1994 et sq.: Notes & Comments

July 22, 1994—Asteroid Zappafrank

Asteroid 3834 was named Zappafrank 1994 July 22

(3834) Zappafrank = 1980 JE

Discovered 1980 May 11 by L. Brozek at Klet.

Science Magazine, August 12, 1994, p. 871

There's a little more music among the stars. It may be playing tongue-in-cheek, but it's up there. Last month, the late rocker Frank Zappa joined the likes of musical luminaries Bach, Beethoven, and all four Beatles when the Intenational Astronomical Union (IAU) named an asteroid after him. "Zappafrank" orbits between Mars and Jupiter.

Naming the asteroid Zappafrank was the result of an intense lobbying effort by Arizona psychiatrist and Zappa fan John Scialli. After receiving over 200 requestions—many by e-mail—for a planet named after Zappa, Brian Marsden, director of IAU's Minor Planets Center in Cambridge, Massachusetts, suggested to the director of the Clet Observatory in the Czech Republic that an asteroid discovered there in 1980 be named for Zappa. Because Zappa, a vocal opponent of government censorship, and former Czechoslovakian president Vaclav Havel were close friends, the Czech astronomers agreed.

Like its namesake, who named his daughter Moon Unit, Zapaafrank's "orbit is a bit eccentric," Marsden says.

Greg Neale, "Frank Zappa's Star Raises In The Heavens," Sunday Telegraph, August 14, 1994

Frank Zappa, the avant-garde rock star who died last year, has sparked a new controversy—appropriately enough, in the heavens. An asteroid is being named after him.

But the decision by the International Astronomical Union, which is to discuss the naming of heavenly bodies at its triennial conference this week in The Hague, has angered some astronomers.

"The naming of asteroids is getting out of hand," said Kaare Aksnes, professor of astronomy at the Institute of Theoretical Physics at the University of Oslo. "I would say 99.5 per cent of the names are OK, but there are some I think are not so appropriate."

This week the astronomers will discuss proposals to set up a bank of approved and respectable names for future discoveries.

"Discoverers could choose the name out of the name bank so that they would still be involved in the nomenclature. They could also suggest new names to be put into the bank," said Prof Aksnes.

Zappa's commemoration came after 200 of his fans wrote to the IAU's Minor Planet Centre in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Henceforth, asteroid 3834 will be known as Zappafrank (the rock star's name was reversed to avoid confusion with another asteroid called Frank).

Zappa, who named one of his children Moon Unit, is not the first rock star to have an asteroid named after him. Chunks of heavenly debris already bear the surnames of the former Beatles John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison and Ringo Starr, and others commemorate Eric Clapton, Mike Oldfield, and Jean-Michel Jarre.

But Zappa's elevation worries Prof Aksnes, who considers him "a borderline case".

"As long as a person is serious and well respected in his profession, it's OK—but that's not the case with all rock musicians," he said.

The 1994 ZFT/Rykodisc Agreement

Christopher S. Harrison, "ZFT Zapped: District Court Rules Against Frank Zappa's Widow," Music Law Seminar, November 2, 2011

In 1994, ZFT entered into an agreement with Ryko (the "1994 Agreement"), pursuant to which Ryko paid $20 million for "certain rights in and to the actual versions and mixes of the sound recordings commercially released or exploited with the authority of Zappa prior to October 6, 1994." The 1994 Agreement did contain certain restrictions on Ryko's ability to exploit the masters; i.e., paragraph 12.11 of the 1994 Agreement provides that "[n]o remixes, edits, changes in technical standards or other changes will be made by Ryko to the Subject Masters which would impact the integrity of the work as embodied in 1610 or 16301 final version of each of the Subject Masters delivered."

"Zappa Update," On The Cover Songs, January 18, 2008

Upon Zappa's death in 1993, the Trust acquired all rights and interest in Zappa's sound recordings. The Trust and Rykodisc entered into an agreement in 1994 granting the label certain un-released recordings. After a certain period, Rykodisc had an option to exploit those recordings retained by the Trust but submitted to the label for exploitation. (If Rykodisc did not exercise its option, the Trust could seek 3rd party exploitation, but Rykodisc would have a matching right.) Rykodisc was also granted the rights to exploit album artwork and images for the sound recordings it acquired, but it was restricted from altering the artwork.

Tom Brown, interviewed by Vladimir Sovetov, Arf, c. 1999

Purchasing the Zappa catalogue turned out to be the nightmare from hell for Ryko. Not only did they provide Gail with twenty million dollars in one lump sum, but they gave her approval over everything. Don Rose, the owner of Ryko at the time was a huge Zappa fan and bent over backwards to placate her every whim, which was rarely reasonable. Not only were the final sales figures disappointing, but it put the crew at Ryko through much agony and ultimately cost Don ownership of his company when he was forced to bring in partners to pay for the debacle.

January 18, 1995—Hall Of Fame Induction

Moon Unit Zappa & Lou Reed

See notes on the Induction to the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in the Videography.

April 8, 1995—Seattle Symphony

An Evening of The Music of FRANK ZAPPA
Conducted by Joel thome
SEATTLE SYMPHONY
Saturday, April 8, 1995 · 8:00 pm
Seattle Center Opera House
Band from Utopia · The Persuasions

SEATTLE SYMPHONY
[...] SEASON

An Evening of The Music of
FRANK ZAPPA
Conducted by Joel Thome
with
Band from Utopia
and
The Persuasions
and
special guest guitarist
Steve Vai
Saturday, April 8, 1995 · 8:00pm
Seattle Center Opera House

FRANK ZAPPA
The Perfect Stranger
Naval Aviation in Art?
Dupree's Paradise

Intermission

Program includes:

FRANK ZAPPA
(arr. JOEL THOME)
Any Kind of Pain
Brown Shoes Don't Make It
Idiot Bastard Son
Nite School
When the Lie's So Big
Inca Roads
Waka Jawaka

FRANK ZAPPA
(arr. BRUCE FOWLER)
Be Bop Tango

FRANK ZAPPA
Lucille Has Messed My Mind Up
The Meek Shall Inherit Nothing

Joel Thome, music director/conductor/arranger
Band from Utopia:
Tom Fowler, bass
Walt Fowler, trumpet, flugelhorn
Tommy Mars, keyboards
Kurt McGettrick, saxophone, clarinet
Mike Miller, guitar
Chad Wackerman, drums
Ike Willis, vocals

The Persuasions:
Jimmy Hayes
Jerry Lawson
Joseph Russell
Jayotis Washington

COLUMBIA ARTISTS MANAGEMENT INC.
Personal Direction: Michael Mushall
Associate: David W. Middleton
165 West 57th Street
New York, NY 190019

Produced by:
BLUE DOG PRODUCTIONS, INC
Joe Killian: personal manager
Carole Sorell: promotion and marketing coordinator
Ira Herzog: financial advisor
Walt Taylor: production manager
Pet Wikstrom: administrative coordinator/road manager
Ron Lorman: sound engineer

Representaion for the Persuasions:
HEADLINE ENTERTAINMENT/Glen Knight

All compositions by Frank Zappa controlled worldwide by
Munchkin Music. Zappa and Frank Zappa are marks belonging
to The Zappa Family Trust. All rights reserved.

1995—Joe Travers, The Vaultmeister

Joe Travers, interviewed by Andrew Greenaway, The Idiot Bastard, February 14, 2001

After Frank died, there needed to be someone to look after the vault. Mike Keneally did it for a brief moment, but didn't last long. Then eventually it was learned by the UMRK crew that I knew more about what was contained in those tapes then anyone there. Gail assigned me the job.

Laurel Fishman, "Unlocking Zappa Treasures," Grammy Magazine, December 10, 2004

One day in 1995, Joe requested a tour of the legendary Vault. "Just by looking at the names on the boxes," Travers remembers, "I knew more about the contents of the Vault than anyone working there at the time," including various audio experts. "The staff went back and told [Frank's widow] Gail that I knew more about what's in the Vault than anybody else. She said, 'Great, he's the Vaultmeister.'"

Joe Travers, interviewed by Howie Kittelson, Conceptual Continuity With HowieZowie, July 28, 2016

Howie Kittelson: How long had you actually have the job, Vaultmeister?

Joe Travers: Since 1995.

