Water Walking and Bicycle Blowing (part 1)

Andre, , , ,

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).

water walk 1

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.

cage_Buongiorno

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.

water walk 2

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.

References:
[1] Taken from William Fetterman, John Cage’s Theatre Pieces: Notations and Performances (Amsterdam: Harwood Academic Publishers, 1996), 33.
[2] Ibid., 35.
[3] As of yet, I have not been able to find an accurate citation for this article. Based on the details it came from a Cucamonga, CA newspaper and can be dated to March 13, 1963. A transcription of the text can be found here.
Water Walking and Bicycle Blowing (part 1)

84,938 thoughts on “Water Walking and Bicycle Blowing (part 1)”

  1. geoinka

    basket nike scratch garcon nike intensity training belt nike collarless polo shirt comprar alpargatas mujer adidas terrex corte ingles adidas samba wei脽

  3. volcom姘寸潃 銉溿儷銈炽儬 涓夎銉撱偔銉?锝曪綋锝併偟銈ゃ偤s 722

    鐢诲儚 銈︺偋銉囥偅銉炽偘 銇娿仐銈冦倢銇拰銇儐銉笺儢銉偝銉笺儑銈ｃ儘銉笺儓 銈儍銈?銉椼儶銉炽偦銈?銉夈儸銈?/a> 缇庡搧 nike roshe run 615601 007 28cm 銉娿偆銈?銉兗銈枫儵銉?銉°兂銈?銈般儸銉?銈兗銈?銉嶃儍銈儸銈?鏄熷舰 鏄熴儦銉炽儉銉炽儓 銉€銈ゃ儰 鍙剾銇?3é–«?銈枫儷銉愩兗925 銉椼儵銉併儕銈炽兗銉嗐偅銉炽偘 cz 褰煎コ 浜烘皸 æ¿¡?銉椼儸銈笺兂銉?au wowma 銉偊銉?/a> puma 銈广偍銉笺儔銈儵銈枫儍銈?銈般儶銉笺…

  4. 澹层倢绛嬨儵銉炽偔銉炽偘 銉溿兗銈ゃ偤銉曘偐銉笺優銉偊銈с偄 銇腑

    銉娿偆銈?銈ㄣ偄 銉栥儵銉冦偗 銉欍儷銈儹 銉┿偝銈广儐銇晢鍝佷竴瑕?閫氳博 yahoo 銈枫儳銉冦償銉炽偘 銉椼儵銉併儕銉€銈ゃ儰銉兂銉夈儘銉冦偗銉偣 銉氥兂銉€銉炽儓銉嶃儍銈儸銈?銈般儍銉?銉濄兗銉?銉斻兂銈?/a> hummel 銉忋兗銉曘儜銉炽儎 hat6069 26 銉°兂銈?chanel 銈枫儯銉嶃儷 銉愩儸銉冦偪 閲戝睘瑁?銉儑銈ｃ兗銈?銉?銉栥儵銉炽儔銉愩兗銈层兂 娆层仐銇勩儢銉┿兂銉夊搧銇屻仚銇愯銇ゃ亱銈?銉嶃儍銉堥€氳博銈点偆銉?/a> 瀛愩仼銈傜敤姘寸潃銇浜嬨…

  9. gucci engraved cuff in black gold for men save

    loose asscher cut forever one moissanite disney wedding cufflinks 128 men in black silhouette art print stanley proto 4 piece ratcheting wrench adapter set metric new stanley 97 piece mechanics tool set with bonus 68 piece mechanics tool set big chain…

  10. 42062 container yard

    lego technic hand assembly internals lego technic masterylego the lego movie 2 emmets tricycle kids building set fromlego 31041 construction vehiclesjurassic park helicopter arriving scene

  11. g hair escova alem marca menu vertical

    black purple lace g string lace panties sheer panties sexy long fleece nightgown coupons lady autumn winter flannel princess nightgowns casual homewear warm soft comfortable boys softshell skiing jacket coat green boys jackets boys clothing boohoo peti…

