Three clips of John and Yoko onstage with Frank Zappa and the Mothers of Invention at the Fillmore East in NYC, June 5, 1971. For whatever reason, Lennon re-titled the Mothers’ song “King Kong”—the centerpiece of their live act for years and one that took up an entire side of the Uncle Meat album—as “Jamrag” and credited it to “Lennon/Ono” on their 1972 Sometime in New York City live album. Zappa’s own mix of this material—radically different from the Phil Spector produced tracks on John and Yoko’s album—came out on his Playground Psychotics album in 1992.

The Mothers at this time were comprised of Howard Kaylan and Mark Volman on vocals, Bob Harris—keyboards, Don Preston—Minimoog, Ian Underwood—keyboards, alto sax, Jim Pons—bass, vocals and Aynsley Dunbar on drums. If you’re a Yoko fan, towards the end of the third clip, Lennon starts doing some feedback stuff with his guitar as she wails over it. It’s a fine Yoko moment, albeit brief.

This is either a fan-shot film that was synced up with soundboard audio or else something that came via Bill Graham’s archives or a mixture of both. The audio quality is quite good and the video quality is certainly watchable, although there are dropouts to black at times. Still, this is an amazing, historic concert to have footage of, I’ll take what I can get. This probably got onto YouTube by way of the amazing Zappateers fansite (truly one of the greatest fan communities on the Internet).
 

 

 
Below “Scumbag.” I love Don Preston’s Mini-Moog improvisations here:
 

 
Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory will always be one of my most-cherished childhood movies. The scene that stands out the most (at least in my mind) is Wonka’s psychedelic and slightly demonic trip through the “Tunnel of Hell.” Some clever YouTuber decided to take the notorious scene and reverse it. Guess what? It’s even more disturbing. 

 
Thanks, Billy Burbank!

 
Hardcore comics fan Meagan Marie pulled off this flawless Lady Two-Face transformation at the 2011 San Deigo Comic-Con. Brilliant!
 
(via My Modern Met)

 
Here’s a rare Sonny and Cher video from Jim Laspesa’s newly launched Bubbling Over website. Jim gives us the background on the video: 

The Sonny & Cher clip is from a 1968 Murray The K TV special “Sound Is Now.” The music in the video is the backing track for Sonny and Cher’s song “Little Man.”  Clip was likely cut as between-song filler for the TV special.”

I wonder if this was shot on Sonny and Cher’s renaissance faire themed Malibu estate?
 

 
The Bonos singing “Little Man.”

 
Jeannine Riley, Pat Woodell and Linda Kaye Henning from Petticoat Junction & Sheila James of Dobie Gillis make an appearance on the Ed Sullivan Show (March 22, 1964) as The Ladybugs covering The Beatles “I Saw Her Standing There.”

In his introduction, Sullivan refers to The Beatles as “our stars The Beatles,” as though he invented the Fab Four. No question he helped launched their success in the States, but, with or without Ed, The Beatles’ world domination was predestined.
 

 
Via Bubbling Over

 
This Guinness commercial is a decade old but I just discovered it. I don’t think it ever aired on television outside of the United Kingdom. It may be new to some of you as well.

It’s brilliantly directed by Jonathan Glazer who has also done outstanding videos for Nick Cave, Radiohead and Massive Attack. His feature length film Birth is a hugely underrated film released in 2004. Fans of Stanley Kubrick should view it immediately.

Film footage of surfers riding waves in Waimei Bay in Hawaii were digitally combined, using the blue screen effect, with footage of specially trained Lippizaner stallions jumping over hurdles in large pools of water. The images together create magic.
 

 
A very happy birthday to Sir Michael Philip “Mick” Jagger, who was born 68 years ago today, July 26, 1943.

God bless ‘im! What a freak of nature he truly is.

 
Graphic via New York Times, text below from James Fallows at The Atlantic:

It’s based on data from the Congressional Budget Office and the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities. Its significance is not partisan (who’s “to blame” for the deficit) but intellectual. It demonstrates the utter incoherence of being very concerned about a structural federal deficit but ruling out of consideration the policy that was largest single contributor to that deficit, namely the Bush-era tax cuts.

An additional significance of the chart: it identifies policy changes, the things over which Congress and Administration have some control, as opposed to largely external shocks—like the repercussions of the 9/11 attacks or the deep worldwide recession following the 2008 financial crisis. Those external events make a big difference in the deficit, and they are the major reason why deficits have increased faster in absolute terms during Obama’s first two years than during the last two under Bush. (In a recession, tax revenues plunge, and government spending goes up - partly because of automatic programs like unemployment insurance, and partly in a deliberate attempt to keep the recession from getting worse.) If you want, you could even put the spending for wars in Iraq and Afghanistan in this category: those were policy choices, but right or wrong they came in response to an external shock. 

The point is that governments can respond to but not control external shocks. That’s why we call them “shocks.” Governments can control their policies. And the policy that did the most to magnify future deficits is the Bush-era tax cuts. You could argue that the stimulative effect of those cuts is worth it (“deficits don’t matter” etc). But you cannot logically argue that we absolutely must reduce deficits, but that we absolutely must also preserve every penny of those tax cuts. Which I believe precisely describes the House Republican position.

After the jump, from a previous “The Chart That Should…” positing, an illustration of the respective roles of external shock and deliberate policy change in creating the deficit.

Obama is a fucking idiot the way he’s played his hand on the debt ceiling. He appears to be an ineffectual fool trying to broker peace with a bunch of schoolyard bullies. The whole thing is so Planet of the Apes. When Mitch McConnell (sensibly, for all parties) tried to offer him the political cover to raise it on his own, he should have jumped at the chance. Now look at the mess he’s in. When is the guy going to act like a Democrat (at the very least!)? It’s becoming harder and harder to support him or even give a shit what happens to his presidency anymore (I’m sure I’ll change my tune closer to November 2012, but voting for Obama with the same “passion” I felt for John Kerry is not something I imagined happening a couple of years ago…)

How the Deficit Got This Big (New York Times)

 
Grant Morrison: Talking with Gods, Patrick Meany’s feature-length documentary about the colorful Scottish comic book writer is now available to watch for free on Hulu. Talking with Gods features interviews with Morrison and collaborators, such as artists, editors and other industry professionals.

Among those interviewed are Dan Didio and Karen Berger of DC Comics’ Vertigo imprint, artists Phil Jimenez, Jill Thompson, Cameron Stewart, Frazer Irving, Steve Cook as well as Morrison co-conspirators Geoff Johns, Mark Waid, Douglas Rushkoff, Jason Louv and yours truly.
 

 
A promotional music video for a new French AIDS awareness campaign that employs a mischievous Android app and online game. This is VERY NSFW.

Directed, drawn and animated by Jean Michel Tixier. Music by Flairs. Produced by the studio ANONYMOUS.
 

 
Previously on Dangerous Minds:
Bongwater: The Power of Pussy

Thank you Sky Nicholas!