Frank Zappa (5,448 views)

[Platypus]

Frank Vincent Zappa (21.12.1940 – 4.12.1993)
Years Active 1955 – 1993
Assosiated Acts The Mothers of Invention
Vocal Range G♯1 - B♭4

SPOILER: Click to show

{Album Ranges}
Freak Out! (1966): D2 - E4
Absolutely Free (1967): A2 - F♯4
We're Only In It For the Money (1968): G2 - G4
Cruising With Ruben & The Jets (1968): F2 - A3
Over-Nite Sensation (1973): A1 - E2 - D4
Roxy & Elsewhere (1974): F2 - F♯4
Apostrophe (') (1974): B♭1 - F2 - E4 - F♯4
One Size Fits All (1975): D2 - E4 - F♯4
Bongo Fury (1975): G♯1 - E2 - F4
Zoot Allures (1976): C♯2 - D2 - E4
Zappa in New York (1978): E2 - A4
Sheik Yerbouti (1979): E2 - E♭4
Joe's Garage (1979): D2 - G2 - E♭4
You Are What You Is (1981): C2 - G♯2 - F4
Tinseltown Rebellion (1981): F♯2 - E4
The Man From Utopia (1983): F2 - E♭4
Them or Us (1984): D2 - E2 - B3
Broadway the Hard Way (1988): G2 - E♭4

Significant High Notes:

