This compelling 1985 interview with Frank Zappa conducted by legendary Washington D.C. deejay Cerphe (Don Collwell) for Baltimore TV was never aired. Either it was too edgy for local TV or, as rumor has it, Zappa refused to sign the release required to broadcast the interview. Which begs the question: why would Zappa, who was always fearless in voicing his opinions, stand in the way of this particualr interview being shown?

Two weeks after the interview,  Zappa testified on Capitol Hill at the infamous Senate Porn Rock Hearings on record labeling. Cerphe joined Zappa at the hearing and strongly spoke against censorship.

In light of the controversy surrounding the hearings, the station scheduled to broadcast the interview may have felt Zappa was just too radical for their viewership. For whatever reason, it remained unseen until it was smuggled out of the studio by someone who realized its value as rock history.

As usual, Zappa takes no prisoners as he candidly critiques the state of modern rock and roll, censorship, conformity, sex, consumerism, MTV and more.

Raw and unedited.
 

There is more stupidity than hydrogen in the universe, and it has a longer shelf life.
Frank Zappa

Thanks for this Marc, it’s always great to listen to Frank speak.

the people he refers to as ‘yuppies’ grew up, and with the aid of broadcasters such as the Disney channel, they are doing frightening things to our children’s minds. Good old Frank, but like Neil Young said ‘you’re all just pissing in the wind, you don’t know it but you are’ “mic check!”

you ever hear Lorraine Belcher aka Ms. S. Clay Wilson, talk about Zappa? she was with him a long time, great stories.