Editing Frank Zappa (section)

===Zappa Records label===
{{see also|Sheik Yerbouti|Joe's Garage|Baby Snakes (soundtrack)}}
{{Listen|type=music|filename=Zappa_BobbyBrown.ogg|description=The single became a hit in non-English speaking countries and helped ''[[Sheik Yerbouti]]'' become a best-seller.<ref name="watson96"/>{{rp|351}}|title="Bobby Brown" (1979)|pos=right}}
Zappa released two of his most important projects in 1979. The double LP ''[[Sheik Yerbouti]]'' appeared in March and was the first release on Zappa Records. It became the best-selling album of his career.<ref>
{{cite book |first1=Matt|last1=Groening|author-link=Matt Groening|first2=Don|last2=Menn|editor-last=Menn|editor-first=Don|contribution=The Mother of All Interviews. Act II: Matt Groening joins in on the scrutiny of the central decentralizer|title=Zappa! Guitar Player Presents|date=1992|page=61|place=San Francisco, CA|publisher=Miller Freeman|issn=1063-4533}}</ref> The album contained the [[Grammy Award|Grammy]]-nominated single "Dancin' Fool", which reached No.&nbsp;45 on the ''Billboard'' charts.<ref name="BBsingles">{{cite web |url={{AllMusic|class=artist|id=p74796|pure_url=yes}}|title=Frank Zappa|work=AllMusic |access-date=January 6, 2008}}</ref> It also contained "[[Jewish Princess (song)|Jewish Princess]]", which received attention when the [[Anti-Defamation League]] (ADL) attempted to prevent the song from receiving radio airplay due to its alleged [[antisemitic]] lyrics.<ref name="miles"/>{{rp|234}} Zappa vehemently denied any antisemitic sentiments, and dismissed the ADL as a "noisemaking organization that tries to apply pressure on people in order to manufacture a stereotype image of Jews that suits their idea of a good time."<ref>{{cite journal|title=He's Only 38 and He Knows How to Nasty|last=Peterson|first=Chris|journal=Relix Magazine|date=November 1979 |url=https://www.afka.net/Articles/1979-11_Relix.htm |via=afka.net}}</ref> The album's commercial success was attributable in part to "[[Bobby Brown (song)|Bobby Brown]]". Due to its explicit lyrics, the song did not get airplay in the U.S., but it topped the charts in several European countries where English is not the primary language.<ref name="watson96"/>{{rp|351}}

''[[Joe's Garage]]'' has been described as a "bona fide masterpiece".<ref name="lowe"/>{{rp|140}} The project initially had to be released in two parts due to economic conditions.<ref name=islandear>{{cite web |url=https://www.afka.net/Articles/1979-09_Island_Ear.htm |title=The Island-Ear Interview: Frank Zappa |work=Island Ear – September 24, 1979 |access-date=June 30, 2022}}</ref> The first was a single LP ''Joe's Garage Act I'' in September 1979, followed by a double LP ''Joe's Garage Acts II and III'' in November 1979. The story features singer [[Ike Willis]] as the lead character in a [[rock opera]] about the danger of [[political system]]s,<ref name="lowe"/>{{rp|140}} the suppression of [[freedom of speech]] and music—inspired in part by the 1979 [[Islam]]ic [[Iranian revolution]] that had made music illegal<ref name="miles"/>{{rp|277}}—and about the "strange relationship Americans have with sex and sexual frankness".<ref name="lowe"/>{{rp|140}} The ''Act I'' album reached number 27 on the [[Billboard 200]] chart. It contains the song "Catholic Girls" (a [[riposte]] to the controversies of "Jewish Princess"),<ref name="watson05"/>{{rp|59}} and the title track, which was also released as a single. The second and third acts have extended guitar improvisations, which were recorded live, then combined with studio backing tracks. Zappa described this process as [[xenochrony]]. The band included drummer Vinnie Colaiuta (with whom Zappa had a particularly strong musical rapport)<ref name="Occhiogrosso"/>{{rp|180}} Included is one of Zappa's guitar "signature pieces", "[[Watermelon in Easter Hay]]".<ref name="watson05"/>{{rp|61}}<ref name="DZlinernotes">The other signature pieces are "Zoot Allures" and "Black Napkins" from ''Zoot Allures''. See {{cite book |last=Zappa |first=Dweezil |title= Greetings music lovers, Dweezil here |publisher=Liner Notes, [[Frank Zappa Plays the Music of Frank Zappa: A Memorial Tribute]] |date=1996}}</ref> In 1987, all three acts were reissued together as a 3-LP and 2-CD set.

Zappa had been known for his long hair since the mid-1960s, but he had Gail cut it short around August 1979.<ref name=islandear/> That autumn he cancelled tour plans to stay home with newborn daughter Diva, and celebrate the birthdays of children Moon and Dweezil in September.<ref name=gcfreep>{{cite web |url=https://www.afka.net/Articles/1979-09_Gold_Coast_Free_Press.htm |title=Warning! The Real Zappa |work=Gold Coast Free Press |date=September 29, 1979 |access-date=June 30, 2022 |via=afka.net}}</ref> At this time Zappa also completed the [[Utility Muffin Research Kitchen]] (UMRK) studios, which were located at his house,<ref name="Mix2003"/> thereby giving him complete freedom in his work.<ref name="miles"/>{{rp|269}}

On December 21, 1979, Zappa's movie ''[[Baby Snakes]]'' premiered in New York City. He described it as "A movie about people who do stuff that is not normal".<ref>Baby Snakes, 2003, ''DVD cover'', Eagle Vision.</ref> The 2&nbsp;hour and 40&nbsp;minute movie has footage from concerts in New York around Halloween 1977, with a band featuring keyboardist [[Tommy Mars]] and percussionist [[Ed Mann]] (who would both return on later tours) as well as guitarist [[Adrian Belew]]. It also contained several extraordinary sequences of [[clay animation]] by [[Bruce Bickford (animator)|Bruce Bickford]] who had earlier provided animation sequences to Zappa for a 1974 TV special (which became available on the 1982 video ''[[The Dub Room Special]]'').<ref name="miles"/>{{rp|282}} The movie did not do well in theatrical distribution,<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.bigpicturebigsound.com/article_501.shtml |title=Baby Snakes|format= DVD|last=Sohmer|first=Adam|date=June 8, 2005|publisher=Big Picture Big Sound |access-date=January 7, 2008}}</ref> but won the Premier Grand Prix at the First International Music Festival in Paris in 1981.<ref name="miles"/>{{rp|282}}