New: Zappa's Over-Nite Sensation as 5 disc monster set

Release on November 3!
Now this came as a surprise! Zappa Records/UMe has announced a super deluxe edition of Zappa's widely-acclaimed 1973 album Over-Nite Sensation. This 50th anniversary set includes way more than 50 previously unreleased tracks and mixes, both studio and live recordings. As a sneak preview one song is already now released on streaming services, a basic track recording of Fifty-Fifty (check above).

The band featured on this album is top notch! It includes George Duke, Jean-Luc Ponty and Ruth Underwood to name a few.

More to read here:
https://www.zappa.com/over-nite-sensation/#/

And don't miss this article:

https://www.udiscovermusic.com/news/frank-zappa-over-nite-sensation-super-deluxe/?fbclid=IwAR3vG4VUKvJRzAEoVhrW1njkRTgVjpRQkvu5wHfXyPmkxds7cNFc7IqJvCo

Early Steely Dan beer commercial that was stopped for being too sexual

Back in the early days of Steely Dan the group accepted the job of writing and recording a commercial for Shlitz Beer. This was 1972, so 50 years ago.

The commercial was however shelved by the brewery since the lyrics had what could be interpreted as containing some sexual innuendo. 

Fast forward 50 years and here it is. Listen and see if you find it too sexual or if you feel a sudden craving for a beer...

Hot Rats era related Zappa coming soon!

The music on the upcoming Frank Zappa release Funky Nothingness is what is believed to have been planned for a potential sequel to Zappa's iconic Hot Rats album.
The recordings were made in 1970. The band consists of Don "Sugarcane" Harris (violin and vocals), Max Bennett (bass, Aynsley Dunbar (drums), Ian Underwood (keyboards and saxophone), Frank Zappa (guitar).
One of the titles is Twinkle Tits, a previously unreleased instrumental that has only been available on the Hot Rats at the Olympic bootleg. 

We also get to hear the basic tracks for Stink-Foot (Apostrophe) but in a different context:

Zappa takes lead vocals on the nearly 12-and-a-half-minute-long rendition of Lightnin’ Slim’s “I’m a Rollin’ Stone.” This recording would go on to serve as the genesis for the iconic “Stink-Foot” that closes Zappa’s 1974 album, Apostrophe(‘) as he would eventually wipe his vocals from the multi-track master, save the drum, violin and bass track, and overdub new guitars, vocals and sound effects to create something entirely different. (zappa.com)

Media: 3 CD/2 LP/streaming

Release date: June 30, 2023

Track list and more information here:
https://www.zappa.com/frank-zappas-incredibly-rare-recordings-believed-to-have-been-planned-for-a-potential-sequel-to-his-iconic-hot-rats-album-have-been-unearthed-from-the-vault-and-compiled-as-new-collection/#/

Di Leva on tour again with acclaimed Bowie tribute

Swedish artist Thomas Di Leva is touring Sweden again with Changes – his tribute show to David Bowie. 
The Radio Dupree staff has seen the show this spring and also in 2019. If you get the chance we can really recommend it. The band is great!
Above video was released in 2019.

https://radiodupree.blogspot.com/2019/03/di-leva-plays-bowie-pin-ups-changed-my.html

New Zappa release featuring the spring/summer 1980 band

"Mudd Club/Munich '80" is a 3 CD set featuring Frank Zappa's band during the spring and summer of 1980, the band that featured the drummer David Logeman.
This lineup is basically the You Are What You is band. But when it comes to live recordings it has been somewhat overlooked. This new release features two shows, one of them a rare club gig at the Mudd Club in New York City and the other one is a concert at Olympiahalle, Munich, Germany. 

