A new Frank Zappa collection collecting previously unreleased live music from 1966 will be released in May.
Zappa ’66: Vol. 1 – Live at TTG Studios will come out on May 15 as part of the Vaulternative Records imprint, which, according to a press release, issues “releases that lived outside the scope of traditional catalog titles, spotlighting rare live recordings, deep cuts, historically significant performances and the random and obscure, all chosen directly from Zappa’s vast archive.”
This will be the first album to be released under the Vaulternative label since 2016’s Chicago ’78.
READ MORE: Top 25 Albums of 1966
Zappa ’66: Vol. 1 – Live at TTG Studios will feature 17 recordings, 16 of them previously unreleased, from 1966, around the time of the Mothers of Invention‘s debut album, Freak Out!
Watch Zappa Vaultmeister Joe Travers Discuss ‘Zappa ’66: Vol. 1 – Live at TTG Studios’
The October 1966 recording session occurred between the June 1966 release of Freak Out! and the May 1967 release of Absolutely Free.
“Frank’s AAAFNRAA philosophy — Anything Anytime Anyplace for No Reason at All — really applies here, because the material can take so many forms,” noted Zappa Vaultmeister Joe Travers, who oversaw the upcoming album.
“It might be an interview, a raw live recording, something Frank worked on that was never released or a fully realized concert. The goal is to uncover and share the things we know fans will appreciate most. We’re excited to bring Vaulternative back as another way to open up The Vault and deliver more of that content to the people who want it.”
What’s on Frank Zappa’s ‘Zappa ’66: Vol. 1 – Live at TTG Studios’?
The tracks on Zappa ’66: Vol. 1 – Live at TTG Studios come from a television special titled Sex in Today’s World, which documented the Los Angeles and rock scenes of the period.
Zappa and the Mothers performed one of their Freak Out events for the TV cameras at TTG Studios, the Hollywood venue where Freak Out! was made. The performance was recorded on Zappa’s reel-to-reel tape machine. This marks the first release of most of the material recorded that day.
Listen to Frank Zappa’s ‘Move On’ Live in 1966
The upcoming album includes the only known recording of guitarist Del Casher’s time in the Mothers; the performance also marks the earliest recorded appearances of percussionist Billy Mundi and keyboardist Don Preston, both new to the Mothers lineup at the time.
Freak Out! band members Ray Collins (vocals, tambourine), Roy Estrada (bass) and Jimmy Carl Black (drums, percussion) also appear on the recording.
frank zappa we’re havin a freak out cover
Songs include “Khaki Sack” (which appeared on 2023’s previously unreleased Funky Nothingness album, recorded in 1970) and “Duke of Prunes,” from Absolutely Free.
Zappa ’66: Vol. 1 – Live at TTG Studios will be available as a 180g 2LP set on translucent red vinyl, CD, and via digital download and streaming. You can see the track listing below.
Frank Zappa, ‘Zappa ’66: Vol. 1 – Live at TTG Studios’ Track Listing
1. “Hello There”
2. Freak Chouflee’
3. Move On
4. The United Mutations
5. “Tommy Come Back!”
6. FZ Directs The Freaks
7. Pomp and Circumstance Sequence
8. Legalize Abortion
9. Twistin’ Again
10. The Electric Banana
11. I Could Be A Slave Story Untold
12. “We Keep Changing Personnel Though”
13. A2 Jam
14. Khaki Sack
15. Duke Of Prunes (Edited)
16. Victory Through Vegetables
17. “We’re Havin’ A Freak Out!”
From ‘Freak Out!’ to ‘Joe’s Garage’ and More: Frank Zappa’s Albums Ranked
Navigating his extensive catalog, including releases with the Mothers of Invention, can be tricky. But don’t worry – we did the heavy work.
Gallery Credit: Michael Gallucci
