Frank Zappa / The Mothers 1970: 4CD box set

The Mothers 1970

The Mothers 1970 is a four-CD Frank Zappa box set which features 70 unreleased tracks from the short-lived 1970 line-up of the Mothers of Invention.

The band during this period last around seven months and was Aynsley Dunbar, George Duke, Ian Underwood, Jeff Simmons, and Flo & Eddie (aka Howard Kaylan and Mark Volman). 

This new box set features over four hours of unreleased music, with the first CD featuring unheard studio sessions from Trident Studios in London England (with engineer Roy Thomas Baker) and the remainder offering historical live performances mostly captured by Zappa’s own tape recorder (a UHER recorder).

All recordings were sourced from their original tapes discovered in The Vault and digitally transferred and compiled by Travers in 2020. Some tracks were mixed by Craig Parker Adams and the collection was mastered by John Polito at Audio Mechanics.

The Mothers 1970 is presented in a clamshell box and includes a booklet and a button.

It has been produced by Ahmet Zappa and Joe Travers and will be released on 26 June 2020 via  Zappa Records/UMe.

CD 1 – Trident Studios, London, England June 21-22, 1970

1. Red Tubular Lighter
2. Lola Steponsky
3. Trident Chatter
4. Sharleena (Roy Thomas Baker Mix)
5. Item 1
6. Wonderful Wino (FZ Vocal)
7. “Enormous Cadenza”
8. Envelopes
9. Red Tubular Lighter (Unedited Master)
10. Wonderful Wino (Basic Tracks, Alt. Take)
11. Giraffe – Take 4
12. Wonderful Wino (FZ Vocal, Alt. Solo)

CD 2 – Live Highlights Part 1 – “Piknik” VPRO June 18, 1970 / Pepperland Sep 26, 1970

1. Introducing…The Mothers (Live on “Piknik” June 18, 1970)
2. Wonderful Wino (Live on “Piknik” June 18, 1970)
3. Concentration Moon (Live on “Piknik” June 18, 1970)
4. Mom & Dad (Live on “Piknik” June 18, 1970)
5. The Air (Live on “Piknik” June 18, 1970)
6. Dog Breath (Live on “Piknik” June 18, 1970)
7. Mother People (Live on “Piknik” June 18, 1970)
8. You Didn’t Try To Call Me (Live on “Piknik” June 18, 1970)
9. Agon (Live on “Piknik” June 18, 1970)
10. Call Any Vegetable (Live on “Piknik” June 18, 1970)
11. King Kong Pt. I (Live on “Piknik” June 18, 1970)
12. Igor’s Boogie (Live on “Piknik” June 18, 1970)
13. King Kong Pt. II (Live on “Piknik” June 18, 1970)
14. What Kind Of Girl Do You Think We Are? (Live at Pepperland September 26, 1970)
15. Bwana Dik (Live at Pepperland September 26, 1970)
16. Daddy, Daddy, Daddy (Live at Pepperland September 26, 1970)
17. Do You Like My New Car? (Live at Pepperland September 26, 1970)
18. Happy Together (Live at Pepperland September 26, 1970)

CD 3 – Live Highlights Part 2 – Hybrid Concert: Santa Monica August 21, 1970 / Spokane September 17, 1970

1. “Welcome To El Monte Legion Stadium!” (Live)
2. Agon (Live)
3. Call Any Vegetable (Live)
4. Pound For A Brown (Live)
5. Sleeping In A Jar (Live)
6. Sharleena (Live)
7. The Air (Live)
8. Dog Breath (Live)
9. Mother People (Live)
10. You Didn’t Try To Call Me (Live)
11. King Kong Pt. I (Live)
12. Igor’s Boogie (Live)
13. King Kong Pt. II (Live)
14. “Eat It Yourself…” (Live)
15. Trouble Every Day (Live)
16. “A Series Of Musical Episodes” (Live)
17. Road Ladies (Live)
18. “The Holiday Inn Motel Chain” (Live)
19. What Will This Morning Bring Me This Evening? (Live)
20. What Kind Of Girl Do You Think We Are? (Live)

CD 4 – Live Highlights Part 3 – FZ Tour Tape Recordings

1. “What’s The Deal, Dick?”
2. Another M.O.I. Anti-Smut Loyalty Oath (Live)
3. Paladin Routine #1 (Live)
4. Portuguese Fenders (Live)
5. The Sanzini Brothers (Live)
6. Guitar Build ’70 (Live)
7. Would You Go All The Way? (Live)
8. Easy Meat (Live)
9. “Who Did It?”
10. Turn It Down! (Live)
11. A Chance Encounter In Cincinnati
12. Pound For A Brown (Live)
13. Sleeping In A Jar (Live)
14. Beloit Sword Trick (Live)
15. Kong Solos Pt. I (Live)
16. Igor’s Boogie (Live)
17. Kong Solos Pt. II (Live)
18. Gris Gris (Live)
19. Paladin Routine #2 (Live)
20. King Kong – Outro (Live)