New Zappa releases

[Hunchentootz]

"Ladies, and gentlemen,
I am in hospice, meaning that I am still on the planet. Please stop sending mis-information out of respect."

Heh... are people going around saying the poor man is dead? This thread at least wasnt. I thought Gene Wilder was dead when he wasn't. I suck.

[unclemeat]

What's hot and has rats in it ?

Frank Zappa - Funky Nothingness [the 1970 Record Plant sessions]

01. Funky Nothingness (01:49)
02. Tommy/Vincent Duo I (00:44)
03. Love Will Make Your Mind Go Wild (02:46)
04. I'm A Rollin' Stone (12:20)
05. Chunga's Revenge (Basement Version) (09:21)
06. Basement Jam (06:27)
07. Work With Me Annie / Annie Had A Baby (02:48)
08. Tommy/Vincent Duo II (06:42)
09. Sharleena (1970 Record Plant Mix) (12:15)
10. Khaki Sack (08:09)
11. Twinkle Tits (11:35)
12. Chunga's Revenge (Take 5) (16:16)
13. Love Will Make Your Mind Go Wild (Take 4) (03:16)
14. Transylvania Boogie (Unedited Master) (18:13)
15. Sharleena (Unedited Master) (14:56)
16. Work With Me Annie / Annie Had A Baby (Alternate Edit) (04:29)
17. Twinkle Tits (Take 1, False Start) (00:48)
18. Twinkle Tits (Take 2) (13:00)
19. The Clap (Unedited Master - Pt. I) (11:28)
20. The Clap (Unedited Master - Pt. II) (04:38)
21. Tommy/Vincent Duo (21:53)
22. Chunga's Revenge (Take 8) (19:48)
23. Halos And Arrows (03:03)
24. Moldred (Take 8) (03:22)
25. Fast Funky Nothingness (00:46)

Total Time: 03h:30m

June 30, 2023 release date.

[Hobo Chang Ba]

Interesting.

Any background information on this one?

[chalkpie]

WTF is that Annie tune released today? Is that an official FZ release?

[pb2015]

P.R. text from a Finnish site:
FRANK ZAPPA’S INCREDIBLY RARE RECORDINGS, BELIEVED TO HAVE BEEN PLANNED FOR A POTENTIAL SEQUEL TO HIS ICONIC HOT RATS ALBUM, HAVE BEEN UNEARTHED FROM THE VAULT AND COMPILED AS NEW COLLECTION, FUNKY NOTHINGNESS. FEATURES 25 UNRELEASED AND RARE TRACKS AND MORE THAN THREE AND A HALF HOURS OF NEVER-BEFORE-HEARD COMPOSITIONS, COVERS, AND JAMS FROM 1970 WITH CORE GROUP OF AYNSLEY DUNBAR, DON “SUGARCANE” HARRIS, IAN UNDERWOOD, AND MAX BENNETT. THREE-DISC EXPANDED DELUXE EDITION CONTAINS OUTTAKES, ALTERNATE EDITS, AND UNEDITED MASTERS FROM LITTLE KNOWN RECORDING SESSIONS.

[Steve F.]

WTF is that Annie tune released today? Is that an official FZ release?

Work with me Annie / Annie Had a Baby were two early 50s rock 'n' roll / r'n'b songs by Hank Ballard and the Midnighters. They were quite risque in their day, so of course (risque! early 50s r'n'b!) FZ loved them.

[Sterbus]

Interesting.

Any background information on this one?

Frank Zappa’s incredibly rare recordings, believed to have been planned for a potential sequel to his iconic Hot Rats album, have been unearthed from the vault and compiled into a new collection Funky Nothingness.

Produced and compiled by Ahmet Zappa and Joe Travers, Funky Nothingness will be released June 30 in a variety of formats, including a three-disc expanded deluxe edition that presents the 11-track album on disc 1 along with two discs of outtakes, alternate edits, unedited masters of songs from the era, plus several epic improvisations, and other “bonus nothingness.” An accompanying 28-page booklet includes photos from the recording sessions by photographer John Williams plus illuminating liner notes and an individual track-by-track by Travers.

