Bizarre Records
Encyclopedia
Bizarre Records was a record label
formed for artists discovered by rock
musician
Frank Zappa
and his business partner/manager Herb Cohen
.
Bizarre was originally formed as a production company. In 1967 Zappa's label, Verve Records
, missed the deadline to renew their option on Zappa's recording contract after his second album, Absolutely Free
, recorded with his group The Mothers of Invention
. This gave Zappa and Cohen the upper hand in negotiating their own production deal with Verve. The purpose of forming his own production company was to give Zappa complete creative control over his work and the works he planned to produce for others.
The first albums associated with Bizarre were released in early 1968. These included We're Only in It for the Money
by the Mothers of Invention and Lumpy Gravy
, Zappa's first solo album. Other Zappa related releases were Cruising with Ruben & the Jets
(1968) and the compilation album Mothermania
(1969). The company also produced the late 1968 release Sandy's Album Is Here At Last by singer-songwriter Sandra Hurvitz, now better known as Essra Mohawk
. These albums were all released by Verve Records
under the "Bizarre Productions" imprint.
In early 1969 Bizarre Records was established as a label distributed by the Warner Bros. Records
family of record labels, which also included Reprise Records
. The Bizarre Records label was formed at the same time as a companion label, Straight Records
, also distributed by Warner Bros. When the Bizarre and Straight labels were created Zappa's intention was to release albums by avant-garde artists on Bizarre, and recordings by more mainstream artists on Straight. The first release in this series was a double album
, "The Berkeley Concert", by Lenny Bruce
. Early pressings of the Lenny Bruce album featured an orange Reprise Records label with a Bizarre Records logo. Subsequent albums on Bizarre Records used a distinctive blue label design. Bizarre also released the double album debut of Wild Man Fischer
, titled An Evening with Wild Man Fischer
in early 1969.
However, the original Bizarre Records concept failed to work out as expected due to issues with distribution and management. This led to some very unusual albums on the Straight label especially those by Captain Beefheart
, Alice Cooper
and The GTOs
. Zappa and The Mothers of Invention were the only artists who stayed with Bizarre Records. Zappa released eight of his own albums with and without the Mothers of Invention on Bizarre from 1969 to 1972. The only Zappa project not on Bizarre during this period was the 200 Motels
film soundtrack album, released by United Artists Records
in 1971.
By 1973 the original Bizarre and Straight distribution contracts with Warner ended. Many Bizarre and Straight recordings were re-issued by Warner and or Reprise. The same year Zappa and Cohen chose to launch a new company DiscReet Records
once again distributed by Warner Bros. The Zappa/Mothers titles on Bizarre were available on Reprise until 1981 and are currently available on CD from Rykodisc
.
In 1988 Enigma Retro
released Lenny Bruce's The Berkeley Concert on CD and cassette. An Evening with Wild Man Fischer
has never been re-issued in any form and remains unavailable on CD.
Record label
In the music industry, a record label is a brand and a trademark associated with the marketing of music recordings and music videos. Most commonly, a record label is the company that manages such brands and trademarks, coordinates the production, manufacture, distribution, marketing and promotion,...
formed for artists discovered by rock
Rock music
Rock music is a genre of popular music that developed during and after the 1960s, particularly in the United Kingdom and the United States. It has its roots in 1940s and 1950s rock and roll, itself heavily influenced by rhythm and blues and country music...
musician
Musician
A musician is an artist who plays a musical instrument. It may or may not be the person's profession. Musicians can be classified by their roles in performing music and writing music.Also....* A person who makes music a profession....
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...
and his business partner/manager Herb Cohen
Herb Cohen
Herbert "Herb" Cohen was an American personal manager, record company executive, and music publisher, best known as the manager of Frank Zappa, Tom Waits, and many other Los Angeles-based musicians in the 1960s and 1970s.-Life and career:Cohen was born in New York...
.
