The Zappa Family Trust has announced the release of a mammoth box set covering Frank Zappa’s legendary 1977 Halloween residency at New York’s Palladium. The six-show residency spanned from October 28-31, 1977 and was filmed and recorded for Zappa’s film project Baby Shakes, but this new box set will be the first time the entire recordings will be released to the public. The massive set will feature all 158 songs from the residency in newly remixed and remastered format from the original tapes in high-quality WAV format loaded onto a unique looking USB drive, set to be released on October 20th via Zappa Recordings. The concerts are presented in an unedited format with no overdubs or extra studio trickery to smooth up live recordings, as is typically the case.
This edition of the album will also come with a Frank Zappa Halloween costume and mask. For those more economically minded, a 3-cd set will also be available that covers the entire Halloween night show plus select bonus tracks. Fans can also digitally download their show of choice on release day.
The concerts captured Zappa and his band at their absolute peak, with the lineup at the time being a who’s who of influential musicians such as Terry Bozzio on drums, Tommy Mars and Peter Wolf on keyboards, Adrian Belew on guitar and vocals, Ed Mann on percussion and Patrick O’Hearn on bass. Belew would go on to become one of the most innovative and experimental guitarists, known for his work in the revamped 80’s lineup of King Crimson and his studio work with Talking Heads, while Bozzio became one of the most revered drummers in rock music. These concerts capture this band at the height of their powers, with plenty of songs breaking out into frenzied improvisation and audience participation.
Additionally, on the same day, the Zappa Family Trust will be reissuing the classic 1976 release Zoot Allures which will be issued on high-quality 180-gram black vinyl for the first time.
This all follows on the heels of the big announcement that a Frank Zappa hologram will be going on tour soon, with many of the musicians who were once in Zappa’s band performing as part of the tour.
You can watch a performance of the fan favorite track “Black Napkins” from the Baby Shakes concert film in the player below.
Halloween ’77 tracklisting:
10-28-77 Show 1
1. 10-28-77 Show 1 Start/Introductions 3:28
2. Peaches En Regalia 2:42
3. The Torture Never Stops 13:05
4. Tryin’ To Grow A Chin 3:37
5. City Of Tiny Lites 6:04
6. Pound For A Brown 8:05
7. Bobby Brown Goes Down 4:33
8. Conehead (Instrumental) 9:19
9. Flakes 4:03
10. Big Leg Emma 1:47
11. Envelopes 2:29
12. Terry’s Solo #1 4:42
13. Disco Boy 3:53
14. Lather 3:36
15. Wild Love 24:05
16. Titties N Beer 7:16
17. Audience Participation #1 :48
18. The Black Page #2 3:02
19. Jones Crusher 2:48
20. Broken Hearts Are For Assholes 3:52
21. Punky’s Whips 9:43
22. Encore Audience #1 1:21
23. Dinah-Moe Humm 4:55
24. Camarillo Brillo 3:35
25. Muffin Man 4:36
10-28-77 Show 2
1. 10-28-77 Show 2 Start/Introductions 3:13
2. Peaches En Regalia 2:42
3. The Torture Never Stops 12:33
4. Tryin’ To Grow A Chin 3:37
5. City Of Tiny Lites 8:00
6. Pound For A Brown 9:19
7. Bobby Brown Goes Down 5:36
8. Conehead (Instrumental) 9:18
9. Flakes 4:10
10. Big Leg Emma 1:48
