I met John working as a runner on a Zappa-gig in Stockholm in the early eighties.
He had a stick in his hand and a burning cigarette behind his ear. I was asked to drive John who wanted to buy an espressomachin to Frank. I was a bit worried in the beginning when he entered my old Mercedes, but he laughed at the car and showed out to be a friendly guy. Later we went up to Frank´s hotelroom where I was intruduced to Frank who greeted friendly with a handshake. One memorie from the old days.
I met Frank in '75 after a sound check in Atlanta. We were able to walk right up to the limos. Frank was in the front seat, and John, Nappy and Terry Bozzio were in the back. John had on a kimono and Frank was wearing a bathrobe and a yamika. John was pretty gruff until he figured out we were OK, and then he put up with us. Frank was so patient and friendly, and answered every stupid question from a bunch of wide-eyed kids, when he could have just rolled up the window. John was a riot.
Has anyone seen the Wild Things Run Fast concert? There's some footage of Vinnie on there that is truly fucking bizarre. The man talks about appliances having sex, with a straight face......
Sorry about my Ralph Humphrey theory, as John S was talking about a then recent band.I'll put my bucks on Vinnie in this case.Believe he was pretty...umm...rock star advantages oriented."With a tongue like a cow she could make you go wow",right?Met him when he was with Joni Mitchell,nice and cool guy then,but kinda too much for Joni's sound picture.I think he missed being with Frank and the fellas.The JM tour entourage was laughing their asses off when I asked Vin to sign a Zappa program. Bad.
His code name was "BIG JOHN" but he never did get it. He mussa been pratitisn sum kina ritchcraft! Bartender bring me a colada and milk, no make that a water HTO...
Mr.Smothers was your buddy as long as you didn't step over the line he set. Met him thrice,liked him a lot!The groupie bit may have been a bit worse,though. On another post I asked for Bobby Martin's whereabouts, shouldn't have done that - if you don't already know this, prepare for EEEK!!
Keyword is lookgreatnakedatanyage, nothing dirty as we know it!So,how's John Smothers doing these days(I never learn)?What about the story about his JFK or RFK bodyguarding thing, anyone out there who knows?
That Bobby Martin site is wholly disturbing but not overly surprising, Bobby likes money.
Did you smell a wee bit of a scam, too? Bobby was an accomplished martial artist from a very young ae, of course he would only have to maintain now, I have my doubts that his program would work for those middle aged someones who have neglected their bodies their entire life.
I actually think that it was Ed Mann that he is talking about. Why would Bozzio and Vinnie be on the same tour as drummers. The guy playing the bongos is a percussionist. Tommy Mars said that Ed Mann got him in the band and that they were in at the same time. I do not know who it is, but at the end of that Baby Snakes DVD Frank says, "Ed Mann" not Vinnie Caliuta.
Why Ed Mann? AS I wrote in the description he is talking about the personnel in the band that features on the show that this clip is taken from, a show for TV made in Munich - Vinnie is the drummer in this line-up. Vinnie, not Ed Mann, not Bozzio.
@andrewman12 he's talking about Vinnie, he had a beard back then, did Mann? i think the guy probably knows the difference between a vibraphonist and a drummer. There are other stories about Vinnie back in the day, about never going anywhere or doing anything without taking his sticks.
I've never seen Colaiuta with a beard either, but for him it seems much more likely... on the other hand Bozzio was a fucking goofball as well. So who knows?
Vinnie most definitely had a beard in his first tour w/ Zappa, I saw that band here in NY at the legendary Palladium--I was 14 y/o and still can't forget that show. L.Shankar sat in on violin, and Vinny was very intense on a small drumkit.
What do you mean? You're missing the bit where talks about 'the drummer', no? I wouldn't for a moment suggest that Vinnie's in any way 'mental'. It's a funny soundbite. Chill out.
thanks for the video jonescrusher. obviously i wasn't saying anything about you suggesting vinnie is 'mental' since you aren't in the video. the bodyguard is who i was referring to. he says the drummer has a 'screw loose'. i stand by my statement of a year ago. vinnie is a bright cat who has fun with life.