B♭4 ("Why Don'tcha Do Me Right?")
A4 ("Honey, Don't You Want A Man Like Me?" live Towson Center 1988, "Punky's Whips" Zappa in New York, "Wonderful Wino" The Mothers 1970)
G♯4 ("Chana In De Bushwop" live You Can't Do That on Stage Anymore Vol. 3)
G4 ("Cosmik Debris" live A Token of My Extreme, "I'm The Slime" Saturday Night Live 1976, "Let's Make The Water Turn Black", "Stink-Foot" live El Paso 1975, "Surf Along", "Tinsel-Town Rebellion" Live New York 1984, "Why Don'tcha Do Me Right?", "Wonderful Wino" The Mothers 1970)
F♯4 ("Be-Bop Tango (Of the Old Jazzmen's Church)", "Call Any Vegetable" live at Piknik 1970, "Don't Eat The Yellow Snow" live Sydney 1973, "Don't You Ever Wash That Thing?" live Buffalo 1974, "Hey Nelda", "The Idiot Bastard Son", "The Illinois Enema Bandit" Zappa in New York, "Inca Roads", "Montana" You Can't Do That On Stage Anymore Vol. 4, "My Guitar Wants to Kill Your Mama" You Can't Do That On Stage Anymore Vol. 5, "Nanook Rubs It", "No Not Now", "Plastic People", "Soft-Sell Conclusion" live A Day With Frank Zappa, "What Kind of Girl Do You Think We Are?" Fillmore East - June 1971)
F4 ("200 Years Old", "Advance Romance" live You Can't Do That on Stage Anymore Vol. 3, "Any Downers?", "Greggery Peccary", "Mom & Dad", "The Mud Shark" Fillmore East - June 1971, "My Guitar Wants To Kill Your Mama")
E4 ("Any Way The Wind Blows", "Broken Hearts are For Assholes" Läther version, "Brown Shoes Don't Make It" Tinseltown Rebellion, "Camarillo Brillo" live You Can't Do That on Stage Anymore Vol. 6, "Chrissy Puked Twice" alt. "Titties & Beer", live Philly 1976, "Debra Kadabra", "Dickie's Such an Asshole" live You Can't Do That on Stage Anymore Vol. 3, "Dirty Love" live Kyoto 1976, "Drowning Witch" live You Can't Do That on Stage Anymore Vol. 3, "The Duke Regains His Chops", "Greggery Peccary", "Help I'm a Rock", "Hey Nelda", "How Could I Be Such a Fool?", "Father O'Blivion", "The Idiot Bastard Son", "In France" live You Can't Do That on Stage Anymore Vol. 3, "Joe's Garage" live You Can't Do That on Stage Anymore Vol. 3, "Mom & Dad", "Nig Biz" You Can't Do That On Stage Anymore vol. 3, "Penguin in Bondage", "Ride My Face To Chicago" live You Can't Do That on Stage Anymore Vol. 3, "Sofa No. 2", "Soft-Sell Conclusion", "Status Back Baby", "Surf Along", "Tell Me You Love Me" live Italy 1982, "Valarie", "Who Needs The Peace Corps?", "Wind Up Workin' In a Gas Station", "WPLJ", "You Didn't Try To Call Me", "Zomby Woof" Live Detroit 1973)
E♭4 ("Baby Snakes", "The Blue Light" Tinseltown Rebellion, "Broken Hearts Are for Assholes", "Charlie's Enormous Mouth", "Cosmik Debris", "The Dangerous Kitchen", "Dickie's Such an Asshole" Broadway the Hard Way, "Get Down" live South Bend 12/05/1974, "Hungry Freaks, Daddy", "The Jazz Discharge Party Hats", "Joe's Garage", "Jumbo Go Away", "A Little Green Rosetta", "The Meek Shall Inherit Nothing", "Nanook Rubs It", "The Radio is Broken", "Stink-Foot", "Teen-age Wind", "The Torture Never Stops" live Sydney 1976, "Why Don'tcha Do Me Right?" Studio Z version, "Would You Go All The Way?")
D4 ("200 Years Old", "Advance Romance", "Any Downers?", "Bobby Brown", "Brown Moses" You Can't Do That On Stage Anymore Vol. 4, "Call Any Vegetable", "Can't Afford No Shoes", "Carolina Hard-Core Ecstasy", "Charlie's Enormous Mouth" live You Can't Do That on Stage Anymore Vol. 3, "City of Tiny Lites", "Cock-Suckers' Ball" Live New York 1984, "Dancin' Fool", "Dinah-Moe Humm" live You Can't Do That on Stage Anymore Vol. 6, "Don't Eat The Yellow Snow" live Sydney 1973, "Drafted Again", "Drowning Witch", "Go Cry on Somebody Else's Shoulder", "Find Her Finer", "Heavenly Bank Account", "Honey Don't You Want A Man Like Me?" Zappa in New York, "How Could I Be Such a Fool?", "I Ain't Got No Heart" Tinseltown Rebellion, "I Have Been in You", "The Idiot Bastard Son", "The Illinois Enema Bandit" Zappa in New York, "In France" live You Can't Do That on Stage Anymore Vol. 3, "It Can't Happen Here", "Jesus Thinks You're A Jerk" Broadway the Hard Way, "Jewish Princess", "Let's Make The Water Turn Black", "Mom & Dad", "Montana", "My Guitar Wants To Kill Your Mama", "No Not Now", "Penguin in Bondage", "Plastic People", "Po-Jama People", "RDNZL" live Buffalo 1974, "Road Ladies", "Sharleena", "Society Pages", "Status Back Baby", "Stick It Out" live Paris 1980, "Take Your Clothes Off When You Dance", "Trouble Every Day", "Uncle Remus", "Swallow My Pride" live Vancouver 1975, "What's The Ugliest Part of Your Body?", "Wild Love", "Wonderful Wino" The Mothers 1970, "You Didn't Try To Call Me")
C♯4 ("Any Kind of Pain" Broadway the Hard Way, "Baby Snakes", "Brown Shoes Don't Make It" Tinseltown Rebellion, "Camarillo Brillo", "Dancin' Fool", "Easy Meat" You Can't Do That On Stage Anymore Vol. 5, "Excentrifugal Forz", "Flakes", "Hot Plate Heaven At The Green Hotel" Broadway the Hard Way, "The Jazz Discharge Party Hats", "The Meek Shall Inherit Nothing", "More Trouble Every Day", "No Not Now", "Punky's Whips" Zappa in New York, "The Radio is Broken", "Stick It Out" live Paris 1980, "Teen-age Wind", "Tell Me You Love Me" Tinseltown Rebellion, "Tinsel Town Rebellion" Tinseltown Rebellion, "Titties & Beer" Zappa in New York, "We're Turning Again", "What's New In Baltimore" Live New York 1984, "Wind Up Workin' In a Gas Station", "WPLJ")
C4 ("Any Kind of Pain" Broadway the Hard Way, "Be In My Video" live You Can't Do That on Stage Anymore Vol. 1, "Bobby Brown", "Broken Hearts Are for Assholes", "Brown Moses" You Can't Do That On Stage Anymore Vol. 4, "Charlie's Enormous Mouth", "Concentration Moon", "Conehead", "Cosmik Debris", "The Dangerous Kitchen", "Dirty Love", "Don't Eat The Yellow Snow", "Drowning Witch", "For The Young Sophisticate", "Goblin Girl", "The Illinois Enema Bandit" Zappa in New York, "I'm Not Satisfied", "Jesus Thinks You're A Jerk" Broadway the Hard Way, "Keep It Greasy" live Sydney 1976, "King Kong" You Can't Do That On Stage Anymore vol. 3, "A Little Green Rosetta", "The Man From Utopia" You Can't Do That On Stage Anymore Vol. 4, "Motherly Love", "Ms. Pinky" live You Can't Do That on Stage Anymore Vol. 6, "My Babe", "Road Ladies", "San Ber'dino", "St. Alfanzo's Pancake Breakfast", "Suicide Chump", "The Torture Never Stops" Zappa in New York Deluxe version, "You're Probably Wondering Why I'm Here", "Zomby Woof")