Joe Travers, interviewed by Tim Peacock, U Discover Music, August 19, 2022

I started working in the vault in 1995. I had been hired on in March of 1993 as the drummer for Dweezil and Ahmet Zappa's band, Z. And, by 1995, I found myself in the vault of Frank Zappa, with the endorsement of Gail. I had no computer skills, hardly any tape-handling skills, definitely no tape machine skills, but what I did have was the heart and the desire to learn all of it, and also the desire to preserve the legacy of my hero. I would never have guessed that I'd still be here, almost 30 years later, still doing this work.

Original MOI Reunion

Shar Collins, "Daughter Of A Mother," Reddit, April 18, 2019

Dweezil shortly after Frank's death was going to put the Mothers back together and tour. Original MOI. [Don] Preston, [Jimmy Carl] Black, Bunk [Gardner], Roy [Estrada], Dad [Ray Collins], Motorhead. Shame that never happened!

December 16, 1995—Vilnius, Lithuania

Reuters Television, December 16, 1995

Hundreds of fans gathered in the Lithuanian capital on Saturday (December 16) for the unveiling ceremony of a bust of American rock star Frank Zappa. [...]

Zappa had planned to visit Vilnius and was in correspondence with Saulius Paukstys, the head of the Vilnius Frank Zappa Fan Club. But he never made it to Lithuania because he died in 1994 from prostate cancer.

It was Paukstys' idea to erect a memorial to Zappa. He organised fund-raising events and concerts to pay for the bust.

Another driving force behind getting the bust in place was Vilnius gallery director Saulius Pilinkus. He countered criticism in the Russian press that erecting a memorial to a foreign rock star was a case of Lithuania selling out to the West.

[...] The 80cm high bust was cast in bronze by respected Vilnius sculptor Konstantinas Bogdanas who made his name casting images of Soviet leaders and Communist heroes.

[...] Joe Black, representative of Zappa's record label Rykodisc, said he was honoured to be part of the ceremony.

[...] At the opening ceremony the crowd chortled when the veil snagged on Zappa's wild hair. It was soon released, the band played on and fireworks were let off.

Adam B. Ellick, "Zappa Lives in Lithuania," Rolling Stone, March 29, 2002

Paukstys, thirty-seven, and his friends sought to spread their love of Zappa, who was all but unknown to Lithuania's 3 million citizens. But with no personal connection to the American legend, the club resorted to bluffing its way into the limelight by creating two bogus Zappa exhibits at a local art gallery. The first featured letters supposedly written by Zappa to his Lithuanian admirers. Widespread reaction in Vilnius inspired a second exhibit titled "Memorial Objects of Frank Zappa," featuring clocks, knives, pens and clothes claimed to have been owned by Zappa. But none of the items had traveled further than Paukstys' apartment.

The made-up exhibitions were a massive hit with the Lithuanian public, most of whom—due to the political situation—readily embraced anything American. When local journalists inquired about the exhibitions, Paukstys promptly fabricated his widely published story about his brush with Zappa.

"We just needed a story," says dry-humored, mild-mannered Paukstys. "We never saw Zappa, but nobody ever saw God, and they still go to church," says partner-in-crime Vytautas Kernagis, a respected Lithuania musician. "Lithuania is a nation of mythology, legends and fairy tales. Everything is mystified. People believe really quickly, and one of the myths is that independence is good for everyone, with no exceptions. That's why, in such an environment, the Zappa seeds were so successfully planted."

Paukstys tested the phenomenon's limits by proposing a Vilnius-based Zappa statue to the city council. He accumulated more than 300 signatures from bandwagon Zappa fans and offered to privately finance the project. The cash-strapped state deemed it absurd, but nonetheless approved the measure.

Kate Connolly, "They Tore Down Lenin's Statue—And Raised One To Frank Zappa," The Guardian, January 19, 2000

Nine years ago Lithuania broke away from the Soviet Union, leaving a lot of empty plinths that had previously been occupied by statues of Lenin, Marx and their regional disciples. An obvious question remained: what to do with the empty plinths?

Saulius Paukstys, a civil servant and member of the Vilnius bohemian set, saw the opportunity to fulfil a lifelong ambition. He founded the Frank Zappa Fan Club and commissioned a socialist realist sculptor to create a statue of Zappa on a patch of land in front of a children's hospital in the centre of the city.

"We were desperate to find a symbol that would mark the end of communism, but at the same time express that it wasn't always doom and gloom," Paukstys recalls. He now holds the post of national security chief.

At first the authorities criticised the plan, particularly after discovering that Zappa was a bit of a leftie. "They said: 'What has he got to do with Lithuania anyway?' We said: 'Nothing really.' Then someone convinced them that Zappa had Jewish features and seeing as Jewish history is very important to Lithuania, they plumped for that."

The statue was erected in downtown Vilnius five years ago. The most famous of modern Bohemians, Czech president Vaclav Havel, was invited to the unveiling, where a military brass band played Zappa hits. Membership of the fan club ballooned; a radio station allocated airtime for a weekly Zappa broadcast, which included doses of Zappa philosophy; and a Zappa Love Letter Club was set up to bring Vilnius's lonely hearts together.

February 28, 1996—38th Annual Grammy Awards (1995)

"Frank Zappa," Recording Academy Grammy Awards

Wins:
Best Recording Package—Boxed Civilization Phaze III

February 25, 1998—40th Annual Grammy Awards (1997)

"Frank Zappa," Recording Academy Grammy Awards

Wins:
Lifetime Achievement Award (Lifetime Achievement Award)

1998—zappa.com

Spencer Chrislu, alt.fan.frank-zappa, November 29, 1998

I just wanted to write and let you know that as of Thursday, November 19, 1998 I am no longer employed by the ZFT. I have accepted a position as mastering engineer at Precision Mastering in Hollywood and will be up and running in my new mastering room as of January 4. [I'm leaving] for personal, professional, and financial reasons. I don't really have the time or the patience to explain all of the reasoning behind this decision (nor do I want to be sued), but let's just say we parted on amicable terms.

[...] As some of you may already know, Dave Dondorf and myself have been the authors and administrators of the Zappa web site since its inception. Dave left the Zappa employ about 2 months ago and now that I have left, I believe Gail has turned the duties of the web site over to her brother, Jay Sloatman.

Gail & The Democratic Party

Connie Bruck, "Life Of The Party, The New Yorker, January 25, 1999

Gail, who is the widow of Frank Zappa, the composer and musician, has given more than half a million dollars to the Democratic Party and its candidates over the past three years, and she ranks among the party's top individual donors. She is so solidly in the Democratic fold that she dines often at the White House and has become a regular at the fund-raising events that President Clinton and Vice-President Gore routinely attend when they are in Los Angeles.

[Bill Clinton] was the first Presidential candidate in her adult life who had appealed to her. "It appeared that he had a sense of humor and didn't take himself too seriously," she said. "And he reminded me of Frank, in that he was really smart and perceptive and inclusive. You sense a compassion in him. It is a gift to be able to see the suffering that people endure—some people never see that someone else is suffering in some way. You know that he's seen it and knows what it feels like and doesn't forget that." None of the Clinton scandals have tarnished his image for her: his weaknesses only make him more human. (She also notes that from her years in rock and roll, as the wife of a bandleader, she knows something about forgiveness.) "I think the bottom line is that Clinton looks more like us than any other President we've had, and that's why we find the most fault with him," she asserted.

[...] In August, 1995, soon after she had donated a hundred thousand dollars to the Democratic National Committee, [Gail Zappa] was introduced to [Al] Gore at a coffee for about ten people in the Map Room of the White House. "I went to one of those infamous White House breakfasts—which, at the time, who knew?" she said, referring to the subsequent Justice Department investigations into campaign-finance activities. Of the meeting, she said, "It felt like family to me. He's a very warm and wonderful and responsive person. His public persona is not the way he is in a small group of people. I see the humor completely. And the powerful intellect is there."

IT may be that there has never been an insider who was quite such an outsider as Gail Zappa. Ari Swiller, a Democratic fundraiser during the '96 campaign, commented recently that most large donors appear to be motivated "either by their business interests or by their desire to be close to power, their love of the limelight," and he went on, "I've got hundreds of calls—'My seat isn't good enough! I'm not seated at the Vice-President's table!' From Gail, never. She shows up in a schmatte, not looking to impress anyone." Swiller then said that when groups of donors meet with Gore the meetings are usually boring, because everyone is so guarded. "Not Gail! She says what she thinks. She is who she is. And the whole family is that way. Ahmet shaves his head and wears funny clothes, and there are pictures of him with the President where Ahmet's making funny faces. Who does that? There's no rein on them."