Where in that video does the name Vinnie Colaiuta come up? Vinnie was "out there" in his youth, but he never had a screw loose. Vinnie is a bright cat that has fun with life.
This is my son's great grand father!
hlt241372 5 days ago
thts also my granpa but thts my moms account the amyrose99 but she closed her account bcause of this asshole on the other vid
JSTillman1 2 months ago
I met Frank several times -- once for an interview -- and John was the most intimidating motherfucker I ever met face to face.
ukkfayooyay 6 months ago
Take me to the falcum!
Nintendawg 10 months ago
way out there.gotta love him.
cosmicrider287 1 year ago
This is great!
Jornev 1 year ago
I see no smothering...
CakeDestroyer 1 year ago
@CakeDestroyer Tee hee
jonescrusher1 1 year ago
I met John working as a runner on a Zappa-gig in Stockholm in the early eighties.
He had a stick in his hand and a burning cigarette behind his ear. I was asked to drive John who wanted to buy an espressomachin to Frank. I was a bit worried in the beginning when he entered my old Mercedes, but he laughed at the car and showed out to be a friendly guy. Later we went up to Frank´s hotelroom where I was intruduced to Frank who greeted friendly with a handshake. One memorie from the old days.
EMA5335 1 year ago 3
@EMA5335 Great story!
Jornev 1 year ago
0:41 "the confiscated guy..." did he really just say that? And "come on hormones"?
Wow.
Make way for the iron shashage!
flavoredwallpaper 1 year ago
Sorry John, sorry better try it again.
jkruss9999 2 years ago 3
"Hoodz ze Komlikaytedtz guy in ze Bant ?"
what a great question!!! and whithout batting an eyelid this guy answers.... A GENIUS!
andreaprodan 2 years ago
That boy be pracketing rich-craft.
pazzensutra 2 years ago 13
I met Frank in '75 after a sound check in Atlanta. We were able to walk right up to the limos. Frank was in the front seat, and John, Nappy and Terry Bozzio were in the back. John had on a kimono and Frank was wearing a bathrobe and a yamika. John was pretty gruff until he figured out we were OK, and then he put up with us. Frank was so patient and friendly, and answered every stupid question from a bunch of wide-eyed kids, when he could have just rolled up the window. John was a riot.
blickumblickum 2 years ago 12
Great story!!!
kirk7524875248 2 years ago 2
thanks!
blickumblickum 2 years ago
tell me more ( :
heavymama 2 years ago
As Zappa said, Smothers had an... interesting grasp of the english language.
youvebeenthunderstru 2 years ago
"Man he ain't wrapped tight"......
Best analogy of VC ever.
Has anyone seen the Wild Things Run Fast concert? There's some footage of Vinnie on there that is truly fucking bizarre. The man talks about appliances having sex, with a straight face......
God bless that man.....
eskimoposh 2 years ago 7
hahaha i love the body guard talking about vinnie is the funniest shit ive ever heard!
boogster123321 3 years ago
Sorry about my Ralph Humphrey theory, as John S was talking about a then recent band.I'll put my bucks on Vinnie in this case.Believe he was pretty...umm...rock star advantages oriented."With a tongue like a cow she could make you go wow",right?Met him when he was with Joni Mitchell,nice and cool guy then,but kinda too much for Joni's sound picture.I think he missed being with Frank and the fellas.The JM tour entourage was laughing their asses off when I asked Vin to sign a Zappa program. Bad.
diddywahdaddy 3 years ago
check out ''rollo'' see the proof that vinnie had a beard and note the cigarette can't see how it stayed in his mouth
jprthr3 4 years ago
His code name was "BIG JOHN" but he never did get it. He mussa been pratitisn sum kina ritchcraft! Bartender bring me a colada and milk, no make that a water HTO...