Significant Low Notes:

B2 ("Baby Snakes", "Big Leg Emma", "Broken Hearts Are for Assholes", "Brown Shoes Don't Make It" Tinseltown Rebellion, "Can't Afford No Shoes", "Carol You Fool" live You Can't Do That on Stage Anymore Vol. 3, "Camarillo Brillo" live You Can't Do That on Stage Anymore Vol. 6, "Dancin' Fool", "Dickie's Such an Asshole" Broadway the Hard Way, "Dinah-Moe Humn", "Drafted Again", "Drowning Witch", "Flakes", "Go Cry On Somebody Else's Shoulder" live Halloween 1978, "Hungry Freaks, Daddy", "I Have Been in You", "The Idiot Bastard Son", "If Only She Woulda", "I'm So Cute", "In France" live You Can't Do That on Stage Anymore Vol. 3, "Joe's Garage" live You Can't Do That on Stage Anymore Vol. 3, "Later That Night", "Little Girl Of Mine" You Can't Do That On Stage Anymore Vol. 4, "Montana", "My Guitar Wants To Kill Your Mama" You Can't Do That On Stage Anymore Vol. 4, "Nig Biz" You Can't Do That On Stage Anymore vol. 3, "No, No Cherry" You Can't Do That On Stage Anymore Vol. 4, "The Radio is Broken", "San Ber'dino", "Swallow My Pride" live Vancouver 1975, "Tinsel Town Rebellion" Tinseltown Rebellion, "Titties & Beer" Zappa in New York, "We're Turning Again", "Yo' Mama", "You Didn't Try To Call Me")
B♭2 ("Advance Romance", "The Blue Light" Tinseltown Rebellion, "Chana In De Bushwop" live You Can't Do That on Stage Anymore Vol. 3, "The Closer You Are", "Concentration Moon", "Cucamonga", "The Dangerous Kitchen", "Doreen", "He's So Gay" live You Can't Do That on Stage Anymore Vol. 6, "The Jazz Discharge Party Hats", "Luigi & The Wise Guys", "No, No Cherry" You Can't Do That On Stage Anymore Vol. 4, "Stink-Foot", "Truck Driver Divorce")
A2 ("The Air", "Be In My Video", "Bobby Brown", "Broken Hearts Are for Assholes", "Brown Moses" You Can't Do That On Stage Anymore Vol. 4, "Brown Shoes Don't Make It" Tinseltown Rebellion, "Call Any Vegetable", "Carol You Fool" live You Can't Do That on Stage Anymore Vol. 3, "Chana In De Bushwop" live You Can't Do That on Stage Anymore Vol. 3, "Charlie's Enormous Mouth" live You Can't Do That on Stage Anymore Vol. 3, "Cruising For Burgers", "Dancin' Fool", "Debra Kadabra", "Dickie's Such an Asshole" Broadway the Hard Way, "Dinah-Moe Humn", "Dirty Love", "Don't Eat The Yellow Snow", "Drowning Witch", "Evelyn, A Modified Dog", "Excentrifugal Forz", "Find Her Finer", "Fine Girl" live You Can't Do That on Stage Anymore Vol. 1, "For The Young Sophisticate", "Fountain of Love", "Frogs With Dirty Little Lips", "Heavenly Bank Account" live You Can't Do That on Stage Anymore Vol. 1, "Help I'm a Rock", "Honey Don't You Want A Man Like Me?" Zappa in New York, "He's So Gay" live You Can't Do That on Stage Anymore Vol. 6, "Hot Plate Heaven At The Green Hotel" Broadway the Hard Way, "I Have Been in You", "The Illinois Enema Bandit" Zappa in New York, "I'm Not Satisfied", "In France" live You Can't Do That on Stage Anymore Vol. 3, "Jesus Thinks You're A Jerk" Broadway the Hard Way, "Jewish Princess", "Jumbo Go Away", "Keep It Greasy" live You Can't Do That on Stage Anymore Vol. 3, "Later That Night", "Lemme Take You To The Beach", "Little Girl Of Mine" You Can't Do That On Stage Anymore Vol. 4, "Love of My Life", "The Man From Utopia Meets Mary Lou", "Motherly Love", "My Guitar Wants To Kill Your Mama" You Can't Do That On Stage Anymore Vol. 4, "Penguin in Bondage", "Punky's Whips" Zappa in New York, "Rudy Wants to Buy Yez a Drink", "Stick It Out" live Paris 1980, "Stick Together", "Suicide Chump", "Tinsel Town Rebellion" Tinseltown Rebellion, "Titties & Beer" Zappa in New York, "Uncle Remus", "We're Turning Again", "What Kind Of Girl?" Broadway the Hard Way, "Who Are The Brain Police?", "Wind Up Workin' In a Gas Station", "WPLJ", "Yo' Mama", "You Didn't Try To Call Me", "Zomby Woof")
