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YOU CAN'T DO THAT ON STAGE ANYMORE, vol 6

 Lonesome Cowboy Nando

Notes and Comments
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Frank:
When I get off, I get plastered.
I swim till I fall on the jellyfish.
Then I find me some academic kind of illustrator,
I describe the little dangling utensils on this thing,
And tell him to draw it up
so it looks just like a brand new jellyfish.

Ike & Mike:
(trying to follow along, they sing some gibberish)
From: boilthat@aol.com (Keneally)
  My personal favorite MK contribution to a Zappa CD occurs in "Lonesome Cowboy Nando", when I attempt to cram the line "I describe the little dangling utensils on this thing and tell him to draw it up so that it looks just like a brand new jellyfish" into the same space where I would normally say "stomp in his face so he don't move no more". The first time I listened to this song with Frank, he applauded me after that section. One o' them priceless moments.
From: Francesco Gentile <f.gentile@caspur.it>
  The double issue 14-15 of Debra Kadabra, the Italian fanzine published by the Italian FZ Research Kitchen also called DK, will include the true story of "Lonsome Cowboy Nando". Nando is Fernando ("all my friends they call me DO" ... "Nan-Nan-Nan DO-DO-DO") Boero, a marine biologyst from Genoa, they Italian city where the 88 part of "Lonsome Cowboy Nando" was recorded. Nando wrote for us the story of his friendship with FZ, it's a very nice story, I hope I'll find someone from affz that will want to translate it in English. Menwhile here is a rough translation of the begining of the article:
  "There is nothing I'd like better than having a jellyfish named after me" (FZ).
  In 1982, after becoming a researcher in the University of Genoa, I asked for a work fund that could allow me to be for a long time in the Bodega Marine Laboratory of the University of California, Berkeley. The purpose was to study the taxonomy and the ecology of the local jellyfish fauna (yes, there exist people who earn a living studing jellyfish). Actually the true purpose was another one: to meet Frank Zappa. My strategy was a simple one:
  • - that fauna was (and is) not well known;
  • - I would find some new species for sure;
  • - once I have found them I would have to give them a name;
  • - I would dedicate one of them to FZ;
  • - I would tell him about it;
  • - He would invite me for a visit.
From: David Ocker
  So, I thought, I'll post this - maybe some zoologists read this group - possibly even the person who named that animal after Frank in the first place - and they can provide some more information. (DO's note: This did happen - and Onno Gross provided the rest of the story:
  I was recently reading the mail by David Ocker, Los Angeles, on the naming of a marine creature named after Zappafrank.
  Later following happened: A scientist colleg from Vienna, Michael Stachowitch, was visiting and by talking it turned out he is a Zappa-freak as well. It came to the point that he knew the man who had named the sea species after Frank and who also send a photo to Frankies home: it was Frank Boero, who as a scientist was working at that time in California. Michael told me that Frank was known to hardly miss ever any FZ concert. He published his work:
  F. Boero (1987): Life cycles of Phialella zappai n. sp., Phialella fragilis and Phialella sp. (Cnidaria, Leptomedusae, Phialellidae) from Central California. - Journal of Natural Histors, 21, 465-480. and it says in the ending: "I have the pleasure in naming this species after the modern music composer Francis (Frank) Vincent Zappa.
  I have a copy of his nice work on the new marine hydrozoan P. zappai and if your are interested send me an e-mail or directly contact Frank. His snail-mail address is: F.Boero Dept. di Biologia Univerita degli Studi di Lecce Via Provile Lecce-Monteroni 73100 Lecce, ITALIA
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