The Idol of his Youth

Andre, , , , ,

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. best price lebron 13 kids foot locker

    the nike lebron 15 low supernova just droppedbuy brooks ghost 10 silver blue white from best deals oncheap nike air vapormax flyknit 2. 0 w dark stucco obsidian habanero red grey fogkeds shoes keds champion red floral lace up shoes size

  3. 賲賵囟賴 賲賷賰 兀亘 賮賵乇 廿賷賮乇 乇賵噩 兀乇 賷爻 廿賳 賳爻 兀丨賲乇 卮賮丕賴 34 賲乇丕噩毓丞

    jordan 12 ovo sneaker teesjordan 6 rings black grade school kids shoe hibbett usfresh store nike nike air jordan 6 retro air jordan 6 nostalgicred black jordan 5

  9. nike mercurial superfly 6 vi

    celine luggage modelwomen autumn pencil dress office ladies notched collar double breasted black red pencil dress sleeveless plus size empire dressmodern tree stump dining tables table design ideas with regard to trunk plans 15blackglama mink fur jacke…

  20. eileen dress cocktailkjoler festkjoler multi

    2018 薪邪 胁械褋薪褍 写谢褟 写械胁芯褔械泻 泻褉邪褋懈胁芯械 泻褉褍卸械胁薪芯械 锌谢邪褌褜械 锌褉懈薪褑械褋褋褘 写械褌懈 褏谢芯锌芯泻 泻褉邪褋薪芯械 锌谢邪褌褜械 写谢褟 写械胁芯褔械泻 泻褉邪褋薪褘泄褌褍薪懈泻邪 mia mia maya卸械薪褋泻芯械 褋褌懈谢褜薪芯械 锌褉懈褌邪谢械薪薪芯械 锌谢邪褌褜械 褋 褔械褉薪褘屑 泻褉褍卸械胁芯屑 泻褍锌懈褌褜 蟹邪 640邪屑械褉懈泻邪薪褋泻懈泄 懈薪写械械褑 谐谢邪胁薪褘泄 写卸懈薪褋褘 褋 胁褘褕懈胁泻芯泄 写谢褟 屑褍卸褔懈薪 褝…

  23. vendo t锚nis original por 200 reais ou troco por outro t锚nis da asics ou mizuno

    reserved torebka z tekstur膮 krokodyla pomara艅czo ceny i opinie艣rednia torba treningowa select verona 53l ceny i opiniepierre cardin damski portfel sk贸ra lakierowana czerwony 05 line 102 prawie organizerdu偶a torebka wizytowa kopert贸wka betlewski allegro

  27. juego de ruedas mavic cosmic pro carbon exalith shimano ref

    銈广優銉涖偒銉愩兗 鎵嬪赋鍨?銉囥偅銈恒儖銉?/a>bag company 銉愩儍銈扮敤鎸併仭鎵嬨偒銉愩兗 銉炪偘銉嶃儍銉堝彇銈婁粯銇?銈儍銈枫儳銉冲唴钄?/a>淇濊銉曘偅銉儬 aquos 銈偗銈偣 瀵惧繙姗熺ó 銈广偗銉兗銉炽偓銉笺儔 娑叉櫠 淇濊 銈枫兗銉?sh 02j shtrek fuel ex 6 downhill mountain bike

  29. replica designer sunglasses store buy new fashion brand women luxury vintage retro metal frame female sun

    chanel classic flap chevron medium double w matte gold hardware redshoes clear boots see through transparent high heel boots clear heelschanel chanel timeless medium bag 2017 brand new handbags leather pinkmichael kors small whitney pebbled leather tot…

  39. 丕爻 乇噩毓 丨 賶 45 賲賳 孬賲賳 丕賱爻賱毓 丕賱 賷 卮 乇賷賴丕 賲賳 丕賱兀賳 乇賳 賲丿賵賳丞 毓亘丕賯乇丞 丕賱賳

    è´¸culos de sol christian dior stellaire 5è´¸culos oakley turbine polished black lente prizm daily polarizadoè´¸culos de sol reef bolero preto fosco e laranja pretomax mara marilyn oculos de sol

  42. brown leopard print mink pink skirt navy denim old navy jacket

    outdoor products 銈偊銉堛儔銈儣銉儉銈儎 銇?citizen 銈枫儊銈恒兂 outdoor products 銈姐兗銉┿兗銉嗐儍銈?oppidum銈枫儶銉笺偤銉儱銉冦偗 銉儑銈ｃ兗銈?銉°兂銈?楂樼礆銉偠銉?ladies bag 銈枫兂銉椼儷浜烘皸 闃叉按杌介噺 鐢峰コ鍏肩敤 銉娿偆銉兂澶?/a>6 銈便兗銈?銉忋偆銉栥儶銉冦儓銈便兗銈?銈儶銈?銉儍銉?/a>銉儮銉?rimowa bossa nova 銉溿偟銉庛儛 鏈€楂樼礆銉儑銉?cabin multiwh…

  45. vestidos largos elegante manga larga para mujer encaje cuello redondo fiesta coctel maxi vestido amazon.es deportes y aire libre

    women sam edelman leya faux fur pom pom slip on sneakers navy dustygucci gucci classic sandle size us 12 eu 45toll warehouse wins national energy efficiency awardtrendy black colour and rhinestones design sandals for women black 37

Comments are closed.