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Never-Aired Frank Zappa Television Concert From 1974 Finally Set for Release

A long-in-the-vaults Frank Zappa television special, recorded in June 1974 but never aired, will finally be released next month.

tracks, live favorites, and songs that would appear on Overnite Sensation, Apostrophe, and One Size Fits All — Zappa was devastated to find out the audio and video didn’t sync, and the concert was shelved permanently in the vaults. That is, until May 9, when Cheaper Than Cheep arrives via Zappa Records/UMe in a “super deluxe” box set featuring a Blu-ray of the concert film (with “perfectly and painstakingly matched picture to audio for the first time”) along with a 2CD and 3LP of the performance; standalone CD and vinyl versions are also available. Zappa’s Mothers at the time of the performance included drummer Chester Thompson, keyboardist George Duke, guitarist Jeff Simmons, saxophonist Napoleon Murphy Brock, bassist Tom Fowler, and percussionist Ruth Underwood, who also contributed her memories of the June 1974 show to the liner notes.

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