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”

  3. buy ceewhy special occasion dresses short prom dresses 2018 blue cocktail dresses summer vestidos de coctel graduation dresses from

    100 baumwolle herren hochwertige materialien hemd babistakindermode aus japan 7 japanischenicki schlafanzug damenneue winter m眉tzen frauen schal gestrickt hut caps maske gorras motorhaube bunte warme wolle caps mit

  5. popconatelier ballroom dress navy pink

    letisko bratislava airport bratislava pr铆spevkyd谩msky horsk媒 bicykel prievidza bazo拧.sktenisky diadora zna膷kov茅 oble膷enie za ak膷n茅 ceny n谩jde拧 na gatioalma alma je nov媒m modelom od suecos

  6. nike dunk sky hi pale græ°“

    nike shox deliver herren wei脽 marine rot herren nike air max tailwind 8 gold schwarz menn nike air max 87 sb svart gr氓 gr酶nn adidas neo mesh dark blu bianca hommes adidas zx flux ocean waves nike sb blazer low blu

  9. nike kaishi hombre

    nike kobe shoes olx le coq sportif shoes sky blue purple womens new balance navy 420 suede trainers buffalo bills home jersey oakland raiders 15 michael crabtree olive 2017 salute to service limited jersey ralph lauren v neck sweater black

  12. compre pulsera de abalorios de cristal natural con cuentas de cristal pulsera con una pulsera que contra la radiaciè´¸n a del

    venta al por mayor de encanto turco de la suerte del ojo compraronefeart base metal pulsera para hombres chicos manual trenzadopantalon de vestir mujer verde oscuroexcelente moda anillo de mujer espa帽ol plata joyer铆a y pandora

  15. 褋褌芯谢芯胁械 芯褌 屑邪褋懈胁 械谢懈屑械泻褋 褌褉芯褟薪 锌褉芯懈蟹胁芯写懈褌械谢 薪邪 屑械斜械谢懈 芯褌 屑邪褋懈胁

    prodotti per la puliziamaglia donna t shirt fantasia mamme figli particolare stampate casual sexy moda 32017 theme abito da sposa per matrimonio invernalecaliban camicia

  16. big boys adidas shoes

    mens barrow shoesvans youth chima pro 2 darkest sprucelauren ralph lauren tummy control ruched halter one piece swimsuitreebok lux high rise tight svart tights pæ°“ sportamore

  17. 丨丕乇賾丞 毓賲賱賷賾丞 亘賷毓 賮賷亘乇 賵亘 賷賰 賮賮賱 亘氐乇賷賾丞 禺胤兀 賲丨丿丿 賲賵賯毓

    注讙诇转 讘讜讘讛 8541 step 2砖诪诇转 讻驻转讜专讬诐 诪讜讚驻住转 讘砖讬诇讜讘 讞讙讜专讛住讟 讻讜讘注 驻讜诪驻讜谞讬诐 讜爪注讬祝 住专讜讙 诇转讬谞讜拽讜转住谞讚诇讬 讟讬诪讘专诇谞讚 讬讜谞讬住拽住 转讬谞讜拽讜转 讜讬诇讚讬诐 讘诪讙讜讜谉 爪讘注讬诐 诇讘讞讬专讛

  18. 乇丕賷丕賳 廿賷乇 賵賷賰賷亘賷丿賷丕貙 丕賱賲賵爻賵毓丞 丕賱丨乇丞

    paint branch comes back from 22 down to shock undefeated kennedy 1 23 2017women men edison chen clot x air jordan 1 red metallic gold aa819953 001nike training dri fit fleece tapered joggers in grey 06311s blue and white

  21. lapco mens fr advanced comfort work pants

    size 12 black stone alfred angelo long velvet bridesmaid dress french noveltybridget modest ivory lace lds wedding dress with sleevesdiscount maternity clothes on maternity clothes for christmas party cheap trendy maternity clothesshe means business la…

  25. 卸械薪褋泻邪褟 芯斜褍胁褜 褋褍屑褘

    写械褌褋泻邪褟 芯斜褍胁褜 泻械写褘 31 36 jong golf 17 泻褍锌懈褌褜 芯锌褌芯屑 胁 懈薪褌械褉薪械褌屑褝褉懈谢懈薪 屑芯薪褉芯 褋褌懈谢褜 胁 芯写械卸写械邪薪邪褌芯屑懈褔械褋泻邪褟 芯斜褍胁褜 懈 褋褌械谢褜泻懈斜芯褌懈薪泻懈 centro art 褎芯褌芯

  27. buciki ecco roz

    hamilton 5ft king size light grey fabric bedwood kitchen table with bench seating designs ideasfashion tape ara1st position polo neck pink neon hologram printed dance gymnastics

  33. 薪械写芯褉芯谐芯 泻褍锌懈褌褜 芯斜褍胁褜

    bu yaz bu abiyeler modadamla gelinlik ve aksesuar mersin 0 629 92ck gayrimenkulden devren kiral谋k tesett眉r giyim ma臒azas谋 80 m2kad谋n 枚rme bodycon kazak elbise bayanlar sonbahar k谋艧 patchwork uzun kollu mini k谋sa elbise uzun kazaklar

  38. slip liabel x 3 il regno dellintimo intimo online shop

    miejskie spodnie sportowe szare pasy ch艂opiec oba茂bi oka茂dinarzuta na kanap臋 艂贸偶ko sof臋 koc narzuty koce starachowiceedc stringi biodr贸wki z koronki i siateczki w naszym sklepieivyrevel str贸j k膮pielowy zalando s galeria zdj臋膰 i obraz贸w na imged

  39. robe salopette robe maxi blanche

    robe de cocktail pour mariage originale col plat en dentelle jupe en tulle asym茅triquegreat blog robe robe mariee manche longue tatirobe patineuse pas cher. plus de robes biens not茅es par les internautes et pas cher icirobe fille 3 ans. plus de robes b…

  41. womens adult club two piece costume set

    leggings men mens sexy trousers men offer the best wholesale prices11 16 3 white black top skirt set 2 2 2australia formal evening dress ruby plus sizes dresses a line off the shouldersummer dresses for women petite to plus size fit sundresses

  46. 銉嬨儱銉笺儛銉┿兂銈?vazee rush v ml 260600 k 銉栥儵銉冦偗

    girocollo tinta unita 100 cotone con taschino biancocamicia bianca da donna modelli primavera estate 2018cuddlz dinosaur pattern cotton stretch adult footed body suitidee regalo con prodotti naturali erboristeria erbecedario

  48. 丕卮 乇賷 賲賳 毓乇賵囟 噩賵賲賷丕 丕賱賷賵賲賷丞 丕賮囟賱 毓乇賵囟 丕賱賷賵賲 丕賵賳 賱丕賷賳 賲賳 噩賵賲賷丕

    limited edition reebok ufc fight grade capno headache lites visors no headache visor large brimgenuine leather flat cap brown black ivy cap. cotton linednew era hats 9fifty l.a. lakers snapback cap team heather purple

Comments are closed.