The Mudd Club gig is only one hour long. It is recorded with some microphones placed in front of the stage, not a line recording which is unusual. Another odd thing is that there are no microphones on the drums so they are not heard through the PA speakers. The overall sound of the recording is rather dry. This plus that one can clearly hear the audience's response gives this recording an intimate club athmosphere.
There is an interesting thing about the two versions of City of Tiny Lites on this 3 CD release. On the Mudd Club show (where the song has a tape cut in the beginning) the guitar solo section has the same chord progression as on the Sheik Yerbouti version. But on the Munich show the band play that part as The Carlos Santana Secret Chord Progression (check out Shut Up'n Play Yer Guitar), an arrangement that bass player Arthur Barrow suggested to Zappa. That is an example of Zappa's ever ongoing development and change of his music, even during a tour.

The Munich show is a full concert (1 hour 45 minutes). Since parts of it was once released as a King Bisquit Flower Hour three sided (!) album for radio stations only it has been widely bootlegged. But here we get the entire show.

The Munich show of 1980 is Zappa's first ever live to 2-track stereo digital recording. It was recorded on a Sony PCM 1600 2-channel digital recording system. Zappa described it as "a live to 2-track original mix, executed from a makeshift 'instant studio' set up in the dressing room."

Drummer David Logeman adds a special flavor to the spring/summer band and also the album You Are What You Is that was recorded rinht after those tours. He had to rehearse and learn a lot of material in a very short time since Zappa's previous drummer Vince Colaiuta left shortly before the spring tour. There is an interesting interview with Logeman on the February 2023 episode of ZappaCast with Scott Parker, Joe Travers and Phil Surkis. (Check link below.)

It seems like Logeman has not been interviewed on his days with Zappa before but he has some good stories to tell and also seems to be a really nice guy.
"Frank would like to tour with material and then record it. You know most artists that I'd ever worked with would record the stuff first and then they would go and tour. To me  that was very unique and very  interesting. He gave me a lot of artistic freedom to come up with drumfills and parts that obviously he had to approve on."

https://open.spotify.com/episode/2XZYP8xKus8wENaaTXdGk3?si=7461f4bc472b4f4a

Terry Hall of The Specials dies

Terry Hall, frontman of British band The Specials has died at the age of 63.

The sad news came from the band on social media:

"It is with great sadness that we announce the passing, following a brief illness, of Terry, our beautiful friend, brother and one of the most brilliant singers, songwriters and lyricists this country has ever produced."

Terry Hall joined The Specials a couple of years before the release of their debut album in 1979 which is now a classic. They had hits with songs as Ghost Town, Gangsters and Too Much Too Young.

Hall died after a brief illness, The Specials said in their statement.

Waka/Wazoo – one of the best posthumous Zappa releases

This monster release is sweeping the ocean! We suggest that you dive deep into this collection of music recorded during Frank Zappa's acclaimed Waka/Jawaka - Grand Wazoo era.

Waka/Wazoo is available on streaming platforms, as well as in a five-disc multi-format box set.

What first strikes me when confronted with this 50th anniversary release is how Zappa did not seem to value certain eras of his carreer when he chose music for the albums he put out during his last years. Unfortunately he favoured less interesting music featuring the 1984 and 1971 bands. For instance he claimed no quality recordings with the 1972 Petite Wazoo band existed. We know better. 

The other thing that is shines through is how Zappa managed to rise again after the disastrous 1971 tour that ended when an irate fan pushed him off the stage. Zappa was seriously injured and had to spend a long time in wheelchair, but in spite of this he managed to record the two superb jazz influenced albums Waka/Jawaka and The Grand Wazoo.

Well, let's enjoy this new release. One of the highlights is Think It Over which is the song The Grand Wazoo with vocals. There are also alternate takes, alternate mixes and longer edits of familiar compositions.

Track list here:

https://radiodupree.blogspot.com/2022/10/historical-archival-zappa-release.html

Sigurd Huckle

Radio Dupree

New Bowie set: Hunky Dory demos – with Scary Monsters clues

The Divine Symmetry 4 CD set celebrates the twelve months running up to the release of the album Hunky Dory in December 1971 via home demos, BBC radio sessions and live and studio recordings.
Already halfway through the first track, Tired Of My Life, Bowie surprises. It turns out that this is the prototype to It's No Game that was released on the Scary Monsters album in 1980. (At around 17:00 in the YouTube clip above.)
And the track King Of The City is obviously an early version of Ashes To Ashes from the aforementioned album.
https://www.davidbowie.com/blog/2022/9/28/divine-symmetry-box-set-details

Audio engineer Bernie Grundman on the Steely Dan reissues

Legendary audio engineer Bernie Grundman and Chad Kassam discuss the Steely Dan catalogue, reissues, and the master tapes. The first record "Can't Buy A Thrill" is out November 4, 2022 with the rest of the albums to follow in the coming 12 months.

