Burnt Weeny Sandwich
Burnt Weeny Sandwich, released in 1970, is the seventh album by the American rock band the Mothers of Invention, and the ninth overall by Frank Zappa. It consists of both studio and live recordings.
The LP included a large triple-folded black and white poster saying "The Mothers of Invention Sincerely Regret to Inform You" under multiple images of the band.
Title
The album's unusual title, Zappa would later say in an interview, comes from an actual snack that he enjoyed eating, consisting of a burnt Hebrew National hot dog in a sandwich with mustard.In 1975, Burnt Weeny Sandwich and Weasels Ripped My Flesh were reissued together as 2 Originals of the Mothers of Invention, with the original covers used as the left and right sides of the inner spread, and the outer gatefold cover depicting a revolver shooting toothpaste onto a toothbrush.
Album information
The album was essentially a 'posthumous' Mothers release, having been issued after Frank Zappa dissolved the band.Ian Underwood's contributions are significant on this album. Like its counterpart Weasels Ripped My Flesh, this comprises tracks from the Mothers vault that were not previously released. Whereas Weasels mostly showcases the Mothers in a live setting, much of Burnt Weeny Sandwich features studio work and structured Zappa compositions, like the centerpiece of the album, "Little House I Used to Live In", which consists of several movements and employs compound meters such as with overlaid melodies in and. The ending section of "Little House" features an organ solo played by Zappa with the band at Whitney Studios in Glendale, California.
The guitar solo portion of the "Theme from Burnt Weeny Sandwich" is an outtake from an unused extended version of "Lonely Little Girl" from the 1967 sessions for the We're Only in It for the Money LP. Zappa and Art Tripp later added multiple percussion overdubs for the released version.
"Igor's Boogie" is a reference to a major Zappa influence, composer Igor Stravinsky.
Cal Schenkel has noted that his unique cover art for Burnt Weeny Sandwich was originally commissioned for the cover of an Eric Dolphy release.
The piano introduction of "Little House I Used to Live in" appears in Yvar Mikhashoff's four CD set "Yvar Mikhashoff's Panorama of American Piano Music".
Personnel
- Frank Zappa – guitar, organ, vocals
- Jimmy Carl Black – percussion, drums
- Roy Estrada – bass, backing vocals, Pachuco rap on "WPLJ"
- Janet Ferguson – backing vocals on "WPLJ"
- Bunk Gardner – woodwinds
- Buzz Gardner – trumpet
- Billy Mundi – drums
- Lowell George – guitar, vocals
- Don "Sugarcane" Harris – violin on "Little House I Used to Live In"
- Don Preston – piano, keyboards
- Jim Sherwood – woodwinds
- Art Tripp – drums, percussion
- Ian Underwood – piano, keyboards, woodwinds, saxophones
- John Balkin – bass on "WPLJ", string bass on "Overture to a Holiday in Berlin"
Production
- Producer: Frank Zappa
- Engineer: Dick Kunc
- Arranger: Frank Zappa
- Design: John Williams
- Cover art: Cal Schenkel
- CD package design: Ferenc Dobronyl
- CD art adaptation: Cal Schenkel