Here are corrections to some of the errors in The Big Note. I have not listed inconsistencies in punctuation (such as missing serial commas) or capitalization (such as "the Mothers").
| Page | Printed | Correction | Comments |
|---|---|---|---|
| xvi | ‘Self-Control’ in St. Petersburg on December 1 | ‘Self Control’ in St. Petersburg on December 1 | The erroneous hyphen also appears on pp. 126 (twice) and 664. But I got it right on p. 675. |
| xxiv | It does include chapters on each of the albums in the first two Beat The Boots sets. Altogether, there are 105 chapters. | It includes chapters on compilations of previously-released material put together by FZ, but not on those put together by record companies. Altogether, there are 91 chapters, plus an appendix on the 15 albums in the first two Beat The Boots sets. | Moving all the Beat The Boots chapters into an appendix was a last-minute change to keep the book under 800 pages. |
| xxv | The last paragraph before the song-by-song section indicates whether the 2012 CD is identical to the 1995 CD or whether it has been remastered from the original analog masters. | The last paragraph before the song-by-song section indicates whether the 2012 CD is sonically identical to the 1995 CD or whether it has been remastered from the original analog masters. | |
| xxix | This line-up is heard on We’re Only In It For The Money (without Collins) and ’Tis The Season To Be Jelly. | This line-up is heard on We’re Only In It For The Money (without Collins) and ’Tis The Season To Be Jelly (with Collins). | |
| xxix | Ray Collins left and returnd, as did Don Preston. | Ray Collins left and returned, as did Don Preston. | |
| xxix | This line-up is featured on The Ark and parts of Burnt Weenie Sandwich, Weasels Ripped My Flesh, Finer Moments, and YCDTOSA 5. | This line-up is featured on The Ark and parts of Burnt Weeny Sandwich, Weasels Ripped My Flesh, Finer Moments, and YCDTOSA 5. | |
| xxxii (September 1972) | Jim Gordon had played in a session in 1966—from which nothing is known to have been released. | Jim Gordon had played in a session led by FZ in 1966—for a single by Tommy Flanders. | ‘Friday Night City’/‘Reputation’ |
| xxxv (June–December 1974) | This band is featured on YCDTOSA 2, One Size Fits All, and parts of Studio Tan, Sleep Dirt, and The Dub Room Special. | This band is featured on YCDTOSA 2, One Size Fits All, A Token Of His Extreme, and parts of Studio Tan, Sleep Dirt, and The Dub Room Special. | |
| xxxvi (October 1976–March 1977) | Malone, Marini, and Rubin played with FZ on his 1978 appearance on Saturday Night Live. | Malone and Marini played with FZ on his 1978 appearance on Saturday Night Live. | The band line-up for FZ’s 1976 appearance on Saturday Night Live (including Al Rubin on trumpet) was deleted from this section, but the mention of Rubin in this sentence was inadvertently retained. |
| xlii | Thanks to David Allen of the Inland Valley Daily Bulletin for locating the Sinners and Saints Tavern. | Thanks to Donna Halper for determining the recording date of The Ark and to David Allen of the Inland Valley Daily Bulletin for locating the Sinners and Saints Tavern. | |
| xlii | Those who have shared information from their own areas of expertise peripherally related to FZ include Corry Arnold, Bruno Ceriotti, Marv Goldberg, George Grant, Taylor Jessen, Hank Knox, Bill Poser, Eric Predoehl, and undoubtedly others that I’ve forgotten. | Those who have shared information from their own areas of expertise peripherally related to FZ include Corry Arnold, Gage Averill, Bruno Ceriotti, Marv Goldberg, George Grant, Taylor Jessen, Hank Knox, Elizabeth McLeod, Bill Poser, Eric Predoehl, and undoubtedly others that I’ve forgotten. | I told you I’d forgotten someone. |
