Frankly a Cappella

This article needs additional citations for verification. Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed.
Find sources: "Frankly a Cappella" – news · newspapers · books · scholar · JSTOR (February 2024) (Learn how and when to remove this message)

|

2000 studio album by The Persuasions

Frankly A Cappella

Studio album by

The Persuasions

Released| 2000
Genre| Doo-wop
Length| 43:04
Label| EarthBeat!, distributed by Rhino Records
Producer| Rip Rense

Frankly A Cappella: The Persuasions Sing Zappa is a 2000 album by the singing group The Persuasions. Frank Zappa heard them over the phone while they were singing in a record shop on the East Coast and flew them out to L.A. to record their first LP, in 1969, for Zappa's label. The album was the brainchild of Rip Rense, a friend of Zappa, as a tribute to the late composer. Rense executive produced and worked with lead singer/arranger Jerry Lawson on selecting the tracks and guest artists, who included Zappa alums Bruce Fowler, Robert Martin, Mike Keneally. Gary Mankin and Lawson co-produced the music, and Gail Zappa had final approval of the project. All arrangements by Jerry Lawson. The album is the first of several in which The Persuasions paid tribute to the songs of a specific group or artist.

Rense also conceived of and produced The Persuasions on "Persuasions of the Dead" (2011), a two-disc Grateful Dead tribute album for the Zoho Roots label.

## Reception

[edit]

Professional ratingsReview scores

Source| Rating
AllMusic| [1]
The Encyclopedia of Popular Music| [2]
Recorded A Cappella Review Board| 4.0/5[3]

Billboard reviewed the album positively, describing it as "a work of absurdist inspiration" and "a novel reworking of a true original".[4] François Couture writing on AllMusic gave the recording a rating of 3/5, mentioning that "vocal group fans may feel a bit disoriented by this unlikely repertoire and the hermetic references, but Zappa aficionados [...] will find Frankly a Cappella to be an entertaining work of love."[1]

Bill Kisliuk, writing for The Boston Phoenix, classifies the album as "among the most spirited and adventurous albums ever by the group", defining it "cacophonous, bizarre, cynical, and riddled".[5]

## Track listing

[edit]

Songs composed by Frank Zappa.

1. "Lumpy Gravy"
2. "Any Way the Wind Blows"
3. "Electric Aunt Jemima"
4. "The Meek Shall Inherit Nothing"
5. "Interlude"
6. "Cheap Thrills"
7. "Hotplate Heaven at the Green Hotel"
8. "Love of My Life"
9. "You Are What You Is"
10. "Interlude 2"
11. "Harder Than Your Husband"
12. "Find Her Finer"
13. "Interlude 3"
14. "My Guitar Wants to Kill Your Momma"
15. "Tears Began to Fall"
16. "Mystery Track"

## References

[edit]

1. ^ a b Couture, François (4 April 2000). "Frankly a Cappella: The Persuasions Sing Zappa". AllMusic. Retrieved 20 February 2024.
2. ^ The Encyclopedia of Popular Music, vol. 6. Oxford University Press. 2006. p. 496. Retrieved 20 February 2024.
3. ^ Minkoff, Jonathan; Tritle, Ben; Saulnier, Chris; Sears, Jonathan; Whitley, Guang Ming (16 October 2000). "The Persuasions Sing Zappa (1999)". RARB: The Recorded A Cappella Review Board. Retrieved 20 February 2024.
4. ^ Paoletta, Michael (1 April 2000). "Frankly A Cappella: The Persuasions Sing Zappa". Billboard. p. 22\. ISSN 0006-2510. Retrieved 20 February 2024.
5. ^ Kisliuk, Bill (26 May 2000). "Voices carry: Two sides of the Persuasions". The Boston Phoenix. No. 21. Retrieved 20 February 2024.

