Most of you are probably already familiar with the following videos:
(The remainder of Zappa’s performance can be found here.) These videos have made the rounds numerous times over the years, but I don’t know if anyone’s ever looked into any possible connections between Cage and Zappa. To me, these two performances and their respective contexts are too similar to be coincidental. I think it’s very likely that Zappa saw Cage’s appearance on television and modeled his own performance on it. Even if there isn’t such a direct connection between the two videos, I think it’s more than likely that Zappa at least had some of Cage’s theory in mind.
I think there’s a lot to say here, so I’ll limit my discussion here to a little background info on the two videos. I’ll follow up in a second post with a brief analysis of Zappa’s discourse regarding Cage.
The first video shows John Cage in his February 24, 1960 appearance on the CBS game show I’ve Got a Secret. Typically, the show features contestants with unusual, amazing, embarrassing, or otherwise humorous secret. A panel tries to guess their secret using only yes/no questions. The host, Garry Moore, considered Cage’s secret–
I’m going to perform one of my musical compositions … The ‘instruments’ I will use are: a water pitcher, an iron pipe, a goose call, a bottle of wine, an electric mixer, a whistle, a sprinkling can, ice cubes, 2 cymbals, a mechanical fish, a quail call, a rubber duck, a tape recorder, a vase of roses, a seltzer siphon, 5 radios, a bathtub, and a grand piano.
–to be intriguing enough to forgo the game in hopes of allowing time for the entire piece to be performed (with the further hope of a Q&A afterwards).
Floorplan for Cage’s Water Walk [1]
The piece Cage performed, Water Walk, was an adaption of his earlier piece Water Music (1952) which is generally thought of as the first of Cage’s so-called “theater pieces.” Cage originally adapted the piece for a performance on a different game show, the Italian program Lascia o Raddoppia (loosely translated: “double or nothing”) in January of 1959.
John Cage on Lascia o Raddoppia with host Mike Buongiorno
On Lascia o Raddoppia, contestants answered questions on a topic of their choice. If they were successful, they were invited back the following week to answer harder questions for progressively larger winnings. A contestant who made it through all five weeks stood to win five million lire (approximately eight thousand dollars). Cage, an accomplished mycologist, answered questions about mushrooms with the aid of an interpreter. Cage made it through all five weeks and bought a new piano with his winnings upon returning home. More significantly, Cage was also invited to perform one of his compositions each week of show. Water Walk adapted the earlier Water Music to be more appropriate to the televised medium.
Detail of the score for Water Walk [2]
Compared to Water Music, Water Walk is much simpler. Cage’s specifications for the timing of various events are much less specific. More significantly, however, Cage seems to have introduced a greater degree of humor to the second piece, pandering to the lighthearted nature of television and its audiences. I think the added humor was something that would surely have appealed to Zappa.
(The only other performance of Water Walk by Cage was done on The Henry Morgan Show in June of 1959.)
In the other video, we see Zappa performing on The Steve Allen Show three years later. Zappa’s piece, a “concerto for two bicycles, a pre-recorded tape and the musicians in the back” is much more improvised. As Zappa points out in the pre-performance interview, he hadn’t been playing the bike very long.
Jerry Hopkins, the show’s talent coordinator recalls how Zappa landed the gig:
The rules for my job were simple. Get someone who was genuinely eccentric or who did something at least a little strange or out-of-the-ordinary, but never make fun of them—the idea was to have fun with them. And, no fakes, no frauds, no bogus acts looking for exposure and willing to do anything to get it, no put-ons or send-ups, no cons. Because, Steve assured me, they never, ever worked, and they embarrassed everyone.
Only once did I ignore his advice and that was when I got a call from a young man who identified himself as Frank Zappa. He said he wanted to teach Steve how to “blow bicycle.” “Blow bicycle,” I repeated.
“Yeah, you know, like, the bicycle is a musical instrument.”
(You can read the rest of Hopkins’ account here.)
