dcccliii. ZAPPA, Frank: You Didn't Try to Call Me

dcccliii. ZAPPA, Frank (1940-1993)

You Didn't Try to Call Me

Seven versions

One of the few tunes on Freak Out! to open with such gorgeous jazz chords -- G Major Seventh/A Minor Ninth/G -- and then F Major Seventh (#11) ... The #11 is the B-Natural -- an unusually rich chord for FZ in these early days.

The modulations are also unusual from G to E to E Minor ...

The song ends with a rap about the poor lonely narrator and all the work he did on his car to impress the young lady ...

The dates in parentheses indicate posthumous release dates.

1. 1966
FZ, guitar, vocals
Ray Collins, vocals, harmonica, tambourine
Jimmy Carl Black, drums
Roy Estrada, bass, vocals
Elliot Ingber, guitar
(3:18)

2. 1968 (2010)
FZ, guitar, vocals
Ray Collins, vocals
Roy Estrada, bass, vocals
Don Preston, piano
Ian Underwood, piano, alto and tenor saxophones
Motorhead Sherwood, baritone saxophone, tambourine
Bunk Gardner, alto and tenor saxophones
Jimmy Carl Black, drums
Art Tripp, drums
(3:56)

3. June 18, 1970 (2020)
Piknik, VPRO
Uddel, Netherlands
FZ, guitar, bass, vocals
Mark Volman, vocals, percussion, saxophone
Howard Kaylan, vocals, percussion, saxophone
George Duke, keyboards, trombone
Ian Underwood, keyboards, saxophone, guitar
Jeff Simmons, bass, vocals
Aynsley Dunbar, drums
(4:21)

4. July 5, 1970 (2016)
Tyrone Guthrie Theater
Minneapolis, MN
FZ, guitar, vocals
Howard Kaylan, vocals
Mark Volman, vocals, tambourine
Ian Underwood, keyboards, alto saxophone
George Duke, keyboards
Jeff Simmons, bass, vocals
Aynsley Dunbar, drums
(4:10)

5. October 29, 1976 (2009)
Spectrum Theater
Philadelphia, PA
FZ, guitar, vocals
Bianca Odin, vocals, keyboards
Ray White, vocals, guitar, cowbell
Eddie Jobson, keyboards, violin
Patrick O'Hearn, bass, vocals
Terry Bozzio, drums, vocals
(6:32)

6. November 12, 1976 (2022)
Erie County Fieldhouse
Erie, PA
FZ, guitar, vocals
Bianca Odin, keyboards, vocals
Ray White, guitar, vocals
Eddie Jobson, keyboards, violin
Patrick O'Hearn, bass, vocals
Terry Bozzio, drums, vocals
(6:20)

7. May 8, 1980 (2023)
Mudd Club
New York, NY
FZ, guitar, vocals
Ike Willis, guitar, vocals
Ray White, guitar, vocals
Tommy Mars, keyboards, vocals
Arthur Barrow, bass, keyboards, vocals
David Logeman, drums
(3:45)