Burnt Weeny Sandwich
The CDs seem to be the same as the vinyl, except perhaps in overall
sound - the CD is said to have more of a "twittery" reverb,
whereas the vinyl sounds "dry". Also, every release except the
original vinyl (?) has a tiny error in "Little House I Used to Live
In". This is apparently due to the LP production source tape used for
(all?) reissues. The 1995 Ryko CD boasts extra cover/booklet artwork; however,
it loses some CD credits from the Barking Pumpkin issue. (There was a rumour that "Little House I
Used to Live In" and "WPLJ" were shorter on the CD, but they're not.)
We need: A comparison between the '95 CD and the Zappa/old
Ryko CDs, and a better description of the Old Masters LP version.
ESSENTIAL VERSIONS FOR COMPLETISTS: The original LP sounds best, but the CD
versions are OK, if you don't mind the extra layer of reverb. [completist's guide]
Issues
- Original vinyl (Bizarre RS6370 in the US, February 1970
(repressed in 1973); three-colour label Reprise RSLP 6370 in the UK, March 1970 (repressed
in September with one-colour label, probably mustard); brown Reprise RS 6370 in Canada,
with and without gatefold cover)
- German vinyls (RS 6370 (one-colour label, believed to be from 1970); WEA Reprise 44083)
- Italian vinyl (44 083 / RS 6370 - title in red on front cover;
blue Bizarre label)
- French vinyls (Reprise SRV6116, steamboat label, 1971, single sleeve with
the live picture from inside the US gatefold on back cover; also Reprise 44083, 1971?)
- Greek vinyl
- Mexican vinyl (Gamma GX01-397)
- Imaginario Sandwich Quemado - Argentine vinyl (Music Hall
14.011 - white-label promos also issued)
- Australian vinyl (Reprise RS 6370, 1970 -
white-label RS6370 test pressing reported by Steve & Cindy Jones)
- New Zealand vinyl (Reprise RS 6370, 1970, no gatefold
cover)
- Cassette
- 8-track (Reprise 8RM 6370, US)
- Renumbered UK vinyl (Reprise K 44083, July 1971)
- 2 Originals of the Mothers of Invention (Reprise 64 024) -
Dutch and German double LP coupling with Weasels Ripped My Flesh
- UK vinyl re-issue (Reprise K 64024, 1979)
- UK vinyl re-issue (Zappa Records ZAPPA 35, 1987)
- Zappa Records cassette (TZAPPA35)
- The Old Masters vinyl (Barking Pumpkin BPR 8888-3, November
1986)
- Original CD (Barking
Pumpkin D2 74329, October 1991, in the US; Zappa Records CDZAP35 in the UK, October 1991)
- Barking Pumpkin D2 74239 CD, US, October 1991
- Original Japanese CD (VACK 5081)
- Russian CD (Dora JPCD 981453)
- 1995 CD (Ryko RCD 10509, May 2 1995; VACK 5081 in
Japan, renumbered 5216 in 1998)
- 1995 vinyl
- 180-gramme vinyl #1 (1997?)
- 180-gramme vinyl #2 (Simply Vinyl SVLP 25, June 1 1998, UK)
- Japanese paper-sleeve CD (Ryko/VACK 1210,
September 21 2001 - Bizarre inner sleeve/folder)
Original Vinyl
The first US edition seems to have included a bonus poster/insert/attachment:
two-sided, black & white, folds out to 4' by 10", with photos of the Mothers and
a couple of Zappa, and says at the bottom on both sides "The Mothers Of Invention
Sincerely Regret To Inform You".
MICHAEL GULA: Does anyone have insider info on why the intro to "Little
House I Used to Live In" is messed up and whether the fault lies in the
studio tape or in the mastering?
GRAHAM CONNAH: How is it messed up?
MICHAEL PIERRY: There's a little warble, right at the beginning of the
track, but not on the original vinyl release.
BIFFY THE ELEPHANT SHREW: Correct, not on the original vinyl.
But the "warble" showed up on later vinyl pressings. I have a German
LP copy pressed around 1979 (judging by the other LPs advertised on the inner
sleeve [1]) which has the warble. This raises the question of
why a new master (with the flaw) was created sometime between 1970 and 1979.
