Unearthed gem: Dweezil Zappa adn Jack Black’s Hilarious ‘Crazy Train’ Cover with Eddie Van Halen’s Iconic ‘Rasta guitar’
Dweezil Zappa has recently unveiled a long-lost performance featuring him and Jack Black rocking out to Crazy Train,all while showcasing Eddie Van Halen’s legendary ‘Rasta Guitar.’ This high-energy rendition is as entertaining as it is nostalgic.
A Blast from the Past: The Trivia Show Connection
The footage originates from On The Spot, a trivia show that debuted in 2003, where Dweezil Zappa served as the house band leader. In a newly released YouTube video, Zappa reveals that their Ozzy Osbourne cover never made it to air.Instead, the band was simply having fun and keeping the audience engaged between takes.
Rediscovered Treasures
Zappa stumbled upon this footage while rummaging through his archives,which he humorously refers to as a “fancy word for cupboard.” Alongside the Crazy Train cover, the footage also features the band performing I Love Rock & roll, with actress Arden Myrin taking the lead.
“I’m thrilled to have found these performances on a DVD,” Zappa expressed. “It’s been decades as I last saw them.”
The Star of the Show: Eddie Van Halen’s ’Rasta Guitar’
While the cameos are delightful, it’s the combination of zappa’s electric guitar and amp setup that truly captivates. The spotlight shines on Eddie Van Halen’s “rock ‘n’ roll vomit” guitar paired with a peavey Wiggy amp, both of which are integral to the performance.
This iconic guitar made its debut in the 1981 Unchained music video and was utilized during the Fair Warning tour that same year, albeit with a different look. Originally adorned with a monochrome “circles” design, it was reissued by Fender’s EVH brand last year.
Van Halen later repainted the guitar, giving it his signature “stripes” design and incorporating a splash of green into the color scheme.
The legacy of the ‘Rasta guitar’
“During that tour, Ed repainted the guitar and dubbed it the Rasta guitar,” Zappa explained while showcasing the instrument at Norman’s Rare Guitars in 2019.Rumors suggest that the neck may have originated from Eddie’s black-and-yellow ‘Bumblebee’ guitar,while the back of the body features what Zappa describes as “some rock ‘n’ roll vomit,” humorously noting,“We don’t know whose it is. It looks like remnants of dog food.”
A Childhood Memory and a Fortuitous Encounter
Zappa recalls frist seeing Eddie with the repainted guitar in Life magazine during his childhood,noting,“It stood out to me because it was the only guitar he had that featured green.” Fast forward a decade, and dweezil spotted the guitar in a corner of Eddie’s 5150 studio while recording. When he expressed interest, Eddie casually offered it to him.
The Unique Peavey Wiggy Amp
The Peavey Wiggy, a unique amp designed by Dweezil Zappa, resembles a quirky fusion of a wireless radio and a fighter jet cockpit. Only about 1,000 units were produced, making it a rare find. Its unconventional design and innovative technology reflect a truly experimental approach.
“I designed the internals of Wiggy back in 2000 for Dweezil,” explained Peavey Engineering Manager John C. Fields to Ultimate Guitar. “It was based on the preamp section of the old Rickenbacker Road 440 Bass head, enhanced with a fixed boost from the Peavey Dirty Dog pedal and a robust 100W TransTube power section, complete with a real output transformer.”
Immortalized in Performance
The Wiggy amp shines in this performance, where Jack Black fully embraces his role, relishing every moment of his portrayal of the Prince of Darkness. Years later, he would host Ozzy Osbourne’s induction into the rock and Roll Hall of Fame.