| xlii | ... Alan Estes, Roy Estrada, Glenn Ferris, John Franklin, Bunk Gardner... | ... Alan Estes, Roy Estrada, Glenn Ferris, John Franklin, Chris Garcia, Bunk Gardner... | |
| 13 | The references to ‘lawsuits’ and ‘ye olde royalties’ allude to the fact that several members of the MOI sued FZ over royalties for the Beat The Boots sets. | The references to ‘lawsuits’ and ‘ye olde royalties’ allude to the fact that several members of the MOI sued FZ over royalties for the Old Masters sets. | |
| 27 | This album was recorded at the Palladium in New York City in October 1977, except for the title track, with was recorded in London, England, four months later. | This album was recorded at the Palladium in New York City in October 1977, except for the title track, which was recorded in London, England, four months later. | |
| 30 (n. 2) | Frank Talk: The Inside Story of Zappa’s Other People | Frank Talk: The Inside Stories Of Zappa’s Other People | |
| 32 | (But you know sometimes words have two meanings. See Zoot Allures. | (But you know sometimes words have two meanings. See Zoot Allures.) | |
| 37 (The Torture Never Stops, Part One) | My Three Sons (3:17–3:29) | My Three Sons (3:17–3:31) | The tag played by the horn section after "All men be cursed" is part of the quotation too. |
| 37 (Lonesome Cowboy Burt) | The musical quotations from Julius Fučík’s ‘Entry Of The Gladiators’ (‘the circus lick’ at 0:57–0:59) and Laurie Anderson’s ‘O Superman’ (2:17–3:09, 3:15–3:55) were regular features of the arrangement. | The musical quotation from Laurie Anderson’s ‘O Superman’ (2:17–3:09, 3:15–3:55) was a regular feature of the arrangement. The musical quotation from Julius Fučík’s ‘Entry Of The Gladiators’ (‘the circus lick’ at 0:57–0:59) was unique to the Pittsburgh performance. | |
| 39 (Stairway To Heaven) | ‘Tarantella Calabrese’… ‘March Of The Cuckoos’ | ‘Tarantella Napoletana’… ‘Dance Of The Cuckoos’ | |
| 54 (Stolen Moments) | It edits from Musgegon to Chcago at 1:23. | It edits from Muskegon to Chicago at 1:23. | |
| 54 (Murder By Numbers) | ‘Murder By Numbers’ was written by Sting and Andy Summers, and recorded by The Police for their 1983 album Synchronicity. | ‘Murder By Numbers’ was written by Sting and Andy Summers, and first released as the b-side of ‘Every Breath You Take’ by The Police. | |
| 55 (What Kind Of Girl?) | ‘What Kind Of Girl?’ contains musical quotations (with the original lyrics) from ‘Lucy In The Sky With Diamonds’ (1:42–1:55, 2:21–2:24) and was followed by a reprise of that song (with the Swaggart lyrics). | ‘What Kind Of Girl?’ contains musical quotations (with the original lyrics) from ‘Strawberry Fields Forever’ (1:42–1:55, 2:21–2:24) and was followed by a reprise of ‘Lucy In The Sky With Diamonds’ (with the Swaggart lyrics). | |
| 57 (n. 25) | Frank Talk: The Inside Story of Zappa’s Other People | Frank Talk: The Inside Stories Of Zappa’s Other People | |
| 90 | Peter Sellers, the opera producer… | Peter Sellars, the opera producer… | |
| 115 (Later That Night) | he had borrowed it from Bobby Marshall. | he had borrowed it from Bobby Marchan. | |
| 126 (Trouble Every Day; Penguin In Bondage) | Laura Branigan’s ‘Self-Control’ | Laura Branigan’s ‘Self Control’ | |
| 133 (Todd Yvega) | Todd B. Smith was born in San Luis Obisbo, California, on October 30, 1958. | Todd B. Smith was born in San Luis Obispo, California, on October 30, 1958. | |