More on Bernie at Wikipedia:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bernie_Grundman

And here's Donald Fagen himself on the reissues,

Historical archival Zappa release: Waka/Wazoo box set

This are the recordings we thought did not exist, but finally we get to know they do, alternate takes of songs from Zappa's beloved Waka/Jawaka and Grand Wazoo albums. Plus a live concert and Zappa related George Duke demos.
"The Waka/Wazoo box set features a complete historical run-down of the entire project, featuring alternate takes of almost every composition recorded during the album sessions, along with Vault mix session outtakes and oddities. Also included is the full final show of the 10-piece tour, recorded at the famous Winterland Ballroom in San Francisco on December 15, 1972. The Blu-ray Audio disc features both albums with brand-new, first-time-ever Atmos and 5.1 mixes from the original multi-tracks and the 96kHz 24-bit high-resolution stereo remasters. Finally, during the album recording sessions at Paramount Studios, FZ worked with George Duke on some of Duke’s solo material. These demos were produced by Zappa, who also played guitar. Although George would go on to re-record the compositions for his own albums, the versions with FZ have never been officially issued until now."

TRACKLISTING

CD 1

Paramount Studios Recording Session Alternates and Outtakes

1. Your Mouth (Take 1)

2. Big Swifty (Alternate Take)

3. Minimal Art (Eat That Question – Version 1, Take 2)

4. Blessed Relief (Outtake Version)

5. Think It Over (The Grand Wazoo) (Outtake Version)

6. For Calvin (And His Next Two Hitch-Hikers) (Outtake Version)

7. Waka/Jawaka (Outtake Version)

CD 2

Paramount Studios Recording Session Alternates and

Outtakes, continued

1. Cletus Awreetus-Awrightus (Alternate Take)

2. Eat That Question (Version 2, Alternate Take)

3. Big Swifty (Alternate Mix)

4. For Calvin (And His Next Two Hitch-Hikers)

(Alternate Mix)

5. It Just Might Be A One-Shot Deal (Alternate Mix)

6. Waka/Jawaka (Alternate Mix)

7. Cletus Awreetus-Awrightus (Alternate Mix)

8. Eat That Question (Alternate Mix)

CD 3

George Duke Demos – The Master Versions

1. For Love (I Come Your Friend)

2. Psychosomatic Dung

3. Uncle Remus (Instrumental)

4. Love

George Duke Session Outtakes

5. For Love (I Come Your Friend) (Basic Track, Take 1)

6. Psychosomatic Dung (Basic Track, Take 2)

7. Love (Basic Track, Take 1)

The Grand Wazoo – Live

8. Approximate (Live – FZ Record Plant Mix)

10-Piece/Petite Wazoo – Live / Winterland Ballroom, San Francisco, CA – 12-15-1972

9. Winterland ’72 Opening And Band Introductions

10. Little Dots

CD 4

10-Piece/Petite Wazoo – Live, continued

Winterland Ballroom, San Francisco, CA – 12-15-1972

1. America Drinks

2. Montana

3. Farther O’Blivion

4. Cosmik Debris

5. Chunga’s Revenge

BLU-RAY AUDIO

48kHz 24-bit Dolby Atmos, 48kHz 24-bit Dolby TrueHD

5.1, 96kHz 24-bit PCM Stereo

WAKA/JAWAKA

1. Big Swifty

2. Your Mouth

3. It Just Might Be A One-Shot Deal

4. Waka / Jawaka

THE GRAND WAZOO

1. The Grand Wazoo

2. For Calvin (And His Next Two Hitch-Hikers)

3. Cletus Awreetus-Awrightus

4. Eat That Question

5. Blessed Relief

Donald Fagen on the upcoming improved versions of all the original Steely Dan albums

This is an interesting chat about amongst other things the newly mastered releases of the original Steely Dan albums starting in November with Can't Buy A Thrill.