A potential rein might be Gail's accountant, Gary Iskowitz, who insists that she has been giving at a level disproportionate to her wealth. "It's like there's a neon sign in front of the Zappa house: 'Come and get it!'" Because she is so generous, Iskowitz says, and because she doesn't make the kinds of demands that other major contributors do, she tends to be taken advantage of by political operatives. "They nickel-and-dime her. She gave more than two hundred thousand in 1997. Then, 'The President's coming to town!' It's not 'Come, be our guest' but 'Come—for another five thousand.'" Last year, Gail was one of Gray Davis's major supporters in his successful bid to become governor of California. She contributed thirty thousand dollars herself; raised thousands more from her friends, and stuck with him even when he was all but counted out in the primary. But she wasn't among the guests at his Inaugural.

1999—Rhino Records

Tom Brown, quoted by Drew51, Zappateers, December 20, 2010

The only other opportunity I had to visit the house was in 1999, long after Frank's death, and although that visit also registers as a momentous occasion it wasn't exactly the same. Myself and two other individuals from Rhino Records went there to peruse the vault and to transcribe what material might be available for possible future releases. This was after Gail had approached Rhino and was offering to sell everything outside of the already existing catalog. I'll refrain from telling you what she was asking, but after carefully going over the recent sales figures of his catalog, it was determined that it would take years before a profit might appear.

June 2000—Holland Festival 2000

The Program

June 8-21, 2000—The Torture Never Stops Zappa Films, Filmmuseum, Amsterdam.
June 10, 2000—Ensemble Modern, Greggery Peccary And Other Persuasions, Concertgebouw, Amsterdam.
June 10, 2000—Metropole Orkest, A Tribute To Frank Zappa, Paradiso, Amsterdam.
June 12, 2000—Spilling The Beans—De Balie, Amsterdam
June 23-24, 2000—Nederlands Philharmonisch Orkest, 200 Motels, The Suites,Carré Theatre, Amsterdam

Eric van den Berg, interview with Gail Zappa, de Volkskrant, June 8, 2000 (translation by Corne van Hooijdonk)

The arrangement of 200 Motels, The Suites—one of the performances with which the Holland Festival honors Frank Zappa—was an 'emotional' task. 'Suddenly I am in the same shoes as I used to be in. I must think the way he did.' But there are also moments that she realizes that it is all high comedy anyway. 'What are we talking about? Holland!'
Together with Ali N. Askin, who worked with Frank on Yellow Shark (1993), she dived in the archive to make the soundtrack of the road movie suitable for a live-performance. What was made in 1971 as a collage of rock, classical, dialogue and other sound had to become a whole.
[...] The 200 Motels-project, that took up two years, was pure detective work. But they managed, and now it is wait and see what the Dutch Philharmonic does with it. 'You lean back, and then it turns out to be horrible, or you're lucky.'

March 9, 2001—ZFT vs. Emusic

Jaan Uhelszki, "Zappa's Wife Sues Emusic," Rolling Stone, March 14, 2001

Frank Zappa's widow filed a copyright infringement suit against music download retailer Emusic on March 9th in a U.S. District Court in Los Angeles. Gail Zappa is seeking more than $5 million in damages for alleged copyright violation of thirty-seven of her late husband's songs.

The suit alleges that the Web retailer had unlawfully made Zappa songs available for sale on its site as far back as January 1, 1999. [...] Gail Zappa is seeking a permanent injunction against Emusic to prevent the company from making the songs available, as well as damages of $150,000 per infringement and attorney fees.

Emusic is currently offering only five Zappa recordings, all collaborations with composer John Cage, for $.99 per download. None of Frank Zappa's other material is currently available.

Gwendolyne Mariano, "Zappa Estate Targets Emusic In Copyright Suit," CNET News.com, March 12, 2001

Gail Zappa, widow of the late musician Frank Zappa, filed a lawsuit against EMusic on Friday over copyright infringement. The suit, filed in U.S. District Court in Los Angeles, alleges that EMusic distributed Zappa songs without licensing the underlying publishing rights, according to Zappa's attorney Yakub Hazzard, a partner at Alschuler Grossman Stein & Kahan.

In a statement, EMusic said it sold "a small collection" of Zappa songs on its Web site in 1999 under a licensing deal with Zappa's label Rykodisc, but it pulled the songs about a year ago. The company said it has agreed to pay the going rate for the songs and had been negotiating in good faith with the Zappa estate over back royalties when the suit was filed Friday.

"It is unfortunate that the Zappa estate has chosen to pursue legal action on an issue that represents such an extremely small dollar amount," the company wrote in an e-mail.

The suit comes as the list of copyright infringement cases over music downloads continues to swell. Last week, EMusic followed the producers of the Grammy Awards by filing a lawsuit against Napster, which is already battling a high-profile case with the Recording Industry Association of America.

"Partly what we're seeing is a bandwagon that everyone wants to jump onto," said Anthony Berman, a partner at Idell Berman & Seitel who is not involved in the Zappa case. "And the very decisive victory of the RIAA against Napster certainly sends a signal to content owners all around the world that they can and probably should go after perceived infringement of their materials."

The Zappa lawsuit seeks damages for alleged infringement of 37 "musical compositions written, composed, arranged and/or performed by the late Frank Zappa," who died in 1993 at age 52.

Gail Zappa's attorney said that EMusic licensed the sound recordings from Rykodisc but failed to secure the rights to the underlying songs, owned by the Zappa Family Trust.

"When EMusic contacted Rykodisc (prior to Jan. 1, 1999) to obtain permission to use the recordings, we allege that they were advised at that time that they also needed to contact the Zappa Family Trust in order to get permission to use the songs that are embodied in those recordings," Hazzard said. "And they failed to do so."

Gail Zappa is the trustee of the Zappa Family Trust, which was created in Los Angeles in 1990. Among the 37 songs cited in the lawsuit are "Tears Begin to Fall," "Eat that Question," "Sofa No.1," "Sleep Dirt," and "In France."

EMusic said it has a track record of dealing fairly with artists' rights, including securing a stable of licensing deals from rights clearinghouses such as Broadcast Music Inc. (BMI), the Harry Fox Agency and the American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers (ASCAP).

Gail Zappa did not immediately return phone calls for comment.

2002—Vaulternative Records

Jim Bessman, "Family Taps Zappa Vault With New Imprint," Billboard, November 22, 2002

Dweezil Zappa has started a new label, Vaulternative, to make available scores of unreleased recordings by his late father, Frank Zappa. [...]

Future Vaulternative product will continue with live and studio recordings from the voluminous Frank Zappa vaults, which span the artist's whole career, Dweezil Zappa says, with a focus on the elder Zappa's band lineups that have been heretofore less represented in the marketplace.

"There were certain lineups where the band was very large or very small, and there aren't that many recordings of these extreme versions of the band," Dweezil says. "There will be a lot of material that people have heard, but not with these musicians and arrangements." [...]

The copious previously released Zappa catalog remains available on Rykodisc. Dweezil says that Vaulternative will now issue all Zappa product not in circulation already.

Dweezil says he has always wanted to involve himself in overseeing his father's unreleased output. "I don't think anybody else would have the same feel for the stuff—and the attention to detail and enthusiasm for it," he says.

January 2003—Rock United

United Entertainment Preview, January 2004

ROCK UNITED
Available on Channel 15 on 777 aircraft.

[...]

Rykodisc and The Zappa Family Trust present
Frank Zappa
with hosts Diva Zappa and Ahmet Zappa

Lumpy Gravy (excerpt from Part One) Lumpy Gravy

Many of these items eventually found a home on Mystery Disc.
FZ Explains . . . The Radio Show by Frank Zappa
Snippet / Ronnie Sings?
The Birth of Captain Beefheart
I Was a Teenage Maltshop
Status Back Baby (unreleased)
Metal Man Has Won His Wings
Power Trio Segment from The Saints 'N Sinners
Bossa Nova Pervertamento
Original Mothers at the Broadside (Pomona)
Band Introductions at the Fillmore West (Bill Graham)
Plastic People

"Textures & Spacial Placement" (unreleased)
Pound for a Brown (unreleased)
Scumbag from Playground Psychotics Frank Zappa/Mothers of Invention (John Lennon and Yoko Ono, guests)
Cosmik Debris (unreleased)

Willie the Pimp from Hot Rats (Don Van Vliet, guest vocal)
Don't Eat the Yellow Snow from Apostrophe(')
Montana from The Dub Room Special soundtrack (unreleased)
Black Napkins from Zoot Allures
St. Alphonzo's Pancake Breakfast from Apostrophe(')
Peaches en Regalia from Hot Rats
Put a Motor in Yourself from Civlization, Phaze III
G-Spot Tornado from The Yellow Shark FZ & Ensemble Modern
Encore Sofa No. 1 from One Size Fits All

Visit www.zappa.com or call 818.PUMPKIN or 888-9-ABSURD

June 2003—Extraordinary Teamwork

"ZFT Licenses Unreleased Zappa Music Under Extraordinary Teamwork," UPI, June 27, 2003

Gail Zappa, widow of the musical iconoclast Frank Zappa, has announced the launch of Extraordinary Teamwork, a limited concern that allows music producers and artists to license unreleased music by Frank Zappa.