* v
* t
* e

Frank Zappa and The Mothers of Invention

* Frank Zappa
* Jimmy Carl Black
* Roy Estrada
* Ray Collins
* Steve Mann
* Alice Stuart
* Henry Vestine
* Jim Guercio
* Elliot Ingber
* Del Casher
* Denny Bruce
* Billy Mundi
* Bunk Gardner
* Van Dyke Parks
* Don Preston
* Jim Fielder
* Ian Underwood
* Sandy Hurvitz
* Jim Sherwood
* Art Tripp
* Lowell George
* Buzz Gardner
* Captain Beefheart
* Don "Sugarcane" Harris
* Aynsley Dunbar
* Jeff Simmons
* Howard Kaylan
* Mark Volman
* George Duke
* Martin Lickert
* Jim Pons
* Bob Harris (1)
* Nigey Lennon
* Bruce Fowler
* Jim Gordon
* Earle Dumler
* Glenn Ferris
* Jerry Kessler
* Malcolm McNab
* Dave Parlato
* Gary Barone
* Mike Altschul
* Tom Malone
* Sal Marquez
* Joanne McNab
* Jay Migliori
* Charles Owens
* Tom Rainey
* Ray Reed
* Ken Shroyer
* Ruth Underwood
* Tony Duran
* Tom Fowler
* Ralph Humphrey
* Jean-Luc Ponty
* Ricky Lancelotti
* Kin Vassy
* Napoleon Murphy Brock
* Chester Thompson
* Walt Fowler
* James Youmans
* Terry Bozzio
* Denny Walley
* André Lewis
* Darryl Dybka
* Norma Jean Bell
* Patrick O'Hearn
* Eddie Jobson
* Ray White
* Lady Bianca
* Michael Brecker
* Randy Brecker
* Ronnie Cuber
* Lou Marini
* Dave Samuels
* Ed Mann
* Tommy Mars
* Peter Wolf
* Adrian Belew
* Arthur Barrow
* Vinnie Colaiuta
* Ike Willis
* L. Shankar
* Warren Cuccurullo
* Dale Bozzio
* David Logeman
* Steve Vai
* Bob Harris (2)
* Robert Martin
* Scott Thunes
* Chad Wackerman
* Allan Zavod
* Paul Carman
* Mike Keneally
* Kurt McGettrick
* Albert Wing

Official releases
(1966–1993)|

| 1960s|

* Freak Out!
* Absolutely Free
* We're Only in It for the Money
* Lumpy Gravy
* Cruising with Ruben & the Jets
* Mothermania
* Uncle Meat
* Hot Rats

|

1970s|

* Burnt Weeny Sandwich
* Weasels Ripped My Flesh
* Chunga's Revenge
* Fillmore East – June 1971
* 200 Motels
* Just Another Band from L.A.
* Waka/Jawaka
* The Grand Wazoo
* Over-Nite Sensation
* Apostrophe (')
* Roxy & Elsewhere
* One Size Fits All
* Bongo Fury
* Zoot Allures
* Zappa in New York
* Studio Tan
* Sleep Dirt
* Sheik Yerbouti
* Orchestral Favorites
* Joe's Garage Act I
* Joe's Garage Acts II & III

1980s|

* Tinsel Town Rebellion
* Shut Up 'n Play Yer Guitar
* Shut Up 'n Play Yer Guitar Some More
* Return of the Son of Shut Up 'n Play Yer Guitar
* You Are What You Is
* Ship Arriving Too Late to Save a Drowning Witch
* The Man from Utopia
* Baby Snakes
* London Symphony Orchestra, Vol. I
* Boulez Conducts Zappa: The Perfect Stranger
* Them or Us
* Francesco Zappa
* Thing-Fish
* The Old Masters, Box I
* Frank Zappa Meets the Mothers of Prevention
* Does Humor Belong in Music?
* The Old Masters, Box II
* Jazz from Hell
* London Symphony Orchestra, Vol. II
* The Old Masters, Box III
* Guitar
* You Can't Do That on Stage Anymore, Vol. 1
* You Can't Do That on Stage Anymore, Vol. 2
* Broadway the Hard Way
* You Can't Do That on Stage Anymore, Vol. 3

1990s|

* The Best Band You Never Heard in Your Life
* Make a Jazz Noise Here
* You Can't Do That on Stage Anymore, Vol. 4
* You Can't Do That on Stage Anymore, Vol. 5
* You Can't Do That on Stage Anymore, Vol. 6
* Playground Psychotics
* Ahead of Their Time
* The Yellow Shark

Posthumous
official releases|

| 1990s|

* Civilization Phaze III
* The Lost Episodes
* Läther
* Frank Zappa Plays the Music of Frank Zappa: A Memorial Tribute
* Have I Offended Someone?
* Mystery Disc
* Everything Is Healing Nicely

|

2000s|

* FZ:OZ
* Halloween
* Joe's Corsage
* QuAUDIOPHILIAc
* Joe's Domage
* Joe's XMASage
* Imaginary Diseases
* Trance-Fusion
* The MOFO Project/Object
* The MOFO Project/Object (Fazedooh)
* Buffalo
* The Dub Room Special!
* Wazoo
* One Shot Deal
* Joe's Menage
* The Lumpy Money Project/Object
* Philly '76

