The Idol of his Youth

Edgard Varese-Complete Works of, vol 1The image to the right depicts the cover of the Complete Works of Edgard Varèse, Volume 1. According to Zappa, this was the first record he ever owned. (And one that changed everything for him!)

The story of how he came to discover the record was well-rehearsed. The following quotation is drawn from an article he wrote for  Stereo Review:

I was about thirteen when I read an article in Look about Sam Goody’s Record Store in New York. My memory is not too clear on the details, but I recall it was praising the store’s exceptional record merchandising ability. One example of brilliant salesmanship described how, through some mysterious trickery, the store actually managed to sell an album called “Ionization” (the real name of the album was “The Complete Works of Edgard Varèse, Volume One”). The article described the record as a weird jumble of drums and other unpleasant sounds. I dashed off to my local record store and asked for it. Nobody ever heard of it. I told the guy in the store what it was like. He turned away, repulsed, and mumbled solemnly, “I probably wouldn’t stock it anyway … nobody here in San Diego would buy it.” I didn’t give up. I was so hot to get that record I couldn’t even believe it. [1]

A number of other sources provide a similar account. Though the details of the Look article frequently change with each retelling, Zappa is consistent in his description that the article was a feature on Samuel “Sam Goody” Gutowitz appearing in Look magazine and that it mentioned the Varèse album in negative terms to highlight Goody’s merchandising prowess. Consider the following quotation from a 1971 interview for Rock Magazine:

The thing that led me to Varèse’s music was an article in Look Magazine saying how great Sam Goody’s record store was. Sam Goody sells records so well that he can even sell a record called Ionizations – they even called the album wrong – it was The Complete Works of Edgar Varèse, Volume I. And they were telling how ugly this record sounded. It was just drums and sirens and nobody would want to own this record and Sam Goody was actually selling it [2]

Or Zappa’s response from an 1981 interview in Down Beat:

How did you first find out about Edgar Varèse?

That’s a very simple story. I read an article in Look magazine in the early ’50s which was a feature saying what a great guy Sam Goody was because he was such an exciting merchandiser and he could sell anything, he could sell any kind of record. And to give an example of what a great merchandiser he was, it said that he was even able to sell an album called “Ionisation” which had a bunch of drums banging, and it described the album in very negative terms. When I read that, I thought it sounded exactly like the kind of album that I wanted to hear because I had been playing drums since I was 12. So I went looking for the album and I finally found it after a couple of months’ search, and I took it home, put it on, and I loved it as soon as I heard it. [3]

These descriptions would all be fine, except no article matching this description ever ran in Look magazine. Several Zappa scholars have suggested the likely possibility that Zappa is conflating memories of several articles. None of them offers any suggestions as to particular articles, so I’d like to point to some potential candidates I’ve found.

Look Record GuideTo begin with, the November 7, 1950 issue of Look does include a brief (and surprisingly positive) review of the record, but makes no mention of Gutowitz:

The good-things-from-obscure-places department has come up with the following finds. From EMS, the first album of a series which proposes to record the complete works of the fantastically individualistic composer Edgard Varèse. Density 21.5, Integrales, Octandre and Ionisation—a dreamy little episode for 35 percussion instruments and absolutely nothing else—are the titles. Varèse is unlike anything else in music, and well worth knowing. The recording is excellent… [4]

Duke of the Disc DealersAlthough the album is reviewed favorably here, the description of the percussion does line up with Zappa’s memory.

Another possible source comes from a feature in The Saturday Evening Post: “Duke of the Disc Dealers.” (The image to the right links to a PDF of the article.)

One Goody customer is a rare and notable exception to this buyer pattern. An old lady in her seventies, she depends on Levin [the store manager] to set aside all records with fortissimo percussion passages. ‘She loves drums, gongs, cymbals and anything that makes a loud banging noise. She has excellent hearing and is not interested in volume, as such. She just gets a particular thrill out of everything which is savage and primitive.’ [5]

This article, however, makes no mention of Varèse

How Does Goody's Do ItGreg Russo has pointed out that the February 13, 1952 issue of People Today mentions Goody’s skills as a record salesman. [7] The article makes no mention of Varèse, but Russo suggests the possibility that Zappa first read about the record in a Sam Goody catalog. Along these lines, an article from Good Housekeeping (click the image for another PDF)  confirms Goody’s  merchandising techniques:

Goody believes in aggressive advertising. He floods schools, colleges, libraries, and embassies throughout the world with direct-mail-order advertising. [6]

It seems possible that Zappa may have come across one of the catalogs distributed in this manner. (I’ve sent several emails to Goody’s son in the hope that he might have some of the catalogs, but lost contact with him over a year ago.)

I can’t even begin to tell you how sweet it would have been if I had found an article matching Zappa’s description! (Even if it wasn’t in Look magazine.) Unfortunately, it seems that for now at least the mystery remains.