"Those interested may license and incorporate the music into their own work, as long as Frank gets co-writing credit for the song or composition. There are other stipulations as well in the licensing agreement . . . These renewable licenses get Zappa music to the public who may not have otherwise heard his music," informs Gail Zappa.

"The first licensee in Gene Simmons [of KISS] who is using sections of a live performance—including Frank's vocals—into a work Gene is calling 'Black Tongue.' Other licensees at this time are George Clinton [of Parliament/Funkadelic], Steve Albini [producer for Nirvana and the Pixies], Brian Eno [producer for U2 and the Talking Heads], David Foster [producer for Whitney Houston and Celine Dion], and we are in negotiations with several others whom I am cannot discuss at this time."

Dweezil Zappa, interviewed by Andrew Greenaway, The Idiot Bastard, October 17, 2015

I've never heard of the phrase 'Extraordinary Teamwork' before. It was not something that was ever spoken to me about. [...] I never had anything to do with that press release or anything, so that's new to me.

October 2004—Rykodisc & ZFT

zappa.com, c. 2004?

Although we had some regrets to inform you that Warner Bros (under the guise of "WEA Labels & Lifestyles Sales"—ugh!) will no longer support Barfko-Swill in our efforts to provide you with the original FZ-approved Catalog, Ryko has now seen the light and presently allow us to purchase these titles directly from them for your convenience. Meanwhile, let neither rain nor snow nor sleet nor hail to the chief deter you from your appointments with Joe's Corsaga and other exciting refinements.

Steve Hochman, "Not Just In It For The Money," Los Angeles Times, July 11, 2004

The family of the late Frank Zappa is putting together plans to release music from the composer-musician's vast vaults via a subscription service. [...]

In the years since Frank Zappa's 1993 death from prostate cancer, the vaults have been largely closed, in part due to tension between the family and Rykodisc, the record label that owned the rights to the Zappa catalog. That deal expires in October, though, and the family is ready to open the door.

Zappa Plays Zappa—Tour De Frank

Noble PR, May 23, 2005

Announced today the First Duly Authorized & Certified Frank Zappa Respective! And Perspective! Zappa Brothers Dweezil & Ahmet have called together many mighty musicians to join them in playing the Music of Frank Zappa—Live!

Authentic: This is the first OFFICIAL presentation of Frank Zappa Music since the Composer himself departed for his final tour in 1993.

Authoritative: Subjecting themselves to mastering QUITE A BIT of the most challenging repertoire ever conceived for a Rock & Roll stage, warble-monster Ahmet and shred-fisted Dweezil will be taking ZAPPA PLAYS ZAPPA on the road. The Tour de Frank launches 25 October for the ever-popular hygienic European version following final finishing touches in France!

ZAPPA PLAYS ZAPPA WILL PRESENT HEIR-TIGHT PERFORMANCES OF THE WORLD'S FINEST OPTIONAL ENTERTAINMENT. Dweezil and Ahmet feel it is their duty . . .

This Deep Dish Extravaganza will include a FRENZY of Mysterious Entertainment DELIGHTS—Lights! Music! Action! Real Musicians—You never know who might show up onstage! Spotlights! Stars! Also featuring exciting filmic adventures from the life of a Composer—A MAN WHO WROTE DOTS ON PAPER!

NO TWO SHOWS THE SAME: That's right, Folks! Don't touch that dial! Expect the Unexpected! Expect the long-anticipated release of Frank Zappa's TRANCE-FUSION. Coincidence? Uh uh! Guitar fans welcome!

2006—Warner & Ryko

"Warner Music Group Corp. Announces Acquisition of Ryko Corporation," Market Wire, March 24, 2006

Warner Music Group Corp. today announced it has signed a definitive agreement to acquire Ryko Corporation, a leading independent, integrated music and entertainment company from an investment group led by JPMorgan Partners for $67.5 million.

[...] Ryko Distribution will work alongside WMG's Alternative Distribution Alliance (ADA), the No. 1 distributor of independent music in the U.S.

[...] Ryko includes a recorded music label, Rykodisc [...]. Rykodisc will continue as a standalone label and will be able to draw upon the resources of WMG's leading labels, Warner Bros. and Atlantic, as well as Warner Music International in promoting its own roster.

[...] Ryko Corporation, Ryko Distribution and the Rykodisc label will continue to be headquartered in New York City. Completion of the transaction is subject to customary closing conditions including regulatory clearances. WMG does not expect the acquisition to be material to earnings in 2006.

"Warner Music Group To Acquire Ryko Corp.," Encore, March 26, 2006

Warner Music Group said Friday it reached a $67.5 million deal to acquire independent recording company Ryko Corp., which distributes music by artists such as The Posies, Big Star and Frank Zappa.

New York-based Warner Music is paying cash for Ryko, which was owned by a group of investors led by JPMorgan Partners.

[...] The recordings will be marketed under Warner's Rhino Entertainment label.

Ryko's flagship label, Rykodisc, will continue to run independently under the Warner umbrella, the company said.

Ryko Distribution, which handles releases for Rykodisc and several small independent music labels, will continue to operate separately of Warner's own independent label distribution operation, Alternative Distribution Alliance. [...]

Warner is not planning any layoffs because of the acquisition, which is expected to close in early June.

Ryko CEO Sam Holdsworth, who was brought in by JPMorgan, will be stepping down, but Jim Cuomo, president of Ryko Distribution, and William Hein, president of the Rykodisc label, will stay on.

2006—National Recording Registry

Josh Grossberg, "Jimi, Stevie, B.B. Preserved," E! Online, April 11, 2006

50 recordings have been selected to be added to the National Recording Registry, it was announced Tuesday.

Instituted by Congress through the National Recording Preservation Act of 2000, the Library selects musical and spoken word recordings that are at least 10 years old and deemed "culturally, historically or aesthetically significant" for inclusion in the permanent collection.

[...] Leading the newcomers is the Jimi Hendrix Experience's 1967 psychedelic tour de force, Are You Experienced? [...].

[Stevie] Wonder made the cut for his 1976 double album, Songs in the Key of Life, which according to the Library, marked the apex of his career thanks to "impeccable musicianship." [...]

Also making the cut was Frank Zappa and the Mothers of Invention's 1968 masterpiece, We're Only in It for the Money, an avant garde "sound collage" that satirized both America's conservative establishment as well as the free-love radicals of the '60s.

The most recent recording selected is Sonic Youth's 1988 art-noise opus, Daydream Nation.

April 20, 2006—Jammy Awards

Jonathan Cohen, "Jammys Offer Eclectic Musical Mix," Billboard.com, April 21, 2006

Frank Zappa was posthumously presented with a lifetime achievement award, while his music was saluted via performances of "Inca Road" and "Florentine Pogen" by his son Dweezil and Zappa Band principal Napoleon Murphy Brock.

Mac Randall, "As Usual, Opposites Attrac At The Jammys," Newsday, April 22, 2006

The show's high point came halfway through, as Frank Zappa was awarded a posthumous lifetime achievement award and Zappa's guitar-playing son, Dweezil, led a staggeringly tight band—including keyboardist Chick Corea and singer-saxophonist Napoleon Murphy Brock—through a medley of his father's songs. Umphrey's McGee guitarist Jake Cinninger joined Dweezil for a hair-raising dual solo on "Chester's Gorilla," a perfect example of the kind of moment the Jammys thrive on.

July 28, 2007—Frank Zappa Straße, Berlin, Germany

"Berlin to Name Street for Frank Zappa," Glide Magazine, April 24, 2007

The city of Berlin will bestow a unique honor on a unique figure in modern music on July 28th when a street is renamed in memory of American rock and roll legend Frank Zappa. In the Marzahn district of what was East Berlin, "Street Number 13" will be formally dedicated as "Frank-Zappa-strasse". The ceremony will take place at the ORWOhaus, a former photographic film plant on the street that is now home to a musicians' collective. It will be the first street in Germany named for a rock musician, and the first street in a world capital named for Frank Zappa.

