Bongo Fury is a collaborative album by American artists Frank Zappa and the Mothers, with Captain Beefheart, released in October 1975. The live portions were recorded on May 20 and 21, 1975, at the Armadillo World Headquarters in Austin, Texas. Tracks 5, 6 and 9 (intro only) are studio tracks recorded in January 1975 (during the sessions which produced One Size Fits All (1975) and much of Studio Tan (1978)).
Overview
The album is a notable entry in Zappa's discography, because it was the last to...
Bongo Fury is a collaborative album by American artists Frank Zappa and the Mothers, with Captain Beefheart, released in October 1975. The live portions were recorded on May 20 and 21, 1975, at the Armadillo World Headquarters in Austin, Texas. Tracks 5, 6 and 9 (intro only) are studio tracks recorded in January 1975 (during the sessions which produced One Size Fits All (1975) and much of Studio Tan (1978)).
Overview
The album is a notable entry in Zappa's discography, because it was the last to feature a majority of his early 1970s band, which appeared on Over-Nite Sensation (1973), Apostrophe (') (1974), Roxy & Elsewhere (1974), and One Size Fits All (1975).
Napoleon Murphy Brock's vocals are featured both on the sprawling "Advance Romance" as well as on the three-part harmonies of "Carolina Hard-Core Ecstasy". Captain Beefheart, in his only tour with Zappa's band, delivers vocals and harmonica on several tracks, including his two short prose readings "Sam with the Showing Scalp Flat Top" and "Man with the Woman Head". Bongo Fury also marks the first appearance of Terry Bozzio, who would become Zappa's featured drummer between 1975 and 1978.
Track listing
All tracks performed by Frank Zappa and Captain Beefheart; all tracks composed by Zappa, except where noted. This is the last original Frank Zappa album on which the band name "The Mothers [of Invention]" is used.
Side one
No.TitleLength
1."Debra Kadabra"3:54
2."Carolina Hard-Core Ecstasy"5:59
3."Sam with the Showing Scalp Flat Top" (Don Van Vliet)2:51
4."Poofter's Froth Wyoming Plans Ahead"3:03
5."200 Years Old"4:32
Side two
No.TitleLength
6."Cucamonga"2:24
7."Advance Romance"11:17
8."Man with the Woman Head" (Don Van Vliet)1:28
9."Muffin Man"
Musicians
Frank Zappa – lead guitar, lead (2, 5, 6, 9) and backing vocals
Captain Beefheart – harp, lead (1, 3, 4, 5, 8, 9) and backing vocals, shopping bags (also soprano sax)
George Duke – keyboards, lead (2, 7) and backing vocals
Napoleon Murphy Brock – sax, lead (2, 7) and backing vocals
Bruce Fowler – trombone, fantastic dancing
Tom Fowler – bass, also dancing
Denny Walley – slide guitar, backing vocals
Terry Bozzio – drums, moisture
Chester Thompson – drums (on "200 Years Old" and "Cucamonga")
Robert "Frog" Camarena – backing vocals on "Debra Kadabra" (uncredited)
Production staff
Michael Braunstein – engineer
Frank Hubach – engineer
Kelly Kotera – engineer
Kerry McNabb – engineer
Davey Moire – engineer
Cal Schenkel – design
John Williams – photography, cover photo
Bob Stone – engineer Read more on Last.fm. User-contributed text is available under the Creative Commons By-SA License; additional terms may apply.