References:
[1] Frank Zappa, “Edgard Varèse: Idol of my Youth,” Stereo Review 26, no. 6 (June 1971): 62. (Text here.)
[2] David Reitman, “I Dreamed I Interviewed Frank Zappa In My Maidenform Bra,” Rock Magazine 2.13 (January 25, 1971): 31. (Text here.)
[3] John Diliberto and Kimberley Haas, “Frank Zappa on Edgar Varese,” Down Beat 48, no. 11 (November 1981): 22. (Text here.)
[4] Joseph Roddy, “Look Record Guide,” Look Magazine 14 (November 7, 1950): 111.
[5] Richard Thruelsen, “Duke of the Disc Dealers,” The Saturday Evening Post 229 (October 27, 1956): 124. (PDF here.)
[6] “How Does Goody’s Do It?,” Good Housekeeping 143 (September 1956): 56. (PDF here.)
[7] Greg Russo, Cosmik Debris: The Collected History and Improvisations of Frank Zappa (Floral Park, NY: Crossfire Publications, 1999), 9.
The Idol of his Youth

46,641 thoughts on “The Idol of his Youth

  1. make your own heat press pillows youtube

    lee womens slimming fit rebound skinny leg jean at amazon womenssk hat shop mens summer cotton brim retro lining pork pie fedora hat at amazon mens clothing storemori lee nude white lace dressshein beach clothes for fat ladies

  2. 褔芯谢芯胁褨褔械 胁蟹褍褌褌褟 泻褉芯褋褨胁泻懈 蟹懈屑芯胁褨 薪邪 褏褍褌褉褨 comfort stael 37 blue

    2017 yeni pu deri ceket erkekler mavi kat谋 erkek faux k眉rk coats trend slim fit gen莽likvakkodan kapa sat谋艧 a莽谋klamas谋tansiyon hastalar谋 u莽a臒a binerken dikkat sa臒l谋k haberlerikad谋n bambi sandalet

  3. xperia z3銈便兗銈?銉夈偗銉叆銈娿儊銈с儍銈焺 銈ㄣ偗銈广儦銉偄z3銈儛銉奸€氳博honey

    afp銈儶銈广偪銉儠銈c儷銉犮偦銉冦儓 for iphone 6s 6 power support鍙剾銇勮厱鏅傝▓銇俱仺銈?銈偡銉c儸銇т汉姘椼伄銉儑銈c兗銈广儢銉┿兂銉夈伅銇伀seiko 銈汇偆銈炽兗 鑵曟檪瑷?銉囥偢銈裤儷 銉囥偅銉笺儣銉栥儷銉?銉栥儵銉冦偗 銉°兂銈?绠变粯 銉兗銉儔銈裤偆銉炪兗 銈广偙銈搞儱銉笺儷銈偊銉堛儸銉冦儓 銈广兗銉勩偙銉笺偣 銈儯銉兗銈便兗銈?銈儯銉兗銉愩儍銈?銈儯銉兗銉愩儍銈?鏃呰銇嬨伆銈?灏忓瀷 ss 銈点偆銈?姗熷唴鎸併仭杈笺伩

  4. 2018 buty adidas gazelle core dark blue roz 38

    buty do biegania nike w skr贸cie air presto premium damskie czarnenike air max czarne m臋skie allegro promocjereebok pump plus ultk obuwie do biegania niebieskie obuwie sportowepi臋kny design obuwie damskie tamaris botki vino

  5. 毓胤乇 賱賵 賰賵 賵乇 賳爻丕卅賷 2016 氐賵乇 毓胤賵乇 賱賵 賰賵 賵乇 2016

    beyaz y眉ksek taban kad谋n spor ayakkab谋 19 1official store 眉zerinde g眉venilir handle chainerkek y谋rt谋k kot jean pantolon kombinleriboyner boyneronline kayak bavul valiz k谋艧 tatil gezi

  6. bordè´¸ csipkeruha

    褋褍屑泻邪 斜芯褉写芯胁邪褟 泻褍锌懈褌褜 褍泻褉邪懈薪邪薪芯胁懈薪泻邪 2016 薪邪褋褌芯褟褖械械 屑邪谢褘泄 卸械薪褋泻懈械 褋褍屑泻懈 褔械褉械蟹 锌谢械褔芯 褋褍屑泻懈 锌褍薪泻褌 卸械薪褋泻懈械 褋褍屑泻懈 褌褉褍斜邪 shell 锌邪褉褌懈褟 锌谢械褔邪 褔械褉薪褘泄褉褞泻蟹邪泻 grizzly outdoor goods backpack 泻褍锌懈褌褜 芯薪谢邪泄薪 胁 懈薪褌械褉薪械褌泻谢邪褋褋懈褔械褋泻懈泄 卸械薪褋泻懈泄 泻褉邪褋薪褘泄 泻芯褕械谢械泻 懈蟹 薪邪褌褍褉邪谢褜薪…

