Music Diary – 21st December

Welcome to my Music Diary – today for the 21st December!

ZappaprofHappy birthday to Frank Vincent Zappa, who was born on the 21st December 1940 in Baltimore, Maryland! The American musician was one of the most innovative and outstanding artists in rock history, who recorded over 60 albums of nearly all kind of music from Rock to Jazz up to Avant-Garde, Classical and contemporary music.


In 1966 his first album “Freak Out!” with The Mothers of Invention was released. With this double LP set, Frank Zappa became very fast the new and radical voice in the music scene. The follow-ups “Absolutely Free”, “Lumpy Gravy” (both 1967) and “We’re Only in It for the Money” (1968) proved his innovative and fresh style of mixing all kinds of music. With “Uncle Meat“ (1969) Zappa and his group went another step further into Avant-Garde, before Frank recorded his first solo album “Hot Rats” (featuring guest vocals Captain Beefheart on “Willie the Pimp”). This LP is still considered as one of the first Jazz-Rock-Fusion recordings ever. In the seventies Frank Zappa entered the charts with the milestones “Over-Nite Sensation” (1973), “Apostrophe” (1974), “One Size Fits All” (1975), “Sheik Yerbouti” (1978 – feat. the hit single “Bobby Brown„) and the trilogy “Joe’s Garage” (1979). Also in the eighties the multi-instrumentalist recorded further albums and in November 1993 the orchestral music piece “The Yellow Shark“, which was recorded live in Europe one year before, hit the stores. Only one month later, Frank Zappa passed away. He died on the 4th December 1993 from prostate cancer at the age of 53.

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Music Diary – 4th December

Welcome to my Music Diary – today for the 4th December!

Frank Zappa

On the 4th December 1993 one of the most outstanding musicians passed away: Frank Vincent Zappa died at the age of 53. The American musician was born on the 21st Decmeber 1940 in Baltimore, Maryland. Zappa composed in his long and unique career nearly all kind of music from Rock to Jazz up to Classical. In over thirty years the multiinstrumentalist recorded over 60 albums.


In the fifties Frank Zappa met Don Van Vliet who later changed his stagename into Captain Beefheart. They became friends and around that time Frank started to play drums in a Californian band called „The Blackouts“. In 1957 he improved more and more his guitar skills. During the early sixties Zappa wrote, produced and recorded on many different projects. In 1965 he joined the local band „Soul Giants“ by invitation from Ray Collins, who asked him to take over as the guitarist. Shortly after that the group was renamed in The Mothers and Zappa became the frontman. In 1966 the label Verve insisted to change the name into The Mothers of Invention and the debut album „Freak Out!“ was released. The double LP-set features a very innovative mixture of all kind of music genres and showed Zappa as a very radical and new voice in the music scene. In 1967 the second album „Absolutely Free“ featuring the songs „Plastic People“ and „Brown Shoes don’t make it“ hit the stores. Zappa about this record: „We’re satirists, and we are out to satirize everything.“

The follow-up „Lumpy Gravy“ was another prove of Zappa’s unbelievable diversity in music. After moving with his wife Gail Zappa (born Adelaide Gail Sloatman) and his band to New York, the milestone „We’re Only in It for the Money“ (1968) was released. The cover was designed as a parody of The Beatles‚ „Sgt Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band.“ In the same year „Cruising with Ruben & the Jets“ was recorded and in 1969 the opulent „Uncle Meat“ feat. the track „King Kong“ confirmed one more Zappa’s widely creativeness. Then the band disbanded and Frank Zappa released his first official solo album called „Hot Rats“ featuring the songs „Peaches en Regalia“ and „Willie the Pimp“ (guest vocals by Captain Beefheart). This LP is still considered as one of the first Jazz-Rock-Fusion recordings.

In the seventies a short reunion of The Mothers of Invention took place and with the three LPs „Over-Nite Sensation“ (1973), „Apostrophe“ (1974) and „One Size Fits All“ (1975) Frank Zappa entered the album charts and earned commercial success. Also with the following albums, especially „Sheik Yerbouti“ with the hit single „Bobby Brown“ (1978) and the trilogy „Joe’s Garage“ (1979).


In the Eighties, Frank Zappa continued recording a wide range of records with all different music styles. On the 2nd November 1993 his last recording was released: The orchestral music piece „The Yellow Shark„, which was recorded live in Europe one year before, hit the stores. One month later, on the 4th December 1993, Frank Zappa passed away. He died from prostate cancer.

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Music Diary – 10th October

Welcome to my Music Diary – today for the 10th October!

David Lee Roth (Van Halen)

Mr. David Lee Roth was born on the 10th October 1955. The American singer was and is again the lead vocalist of the hard rock band Van Halen. Roth is also known as a successful solo artist and as a radio personality with his show „The David Lee Roth Show„, a short-lived morning radio program in 2006, which was aired in seven markets on CBS-owned-and-operated stations in the USA.

In 1972 David Lee Roth met the Van Halen brothers Eddie and Alex who had a band called Genesis. Bass player Michael Anthony completed the line up and shortly after that they changed the group name into Mammoth. In 1974 Roth suggested to change the name again – into Van Halen. Under the new moniker the quartet performed in several clubs in Pasadena and Hollywood and they became famous in California, especially in and around Los Angeles.


In 1977 Gene Simmons of Kiss produced a demo tape but Van Halen didn’t succeeded. Shortly after that Mo Ostin and Ted Templeman of Warner Bros. Records attended a Van Halen show at the Starwood in Hollywood and they were deeply impressed by the performance and offered the band a recording contract. In September/October 1977 Van Halen recorded their self titled debut at Sunset Sound Recorders studio, which was released in February 1978 and reached Nor. 19 on the Billboard charts. It features classics like „Runnin‘ with the Devil“ and the outstanding guitar solo „Eruption„, which showcased Eddie’s use of a brandnew technique at that time – the so-called „finger-tapping“. In 1979 the follower „Van Halen II“ with the hit single „Dance the Night Away“ hit the stores. With the albums „Women and Children First“ (1980),Fair Warning“ (1981) and „Diver Down“ (1982) the fanbase grew bigger and bigger. The LP „1984“ marks Van Halen’s big breakthrough. The single „Jump“ went No. 1 and also the other three outtakes „Panama„, „I’ll Wait“ and „Hot for Teacher“ charted. Due to personal tensions David Lee Roth decided to leave the band on the 1st April 1985 and started his successful solo career featuring his big hits „California Girls“ and „Just like Paradise“ (from the album „Skyscraper„) and „Just a Gigolo“ right after leaving Van Halen.


In 2006 David Lee re-joined Van Halen and recorded the comeback album „A Different Kind of Truth„, which was released finally in 2012.

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