Released June 9, 1983 Artist Frank Zappa Producer Frank Zappa | Length 51:55 Release date 9 June 1983 Label Barking Pumpkin Records | |
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Recorded Twickenham Film Studios, London January 12–14, 1983 London Symphony Orchestra, Vol. 1
#38 (1983) Boulez Conducts Zappa The Perfect Stranger
#39 (1984) Genre 20th-century classical music Similar Frank Zappa albums, 20th-century classical music albums, Other albums | ||
London Symphony Orchestra, Vol. I is a 1983 album by Frank Zappa. It features the London Symphony Orchestra's renditions of four of Zappa's compositions — "Sad Jane", "Pedro's Dowry", "Envelopes", and "Mo 'n Herb's Vacation" — from sessions recorded in January 1983. The album was Zappa's third to employ an orchestra, following 1967's Lumpy Gravy, and 1979's Orchestral Favorites. In 1995, the album was combined with its successor, London Symphony Orchestra, Vol. 2 (1987), and re-released on a Rykodisc CD as London Symphony Orchestra Vol. 1 & 2. The original album was heavily tweaked in the studio to hide out-of-tune and wrong notes as well as to add in a sheen of reverb to further obscure parts. These enhancements were removed for the compact disc re-issue in 1995.
Contents
The heavy editing of the record was made possible by using a digital multitrack recorder. This was one of the first digital multitrack recordings of an orchestra ever. By recording the orchestra in groups of instruments, the album sounds more detailed than possible with previous stereo recording techniques.
Track listing
All tracks written, composed and arranged by Frank Zappa.
Musicians
Production staff
Songs
1Sad Jane: 1st MovementLondon Symphony Orchestra - Kent Nagano4:46
2Sad Jane: 2nd MovementLondon Symphony Orchestra - Kent Nagano5:04
3Pedro’s Dowry (large orchestra version)London Symphony Orchestra - Kent Nagano10:25