Thursday, December 18, 2008

Jeff Simmons - Lucille Has Messed My Mind Up (@flac)


"Jeff Simmons is a Rock musician and former member of Frank Zappa's Mothers of Invention. Simmons provided bass, guitar, and/or vocal for the group between 1970 and 1971. He left The Mothers just prior to the filming of 200 Motels in mid 1971. Jeff later returned to the group for a time during 1972 and 1973. Zappa and Mothers albums he appeared on include Chunga's Revenge (1970), Waka/Jawaka (1972), Roxy & Elsewhere (1974).

Years later Zappa released a number of archival recordings that feature Jeff including You Can't Do That on Stage Anymore, Vol. 1 (1988), You Can't Do That on Stage Anymore, Vol. 6 (1992), and Playground Psychotics (1992). Jeff also appears in the Zappa movie The True Story Of Frank Zappa's 200 Motels (1989). Numerous Zappa bootleg recordings from this era also feature Simmons.

Jeff's music career began in Seattle, Washington. In 1967 he became a member of the group 'Ethiopia' which soon changed its name to 'Easy Chair'. They recorded a 1 sided, 3 song album and achieved local recognition. Easy Chair was then booked as the opening act for an August 1968 concert by The Mothers of Invention at the Seattle Center Arena (renamed in 1995 to Mercer Arena.) During the soundcheck Easy Chair was discovered by Zappa, who recognized that the group's musical and lyrical aesthetic was compatible with his own. Only about 1000 copies of locally produced Easy Chair record were pressed. It is now a highly valued collectible.

Easy Chair went to Los Angeles and appeared at more Zappa live performances. They also auditioned for Zappa's Bizarre and Straight record labels, but after unexpected delays the group broke up before any recordings were released.

Simmons stayed in Los Angeles and completed two solo albums for Straight. He co-composed the soundtrack for the biker film Naked Angels (1969). His second album Lucille Has Messed My Mind Up (1969), featured Zappa as producer. Zappa wrote two songs and played lead guitar under the pseudonym La Marr Bruister. The engineer was Chris Huston, who also worked on Led Zeppelin II at about the same time. Lucile was voted the 2nd best album on Straight Records by Mojo Magazine. Both albums were re-issued on CD in 2007 by World In Sound Records.

Simmons is one of only a handful of musicians to share a songwriting credit with Zappa. Their co-laboration Wonderful Wino appears on Lucille Has Messed My Mind Up and on Zappa's 1976 album Zoot Allures. The title song of the album Lucille Has Messed My Mind Up was also re-recorded in a completely different arrangement on Zappa's 1979 album Joe's Garage. During a 1982 guest DJ spot on UK's BBC Radio 1 Zappa played some of his favorite songs including Simmons' I'm In The Music Business.

Jeff continued to play music with various groups in the Seattle area during the 1980s. He appeared in the 1988 movie Rock and Roll Mobster Girls which was produced on video tape in Seattle during the very early stages of the Grunge music scene. Jeff Simmons' most recent work is Blue Universe (2004).

The stuff of interest to Zappa fans are:
1. Includes the songs "Lucille has messed my mind up" and "Wonderful Wino", both of which are good versions.
2. Frank plays guitar on "Lucille" and "Raye."
3. It's produced by FZ
4. Ian Underwood is on it.

jeff simmons: keyboards, bass, vocals
frank zappa: lead guitar on 5, 6
craig tarwater: guitar
ian underwood: saxophones
ron woods: drums, percussion
john kehlior: drums on 5, 6
[produced by "lamarr bruister" (frank zappa) and chris huston]

Lucille Has Messed My Mind Up:
01. appian way (j.simmons)
02. zondo zondo (j.simmons)
03. madame du barry (j.simmons)
04. i'm in the music business (j.simmons)
05. lucille has messed my mind up (lamarr bruister (f.zappa))
06. raye (j.simmons)
07. wonderful wino (lamarr bruister (f.zappa), j.simmons)
08. tigres (j.simmons)
09. aqueous humore (j.simmons)
10. conversations with a recluse (j.simmons)

LINK:
h!!p://www.megaupload.com/?d=0N041SK7
207MB

EAC - CUE - LOG - FLAC (separate) - COVER (only front)

1 comment:

Steve Engler said...

I'm looking forward to hearing this Jeff Simmon's LP thanks