Melodie

 Czechia / Czechoslovakia

 
A pop and jazz music monthly, published 1963-2000. In the '60s when the situation was fairly liberal Melodie was an important magazine not only in Czechoslovakia but in the whole Eastern Bloc.

1967 November

 

San Francisko v záři světel (psychedelickych)
By Jaromír Tůma, pp 252-253


The article "San Francisco at (psychedelic) night" includes short overview of Frank Zappa's thoughts (and named Mothers Of Invention as San Franciscan group).

 

1969 February

 

Underground music a její sociální otazníky (Underground music and its social question marks)
By Jozef Kotek, pp 37-40


On the cover is featured Czech singer Marta Kubišová. She was very famous in these years, especially after her song "Modlitba pro Martu" (A prayer for Marta) she did during the Prague Spring of 1968.

 

1969 July

 

Splněné přání aneb Kdo je tady vlastně blázen
By Alexander Goldscheider, pp 200-202


This is the first interview by any Czech journalist with Frank Zappa. Alexander Goldscheider did it in Fillmore East.

 
  

1977 April

 

Albový glosar - Pink-floydová říše zvířat (Album glossary - Animal kingdom of Pink Floyd)
By Petr Dorůžka, p 121


Article contains review of the Zoot Allures.

  

 
  

1977 September

 

Jak ja to slyšim (How do I hear it? [kind of a blind date])
By Petr Hapka, p 279


Petr Hapka was a Czech composer, one of the most significant composers of Czech film music scores.

Don't You Ever Wash That Thing (F.Zappa). Frank Zappa a Mothers. Discreet 257 741 [probably Roxy & Elsewhere]

 Z toho září génius. Je vidět, že to hrajou & píšou lidé, kteří vědí, že ve tři nemusí vypadnout ze studia, aby chytli autobus, jenž je doveze k vodě, kteří nemyslí na to, kolik mají za nahrávku, prostě myslí jen na muziku. Oni se v noci budí hrůzou z toho, jestli ten tón, který “odpoledne zahráli, je dobře, a druhý den ho budou celý den poslouchat & pak ho přetočí & za tři dny se k němu vrátí. Je to totéž, jako když nějaký jihoamerický pastevec vezme do ruky píšťalu & někdo ho omylem natočí, protože ten člověk to taky myslel jen kvůli hudbě, a je úplně jedno, jestli tam jsou tisíce aranžérských kliček nebo jedna flétna, do které někdo funí. Prostě je to muzika, které jde zevnitř, a žádní plagiátoři tohle nikdy nedokážou.

Automatic translation: A genius shines from it. You can see that it is played & written by people who know that at three o'clock they don't have to drop out of the studio to catch a bus that takes them to the water, who doesn't think they have to record, just think of music. They wake up at night if the tone they played in the afternoon is good, and the next day they will listen to it and then rewind it and come back to it in three days. It's the same as a South American shepherd taking a whistle & someone accidentally rotates it, because that guy just thought about music, and it doesn't matter if there are thousands of arranger loops or one flute to which someone is blowing. It's just music that goes from within, and no plagiarists can ever do it.

 

 
  

1977 October

 

Třy maski Kapitána Beefhearta (Captain Beefheart's three masks)
By Petr Dorůžka, pp 304-305


 
  

1980 February

 

Jak ja to slyšim (How do I hear it? [kind of a blind date])
By Jiří Stivín, p 58


 Jiří Stivín is a Czech flute player and composer.

Ian Underwood Whips It Out (Live On Stage in Copenhagen). (Frank Zappa) Mothers Of Invention. LP Uncle Meat, Bizarre

  

 
  

1980 May

 

Ze světa ([News] from the world)
p 139

Putování Lennonovou Utopií (pt 2) (Wandering Lennon's Utopia)
By Jiří Černý pp 146-147


On page 139 is a short story on Joe's Garage albums. On pages 146-147 is an article on John Lennon, which includes some words about Lennon's and Zappa's Fillmore East 1971 concert.

 

1980 June

 

Budou múzy fúzi přát? (6) (Will the muses want a fusion?)
By Lubomír Dorůžka, pp 173-175

O superhvězdach, Bumbrlíkovi a nenormálnostech
By Lubomír Dorůžka, p 183

Jak ja to slyšim (How do I hear it? [kind of a blind date])
By Daniel Fikejs, p 185


The series of articles by L. Dorůžka about fusion music was printed in all issues of 1980.

Half of the article on page 183 is about film Baby Snakes

Daniel Fikejs is a Czech composer. He's talking about "Dong Work For Yuda".

 

 
  

1980 September

 

Ringo Starr, hračička i bez paliček (1), (Ringo Starr, a drummer even without drumsticks)
By Jiří Černý pp 270-271

Jak ja to slyšim (How do I hear it? [kind of a blind date])
By Jan A. Pacák, p 281


The article on Ringo Starr contains references to 200 Motels film.

Jan Antonín Pacák was a painter and musician. He is talking about "Brown Shoes Don't Make It."

 
  

1980 October

 

Ringo Starr, hračička i bez paliček (2), (Ringo Starr, a drummer even without drumsticks)
By Jiří Černý pp 302-303


The article on Ringo Starr contains references to 200 Motels film.

 
  

1982 May

 

Jak ja to slyšim (How do I hear it? [kind of a blind date])
By Pavel Pelc, p 151


Pavel Pelc is a Czech musician, bass player, singer, songwriter and entrepreneur. He is talking about "I Promise Not To Come Into Your Mouth".

  

 
  

1982 July

 

Telegrafický průvodce Frankem Zappou (Telegraph guide by Frank Zappa)
By Petr Dorůžka, pp 208-209


 

 
  

1982 August

 

Telegrafický průvodce Frankem Zappou (2) (Telegraph guide by Frank Zappa)
By Petr Dorůžka, pp 238-239


On page 235 is a short notice about Zappa's Europe Tour 82. 

 
  

1983 April

 

Ze světa ([News] from the world)
p 105


On page 105 is a short notice that Zappa is again in Europe, but this time not on tour. With a hundred-member London Symphony Orchestra he recorded digitally music for three ballets.

  

 
  

1985 March

 

Frank Zappa s rozumem v hrsti (Frank Zappa with reason in hand)
By Alan Bangs, pp 24-25


This interview is translated from German MusikExpress/Sounds #11, November 1984.

 

1990 June

 


On page 177 is a picture of Frank Zappa and Mejla Hlavsa, the founder, bassist and main songwriter of the legendary Czechoslovakian underground band Plastic People Of The Universe.

Source: Václav Pěnkava