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)”

  2. robe longue rose pale robe fluide hiver

    joyfunear new high split sexy women dress summer 2018 bodycon long slevee red dress shein eveninggrooms groomsmen photos white tie groomsmen inside weddingsplus size bohemian wedding dresses wonderful design 12 plus size hippie wedding dresses nafaffor…

  4. mens small grey georgetown hoyas jordan basketball shorts for sale in del mar

    賲賵賯毓 è³·è³´ è³² 亘噩丿賷丿 丕賱賲賵囟丞 賵丕賱兀賳丕賯丞 賲毓 毓賱賷賲 噩賲賷毓 賮賳賵賳 丕賱禺賷丕胤丞 賵丕賱丕毓賲丕賱 丕賱賷丿賵賷丞丕夭賷丕亍 賲賰賷丕噩 è³µ 爻乇賷丨丕 毓乇丕賷爻2 賮爻丕 è³·è³³ fashion 2010丕噩賲賱 賮爻丕 è³·è³³ 爻賵丕乇賷賴 賱賱賲丨噩亘丕 for Android APK Download兀夭賷丕亍 乇噩丕賱賷丞 賲丕乇賰丞 賲乇丨賱丞 兀亘賷囟 亘乇丕賯 丿毓賵賶 兀夭賷丕亍 囟卅賷賱丞 丕賱乇噩丕賱 丿毓賵賶 丕賱賲賱丕亘爻 丕賱賲睾賳賷 丕夭…

  10. adidas nmd xr1 pk og adidas nmd xr1 pk

    adidas yeezy boost 350 v2 blue zebrafor the girls top 10 sale items in the adidas up to 50 off salestylish adidas ultra boost uncaged j ba8296 pink white uk store salenike nike black windbreaker racer zip up zoom hooded jacket like y3 qasa

  12. sport 茅s k眉lt茅ri ruha 茅s cip艖

    泻芯褕械谢械泻 斜褍屑邪卸薪懈泻 懈蟹 薪邪褌褍褉邪谢褜薪芯泄 泻芯卸懈 泻褍锌懈褌褜 胁 薪芯胁芯褋懈斜懈褉褋泻芯泄 芯斜谢邪褋褌懈jack wolfskin 褉褞泻蟹邪泻 写谢褟 写械褌械泄 芯褌 褌褉褢褏 谢械褌 little joe 11 泻褍锌懈褌褜 胁锌褉芯写邪屑 卸械薪褋泻邪褟 褋褍屑泻邪 hermes 泻褍锌懈褌褜 卸械薪褋泻邪褟 褋褍屑泻邪 hermes褋懈薪褟褟 薪械斜芯谢褜褕邪褟 褋褍屑泻邪 懈蟹 薪邪褌褍褉邪谢褜薪芯泄 泻芯卸懈 k00038 3

  13. pin by albert on nice

    the best new balance running shoes for fall and winter runningsummer sales are here get this deal on womens adidas 3 stripe longteenage girls streetwear jacketthe finest full grain leather wallet. crafted and designed to fit your lifestyle

  19. gafas de sol de gucci mujer espejo fruugo el azul

    斜邪褋泻械褌斜芯谢褜薪褘械 泻褉芯褋褋芯胁泻懈 jordan why not褔邪褋褘 写械褌褋泻懈械 hello kitty hk 186 褉芯蟹芯胁褘械褋锌芯褉褌懈胁薪褘泄 泻芯褋褌褞屑 写械褌褋泻懈泄 邪写懈写邪褋 泻褍锌懈褌褜 胁 泻懈械胁械褋褌懈谢褜薪邪褟 褋锌芯褉褌懈胁薪邪褟

  21. ea7 armani 渭伪纬喂蠈 渭蔚 fluo 位蔚蟺蟿慰渭苇蟻蔚喂蔚蟼 902000 蟽喂苇位

    button down shirt high waist levis jeanssoldier girlfriend t shirtsdtg digital garment direct to garment custom dx5 head cloth printing machine pricenike hypercool max compression long sleeve top baselayer clothing midnight navy blue lagoon

  22. ellos shoes sneakers med kå¿™de sort dame

    写卸懈薪褋褘 薪邪 褎谢懈褋械. 9 12 谢械褌 写械褌褋泻邪褟 懈 锌芯写褉芯褋褌泻芯胁邪褟 芯写械卸写邪 芯锌褌芯屑 懈蟹屑邪褏褉芯胁褘泄 卸械薪褋泻懈泄 褏邪谢邪褌芯褉懈谐懈薪邪谢褜薪褘械 懈 褍写芯斜薪褘械 锌谢褟卸薪褘械 屑褍卸褋泻懈械 褕芯褉褌褘 蟹械谢械薪芯谐芯 褑胁械褌邪 blackspade beach 蟹械谢械薪褘泄 褉邪褋锌褉芯写邪卸邪锌懈卸邪屑褘 写谢褟 屑邪谢褜褔懈泻芯胁 芯锌褌芯屑 芯褌 锌褉芯懈蟹胁芯写懈褌械谢褟 胁 褍泻褉邪懈薪械. 泻褍锌懈褌褜 胁

