Talk:Sleep Dirt

Very erroneous post about the Lather episode
Need to have verification of exactly what tapes FZ delivered to Warner Bros in 1976. His contract called for him to deliver 4 albums. He has claimed that what he actually delivered were Studio Tan, Sleep Dirt, Orchestral Favorites and Zappa in New York (2 LP's) for a total of 5 discs worth of material. There is no proof that FZ ever offered Lather to Warner. And besides that was only 1 album of 4 discs. Lather would not have fulfilled the contractual requirements. Thought both sets have unique material he actually created 4 discs out of 5, not the other way around. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 207.225.244.228 (talk) 03:24, 28 August 2008 (UTC)


 * Wrong, big time. Zappa himself has confirmed he delivered Låther (pronounced leather) in interviews many times.  One detailed account appeared in a 1978 issue of Record Review.  He also went on the air (radio) and played the entire Låther album 'for free' because he was upset with WB.  To allow those whose tapes had run out while taping, he and the radio host re-broadcast the entire thing a couple of weeks later.  NOTE:  FZ delivered the Låther album; it was Warners that issued the tracks as Zappa in New York (which FZ had no objections about the title for this one), Studio Tan, Sleep Dirt and Orchestral Favorites (all of these FZ strongly objected to their titles - Frank: "If you saw an album with the title 'Sleep Dirt' on it, you probably wouldn't want to buy it.")HammerFilmFan (talk) 15:35, 14 February 2012 (UTC)

Once again, I must state, the nature of the Warner Bros. album release not being specifically authorized by Zappa, has nothing to do with the fact that the album lacks the vocal tracks which were later added. Frank Zappa delivered the tapes for the album TO THE LABEL and the tracks did not contain vocals. We need to leave the pertinent line OUT OF this entry. It's simply inaccurate. The album was not "rush released". He delivered the album (along with the masters for Studio Tan and Orchestral Favorites.. must I again remind everyone that the INDIVIDUAL ALBUMS CAME FIRST.. only after the label refused to pay him for the rights to the material did he reformat the material into L(e)ATHER) no later than early 1977, and DiscReet/Warner Bros. did not even release the LP until 1979.

Someone needs to put back the info I added to this article about the individual albums. In spite of what Gail Zappa says, the truth is that the individual albums were created in 1976 BEFORE this material was edited into Leather in 1977. Then after Leather was created Warner suddenly decided to put out the individual albums anyway in 1978 and 1979. Sorry, but Gail does not know nearly as much about FZ history as the most devoted and fanatical fans.
 * Anon, you are wrong. It was an 8-sided album, then four individual albums. Zappa tried to get out of his contract because they wouldn't release Leather. WTF (talk) 05:32, 12 August 2011 (UTC)

While it is true that Leather was always a 4 album box, the material in Leather was finished and compiled into the individual albums over a year before Leather was created. So technically Gail is right, just mis-informed. Zappa delivered all the 4 individual albums to Warner all at once in an attempt to end his contract. Warner considered much of the material to be below his usual standard and refused to pay out a large lump sum for all of them at once. That is when things began to get really ugly. There are interviews FZ did at the time that confirm all of this. I just don't have them handy right now.

Dweezil has also stated in interviews that this issue changed the way all record contracts are written. These days an artist can't deliver all of the albums of their contract at once, as FZ tried to do. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 207.225.244.228 (talk) 03:07, 27 August 2008 (UTC)
 * No, it was a box-set (with artwork) entitled Låther - WB assembled the tapes (which Zappa had to turn over to them via a legal order) into the various albums, and some genius at the record company gave them the individual titles. Btw, as far as dates and so on, many tracks (incomplete or totally redone later) date from much earlier on these records - Studio Tan's 'Gregory Peccary'  was written after Zappa was pushed off the stage in London in 1971 while recup'ing in a wheelchair.  HammerFilmFan (talk) 15:46, 14 February 2012 (UTC)

Napoleon Murphy Brock did not perform on this album. Manufactured to Comply 02:29, 22 January 2007 (UTC)

double-bass?
The Personnel section lists no less than three bass guitar players but on some of the tracks double bass is played - how about the double bass solo on the last track? Any of you guys know who played double bass on the album? Kiujm (talk) 00:09, 22 October 2009 (UTC)

formatted this rather short Talk Page
Organized it a bit.HammerFilmFan (talk) 15:36, 14 February 2012 (UTC)