The albums will be released in various CD and vinyl versions over the coming 12 months, and here you can get some facts from Donald Fagen himself together with Acoustic Sounds/Analogue Productions CEO Chad Kassem and Fred Kaplan, reviewer for the Tracking Angle and a columnist for Slate:

Steely Dan's Joni Mitchell cover finally available

Steely Dan. Photo: Danny Clinch.

It popped up a couple of months ago. Steely Dan's cover of the song Carey recorded for a tribute album released in 2007 on Nonesuch Records titled just A Tribute to Joni Mitchell. Back them it had been in the works for seven years!

We wrote about it in 2006 stating a lot of the songs and artists that in the end didn't make the album. Including Steely Dan. Click here to read that post.

It should be said that this is not an official release, but it is out and being shared. Want to hear it?

Here's a Youtube link.

And here's one more from another Youtube poster who's done a "gentle remaster".

We're happy to finally hear the Steely Dan version even if it is more
than 20 years after it was recorded.

Archival release of The Beatles Revolver album

 

On 28th October the groundbreaking 1966 album Revolver will be released in newly-mixed and expanded Special Editions packages.

Versions:
* 5 CD/4 LP Super Deluxe
* 2 CD Deluxe
* Picture Disc
* 1 LP
* 1 CD
* Download and streaming

Including: Original mono album mix, previously unreleased session recordings and demos, Paperback/Rain EP.

https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-features/the-beatles-revolver-unheard-archives-sheffield-1234587264/?fbclid=IwAR2dIO8K3v-AIAcwaAA3GmrTxDMhiQS59e9vC1wIIR7ctb7WM-7ihIdYHkc

Rock Theatre – excellent Finnish Genesis tribute band

Attention Genesis fans! If you ever get the chance to see Rock Theatre from Finland...don't hesitate!
The quintet mostly performs in Finland but has recently played a couple of concerts in northern Sweden. They do covers of songs from the Genesis albums that were released between 1970 and 1977, like Nursery Cryme and Selling England by the Pound.
Rock Theatre band leader guitar player Charles Plogman tells Swedish public service radio that it took him two years to form the group. No wonder, since these songs can be hard to play.

https://sverigesradio.se/artikel/hyllade-vasabandet-rock-theatre-spelar-genesis-i-umea

During their recent concerts they performed songs like The Return of the Giant Hogweed, Supper's Ready and Firth of Fifth. Their musicianship is excellent. It is not an easy task to front the band (like Peter Gabriel did) but lead vocalist Bo-Anders Sandström does a great job, with fox head and all.

Check out this video where they do Firth of Fifth (from a concert in Vasa, Finland 2018):

New: Zappa in Yugoslavia 1975 – 2 CD set

In November 1975 Frank Zappa went to Yugoslavia for two concerts. Of course he recorded them.
This incarnation of The Mothers of Invention is the same as the one on FZ:OZ (a show in Australia, January 1976), with one exception. In the fall 1975 singer/sax player Norma Bell was in the band for a short time. Otherwise it is the same band and pretty much the same repertoire. 
To be honest this is far from Zappa's best lineup, BUT since there are no quality releases of entire shows with Norna Bell it will be interesting to hear her contribution to the band. And as always, with every new release there is always golden nuggets that will appear and surprise you.

Black Napkins (one track from Ljubljana, 22 November 1975, from the album Frank Zappa Plays The Music of Frank Zappa: A Memorial Tribute):
https://youtu.be/3x_x6d42U3Q

Zappa.com/news:
https://www.zappa.com/news/presenting-zappa-75-zagreb-ljubljana-coming-oct-14-2022-pre-order-now