We're Only in It for the Money
Encyclopedia
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
. The album satirizes many aspects of 1960s culture, such as hippie
culture and music.
with comedy routines by Lenny Bruce
(who had performed with Zappa at The Fillmore
in 1966). However, when Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band
was released and hugely touted as the first concept album
, Zappa, who already had released two (which Paul McCartney later stated had influenced Sgt. Pepper) felt compelled to respond. Also, Zappa noticed its cultural effect, and felt that the then-popular flower power
scene had and would continue to have a major influence on popular culture. Consequently, he decided to produce instead a satirical album that parodied every cynical aspect of the fad, Sgt. Pepper, and 1960s US society. The song "Flower Punk" is based upon "Hey Joe
", famously performed by Love
, The Leaves
, The Byrds
, The Surfaris
and Jimi Hendrix
, who is himself pictured in the cover art. "Mother People" was featured in an episode of The Monkees
("Monkees Blow Their Minds"), which also featured Zappa and Michael Nesmith
posing as each other. The only vestige of the original album idea in We're Only in It... is the phrase "Don't come in me, in me..." in the song "Harry, You're A Beast", a reference to a Lenny Bruce routine about ejaculation.
's design was intended as a parody of the cover for The Beatles
' Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band
. The fold-out cover for Sgt. Pepper had a collage
of famous people by Peter Blake
on the outside front, a picture of the group with one member facing away from the camera on the back, and a head-shot portrait of the band on the inside. Zappa originally intended to use the cover as one would expect—front cover on the front, back cover on the back, and the inside group head-shot on the inside—but Zappa's record company demurred and turned the cover inside-out for release, putting the most blatant Sgt. Pepper parody (front cover very similar in its production; back cover showing a picture of the group with only one member facing toward the camera) on the inside and the head-shot portrait pastiche of the band on the outside. Next to Zappa's head on the back cover is a speech bubble that reads, "Is this phase one of Lumpy Gravy
?". Respectively, Zappa's next album, Lumpy Gravy features a similar speech bubble that reads "Is this phase 2 of We're Only in It for the Money?"
The 1986 Rykodisc
release on CD
featured the original photo restored to the front cover, but minus the group headshot. This release combined this album with Lumpy Gravy
. In 1995, Zappa's estate authorized the rerelease of the original cover art with the headshot along with the original Verve records mix—as "Lumpy Gravy" was also reissued on its own with its original cover art and Verve Records mix. One section of the CD liner art features a series of badges, banknote
, and facial hair cut-outs, satirizing those of Sgt. Pepper, with some differences; one badge features a small photograph of recording engineer Gary Kellgren
and the other is a nipple. The banknote had a picture of a belly button in the middle.
. Initial releases of the album had certain sections of songs edited or removed due to perceived offensiveness. These two sets of edits are often distinguished by the monikers "censored" and "heavily censored." However, these set of edits were sometimes applied inconsistently, so these two categories are inexhaustive.
Tracks affected by censor edits on all original versions:
Additional tracks affected by censor edits on the "heavily censored" versions:
Disc 2 of the 2008 3-disc Frank Zappa CD, "Lumpy Money
", contains the 1986 reissue of "We're Only In It For The Money" sourced from a digital master tape, and mastered by Bernie Grundman in 2008. There is also an original 1968 mono mix as part of this collection.
magazine's list of the "Best Psychedelic Albums of All Time." In 2003, the album was ranked number 296 on Rolling Stone
magazine's list of the 500 greatest albums of all time
. In 2005, it was one of 50 recordings chosen by the Library of Congress
to be added to the National Recording Registry
.
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...
, released in March 1968. The album peaked at number thirty on the Billboard 200
Billboard 200
The Billboard 200 is a ranking of the 200 highest-selling music albums and EPs in the United States, published weekly by Billboard magazine. It is frequently used to convey the popularity of an artist or groups of artists...
. The album satirizes many aspects of 1960s culture, such as hippie
Hippie
The hippie subculture was originally a youth movement that arose in the United States during the mid-1960s and spread to other countries around the world. The etymology of the term 'hippie' is from hipster, and was initially used to describe beatniks who had moved into San Francisco's...
culture and music.
Background
In 1967, Zappa conceived an album, Our Man in Nirvana, which would combine the music of his band The Mothers of InventionThe 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...
with comedy routines 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...