MICHAEL GULA: It sounds worse than a warble. It sounds like the tape broke,
and when they spliced it together, they overlapped the ends, shortening the
chord. I'll never get used to hearing it that way.
And later.
JWB: This needs to be mastered from the original tape ... not the
later LP-EQ'd master that Frank obviously used.
UK version
From Erik Steaggles (2003):
Burnt Weeny Sandwich was originally released in the UK on Reprise with
the catalogue number RSLP 6370. I have come across three different pressings
with this number. The very first pressing was on the 3-colour steamboat label.
The matrix numbers read "RSLP 6370". The label credits "Igor's
Boogie Phase 1" as "Igor's Bookie Phase 1"!!!. The second
pressing was also on the 3-colour steamboat label. The label credits have been
corrected and the matrix numbers read "K 44083", which is the number
for the 1971 issue. This is definitely not a counterfeit because the matrix
numbers are stamped. The third pressing is on the mustard steamboat label.
Confusing, eh?! I used to own the second pressing, which I sold when I found a
copy of the first pressing. The sound quality is the same on all three
pressings, there is no warble to the intro of "Little House I Used to Live
in". The only other copy I've seen of the first pressing sold on eBay for
around £60, the other 2 pressings are worth £30 and £25 respectively.
Mexican Vinyl
1. W. P. L. J. (The Four Deuces) [Dobard]
2. El Boogie de Igor, Fase 1
3. Obertura para un Dia de Fiesta en Berlin
4. Tema de Burnt Weeny Sandwich
5. Dia de Fiesta en Berlin en Plena Ebullicion
6. Aybe Sea
7. La Casita Donde Yo Vivia
8. Valarie [Clarence Lewis / Bobby Robinson]
Imaginario Sandwich Quemado
From Marcelo
Gasió's Argentine Discography:
Oddity: Ian Anderson (from Jethro Tull) is incorrectly credited as playing the piano
intro of side 2 instead of Ian Underwood.
Australian & New Zealand Vinyl
From Collecting Frank Zappa in Australia - Part
1: The Early Years, an article by Stuart Penny in it - The Australian Record
Collectors Magazine, Issue #14 June-July-August 1995 (provided by Henry
Griggs, Sydney, Australia):
[a black & white back cover] awaited the original NZ issue of Burnt
Weeny Sandwich (Reprise RS 6370) which, apart from its sturdy cover flaps, also
featured a somewhat smaller, strictly monochrome version of the "God! this is a tasty
little sucker!" rear cover photo. The Australian pressing (Reprise RS 6370), by
contrast, boasted a full-colour gatefold sleeve, with only the high-gloss finish giving
any hint as to country of origin.
8-Track
The four "programs", as 8-tracks had:
1. Little House I Used To Live In (Part 1)
2. Little House I Used To Live In (Part 2)
3. Valarie (Part 1)
4. Valarie (Part 2)
5. WPLJ
6. Igor's Boogie, Phase One
7. Overture to a Holiday in Berlin
8. Theme from Burnt Weeny Sandwich (Part 1)
9. Theme From Burnt Weeny Sandwich
8. Igor's Boogie, Phase Two
10. Holiday In Berlin, Full Blown
12. Aybe Sea
Renumbered UK Vinyl
From Record Collector magazine #118, June 1989 (quoted by Mikael
Agardsson):
In 1971 ... Kinney Corporation took over the entire Warner Brothers organisation and
all UK albums (and singles) were renumbered with a "K" prefix Stocks of old
covers were used up by adding "K" number stickers to "RSLP"
sleeves ...
Two Originals of the Mothers of Invention
This is a Dutch and German double issue of
the Burnt Weeny Sandwich and Weasels Ripped My
Flesh albums, housed in a fold-out cover (by a "Patrick von Spreckelsen")
depicting a pistol shooting toothpaste. The inner spread replicates the Burnt
Weeny and Weasels Ripped My Flesh covers, left and
right, but the Burnt Weeny cover has been modified: the word
"STEREO" has been stricken out with white paint, and the title is printed in red
instead of black.
The Old Masters Vinyl
The poster that came with the original vinyl (two-sided, black & white, folds out
to 4' by 10", with photos of the Mothers and a couple of Zappa, and says at the
bottom on both sides "The Mothers Of Invention Sincerely Regret To Inform You")
was reproduced in miniature in the Old Masters version.
