Moby Grape’s Peter Lewis Calls Frank Zappa A Clown

In a recent chat with Rock History Music, Moby Grape’s Peter Lewis said he thinks Frank Zappa was a ‘clown.’

The singer said what Zappa was like during the 1960s:

“In those days, I think Frank was a clown. I mean I think he knew how to… He’d do this ridiculous… I saw him on the Steve Allen Show or something when he had short hair and he was playing something like a bicycle.”

Lewis shared what the late rocker was doing with the bicycle:

“He brought a bicycle to play and he was doing something with a bicycle like letting go of the air on the tire to make it sound like it was farting and doing it like [mimicking the bicycle]. Just looking with a very straight face and then Steve Allen couldn’t figure out what this guy was doing but he was making fun of his situation, which I think that’s what a clown can do. Make fun of himself.”

In March 1963, Zappa went on Steve Allen’s late-night show and used a bicycle as a musical instrument. He played it with drumsticks and a bow. He made funny and unusual sounds from the bike’s spokes. He also performed ‘Concerto for Two Bicycles’ with the house orchestra in his first TV appearance.

Lewis Has A Song With Zappa’s Name

Lewis paid tribute to Zappa in a song called ‘Frank Zappa’s Ghost’ from his latest solo album, ‘Imagination.’ He said the following about the track:

“That was one of those songs that came to me in a dream. What I woke up hearing was the hook; In other words, the part(s) where I sing ‘Franks Zappa’s Ghost’ with the underlying chords. The rest was pretty much crafted. The idea of adding ‘the right of spring section’ as a bridge was to bring in an ethereal (contrasting) mood to the arrangement, like something Zappa might do.”

Lewis’ ‘Imagination’ came out on June 20, 2023. It is a follow-up to 2019’s ‘The Road to Zion’ and includes 10 original tracks.

Below, you can watch Peter’s full interview and Zappa’s TV appearance.

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