Zappa In New York

The Different Releases

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Main Versions

For more details, see Zappa In New York, Vinyl-vs-CDs FAQ, The Zappa Patio and 023 Zappa In New York, The Official Releases, Zappateers.

• 1977 Mix
  • Uncensored—11 Tracks—Withdrawn
    • (2 LPs, Discreet/Warner Bros., 2D 2290, 1977)
    • (UK, 2 LPs, Discreet, K 69204, 1977)
  • Censored—10 Tracks
    • (2 LPs, Discreet/Warner Bros., 2D 2290, 1978) *
    • (UK, 2 LPs, Discreet, K 69204, 1978)
    • 2018 Master
      • (3 LPs, Zappa Records/Universal ZR3856-1, 2019)
      • Zappa In New York 40th Anniversary Deluxe Edition (5CD, Zappa Records/Universal ZR20029, 2019)
• 1990s Digital Remix
  • Vinyl Master—11 Tracks
    • (EU, 2 LPs, Zappa Records/Today Croydon, ZAPPA 37, 1991)
  • CD Master—15 Tracks
    • (2CD, Barking Pumpkin, D2 74240, 1991)
    • (EU, 2CD, Zappa Records/Today Croydon, CDDZAP 37, 1991)
    • (2CD, Rykodisc, RCD 10524/25, 1995)
    • (2CD, Zappa Records/Universal, ZR 3856, 2012)

 

Vinyl Track Listings

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Withdrawn 2 LP Version

(Discreet K 69204, 1977)

Side 1

1. Titties & Beer
2. I Promise Not To Come In Your Mouth
3. Punky's Whips

Side 2

1. Sofa
2. Manx Needs Women
3. The Black Page Drum Solo/Black Page #1
4. Big Leg Emma
5. Black Page #2

Side 3

1. Honey, Don't You Want A Man Like Me?
2. The Illinois Enema Bandit

Side 4

1. The Purple Lagoon

Original 2 LP Version

(Discreet 2D 2290, March 3, 1978)

Side 1

1. Titties & Beer 5:31
2. I Promise Not To Come In Your Mouth 3:31
3. Big Leg Emma 2:09

Side 2

1. Sofa 3:15
2. Manx Needs Women 1:39
3. The Black Page Drum Solo/Black Page #1 4:06
4. Black Page #2 5:25

Side 3

1. Honey, Don't You Want A Man Like Me? 4:18
2. The Illinois Enema Bandit 12:09

Side 4

1. The Purple Lagoon 16:20

3 LP 40th Anniversary Version

(Zappa Records/UME ZR3856-1, March 29, 2019)

Side 1

1. Titties & Beer 5:01
2. I Promise Not To Come In Your Mouth 3:31
3. Big Leg Emma 2:17

Side 2

1. Sofa 3:16
2. Manx Needs Women 1:34
3. The Black Page Drum Solo/Black Page #1 4:06
4. Black Page #2 5:42

Side 3

1. Honey, Don't You Want A Man Like Me? 4:16
2. The Illinois Enema Bandit 12:41

Side 4

1. The Purple Lagoon 17:12

Side 5

1. Black Napkins 10:56
2. Cruisin' For Burgers (1977 Mix) 9:08

Side 6

1. The Black Page #2 (Piano Version) 3:14
2. I Promise Not To Come In Your Mouth (Alternate Version) 3:55
3. Punky's Whips (Unused Version) 10:55
4. The Black Page #1 (Piano Version) 2:13

 

The December 1976 New York Concerts

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Liner notes by FZ, 1977

In 1976 we played for a cozy group of 27,500 deranged fanatics in New York City (13,500 for three shows at the Felt Forum at Halloween, and 14,000 for four shows at The Palladium the week between Christmas and New Year's). All of these sold out concerts were promoted by Ron Delsener (who we hereby thank), and attended by some of the nicest people we have had the experience of playing for (who we also hereby thank). New York last Chirstmas is what made this album possible.

Frank Zappa
conductor, lead guitar, vocals

Ray White
rhythm guitar, vocals

Eddie Jobson
keyboards, violin, vocals

Patrick O'Hearn
bass, vocals

Terry Bozzio
drums, vocals

Ruth Underwood
percussion, synthesizer, and vaious humanly impossible over-dubs

Don Pardo
sophisticated narration

David Samuels
timpani, vibes

Randy Brecker*
trumpet

Mike Brecker*
tenor sax, flute

Lou Marini
alto sax, flute

Ronnie Cuber
baritone sax, clarinet

Tom Malone
trombone, trumpet, piccolo

John Bergamo
percussion over-dubs

Ed Mann
percussion over-dubs

Louanne Neil
osmotic harp over-dubs

Production & re-mix engineer
Frank Zappa

N.Y.C. live remote engineer
Bob Liftin

N.Y.C. live concert mix
Davey Moire

Studio engineers (overdubs)
Rick Smith, Davey Moire

Remote recording truck
Fedco

Studio
Record Plant, L.A.

