Tom Fowler with Zappa

[the_mule]

I've never seen pictures or video footage showing Tom Fowler with his Alembic until I purchased the Zappa DVD 'A Token Of His Extreme' last week. Various internet sources don't seem to agree about this being a legit or semi-bootleg title, but it's really entertaining.
 
Picture quality is typical VHS to DVD (= not very good but acceptable), sound is pretty good but in stereo. The DVD contains three different (parts of) shows by Zappa & The Mothers from the mid-seventies, with Tom Fowler grooving and mime-dancing (!) with what seems to be a standard point bodied walnut Series I. His bass is prominent in the mix and among the highlights are two performances of the 'One Size Fits All' classic 'Inca Roads'. Highly recommended!
 
P.S. Unfortunately I can't capture and show screenshots...
 
Wilfred

[David Houck]

Wilfred; thanks for this review!  My initial search suggests that this is a PAL format DVD.

[keith_h]

The only picture I have seen is on the back of Jean-Luc Ponty's Aurora album (1976). You can see about the upper third of the bass.  The scan is not the best but the orginal was never very good and has faded some over the years.  
 
Keith
 

[newuser]

YouTube.com has this perhaps from the same A Token Of His Extreme video (listed here as being from the 8/27/74 KCET-TV show. More notes here) but it's Tom Fowler playing a Walnut SI on the '74 tour (George Duke, Chester Thompson), song is Florentine Pogen. Watch for Chester's go-rilla (Chester is menaced and groomed by a roadie in a gorilla suit wielding a comb and clock), and Ruth Underwood on Duck Call.
 


 
 

[David Houck]

Cool!!  Loved it!!  Thanks!

[dadabass2001]

That's also on The Dub Room Special by FZ, which is available on DVD currently in the US (I got my copy from Tower Records). and features materiel from this show as well as from a 1980s show with different personnel.
Mike

[keith_h]

Boy that brings back some memories. I always tried to catch Frank when he was in the Chicago area during this time period.  
 
Keith

[paulman]

Oh that's funny!  I was just watching the Dub Room DVD and saw that bass...made me smile!  (yes, that bass made me smile as much as the player).  Frank was sooooo weird.  Going to see Ahmet and Dewezil next month woo hoo!

[white_cloud]

Tom Fowler seemed to get around a bit in the seventies. He appears on bass on the Steve Hackett solo album please dont touch and is pictured on the Lp's inner sleeve with his Alembic! His neat plectrum technique is well demonstated on the track racing in A...nice one Tom!!

[elwoodblue]

Didn't he have a Series bass  on the SNL performance with Zappa? ...the one that has green slime flowing over the audience monitors.
     
   I occasionally find myself on ebay shopping for a crown PZM mic to strap to my head.
 
cheers

[s_wood]

Fowler was gone from FZ's band by mid-1975. The bass players (yes, there were 2!) on the SNL gig were Patrick O'Hearn and Arthur Barrow.  Arthur played a Ripper, which means he's ok in my book

[dparsons]

That was the tour that had GENTAL GIANT.Frank was definitely out played.Had a friend that did sound on that tour and Frank wouldn\t let them use his sound board.GIANT used a used and beat board that Chicago used for a few tours.What a talented and not so known because everyone thought they copied Yes\s sound.WRONG.

[s_wood]

Here's a cool pic of Tom Fowler with one of his two Alembics and Frank Zappa.  As near as I can tell, Fowler had two Alembics... the zebrawood bass pictured at the top of this thread, and the plain brown (walnut?) bass used in the video clips.  
 

[pauldo]

Cool pic.  Thanks for sharing.

[hieronymous]

Yeah - that's a great shot! I really love Tom Fowler's playing with Zappa - he backs up Zappa's solos so well. Montana, I Am The Slime - I was just listening to Dirty Love the other night on headphones - it's not my favorite Zappa song but the studio version solo - both guitar & bass - kills!