The members of ORWOhaus themselves proposed the street naming. What motivated a group of young German musicians to honor an American musical icon? Andreas Otto, spokesperson for ORWOhaus, explains, "Frank Zappa was one of the best all-around musicians in the world, as a guitarist, composer, and band-leader. He was celebrated for his uncompromising pursuit of musical exploration and excellence, and also for his courage using his music and lyrics to make society see its faults and hypocrisies. He didn't do it just for media attention, it was part of his highly creative and unbending character. He stood up to his own government against politically-motivated censorship—he testified with great intelligence in the US Congress, and he refused to hold back his own outrageous sense of humor. We of ORWOhaus had our own battles trying to save an unused building and turn it into an active music center, and we decided that Zappa was a great example of how a musician can have an influence so far beyond the notes on a page. We hope Frank would be proud to have his name as an address for so many musicians."

"Berlin Names Street After Frank Zappa," Associated Press, July 30, 2007

AP Photo Miguel Villagran

Frank-Zappa-Strasse or Frank Zappa Street—formerly Street 13—lies on the eastern outskirts of Berlin amid empty industrial buildings in what was communist East Germany.

The street is home to Orwo Haus, a former Communist-era film factory that now provides practice studios for more than 160 bands.

Musicians at Orwo Haus campaigned for two years to have the street's name changed. Eighteen bands, including the Frank Zappa cover band Sheik Yerbouti, celebrated the renaming this weekend with an all-night concert for more than 2,800 people.

August 9, 2007—Frank Zappa Day in Baltimore

"Frank Zappa Day Declared," Anti Music, August 9, 2007

Thursday, August 9th is Frank Zappa Day in Baltimore, MD, as proclaimed by Mayor Sheila Dixon. [...] Dweezil Zappa, his son, is bringing the ongoing Zappa Plays Zappa/"Tour de Frank" to the Ram's Head Tavern there on the day designated to honor his late father. [...]

The Mayor's proclamation, to be presented at the concert reads, in part, "The City of Baltimore is proud of its rich musical heritage, and is honored to claim the prolific composer, musician, author, and film director Frank Zappa as a native of our fair city; and

WHEREAS, Frank Zappa's artistry involved many musical genres, including rock, jazz, electronic, and symphonic music, and his lasting impact has left an indelible mark on the art and all those who attempt to follow in his footsteps; and

WHEREAS, Frank Zappa has received world-wide recognition for his talents and innovation and defense of the First Amendment of the Bill of Rights of the Constitution of the United States of America; and

WHEREAS, representing the Zappa Family, Dweezil Zappa is here today to embody his father's music and legacy on stage for the first time in Baltimore, making this an appropriate day to honor Frank Zappa's memory and his many great accomplishments."

2008—Baltimore Zappa Bust

"Frank Zappa's Widow Supports Plan For Baltimore Bust," Associated Press, May 8, 2008

Frank Zappa's widow is on board with plans for a bust of the eccentric rocker in his hometown of Baltimore.

Gail Zappa tells The Associated Press that she supports the project, which was spearheaded by Zappa fans from Lithuania.

Baltimore's public art commission has accepted the gift of the bronze bust, which will sit atop a stainless steel pole. It's a replica of a bust that went up in 1995 in Vilnius, Lithuania.

August 2008—ZFT vs. Zappanale

Sebastian Knauer, "Zappa v. Bach—The Legal Battle For Rock Legacy," Spiegel Online, August 21, 2008

It is a case about trademark rights and copyright—of Zappa songs, of Zappa products, and of the famous Zappa moustache, a slightly altered version of which the not-for-profit Zappanale uses in its promotional materials. The Düsseldorf legal practice of Reimann, Osterrieth, Köhler, Haft argues on behalf of the Zappa Family Trust that the Zappanale should not be allowed to use the Zappa name on any of the T-shirts or CD's sold at the festival. Indeed, the lawyers argue, the festival shouldn't be able to use the Zappa name at all.

[...] Early on in the proceedings, the defendants pointed out that the Zappa Family Trust trademark may not still be valid in Germany. The ZFT only sells its products online and buyers may only pay in US dollars. There is no ZFT office anywhere in Europe.

"That makes things interesting," says Zappanale spokesman Thomas Dippel. Dippel is also president of the Arf Society, which is intimately involved in organizing the Zappanale. He and his lawyers have now filed a counter-claim asking the court to declare the Zappa trademark to have expired, retroactive to August 1, 2007. If trademarks aren't used for five years, they are lost, and Zappanale argues that the Zappa Family Trust has not been using the trademark in Germany. Were the court to agree, Zappa's moustache would become the property of Zappanale. ZFT lawyers have responded by asking for another hearing, one which Gail Zappa herself might fly in for.

The two sides now have some six weeks to come up with an out-of-court settlement. And the Zappa Family Trust may be willing to compromise.

Spahr, Wolfgang, "Zappa Family Loses Court Battle In Germany," Reuters/Billboard, January 28, 2009

Gail Zappa, widow of U.S. rock legend Frank Zappa, has failed in her bid to stop a German music festival from using her husband's name and image.

Zappa and her family trust had launched a lawsuit against the German Frank Zappa fan club over its annual Zappanale festival, demanding the removal of a bronze sculpture of Zappa at the festival site in Bad Doberan and damages of $325,000 if the festival continues to use the Zappanale name.

But the higher court in Dusseldorf ruled January 21 that festival organizers may continue to use Zappa's name and his image on the festival logo and related merchandise such as T-shirts and baseball caps. It ruled that Gail Zappa's rights were not violated and that she could not prove she uses the Zappa brand in Germany herself. The court found that she has had knowledge of the festival since it began in 1990. Frank Zappa died in 1993.

Several thousand Zappa fans had demanded the withdrawal of the lawsuit, which was launched in April 2008.

Thomas Dippel, festival speaker and head of the German Zappa fan club, welcomed the ruling.

"We have always been certain that we have the older rights," he said. "We have also patented the name of the festival with the German patent office. Gail Zappa only applied for the patent of her own rights in 2002."

The Zappanale festival, which features various bands performing composer/guitarist Zappa's music, had 6,800 visitors in 2008. The 2009 edition is scheduled for August 12-16.

October 2008—Schott Music

"What's New," zappa.com, October 31, 2008

We are pleased to announce that Schott Music is now the worldwide representative for Munchkin Music, Frank Zappa's orchestral and ensemble works for hire.

January 2008-August 2011—ZFT vs. Rykodisc

"Zappa Update," On The Cover Songs, January 18, 2008

The sole trustee of Frank Zappa's family trust (and Zappa's wife) filed suit in SDNY against Rykodisc for copyright and trademark infringement. [...] According to Plaintiff, Rykodisc breached the [1994] agreement by asserting it had acquired more rights than it did, licensing various recordings for digital and vinyl distribution—thereby diminishing the "integrity" (sound quality) of the recordings—, releasing masters it did not have the rights to, issuing misleading advertisements with regards to various compilations (e.g., "Best of..."), altering the artwork, and failing to pay mechanical royalties. Thus, in addition to breach of contract, Plaintiff brought numerous copyright and trademark claims, and a claim for accounting.

On each of its willful copyright infringement claims, the Trust seeks maximum statutory damages ($150,000).

Project X—Alan Clayson's Book Project

Alan Clayson, The Argosy, 2009

Unquestionably, the most remarkable situation of this kind in which I found myself was a nouvelle cuisine lunch in a restaurant off Covent Garden with Gail Zappa, widow of Frank, and Diva, their younger daughter. On an adjacent table sat Meera Syal and what looked like her parents.

A month earlier, I'd interviewed Gail on behalf of Record Collector, and then mailed her my Edgard Varese tome—for, insofar as Frank ever had a boyhood hero, it was this most adventurous of modern classical composers. Impressed, Gail suggested we meet when next she came to England—which was sooner than I might have expected when her eldest child Dweazil's Zappa Plays Zappa revue reached Europe in July.

Gail sorted out gratis tickets for me at the Bristol stop of Zappa Plays Zappa during the meal. She was absolutely charming—and over dessert and then a foray round nearby shops, we debated the feasibility of me penning a life of Frank. Before the week was out, I'd come up with a working title—Project X (after a piece on the sixth Zappa album, 1969's Uncle Meat), and started prodding the nerves of an array of interested publishers, who are, nevertheless, proceeding with majestic slowness.

