"Uncle Remus" is yet another example of a Frank Zappa song being released as a single (this one entitled, "DiscReet, released in 1974, also featuring the tune "Cosmik Debris") and never being heard from again. This song is actually more George Duke's than Zappa's (Duke being his keyboard player at the time), which is evident in the more straightforward styling of the song. A slow, soul-rock number with very inspired piano playing and some female back vocals, "Uncle Remus" is seemingly talking about blaxploitation ("Can't wait till my fro is full-grown...I'll be knockin' the jockeys off the lawn", etc.), but its meaning remains clouded. It sounds completely out of place on the 1974 LP Apostrophe, although realistically speaking it would have also been out of place on any Zappa album during the 70's. It was only performed live for a few surprise inclusions during the 1988 tour. After leaving the Mothers of Invention around 1976, Duke recorded his own version of the song for one of his first solo albums, "Three Originals".
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