Guitar modifications
Rex Bogue

Guitar special effects box
Claus Wiedemann

Signed D.C., "You Best Be At That Dance Down On 14th Street, You Hear?," It's All The Streets You Crossed Not So Long Ago, July 28, 2005

ZAPPA RETURNS TO NEW YORK
[...] HOLIDAY EXTRAVAGANZA
DEC. 26, 27, 28—8:00 P.M.

Barry Miles, "Any Resemblance Is Purely Conceptual," New Musical Express, UK, December 4, 1976

The band is doing a 15 minute live set on "The Saturday Night Live Show" on December 11. This is the biggest satirical show on US TV, with its rock spot, thereby reaching untold millions of viewers. There are also plans for a Christmans extravaganza.

Between Christmas and the New Year, 16 December until the 29th, Zappa is doing a theatre show at the Palladium in New York City (the old Academy of Music). It's a 3,500 seater and Frank is arriving in NYC on December 5 to interview dancers and choreographers. For the show he is expanding the lineup. He hopes it will include Ralph Armstrong, Ruth Underwood and Don Preston—doing his mad scientist bit. Beefheart is also interested. Sounds a great show.

FZ, interviewed by Michael Branton, Collage, December 1977

"Last December," he says, by way of illustration, "we were doing a special thing in New York at the Palladium, with the band plus five horn players. I tried to get some dancers to do it, and they wanted more than the musicians! Just for wiggling their feet!"

Howard Shore

Bill Lantz, August 31, 2016

While listening to FZ's introduction to the 12/28/76 show, he introduces some special people in attendance including "Howard Shore, who lent us the musical parts for the arrangement that we're going to play right now, (something?) called Peaches En Regalia".

Howard Shore was first Saturday Night Live Musical Director, so this is no doubt a carry over from the December 11, 1976 SNL show. I didn't realize that Howard Shore "did the parts" which I suppose means he helped the horn section (only?) by charting the song(s) out for them.

Don Pardo

FZ, interviewed for KNON FM, Dallas, TX, August 18, 1989

Don's a nice guy. You know, for years they kept him in that back room at NBC and nobody got a chance to see him, 'cause he used to do all the voiceovers on Saturday Night Live, and when we took him on stage with us in New York he had been one of the funny parts of the show but nobody had ever seen him, so he got to come out on stage we put him in a white tuxedo and he performed with us, and one part of this song, "I'm The Slime," he came out on stage and started dancing around in the tuxedo so I urged him to go into the audience, you know, just to get out there with the kids, and he went out there and he made a circuit all the way through the Palladium, and finally came back on stage and it was, he was so excited because on the way back some girl that grabbed his weenie.

 

April 1977—Overdubs

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Ed Mann

Ed Mann, interviewed by Andrew Greenaway, The Idiot Bastard, March 14, 2004

I met Frank in an alley behind Sunset Blvd. when he had that rehearsal studio there in 1975. Bozzio had just joined the band. My friend and teacher John Bergamo was there rehearsing some chamber music (FZ's)—and all of a sudden Frank comes walking up with a pile of music under one arm and says "Hi!" with a big smile. Frank loved meeting new people I think, especially new musicians. I thought—"Wow, I just met Frank Zappa . . . " but I had already met Keith Moon while standing at a urinal at the Record Plant—so I was a little bit used to being around stars by then I guess. But Frank of course I looked up to as a musical genius and inspiration. Later on in April 1977, when John and Ruth and I recorded the 'Black Page', was when I next met Frank.

Ed Mann, "Hired By Frank Zappa," Gonzo Today, July 29, 2021

March 1977. I was a post-grad hanging around CalArts teaching, and John Bergamo approaches, saying "Hey man, Zappa called me again. He's got this fucking impossible piece called the Black Page he wants me to overdub on, and he said I should bring another percussionist along. Do you want to do it?" He says (Zappa percussionist) Ruth Underwood will be there too.

