200 Motels [Original Motion Picture Soundtrack]

by Frank Zappa, The Mothers of Invention

Overview

The soundtrack to Frank Zappa's strange early-'70s film 200 Motels was always doomed to be a peripheral entry in his discography. The movie's story was not easy to follow, and neither is the record (not that plot was ever a big focus of the production). It's typically wacky Zappa of the era, with unpredictable sharp turns between crunchy rock bombast, orchestration, and jazz/classical influences, as well as interjections of wacky spoken dialogue. Those who like his late-'60s/early-'70s work -- not as song-oriented as his first albums, in other words, but not as "serious" or as silly as his later records -- will probably like this fine, although it's not up to the level of Uncle Meat. It's funny in spots as well, especially the part where a disgruntled sideman gets tempted away from the band to do his own thing (a libretto that was, apparently, based on real-life incidents concerning Zappa sideman Jeff Simmons, who left during the project). On the other hand, there's a growing tendency to deploy the smutty, cheap humor that would soon dominate much of Zappa's work. ~ Richie Unterberger

Product Details

Release Date:	12/17/2021
Label:	Universal / Zappa Records
UPC:	0602438384136
Rank:	131580

Tracks

Disc 1

1. Semi-Fraudulent/Direct-From-Hollywood Overture
2. Mystery Roach
3. Dance of the Rock & Roll Interviewers
4. This Town Is a Sealed Tuna Sandwich (Prologue)
5. Tuna Fish Promenade
6. Dance of the Just Plain Folks
7. This Town Is a Sealed Tuna Sandwich (Reprise)
8. The Sealed Tuna Bolero
9. Lonesome Cowboy Burt
10. Touring Can Make You Crazy
11. Would You Like a Snack?
12. Redneck Eats
13. Centerville
14. She Painted Up Her Face
15. Janet's Big Dance Number
16. Half a Dozen Provocative Squats
17. Mysterioso
18. Shove It Right In
19. Lucy's Seduction of a Bored Violinist & Postlude
20. I'm Stealing the Towels
21. Dental Hygiene Dilemma
22. Does This Kind of Life Look Interesting to You?
23. Daddy, Daddy, Daddy
24. Penis Dimension
25. What Will This Evening Bring Me This Morning

Disc 2

26. A Nun Suit Painted On Some Old Boxes
27. Magic Fingers
28. Motorhead's Midnight Ranch
29. Dew On the Newts We Got
30. The Lad Searches the Night for His Newts
31. The Girl Wants to Fix Him Some Broth
32. The Girl's Dream
33. Little Green Scratchy Sweaters & Courduroy Ponce
34. Strictly Genteel (The Finale)
35. Road Ladies [Alt. Mix]
36. What Will This Morning Bring Me This Evening
37. What Kind of Girl Do You Think We Are?
38. Bwana Dik
39. Daddy, Daddy, Daddy
40. Do You Like My New Car?
41. Magic Fingers
42. Phyllis & Aynsley
43. What Will This Evening Bring Me This Morning [Alt. Mix]
44. Tell Me You Love Me [Mix Outtake]
45. Road Ladies [Alt. Take]
46. What Will This Morning Bring Me This Evening [Studio Outtakes]
47. What Will This Morning Bring Me This Evening [Alt. Take, Incomplete]
48. "Aynsley Dunbar, Ladies & Gentlemen"
49. Magic Fingers [Version B, Mix Outtake]
50. What Will This Evening Bring Me This Morning [Mix Outtake]
51. Tell Me You Love Me [Alt. Take]