(who had performed with Zappa at The Fillmore
The Fillmore
The Fillmore Auditorium is a historic music venue in San Francisco, California, made famous by Bill Graham. Named for its original location at the intersection of Fillmore Street and Geary Boulevard, it lies on the boundary of the Western Addition and the Pacific Heights neighborhoods.In 1968,...
in 1966). However, when Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band
Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band
Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band is the eighth studio album by the English rock band The Beatles, released on 1 June 1967 on the Parlophone label and produced by George Martin...
was released and hugely touted as the first concept album
Concept album
In music, a concept album is an album that is "unified by a theme, which can be instrumental, compositional, narrative, or lyrical." Commonly, concept albums tend to incorporate preconceived musical or lyrical ideas rather than being improvised or composed in the studio, with all songs contributing...
, Zappa, who already had released two (which Paul McCartney later stated had influenced Sgt. Pepper) felt compelled to respond. Also, Zappa noticed its cultural effect, and felt that the then-popular flower power
Flower power
Flower power is a slogan used by the American counterculture movement during the late 1960s and early 1970s as a symbol of passive resistance and non-violence ideology. It is rooted in the opposition movement to the Vietnam War. The expression was coined by the American Beat poet Allen Ginsberg in...
scene had and would continue to have a major influence on popular culture. Consequently, he decided to produce instead a satirical album that parodied every cynical aspect of the fad, Sgt. Pepper, and 1960s US society. The song "Flower Punk" is based upon "Hey Joe
Hey Joe
"Hey Joe" is an American popular song from the 1960s that has become a rock standard and as such, has been performed in a multitude of musical styles by hundreds of different artists since it was first written. "Hey Joe" tells the story of a man who is on the run and planning to head to Mexico...
", famously performed by Love
Love (band)
Love was an American rock group of the late 1960s and early 1970s. They were led by singer/songwriter Arthur Lee and lead guitarist Johnny Echols...
, The Leaves
The Leaves
The Leaves were an American garage band formed in California in 1963. They are best known for their version of the song "Hey Joe", which was a hit in 1966. Theirs is the earliest release of this song, which became a rock standard.-History:...
, The Byrds
The Byrds
The Byrds were an American rock band, formed in Los Angeles, California in 1964. The band underwent multiple line-up changes throughout its existence, with frontman Roger McGuinn remaining the sole consistent member until the group disbanded in 1973...
, The Surfaris
The Surfaris
The Surfaris were an American surf rock band formed in Glendora, California in 1962. They are best known for two songs that hit the charts in the Los Angeles, California area, and nationally by May 1963: "Surfer Joe" on the A-side and "Wipe Out" on the B-side of a 45 RPM single.-Career:The original...
and Jimi Hendrix
Jimi Hendrix
James Marshall "Jimi" Hendrix was an American guitarist and singer-songwriter...
, who is himself pictured in the cover art. "Mother People" was featured in an episode of The Monkees
The Monkees (TV series)
The Monkees is an American situation comedy that aired on NBC from September 1966 to March 1968. The series follows the adventures of four young men trying to make a name for themselves as rock 'n roll singers. The show introduced a number of innovative new-wave film techniques to series...
("Monkees Blow Their Minds"), which also featured Zappa and Michael Nesmith
Michael Nesmith
Robert Michael Nesmith is an American musician, songwriter, actor, producer, novelist, businessman, and philanthropist, best known as a member of the musical group The Monkees and star of the TV series of the same name...
posing as each other. The only vestige of the original album idea in We're Only in It... is the phrase "Don't come in me, in me..." in the song "Harry, You're A Beast", a reference to a Lenny Bruce routine about ejaculation.
Cover art
Cal SchenkelCal Schenkel
Cal Schenkel is an artist specialising in album cover design. He was the main visual collaborator for Frank Zappa and was responsible for the art and graphic design of many of Zappa's most well-known album covers. Schenkel's work is iconic and distinctive in style; a forerunner of punk art and...
's design was intended as a parody of the cover for The Beatles
The Beatles
The Beatles were an English rock band, active throughout the 1960s and one of the most commercially successful and critically acclaimed acts in the history of popular music. Formed in Liverpool, by 1962 the group consisted of John Lennon , Paul McCartney , George Harrison and Ringo Starr...
' Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band
Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band
Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band is the eighth studio album by the English rock band The Beatles, released on 1 June 1967 on the Parlophone label and produced by George Martin...
