Song of the Day 5/23: Frank Zappa, “Montana”
As if the story of the Hockessin woman who dognapped her neighbor’s 6-month-old Pyredoodle and dumped it on a New Jersey roadside wasn’t weird enough, the victim said this incident prompted her and her family to move to Montana. Frank Zappa had the exact same idea nearly 50 years ago.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=smZA9Jv3qH0
The backing vocals were provided by Tina Turner and the Ikettes. Ike Turner OK’d Zappa’s request for them, but with one stipulation: Zappa was to pay them only $25 per song, because that’s all Ike ever paid them. They actually were paid $25 an hour, but it still worked out to just $187.50 apiece.
“It was so difficult,” Zappa recalled, “That one part in the middle of the song ‘Montana,’ the three girls rehearsed it for a couple of days. Just that one section. You know the part that goes ‘I’m pluckin’ the ol’ dennil floss’? Right in the middle there. And – I can’t remember her name, but one of the harmony singers – she got it first. She came out and sang her part and the other girls had to follow her track.” Having toiled for hours to get the song right, naturally, they were pleased with themselves.
“Tina was so pleased that she was able to sing this thing that she went into the next studio where Ike was working and dragged him into the studio to hear the result of her labour,” continued Zappa. “He listened to the tape and he goes, ‘What is this shit?’ and walked out.”
He did not allow Zappa to credit them on the album.
BTW, the dognapping incident actually occurred about six weeks ago. It only hit the news when charges were filed, and if you’re wondering how the dognapper was hit with such serious charges, wonder no longer — the husband of the victim is a former state cop.
The dognapper lives on the same street as the DuPont exec who killed a cyclist and attempted to hide his car.
I blame the culture.
Which one was that?
Gabriel Pardo. September, 2014. Same neighborhood; not sure if it was the same street.
Oh, that lying sack of shit. He only got eight years and he’s tried at least twice to have his sentence overturned, claiming that telling the jury of his alcohol consumption before the crash was “prejudicial” — as if it weren’t the reason he failed to stop. He should have gotten 25 years.