  26. media markt vom newsletter abmelden so gehts chip

    short noir dentelle habill茅 taille m 3robe tablier bretelles crois茅es è„¿ volants anais pastel et fleurs robe tablier bretellesshort fluide imprim茅 femme bleu ray茅 kiabi 8code promo de maillot enfant jimmy qualit茅 stable butler 21 blanc maillot de basket…

  29. 茅rdekes k茅k zak贸

    gucci sequin diamond long sleeve t shirtwelder gifts funny welding shirt for men welder shirt for womencamaro mens nike classic dri fit polo shirt x large victory redbuy funny tshirts kids you tube cheap kids clothes

  31. mahatma gandhi wall print poster decor

    los angeles dodgers new era mlb black on metallic gold 59fifty capbernat speedy crochet cap crochet kingdommens dad hat white lightblue cleveland cavaliers mitchell ness nba usa acid washed denimmen 039 s chunky knit bobble hat black

  32. rocket petite high rise skinny in all black

    斜芯褌懈薪泻懈 锌褨写谢褨褌泻芯胁褨 蟹懈屑芯胁褨 vels 76462 821 泻褍锌懈褌懈 胁 褍泻褉邪褩薪褨褔械褉薪褨谐褨胁褋褜泻邪 胁蟹褍褌褌褦胁邪 褎邪斜褉懈泻邪 斜械褉械谐懈薪褟 褔械褉械胁懈泻懈 屑邪谢芯写懈褌褟褔褨胁褋褨. 褋胁芯褩 卸褨薪芯褔褨 褌械屑薪芯 褋褨褉褨 褕泻褨褉褟薪褨 褌褍褎谢褨 薪邪 锌褨写斜芯褉邪褏 l.mark 241 250 0007斜械褉褑褘 屑褍卸褋泻邪褟 芯斜褍胁褜 胁 卸懈褌芯屑懈褉

  33. little princess coche de mu帽ecas cl谩sico

    斜谢褍蟹泻邪 褎懈褉屑邪 泻褍锌懈褌褜 胁 械泻邪褌械褉懈薪斜褍褉谐械 薪械写芯褉芯谐芯 锌谢邪褌褜褟 懈薪褌械褉薪械褌 屑邪谐邪蟹懈薪 蟹邪泻褍锌懈褋褜芯写薪芯褌芯薪薪芯械 锌谢邪褌褜械 褎褍褌谢褟褉 锌芯 褎懈谐褍褉械 写谢懈薪邪 锌芯 泻芯谢械薪芯lamya 胁懈薪褌邪卸薪褘械 泻芯褉芯褌泻懈械 褋懈薪懈械 锌谢邪褌褜褟 薪邪 胁褘锌褍褋泻薪芯泄 褋 褉褍泻邪胁芯屑 2019 a line 斜邪薪泻械褌薪芯械 胁械褔械褉薪械械谢械褌薪褟褟 褉褍斜邪褕泻邪 屑褍卸褋泻邪褟 褉褘卸邪褟 shopp…

  36. chanel vintage lambskin leather baguette

    p谩nsk茅 sneakersy calvin klein jeans umi white sneakersyd谩msk茅 plavky puma d谩msk茅 plavky nov茅 kab谩ty a botyhned茅 ko啪en茅 膷i啪my ba钮aauthentic barry bonds mens san francisco giants black fashion jersey majestic

  38. nike free rn distance mens design

    hot new pharrell williams x nmd human race running shoes nmd runner nmd r1 men women sports sneakers boots size 36 44 sale online fashion shoes shoes forbuying fake yeezys boost 350 v2 beluga 2.0 ah2203 shoesjames carnes for adidas ultra boost collecti…

  46. cartera sobre brillantes plata

    123 mid 1 123 mid 1 123 mid 2 123 mid 2bolsas no atacado diversas marcas e modelos pronta entrega para revenda bel茅msapatilha cal莽ado em da nazar茅 olx portugalbolsa sacola michael kors meredith rosa

  48. nike air huarache ultra pale grey

    nike air vapormax flyknit mens running shoes black nike airnike air huarache kids trainers amazon.co.uk shoes bagsnike sneakers nike zoom all out low 2 running shoe in armory navy light magentamens and womens nike air max 270 flyknit white black runnin…

Comments are closed.