In order to understand the magnitude of my rendezvous with Gail, you need to know that, on a second ever trip to the capital not under adult supervision, my fifteen-year-old self had been taken aback that an entire window of Oxford Street's vast HMV store bloomed with the splendour of the macabre sleeve of The Mothers Of Invention's maiden LP, 1966's Freak Out!. From listening to it in one of those isolation booths that such outlets had in those days, the impact of Zappa and his Mothers was to ripple across the next seven years of my life—and Project X might be the biography that I have been destined to write.

2012—ZFT vs. Ryko—Warner Agreement

Geoffrey Himes, "Frank Zappa—A Serious Man," Downbeat, May 2013

Frank died on Dec. 4, 1993, and Gail completed the sale of the catalog to Ryko Records in 1994. For the next 18 years, the recordings were out of the family's control, and Gail wasn't happy with what happened. In her view, Ryko emphasized the novelty aspect of Frank's music at the expense of its more substantial elements. When Warner Bros. purchased Ryko, including the Zappa catalog, in 2006, Gail saw her chance. She filed a lawsuit to force a different handling of Frank's music. Coincidentally, Frank had filed a similar lawsuit against Warner Bros. in 1977, winning the rights to his music in 1982.

"My problem at this time was not with Warners," she explains. "They were just the party that purchased Ryko. I was very distressed by some positions taken by Ryko that [I believe] infringed on the rights of the artist. Every time you do something that redefines the artist, especially in a public forum, it's like another version of identity theft, and that distressed all of us in the family. We didn't think Frank was a pop star—never. When I got married, I knew the man I was marrying was a composer, not a pop star."

The negotiations took six years, but eventually the Zappa Family Trust reached a settlement with Warner Bros. As for the details, Gail will only say, "They made us the offer we couldn't refuse—for all the right reasons."

2012—UME/Universal Reissues

GZ Sez, zappa.com, June 12 & 21, 2012

The digital masters were all re-transferred by the Vaultmeister and about a third of the titles were reMastered from the original analog source.

None of the new releases are "sourced" from the Ryko releases and although many represent the digital masters mostly as you have come to understand them, many do not! Each package will identify the actual source so you will be able to plan your collection accordingly.

GZ Sez, zappa.com, August 25, 2012

When you purchase any of these (as many of you have already noticed) you too will note that each and every title advises the source and year of the Master, the name of the Engineer who did the Remastering, the original year of release of the title and how old FZ was when making the record.

The CD Reissues

Release dates, from Amazon.com (retrieved April 18, 2015)

July 31, 2012:
Freak Out!
Absolutely Free
We're Only In It For The Money
Lumpy Gravy
Cruising With Ruben & The Jets
Uncle Meat
Hot Rats
Burnt Weeny Sandwich
Weasels Ripped My Flesh
Chunga's Revenge
Fillmore East—June 1971

August 7, 2012:
Just Another Band From L.A.

August 28, 2012:
Waka/Jawaka
The Grand Wazoo
Over-Nite Sensation
Apostrophe (')
Roxy & Elsewhere
One Size Fits All
Bongo Fury
Zoot Allures
Zappa In New York
Studio Tan
Sleep Dirt
Sheik Yerbouti

September 25, 2012:
Orchestral Favorites
Joe's Garage Acts I, II & III
Tinsel Town Rebellion
Shut Up 'N Play Yer Guitar
You Are What You Is
Ship Arriving Too Late To Save A Drowning Witch
The Man From Utopia
Baby Snakes
London Symphony Orchestra Vols. I & II
Boulez conducts Zappa: The Perfect Stranger
Them Or Us
Thing-Fish

October 30, 2012:
Francesco Zappa
Frank Zappa Meets The Mothers Of Prevention
Does Humor Belong In Music?
Jazz From Hell
Guitar
You Can't Do That On Stage Anymore Vol. 1
You Can't Do That On Stage Anymore Vol. 2
Broadway The Hard Way
The Best Band You Never Heard In Your Life
Make A Jazz Noise Here
Understanding America

November 19, 2012:
Mothermania
You Can't Do That On Stage Anymore Vol. 3
You Can't Do That On Stage Anymore Vol. 4
You Can't Do That On Stage Anymore Vol. 5
You Can't Do That On Stage Anymore Vol. 6
Playground Psychotics
Have I Offended Someone?
Mystery Disc

December 18, 2012:
Ahead Of Their Time
The Yellow Shark
The Lost Episodes
Läther
Finer Moments

Release dates, from Amazon.co.uk (retrieved April 18, 2015)

July 7, 2012:
Freak Out!
Absolutely Free
We're Only In It For The Money
Lumpy Gravy
Cruising With Ruben & The Jets
Uncle Meat
Hot Rats
Burnt Weeny Sandwich
Weasels Ripped My Flesh
Chunga's Revenge
Fillmore East—June 1971
Just Another Band From L.A.

September 4, 2012:
Them Or Us

September 24, 2012:
Waka/Jawaka
The Grand Wazoo
Over-Nite Sensation
Apostrophe (')
Roxy & Elsewhere
One Size Fits All
Bongo Fury
Zoot Allures
Zappa In New York
Studio Tan
Sleep Dirt
Sheik Yerbouti
Orchestral Favorites
Tinsel Town Rebellion
Shut Up 'N Play Yer Guitar
You Are What You Is
Ship Arriving Too Late To Save A Drowning Witch
The Man From Utopia
Baby Snakes
London Symphony Orchestra Vols. I & II
Boulez conducts Zappa: The Perfect Stranger
Thing-Fish

October 8, 2012:
Joe's Garage Acts I, II & III

October 29, 2012:
Francesco Zappa
Frank Zappa Meets The Mothers Of Prevention
Does Humor Belong In Music?
Jazz From Hell
Guitar
You Can't Do That On Stage Anymore Vol. 1
You Can't Do That On Stage Anymore Vol. 2
Broadway The Hard Way
The Best Band You Never Heard In Your Life
Make A Jazz Noise Here

November 11, 2012:
Mothermania
You Can't Do That On Stage Anymore Vol. 4
You Can't Do That On Stage Anymore Vol. 5
You Can't Do That On Stage Anymore Vol. 6
Playground Psychotics
Ahead Of Their Time
The Lost Episodes
Have I Offended Someone?
Mystery Disc
Understanding America

November 26, 2012:
You Can't Do That On Stage Anymore Vol. 3

December 10, 2012:
The Yellow Shark

December 17, 2012:
Läther
Finer Moments

Release dates, from Amazon.de (retrieved April 18, 2015)

July 27, 2012:
Freak Out!
Absolutely Free
We're Only In It For The Money
Lumpy Gravy
Cruising With Ruben & The Jets
Uncle Meat
Hot Rats
Burnt Weeny Sandwich
Weasels Ripped My Flesh
Chunga's Revenge
Fillmore East—June 1971
Just Another Band From L.A.

August 28, 2012:
Waka/Jawaka
The Grand Wazoo
Over-Nite Sensation
Apostrophe (')
[Roxy & Elsewhere]
One Size Fits All
Bongo Fury
Zoot Allures
Zappa In New York
Studio Tan
Sleep Dirt

September 11, 2012:
Sheik Yerbouti

September 25, 2012:
Orchestral Favorites
Joe's Garage Acts I, II & III
Tinsel Town Rebellion
Shut Up 'N Play Yer Guitar
You Are What You Is
Ship Arriving Too Late To Save A Drowning Witch
The Man From Utopia
Baby Snakes
London Symphony Orchestra Vols. I & II
Boulez conducts Zappa: The Perfect Stranger
Them Or Us
Thing-Fish

November 6, 2012:
Francesco Zappa
Frank Zappa Meets The Mothers Of Prevention
Does Humor Belong In Music?
Jazz From Hell
Guitar
You Can't Do That On Stage Anymore Vol. 1
You Can't Do That On Stage Anymore Vol. 2
Broadway The Hard Way
The Best Band You Never Heard In Your Life
Make A Jazz Noise Here

November 20, 2012:
Mothermania

December 11, 2012:
You Can't Do That On Stage Anymore Vol. 3
You Can't Do That On Stage Anymore Vol. 4
You Can't Do That On Stage Anymore Vol. 5
You Can't Do That On Stage Anymore Vol. 6
Playground Psychotics
Ahead Of Their Time
The Lost Episodes
Have I Offended Someone?
Mystery Disc
Understanding America

December 18, 2012:
The Yellow Shark
Läther
Finer Moments

Vinyl Reissues

Michael Fremer, "Uncle Meat—Frank Zappa's Soundtrack Album To A Movie He Correctly Predicted You Would Never See," Analog Planet, January 3, 2014

For all of the current Zappa reissues, when original tapes are in usable condition Chris Bellman is given them to cut but when they are not, Zappa vaultmeister Joe Travers produces the best cutting master from available sources.