Disc 3

52. Scene 1-2: Semi-Fraudulent/Direct-From-Hollywood Overture
53. Scene 3: "What's the Deal?"
54. Mystery Roach
55. Scene 32: "It's a Good Thing We Get Paid to Do This..."
56. Scene 14: What's the Name of Your Group? I
57. Scene 32: "We Haven't Formed the Group Yet"
58. Scene 15: What's the Name of Your Group? II
59. Scene 17: "When Do We Get Paid?"
60. Scene 18: Went On the Road
61. Scene 19-20: "Special Delivery"
62. Scene 21: Centerville
63. Scene 21: Janet & Lucy
64. Scene 22: This Town Is a Sealed Tuna Sandwich
65. Scene 23-24: Tuna Fish Promenade
66. Scene 28: The Sealed Tuna Bolero
67. Scene 29: Lonesome Cowboy Burt
68. Scene 30: JCB & Rance
69. Scene 21: Larry the Dwarf
70. Scene 81: Magic Fingers
71. Scene 47: Larry the Dwarf in the Hotel Room
72. Scene 33: The Lad Searches the Night for His Newts
73. Scene 40-41: The Girl Wants to Fix Him Some Broth
74. Scene 42: Little Green Scratchy Sweaters & Courduroy Ponce
75. Scene 45: A Nun Suit Painted On Some Old Boxes
76. Scene 57: The Perverted Nun
77. Scene 87: "Penis!"
78. Scene 58: She Painted Up Her Face
79. Scene 60: Janet's Big Dance Number
80. Scene 61: Half a Dozen Provocative Squats
81. Scene 62: Lucy's Seduction of a Bored Violinist
82. Scene 63: Shove It Right In
83. Scene 67: "I Am Bwana Dik!"
84. Scene 68-69: What Will This Morning Bring Me This Evening
85. Scene 77: Daddy, Daddy, Daddy

Disc 4

86. Scene 90: Biff Debris & Jeff
87. Scene 84-85: Penis Dimension
88. Scene 32: Mystery Roach [Acoustic]/"Yeah? Well Fine!"
89. Scene 71: What Will the Evening Bring Me This Morning
90. Scene 92: Jeff Flips Out/I'm Stealing the Room
91. Scene 100: Strictly Genteel
92. Scene 100: 200 Motels Finale
93. "I Was Gonna Make a Movie One Time..."
94. 200 Motels Movie Ad #1
95. What's the Name of Your Group? [FZ Edit]
96. 200 Motels Movie Ad #2
97. FZ on Ringo Starr
98. Ringo Starr on 200 Motels
99. 200 Motels Movie Ad #3
100. Motorhead's Midnight Ranch [Mix Outtake]
101. Looking for Newts
102. "They Are Only In It for the Money"
103. 200 Motels Movie Ad #4
104. 200 Motels Commercial Session Outtakes
105. Does This Kind of Life Look Interesting to You? [Mix Outtake]
106. "I Shall Ruin All the Tapes"
107. Janet's Big Dance Number [Basic Tracks]
108. Martin Lickert Voice-Over
109. Touring Can Make You Crazy [Mix Outtake]
110. Penis Dimension [Instrumental Alt. Take]
111. Centerville [Mix Outtake]
112. Mystery Roach [Alt. Master]
113. Magic Fingers [Mix Outtake]
114. 200 Motels Movie Ad #5

Disc 5

115. "What Is 200 Motels?"
116. Theodore Bikel Voice-Over
117. Semi-Fraudulent/Direct-From-Hollywood Overture [Mix Outtake]
118. What's the Name Of Your Group? [Complete Sequence, Pt. 1]
119. What's the Name Of Your Group? [Complete Sequence, Pt. 2]
120. What's the Name Of Your Group? [Complete Sequence, Pt. 3]
121. Can I Help You With This Dummy?
122. Pianos for the Pleated Gazelle
123. Synth Tracks, Pt. 1
124. Would You Like a Snack? [Alt. Take]
125. Howard Kaylan/Mark Volman Voice-Over
126. Centerville [Rough Mix]
127. This Town Is a Sealed Tuna Sandwich (Prologue) [Mix Outtake]
128. Tuna Fish Promenade [Mix Outtake]
129. The Sealed Tuna Bolero [Alt. Take]
130. Lonesome Cowboy Burt [Mix Outtake]
131. Naval Aviation In Art?
132. Redneck Eats/The Restaurant Scene [Basic Tracks]
133. Mystery Roach [Basic Tracks]
134. I Have Seen the Pleated Gazelle
135. Dew On the Newts We Got [Rough Mix]
136. The Lad Searches the Night for His Newts [Rough Mix]
137. Motorhead's Midnight Ranch [Rough Mix]
138. The Girl Wants to Fix Him Some Broth [Rough Mix, Alt. Ending]
139. The Girl's Dream [Rough Mix]
140. Little Green Scratchy Sweaters and Courduroy Ponce
141. Scene 43: A Cardboard Box
142. Scene 44
143. A Nun Suit Painted on Some Old Boxes [Rough Mix]
144. She Painted Up Her Face [Compressed Mix]
145. The Secret Stare
146. Half a Dozen Provocative Squats [Compressed Mix]
147. Lucy's Seduction of a Bored Violinist [Basic Tracks]
148. Shove It Right In [Compressed Mix]
149. Postlude [Basic Tracks]
150. What Will This Evening Bring Me This Morning [Mix Outtake]

