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"Willie the Pimp" is a song from Frank Zappa's 1969 album Hot Rats. It features an idiosyncratic Captain Beefheart vocal and one of Zappa's classic guitar solos. It is the only track that is not instrumental on the album,[5] though the track features a long guitar solo.
| "Willie the Pimp" | |
|---|---|
| Song by Frank Zappa | |
| from the album Hot Rats | |
| Released | October 10, 1969 |
| Recorded | July–August 1969[1] |
| Genre | |
| Length | 9:25 |
| Label | Bizarre/Rykodisc |
| Songwriter(s) | Frank Zappa |
| Producer(s) | Frank Zappa |
Background
editThe song appeared as an instrumental on Zappa's Fillmore East – June 1971, originally split as the last track on side one (2'50") and continued on the first track on side two (1:54) of the LP. Another short version from the 1984 tour appeared on You Can't Do That on Stage Anymore, Vol. 4 as a 2'06" segue between "My Guitar Wants To Kill Your Mama" and "Montana".
The album title Hot Rats comes from a lyric of Willie the Pimp. The origin of the song was explained in a conversation Zappa recorded in 1969. This interview recording was later released as "The Story of Willie the Pimp" on the Zappa album Mystery Disc.
Musicians
editHot Rats version
edit- Frank Zappa - guitar, percussion
- Ian Underwood - keyboards
- Captain Beefheart - vocal
- Sugarcane Harris - violin
- John Guerin - drums
- Max Bennett - bass
Fillmore East
edit- Frank Zappa - guitar & dialogue
- Mark Volman - lead vocals & dialogue
- Howard Kaylan - lead vocals & dialogue
- Ian Underwood - winds & keyboard & vocals
- Aynsley Dunbar - drums
- Jim Pons - bass & vocals & dialogue
- Bob Harris - 2nd keyboard & vocals
You Can't Do That on Stage Anymore, Vol. 4
edit- Frank Zappa - lead guitar/vocal
- Ike Willis - guitar/vocal
- Ray White - guitar/vocal
- Bobby Martin - keyboards/sax/vocal
- Allan Zavod - keyboards
- Scott Thunes - bass
- Chad Wackerman - drums
Cover versions
edit- Juicy Lucy covered "Willie the Pimp" on their 1970 release Lie Back and Enjoy It, their version was included in Andy Votel's compilation Vertigo Mixed, released in 2005.
- Aynsley Dunbar recorded a 14:55 version with his band Blue Whale in 1971. Dunbar was the drummer for Frank Zappa and the Mothers of Invention at the time the album was released.
- Stack Waddy on their 1972 album Bugger Off!.
Reception
editThe song was ranked number 75 on the list of "The 100 Greatest Guitar Songs of All Time" of Rolling Stone.[6]
References
edit- ^ Ulrich, Charles (May 13, 2018). The Big Note: A Guide to the Recordings of Frank Zappa. New Star Books. ISBN 1-554201-46-2.
- ^ O'Neal, Sean (November 21, 2017). "Can you be a fan of Frank Zappa but not his music?". The A.V. Club. Retrieved March 7, 2021.
- ^ Farber, Jim (December 13, 2019). "'He was a musical warlock': reflecting on Frank Zappa's greatest album at 50". The Guardian. Retrieved March 7, 2021.
- ^ Greene, Doyle (2016). Rock, Counterculture and the Avant-Garde, 1966-1970: How the Beatles, Frank Zappa and the Velvet Underground Defined an Era. McFarland. p. 122. ISBN 978-1-4766-2403-7.
- ^ Brend, Mark (2007-12-06). Rock And Roll Doctor: Lowell George: Guitarist, Songwriter, and Founder of Little Feat. Backbeat Books. ISBN 978-0879307264.
- ^ "The 100 Greatest Guitar Songs of All Time". Rolling Stone. Archived from the original on March 29, 2010. Retrieved March 7, 2021.