Original CD (Barking Pumpkin/Zappa)
Not one of the original Ryko releases.
According to Neil in the UK, the CD has "much better sound quality than the vinyl
album". According to Michael Gula, it has some "twittering"
reverb compared to the "dry" vinyl - see also the
"warble" discussion under the Original Vinyl
heading. There was a rumour that
"Little House I Used to Live In" and "WPLJ" were shorter on the
CD, but they're not. From Juha Sarkkinen:
At least the original CD (Zappa Records) had been remixed. This is revealed by the ADD
on the back cover. [Ed: The Zappa Records series of discs frequently claimed
remixes where none were apparent. That said, can anybody confirm this?]
Artwork Concerns
The original Barking Pumpkin CD is missing the original back cover artwork of
the LP, and it slightly crops some of the other shots (the "tasty sucker" is
amusingly remixed for the back cover, where the thought bubble leads to the UPC
code; it's also represented in its normal state in the booklet). The
1995 CD presents the artwork in a fold-out booklet which
better resembles the layout of the LP.
However, some information from the BP CD booklet is missing on the 1995 CD.
That information is as follows:
Digital EQ by Bob Stone, UMRK, 1990.
1995 CD
The 1995 CD re-issue is allegedly a sonically cleaner version of the original
CD, and contains extra artwork: an inlay sheet behind the tray which Cal Schenkel
characterized as a "previously unused promo-photo by Ed Caraeff of the ever-growing
Mothers (captured directly from the moldy contact sheet)".
The booklet in this release contains the teeny-tiny notation "Digitally
Remastered 1986." This is likely then a "tweaked" version of the digital master
used for the Old Masters release.
Official statement from Ryko: "New master. New timing sheet. Cleaned up audible
garbage. [Ed: Anybody know what this refers to?] Restored artwork." [full statement]
1995 CD versus the Old CD
A quick'n'dirty comparison of the BP CD and the Ryko '95 revealed no
differences on several tracks. What's this "audible garbage" referring to, then?
Japanese Paper-Sleeve Version (2001-2002)
Starting in 2001, Video Arts Music released a limited-edition series (2000
copies each) of Zappa CDs in
paper sleeves - miniature LP sleeves. There was nothing special about this
series other than the covers, which were very well done - inserts and
"bonuses" were reproduced, the albums that originally had gatefold
covers got little miniature gatefolds, and cover track lists were exactly as on
the corresponding LPs, even in cases where the CD has bonus tracks or a
different track order. Included in this series were some entries that never had
"proper" LP issues, i.e. Läther. Additionally, some rarities--like the "green/gold"
cover of Chunga's Revenge--were reproduced as special items in this run.
We need to stress that the sound quality of these discs matches the US
Ryko issues, which they are clearly derived from. These are collectors
items, not new remastered editions.
LATE-2005-UPDATE: Ryko USA has apparently been importing the overstock
of these releases to sell as domestic "special editions," causing the
speculators who paid top dollar for the entire collection to hari-kari
themselves. This includes some of the discs that, as of August 2005, were pretty
hard to find ("Money" and others).
1995 Vinyl
In 1995, Ryko re-released this album not only on CD, but also on vinyl. It is exactly
the same version as the 1995 CD in a copy of the original vinyl
cover. Also re-issued was a We're Only In It for the Money LP.
180-Gramme Vinyls
FACT: a company called Simply Vinyl re-released Burnt
Weeny Sandwich and Weasels Ripped My Flesh on 180-gramme vinyl in the
UK in 1998. HOWEVER: there may have been another 180-gramme release of
these two albums in the UK in 1997, and we'll deal with these two releases one at a time.
1997
Here's what happened in September 1997. Tony Burke raised the question:
A mail order company advertising in this month's UK Record Collector have Weasels Ripped My Flesh and Burnt Weeny re-issues
now availalble on 180-gramme re-issue deluxe pressings with heavy-duty sleeves and
original artwork at £14.99 UK. Anyone know anything about these?
Biffy the Elephant Shrew chimed in:
The cover reproduction on Burnt Weeny Sandwich is suspiciously
poor - looks like a counterfeit. Note the white edges along the thought balloon. Is
any licensing info provided?
And Spence Chrislu at the UMRK
answered:
Beware. I know that they did not use the original masters for these releases, so I'm
sure it came from a CD or perhaps a recording from another, lesser-quality vinyl. We've
also never authorized anyone to re-issue the original art.