In all, the 25-track collection includes 23 unreleased tracks totaling nearly three and a half hours of never-before-heard music. The expanded edition of Funky Nothingness will also be available digitally for streaming and download, in both standard and hi-res audio (96kHz/24-bit).

"The Funky Nothingness album will also be available as a double LP on both 180-gram black vinyl and limited edition clear violet 180-gram vinyl, pressed at Optimal, with lacquers cut by Chris Bellman at Bernie Grundman Mastering. The vinyl will consist of Zappa’s vintage mixes of the tracks. The limited edition color pressing, which will include a collectible guitar pick, is available exclusively at Zappa.com, uDiscover Music and Sound of Vinyl.
Beginning today, fans can hear the previously unreleased track, “Work With Me Annie/Annie Had a Baby,” which marries two 1954 hits by Hank Ballard & The Midnighters."

https://zaphod.vvhp.net/viewemail?co...bversionpage=1

[Hunchentootz]

Frank Zappa’s incredibly rare recordings, believed to have been planned for a potential sequel to his iconic Hot Rats album, have been unearthed from the vault and compiled into a new collection Funky Nothingness.

Produced and compiled by Ahmet Zappa and Joe Travers, Funky Nothingness will be released June 30 in a variety of formats, including a three-disc expanded deluxe edition that presents the 11-track album on disc 1 along with two discs of outtakes, alternate edits, unedited masters of songs from the era, plus several epic improvisations, and other “bonus nothingness.” An accompanying 28-page booklet includes photos from the recording sessions by photographer John Williams plus illuminating liner notes and an individual track-by-track by Travers.

In all, the 25-track collection includes 23 unreleased tracks totaling nearly three and a half hours of never-before-heard music. The expanded edition of Funky Nothingness will also be available digitally for streaming and download, in both standard and hi-res audio (96kHz/24-bit).

"The Funky Nothingness album will also be available as a double LP on both 180-gram black vinyl and limited edition clear violet 180-gram vinyl, pressed at Optimal, with lacquers cut by Chris Bellman at Bernie Grundman Mastering. The vinyl will consist of Zappa’s vintage mixes of the tracks. The limited edition color pressing, which will include a collectible guitar pick, is available exclusively at Zappa.com, uDiscover Music and Sound of Vinyl.
Beginning today, fans can hear the previously unreleased track, “Work With Me Annie/Annie Had a Baby,” which marries two 1954 hits by Hank Ballard & The Midnighters."

https://zaphod.vvhp.net/viewemail?co...bversionpage=1

Transylvania Boogie - Unedited Master. HELL YEAH.

[Sterbus]

“Funky Nothingness, as an album, is special in that it features at least three written compositions, two cover versions, and multiple instrumental jam-oriented segments, all previously unreleased,” vaultmeister Joe Travers said in a statement. “It’s very rare to find that amount of music from one set of sessions that has gone unheard for such a long period of time.”

https://www.rollingstone.com/music/m...se-1234720771/

[Dave (in MA)]

WTF is that Annie tune released today? Is that an official FZ release?

A superficial listen through the laptop speaker... sounds like a relatively straightforward uninteresting piece like Big Leg Emma and the like.

[Hobo Chang Ba]

Frank Zappa’s incredibly rare recordings, believed to have been planned for a potential sequel to his iconic Hot Rats album, have been unearthed from the vault and compiled into a new collection Funky Nothingness.

Produced and compiled by Ahmet Zappa and Joe Travers, Funky Nothingness will be released June 30 in a variety of formats, including a three-disc expanded deluxe edition that presents the 11-track album on disc 1 along with two discs of outtakes, alternate edits, unedited masters of songs from the era, plus several epic improvisations, and other “bonus nothingness.” An accompanying 28-page booklet includes photos from the recording sessions by photographer John Williams plus illuminating liner notes and an individual track-by-track by Travers.

In all, the 25-track collection includes 23 unreleased tracks totaling nearly three and a half hours of never-before-heard music. The expanded edition of Funky Nothingness will also be available digitally for streaming and download, in both standard and hi-res audio (96kHz/24-bit).