Bizarre was originally formed as a production company. In 1967 Zappa's label, Verve Records
Verve Records
Verve Records is an American jazz record label now owned by Universal Music Group. It was founded by Norman Granz in 1956, absorbing the catalogues of his earlier labels, Clef Records and Norgran Records , and material which had been licensed to Mercury previously.-Jazz and folk origins:The Verve...
, missed the deadline to renew their option on Zappa's recording contract after his second album, Absolutely Free
Absolutely Free
Absolutely Free is the second album by The Mothers of Invention, led by Frank Zappa. Absolutely Free is, again, a display of complex musical composition with political and social satire. The band had been augmented since Freak Out! by the addition of saxophone player Bunk Gardner, keyboardist Don...
, recorded with his group The Mothers of Invention
The Mothers of Invention
The Mothers of Invention were an American band active from 1964 to 1969, and again from 1970 to 1975.They mainly performed works by, and were the original recording group of, US composer and guitarist Frank Zappa , although other members have had the occasional writing credit...
. This gave Zappa and Cohen the upper hand in negotiating their own production deal with Verve. The purpose of forming his own production company was to give Zappa complete creative control over his work and the works he planned to produce for others.
The first albums associated with Bizarre were released in early 1968. These included We're Only in It for the Money
We're Only in It for the Money
We're Only in It For the Money is the third studio album by The Mothers of Invention, released in March 1968. The album peaked at number thirty on the Billboard 200...
by the Mothers of Invention and 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...
, Zappa's first solo album. Other Zappa related releases were Cruising with Ruben & the Jets
Cruising with Ruben & the Jets
Cruising With Ruben & The Jets is an album by Frank Zappa and the Mothers of Invention, released in December 1968, and controversially reissued in an alternate mix with newly recorded bass and percussion in 1984.-Concept:...
(1968) and the compilation album Mothermania
Mothermania
Mothermania , subtitled The Best of the Mothers, is a compilation album by The Mothers of Invention, led by Frank Zappa. It contains tracks personally chosen by Zappa that were previously released on Freak Out!, Absolutely Free and We're Only in It for the Money...
(1969). The company also produced the late 1968 release Sandy's Album Is Here At Last by singer-songwriter Sandra Hurvitz, now better known as Essra Mohawk
Essra Mohawk
Essra Mohawk is an American singer-songwriter who has recorded a dozen albums, many receiving critical acclaim. Her best known songs are "Change of Heart" recorded by Cyndi Lauper and "Stronger Than the Wind," recorded by Tina Turner.-Biography:Mohawk was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania...
. These albums were all released by Verve Records
Verve Records
Verve Records is an American jazz record label now owned by Universal Music Group. It was founded by Norman Granz in 1956, absorbing the catalogues of his earlier labels, Clef Records and Norgran Records , and material which had been licensed to Mercury previously.-Jazz and folk origins:The Verve...
under the "Bizarre Productions" imprint.
In early 1969 Bizarre Records was established as a label distributed by the Warner Bros. Records
Warner Bros. Records
Warner Bros. Records Inc. is an American record label. It was the foundation label of the present-day Warner Music Group, and now operates as a wholly owned subsidiary of that corporation. It maintains a close relationship with its former parent, Warner Bros. Pictures, although the two companies...
family of record labels, which also included Reprise Records
Reprise Records
Reprise Records is an American record label, founded in 1960 by Frank Sinatra. It is owned by Warner Music Group, and operated through Warner Bros. Records.-Beginnings:...
. The Bizarre Records label was formed at the same time as a companion label, Straight Records
Straight Records
Straight Records was a record label formed in 1969 to distribute productions and discoveries of Frank Zappa and his business partner/manager Herb Cohen. Straight was formed at the same time as a companion label, Bizarre Records. Straight and Bizarre were manufactured and distributed in the U.S. by...
