The Mothers of Invention

The Mothers during the photo shoot for the cover of We're Only In It For the Money (1968).

### Genres

Comedy rock · jazz · blues · doo-wop · experimental

### Labels

Verve Records · Reprise Records · Bizarre Records · DiscReet

**The Mothers of Invention** was an American rock band based in California. Led by Frank Zappa, the group was the leader of the experimental and underground rock movement in the mid-1960s, with bands like Pink Floyd and The Grateful Dead. Their music was the forefront of sonic experimentation and innovative art and live shows. The group's music in the 1960s does not sound very much like Zappa's later work, as it is more experimental and avant-garde than his later work.

Originally a cult band that wasn't as popular as their contemporaries, the success of Zappa's record *Hot Rats* made The Mothers sell more records, and, in turn, make Zappa reform The Mothers with members of his 1970 touring band. Zappa's music by the mid-1970s would become indistinguishable from his Mothers work, so they decided to end the group once and for all after a collaboration album with Captain Beefheart, *Bongo Fury*.

## History

### Early years

In 1964, vocalists Ray Collins and David Coronado (who would become the bandleader), guitarist Ray Hunt, bassist Roy Estrada, and drummer Jimmy Carl Black formed The Soul Giants, an R&B / doo-wop group. All four of the members were very experienced session musicians, and all knew each others from those sessions. They formed in the San Bernardino, California area. Shortly after the group was formed, Hunt and Collins had a fight about the group going nowhere and so Collins called Frank Zappa (Collins knew Zappa from the Cucamonga sessions) to replace Hunt.

Zappa soon accepted the offer to become the new guitarist for the group. He soon started writing and recording compositions for the band, and Coronado soon left the group, as he thought the group would go nowhere if they did original music and not covers. Zappa soon became the leader of the group in 1965. Zappa thought the group needed a new name to suit the music he was writing. So, on Mother's Day (May 9, 1965), Zappa renamed the group to just "The Mothers".

The Mothers got into a contract with manager Herb Cohen and started to book more shows around California. The increase in shows started to increase their popularity in the Los Angeles underground scene. In early 1966, producer Tom Wilson caught a performance of the Mothers' song "Trouble Every Day" (about the Watts riots). Wilson signed The Mothers to the Verve Records division of MGM Records. MGM was known for jazz and classical records but signed with Verve to divide their efforts into the more popular pop / rock genres. Wilson was famous for producing artists like Bob Dylan and Simon & Garfunkel.

Verve suggested that The Mothers change their name because the term "mother" could be misconstrued as a shortening of "motherfucker", however it is a popular saying by jazz musicians to describe a particularly good performer. Now knowing the meaning, they suggested the name 'The Mothers' Auxiliary' (which they dubbed their studio musicians). They decided upon the name 'The Mothers of Invention' based off an old Plato proverb.

### First three albums

The Mothers started recording their debut album, *Freak Out!* in early 1966. It was a mix of their rock 'n' roll tunes written by Zappa and the doo-wop and R&B songs written by Zappa and Collins. It also contained some avant-garde musique concrete on Side 3 and 4. The album was named and it semi-inspired by the "freak" subculture in Los Angeles and reviewers calling The Mothers "freaks". It ends with the 12-minute long "The Return of the Son of Monster Magnet". Zappa would forever be dissatisfied with the final product, which was intended to be the rhythm track for the final song. Verve would not let him complete the song due to time and money constraints.

*Freak Out!* established Zappa as the "new radical voice of rock music" for his views on Californian society and American consumer culture. The session musicians for the album were surprised themselves when they went to record – Zappa was the conductor of the band and wrote all of the music on chord charts (slash notation). It was released 7 days after Bob Dylan's *Blonde on Blonde*, making it the second rock double album in history. The album was a cult classic, and it was even heard by Paul McCartney and inspired *Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band*.

