Zappa.com

Frankly (no pun intended), I have never been too impressed with Watson on Frank's albums. For example, "In France" is so much better in the live versions (ww.out W.) than on the TOU album. One theory could be that Frank enjoyed the fact that he recorded/collaborated with a "genuine Blues Singer" on his albums. That may be true, but I have never appreciated the final results.

_________________
"Everybody in this room is wearing a uniform, and don't kid yourself" - FZ
http://www.myspace.com/kirnehness

I think Watson is fantastic on 'in france'.<br><br>What shocked me was that he died on stage in Japan I think - around 94?<br><br>Shame, Would have been good to see a bit more of him. Anyone know how old he was?

[quote author=leejacobs link=board=wishList;num=1033067967;start=0#6 date=09/30/02 at 06:41:49]Yeah, I really like Johnny Guitar Watson's funk stuff, like AIN'T THAT A BITCH, especially "Superman Lover".  That is one hell of a song.  A real classic.  I also dig his recordings with Larry Williams ("Nobody", "Too Late").  [/quote]<br><br>Every time my girlfriend hears "I Wanna Ta-Ta You Baby" she starts taking her clothes off.<br>

_________________
Who ran a modeling school whereupon he!

Frank has listed JGW as one of his early guitar influences along with Guitar Slim and Gatemouth Brown.  I enjoy all of the JGW contributions to FZ recordings and have come to be a fan of JGW as well. From the 50's recordings like "Hot Little Mama" and"Gangster of Love"  to the 70's and beyond funk albums there's a lot of good stuff.  <br><br>I actually had tickets to see him in Sacramento on (if memory serves) New Year's Eve 1995.  I think he was sharing the bill with Clarence Carter, the guy that had that song "Strokin".  Anyway, much to my dissapointment, the show was cancelled (don't know why) and later in the year I heard he died onstage in Japan.  For a guy that had a forty+ year career that was pretty influential and at times popular he doesn't seem to get his fair share of recognition.  Even so, there are alot of his cd's available from all stages of his career.

[quote author=MentalTossFlycoon link=board=wishList;num=1033067967;start=0#11 date=11/16/02 at 14:25:56]<br><br>Ain't that what it's all about?[/quote]<br><br>So far, there's nothing in the material world that I'd rather see!<br>

_________________
Who ran a modeling school whereupon he!

If FZ's guitar style emmulated anyone it was JGW.  Their attack was very simular.

_________________
Free at last, free at last, great googleymoogley I am free at last!!!

[quote author=drooling_savant link=board=wishList;num=1033067967;start=15#16 date=11/30/02 at 12:57:56]If FZ's guitar style emmulated anyone it was JGW.  Their attack was very simular.[/quote]<br>In The Real Frank Zappa Book, Frank said "Stylistically, my approach is closest to Guitar Slim...his mangle-it strangle-it attitude provided an important aesthetic guidepost for the style I eventually developed.  My two other influences were Johnny "Guitar" Watson and Clarence "Gatemouth" Brown".  <br>

[quote author=dean link=board=wishList;num=1033067967;start=15#17 date=11/30/02 at 14:16:37]<br>In The Real Frank Zappa Book, Frank said "Stylistically, my approach is closest to Guitar Slim...his mangle-it strangle-it attitude provided an important aesthetic guidepost for the style I eventually developed.  My two other influences were Johnny "Guitar" Watson and Clarence "Gatemouth" Brown".  <br>[/quote]<br>I was close.  I stand corrected.

_________________
Free at last, free at last, great googleymoogley I am free at last!!!

But no JGW guitar playing on FZ records - would have been logical, no? What was it - jealousy?

[quote author=ZF link=board=wishList;num=1033067967;start=15#21 date=12/02/02 at 10:35:07]<br><br><br>I think every guitar player will have been jealous of the capacities of our FZ  ::)[/quote]<br><br>one moment please... I definitely think the guitar fills on "I dont even care" is JGW!<br><br>BTW, a great funky bluesy artist! I once shook his hand - at least - in 1992 when he played a festival in here in germany. I asked about more FZ collaborations and he said something like "oh, he aint doin&acute; well, man, not doing well." Unfortunately Johnny had no more time to hang aound that day. <br>I noticed that the FZ estimed horn players like the Fowlers and Albert Wing (or was it McKettrick, or both?) also played with JGW.  

_________________
Good Lobna!

his early stuff is way ahead of the curve; you can see how frank could relate to the dirty tone, shifting beat counts & free-form guitar work

check out space guitar . . . .

_________________

A snapshot of KU2 as a young man (well OK, I was 41 at the time).

I always like JGW. One of my favorite parts of the Mothers of PRevention album is the first track on the CD version...great stuff.