Zappa’s performance even got a write up in a local Cucamonga newspaper:
“Ontario Composer, Steve Allen To Play Wacky Duet”
Frank Zappa, 22, Ontario resident and composer of music, serious and otherwise, will be seen on television tomorrow night playing a bicycle concerto for two with Steve Allen. The show is at 11 p.m., Channel 5. “It’s very funny,†said Zappa. “You play a bicycle by plucking the spokes and blowing through the handle bars.†Other methods of producing “cyclophony†is to stroke the spokes with the bow of a bass fiddle, twirl the pedals and let air out of the tires. The Zappa-Allen concerto will be abetted by a man in the control room fooling around with a tape recorder and by a jazz group which will supply toneless background noise. Zappa studied music and art at Chaffey College. He wrote the score for “The World’s Greatest Sinner,†a low-budget tale about a sacrilegious imposter who repents. “Sinner†had its premiere at Vista-Continental Theater, Hollywood, and opened Wednesday at the Ken Theater, San Diego. Zappa writes musical commercials for TV and radio. They are recorded at Pal Studio, Cucamonga. [3]
These videos both provide neat examples of how the frequently-opposed worlds of art and pop occasionally intersect. A lot of the responsibility for these meetings can be placed on television. I haven’t quite worked this out completely yet, but it seems that for Zappa, the added visual dimension of televised performance goes hand in hand with what he thought about Cage.
In both of these videos, what interests me is the awkward mix of polite respect and anxious laughter on the parts of the hosts and the audiences of each show. I think that these two videos give us an intimate glance a very specific moment in the history of avant-garde music. Audiences (and television programmers) were still receptive to experimental ideas, which themselves hadn’t yet been relegated to exclusive academic circles.
From my perspective, nearly fifty years later, it’s remarkable how adventurous television programming was in the middle of the twentieth century. It’s easy to complain about the lack of this sort of programming nowadays, but I think these examples might give us a better understanding of the current situation.
cartailz
google pixel 2 anime pouzdro hunter zelen谩 wedding 拧aty lakers 47 clean up cappello red bottoms mens black sandalen jungen breite f眉脽e pixel 2 xl wit hoesje
imagebite
potli torebki for weddings gtr phone case thirty one rolling jewell portemonnee moto e3 power mobile kryt kate spade floral park clip dot midi 拧aty texas rangers air force cappello
mohawarean
boston red sox straw hat viet nike shoes kobe 6 black white lyrics billig los angeles angels baseball hats queens nike w air max 90 ultra br white white for cheap etsy baby boy knitted hats uk adidas nmd boost white billig
experiso
iphone 6s plus sag skinny dip trampki damskie sinsay kitten podpatky diamante obuv grizzly felt cowboy hat pantaloni zampa adidas air jordan 1 retro haute og pine vert
pagealyze
case for galaxy a7 2018 orla kiely midi zak s9 otterbox pouzdro 拧aty shrugs a wraps ralph lauren baby boy berretto summer high boots
nicholasangelo
mahomes womens shirt new york giants womens critical victory nfl t shirt dark grey nike womens air zoom winflo 5 running billig nike mercurialx kids white silver shoes on sale billig kobe 11 flyknit air max billig yeezy boost 350 v2 vert noir
airraro
apple iphone 8 plus silicone case pink sand iphone xs crocodile case ecco mens hydromax golf shoes air max 1 dave white washington capitals winter classic jersey for nikelab acg errolson nrg a14 cargo pant
anamyth
beauty beast portmonetka leather phone case iphone 8 plus zwart en zilver handtas samsung galaxy s9 rugged protective kryt n谩mo艡nictvo strapless midi 拧aty nero slouchy beanie cappello
schaiernissan
vintage yankees berretto clarks t bar shoes womens sneaker damen mit blumen mcm iphone 6s hoesje nfl carson tinker womens limited black jersey 46 jacksonville jaguars nike therma long sleeve
peggymeyers
carvela flat schuhe samsung s10e led hoesje black and orange broncos jersey accessorize robot torba lumee case for iphone 8 canvas travel tote zak
tarasfire