"Here, look at this fucking thing," says Bergamo as he pulls 2 sheets of music out of a folder to show me. "Now you see why it's called the Black Page." There were more black printed notes than white space on this page! "But don't sweat it, Frank says Ruth already knows it and has performed it, so she'll coach us." Of course I said yes . . . yes and thank you John Bergamo . . . wow. A paying gig! Glad I walked past your office today!

A week later, after one rehearsal at Ruth's house, there we were at The Record Plant in Hollywood. Nervous. This was a very difficult piece of music . . . and Frank Zappa was so . . . intimidating, direct, sharp and clear. Ok I thought, don't get too wigged out because after all, you're already off into building your own music which is nothing like Frank's, so just do your best. I've already relayed to Frank through John that I played keyboard mallets as a hobby only. Never gigged on mallets, I'm a drummer and a multipercussionist. And Frank said he understood, "but come down anyway."

Then in walks Frank, hair tied tightly back into a crisp bun, elegant clothing, shirt tucked in and . . . Jesus I didn't realize how tall he is! I'm intimidated. Then I realized he's wearing 5" heeled, platform Python Boots. He seems 7 feet tall. He's got these razor blade eyeballs, he's reserved but friendly. Thank god our first night is dedicated to non-pitched percussion, wood and metal "found objects."

As we piece our way through the recording, which consisted of layering percussion solo drums played phenomenally by Terry Bozzio, things relax. Frank loves this stuff. He makes a few suggestions, specifies a few passages, solos the 3 individual percussion feeds, and once when mine was soloed for scrutinization, he turned around and gave me a wink and a thumb-up!

"You've only had this music for a week, and you're still reading it, but how are you able to play these polyrhythmic phrases so easily?"

"Oh, ah, well . . . from learning Indian music," I replied.

"What? You mean that swami stuff?" Frank asked. Thankfully John Bergamo jumped in to explain, along with a brief demonstration of reciting 3,5, and 7 meters over an 8 beat finger count. "Hmm, I see," said Frank remotely, and dropped the subject.

 

Original 1977 Scheduled Release

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June-July 1977

Ed Kelleher, "'Live' LP Advances Strongly," Billboard, June 4, 1977, p. 1, 86

The live album has entrenched itself on Billboard's Top LP & Tape Chart.

With three recorded on-location sets in the top 10, seven more advancing rapidly upward and live product due soon from such top attractions as the Rolling Stones, Frank Zappa, Lily Tomlin and Laura Nyro, there is ample evidence that record companies stand to reap befty sales dividends from LPs recorded outside studio environments.

[...]

Also promised for the near future are these live albums: "Zappa In New York," a two-record set by Frank Zappa expected in late June; [...].

c. July 1977—UK Release (Withdrawn)

"Zappa in New York," Wikipedia, June 3, 2018

Zappa in New York was released in the UK by Zappa's DiscReet Records label in 1977, then quickly withdrawn. [...] Zappa in New York was first released in early 1977 with Zappa's original intended track listing. A small number of LP copies reached stores in England before the album was quickly withdrawn.

"Frank Zappa—Zappa In New York," Discogs.com, retrieved July 9, 2018

In 1977 a quantity of copies of this double album were released in few places internationally on vinyl & cassette with the track "Punky's Whips" included on both the sleeve listing, the label & the recording, as follows:

A-Side: 1. Titties & Beer; 2. I Promise Not To Come In Your Mouth; 3. Punky's Whips. B-Side: 1. Sofa; 2. Manx Needs Women; 3. The Black Page Drum Solo/Black Page #1; 4. Big Leg Emma; 5. Black Page #2.

This version was withdrawn by Warner Brothers, who considered its homoerotic reference to Angel guitarist Punky Meadows in "Punky's Whips" & "Titties And Beer" to be potentially litigious.

October 1977

"Labels Plan High Ticket Campaigns," October 22, 1977, p. 95

Among Warner Bros.' forthcoming releases are Rod Stewart's "Foot Loose & Fancy Free," "Alice Cooper Live," a double pocket George Benson live LP, a live America LP, Gary Wright's "Touch And Gone," a triple album Neil Young anthology title "Decade" (on Reprise), an album by the original Fleetwood Mac and a double album titled "Zappa In New York."

The Young LP lists at $14.98 while the Benson and Zappa albums list at $12.98. All others are $7.98. [...]

[Phonogram/Mercury] is prepping to rush-release an all new four record set from Frank Zappa which will carry a suggested list of $27.92.

John Sippel, "Zappa Zaps WB, Discreet Over Album," Billboard, November 5, 1977, p. 16

LOS ANGELES—Warner Bros. Records and Discreet Records are to refrain from manufacturing and marketing the album, "Zappa In New York," following a hearing Tuesday (25) before Judge Malcolm Lucas in Federal District Court here.