| 143 (What Kind Of Girl?) | The last thirty-five seconds of ‘Do You Like My New Car?’ on the LP are treated as part of ‘Bwana Dik’ on the CD. | The last thirty-five seconds of ‘What Kind Of Girl Do You Think We Are?’ on the LP are treated as part of ‘Bwana Dik’ on the CD. | |
| 185 (Notes) | 1. FZ, as bogus disc jockey, Star Special, BBC1, January 21, 1980. | 1. FZ, as bogus disc jockey, Star Special, BBC1, January 27, 1980. | |
| 210 (radio spots) | Strangely, only three of them featured music from the album—two edits of a spot with ‘Peaches En Regalia’ and another with ‘Little Umbrellas’. Another spot featured a violin solo by Sugarcane Harris, which probably came from the Hot Rats recording sessions. | Strangely, only four of them featured music from the album—two edits of a spot with music from ‘Peaches En Regalia’, one with an excerpt from ‘Little Umbrellas’, and one with an excerpt from ‘Gumbo Variations’. | |
| 218 (Imaginary Diseases) | That’s why we brought you down here to show you the imaginarsy diseases of the future.4 | That’s why we brought you down here to show you the imaginary diseases of the future.4 | |
| 232 (Plastic People) | The nonsense line ‘Chee poppa doodly woppa’ is also heard in ‘The World’s Greatest Sinner’ by Baby Ray and the Ferns, which FZ produced at Studio Z in 1963. | The nonsense line ‘Chee poppa doodly woppa’ is also heard in ‘Well, I’ll Be John Brown’ by Huey ‘Piano’ Smith and FZ’s own ‘The World’s Greatest Sinner’. | We can assume that FZ was familiar with ‘Well,
I’ll Be John Brown’, since he played the flip-side, ‘Don’t
You Know Yockomo’, when he was a bogus disc jockey
on KPPC-FM, Pasadena, November 27, 1968.
Also, although ‘The World’s Greatest Sinner’ was released in 1963, it was reportedly produced by Paul Buff at Pal Studio in November 1961. |
| 242 (Catholic Girls) | ‘Tarantella Calabrese’ | ‘Tarantella Napoletana’ | |
| 335 | FZ is wielding a flyswatter (given go him by audience member Deepinder Cheema) to ward off the swarms of mosquitoes. | FZ is wielding a flyswatter (given to him by audience member Deepinder Cheema) to ward off the swarms of mosquitoes. | |
| 339 (Dangerous Kitchen) | Lisa Popiel | Lisa Popeil | |
| 341 (Jazz Discharge Party Hats) | Recorded at a concert in Carbondale, Illinois on November 15, 1980. | Recorded at a concert in Normal, Illinois on November 21, 1980. | |
| 346 (Trouble Every Day) | Like the album version, it is missing the opening snare drum hit heard on the single. | Like the stereo album version, it is missing the opening snare drum hit heard on the single and the mono album. | |
| 349 (Trouble Every Day) | Starts with a single snare drum hit not heard in the album version. | Starts with a single snare drum hit not heard in the stereo album version. | |
| 360 (Metal Man) | ... the comic contains an ad for Hawkman #1 proclaiming ‘Hawkman has ‘won his wings’ and ‘Wheet! Wheet!’ | ... the comic contains an ad for Hawkman #1 proclaiming ‘Hawkman has “won his wings”’ and ‘Wheet! Wheet!’ | |
| 370 (Australian Yellow Snow) | The band is: George Duke (keyboards), Bruce Fowler (trombone), Tom Fowler (bass), Ralph Humphrey (drums), Jean-Luc Ponty (violin), Ian Underwood (saxophone), Ruth Underwood (percussion), and FZ (guitar). | The band is: George Duke (keyboards), Bruce Fowler (trombone), Tom Fowler (bass), Ralph Humphrey (drums), Sal Marquez (trumpet), Jean-Luc Ponty (violin), Ian Underwood (saxophone), Ruth Underwood (percussion), and FZ (guitar). | |
| 393 | (They had been performed in concert at the Theatre de la Ville the day before, along with works by Elliott Carter, Charles Ives, and Carl Ruggles.) | (They had been performed in concert at the Théâtre de la Ville the day before, along with works by Elliott Carter, Charles Ives, and Carl Ruggles.) | |
