Listen to Episode 1 (38:53)
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Although they never performed together Nina Hagen and Frank Zappa have many similarities that we can start to reconnect here. Both artists were highly controversial and commanded a love/hate response from the media of their times. Their careers (70′s and 80′s), managers (Bennett Glotzer), and choice of venues (The Mudd Club) even overlap. Nina said she taught herself to sing listening to Janis Joplin and Tina Turner – two artists that Frank knew well. Tina even appeared without credit on Zappa’s album Overnight Sensation along with a few of the Ikettes. Both artists were social commentators on subjects as diverse as politics, religion, UFOs, youth culture, and animal rights and were branded as “anti-establishment”. Although Nina’s song “Don’t Kill the Animals” was a hit in 1986, less well known is Zappa’s love of animals. Frank had pets of at least 4 species and was sponsoring an Echidna in the Los Angeles Zoo. One of his final requests before his death was that, in lieu of flowers, mourners contribute to the Jacques Cousteau Society. Their differences are as great as their similarities however, the most notable being Hagen’s embrace of multiple religions and Zappa’s complete disdain for them. Both artists were often known to perform cover songs that were very different from the originals. Hagen’s include “My Way”, Norman Greenbaum’s “Spirit in the Sky”, and two songs featured here – the Tubes’ “White Punks on Dope” (as “TV Glotzer”) and the traditional spiritual “Hold Me.” Zappa drew from all his influences, leaning heavily on doo-wop and soul. Some of his cover songs include Little Richard’s “Directly From My Heart to You” and The Four Deuces’ “W-P-L-J” as well as Led Zeppelin’s “Stairway to Heaven” and the Allman Brothers Band’s “Whipping Post” among countless others. Zappa didn’t always sing in his own songs and many of his works are instrumental. However, if he did choose to sing in another language other than English, it was always German. “Sofa #1″ from this episode features a fine example. Nina, when not singing in German, was most likely to choose English (and occasionally Hindi).
Episode One features the following songs:
NINA HAGEN
New York, New York (Fearless, 1984)
Hold Me (Nina Hagen, 1989)
TV Glotzer (Nina Hagen Band, 1978)
Antiworld (Nunsexmonkrock, 1982)
FRANK ZAPPA
Mudd Club (Buffalo, 2007 (recorded Live 1980), also on You Are What You Is, 1981)
The Meek Shall Inherit Nothing (Buffalo, 2007 (recorded Live 1980), also on You Are What You Is, 1981)
I’m The Slime (Zappa in New York, 1978, also on Overnight Sensation, 1973)
Sofa #1 (One Size Fits All, 1975)
Separated By Wax encourages you to support your local record stores whenever possible.
