My Mother Is A Space Cadet

Album: released as a single (1982)
Play Video

Songfacts®:

  • Running to a mere 2 minutes 37 seconds and backed by "Crunchy Water," this overtly commercial novelty song was released on the Barking Pumpkin label in 1982. It was the young Zappa's debut single; his sister also sang on it, and the recording was made at Van Halen's 5150 Studios. The Van Halen influence is obvious; and although nepotism is not an issue here, one has to wonder if the young lad's mother was the space cadet of the family; it wasn't her who named her son Dweezil and her daughter Moon Unit! >>>
    Suggestion credit:
    Alexander Baron - London, England
  • Dweezil Zappa was 12 years old at the time of the recording. His sister Moon Zappa was 14.
  • A very young Greg Kurstin played on this song. He later found fame co-penning and producing hit tunes for the likes of Kelly Clarkson ("What Doesn't Kill You (Stronger)"), Adele ("Hello") and Sia ("Cheap Thrills"). Kurstin recalled to Billboard magazine:

    "I was in school with Dweezil Zappa, Frank Zappa's son, and we had a band. Only in LA could stuff like that happen. We would hang out in Frank Zappa's studio, and we released a single in 1982 on his label. I was 12, and that was the first recording experience I had. To top it off, Eddie Van Halen produced it. My life was not always insane like that. Once it was over, nothing like that happened again for a long, long, long time. I went back to high school bands and playing in garages."

Comments

Be the first to comment...

Editor's Picks

Tony Joe White

Tony Joe WhiteSongwriter Interviews

The writer of "Rainy Night in Georgia" and "Polk Salad Annie" explains how he cooks up his Louisiana swamp rock.

Petula Clark

Petula ClarkSongwriter Interviews

Petula talks about her hits "Downtown" and "Don't Sleep In The Subway," and explains her Michael Jackson connection.

Dan Reed

Dan ReedSongwriter Interviews

Dan cracked the Top 40 with "Ritual," then went to India and spent 2 hours with the Dalai Lama.

Gary Lewis

Gary LewisSongwriter Interviews

Gary Lewis and the Playboys had seven Top 10 hits despite competition from The Beatles. Gary talks about the hits, his famous father, and getting drafted.

Michelle Branch

Michelle BranchSongwriter Interviews

Michelle Branch talks about "Everywhere," "The Game Of Love," and her run-in with a Christian broadcasting network.

Dave Alvin - "4th Of July"

Dave Alvin - "4th Of July"They're Playing My Song

When Dave recorded the first version of the song with his group the Blasters, producer Nick Lowe gave him some life-changing advice.