Yesterday, an eight minute feature aired on NPR entitled Frank Zappa: A ‘Lumpy’ Legacy’. From the intro:
Gail Zappa is going after cover bands she accuses of “identity theft.” Her lawyers have sent scores of cease-and-desist letters. But many of the people who continue to perform Frank Zappa’s music say they don’t need permission.
The mini-docu contains quotes from Andre Cholmondeley, Ike Willis, David Fricke, and of course: Gail Zappa… Happy listening! 😉
(thx John W. & Rick W.)
Update 04/11: From the NPR page: “After our story aired, NPR was asked to take down the two Frank Zappa pieces we had been given permission to stream.” Part of the ZFT marketing department’s effort to further promote Zappa’s music, I reckon?
watch your ass, ian tanner
ps : too bad the ship arrived too soon (nudge nudge wink wink)
What a broken record. Does she talk about anything else?
“After our story aired, NPR was asked to take down the two Frank Zappa pieces we had been given permission to stream.”
At least this NPR mini-doc tried to be objective and to report all sides of the story (unlike the one-sided rehashing of GZ’s p.o.v. one so often hears on commercial radio). It was great to hear Andre Cholmondeley’s position backed up by all those lawyers…
great documentary. i was compelled to put on Lumpy Gravy.
ha ha, this is rich. Gail the Litigious gets upset when a news organization covers her exploits!? I wonder if she does brunch with Sarah Palin so they can exchange notes?
The latest on this story is that ZFT has revoked the permission they gave to stream two pieces on the NPR website. One more stupid business decision by GZ, who obviously wants this music to die.
“Don’t hurt yourself”? Patronising cow.
[quote comment=”4940″]What a broken record. Does she talk about anything else?[/quote]
Does she have anything else to talk about?
For some reason these lines from Harry You’re A Beast just popped into my head: “Your whole attitude stinks, I say, and the life you lead is completely empty.” Now, to whom might that apply?
beer
[quote comment=”4982″]”Don’t hurt yourself”? Patronising cow.[/quote]
Yeah I felt that.. like she knows, she has never learnt to play any of it while a huge number of people out in the world do and learn it well. As time progresses and as young musicians get better and better FZ will become more and more standard musical vocabulary rather than the insanely difficult stuff it was in the past… same as what happened with the musical vocabulary of other composers.