FEATURES 25 UNRELEASED AND RARE TRACKS AND MORE THAN THREE AND A HALF HOURS OF NEVER-BEFORE-HEARD COMPOSITIONS, COVERS, AND JAMS FROM 1970 WITH CORE GROUP OF AYNSLEY DUNBAR, DON "SUGARCANE" HARRIS, IAN UNDERWOOD, AND MAX BENNETT

THREE-DISC EXPANDED DELUXE EDITION CONTAINS OUTTAKES, ALTERNATE EDITS, AND UNEDITED MASTERS FROM LITTLE KNOWN RECORDING SESSIONS

Produced and compiled by Ahmet Zappa and Joe Travers, Funky Nothingness will be released June 30 via Zappa Records/UMe in a variety of formats, including a three-disc expanded deluxe edition that presents the 11-track album on disc 1 along with two discs of outtakes, alternate edits, unedited masters of songs from the era ("Transylvania Boogie," "The Clap" and "Chunga's Revenge" among them), plus several epic improvisations, and other "bonus nothingness." An accompanying 28-page booklet includes photos from the recording sessions by photographer John Williams plus illuminating liner notes and an individual track-by-track by Travers. Disc 1 features Zappa's vintage mixes alongside several modern mixes by Craig Parker Adams who also mixed the bonus material. All audio was mastered by John Polito at Audio Mechanics. In all, the 25-track collection includes 23 unreleased tracks totaling nearly three and a half hours of never-before-heard music. The expanded edition of Funky Nothingness will also be available digitally for streaming and download, in both standard and hi-res audio (96kHz/24-bit).

The Funky Nothingness album will also be available as a double LP on 180-gram black vinyl , pressed at Optimal, with lacquers cut by Chris Bellman at Bernie Grundman Mastering. The vinyl will consist of Zappa's vintage mixes of the tracks.
Beginning today, fans can hear the previously unreleased track, "Work With Me Annie/Annie Had a Baby," whichmarries two 1954 hits by Hank Ballard & The Midnighters. The medley of "Work With Me Annie," written by Ballard, combined with its answer song, "Annie Had A Baby," written by Henry Glover and Sydney Nathan, features vocals by Don "Sugarcane" Harris, who rose to fame in the '50s as one-half of Don & Dewey. Zappa, who was a fan of the R&B duo, seized the opportunity to perform classic tunes from the genre with Harris during these sessions.

Harris also takes center stage as a vocalist on "Love Will Make Your Mind Go Wild," which delivers classic soul balladry with a standout violin solo at the end. 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.

All three discs include takes of "Chunga's Revenge," which would serve as the title track to Zappa's actual follow-up to Hot Rats, released in October 1970. The "Basement Version," found on the main album, was recorded in Zappa's basement at home in Laurel Canyon using a 4-channel quadrophonic set-up, nearly three years before the format was made available to the consumer. Zappa then created a stereo mix down from the quad track which is what is included here.

LÅTAR:
Side A
1. Funky Nothingness
2. Tommy/Vincent Duo I
3. Love Will Make Your Mind Go Wild
4. I'm A Rollin' Stone

Side B
1. Chunga's Revenge (Basement Version)
2. Basement Jam

Side C
1. Work With Me Annie / Annie Had A Baby
2. Tommy/Vincent Duo II
3. Sharleena (1970 Record Plant Mix)

Side D
1. Khaki Sack
2. Twinkle Tits

ÖVRIGT:
Mediatyp: 2 Vinyl LP
Konvolut: Gatefold
Produktionsår: 2023
Distributör: UNI
Label: Universal

Streckkod: 0602455270801
SKU: 10074