life in jail. Another hero deflated!

[@GayleMI]

+bigtone1348 We'll always have his demented falsetto stylings.

[@PaulPadoan]

Agree, just awful crimes.

[@victorfellowes9339]

I never realised what big ears he had.. like the love child of Spock and Prince Charles.. maybe love child is the wrong phrase to use here

[@ProfJazz]

What for - tell me

[@scottconnors8419]

he was def a mentally ill person n abused himself,guy sure could thump the hell outta bass n added a certain thing to the mothers zappa laughed at alot, sad way things end for some,when the musics over.......bend...

[@kenheinrich8859]

Hoping the cameramen would feature Lowell George at some point. He was onstage there somewhere though.

[@trevorbarre5616]

Great rhythm guitar from FZ though!!

[@AndreaTich111]

I love this Frank Zappa with the real Mothers of Invention

[@Raziel...Totenhorn]

Two tamburines. What a power.

[@lidiaadelamalinescu6131]

Exceptional!!!

[@maryshelleysman]

Oh man, Jim Sherwood does a solo on gas mask at the end. Nice!

[@TheGumboVariator]

2:23 Very "Grand Wazoo"-esque moment

[@ChuckSchickx]

Fair to say genius.

[@Yazowl]

the sax and george duke .. they played like impossible things here

[@kacperfornal5998]

There is no george duke in this performane

[@lucasmichaels8558]

I will always prefer the raw dada-esque original Mothers band to the later side-men who...while better technically...sounded too slick in a unpalatable vaudeville-ish kind of way. Just my two cents.

[@GayleMI]

+Michael Lucas Agreed. As for technical superiority, I think the original Mothers could take the music places the later guys couldn't imagine. And while Bozzio & Wackerman, etc. might be better drummers, could either of them pull off a 'Lonesome Cowboy Bertram?'

[@exentr]

I tend to say like Frank when he was asked who's the better guitar player. Vai or him. We are different, he replied. We are different. I just want to add, GayleMI, also 200 Motels and Uncle meat. On the other hand Jimmy Carl Black could never do Black Page for drums. Another epoque is Chester Thompson on drums. Last but not least imagine how much fun if The Mothers didn't dissolve.

[@jabu003]

well......... underwwod ,gardner, art tripp, don preston are NOT first class ?? REALLY ?

[@donaldboyle242]

Did anyone catch Ian Underwood playing the Sax with Wawa pedal?

[@JsRf13]

2:23 as someone who has no idea, does anyone know how this guy got the baritone sax to sound like this? it almost sounds like it's pitched way the hell up and on a wah or something... ??? it sounds cool as hell

[@LinktoLinkGamer]

He has the sax hooked to a wah peddle.

[@5jerry1]

@@LinktoLinkGamer ~ Pedal, not peddle.

[@JsRf13]

@Mouse Fitzgerald wow, thanks for the attentive info! this is all really neat to read, I never knew these effect boxes existed. also looks like I need to learn my saxes lol