Wiki
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Release Date
3 March 1979
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Length
18 tracks
Sheik Yerbouti is a live double album with studio elements by Frank Zappa made up of material recorded in 1977 and 1978. It was first released on March 3, 1979 as the first release on Zappa Records. The title is a play on words; Zappa appears on the cover in character in Arab headdress, and the name, meant to resemble an Arabic transcription, is pronounced like the title of KC and the Sunshine Band's 1976 disco hit "Shake Your Booty". Sheik Yerbouti represented a major turning point in Zappa's career. The first album to be released on his own eponymous label after his departure from Warner Bros. Records, it emphasized the comedic aspect of his lyrics more than ever before, beginning a period of increased record sales and mainstream media attention. Sheik Yerbouti remains Zappa's biggest selling album worldwide with over 2 million units sold to date.
The album featured more of Zappa's satirical and otherwise humorous or offensive material. "Bobby Brown" is well-known worldwide, except for the USA, where it was banned from airplay due to its sexually explicit lyrics. "I Have Been in You" pokes fun at Peter Frampton's 1977 hit "I'm in You" while maintaining a sexually driven structure. "Dancin' Fool", a Grammy nominee, became a popular disco hit despite its obvious parodical reflection of disco music. "Flakes", about the lousiness of laborers in California, includes a parody of Bob Dylan. "Jewish Princess", a humorous look at Jewish stereotyping, attracted attention from the Anti-Defamation League, to which Zappa denied an apology, arguing: "Unlike the unicorn, such creatures do exist — and deserve to be 'commemorated' with their own special opus".
Some of Zappa's solos from the album began life as improvisations from Zappa's earlier work. "Rat Tomago" was edited from a performance of "The Torture Never Stops", which originally appeared on Zoot Allures; "The Sheik Yerbouti Tango" likewise from a live "Little House I Used to Live In", originally a Burnt Weeny Sandwich track. The song "City of Tiny Lites" featured an animation video made by Bruce Bickford which was featured on the Old Grey Whistle Test.
Most of the tracks were recorded live, then extensively overdubbed in the studio. "Rat Tomago" is bookended by two brief pieces of musique concrète, constructed of studio dialogue, sound effects, and assorted musical fragments. In making "Rubber Shirt", Zappa combined a track of Terry Bozzio playing drums in one musical setting with one of Patrick O'Hearn playing bass in another, and totally different, musical setting. The tracks differed in time signature and in tempo. Zappa referred to this technique as xenochrony. Nearly every song on the album features numerous overdubs.
The album was also notable for being the career break of noted producer and engineer Joe Chiccarelli. In an interview with HitQuarters, Chiccarelli said: " engineer couldn’t make the session and so he decided to take a chance on me. I’m so thankful ever since that day because he gave me a career."
Initially, the album was met with mixed reviews, due to the controversy of its lyrical content. The album remains a cult favorite among Zappa fans to this day. The song "Bobby Brown" was extremely popular in Scandinavia. Zappa was reportedly so astounded by its success, that he wanted CBS to hire an anthropologist to study why the song became such a big hit.
Musicians
Frank Zappa – Lead Guitar, Vocals, Arranger, Composer, Producer, Remixing
Adrian Belew – Rhythm Guitar, Vocals, Bob Dylan impersonation
Patrick O'Hearn – Bass, Vocals
Terry Bozzio – Drums, Vocals
Davey Moire – Vocals, Engineer
Ed Mann – Percussion, Vocals
Tommy Mars – Keyboards, Backing Vocals
Andre Lewis – Keyboards, Backing Vocals
Napoleon Murphy Brock – Backing Vocals
Randy Thornton – Backing Vocals
Peter Wolf – Keyboards, Butter, Flora Margarine
David Ocker – Clarinet
Production staff
Bob Stone – Digital Remastering
Joe Chiccarelli – Remixing, Overdub Engineer
Lynn Goldsmith – Photography, Cover Photo
Peter Henderson – Engineer
Bob Ludwig – Mastering Engineer
Kerry McNabb – Engineer
John Williams – Art Direction
Gail Zappa – Photography
Amy Bernstein – Artwork, Layout Design
Barbara Isaak – Assistant
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