Disc 6

151. Daddy, Daddy, Daddy [Alt. Take]
152. Magic Fingers [Alt. Take]
153. Penis Dimension [Basic Tracks]
154. Scene 86
155. Scene 87 [Alt. Take]
156. Synth Tracks, Pt. 2
157. I'm Stealing the Towels [Basic Tracks, Alt. Take]
158. Scene 94: "He's Always Watching Me"
159. Dental Hygiene Dilemma, Pt. 1 [Basic Tracks]
160. Does This Kind of Life Look Interesting to You? [Mix Outtake]
161. Dental Hygiene Dilemma, Pt. 2 [Basic Tracks]
162. Strictly Genteel [Basic Tracks]
163. 200 Motels Finale [Alt. Take]
164. 200 Motels Finale [Basic Tracks, Unedited Ending]
165. Movie Theater Skit [Commercial Session Outtake]
166. 200 Motels Album Ad #1
167. Script Rehearsal Trim
168. Lonesome Cowboy Burt [In Rehearsal 1969]
169. Lonesome Cowboy Burt [In Rehearsal 1970]
170. 200 Motels Album Ad #2
171. Penis Dimension Jingle Music
172. TV Hype [Commercial Session Outtake]
173. 200 Motels Movie Ad #6

Album Credits

Performance Credits

Frank Zappa   Primary Artist,Bass,Guitar,Voices
The Mothers of Invention   Primary Artist
Theodore Bikel   Primary Artist,Guest Artist
Jimmy Carl Black   Primary Artist,Vocals
Howard Kaylan   Primary Artist,Vocals,Voices
The Mothers   Primary Artist
Mark Volman   Primary Artist,Vocals,Voices
Jim Pons   Primary Artist,Voices
Tony Palmer   Primary Artist,Voices
Dick Barber   Primary Artist,Voices
Martin Lickert   Primary Artist,Bass
Phyllis Altenhaus   Primary Artist
Aynsley Dunbar   Primary Artist,Drums
George Duke   Primary Artist,Voices,Trombone,Keyboards
Royal Philharmonic Orchestra   Primary Artist,Guest Artist,Orchestra
Ringo Starr   Primary Artist
Ian Underwood   Primary Artist,Voices,Woodwind,Keyboards
Gail Zappa   Primary Artist,Voices
Jeff Simmons   Primary Artist,Voices
Ruth Underwood   Drums
Elgar Howarth   Conductor
Top Score Singers   Choir/Chorus
Ruth Komanoff   Drums
David van Asch   Conductor,Choir Conductor

Technical Credits

Frank Zappa   Producer,Composer,Orchestration,Instrumentation
Bob Auger   Engineer
George Duke   Instrumentation
Theodore Bikel   Narrator
Bunk Gardner   Instrumentation
Lowell George   Instrumentation
Jimmy Carl Black   Musician,Instrumentation
Art Tripp   Instrumentation
David McMacken   Design,Illustrations
Howard Kaylan   Instrumentation
Mark Volman   Engineer,Recording,Photography,Instrumentation
Roy Estrada   Instrumentation
Cal Schenkel   Design
Motorhead Sherwood   Instrumentation
Buzz Gardner   Instrumentation
Patrick Pending   Liner Notes
Simon Prentis   Interviewer
Aynsley Dunbar   Instrumentation
Ian Underwood   Instrumentation
Gail Zappa   Engineer
Barry Keene   Overdubs,Remixing
Jeff Simmons   Instrumentation
Royal Philharmonic Orchestra   Performer