2010s|

* Greasy Love Songs
* "Congress Shall Make No Law..."
* Hammersmith Odeon
* Feeding the Monkies at Ma Maison
* Carnegie Hall
* Understanding America
* Road Tapes, Venue #1
* Finer Moments
* AAAFNRAA: Baby Snakes – The Compleat Soundtrack
* Road Tapes, Venue #2
* A Token of His Extreme Soundtrack
* Joe's Camouflage
* Roxy by Proxy
* Dance Me This
* 200 Motels: The Suites
* Roxy the Soundtrack
* Road Tapes, Venue #3
* The Crux of the Biscuit
* Frank Zappa for President
* ZAPPAtite: Frank Zappa's Tastiest Tracks
* Meat Light: The Uncle Meat Project/Object Audio Documentary
* Chicago '78
* Little Dots
* Halloween 77
* The Roxy Performances
* Zappa in New York 40th Anniversary
* Orchestral Favorites 40th Anniversary
* Halloween 73
* The Hot Rats Sessions

2020s|

* The Mothers 1970
* Halloween 81
* Halloween 81 Highlights
* Zappa - Original Motion Picture Soundtrack
* Zappa '88: The Last U.S. Show
* 200 Motels 50th Anniversary Edition
* The Mothers 1971
* Zappa/Erie
* Zappa '75: Zagreb/Ljubljana
* Waka/Wazoo
* Zappa '80: Mudd Club/Munich
* Funky Nothingness
* Over-Nite Sensation 50th Anniversary Super Deluxe Edition
* Whisky a Go Go
* Apostrophe(') 50th Anniversary Super Deluxe Edition

Miscellaneous|

* Lumpy Gravy (Primordial)
* The Guitar World According to Frank Zappa
* Beat the Boots!
* Beat the Boots! II

| Compilations|

* The **** of the Mothers
* Strictly Commercial: The Best of Frank Zappa
* Strictly Genteel: A "Classical" Introduction to Frank Zappa
* Cucamonga
* Cheap Thrills
* Son of Cheep Thrills

|

Birthday Bundle series|

* 2006
* 2008
* 2010
* 2011

|

Singles|

* "Trouble Comin' Every Day"
* "Who Are the Brain Police?"
* "WPLJ"
* "My Guitar"
* "Peaches en Regalia"
* "I'm the Slime"
* "Cosmik Debris"
* "Don't Eat the Yellow Snow"
* "Du Bist Mein Sofa"
* "Find Her Finer"
* "Disco Boy"
* "Dancin' Fool"
* "Bobby Brown"
* "Joe's Garage"
* "I Don't Wanna Get Drafted"
* "You Are What You Is"
* "Valley Girl"
* "Cocaine Decisions"
* "Stairway to Heaven"

Other
compositions|

* "Absolutely Free"
* "Advance Romance"
* "The Adventures of Greggery Peccary"
* "America Drinks & Goes Home"
* "Are You Hung Up?"
* "Billy the Mountain"
* "The Black Page"
* "Brown Shoes Don't Make It"
* "Camarillo Brillo"
* "Cheepnis"
* "Duodenum"
* "Father O'Blivion"
* "Help, I'm a Rock"
* "G-Spot Tornado"
* "I Have Been in You"
* "Inca Roads"
* "Jewish Princess"
* "Let's Make the Water Turn Black"
* "A Little Green Rosetta"
* "Memories of El Monte"
* "Montana"
* "Muffin Man"
* "Nanook Rubs It"
* "Plastic People"
* "The Return of the Son of Monster Magnet"
* "Rollo"
* "Sleep Dirt"
* "St. Alfonzo's Pancake Breakfast"
* "Take Your Clothes Off When You Dance"
* "A Token of My Extreme"
* "The Torture Never Stops"
* "Uncle Remus"
* "Watermelon in Easter Hay"
* "Who Needs the Peace Corps?"
* "Willie the Pimp"
* "Wind Up Workin' in a Gas Station"

Filmography|

* 200 Motels
* Baby Snakes
* The Dub Room Special
* Does Humor Belong in Music?
* Video from Hell
* Uncle Meat
* The True Story of Frank Zappa's 200 Motels
* The Amazing Mr. Bickford

Relatives|

* Gail Zappa
* Moon Zappa
* Dweezil Zappa
* Ahmet Zappa
* Diva Zappa

Influence|

* In popular culture
* Zappa Plays Zappa
* Pachygnatha zappa
* Phialella zappai
* Zappa confluentus
* 3834 Zappafrank
* Frankly a Cappella
* King Kong: Jean-Luc Ponty Plays the Music of Frank Zappa
* Zappa's Universe

Related articles|

* Discography
* Musicians
* Abnuceals Emuukha Electric Symphony Orchestra
* Alice Cooper
* The GTOs
* Wild Man Fischer
* Ruben and the Jets
* Bobby Jameson
* Little Feat
* Flo & Eddie
* U.K
* Missing Persons
* The Turtles
* Bizarre Records
* Straight Records
* DiscReet Records
* Zappa Records
* Barking Pumpkin Records
* The Real Frank Zappa Book
* Studio Z
* Utility Muffin Research Kitchen
* Zappa

* Category

*[v]: View this template
*[t]: Discuss this template
*[e]: Edit this template