| 408 (Muffin Man) | (In other concerts, FZ said... ‘...an older, more sinister Jack LaLanne’.5 | (In other concerts, FZ said... ‘...an older, more sinister Jack LaLanne’.)5 | Actually, FZ was younger than Andersen, Clark, and LaLanne. |
| 421 (Lumpy Gravy) | On the 1995 CD, it is part of ‘Envelopes The Bath Tub’. | On the 1995 CD, it is part of ‘Envelops The Bath Tub’. | |
| 451 (Chester Thompson) | He was great to travel with, too. A hilarious guy.7 | He was great to travel with, too. A hilarious guy.8 | |
| 476 | DISC TWO 1. Soup ’N Old Clothes 7:56 |
7. Soup ’N Old Clothes 7:56 | This was wrong even for the three-disc 1995 CD! |
| 477 | 2. Variations On The Carlos Santana Secret Chord Progression 3:58 | 8. Variations On The Carlos Santana Secret Chord Progression 3:58 | |
| 477 | 3. Gee, I Like Your Pants 2:32 | 9. Gee, I Like Your Pants 2:32 | |
| 477 | 4. Canarsie 6:09 | 10. Canarsie 6:09 | |
| 478 | 5. Ship Ahoy 5:23 | 11. Ship Ahoy 5:23 | |
| 478 | 6. The Deathless Horsie 6:21 | DISC TWO 1. The Deathless Horsie 6:21 |
|
| 478 | 7. Shut Up ’N Play Yer Guitar Some More 6:53 | 2. Shut Up ’N Play Yer Guitar Some More 6:53 | |
| 478 | 8. Pink Napkins 4:39 | 3. Pink Napkins 4:39 | |
| 479 | DISC THREE 1. Beat It With Your Fist 1:58 |
4. Beat It With Your Fist 1:58 | |
| 480 | 2. Return Of The Son Of Shut Up ’N Play Yer Guitar 8:31 | 5. Return Of The Son Of Shut Up ’N Play Yer Guitar 8:31 | |
| 480 | 3. Pinocchio’s Furniture 2:05 | 6. Pinocchio’s Furniture 2:05 | |
| 480 | 4. Why Johnny Can’t Read 4:36 | 7. Why Johnny Can’t Read 4:36 | |
| 480 | 5. Stucco Homes 9:08 | 8. Stucco Homes 9:08 | |
| 480 | 6. Canard Du Jour 9:59 | 9. Canard Du Jour 9:59 | |
| 489 | I was so disapointed when it was sneaked out with the other two discs with no promotion or even any fanfare at all... | I was so disappointed when it was sneaked out with the other two discs with no promotion or even any fanfare at all... | |
| 508 (You Are What You Is) | It is also heard in ‘The Untouchables’ (Broadway The Hard Way). | It is also heard in ‘No Not Now’ (Ship Arriving Too Late To Save A Drowning Witch) and ‘The Untouchables’ (Broadway The Hard Way). | |
| 521 (Peaches) | a traditional Calabrian tarantella | a traditional Neapolitan tarantella | aka ‘Tarantella Napoletana’ |
| 528 (Dweezil Zappa) | Ozzy Osborne | Ozzy Osbourne | |
| 549 (Magic Fingers) | The final monologue (‘Well, there are a lot of reasons…’) was listed in the shooting script as a separate musical number, entitled ‘Soundly About The Tits And Buttocks’. | The final monologue (‘Well, there are a lot of reasons…’) was followed in the shooting script by a separate musical number, entitled ‘Soundly About The Tits And Buttocks’. | A fall 1973 rehearsal of ‘Soundly About The Tits And Buttocks’ can be heard at the end of ‘Magic Fingers’ on Halloween ’73. |
| 552 (Strictly Genteel) | Lisa Popiel | Lisa Popeil | |
| 566 (Cruising For Burgers) | It was sung by Ray Collins and FZ in May 1970, by Flo & Eddie from June 1970 through 1971. | It was sung by Ray Collins and FZ in May 1970, by Flo & Eddie from June 1970 through 1971, and by Ike Willis and FZ in 1988. | |
| 574 (Your Mouth) | The vocals are by Kris Peterson (6:32–6:41) and Sal Marquez (6:41–6:43). | The vocals are by Kris Peterson (mostly left) and Sal Marquez (center, right). | These are the time references for the vocals on ‘Waka/Jawaka’. |
| 574 (Waka/Jawaka) | Sal Marquez transcribed part of FZ’s solo (6:32–7:09) and doubled it on three trumpets and vocal. | Sal Marquez transcribed part of FZ’s solo (6:32–7:09) and doubled it on three trumpets. Portions are doubled vocally by Kris Peterson (6:32–6:41) and Sal Marquez (6:41–6:43). | |
