Today I am interviewing Pauline Butcher, who was Frank Zappa's live in secretary from 1968 to 1971.
Want to read her book? Please consider using the Amazon Affiliate link below. Doing so helps me earn a very small commission and that money helps me make more videos like this one.
Amazon Affilate Links:
Freak Out! My Life with Frank Zappa: Laurel Canyon 1968 – 1971: https://amzn.to/40dMKuJ
Her memoir, "Freak Out! My Life with Frank Zappa: Laurel Canyon 1968 – 1971" is excellent. I highly recommend it if you're a fan of Frank Zappa or of memoirs in general.
Pauline first met Frank when he was touring London with the Mothers of Invention. She was sent by an agency to his hotel room with the assignment to type up the lyrics to the song, “Brown shoes don't make it.”
Pauline then moved to Laurel Canyon in United States and lived with Frank, his wife and their new daughter Moon Unit. She witnessed, and copiously notated, these pivotal years in Frank’s career. The book ends shortly after Frank was pushed off stage by a crazed fan in 1971.
Pauline also paints an enlightening picture of what it was like to live as a women during this era and the various forms of sexism she, and other women, encountered.
There is one thing that I felt was important to add to the end of this video. Pauline really cares a lot about Frank and still has a great admiration for him and his legacy. After we finish the interview, she emailed me because she wanted to mention how much she truly loves his music, specifically his instrumental works.
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Timestamps:
0:00 The Bag of Blood
6:54 How Frank controlled people around him
9:44 Frank's Sexual Advances
12:38 Gail vs the Groupies
14:33 Who was Gail Zappa?
17:24 How was Gail as a mother?
20:45 Was Frank Zappa cold emotionally?
24:36 Being an employee and friend to Frank
26:50 Was Zappa surrounded by "Yes Men?"
30:08 Zappa Practicing Guitar?
30:42 How Zappa composed music.
32:46 The GTOs and Drugs
35:13 How did you write the book?
39:21 Frank's view on Women's Liberation
44:45 Robert Plant, Aleister Crowley and Mick Jagger
47:51 The MeToo movement
49:59 Reassessing Frank's views on women
52:00 Did Zappa objectify you?
54:59 Life after leaving Zappa
56:30 Why write this book?
57:45 Gail and Moon Units reaction to the book
59:52 Jeff Beck, Rod Stewart, David Crosby and Joni Mitchell
01:01:57 Calvin Schenkel
01:03:10 Closing thoughts
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