Frank Zappa – The Mothers 1970 (2020/2021) [FLAC 24bit/96kHz]

Los Angeles – May 8, 2020 – To commemorate the 50th anniversary of Frank Zappa’s celebrated but short-lived 1970 Mothers Of Invention lineup, “Portuguese Fenders,” the first track to be released from the new collection, The Mothers 1970 is available to stream today. The newly-discovered gem is one of 70 unreleased live and studio recordings featured on The Mothers 1970, available digitally and as a 4CD box set June 26 via Zappa Records/UMe. Recorded live by Zappa on his own tape recorder on tour in 1970, “Portuguese Fenders” is a rollicking live recording featuring an exhilarating guitar solo by the iconoclastic composer and virtuosic guitarist backed by the revered ensemble.

Overseen by the Zappa Trust and produced by Ahmet Zappa and Zappa Vaultmeister, Joe Travers, The Mothers 1970 collects together more than four hours of previously unreleased performances by the heralded lineup which lasted roughly seven months: Aynsley Dunbar (drums), George Duke (piano/keys/trombone), Ian Underwood (organ/keys/guitar), Jeff Simmons (bass/vocals) and Flo & Eddie aka Howard Kaylan (vocals) and Mark Volman (vocals/percussion) of The Turtles who performed under the aliases to skirt contractual limitations of performing under their own names. This iteration of The Mothers, which likely began rehearsals fifty years ago this month, came to an end in January of 1971 when Simmons quit the band during the making of the “200 Motels” movie.

The Mothers 1970 encapsulates the band’s brief but productive span, which included two visits to the studio – resulting in the fantastic 1970 album, Chunga’s Revenge – and tours across the U.S., Canada and Europe. Divided into four parts, the collection is anchored by top notch studio recordings recorded at the famed London-based Trident Studios on June 21-22 with a then-young, unknown producer in the engineer chair by the name of Roy Thomas Baker, several years before he’d go on to have massive success working with Queen, The Cars and Alice Cooper to name a few. An unreleased early mix by Baker of the Chunga’s Revenge track, “Sharleena,” is just one of the many highlights of the studio recordings that also boasts several unearthed rough mixes of the Zappa/Simmons co-write, “Wonderful Wino,” including a rare version that showcases vocals and an alternate guitar solo by Zappa that has been lost to the ages as the original multi-track stems were recorded over. Of the material recorded during this two-day span, “Sharleena” was the only song ever officially released – so tracks like “Red Tubular Lighter,” “Giraffe” and an unheard version of “Envelopes” are completely brand new to fans half a century later.