Around the same time as the *Freak Out!* release they hired 4 new members for The Mothers live shows. Billy Mundi was hired for drums, Don Preston for keyboards and Clavinet, Jim Fielder on rhythm guitar, and Bunk Gardner on woodwinds. Instead of performing more, they decided to start recording their second album in November 1966. They finished the entire album in 3 days. But due to marketing reasons, they needed to wait until early 1967 for it to release. The album contained the scorching satires of society like "Plastic People" and "Brown Shoes Don't Make It". Later in December they played in New York, and were offered a residency for The Garrick Theatre in Easter 1967. The residency proved successful and Herb Cohen extended the residency, which would stretch out to half a year. *Absolutely Free* would come out in mid-1967.

In April 1967, they released a single in promotion for the album, "Why Don'tcha Do Me Right?" and "Big Leg Emma". Guest performers and audience participation became standard at The Garrick, making it one of the best places to go for a show. At one point, U.S. Marines were invited on stage to rip apart a giant baby doll (Zappa calling it a "gook baby"). The band soon went on their first European tour.

At this time, they started to record what is considered their best record in New York, *We're Only In It For the Money* (released in 1968). It was the last album produced by Wilson (who is listed as a co-producer, as Zappa produced it mostly) for The Mothers. The album ruthlessly satirized flower power and hippie culture ("Flower Punk", "Who Needs the Peace Corps?") and featured avant-garde soundscapes and musique concrete ("Are You Hung Up?, "Hot Poop"), not seen in pop music. In New York, Zappa met artist Cal Schenkel and commissioned a parody of the *Sgt. Pepper's* album art. This started a lifelong friendship with Zappa and Schenkel. The album released in March 1968.

### Experimenting and first break-up

After the semi-success of *We're Only In It For the Money*, Zappa wanted to branch out and record less experimental stuff and more classical / jazz-oriented works. Before he did that, however, he wanted to record a doo-wop satire / tribute album. You see, Collins had left and rejoined the band 3 times throughout 1967 and '68, leaving Zappa to do all the vocals on *We're Only In It For the Money*. Zappa got his 'revenge' by making Collins do all the vocals on the next record.

That album was recorded in December 1967 and March 1968, finished as the previous album was released. In December 1968, their fourth album was released. *Cruisin' With Ruben & The Jets* was not taken well by fans and critics, being a doo-wop satire / tribute album, nobody was sure if it was one or the other. At the same time, Zappa was fighting with MGM over the release of his album *Lumpy Gravy*, which would lead to the group's eventual leaving of Verve. This was the last album released by The Mothers on Verve. By summer 1968, the band had relocated back to Los Angeles. Despite doing amazingly in Europe, they had little to no money to spend. Zappa himself had been writing more jazz and orchestral works, and performing them in concert confused fans. Zappa felt that audiences didn't appreciate his instrumental work and was soon to go solo.

The band was funded from Zappa's pocket, and had 9 members. They decided to use their last pennies to finish the companion album to a movie that was never finished, *Uncle Meat*. *Uncle Meat* is now considered one of Zappa's greatest works, as it is a 2 hour long massive epic featuring some of his most seminal works ("King Kong", "Dog Breath, In the Year of the Plague", "Sleeping in a Jar", and "Cruisin' For Burgers"). In November 1968, Collins left the group for the final time and Zappa hired guitarist Lowell George on rhythm guitar and vocals to replace Collins in live performances. His work for *Uncle Meat* was already recorded.

### Fall and Subsequent Rebirth of The Mothers

By 1969, Zappa left MGM Records for Warner Bros. Records' subsidiary Bizarre Records. Zappa also replaced Collins with rhythm guitarist and vocalist Lowell George. Zappa recorded and laid down a release date for a 12-LP record set compiling recordings dating back to 1961 to 1969. It was going to be called *The History and Collected Improvisations of The Mothers of Invention* for 1970. However, tracks from the set was compiled to two records, both released in 1970. *Burnt Weeny Sandwich* and *Weasels Ripped My Flesh*. A completely new Mothers was formed later in 1970.