modr媒 zelen谩 plaid 拧aty new orleans pelicans alpha 59fifty berretto alexander mcqueen sneakers velour schuhe frauen huawei mate 20 pro hoesje aliexpress nike brazil soccer goalkeeper jersey
shopandroid
vetements canvas sneakers schuhe ordering sites mous phone hoesje huawei p20 pro adidas wild 22 nino niederreiter green home authentic drift fashion stitched nhl jersey alexander mcqueen czarny torba iphone 7 plus squishy case
pilpel
vaja iphone 8 plus hoesje youth nike atlanta falcons 10 steve bartkowski limited olive 2017 salute to service nfl jersey guess money clip portfel iphone 8 leather case the division rugzak moto z droid pen臎啪enka pouzdro
zdarusa
black new era miami dolphins hat names nike hypervenom phantom fg size 9 nike air max 2015 maschio prezzo nike air parace 1 hombres gris j crew sarong skirt air jordan 6 gs foot locker australia
ihatemmos
smart skechers zero drop hiking schuhe slim iphone 8 portemonnee hoesje mens nike denver broncos 77 billy turner limited black 2016 salute to service nfl jersey jelly portmonetka 80s
sdeyelift
cleveland cavaliers 23 lebron james revolution 30 swingman 2014 red jersey nike dunk sky hi off bianca ear hat knitted hat vietnamese nike magista opus mens firm ground soccer cleat night stylish mens winter hat for cheap adidas zx 750 trainers noir ve…
toruseurope
nike kyrie 2 hvit and gull nike kobe 8 uk billig air vapormax plus black and red billig nike mercurial vapor 10 sortout jordan retro 11 red and svart jordan 13 retro red
markderry
powder blue phillies hat for cheap negro air max with blanco tick nike tiempo legend vii fg black white grey shoes on sale barry sanders mitchell and ness for cheap nike air zoom pegasus 31 noir blanc how to knit a baby bobble hat temperature
btmkinjury
samsung galaxy tab 4 kryt pouzdro gap maternity velvet 拧aty miami dolphins new era nfl team basic basso profile 59fifty berretto cobalt blue stilettos hausschuhe mit filzsohle iphone 8 dekking rose goud
scotthonda
wholesale new era carolina panthers nike air max 95 ultra jacquard trainers white for cheap billig adidas zx flux womens all red grey uk billig adidas ultra boost size 6 zip billig uk grey shoes nike zoom winflo 2 mens reebok running zpump fusion low s…
evestips
adidas yeezy boost 350 london drugs simple t shirt and jeans outfit nike sb dunk low pro black gum for cheap tea party style karen millen dresses nordstrom new adidas yezzy boots 350 gold and red
atbfiets
handtas with built in credit card slots pelican voyager iphone x pouzdro frill hem shift 拧aty miami marlins new era mlb nero rosso 59fifty berretto mens brown leather pumps flache sandalen damen schwarz
hapustahl
jordan retro 12 white black taxi red for cheap nike philadelphia eagles 92 reggie white black alternate mens stitched nfl new elite jersey nike stefan janoski max blu gituttio adidas superstar 1 cielo azul 47 brand rams hat for cheap nike huarache free…
museoplus
nike mens shorts australia nike dunk dinosaur jr youth nike indianapolis colts 27 nate hairston royal blue team color vapor untouchable limited player nfl jersey nike vapor knit shorts running human race nmd pharrell oreo black otk boots
pubservice
nike womens ronnie lott ash backer oakland raiders nfl 42 pullover hoodie nike air max side torba beasyjoy iphone 7 plus case secrid slide portemonnee s6 bumper pouzdro ganni modr媒 拧aty
meetmeatax
marine garrison casquette cell phone då¿™ksel stores near me vintage loafers damskie jcpenney marinen blue lace kjole mobile clutch tasche felpa adidas adicolor tnt
econergie
jordan retro 12 white black taxi red for cheap nike philadelphia eagles 92 reggie white black alternate mens stitched nfl new elite jersey nike stefan janoski max blu gituttio adidas superstar 1 cielo azul 47 brand rams hat for cheap nike huarache free…
neoaroc
gecko waterproof phone hoesje turkey 17 calhanoglu home soccer country jersey jr torebki authentic apple smart case iphone 7 dkny crossbody zak bruin camera pouzdro iphone x
corkcityyoga
file master portemonnee apple b铆l媒 silicone pouzdro iphone x zelen谩 oversized shirt 拧aty miami marlins new era mlb on field mesh back 59fifty berretto jelly dolly shoes veja v10 mesh
icrewz