The two defendants will lay off producing and selling the album until a Thursday (3) hearing before the court, at which time Lucas will decide upon a motion for a temporary restraining order, proffered by Harvey Fierstein, counsel for Frank Zappa, a co-plaintiff with John Williams who designed original artwork for the package.

The suit also named Capitol Records, which would be duplicating and pressing the album; Ivy Hill Lithography, which would print the album artwork and make the jacket, and Martin Cohen, local attorney and brother of Herb Cohen, former Zappa personal manager and owner of Discreet Records.

Crux of the legal hassle between Zappa and Williams and the defendants is whether Zappa could rightly refuse a license to Warner Bros. to reproduce the nine songs in the "New York" album which Zappa authored. Zappa contends that because he never issued the license, Warner Bros., Discreet and the other defendants in releasing the album would infringe on his copyrights.

Zappa claims that Warner Bros. first began to manufacture the album only when it heard recently he had negotiated a deal for the albums with a competing company. It's believed that the multiple-set package, listing for $24.95 for four LPs, will be on Phonogram/Mercury (Billboard, Oct. 22, 1977). Zappa claims the sessions ambodied in the set cost him $100,00 out-of-pocket.

He has not been repaid for any part of that amount by Warner Bros., he claims. His pleading noted that Warner Bros. intended to release "New York" either Oct. 28 or Dec. 28, 1977.

Zappa alleges that from 1965 to 1976, Martin Cohen administered Zappa's musical compositions through Cohen's Third Story Music, also named as a defendant. Warner Bros., Discreet and Martin Cohen conspired prior to May 31, 1977, to infringe upon the nine song copyrights.

Zappa and Williams claim that the defendants also infringe upon the album artwork which was registered for copyright by Williams.

The suit asks $5 million damages for unfair competition, and $5 million for invasion of privacy, plus additional damages prescribed by the court.

In a separate motion for a temporary restraining order, Zappa contends that Martin Cohen is withholding $50,000 in copyright royalties while Discreet has more than $40,000 in record royalties which belong to him.

Zappa says he delivered to Warner Bros. Records four albums, for each of which he was to have been contractually paid $60,000. He has not been paid, he claims. Warner Bros. Records, he further claims, impeded negotiating a pact with EMI of London. When Warner Bros. heard of the Mercury/Phonogram deal, it notified the Chicago-based label it still had Zappa under exclusive contract. Zappa claims his WB paper does not guarantee him $6,000 annually as required by California Code Section 3423.

 

Reception

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Banned In South Africa

Associated Press, May 2, 1980

The South African government Friday banned four records, including Pink Floyd's "Another brick in the wall," which was sung this week by children boycotting schools to protest inferior education.

Also outlawed was the group's long-player, "The Wall," Frank Zappa's "Zappa in New York" and Marianne Faithful's "Broken English." No reasons were given for the bannings.

Forty blind children who joined demonstrations started two weeks ago by students of mixed race adapted Pink Floyd's song to emphasize demands for a uniform system of education for all race groups. The white minority government enforces a racial segregation policy that allows whites a privileged position.

 

The Warner Bros. Lawsuit

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Hugh Fielder, "Zappa," Sounds, September 9, 1978

What's the current state of play over albums?

Well, Warner Brothers still owes me the money. I'm still suing them. I'm still suing Herb Cohen (his former manager). The case won't go to court in the United States for another three to five years. Warner Brothers are intending to release another of the four albums that I delivered to them that they didn't pay me for. That's supposed to come out in October. I've already finished off this other one [Sheik Yerbouti] . .

Which is the one they've released that they haven't paid you for so far?

'Live In New York'. And the next one they'll be putting out is a studio album called 'Studio Tan'.

Does that explain why there was a late change in the track listing on 'Live In New York'?

There was one track that got removed, 'Punky's Whips'. They took it out. First of all they had no right to tamper with the tapes. Secondly they didn't pay me for any of the stuff that I delivered to them. I mean, they're just so far in breach of the contract and they're just so grossly unfair. For instance, that track 'Punky's Whips' is 12 minutes and 37 seconds long. It's most of a side. They took it out because they didn't have the permission from Punky Meadows to use it. Then they have the audacity to go ahead and release the album with 12 minutes missing. There was something in one of the papers over here complaining about how short the album was (It was Sounds actually—Ed.). It wasn't my fault. I didn't have any control over it. I think Herb Cohen was the one who took it out.

 

disc 1

disc 2