  7. th kids classic trench coat

    steve madden gills camo army slip on sneakersgamehide large blaze orange front loader vestclarks originals mens desert boots clarks shoes official sitegiuseppe zanotti zipped low top sneakers black giuseppe zanotti design women trainers

  8. prix de vente conseill茅 top vente en am茅rique du coll猫ge 茅tudiants fans occasionnels chaussures mignon animal

    gennaio 猫 stato il mese del lancio delle nuove scarpe da running brooks transcend 5puma future 2.1 netfit fg ag nero 104812 03 scarpe puma footballoveadidas superstar nere saldiacquista 2 off qualsiasi nike mercurial vapor x offerte case e

  9. prada diaper bags for sale

    patent leather crossbody bag kors michael kors black in patentchanel classic summer flap fuschia leather shoulder bag tradesybuy chanel classic single flap bag lambskin mini nude rebagprada small monochrome tote prada small monochrome tote

  10. buy derrick rose best shoes off56 discounted

    you can buy womens sneakers athletic shoes champion keds x kate spade new york creamnike kyrie 2 inferno men nike new basketball cheap shoes black red 819583 680womens nike zoom all out low running white shoes 889122 100 sportkentucky freshman has size…

  11. athleisure outfit ideas 6 outfit ideas hq

    juno baby sunsuit romper tea princessmens camp counselor camping products from notahappycamperkids girls knit overalls jumpsuits cotton suspender knitted onesies pants trousers children slip knitwear rompers overallsrufflebutts yellow seersucker bubble…

  12. supreme x jordan coaches jacket black

    ua stephen curry iii 3 cnyglitter silver adidas superstars ii fashion sneakers shoescrocs jibbitz badge many designs t rex bunt mens shoes trainerswhite black nike mens zoom lebron soldier x basketball shoes 844380

  13. lullaby amazon bebek bak谋m s谋rt 莽antas谋 k谋rm谋z谋 1

    2019 y眉ksek kalite b眉y眉k kapasiteli sè°‹rt 莽antasè°‹ kadè°‹n erkek marka tasarè°‹m sè°‹rt 莽antasè°‹ i莽in su ge莽irmezkoton minik gece 莽antasè°‹ di臒er clutch portfæžšy 100 陌ndirimligebrauchte bulut ayakkabi ve 莽anta d眉nyasi zum verkauf in beyyanlarè°‹ 艧eritli koton ceket…

  14. skoshopping closet

    light pink stilettos ankle strap peep toes strappy sandals high heels by shoe closetrtry womens slippers amp flip flops slippers pvc summer party amp evening crystalcouldnt believe these are nine west the kenie sandalhigh heels shoes jeweled high heels…

  15. scarpe nike air force 44

    scarpe nike air force 44minecraft ni帽o camiseta ropa y accesorioszapato viru logan cuero negro con pelo printmujer vaqueros skinny pitillo rotos pantalones cintura alta vaqueros el谩sticos

  16. kamik riptide gummisté…¶vler navy white

    index mindek枚zben kr茅m min艖s茅g疟 haszn谩ltruha枚sszecsukhat贸 korm谩ny 枚sszecsukhat贸 ker茅kp谩roknovesta sneakers bobo str. 24 34 oliven gr酶nden billigaste p氓 n盲tet dam skor dam bl氓 green comfort camino o blu

  17. pyjama polaire 2 ans vinted

    promocao tenis infantil feminino nike t锚nis training com oblackberry blackberry 9320 curve 3g pinkfundas para telefonos moviles celly gelskinbk gelskinbk funda parafunda n贸rdica lisa tricolor es tela en donurmy

  18. mens adidas grey stockx

    2018 new style brand name wholesale tr90 optical frames fancycard 2016 augusta national masters ltd ed maui jim glasses in wood box with casenike 0.25 to 3.50 reading glasses 53mm black white 003wiley x guard lenses smoke grey

  19. 锌谢邪褌褜械 褋 胁芯谢邪薪芯屑 懈蟹 褕械谢泻邪 泻褍锌懈褌褜 胁 泻懈械胁械

    adidas atlanta united ultimate long sleeve performance t shirt trenz shirt companypolo ralph lauren men pima soft touch polo shirt black s amazon.co.uk clothingred chess bomb t shirtmens t shirt 2019 fashion brand clothing eagle printed t shirt men cas…

  20. 璨峰彇 2019 銉椼儵銈广偟銈ゃ偤銉淬偅銉炽儐銉笺偢姘寸帀姘寸潃濂虫€с儎銉笺償銉笺偣姘寸潃

    norfolk fast and light lowcutmasha gold sequin lace up pump monika chiangmens driving gloves deer leather cognac by hungantfrequently bought together. 24k rib rainbow color big sunny umbrella

Comments are closed.