  14. 4smarts b5 bluetooth handsfree til bilen svart

    gant archive sweat hoodie fikside lå¿™r æ°“ strikke sokker pæ°“ 10 minutter reklame pæ°“ sms slik stanser du det sms reklame blant babymoov strandtelt anti uv telt skuldervesker dame 2019 mote 2019 jenter mini veske svart playmobil country stor motehus as tigh…

  15. skydd fodral iphone 6

    harley davidson cotton coats jackets for mens motorcycledainese mugello leather jacket black white get 29 offbelstaff v racer leather jacket black mainline menswearbest yamaha motorcycle helmets price in malaysia harga 2019

  16. thepondineer

    nike lebron 13 low team rojo lizard air jordan 4 blanco marrè´¸n polo ralph lauren big and tall uk kvinners nike shox current gull rosa floral dress rent the runway kobe 9 low hvid and sort jordans

  17. fashions night out met gala 2019 you i

    jeans strappati casual jeans alla caviglia boyfriend jeans per le donne pantaloni larghi allentati star stampato donna hole gloriasconto palla di guanto da baseball 2019 palla di guanto dacome indossare un fermacravatta 6 passaggilassenza di gucci pesa

  18. jacamo mens v neck t shirt regular

    mountain hardwear veste homme gris surcapuche sweat sans sans capuche sweat sans sweat capuchechemise è„¿ rayures jil sander navy femme chemises è„¿ rayurespatagonia sweat è„¿ capuche live simply guitar en feather grey

  19. the best cotton underwear

    xiaomis poco f1 to get discount from december 6 here are the retro style korea silhouette women panty brief stretch underpants for lady plain white tee shirts sample store buy fascinating lingerie multi colored modern print adorable one piece swim suit…

  21. botas marca rodeo

    pin on ebay moda sara carbonero y emily reciben el verano con el wenseny camisetas estampadas de flores para mujer tops con conjunto de plantea estilo de traje de ba帽o de competiciè´¸n ni帽o de la escuela avarcas menorquinas para beb茅s en piel con velcro…

  24. scarpe adidas zx 700 uomo

    pè°©rnahuzat varrè°©s h铆mz茅s g茅pih铆mz艖.hu scofium kft kariban cipzè°©ros f茅rfi kardigè°©n orsay mutatè´¸s sæžšt茅tk茅k sz铆nè°©tmenetes min艖s茅gi l 40 nyè°©ri tommy hilfiger n艖i alkalmi blç…¤z fels艖 m 38 navy k茅k aukciè´¸ joma top flex 709 f茅rfi teremcip艖 a lapos n艖ket 眉nnepl…

  27. te kaut kam ir j膩b奴t

    giochi peppa pig couple characterspolisport guppy mini b膿rnu s膿dek募i viegli ungultas ve募a ar 3d z墨m膿jumu 150 220supervaro艈u neveiksm墨g膩kie kost墨mi spoki bildes 3

  28. asics gel training shoes

    survetement adidas garcon magasin de lunette de soleil paris lunettes de soleil julbo b茅b茅 ou acheter comme des garcons escarpin plateforme rouge prix des escarpins louboutin combinaison pantalon femme gemo socquette invisible femme

  29. clicetpack

    peyton manning jersey half colts half broncos alexis rhapsody sequin mini dress jordan xi rose gold nike xl sweatpants ralph lauren big pony 2 mens sandalias fila para ni帽o

  30. birkenstock arizona in mocha suede with regular width soft foot bed sz 41 46 new 2 2 of 7

    de fedest drengeure pæ°“ markedet vi har dem her pæ°“ bé…¶rneuret matinique trostol b5 geo print malene og jonas lé…¶ber for kå¿™rligheden garmin f锚nix 5x sportsur bojlerjav铆tè°©s furdancs blog terepmintè°©s mell茅ny eladè´¸ firsty munkav茅delmi bakancs anton utazik kæžšn…

  31. sac è„¿ dos pour homme en cuir

    puma evopower 1.2 women for sale nike free flyknit 4.0 womens 2015 tee shirt zerator asics gt 2000 5 amazon lace bridal clutch bag polo nike donna nere nike basketball top mizuno wave lightning rx3 donna scarpe

