Frank Zappa’s Unaired 1974 TV Special Is Finally Getting Released

A previously unaired Frank Zappa and the Mothers of Invention television special from 1974 is finally being released after sitting in the late artist’s vaults for more than 50 years.

The two-hour concert film and companion live album, Cheaper Than Cheep, will be available on May 9 in a CD and Blu-ray set and on vinyl.

Zappa and the band invited fans to their rehearsal space in Hollywood on June 21, 1974, to watch them perform for more than two hours. A crew shot the performance, but after it was completed, Zappa discovered that the film and sound didn’t line up, so he scrapped the project.

In its place, The Dub Room Special, which was made with a Los Angeles PBS station, aired, while Zappa’s original TV special, the one he wanted to release, sat untouched for the past five decades.

Zappa greeted the audience that night with, “We’d like to welcome you to the world’s cheapest television special, which is being manufactured for your edification right here in the midst of our Mothers of Invention rehearsal hall at 5831 Sunset Blvd., Hollywood, California.”

“Can you all turn around and look at each other so everybody who’s watching this can tell where we are and what the inside of this place really looks like? As you can see, it’s cheaper than cheap.”

What’s on Frank Zappa’s ‘Cheaper Than Cheep’?

Along with a new lineup of the Mothers of Invention – which in summer 1974 included drummer Chester Thompson, keyboardist George Duke, guitarist Jeff Simmons, saxophone and flute player Napoleon Murphy Brock, percussionist Ruth Underwood and bassist Tom Fowler – the bandleader covered many Zappa favorites “Cosmik Debris,” “Montana,” “Wowie Zowie” and “Dupree’s Paradise,” all featured in their live shows at the time.

Featured alongside the music are segments by artist Cal Schenkel, who was responsible for many of Zappa’s album covers, and Claymation animator and director Bruce Bickford, a frequent Zappa collaborator.

In addition to the film and soundtrack album, the CD includes four bonus excerpts and outtakes. You can see the track listing for the Super Deluxe box set below.

Cheaper Than Cheep will be available exclusively on Zappa’s website and can be preordered now.

Frank Zappa and the Mothers of Invention, ‘Cheaper Than Cheep’ Super Deluxe Box Set Track Listing
CD1:
1. “Cheaper Than Cheep”
2. “Cosmik Debris”
3. “Band Introductions”
4. “RDNZL”
5. “Village of the Sun”
6. “Montana”
7. “Duke Goes Out”
8. “Inca Roads”
9. “Get Down Simmons”
10. “Penguin In Bondage”
11. “T’Mershi Duween”
12. “The Dog Breath Variations”
13. “Uncle Meat”

CD2:
1. “How Could I Be Such a Fool”
2. “I’m Not Satisfied”
3. “Wowie Zowie”
4. “I Don’t Even Care”
5. “Let’s Make The Water Turn Black”
6. “Dupree’s Paradise Introduction”
7. “Dupree’s Paradise”
8. “Oh No”
9. “Son of Orange County”
10. “More Trouble Every Day”
11. “Apostrophe'”
12. “Camarillo Brillo 5:53”

Disc 3: Blu-ray
Audio: Dolby Atmos (48k24b) / Dolby TrueHD 5.1 (96k24b) / PCM Stereo (96k24b)
1. “Intro / Cheepnis – Percussion / Cheaper Than Cheep”
2. “Cosmik Debris”
3. “Band Introductions”
4. “RDNZL”
5. “Village of the Sun”
6. “Montana”
7. “Duke Goes Out”
8. “A Visit to the Art Studio”
9. “Inca Roads”
10. “Get Down Simmons”
11. “Penguin In Bondage”
12. “T’Mershi Duween”
13. “The Dog Breath Variations”
14. “Uncle Meat”
15. “How Could I Be Such a Fool”
16. “I’m Not Satisfied”
17. “Wowie Zowie”
18. “I Don’t Even Care”
19. “Let’s Make The Water Turn Black”
20. “Dupree’s Paradise Introduction”
21. “Dupree’s Paradise”
22. “Oh No”
23. “Son of Orange County”
24. “More Trouble Every Day”
25. “Apostrophe'”
26. “Camarillo Brillo”