Uncle Meat

N.p. N.p., Circa 1968-1970. Dialogue transcript for the unfinished film, copy belonging to Frank Zappa, circa 1968, with a single annotation in Zappa's hand, in holograph ink, of "Wednesday" on top of first page. A transcript of multiple takes of ten scenes shot by Zappa, for his long aspired, but never finished experimental film. Featuring scenes primarily between Don Preston and Phyllis Smith Altenhaus, the transcript also contains dialogue from Zappa himself, as well as Carl Zappa, Billy Mundi, Aynsley Dunbar, and Jimmy Carl Black. The annotation of "Wednesday" likely refers to the day the sequences were shot, or the day Zappa intended on editing the footage.

Full provenance available, including letter stating transcript came from the estate of Zappa's longtime business manager Herb Cohen.

As early as 1967 Zappa had begun work on his infamous, unfinished, experimental film "Uncle Meat." Originally featuring his, then, band, the Mothers of Invention, as both musicians and fictional characters, over the next decade the film would morph and change into various proposed incarnations by Zappa's, apparently, unbridled imagination, but the project was always constrained by a lack of financing. Finally, in 1987, a direct-to-video "making of" documentary of the uncompleted "Uncle Meat" production was released.

In 1969 the Mothers of Invention released the double album, "Uncle Meat." Largely an instrumental soundtrack to the unfinished film, the album was an unfocused but brilliant showcase for Zappa's compositional dexterity, and a harbinger of his emergence as one of the most creatively fertile minds in rock music.

Transparent front wrapper with orange back wrapper and spine. 59 leaves, with last page of text numbered 58. Mimeograph duplication, rectos only. Pages with light stain on first leaf, else Near Fine, wrapper Very Good plus, bound internally with three silver brads.

[Book #152527]