. The fold-out cover for Sgt. Pepper had a collage
Collage
A collage is a work of formal art, primarily in the visual arts, made from an assemblage of different forms, thus creating a new whole....
of famous people by Peter Blake
Peter Blake (artist)
Sir Peter Thomas Blake, KBE, CBE, RDI, RA is an English pop artist, best known for his design of the sleeve for the Beatles' album Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band. He lives in Chiswick, London, UK.-Career:...
on the outside front, a picture of the group with one member facing away from the camera on the back, and a head-shot portrait of the band on the inside. Zappa originally intended to use the cover as one would expect—front cover on the front, back cover on the back, and the inside group head-shot on the inside—but Zappa's record company demurred and turned the cover inside-out for release, putting the most blatant Sgt. Pepper parody (front cover very similar in its production; back cover showing a picture of the group with only one member facing toward the camera) on the inside and the head-shot portrait pastiche of the band on the outside. Next to Zappa's head on the back cover is a speech bubble that reads, "Is this phase one of 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...
?". Respectively, Zappa's next album, Lumpy Gravy features a similar speech bubble that reads "Is this phase 2 of We're Only in It for the Money?"
The 1986 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:...
release on CD
Compact Disc
The Compact Disc is an optical disc used to store digital data. It was originally developed to store and playback sound recordings exclusively, but later expanded to encompass data storage , write-once audio and data storage , rewritable media , Video Compact Discs , Super Video Compact Discs ,...
featured the original photo restored to the front cover, but minus the group headshot. This release combined this album with 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...
. In 1995, Zappa's estate authorized the rerelease of the original cover art with the headshot along with the original Verve records mix—as "Lumpy Gravy" was also reissued on its own with its original cover art and Verve Records mix. One section of the CD liner art features a series of badges, banknote
Banknote
A banknote is a kind of negotiable instrument, a promissory note made by a bank payable to the bearer on demand, used as money, and in many jurisdictions is legal tender. In addition to coins, banknotes make up the cash or bearer forms of all modern fiat money...
, and facial hair cut-outs, satirizing those of Sgt. Pepper, with some differences; one badge features a small photograph of recording engineer Gary Kellgren
Gary Kellgren
Gary Kellgren was an American audio engineer and co-founder of The Record Plant recording studios, along with businessman Chris Stone.-Engineering:...
and the other is a nipple. The banknote had a picture of a belly button in the middle.
Release and censorship
Originally released in March 1968, the album eventually peaked at number thirty on the Billboard 200Billboard 200
The Billboard 200 is a ranking of the 200 highest-selling music albums and EPs in the United States, published weekly by Billboard magazine. It is frequently used to convey the popularity of an artist or groups of artists...
. Initial releases of the album had certain sections of songs edited or removed due to perceived offensiveness. These two sets of edits are often distinguished by the monikers "censored" and "heavily censored." However, these set of edits were sometimes applied inconsistently, so these two categories are inexhaustive.
Tracks affected by censor edits on all original versions:
- "Concentration Moon": Gary KellgrenGary KellgrenGary Kellgren was an American audio engineer and co-founder of The Record Plant recording studios, along with businessman Chris Stone.-Engineering:...
's whispered remark "I get to work with The Velvet UndergroundThe Velvet UndergroundThe Velvet Underground was an American rock band formed in New York City. First active from 1964 to 1973, their best-known members were Lou Reed and John Cale, who both went on to find success as solo artists. Although experiencing little commercial success while together, the band is often cited...
, which is as shitty a group as Frank Zappa's group" was cut. However, the Canadian release of the album keeps the line intact. Later Verve pressings (aka the "heavily censored" version) only removes part of the line, rendering it as "I get to work with the Velvet Underground, Frank Zappa's group." - "Harry You're a Beast": The "Don't come in me, in me" verse was edited in order to hide the offending lyric by re-editing parts of the verse in the wrong way, and reversing parts of the song. This phrase is from Lenny BruceLenny BruceLeonard Alfred Schneider , better known by the stage name Lenny Bruce, was a Jewish-American comedian, social critic and satirist...
's "To is a Preposition, Come is a Verb" routine. - "Mother People": a verse containing the expletives 'fucking' and 'shitty' was replaced with a repeat of the first. The original verse was backmaskedBackmaskingBackmasking is a recording technique in which a sound or message is recorded backward on to a track that is meant to be played forward...
and appended to the track "Hot Poop" (even there, however, the word "fucking" has its "uck" part cut out to make it less obvious ).
Additional tracks affected by censor edits on the "heavily censored" versions:
- "Who Needs the Peace Corps?": a spoken line "I will love the police as they kick the shit out of me" was cut out.
- "Absolutely Free": The spoken word lines "I don't do publicity balling for you any more" and remark "Flower power sucks" were removed.
- "Let's Make The Water Turn Black": Several lines of the song are removed, most notably the line about Ronnie and Kenny Williams' mother ("and I still remember Mama with her Apron and her pad). Zappa believed that the line was cut because a record company executive thought the line referred to a sanitary pad.