Tracklist

1. Frank Zappa – Red Tubular Lighter
2. Frank Zappa – Lola Steponsky
3. Frank Zappa – Trident Chatter
4. Frank Zappa – Sharleena (Roy Thomas Baker Mix)
5. Frank Zappa – Item 1
6. Frank Zappa – Wonderful Wino (FZ Vocal)
7. Frank Zappa – “Enormous Cadenza”
8. Frank Zappa – Envelopes
9. Frank Zappa – Red Tubular Lighter (Unedited Master)
10. Frank Zappa – Wonderful Wino (Basic Tracks / Alternate Take)
11. Frank Zappa – Giraffe (Take 4)
12. Frank Zappa – Wonderful Wino (FZ Vocal / Alternate Solo)
13. Frank Zappa – Introducing…The Mothers (Live At “Piknik” VPRO, 6/18/1970)
14. Frank Zappa – Wonderful Wino (Live At “Piknik” VPRO, 6/18/1970)
15. Frank Zappa – Concentration Moon (Live At “Piknik” VPRO, 6/18/1970)
16. Frank Zappa – Mom & Dad (Live At “Piknik” VPRO, 6/18/1970)
17. Frank Zappa – The Air (Live At “Piknik” VPRO, 6/18/1970)
18. Frank Zappa – Dog Breath (Live At “Piknik” VPRO, 6/18/1970)
19. Frank Zappa – Mother People (Live At “Piknik” VPRO, 6/18/1970)
20. Frank Zappa – You Didn’t Try To Call Me (Live At “Piknik” VPRO, 6/18/1970)
21. Frank Zappa – Agon (Live At “Piknik” VPRO, 6/18/1970)
22. Frank Zappa – Call Any Vegetable (Live At “Piknik” VPRO, 6/18/1970)
23. Frank Zappa – King Kong Pt. I (Live At “Piknik” VPRO, 6/18/1970)
24. Frank Zappa – Igor’s Boogie (Live At “Piknik” VPRO, 6/18/1970)
25. Frank Zappa – King Kong Pt. II (Live At “Piknik” VPRO, 6/18/1970)
26. Frank Zappa – What Kind Of Girl Do You Think We Are? (Live At Pepperland, San Rafael, CA., 9/26/1970)
27. Frank Zappa – Bwana Dik (Live At Pepperland, San Rafael, CA., 9/26/1970)
28. Frank Zappa – Daddy, Daddy, Daddy (Live At Pepperland, San Rafael, CA., 9/26/1970)
29. Frank Zappa – Do You Like My New Car? (Live At Pepperland, San Rafael, CA., 9/26/1970)
30. Frank Zappa – Happy Together (Live At Pepperland, San Rafael, CA., 9/26/1970)
31. Frank Zappa – “Welcome To El Monte Legion Stadium!” (Live)
32. Frank Zappa – Agon (Live)
33. Frank Zappa – Call Any Vegetable (Live)
34. Frank Zappa – Pound For A Brown (Live)
35. Frank Zappa – Sleeping In A Jar (Live)
36. Frank Zappa – Sharleena (Live)
37. Frank Zappa – The Air (Live)
38. Frank Zappa – Dog Breath (Live)
39. Frank Zappa – Mother People (Live)
40. Frank Zappa – You Didn’t Try To Call Me (Live)
41. Frank Zappa – King Kong Pt. I (Live)
42. Frank Zappa – Igor’s Boogie (Live)
43. Frank Zappa – King Kong Pt. II (Live)
44. Frank Zappa – “Eat It Yourself…” (Live)
45. Frank Zappa – Trouble Every Day (Live)
46. Frank Zappa – “A Series Of Musical Episodes” (Live)
47. Frank Zappa – Road Ladies (Live)
48. Frank Zappa – “The Holiday Inn Motel Chain” (Live)
49. Frank Zappa – What Will This Morning Bring Me This Evening? (Live)
50. Frank Zappa – What Kind Of Girl Do You Think We Are? (Live)
51. Frank Zappa – “What’s The Deal Dick?” (FZ Tour Tape Recording)
52. Frank Zappa – Another M.O.I. Anti-Smut Loyalty Oath (Live / FZ Tour Tape Recording)
53. Frank Zappa – Paladin Routine #1 (Live / FZ Tour Tape Recording)
54. Frank Zappa – Portuguese Fenders (Live / FZ Tour Tape Recording)
55. Frank Zappa – The Sanzini Brothers (Live / FZ Tour Tape Recording)
56. Frank Zappa – Guitar Build ’70 (Live / FZ Tour Tape Recording)
57. Frank Zappa – Would You Go All The Way? (Live / FZ Tour Tape Recording)
58. Frank Zappa – Easy Meat (Live / FZ Tour Tape Recording)
59. Frank Zappa – “Who Did It?” (FZ Tour Tape Recording)
60. Frank Zappa – Turn It Down! (Live / FZ Tour Tape Recording)
61. Frank Zappa – A Chance Encounter In Cincinnati (FZ Tour Tape Recording)
62. Frank Zappa – Pound For A Brown (Live / FZ Tour Tape Recording)
63. Frank Zappa – Sleeping In A Jar (Live / FZ Tour Tape Recording)
64. Frank Zappa – Beloit Sword Trick (Live / FZ Tour Tape Recording)
65. Frank Zappa – King Solos Pt. I (Live / FZ Tour Tape Recording)
66. Frank Zappa – Igor’s Boogie (Live / FZ Tour Tape Recording)
67. Frank Zappa – King Solos Pt. II (Live / FZ Tour Tape Recording)
68. Frank Zappa – Gris Gris (Live / FZ Tour Tape Recording)
69. Frank Zappa – Paladin Routine #2 (Live / FZ Tour Tape Recording)
70. Frank Zappa – King Kong – Outro (Live / FZ Tour Tape Recording)