The version will be available on the 50th anniversary edition of Apostrophe (‘)
Ahead of the highly anticipated release of Frank Zappa’s Apostrophe (‘) 50th Anniversary Edition, due September 13th, Zappa Records/UMe have offered up another exciting auditory taste of the box set with the release of an early version of the live favorite, “Penguin In Bondage (Live in Colorado Springs, Colorado).” “Penguin in Bondage” was first released on the beloved live album, Roxy & Elsewhere, in September 1974, just a few months after Apostrophe (‘), but was already in full rotation in Zappa’s live sets by the time The Mothers performed on March 21, 1974, in Colorado Springs, likely at the Civic Auditorium. This incredible document from one of two full concerts included in the new 50th anniversary release demonstrates Zappa and the band’s inspired improvisations that were unique to each performance of the song. The chosen concerts showcase the differences between lineups from the beginning and end of the year proper, whilst the Apostrophe (‘) album continued its success on the charts.
In addition to the new track, a new video has been released that lifts the veil on The Vault, Zappa’s near-mythic storage facility that contains his life’s work. For the first time, Vaultmeister Joe Travers gives an exclusive walkthrough of The Vault and shows some of the many master tapes and creative assets stored there, including many of the Apostrophe (‘) artifacts, uncovering behind-the-scenes details from the making of the legendary album.
In proper celebration of 50 years of Apostrophe (’), the newly expanded edition will be released in several formats, including a six-disc (5 CD/1 Blu-ray Audio) Super Deluxe Edition that features 75 tracks in total. Produced by Ahmet Zappa and Zappa Vaultmeister Joe Travers, this new, expanded collection titled Apostrophe (’): 50th Anniversary Edition, sports the 2024 remaster of the original album by Bernie Grundman, along with scores of additional session outtakes from The Vault, alternate takes, and 2024 mixes remixed and restored by Craig Parker Adams and remastered by John Polito. Also included are two historical live concert recordings from 1974 — one show captured at an unidentified venue in Colorado Springs, Colorado, and the other recorded at Hara Arena in Dayton, Ohio, on November 20, 1974. Seven of these tracks were first released on the 40th celebration, the now out-of-print collection, The Crux of the Biscuit, in 2016.
The Blu-ray contains the core album newly remixed in Dolby Atmos and 5.1 surround sound by Karma Auger and Erich Gobel at Studio1LA, the same team behind the acclaimed Dolby Atmos and surround mixes of 2022’s Waka/Wazoo and 2023’s Over-Nite Sensation releases, respectively, plus it includes Zappa’s original four-channel Quadraphonic mix (available again for the first time since 1974) as well as the hi-res stereo 2024 remaster at both 24-bit/192kHz and 24-bit/96kHz. The lavish Super Deluxe Edition box comes complete with a 52-page booklet and unseen photos from the archives of Sam Emerson, the man who shot the now-iconic close-up cover image of Zappa, in addition to liner notes and new essays by noted British journalist Simon Prentis and, as always, Vaultmeister Travers.
In addition to the Super Deluxe Edition box set, there will be two separate vinyl releases: a 2 LP + seven-inch single edition with both 180-gram audiophile LPs appearing on white vinyl with yellow-snow splatter, as cut from the original analog tape by Bernie Grundman at Bernie Grundman Mastering in 2024. The seven-inch of “Don’t Eat The Yellow Snow” is a reproduction of the original 1974 single with “Cosmik Debris” — but this time, it comes on cosmic glow in the dark with yellow-snow splatter vinyl. The single LP edition features the original album’s nine tracks on 180-gram audiophile gold nugget vinyl. The 2 LP + seven-inch edition is available exclusively at Zappa.com, uDiscover Music, and Sound of Vinyl.
Additionally, the Super Deluxe Edition will be available digitally, with all 75 tracks available in both hi-res 24-bit/96kHz and standard-res 16-bit/44.1kHz options. A standalone Dolby Atmos mix of the core album’s nine tracks will also be available on all Atmos-supporting hi-res streaming services.
