Frank Zappa_St. Alfonzo's Pancake Breakfast / Rollo

[aristotle358]

And apart from the chap who looked like John Belushi, the long-haired saxophonist looked like the guy out of the Blues Brothers --- the white guy who worked in the takeaway where Aretha Franklin sang "Think".

[aristotle358]

The bloke on the guitar that has the mic growing out of it looks like John Belushi. I really thought it may have been but having checked the line-up info he is not listed.

[MisterDrugDude]

@aristotle358 Well, it's him.

[aristotle358]

@MisterDrugDude Yes I soon realized just after I posted my comment. I should have trusted my instincts. What about the saxophonist who looks like the white guy who worked it Aretha Franklin's takeaway in the Blues Brothers? Do you think that was him?

[Dreddpyraterob]

Vinnie Colaiuta, "she gave me VD"

[DimondR100]

Man, listen to that A-Tonality (12 Tone Harmony) (Stravinsky, Ives & Schoenberg Would be Proud!), the Contrapuntal choices are absolutely exquisite.The orchestration chosen and style is somewhat reminiscent of Great Composers like Dominique Frontiere. Of course the comedy is unmatched. Mr Zappa had a unique understanding of Music Composition! On a par with many of the worlds greatest composers. BRAVO! Enjoy!! Oh And That's THE WORLDS GREATEST DRUMMER OF ALL TIME PLAYING THERE by the way!

[aristotle358]

@DimondR100 Absolutely agree with everything you said there. And you got a "thumbs up" from me>

[gaspump59]

WELL, flip my pancake !

[ddrums001]

Frank Zappa was an exceptional composer! Vinnie was amazing with Zappa but man he sat so low on his kit! I wonder if he ever had back problems?

[MrUnderself]

@ddrums001 I read in interview that he eventually readjusted his seat height to be higher. I can't remember if it was because he developed back problems or because he wanted more leverage for the double bass kicks.

[7Beyonder]

I saw this when it aired years ago...it shocked me as one of the most rebellious, violent and raucous musical performances Ive ever seen on SNL. Top notch material, the degree of difficulty, and far more refined than the normal crap they showed.

Zappa body language seemed to mock his own composition at the end.

[BMWKRS03]

Who's in the band? Bass is especially good. Wikipedia for SNL season 4 says it's Zappa's band.

[senna01]

@BMWKRS03

Which bass? Patrick O'Hearne is playing the actual bassline, while Arthur Barrow doubles the main theme. Anyhow, the rest of the band consists of Denny Walley on guitar, Vinnie Colaiuta on drums, Ed Mann on percussion, Tommy Mars on keys, and Zappa himself as the unnecessary conductor.

The horn section was "borrowed" from the SNL band. Zappa also did that when he was invited on another appearance in season 2 in 1976, except he had a completely different band then.

[ukkfayooyay]

Thank you for uploading this! I was there when it was performed live!

[thestikman]

Belushi, nearly maimed by the microphone on the goose-neck attached to the guitar, holds it over his head, declaring victory over it when it finally falls off it's mooring while he writhes on the ground. Silly Vinnie drumming with cigarette in mouth, and Tommy Mars singing the Rollo Lyrics through the vocoder, are among the highlights for me.

[bobbydebris77]

Anyone realize what the band is doing here?

Belushi just scream something and the band repeat those noises....

that's crazyness

[ukkfayooyay]

@bobbydebris77  It's the genius of improv.

[mejsjalv]

Zappa once said he wouldn't pass an audition for his own band. It takes MASSIVE skills in order to make Zappa's music happen. He was without a shadow of a doubt a groundbreaking composer as well as very funny one.

[MrShoeman21]

A CLASSIC!

[Ikonoclasto]

Cool stuff

[Ikonoclasto]

And blind too

[7Beyonder]

absolutely the hardest working band in show business....

[walosi24]

what a genius

[billarasdrummer12]

vinnie had a serious problem with his back because of sitting to low!!!you cant even see him!!NO1 DRUMMER!

[barryvig]

Zappa was quite well known for having comedy in his music.

[leeportcam]

pure shit

[barryvig]

@leeportcam keep listening to Rod Stewart then.

[harmike17]

@leeportcam are you deaf bro??