DRSPIEGEL14 4 years ago 2
he threw me out nassau colliseaum in 78 zappa show damned qualudes
zappadead13 4 years ago
Mr.Smothers was your buddy as long as you didn't step over the line he set. Met him thrice,liked him a lot!The groupie bit may have been a bit worse,though. On another post I asked for Bobby Martin's whereabouts, shouldn't have done that - if you don't already know this, prepare for EEEK!!
Keyword is lookgreatnakedatanyage, nothing dirty as we know it!So,how's John Smothers doing these days(I never learn)?What about the story about his JFK or RFK bodyguarding thing, anyone out there who knows?
diddywahdaddy 3 years ago
John is retired and living in Baltimore with his long time wife Freckles.
Not sure of any Kennedy connection, but John was a great story teller with a million stories so I may have heard it and forgot in my progressing age.
thegirl44 3 years ago
That Bobby Martin site is wholly disturbing but not overly surprising, Bobby likes money.
Did you smell a wee bit of a scam, too? Bobby was an accomplished martial artist from a very young ae, of course he would only have to maintain now, I have my doubts that his program would work for those middle aged someones who have neglected their bodies their entire life.
thegirl44 3 years ago
Comment removed
blickumblickum 2 years ago
Comment removed
blickumblickum 2 years ago
I actually think that it was Ed Mann that he is talking about. Why would Bozzio and Vinnie be on the same tour as drummers. The guy playing the bongos is a percussionist. Tommy Mars said that Ed Mann got him in the band and that they were in at the same time. I do not know who it is, but at the end of that Baby Snakes DVD Frank says, "Ed Mann" not Vinnie Caliuta.
andrewman12 4 years ago
Why Ed Mann? AS I wrote in the description he is talking about the personnel in the band that features on the show that this clip is taken from, a show for TV made in Munich - Vinnie is the drummer in this line-up. Vinnie, not Ed Mann, not Bozzio.
jonescrusher1 4 years ago
@andrewman12 he's talking about Vinnie, he had a beard back then, did Mann? i think the guy probably knows the difference between a vibraphonist and a drummer. There are other stories about Vinnie back in the day, about never going anywhere or doing anything without taking his sticks.
digimaton 5 months ago
lmfao
apc2112 4 years ago
Vinnie never had a beard? Think again! Check this out!
Sole mit Seehundschrei, Becken und Bongos
webstercat 5 years ago
when the fuck has terry bozzio ever had a beard?... you're a dumb ass ...stop acting like you know shit and grow a beard
scaryweather 5 years ago
I've never seen Colaiuta with a beard either, but for him it seems much more likely... on the other hand Bozzio was a fucking goofball as well. So who knows?
Ange1234 5 years ago
Vinnie most definitely had a beard in his first tour w/ Zappa, I saw that band here in NY at the legendary Palladium--I was 14 y/o and still can't forget that show. L.Shankar sat in on violin, and Vinny was very intense on a small drumkit.
gregoryburrows 5 years ago 2
But Smothers says he was with FZ already when George Duke and Tom Fowler were in, so why not Ralph Humphrey..?
diddywahdaddy 3 years ago
HE´S TALKING ABOUT BOZZIO FFS!
antibulletdodger101 5 years ago
hahahah. great.
tamadw 5 years ago
What do you mean? You're missing the bit where talks about 'the drummer', no? I wouldn't for a moment suggest that Vinnie's in any way 'mental'. It's a funny soundbite. Chill out.
jonescrusher1 5 years ago
thanks for the video jonescrusher. obviously i wasn't saying anything about you suggesting vinnie is 'mental' since you aren't in the video. the bodyguard is who i was referring to. he says the drummer has a 'screw loose'. i stand by my statement of a year ago. vinnie is a bright cat who has fun with life.
stretch54 3 years ago
Lol, i dont' get any of these comments. I'm confused. It was a long time ago!
jonescrusher1 3 years ago
Where in that video does the name Vinnie Colaiuta come up? Vinnie was "out there" in his youth, but he never had a screw loose. Vinnie is a bright cat that has fun with life.
stretch54 5 years ago
rofl
Mahavishnu80 5 years ago
haha
snooters 5 years ago
LOL
MrGreenGenes 5 years ago