G♯2 ("The Blue Light" Tinseltown Rebellion, "Conehead", "The Dangerous Kitchen", "Doreen", "A Token Of My Extreme")
G2 ("200 Years Old", "Anything", "Bobby Brown", "Brown Shoes Don't Make It" Tinseltown Rebellion, "Can't Afford No Shoes", "Carol You Fool" live The Palace Theater 1984, "City of Tiny Lites", "Cletus Awreetus-Awrightus", "The Closer You Are", "Electric Aunt Jemima", "Fountain of Love", "Go Cry on Somebody Else's Shoulder", "Harry, You’re A Beast" live 08/05/1974, "Honey Don't You Want A Man Like Me?" live Vancouver 1975, "I'm So Cute", "It Can't Happen Here", "Joe's Garage" live You Can't Do That on Stage Anymore Vol. 3, "Johnny Darling" You Can't Do That On Stage Anymore Vol. 4, "Let's Make The Water Turn Black", "A Little Green Rosetta", "Little Rubber Girl" You Can't Do That On Stage Anymore Vol. 4, "Luigi & The Wise Guys", "Motherly Love", "Ms. Pinky", "Nig Biz" live At The Palladium 31/10/81, "Rudy Wants to Buy Yez a Drink", "SEX", "Stuff Up The Crack", "Tinsel Town Rebellion" Tinseltown Rebellion, "The Torture Never Stops", "Trouble Every Day", "Valarie", "Velvet Sunrise" live El Paso 1975, "What Kind Of Girl?" Broadway the Hard Way, "What's The Ugliest Part Of Your Body?" live Vancouver 1975, "Wonderful Wino", "Wowie Zowie", "WPLJ" Live New York 1984, "You Didn't Try To Call Me" Cruising With Ruben & The Jets)
F♯2 ("The Air", "The Blue Light" Tinseltown Rebellion, "Cucamonga", "Debra Kadabra", "Disco Boy", "Florentine Pogen", "Hungry Freaks, Daddy", "I'm The Slime" Saturday Night Live 1976, "Love of My Life" Tinseltown Rebellion, "Montana", "More Trouble Every Day", "Muffin Man", "Nanook Rubs It" live Erie 12/11/1974, "Punky's Whips" Zappa in New York, "Wonderful Wino" The Mothers 1970)
F2 ("Cletus Awreetus-Awrightus", "The Closer You Are", "Cosmik Debris", "Fountain of Love", "The Illinois Enema Bandit" Zappa in New York, "It Can't Happen Here", "Johnny Darling" You Can't Do That On Stage Anymore Vol. 4, "Lemme Take You To The Beach", "The Man From Utopia Meets Mary Lou", "Ned The Mumbler", "Penguin in Bondage", "Po-Jama People", "Stink-Foot", "The Torture Never Stops", "Uncle Remus", "Velvet Sunrise" live El Paso 1975, "Why Don'tcha Do Me Right?" Studio Z version, "You're Probably Wondering Why I'm Here")
E2 ("Cucamonga", "Dinah-Moe Humn", "Disco Boy", "Electric Aunt Jemima", "Frogs With Dirty Little Lips", "Greggery Peccary", "I Have Been in You", "A Little Green Rosetta" Läther version, "Ms. Pinky", "No Not Now", "Wonderful Wino" The Mothers 1970)
E♭2 ("The Meek Shall Inherit Nothing", "Nanook Rubs It", "Ned The Mumbler")
D2 ("200 Years Old", "Be In My Video", "Beauty Knows No Pain", "Crew Slut", "Find Her Finer", "It Can't Happen Here", "Po-Jama People", "The Torture Never Stops" Zappa in New York Deluxe version, "Why Don'tcha Do Me Right?")
C♯2 ("Dumb All Over", "Greggery Peccary", "Wonderful Wino")
C2 ("Heavenly Bank Account", "Stink-Foot", "Why Don'tcha Do Me Right?" Studio Z version)
B1 ("Montana", "Muffin Man")
B♭1 ("Cosmik Debris", "I'm The Slime")
A1 ("Dinah-Moe Humn")

