London Symphony Orchestra, Vol. 1
Encyclopedia
London Symphony Orchestra, Vol. 1 is a 1983 album by Frank Zappa
Frank Zappa
Frank Vincent Zappa was an American composer, singer-songwriter, electric guitarist, record producer and film director. In a career spanning more than 30 years, Zappa wrote rock, jazz, orchestral and musique concrète works. He also directed feature-length films and music videos, and designed...

. It features the London Symphony Orchestra
London Symphony Orchestra
The London Symphony Orchestra is a major orchestra of the United Kingdom, as well as one of the best-known orchestras in the world. Since 1982, the LSO has been based in London's Barbican Centre.-History:...

'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
Lumpy Gravy
Lumpy Gravy is the first solo album by Frank Zappa, originally released in 1967, but not generally available until May 1968. Zappa was credited as conductor on the album cover and he described the contents as "a curiously inconsistent piece, which started out to be a BALLET, but probably didn't...

, and 1979's Orchestral Favorites
Orchestral Favorites
Orchestral Favorites is an album by Frank Zappa first released in May, 1979 on his own DiscReet Records label. The album is instrumental and features music performed by the 37-piece Abnuceals Emuukha Electric Symphony Orchestra...

. In 1995, the album was combined with its successor, London Symphony Orchestra, Vol. 2
London Symphony Orchestra, Vol. 2
London Symphony Orchestra, Vol. 2 is a 1987 album featuring Frank Zappa's music performed by the London Symphony Orchestra. It is the follow-up to 1983's London Symphony Orchestra, Vol. 1, and was recorded at the same sessions, in January 1983. The two albums were later combined, and re-released on...

(1987), and re-released on a Rykodisc
Rykodisc
Rykodisc Records is an American record label. It is owned by Warner Music Group, operates as a unit of WMG's Independent Label Group and is distributed through Alternative Distribution Alliance.-Company history:...

 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.

The heavy editing of the record was made possible by using a digital multitrack
Multitrack recording
Multitrack recording is a method of sound recording that allows for the separate recording of multiple sound sources to create a cohesive whole...

 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.

Side two

  1. "Mo 'n Herb's Vacation, First Movement" – 4:50
  2. "Mo 'n Herb's Vacation, Second Movement" – 10:05
  3. "Mo 'n Herb's Vacation, Third Movement" – 12:56

Musicians

  • The London Symphony Orchestra
    London Symphony Orchestra
    The London Symphony Orchestra is a major orchestra of the United Kingdom, as well as one of the best-known orchestras in the world. Since 1982, the LSO has been based in London's Barbican Centre.-History:...

     conducted by Kent Nagano
    Kent Nagano
    __FORCETOC__Kent George Nagano is an American conductor and opera administrator. He is currently the music director of the Orchestre Symphonique de Montréal and the Bavarian State Opera.-Biography:...

  • David Ocker – clarinet
    Clarinet
    The clarinet is a musical instrument of woodwind type. The name derives from adding the suffix -et to the Italian word clarino , as the first clarinets had a strident tone similar to that of a trumpet. The instrument has an approximately cylindrical bore, and uses a single reed...

  • Chad Wackerman
    Chad Wackerman
    Chad Wackerman is a jazz, jazz fusion and rock drummer; arguably best known in the United States for his work as a drummer and percussionist in Frank Zappa's band...

     – drums
    Drum kit
    A drum kit is a collection of drums, cymbals and often other percussion instruments, such as cowbells, wood blocks, triangles, chimes, or tambourines, arranged for convenient playing by a single person ....

  • Ed Mann – percussion
    Percussion instrument
    A percussion instrument is any object which produces a sound when hit with an implement or when it is shaken, rubbed, scraped, or otherwise acted upon in a way that sets the object into vibration...


Production staff

  • Frank Zappa – producer
  • Mark Pinske – recording engineer
  • John Vince – cover design

External links

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