"The Funky Nothingness album will also be available as a double LP on both 180-gram black vinyl and limited edition clear violet 180-gram vinyl, pressed at Optimal, with lacquers cut by Chris Bellman at Bernie Grundman Mastering. The vinyl will consist of Zappa’s vintage mixes of the tracks. The limited edition color pressing, which will include a collectible guitar pick, is available exclusively at Zappa.com, uDiscover Music and Sound of Vinyl.
Beginning today, fans can hear the previously unreleased track, “Work With Me Annie/Annie Had a Baby,” which marries two 1954 hits by Hank Ballard & The Midnighters."

https://zaphod.vvhp.net/viewemail?co...bversionpage=1

Interesting. Thanks.

Good to know the released track is a cover because I never need to hear that again.

[pb2015]

Zappa mentioned "Work With Me Annie" and "Annie Had A Baby" in his 1968 article and rock and roll for Life magazine. https://www.afka.net/Articles/1968-06_Life.htm

I expect this track will be one of several with a lot of room for Sugarcane Harris's violin and vocals. He was not reluctant to take center stage. Some evidence of that in the Hot Rats Sessions box too.

[Mister Triscuits]

Zappa mentioned "Work With Me Annie" and "Annie Had A Baby" in his 1968 article and rock and roll for Life magazine.

"Work with Me Annie" is also mentioned in the bio on the back cover of Cruising with Ruben & the Jets.

[chalkpie]

The FZ puzzle is always full of surprise "pieces", eh? I guess the vault is so deep and vast - we'll never truly know the extent of what exists in there. Amazing.

[Steve F.]

Zappa mentioned "Work With Me Annie" and "Annie Had A Baby" in his 1968 article and rock and roll for Life magazine. https://www.afka.net/Articles/1968-06_Life.htm

I never saw this before and despite the usual FZ interview stuff, was still hugely interesting.

I especially very much enjoyed what he had to say about Jimi. In a lot of ways, I thought he had very good observations.

Thanks for sharing.

[unclemeat]

Details :
https://www.udiscovermusic.com/news/...hingness-june/

[mozo-pg]

NP - Over-nite Sensation

[aith01]

I never saw this before and despite the usual FZ interview stuff, was still hugely interesting.

I especially very much enjoyed what he had to say about Jimi. In a lot of ways, I thought he had very good observations.

Thanks for sharing.

Ditto!

[pb2015]

I never saw this before and despite the usual FZ interview stuff, was still hugely interesting.

I especially very much enjoyed what he had to say about Jimi. In a lot of ways, I thought he had very good observations.

Thanks for sharing.

Glad you enjoyed it. I read it in the book Viva Zappa! from the 80's which had a few of Zappa's articles.

[chalkpie]

Happy 54th Birthday, Uncle Meat 🍖

[pulse]

^^^
I was living in the Bahamas when ‘Uncle Meat’ came out. I remember the cashier at the record store exclaiming “Ew!” when she saw the cover.
Initially, expecting more in the vein of “Absolutely Free” and “Money,” I was disappointed that it was mostly instrumental. Even at that, it had the F-word in it, which was a bit of shock.

[Dan Marsh]

Nice price point at 31.99

[flowerking]

Happy 54th Birthday, Uncle Meat 🍖

Sad to say that Uncle Meat outlived Frank.

[GuitarGeek]

^^^
I was living in the Bahamas when ‘Uncle Meat’ came out. I remember the cashier at the record store exclaiming “Ew!” when she saw the cover.
Initially, expecting more in the vein of “Absolutely Free” and “Money,” I was disappointed that it was mostly instrumental. Even at that, it had the F-word in it, which was a bit of shock.

The fact that it's mostly instrumental is one of the selling points me. I just never cared for most of his lyrics.

[pulse]

^^^
My initial disappointment turned into diehard appreciation. But, yeah, I’m one who enjoys the instrumental music as well as the lyrics.
The only comment about it that I recall reading from Frank is that it was ‘influenced by Conlon Nancarrow,’ which struck me as a limited summation. But, IIRC, that quote is from the late ‘70s / early ‘80s. I think he ‘reserved’ praise for whatever his endeavors were at the time of an interview.