Kill Ugly Radio: Frank Zappa & Elsewhere

King Kong – Mother of All Monster Songs

From its first introduction in 1967, Frank Zappa‘s “King Kong” was a composition made for solos – horn solos, keyboard solos, drum solos, guitar solos. “King Kong” had them all. It was also a vehicle for extensive jamming. So, no matter the tour, no matter the particular ensemble, Zappa was there to determine exactly how structured the piece would or wouldn’t be, and what kind of atmosphere the particular solos would create – thus making “King Kong” a fan favourite whether it was performed by the original Mothers of Invention, the Hot Rats Band, The Roxy Band, or any of Zappa’s ensembles from the 1980s.

Of the well over 100 plus versions of “King Kong” in my own personal collection, the versions below exhibit those necessary elements that make “King Kong” the mother of all monster songs that it is. This is where Zappa separates “the floss from the chaff” or so we say here on the prairie. Give ‘em a listen and you’ll hear why:

KK – Color Me Pop, BBC Studios, London, United Kingdom, 23 October 1968

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KK – Congress Centrum Hamburg, Hamburg, West Germany, 8 June 1982

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KK – Deutschlanhalle, Berlin, Germany, 15 February 1978

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KK – Eilenriedhalle, Hannover, Germany, 26 March 1979

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KK – Essen, Gruga Halle, Germany, 26 September 1968

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KK – Family Dog, Denver, Colorado, 3 May 1968

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KK – The Grande Ballroom, Detroit, Michigan, 28 April 1969 (Early Show)

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KK – Hammersmith Odeon, London, United Kingdom, 18 June 1982

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KK – Hemmerleinhalle, Neunkirchen am Brand, West Germany, 25 February 1978

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KK – Indiana University Auditorium, Bloomington, Indiana, 22 November 1981

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KK – Konserthuset, Stockholm, Sweden, 30 September 1967

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KK – Lawrence University Chapel, Appleton, Wisconsin, 23 May 1969

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KK – Music Hall, Cleveland, Ohio, 5 March 1988

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KK – Fullerton College, Fullerton, California, 8 November 1968

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KK – Olympia, Paris, France, 26 October 1968

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KK – Palais Gaumont, Paris, France, 15 December 1970

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KK – Palladium, New York City, New York, 31 October 1981 (Late Show)

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KK – State University of New York, Stonybrook, New York, 3 November 1984 (Early Show)

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KK – Veteran’s Memorial Auditorium, Columbus, Ohio, 20 November 1970

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KK – Voorst National Hall, Brussels, Belgium, 26 February 1978

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Beauty didn’t kill the beast – Igor Stravinsky did!