1. Peaches En Regalia
2. Willie The Pimp
3. Son Of Mr. Green Genes
4. Little Umbrellas
5. The Gumbo Variations
6. It Must Be A Camel

Justin Sherill:

This is an all-instrumental album, with the notable exception of "Willie The Pimp", whuch has vocals from Captain Beefheart. Frank Zappa created this album after disbanding the original Mothers Of Invention, and it has a sound unlike any of his other recordings.

There's a wealth of stories involved in this album, which I won't fully cover here. The woman in the crypt on the cover of the album is Christie Frka, member of the all-women band, GTO. (Girls Together Outrageously) Zappa credits her in his autobiography with suggesting Alice Cooper get signed to Bizarre/Reprise and also coming up with the ideas for the Alice Cooper band costumes.

I recall reading that this was one of the first albums recorded on a 16-track recorder (though I'm not sure where I read this.) The album was recorded at T.T.G.'s, the place where Mirror Man was probably recorded (and not a club, as the Mirror Man album notes said originally.)

The picture of Don (see below) with a vacuum cleaner is possibly related to the fact Don once had a job as a vacuum cleaner salesman, selling door-to-door. He reportedly sold one to Aldous Huxley with the phrase, "I assure you, sir, this one sucks.".

Graham Johnston:

When I finally got around to buying this album I ended up dancing around my bedroom with glee while listening to it. This is the Frank Zappa album that even non-Zappa fans like, and it is a corker. Hot Rats is probably his easiest and most accessible album, and Willie The Pimp with its Beefheart vocal is one of many highlights. Unmissable.

Zappa and Beefheart, from the inside of the gatefold album (with a detail of the Beefheart picture):

The Willie The Pimp lyrics, as printed inside the album:

(to be completed!)

• 1969 US Original on Bizarre/Reprise RS6536.

If anyone is able to complete or update any of the information above, then please do get in touch. Much of this information originally appeared at Justin Sherill's Home Page Replica. Many thanks to Justin for handing it over to the Radar Station.