Reissues
The album was first issued on CD in 1986 with newly recorded bass and percussion tracks. Parts censored from the original release were also restored. However, subsequent fan demand for the original Verve recording led to its restoration on Rykodisc's 1995 release and onwards. Some of the censorship is still present.Disc 2 of the 2008 3-disc Frank Zappa CD, "Lumpy Money
Lumpy Money
The Lumpy Money Project/Object is an album by Frank Zappa. The album commemorates the 40th anniversary of both Zappa's first solo album, Lumpy Gravy , and his 1968 record We're Only in It for the Money with The Mothers of Invention...
", contains the 1986 reissue of "We're Only In It For The Money" sourced from a digital master tape, and mastered by Bernie Grundman in 2008. There is also an original 1968 mono mix as part of this collection.
Legacy
The album was included in QQ (magazine)
Q is a popular music magazine published monthly in the United Kingdom.Founders Mark Ellen and David Hepworth were dismayed by the music press of the time, which they felt was ignoring a generation of older music buyers who were buying CDs — then still a new technology...
magazine's list of the "Best Psychedelic Albums of All Time." In 2003, the album was ranked number 296 on Rolling Stone
Rolling Stone
Rolling Stone is a US-based magazine devoted to music, liberal politics, and popular culture that is published every two weeks. Rolling Stone was founded in San Francisco in 1967 by Jann Wenner and music critic Ralph J...
magazine's list of the 500 greatest albums of all time
The 500 Greatest Albums of All Time
"The 500 Greatest Albums of All Time" is the title of a 2003 special issue of American magazine Rolling Stone, and a related book published in 2005.Related news articles:...
. In 2005, it was one of 50 recordings chosen by the Library of Congress
Library of Congress
The Library of Congress is the research library of the United States Congress, de facto national library of the United States, and the oldest federal cultural institution in the United States. Located in three buildings in Washington, D.C., it is the largest library in the world by shelf space and...
to be added to the National Recording Registry
National Recording Registry
The National Recording Registry is a list of sound recordings that "are culturally, historically, or aesthetically important, and/or inform or reflect life in the United States." The registry was established by the National Recording Preservation Act of 2000, which created the National Recording...
.
Original 1968 Release
The Mothers of Invention
- Frank ZappaFrank ZappaFrank 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...
– guitarGuitarThe guitar is a plucked string instrument, usually played with fingers or a pick. The guitar consists of a body with a rigid neck to which the strings, generally six in number, are attached. Guitars are traditionally constructed of various woods and strung with animal gut or, more recently, with...
, pianoPianoThe piano is a musical instrument played by means of a keyboard. It is one of the most popular instruments in the world. Widely used in classical and jazz music for solo performances, ensemble use, chamber music and accompaniment, the piano is also very popular as an aid to composing and rehearsal...
, lead vocals - Jimmy Carl BlackJimmy Carl BlackJimmy Carl Black , born James Inkanish, Jr., was a drummer and vocalist for The Mothers of Invention.-Career: 1960s-1990s:Born in El Paso, Texas, Black was of Cheyenne heritage...
– trumpetTrumpetThe trumpet is the musical instrument with the highest register in the brass family. Trumpets are among the oldest musical instruments, dating back to at least 1500 BCE. They are played by blowing air through closed lips, producing a "buzzing" sound which starts a standing wave vibration in the air...
, drums, vocals - Roy EstradaRoy EstradaRoy Estrada is an American musician and backing vocalist, best known for his bass guitar work with Frank Zappa and for co-founding Little Feat.-Biography:With drummer Jimmy Carl Black and Ray Collins, Estrada was an original member of Frank Zappa's...
– electric bassElectric BassElectric bass can mean:*Electric upright bass, the electric version of a double bass*Electric bass guitar*Bass synthesizer*Big Mouth Billy Bass, a battery-powered singing fish...
, vocals - Bunk GardnerBunk GardnerJohn Leon "Bunk" Gardner born . Gardner is a American musician who most notably played for Frank Zappa's Mothers of Invention until the group disbanded in 1969. He plays woodwinds and tenor sax....
– all woodwinds - Billy MundiBilly MundiBilly Mundi is an American drummer, who has played a multitude of sessions and been a member of countless bands, most notably The Mothers of Invention and Rhinoceros. He sometimes used the name Tony Schnasse.A former Hells Angel, his career dates back to the late 1950s, when he majored in music at...
– drums, vocals - Don PrestonDon PrestonDonald Ward Preston also known as Dom DeWilde or Biff Debrie born September 21, 1932 in Flint, Michigan. Preston is an American jazz and rock and roll musician.-Biography:Preston was born into a family of musicians and began studying music at an early age...
