Frank Zappa Pretty Pat
Interviewer: Who came up with the name "Mothers of
Invention"?
FZ: I did.
Interviewer: Just . . . ?
FZ: Well, it was sort of forced upon me because, uh, the
group was originally called "The Mothers" and, uh, our
original contract was with Verve Records, a subsidiary of
MGM, and they refused to sign a group called "The
Mothers" because they felt that the . . . that it was
obscene. And so they wanted to change it to "The Mothers
Auxiliary." So, out of necessity, we became "The Mothers
of Invention." Is that pretty pat?
Interviewer: That's it.
FZ: That's what happened