damen schuhe for neuropathy samsung s8 clear view hoesje danielle hunter youth limited black jersey nike nfl minnesota vikings 2016 salute to service 99 herschel fifteen belt torba verizon moto phone cases dkny zwart en wit zak
ganenkou
nike mercurial superfly blackout fg for cheap billig atlanta braves veterans day hat ru nike air max 95 size 4 uk billig neymar in brazil jersey cheap all gray nike shox turbo 2 adidas nmd r2 ash pearl billig
beursact
rangers 29 adrian beltre blue cool base stitched youth mlb jersey mens kobe 11 on sale polo hat sale the hundreds dad hat for cheap nike hypervenom phantom club mens astro turf trainers tottenham training wear for cheap
dizimy
nike air max 90 university niebieski brooklyn nets mitchell ness nba all gold logo snapback cap jordan 11 midnight haditenger茅szet 2019 air jordans 12 roze ipad 2018 h眉lle stifthalter stan smith limited edition 2018
landscapia
topshop polka dot midi 拧aty beanies on donna adrenaline gts 18 2e dc schuhe skate schuhe samsung s9 liverpool hoesje mens nike indianapolis colts 38 christine michael sr limited olive 2017 salute to service nfl jersey
parilica
nike air zoom pegasus 33 black and grey for canada new azul jordans nike air force 1 kvinders sort and hvid retro jordan 3.5 all white blue billig kansas city royals hats queen mens 2015 nike nfl san francisco 49ers t shirts 74
riscad
pittsburgh pirates hat grey 2017 air jordan 4 retro fiba womens plus size dri fit polo shirts blue black nike lebron 10 elite travis jordan 6 adidas black f50 tracksuit for cheap
zonelaser
latest bridal handtas brick cell phone pouzdro denim 拧aty r暖啪ov媒 cat in the cappello fish bowl costume haflinger house slippers blau suede driving moccasins
rootlaw
nike air parace one negro rosado short sleeve blazer dress all green new balance 1500 uk shoes billig urban outfitters kimchi blue nike elastico pro ii malaysia air jordan flight speed 90 billig
kozetgyapotar
negro league berretto project rock training shoes lederseife schuhe tech21 iphone 7 plus clear hoesje calgary flames vintage jersey bia艂y herschel fanny pack
sscion
new york yankees cap official site weather.com nike free run 3.0 womens all black for cheap mavericks city edition jersey 2018 for cheap jordan 12 rainbow nike flyknit racer shoes online dubai billig nike air jordan 4 oreo yahoo billig
ibmwsc
chicago bulls mitchell ness nba combat snapback berretto new look bridal shoes tamaris mercy sneaker apple saddle bruin hoesje ovo leonard jersey silk evening torba
umccadillac
flapper dress with sleeves plus size herschel supply roy wallet nike lebron soldier 12 price limited womens deshaun watson navy blue jersey nfl nike houston texans 4 rush drift fashion ultra boost parley for the oceans boston celtics sweatshirt nike
miltonsport
san francisco giants straw hat 40 jordan eclipse white mens mens patagonia long sleeve tee air jordan 13 retro europe jordan trainer 1 low youth nike air max 2011 schwarz white
teckna
adidas zx 700 tutti bianca dolphins beanie hat zions albany ga adidas adizero messi 2014 nike air max 2013 nsw all blue nike sb stefan janoski noir gum new elite peyton manning mens jersey denver broncos 18 alternate navy blue nfl
chillievent
wholesale nike air huarache black and green childs knit hat free pattern nike air max 97 light pink raptors 47 hat for eu nike free run shoes all red uk nike flyknit gris mango
ladagebeheer
how to knit a baby girl hat name kobe first adidas shoe blanc adidas y3 kazuhiri black air max 20k cheap all blue shoes strawberry dress buy jordan superfly 3 blanc argent
rjautonm
tucch iphone x pouzdro n铆zk媒 cut a line 拧aty 49ers fishing cappello superga womens 2750 cotu classic sneaker lindy hop schuhe herren iphone 8 hoesje compatible with 7
saveorpave
black and gold womens air max 2014 shoes spain chuteira society nike tiempo mystic iv tf billig air vapormax premier flyknit team red billig nike kobe 10 performance review usa dolphins hats lids chicago illinois adidas ace 17.1 grey and red
fastmlsflyers
san francisco giants straw hat 40 jordan eclipse white mens mens patagonia long sleeve tee air jordan 13 retro europe jordan trainer 1 low youth nike air max 2011 schwarz white
francparler
note 4 pouzdro walmart office look 拧aty satin bucket cappello junior running spikes zaxy bow schuhe disney galaxy s10 hoesje