| 581 | It thus lacks the additional matrerial heard on twentieth-century CDs. | It thus lacks the additional material heard on twentieth-century CDs. | |
| 583 (Don Preston) | The Mothers performed his compositions ‘Eye Of Agamotto’ and Aegospotamos’ in the 1960s, but no recordings of the latter are in circulation. | The Mothers performed his compositions ‘Eye Of Agamotto’ and ‘Aegospotamos’ in the 1960s, but no recordings of the latter are in circulation. | |
| 584 (Gas Mask) | It edits from London to Miami Beach at 3:40. | It edits from London to Miami Beach at 3:26. | The edit is at 3:40 on the 1995 CD, but at 3:26 on the 2012 CD. |
| 626 (Pound For A Brown) | The chamber orchestra arrangement of ‘Pound For A Brown’/‘Exercise #4’ is not available for rental. | The chamber orchestra arrangement of ‘Pound For A Brown’/‘Exercise #4’ is available for rental from Schott Music. | A recent development. |
| 633 (Harder Than Your Husband) | It was usually preceded by ‘Teen-age Wind’ (except in 1982) and followed ‘Bamboozled By Love’. | It was usually preceded by ‘Teen-age Wind’ (except in 1982) and followed by ‘Bamboozled By Love’. | |
| 640 (Dumb All Over) | On all tours, FZ played a guitar solo. | On all tours except 1982, FZ played a guitar solo. | |
| 646 (Louie Louie) | The Kingsemen’s version was #2 for six weeks... | The Kingsmen’s version was #2 for six weeks... | |
| 656 (George Duke) | George Duke played Fender Rhodes, Farfisa Professional organ, RMI electronic piano, and trombone with The Mothers from June 1970 through February 1971. | George Duke played Fender Rhodes, Farfisa Professional organ, and RMI electronic piano with The Mothers from June 1970 through February 1971. Starting in September 1970, he played trombone too. | |
| 657 (George Duke) | Duke is heard on 200 Motels... and The Amazing Mr. Bickford. | This whole paragraph appears in more complete form on p. 656. | |
| 663 (Advance Romance) | ‘Tarantella Calabrese’ | ‘Tarantella Napoletana’ | |
| 664 (Drowning Witch) | Laura Branigan’s ‘Self-Control’ | Laura Branigan’s ‘Self Control’ | |
| 673 (Filthy Habits) | On some copies, the credits for ‘baseball vocals’ and ‘tumpet solo’ are erroneously carried over from the previous track. | On some copies, the credits for ‘baseball vocals’ and ‘tumpet [sic] solo’ are erroneously carried over from the previous track. | |
| 689 (Camarillo Brillo) | The musical quotations... were regular parts of the 1984 arrangement. | The musical quotations... had been regular parts of the arrangement since 1981. | |
| 701 (Black Page #2) | Overdubs probably include Jobson on piano and Ruth Underwood on synthesizer. | Ruth Underwood overdubbed piano and synthesizer. | |
| 709 (Disco Boy) | |The place was decorated like a playboy-type living room... | The place was decorated like a playboy-type living room... | |
| 726 (Our Man In Nirvana) | This album was recorded in the gymnasium of California State University, Fullerton, on November 8, 1968. | This album was recorded in the gymnasium of California State College at Fullerton on March 15, 1969 (not November 8, 1968, as stated on the insert). | The name change to CSUF took place in 1972. |
| 748 | Any Kind Of Pain 48 | Any Kind Of Pain 49 |
Thanks to Oscar Bianco, Pat Buzby, Michael P. Dawson, Matthew Galaher, Román García Albertos, Andrew Greenaway, oofers, Lewis Saul, Chato Segerer, Tan Mitsugu, and TwentySmallCigars for pointing out errors. If you find any others, please let me know.
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