July 4, 2013—"Help, I'm A Rock"/"Who Are The Brain Police?" 12" 45 rpm

Help, I'm A Rock

Mog, "Fielding Paints New Zappa Cover," The Velvet Onion, May 12, 2013

As all good [Mighty] Boosh fans will know, there are a number of connections between the boys and Frank Zappa. Well now there's another one!

Noel Fielding has painted the cover of a new 12" 45rpm (red vinyl) release of Zappa's "Help I'm a Rock" & "Who are the Brain Police?" [...]

Frank Zappa's image has featured a number of times in Noel Fielding's paintings, so it's pretty special to see a tie-up between the creative output of the two artists like this.

Rhys Blakely, "The immortal Frank Zappa: 'My husband was the HG Wells of rock'n'roll,'" The Times, July 30, 2013

[Gail Zappa is] still introducing new Zappa material into the world. In one room, copies of the latest gatefold LP (the cover art is by Noel Fielding of the Mighty Boosh) are spread out on the floor.

April 19, 2014—"Don't Eat The Yellow Snow"/"Down In De Dew" (7")

Don't Eat The Yellow Snow

"Universal Music Enterprises Announces Exclusive Record Store Day Releases from Nirvana, Soundgarden, Blue Note, Frank Zappa, Rick James and Public Enemy," StreetInsider.com, April 16, 2014

Frank Zappa: "Don't Eat The Yellow Snow" and "Down In De Dew" (7" single | Don't Eat The Yellow Snow FZ 1974 single edit reissue | Down In De Dew FZ 1973 Alternate Mix—Previously unreleased)

"This sizzles if you like Frank Zappa," Gayle Zappa says. Recorded in 1974, yet originally unreleased, "Don't Eat The Yellow Snow" and "Down In De Dew" are from the forthcoming 40th Anniversary Edition of Apostrophe (') and will be available for the first time on a 7" single.

July 2015—Ahmet, ZFT, & UME

"Frank Zappa Has A New Home With Universal Music Enterprises For Long-Term, Global Licensing And Rights Management Agreement," Universal Music, July 29, 2015

The Zappa Family Trust has partnered with Universal Music Enterprises (UMe) for a long-term, global licensing agreement for Frank Zappa's entire recorded catalog, as well as rights management participation across the rest of the visionary cultural icon's creative canon. The partnership spans Frank Zappa's vast music and film Vault for new product releases, trademark licensing, film and theatrical production.

Kory Grow, "Frank Zappa's Family Plans Massive New Release Schedule," Rolling Stone, July 29, 2015

A new partnership between the Zappa Family Trust and Universal Music Enterprises will allow for new product releases, film and theatrical productions and trademark licensing. [...]

The new partnership spans Zappa's creative canon and includes a long-term, global licensing agreement for the artist's entire recorded catalog, as well as a rights-management agreement that covers everything else. Zappa's son, Ahmet—who will be taking over daily operations of the Zappa Family Trust from Frank's widow Gail—has been working closely with Universal Music Enterprise's President and CEO, Bruce Resnikoff, on the partnership.

September 11, 2015—Digital Releases

ZFT, September 17, 2015

Sixteen essential Frank Zappa albums are newly available for download purchase from all major digital music retailers worldwide, including studio, concert and audio documentary recordings originally released between 1999 and 2013.

[...]

FRANK ZAPPA digital albums (available now)

Frank Zappa—Everything Is Healing Nicely
Prequel to The Yellow Shark.
Official Release #69 (originally released December 1999)
Produced by Frank Zappa

Frank Zappa—FZ:OZ
(Live At Hordern Pavilion, Sydney, Australia 1976)
Live concert recorded on January 20, 1976. 27 tracks!
Official Release #70 (originally released August 16, 2002)
Produced by Frank Zappa
Compilation Produced by Dweezil Zappa

Frank Zappa—Imaginary Diseases
Liner notes by Steve Vai. 10 Piece Band! Live! Yes, for more than an hour & you'll still have over 22 left to do it again every day! Imagine that...!
Official Release #76 (originally released January 2006)
All Recordings Produced by Frank Zappa

Frank Zappa—The MOFO Project/Object
The Making Of Freak Out! An FZ Audio Documentary released in 2006 commemorating the 40th Anniversary of that certain release that united Mutations everywhere at once!
Official Release #78 (originally released December 5, 2006)
Music Composed, Arranged, Orchestrated & Conducted by Frank Zappa

Frank Zappa—Trance-Fusion
Trance-Fusion. It's about Time. It's about Music. It's about the Guitar.
Official Release #79 (originally released October 2006)
Produced by Frank Zappa

Frank Zappa—Buffalo
(Live At Buffalo Memorial Auditorium 1980)
Another scintillating sojourn in the tour itinerary of stages past. Live 1980 Frank Zappa concert. Replete& Complete. All you need is ears!
Official Release #80 (originally released April Fool's Day 2007)
Produced by Frank Zappa

Frank Zappa—The Dub Room Special!
Originally produced for vinyl by Frank Zappa. Liner notes by John Frusciante. Close your eyes and imagine how listening to an album used to be.
Official Release #81 (originally released August 24, 2007)
Produced by Frank Zappa

Frank Zappa and the Mothers of Invention/Hot Rats/Grand Wazoo—WAZOO
(Live At The Boston Music Hall 1972)
Unique and BIG BAND!!!
"A must-have for all Zappa fans."—Allmusic.com
Official Release #82 (originally released Halloween 2007)
Produced by Frank Zappa

Frank Zappa—One Shot Deal
Just when you thought it was safe to go back in the water . . . Makes its own sauce!
Official Release #83 (originally released Friday the 13th of June, 2008)
Produced by Frank Zappa
Compilation Produced by Gail Zappa & Joe Travers

Frank Zappa—Philly '76
(Live At Spectrum Theater, Philadelphia, PA 1976)
That's right. Another concert with stuff that happened on stage that's unforgettable. Happy Birthday to America then! Happy Musiclyexcitingday for you NOW!!
Official Release #86 (originally released December 15, 2009)
Produced by Frank Zappa
Compilation Produced by Gail Zappa & Joe Travers

Frank Zappa—Greasy Love Songs
Yum & Cheap Thrills together at last. Frank Zappa Audio Documentary Project/Object. Cruise again with Ruben & The Jets playing all your favorite greasy love songs.
Official Release #87 (originally released April 4, 2010)
Produced by Frank Zappa
Compilation Produced by Gail Zappa & Joe Travers

Frank Zappa—Congress Shall Make No Law . . .
Presenting: a very LARGE Public Service Announcement. Frank Zappa tells it like it is. And you still have the right to hear it. So far . . .
Official Release #88 (originally released September 19, 2010, 35 years after the Congressional Hearing)
Musics of the 10 commandments composed, performed, recorded by Frank Zappa
Produced by Frank Zappa
Program Assemblage by Gail Zappa with Joe Travers and a little help from Todd Yvega

Frank Zappa—Hammersmith Odeon
(Live At London's Hammersmith Odeon 1978)
Brilliant performances! 1978 LIVE in London. You are there!
Official Release #89 (originally released November 6, 2010)
Produced by Frank Zappa
Compilation Produced by Gail Zappa & Joe Travers

Frank Zappa—Feeding The Monkies At Ma Maison
Melty, Melty. Delicious. Nutritious. Icy Hot. Zappa at the Synclavier. Melt your ears with your own mad digital experience.
Official Release #90 (originally released September 22, 2011)
Produced/Composed/Arranged by Frank Zappa
Compilation Produced by Gail Zappa & Joe Travers

Frank Zappa and the Mothers of Invention—Carnegie Hall
(Live At Carnegie Hall 1971)
Carnegie Hall (Warts & All!!!). Your ticket to October 11, 1971—Two Full Shows! Jack your Lanterns!! Tricks & Treats!!!
Official Release #91 (originally released October 31, 2011)
Produced/Performed/Conducted by Frank Zappa
Compilation Produced by Gail Zappa & Joe Travers

Frank Zappa—A Token Of His Extreme (Soundtrack)
77 Magical Moments! Take it on the road. Play it for your mom. Stuff it in your turkey. Stick it in your ear. Frank did.
Official Release #97 (originally released November 25, 2013)
Produced, Composed & Arranged by Frank Zappa

October 7, 2015—Gail

"Gail Zappa," zappa.com, October 7, 2015

Gail Zappa, nee Adelaide Gail Sloatman, age 70, departed this earth peacefully at her home on Wednesday, October 7, 2015, surrounded by her children.