[spaced0ubt]

anyone who's suprised Zappa lets John Belushi mess around during this track needs to watch 'A Token Of His Extreme' and/or listen to any live performance from the 'Roxy' band (73-74)... all completely hilarious and Belushi is quite reserved here compared to some of the insanity George Duke and Napoleon Murphy Brock get up to every gig!

[HotBobZeppelin]

Colaiuta geniale!

[PhuckHue2]

Zappa takes his music very seriously. I'm surprised he let Belushi do that comedy in the middle of the song

[dai2008002iad]

Include that, Zappa take the music seriously, I think^^ Zappa is the intellectual entertainer.

[CribNotes]

@PhuckHue2 If you are surprised that Zappa let Belushi do comedy in the middle of one of his performances, you're a little short on your reading of Zappa's history.

[wind3]

@PhuckHue2 He took his music very seriously but satire was also a huge aspect of his work. I think this fits perfectly into his style and what he was all about.

[tricyclesinskirts]

@PhuckHue2 i agree, but he included humor in so much of his music as well. i don't think it's surprising at all... he even has a live album called "does humor belong in music?"

[jwemtp]

@PhuckHue2 They worked that out together- thats a rehearsed collaboration. The band followed the gutteral yells tit for tat. That was just his style......

[SecretTimeWarp]

@PhuckHue2 Well, he had to bring Belushi back, after his performance in "The Purple Lagoon" the first time Zappa appeared on SNL! (And I think you *definitely* misinterpreted Zappa... he might've taken his music seriously in terms of making it sound as he wanted it to sound, but he obviously wanted it to include comedy as well.)

[IronChef3]

@PhuckHue2

Yes and no. I think he took composition very seriously, but at the same time he was acutely aware of the absurdity of it all. Just look at some of things he asked the Ensemble Modern to do. He was totally taking the piss out of "serious" music.

[MrDangerouskitchen]

@PhuckHue2

What happened to all the fun in the world?

FZ was the greatest entertainer ever... he was serius, he was seriusly funny.. his music is definitely serius.. but it doesn't mean it is't funny

[IncaRoad01]

@PhuckHue2 You're surprised? Have you heard many of Zappa's live shows? Roxy & Elsewhere for example? Plenty of antics going on, and yet never to the detriment of the music or the performances. I think Zappa understood that a live performance was just as much about fun and entertainment as well as the music. This is evident in much of his live recordings.

[ilikeylot567]

@PhuckHue2 he was also a very funny guy

[CribNotes]

wow....so cool to find this stuff 30 years after we all saw it on TV live....

[therising1]

@CribNotes Only the lucky got to see this live. I wasn't even close to being born yet.

[CribNotes]

@therising1 The 70's were my favorite decade here in America. So much great music of all kinds. For instance, at the time this was on TV, all of us guitar players were busy freaking out over the first album of a new band called Van Halen.

But old guys like never thought we'd get to see any of this stuff ever again. God bless YouTube!!!

[senator200]

Love it, love it !!!

[fadethetrade]

I remember when calaiuta would play with the unlit cigarette.brings back memories from NY.

[clvezlys]

This was the first Zappa song I heard...wasn't impressed back then, but 3 years later, I found it back again...and now I like it.

A question - what is this glorified cacophony? Zappa's Rollo sounds a bit different from this. (Make no mistake, I like this ....errr...thing..:) )

[benjaminshinobi]

Colaiuta's not my favorite zappa drummer, but he got the ill swagger

[DimondR]

Thank you for sharing! this piece truly demonstrates Mr Zappa's thorough understsnding of twentieth century harmony, and what a great sense of humor he must have had!

[HeyRadialMoon]

Awesome!

[divanola]

We watched in awe one saturday evening..fkn Belushi meets Frank..wow!!.with Vinnie Dry-docking a cigarette.and Zappa shrugs<:O)

[AndrewHoRiZoN]

GREAT!

[Stranglehold432]

haha Belushi

[perromanchado]

phenomenal

[Cowri]

this is too cool! Luv it.

[fperdomo]

HOLY CRAP!!! THATS VINNIE CALOUTA!

[Rodgebi]

@fperdomo Yes, it's him, 23 years old or so, not bad isn't it... ;-)

[mamalied]

@fperdomo ...with a smoke in his mouth! HAHAHA!!!

[PsytranceMan777]

@fperdomo HOLY CRAP!!! THAT'S PATRICK O'HEARN!

[IncaRoad01]

@fperdomo Nope. It's Vinnie Colaiuta.