Plastic People

**Plastic People** is the opening track to Frank Zappa and The Mothers of Invention's second studio album, *Absolutely Free*. It is also the opening track to the oratorio *Absolutely Free*, featured on Side 1 of the album. It is heavily based off of the 1957 Richard Berry song "Louie Louie". It is one of the first Mothers song written for the band, but was left off their debut record *Freak Out!* because it didn't resemble the sound of that album. It was performed in 1966 (*Mystery Disc*), 1968 (*Electric Aunt Jemima*), 1969 (*You Can't Do That On Stage Anymore, Vol. 1*), and 1970.

## Background

When The Mothers formed in 1964, they were still a basic rhythm & blues act with the spice of Zappa's guitar. This song was originally written as a clone of "Louie Louie" but with different lyrics. The original version from 1965 (featured on *Joe's Corsage*) was just "Louie Louie" with different lyrics. It is the only standalone track on Side 1 of *Absolutely Free;* it doesn't feature in a suite. When it was recorded it was speaking about girls in Los Angeles who used plastic go-go boots with matching hair-dos and clothes. Zappa himself explained:

> At the time ''[Plastic People]'' was recorded... it was a reference to people who were in a certain social set in Los Angeles. But the concept has branched out since then, as the term got into more general use. The term 'plastic' came to be used for anybody we didn't like.
>
>

In the *Absolutely Free* libretto, the story of the song goes as this: The President of the United States is sick (and his wife will bring him chicken soup). The references to Laurel Canyon, Sunset Boulevard, and Pandora's Box related to the Watts riots in 1965. The "CIA Agent creeping around Laurel Canyon" refers to the police officers looking for rioters to arrest. The other part of the song refers to the 'plastic people'. The "plastic goo" that the Fine Little Girl paints herself with is slang for makeup, and the shampoo is... shampoo.

Opening the entire album and the oratorio *Absolutely Free,* "Plastic People" immediately sets the tone for the rest of the album. Unlike most other versions, this version resembles an oratorio with the frequent starting and stopping and dialogue in between musical phrases. It also mentions vegetables and prunes, tying the song in with "The Duke of Prunes" and "Call Any Vegetable". Also, in place of "plastics" from every other version Zappa says "nazis" in Verse 2. Unlike most versions of this song on other albums, this is a less noticeable derivative of "Louie Louie". It was recorded on November 15, 1966.

### *Joe's Corsage*

**Track 3 – *Joe's Corsage –* 3:05**

The original demo for the song: the music is identical to "Louie Louie" and is in the key of "Louie Louie". Most of the lyrics are the same except for the chorus being "Plastic people / You gotta go" instead of "Plastic people / Oh, baby / Now, you're such a drag". This version also features common doo-wop interjections like "Chee poppy doodly woppa" from Ray Collins. It was recorded on January 12, 1966.

### *Mystery Disc*

**Track 19 – *Mystery Disc* – 1:58**

The first documented performance of this song, performed in May 1966, is about the same as the *Joe's Corsage* version musically, but very different lyrically. It only has one verse about specifically plastic people, nothing about the riots. It still features the chorus "You gotta go".

### *Electric Aunt Jemima*

**Track 7b – *Electric Aunt Jemima* – 5:38**

The 1968 version. Performed at The Dog in Denver, Colorado on May 3, 1968, and is practically the same as the 1965 version except with more choruses and a guitar solo from Zappa including quotes from "America Drinks", "King Kong" and "Octandre" (Edgard Varese).

### *You Can't Do That On Stage Anymore, Vol. 1*

**Disc 2, Track 1 – YCDTOSA 1 – 4:38**

This version is from 1969, performed at The Factory in The Bronx on February 13, 1969. It has a long introduction where Zappa announces that there's a green Chevy in "Barry's lot", and that the owner should move it. An audience member chimes in and tells Zappa that there's a '54 car in Barry's lot too, and then another person reminds Zappa about the "action burgers", in which he tells the audience about the cars and the burgers. A fourth person tells Frank to "take them [the audience] back to Philadelphia", talking about cream cheese (perhaps requesting "Son of Suzy Creamcheese"?). Zappa gets fed up and starts "Plastic People". He notes that there is a very big resemblance to "Louie Louie". This version of the song has the first, third, and fourth verses from the '65 version. It also features horns doing the main riff of "Louie Louie".

## Personnel

*Absolutely Free*

* Frank Zappa – lead vocals, guitar
* Ray Collins – backing vocals
* Roy Estrada – falsetto, bass
* Jimmy Carl Black – timpani
* Bunk Gardner – alto saxophone, bassoon
* Billy Mundi – drums
* Don Preston – Clavinet, electric piano

*Joe's Corsage*

* Frank Zappa – lead vocals
* Ray Collins – backing vocals
* Roy Estrada – bass
* Jimmy Carl Black – drums
* Henry Vestine – guitar

*Mystery Disc*

* Frank Zappa – lead vocals, lead guitar
* Ray Collins – backing vocals
* Roy Estrada – falsetto, bass
* Jimmy Carl Black – drums
* Elliot Ingber – rhythm guitar

*Electric Aunt Jemima*

* Frank Zappa – lead vocals, lead guitar
* Ray Collins – backing vocals, tambourine
* Roy Estrada – falsetto, bass
* Jimmy Carl Black – drums
* Arthur Tripp – drums
* Don Preston – keyboards
* Ian Underwood – flute
* Bunk Gardner – woodwinds
* Motorhead Sherwood – alto saxophone

*You Can't Do That On Stage Anymore, Vol. 1*

* Frank Zappa – lead vocals, guitar
* Lowell George – backing vocals, guitar
* Roy Estrada – bass guitar
* Jimmy Carl Black – drums
* Arthur Tripp – drums
* Don Preston – keyboards
* Ian Underwood – flute
* Bunk Gardner – woodwinds
* Motorhead Sherwood – alto saxophone

## Project/Object clues

* Vegetables
* Prunes

In his ending monologue, Ray Collins mentions vegetables and fruits.

* "Louie Louie"

The song is a parody of "Louie Louie".