Future ZFT Projects

The Roxy Performances, 1973

Joe Travers & Alex Winter, "Who The F@% Is Frank Zappa (Save The Vault, Tell The Story)," Kickstarter,* April 9, 2016

Alex Winter: Will there ever be more stuff that comes out from all this unseen unheard Roxy four-night extravaganza?

Joe Travers: Absolutely. In fact, we're—I don't wanna blow—[...] But we're working on a complete performances package of the stuff in audio form. And then we will assess the video—the film that we didn't use in the main film for other projects in the future.

Alex Winter: Right. One of which we hope will be my film.

Joe Travers: That's right!

More "Project/Objects"

Joe Travers, "Who The F@% Is Frank Zappa (Save The Vault, Tell The Story)," Kickstarter,* April 9, 2016

Yes, there will be an Uncle Meat, and there will be a Hot Rats.

See also notes on The Rage & The Fury and Halloween 77.

FZ's Orchestral Music

Sam Hyken and Jacomo Bairos, interviewed by Alicia Zuckerman, WLRN, January 12, 2017

AZ: There are some very, very specific requirements for performing Zappa music at all.

SH: Yeah, first it's very expensive just to even get the music over here. It's the most expensive music that we've come across in terms of music rental. They cost about between $2,000 and $3,000 just to get the sheet music here.

JB: Yeah it's a lot. But you know, when you get the score and you start looking at it, you start to understand it's like having genius on paper.

SH: Some of the actual requirements in playing the music are hilarious. Next to every single piece of Zappa you play they give you a logo of a mustache that has to be next to each piece. [...] For his program notes, you can only write "Frank Zappa" and his dates, and the biography is: "American composer." Nothing more nothing less . . . That's all we're allowed to put on there and we have to put it on there.

September 2016—Lady Gaga purchases UMRK

Ryan Reed, "Hear Lady Gaga on Buying Frank Zappa's House, Super Bowl, 'Pussy Glue'," Rolling Stone, October 24, 2016

Lady Gaga gushed about purchasing Frank Zappa's old house, detailed the inspiration of new LP Joanne, revealed how she landed her Super Bowl Halftime Show gig and explained "pussy glue" in a revealing interview Monday on The Howard Stern Show.

In September, Gaga purchased Zappa's former Hollywood Hills home, which features two recording studios—including one which the experimental rock composer dubbed "Utility Muffin Research Kitchen." "The house is very special and magical," Gaga said. "His studio is in it, and I get to keep the [sound] board! You should have seen me while I was looking at the house. The realtors would be like, 'No pictures!' and I'm in there, photographing the compressors . . . The idea is to restore it and to help it to be in its best condition, but to kind of leave it the way that it is and hear the sound that comes out."

June 30, 2022—Universal Music Group & The Zappa Estate

"Universal Music Group Becomes The Permanent Home Of Frank Zappa Estate," PRNewswire, June 30, 2022

Universal Music Group (UMG), the world leader in music-based entertainment, today announced an agreement between Moon, Dweezil, Ahmet and Diva Zappa (the Zappa Trust) to acquire Frank Zappa's estate, including his expansive recordings, publishing catalog of iconic songs, film archive, and the complete contents of The Vault, the near mythic storage facility that houses the late Zappa's life's work. [...]

With the acquisition, which additionally includes Frank Zappa's name and likeness, Universal Music Enterprises (UMe), UMG's global catalog company, and Universal Music Publishing Group (UMPG), the company's leading music publisher, will build on the company's already successful track record of working with the Zappa Trust [...]. Under the new agreement, UMPG acquires Zappa's complete publishing catalog [...].

The Zappa Trust said, "Ten years ago, Gail Zappa partnered with UMe to bring Frank Zappa's music into the digital era and help expand the Frank Zappa business around the world, setting in motion a fruitful partnership that has resulted in exponential growth. [...] UMG have more than proven their passion for Frank's art and so the entire Zappa family—Moon, Dweezil, Ahmet and Diva—is thrilled to pass the baton to the new forever stewards for all things Frank Zappa. Old and new fans will get more of what they want—more Frank Zappa music for years to come. [...]"

[...] UMG plans to dive into The Vault for new archival projects for decades to come. Additionally, with Zappa's name and likeness, UMG will engage existing fans and new audiences around the world with merchandise, feature films, interactive experiences, as well as non-fungible tokens (NFTs) and other next-generation Web3 projects.

June 1994—The Freedom To Read Foundation Award

July 22, 1994—Asteroid Zappafrank

Science Magazine, August 12, 1994, p. 871

Greg Neale, "Frank Zappa's Star Raises In The Heavens," Sunday Telegraph, August 14, 1994

The 1994 ZFT/Rykodisc Agreement

January 18, 1995—Hall Of Fame Induction

April 8, 1995—Seattle Symphony

1995—Joe Travers, The Vaultmeister

Laurel Fishman, "Unlocking Zappa Treasures," Grammy Magazine, December 10, 2004

Original MOI Reunion

December 16, 1995—Vilnius, Lithuania

February 28, 1996—38th Annual Grammy Awards (1995)

February 25, 1998—40th Annual Grammy Awards (1997)

1998—zappa.com

Gail & The Democratic Party

1999—Rhino Records

June 2000—Holland Festival 2000

The Program

Eric van den Berg, interview with Gail Zappa, de Volkskrant, June 8, 2000 (translation by Corne van Hooijdonk)

March 9, 2001—ZFT vs. Emusic

Jaan Uhelszki, "Zappa's Wife Sues Emusic," Rolling Stone, March 14, 2001

Gwendolyne Mariano, "Zappa Estate Targets Emusic In Copyright Suit," CNET News.com, March 12, 2001

2002—Vaulternative Records

Jim Bessman, "Family Taps Zappa Vault With New Imprint," Billboard, November 22, 2002

January 2003—Rock United

June 2003—Extraordinary Teamwork

"ZFT Licenses Unreleased Zappa Music Under Extraordinary Teamwork," UPI, June 27, 2003

October 2004—Rykodisc & ZFT

zappa.com, c. 2004?

Steve Hochman, "Not Just In It For The Money," Los Angeles Times, July 11, 2004

Zappa Plays Zappa—Tour De Frank

Noble PR, May 23, 2005

2006—Warner & Ryko

"Warner Music Group Corp. Announces Acquisition of Ryko Corporation," Market Wire, March 24, 2006

"Warner Music Group To Acquire Ryko Corp.," Encore, March 26, 2006

2006—National Recording Registry

April 20, 2006—Jammy Awards

Mac Randall, "As Usual, Opposites Attrac At The Jammys," Newsday, April 22, 2006

July 28, 2007—Frank Zappa Straße, Berlin, Germany

"Berlin to Name Street for Frank Zappa," Glide Magazine, April 24, 2007

"Berlin Names Street After Frank Zappa," Associated Press, July 30, 2007

August 9, 2007—Frank Zappa Day in Baltimore

2008—Baltimore Zappa Bust

"Frank Zappa's Widow Supports Plan For Baltimore Bust," Associated Press, May 8, 2008

August 2008—ZFT vs. Zappanale

Spahr, Wolfgang, "Zappa Family Loses Court Battle In Germany," Reuters/Billboard, January 28, 2009

October 2008—Schott Music

January 2008-August 2011—ZFT vs. Rykodisc

Project X—Alan Clayson's Book Project

2012—ZFT vs. Ryko—Warner Agreement

Geoffrey Himes, "Frank Zappa—A Serious Man," Downbeat, May 2013

2012—UME/Universal Reissues

The CD Reissues

Vinyl Reissues

July 4, 2013—"Help, I'm A Rock"/"Who Are The Brain Police?" 12" 45 rpm

April 19, 2014—"Don't Eat The Yellow Snow"/"Down In De Dew" (7")

July 2015—Ahmet, ZFT, & UME

September 11, 2015—Digital Releases

October 7, 2015—Gail

Future ZFT Projects

The Roxy Performances, 1973

More "Project/Objects"

FZ's Orchestral Music

Sam Hyken and Jacomo Bairos, interviewed by Alicia Zuckerman, WLRN, January 12, 2017

September 2016—Lady Gaga purchases UMRK

June 30, 2022—Universal Music Group & The Zappa Estate