G♯1 ("Muffin Man")

SPOILER: Click to show

{Questionable Notes}B♭4 ("Montana" live South Bend 12/05/1974 ^[1], "Nanook Rubs It" live Philadelphia 1974 ^[1])

D2 ("Don't Eat The Yellow Snow" ^[2])
C2 ("I Have Been in You" ^[5])
A1 ("Dirty Love" ^[4])

.......................................................
[1] marks yelps and short trills in high range or anacrusis and short dips in low range.
[2] marks notes of questionable identity that cannot be confirmed to be the singer in question.
[3] marks non-melodic notes that don't have a significant enough pitch to warrant inclusion.
[4] marks notes that possess uncertain pitch or have been pitch-shifted.
[5] marks notes that do not fit the previous criteria but are not of a substantial enough quality to warrant counting towards the singer's range.

.......................................................
Blue marks falsetto or whistle notes.
Underlines mark notes that are obscured in the song mix.
Italics mark non-melodic notes.
Boldface marks notes that are considered to be particularly notable examples of this person's vocal capabilities.

[surferrosa]

I believe there is an A2 in "Who Are The Brain Police?".

[Platypus]

Aight, that's the fourth time I've remade this thread. Unless this guy crawls back into the mortal realm I'm not touching this thread again

[EddieCheivz]

Really strong D2s here, I honestly think could be easily bolded, sounds in the same vein of potentional solid notes as his other bolded lows.

There is a D on the exact timestamp "We're going to" (EDIT: it goes up to F2 but stands on D2 first really solidly) and other get down to D2 that occurs exactly at 5:01 that is the one I'm really hearing very strong.

[Platypus]

haha, that ain't Frank.

rule of thumb, if it sounds even remotely impressive, it's not Frank

[mushymarionette]

What's the verdict on the "Dirty Love" A1s? I remember listening to them recently thinking they sounded slightly pitch-shifted, I was rooting for Frank because they sound awesome but realistically they're probably pitch-shifted to some extent... If not the pitch then at least the formant to make the tonality sound deeper

[Platypus]

they're pitch shifted, yeah. those lows are way to thicc to be legit

[avi]

Nov 15, 2019 16:12:17 GMT Platypus said:

Them or Us (1984): D2 - E2 - B3

Damn, dude made an entire album without a single significant high note