– keyboardsKeyboard instrumentA keyboard instrument is a musical instrument which is played using a musical keyboard. The most common of these is the piano. Other widely used keyboard instruments include organs of various types as well as other mechanical, electromechanical and electronic instruments... - Euclid James "Motorhead" SherwoodEuclid James SherwoodJim "Motorhead" Sherwood is an American rock musician notable for playing soprano, tenor and baritone saxophone, tambourine, vocals and vocal sound effects in Frank Zappa's Mothers of Invention...
– baritone saxophoneBaritone saxophoneThe baritone saxophone, often called "bari sax" , is one of the largest and lowest pitched members of the saxophone family. It was invented by Adolphe Sax. The baritone is distinguished from smaller sizes of saxophone by the extra loop near its mouthpiece...
, soprano saxophoneSoprano saxophoneThe soprano saxophone is a variety of the saxophone, a woodwind instrument, invented in 1840. The soprano is the third smallest member of the saxophone family, which consists of the soprillo, sopranino, soprano, alto, tenor, baritone, bass, contrabass and tubax.A transposing instrument pitched in...
, road managerRoad managerIn music industry, a Road Manager is a person who works with small to mid-sized tours... - Suzy CreamcheeseSuzy CreamcheeseSuzy Creamcheese was a fictional vocalist and character on and in a number of albums by Frank Zappa and the Mothers of Invention. On the album Freak Out! , Suzy Creamcheese was played by Jeannie Vassoir; on Absolutely Free and Mothermania it was Lisa Cohen; and on We're Only in It for the Money and...
– telephone voice - Ian UnderwoodIan UnderwoodIan Robertson Underwood is a woodwind and keyboards player. He began his career by playing San Francisco Bay Area coffeehouses and bars with his improvisational group the Jazz Mice in the mid 1960s before he became a member of Frank Zappa and the Mothers of Invention in 1967 for their third studio...
– pianoPianoThe piano is a musical instrument played by means of a keyboard. It is one of the most popular instruments in the world. Widely used in classical and jazz music for solo performances, ensemble use, chamber music and accompaniment, the piano is also very popular as an aid to composing and rehearsal...
, woodwinds - Pamela Zarubica – vocals
Session musicians
- Eric ClaptonEric ClaptonEric Patrick Clapton, CBE, is an English guitarist and singer-songwriter. Clapton is the only three-time inductee to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame: once as a solo artist, and separately as a member of The Yardbirds and Cream. Clapton has been referred to as one of the most important and...
– Male speaking part in "Are You Hung Up?Are You Hung Up?"Are You Hung Up?" is the opening track on the 1968 album We're Only in It for the Money by Frank Zappa and The Mothers of Invention.-Song structure:...
" and "Nasal Retentive Calliope Music." - Gary KellgrenGary KellgrenGary Kellgren was an American audio engineer and co-founder of The Record Plant recording studios, along with businessman Chris Stone.-Engineering:...
– "the one doing all the creepy whispering" (i.e., interstitial spoken segments) - Spider Barbour – vocals
- Dick Kunc – "cheerful interruptions" vocal
- Vicki Kellgren – additional telephone vocals
- Sid Sharp – orchestral arrangements on "Absolutely Free", "Mother People" and "The Chrome Plated Megaphone of Destiny"
Production
- Producer: Frank Zappa
- Executive producer: Tom Wilson
- Engineers: Gary KellgrenGary KellgrenGary Kellgren was an American audio engineer and co-founder of The Record Plant recording studios, along with businessman Chris Stone.-Engineering:...
, Dick Kunc - Remixing: Dick Kunc
- Editing: Dick Kunc, Frank Zappa
- Arranger: Frank Zappa
- Concept: Frank Zappa
- Art direction: Cal Schenkel
- Design: Cal SchenkelCal SchenkelCal Schenkel is an artist specialising in album cover design. He was the main visual collaborator for Frank Zappa and was responsible for the art and graphic design of many of Zappa's most well-known album covers. Schenkel's work is iconic and distinctive in style; a forerunner of punk art and...
- Artwork: Cal Schenkel
- Photography: Jerrold Schatzberg
- Fashion advisor: Tiger Morse
- Wardrobe: Billy Mundi
Album
| Year | Chart | Position |
|---|---|---|
| 1968 | US Billboard 200 Billboard 200 The Billboard 200 is a ranking of the 200 highest-selling music albums and EPs in the United States, published weekly by Billboard magazine. It is frequently used to convey the popularity of an artist or groups of artists... |
30 |