I often find myself pondering the eternal question ... why do we do this? What makes us give up respectable and promising careers in graphic design or the stock market to become musicians? Apart from chart success or a sell out tour (the Holy Grails of our craft), it's the sense of joy and achievement one feels when invited to record or perform with an artist you've always respected and admired.
I guess I was lucky, success came at an early age for me - 21. I'd sold three million records by my 22nd birthday and I couldn't walk down the street anywhere in Europe without a bodyguard, if you can call that luck? But I was deeply unfulfilled because I really wanted to be in Frank Zappa's band. Of course, this dream was never to be realised due to my notoriety as a fluffy chicken. I had a hair style good for pop and even great for jazz fusion but I had to be honest with myself that the closest I could ever come to playing with Zappa would be meeting him. So, through a mutual friend, I set up an informal get together while in LA. Due to a last minute change of plan, Frank had to cancel and I regret that lost opportunity. Maybe it was a fear of peroxide or the sense that something strange and unholy lay behind my disarming smile who knows. But during 1995 I received a call from Warren Cuccurullo - a guitarist of remarkable talent who more than replaced Andy Taylor as axe man for Duran Duran in the late 80s. He also, like me, was addicted to the genius of Zappa and recorded four albums with him as a fully paid member of his band. The cuts, for the trainspotters amongst you are, Joe's Garage Act 1, Joe's Garage Acts 11 & 111, Tinseltown Rebellion and Shut Up 'n Play Yer Guitar. Warren invited me to play with him at the Stone Pony in New Jersey, as he was preparing to record his solo album, "Thanks to Frank". I was elated and accepted the invitation without hearing a note of music.

During the autumn of 95 we recorded the set in the form of a12 track CD all recorded in one take. The bass chair was shared between Pino Paladino and myself, utilizing his wonderful fretless style and my Chapman Stick on different tracks.
One of the reasons the whole thing went so smoothly was due to our drummer - Vinnie Colaiuta. After a seven hour flight from New York, he came straight to the studio where he charted out all of the tracks long hand and, without any previous introduction to the music, played some of the most unbelievable kit I've ever heard.
So, I may have been robbed of the professional pleasure of playing with Frank Zappa, but at least I had the opportunity of recording with two of his most respected players.
The accompanying transcription is part of a track from the CD. I've played it live with the band many times and, due to its use of varying positions, is a challenging solo piece. It works best on fretless bass because of the many glissandi and 5th chord shapes used. But, when I play it, I use my fretted five string Wal with a little chorus to bring out the harmonics. If you are going to play it on a four string bass, just substitute the low D (played at the third fret on the B string) with an open D.