John Hopkins added that:
It says "Licensed from Rykodisc" on the inner gatefold. The record itself
sounds wonderful, but there's precious little in the way of liner notes.
1998
Here's what happened in 1998: A company called Simply Vinyl re-released both albums (Burnt
Weeny Sandwich and Weasels Ripped My Flesh) on
180-gramme vinyl. As of spring 1999, this company had a web site at http://www.simplyvinyl.com. From Tony
Burke, November 1997:
According to the latest Mojo mag, a company called Simply Vinyl are to
release Weasels Ripped My Flesh and Burnt Weeny
on 180-gramme vinyl, complete with 30-gramme card covers, with orginal artwork and taken
from analogue masters. According to Mike Loveday, boss of SV these will be "fresh
from the farm integrity packs".
From Kristian Kier, April 1999:
Matrix Numbers: SVLP 0025 A-1-1- and SLVP 0025 B-2-1-.
Made in the UK. Released in the UK on June 1 1998, and in Germany as a UK import on March
22 1999. Price in Germany: 43,95DM (April 1999) (fucking expensive!).
All songs by Frank Zappa, except "WPLJ" and "Valarie", and are
controlled for the World by The Zappa Family Trust d/b/a Frank Zappa Music, Inc. (BMI), or
The Zappa Family Trust d/b/a Munchkin Music (ASCAP)
Original Engineer: Dick Kunc. Digitally remastered 1986. Cover art by Cal Schenkel. Album
design by John Williams.
(P) 1991 Rykodisc
(C) 1970, 1995 The Zappa Family Trust
Reproduced under license. All rights reserved.
Unauthorised duplication is a violation of applicable laws.
[Logo] Simply Vinyl
Licensed from Rykodisc
Track list: side one: 1. WPLJ (02:52), 2. Igor's Boogie Phase One (00:36), 3. Overture
to a holiday in Berlin (01:27), 4. Theme from Burnt Weeny Sandwich (04:32), 5. Igor's
Boogie, Phase Two (00:36), 6. Holiday in Berlin, Full Blown (06:23), 7. Aybe Sea (02:46).
Side two: 1. The Little House I Used to Live in (18:41), 2. Valarie (03:14).
The labels were dark orange with their logo and brand name on the top, along with all
other info you might expect on a label. Nothing spectacular about it, but still different
from the original one ... :) The cover is, I think, a complete and good reproduction
of the original gatefold cover. I can't check it myself, I don't have an original in my
collection yet. Compared to the Zappa Records CD it has Jimmy
Carl Black included in the photo with Frank and Roy. The record is placed in an additional
plastic outer sleeve (similar to the Baby Snakes picture
disc), which has two silver stickers on it. The first is on the front, saying:
[Logo] Simply Vinyl
LIMITED EDITION VINYL LP
Classic Albums
180gr. Virgin Vinyl Pressings
Heavy Quality Sleeves
The second one is on the back and its function is to be a seal to protect the album
from being opened. Round shape which says:
LIMITED EDITION VINYL LP
[Logo]
Simply Vinyl
Seal of
Quality
Also included with the album is a flyer with the anouncement of other albums being
released.
Neither of these Burnt Weeny Sandwich packages include the original
poster (two-sided, black & white, folds out to 4' by 10", with photos of the
Mothers and a couple of Zappa, and says at the bottom on both sides "The Mothers of
Invention Sincerely Regret to Inform You").
Questions
- Any regional peculiarities?
- Any details on cassette releases?
- Any 8-track details?
- Was the poster included in the 1995 vinyl package?
- Any details about the Russian CD?
- Is the Greek vinyl legit?
- Are the 180gram vinyl releases sourced from the digital masters?
- How are the older discs different from each other, and from the current
stock CD?
Additional Informants
Tony Burke, Neil in the UK, the Spence Chrislu, John Hopkins, Román García Albertos,
Mikael Agardsson, Peter Öberg, Richard Kolke, Jos van Galen, Gonçalo, Mexpressings,
Patrick Moore, Steve Jones
Footnotes
[1] Including Armed Forces, Van Halen II, George
Harrison, Thanks, I'll Eat It Here, Cosmic Messenger ...
and Studio Tan.
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