, also distributed by Warner Bros. When the Bizarre and Straight labels were created Zappa's intention was to release albums by avant-garde artists on Bizarre, and recordings by more mainstream artists on Straight. The first release in this series was a double album
Double album
A double album is an audio album which spans two units of the primary medium in which it is sold, typically records and compact discs....
, "The Berkeley Concert", by Lenny Bruce
Lenny Bruce
Leonard Alfred Schneider , better known by the stage name Lenny Bruce, was a Jewish-American comedian, social critic and satirist...
. Early pressings of the Lenny Bruce album featured an orange Reprise Records label with a Bizarre Records logo. Subsequent albums on Bizarre Records used a distinctive blue label design. Bizarre also released the double album debut of Wild Man Fischer
Wild Man Fischer
Larry Wayne Fischer , better known as Wild Man Fischer, was an American songwriter in the outsider genre. He was notable for being responsible for Rhino Records' first release, Go To Rhino Records...
, titled An Evening with Wild Man Fischer
An Evening with Wild Man Fischer
An Evening with Wild Man Fischer is a 1968 double LP album by Wild Man Fischer released on Frank Zappa's Bizarre record label. The copyright is owned by the estate of Frank Zappa, but his widow Gail Zappa has chosen to not release it on Compact Disc....
in early 1969.
However, the original Bizarre Records concept failed to work out as expected due to issues with distribution and management. This led to some very unusual albums on the Straight label especially those by Captain Beefheart
Captain Beefheart
Don Van Vliet January 15, 1941 December 17, 2010) was an American musician, singer-songwriter and artist best known by the stage name Captain Beefheart. His musical work was conducted with a rotating ensemble of musicians called The Magic Band, active between 1965 and 1982, with whom he recorded 12...
, Alice Cooper
Alice Cooper
Alice Cooper is an American rock singer, songwriter and musician whose career spans more than four decades...
and The GTOs
The GTOs
The GTOs were a "groupie group" that consisted of Miss Pamela , Miss Sparky , Miss Lucy , Miss Christine , Miss Sandra , Miss Mercy and Miss Cynderella...
. Zappa and The Mothers of Invention were the only artists who stayed with Bizarre Records. Zappa released eight of his own albums with and without the Mothers of Invention on Bizarre from 1969 to 1972. The only Zappa project not on Bizarre during this period was the 200 Motels
200 Motels (soundtrack)
The soundtrack to Frank Zappa's film 200 Motels was released by United Artists Records in 1971 and features a combination of rock and jazz songs, orchestral music and comedic spoken dialogue...
film soundtrack album, released by United Artists Records
United Artists Records
United Artists Records was a record label founded by Max E. Youngstein of United Artists in 1957 initially to distribute records of its movie soundtracks, though it soon branched out into recording music of a number of different genres.-History:...
in 1971.
By 1973 the original Bizarre and Straight distribution contracts with Warner ended. Many Bizarre and Straight recordings were re-issued by Warner and or Reprise. The same year Zappa and Cohen chose to launch a new company DiscReet Records
DiscReet Records
DiscReet Records was a company founded by Frank Zappa and his then business partner/manager Herb Cohen. It was created in 1973 when their previous companies Bizarre Records and Straight Records were discontinued...
once again distributed by Warner Bros. The Zappa/Mothers titles on Bizarre were available on Reprise until 1981 and are currently available on CD from 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:...
.
In 1988 Enigma Retro
Enigma Records
Enigma Records was a popular rock and alternative American record label in the 1980s. It was initially a division of Greenworld Distribution, an independent music importer/distributor, which it split-off from in 1985 to become its own company...
released Lenny Bruce's The Berkeley Concert on CD and cassette. An Evening with Wild Man Fischer
An Evening with Wild Man Fischer
An Evening with Wild Man Fischer is a 1968 double LP album by Wild Man Fischer released on Frank Zappa's Bizarre record label. The copyright is owned by the estate of Frank Zappa, but his widow Gail Zappa has chosen to not release it on Compact Disc....
has never been re-issued in any form and remains unavailable on CD.