  32. wagoneer with rhino grill jeep wagoneer

    mens crew socks 3 pack 80 cotton athletic best fit work socks black white grey budget drawstring bag small size junior cinch packs men s plimsolls trainers shoes guys fashion trends best bike accessories bike gadgets cycling accessories kids winter sno…

  33. 2017 new summer sexy patchwork brazilian bikini woman swimsuit bandage swimwear best soft swimsuits bathing suit

    gucci presenta le ballerine da uomo 猫 zaza meme outlet uomo donna lacoste negozio costumi con fascia alta elegante trapuntata invernale imbottita giacca nero alta qualitè„¿ dolci pantaloni sktbs skate chino per gli uomo moda creativa cute cartoon puppy s…

  34. gucci journey jewel hiker sneaker

    tweede verjaardag 2.geburtstag twee jaar meisje kinderen t versiering feestzaal huwelijk nibourg interieurs nibourg interieurs zwolle projob 6703 hesje fluo geel carmina schoenen maat 9 nu afgeprijsd van 600 online winkelen goedkope moncler garage amst…

  35. lego ninjago morro dragon

    nfl new orleans saints mens spectacular polo t shirtcleveland browns full player bottle opener metal magnetreport minnesota vikings shopping a trade for laquon treadwellofficial carolina panthers hitch covers trailer hitch cap

  37. plakat imitert skinn

    black friday jakker turutstyr for barn fibra sync run shorts w sort m lett lé…¶peshorts til dame sliter med ikeas grundtal belysning dinside mammajulie tips dunpose til en rimelig penge retro kjé…¶kkenmaskin kenwood winnie capri studio mote vic tronrud vic…

  38. erkek 莽ocuk yelek 枚rg眉 modelleri t眉rkiyenin kad谋nlar blogu

    nike womens zoom fly flyknit running shoes puma blaze of glory soft mens shoes agave green p艂aszcz m臋ski zimowy l siyah ayakkabè°‹lar. nike tr puma basket classic lfs white black leather casual adidas erkek halè°‹ saha ayakkabè°‹sè°‹ krampon x tango 17.3 tf es…

  39. 銉娿偆銈?闈?娲炬墜

    kurtka damska clockhouse bez kaptura krè´¸tka z poliestru zimowy p艂aszcz khaki z naszywkami gnommy xs 34 black friday 2019 ké…¶b dine julegaver billigere jyothi kl盲der online adidas zx flux el infants 莽ocuk ayakkabè°‹ running beyaz core cartier in vendita co…

  42. superga rosse alte

    賲賱丕亘爻 丿丕禺賱賷丞 爻賵丿丕亍 賲毓 丿丕賳 è³·è³± 賵乇亘丕胤 丕賱賰 è³® joga skupinska vadba cardiocore studio 拧to u膷initi ako izgubite osobnu iskaznicu ukrasni pojasevi za haljine steznik frida crni korzeti majice 拧t媒lovè°© dè°©mska mè´¸da kapri hla膷e constanza be啪 nakit silver jewellery…

  45. come decorare casa a natale

    punti vendita birkenstock milano lacoste polo shop online scarpe calcetto 36 negozi scarpe on line economici gucci accessori donna pochette strass oro gucci zegna cappotto auricolari bluetooth stereo bose

  46. czarne botki ocieplane fc

    bluza reebok damska ssg fz hdy xs ceny i opiniebotki sk贸rzane ocieplane nessi nowogardspears walker 10070128 bezp艂atny odbi贸r wroc艂awwalizka david jones spartoo

  48. sunnybakes

    puma evopower boots adidas capitals 92 evgeny kuznetsov navy authentic 2018 stadium series stanley cup final champions stitched nhl jersey zapatillas lona velcro vapormax off white collab nike free 3.0 v5 lé…¶b sko myntra nike free 3.0 flyknit for verkau…

  49. aslempire

    nike air force 1 lv8 utility jd kleider bonita converse z futerkiem tenis adidas aleta de tiburon robe fete longue sportanz眉ge m盲dchen

Comments are closed.