11. Envelopes 2:33
12. Terry’s Solo #2 4:17
13. Disco Boy 3:54
14. Lather 3:42
15. Wild Love 26:01
16. Titties N Beer 7:50
17. Audience Participation #2 2:37
18. The Black Page #2 3:14
19. Jones Crusher 2:58
20. Broken Hearts Are For Assholes 3:54
21. Punky’s Whips 9:51
22. Encore Audience #2 2:13
23. Dinah-Moe Humm 4:01
24. Camarillo Brillo 3:36
25. Muffin Man 6:20
10-29-77 Show 1
1. 10-29-77 Show 1 Start/Introductions 4:06
2. Peaches En Regalia 2:42
3. The Torture Never Stops 12:59
4. Tryin’ To Grow A Chin 3:34
5. City Of Tiny Lites 7:15
6. Pound For A Brown 8:26
7. Bobby Brown Goes Down 6:06
8. Conehead (Instrumental) 5:50
9. Flakes 3:53
10. Big Leg Emma 1:52
11. Envelopes 2:42
12. Terry’s Solo #3 3:51
13. Disco Boy 3:57
14. Lather 3:40
15. Wild Love 22:51
16. Titties N Beer 6:01
17. Audience Participation #3 2:42
18. The Black Page #2 3:05
19. Jones Crusher 2:53
20. Broken Hearts Are For Assholes 3:50
21. Punky’s Whips 9:18
22. Encore Audience #3 1:46
23. Dinah-Moe Humm 5:12
24. Camarillo Brillo 3:29
25. Muffin Man 5:09
10-29-77 Show 2
1. 10-29-77 Show 2 Start/Introductions 4:21
2. Peaches En Regalia 2:42
3. The Torture Never Stops 11:30
4. Tryin’ To Grow A Chin 3:36
5. City Of Tiny Lites 7:01
6. Pound For A Brown 9:05
7. Bobby Brown Goes Down 9:12
8. Conehead (Instrumental) 6:29
9. Flakes 3:28
10. Big Leg Emma 1:49
11. Envelopes 2:52
12. Terry’s Solo #4 4:07
13. Disco Boy 3:54
14. Lather 3:56
15. Wild Love 27:33
16. Titties N Beer 8:12
17. Audience Participation #4 5:02
18. The Black Page #2 2:57
19. Jones Crusher 2:49
20. Broken Hearts Are For Assholes 3:48
21. Punky’s Whips 9:36
22. Encore Audience #4 2:23
23. Dinah-Moe Humm 6:19
24. Camarillo Brillo 3:30
25. Muffin Man 6:02
10-30-77 Show
1. 10-30-77 Show Start 1:40
2. Stink-Foot 7:45
3. The Poodle Lecture 5:10
4. Dirty Love 2:32
5. Peaches En Regalia 2:40
6. The Torture Never Stops 12:53
7. Tryin’ To Grow A Chin 3:32
8. City Of Tiny Lites 7:36
9. Pound For A Brown 10:03
10. I Have Been In You 8:35
11. Dancin’ Fool (World Premiere) 4:50
12. Jewish Princess (Prototype) 4:41
13. King Kong 8:45
14. Terry’s Solo #5 5:07
15. Disco Boy 4:01
16. Envelopes 2:19
17. A Halloween Treat with Thomas Nordegg 6:17
18. Lather 3:47
19. Wild Love 25:19
20. Titties N Beer 7:01
21. Audience Participation #5 8:28
22. The Black Page #2 2:59
23. Jones Crusher 2:53
24. Broken Hearts Are For Assholes 3:52
25. Punky’s Whips 12:36
26. Encore Rap 1:11
27. Dinah-Moe Humm 6:06
28. Camarillo Brillo 3:27
29. Muffin Man 5:18
30. San Ber’dino 6:20
10-31-77 Show
1. Halloween 1977 Show Start/Introductions 3:11
2. Peaches En Regalia 2:42
3. The Torture Never Stops 13:54
4. Tryin’ To Grow A Chin 3:35
5. City Of Tiny Lites 8:17
6. Pound For A Brown 13:40
7. The Demise Of The Imported Rubber Goods Mask 8:33
8. Bobby Brown Goes Down 3:49
9. Conehead (Instrumental) 8:21
10. Flakes 3:04
11. Big Leg Emma 1:58
12. Envelopes 2:25
13. Terry’s Halloween Solo 4:38
14. Disco Boy 3:55
15. Lather 3:58
16. Wild Love 30:11
17. Titties ‘N’ Beer 7:24
18. Halloween Audience Participation 7:04
19. The Black Page #2 2:55
20. Jones Crusher 2:58
21. Broken Hearts Are For Assholes 3:52
22. Punky’s Whips 11:23
23. Halloween Encore Audience I 2:07
24. Dinah-Moe Humm 6:41
25. Camarillo Brillo 3:24
26. Muffin Man 5:21
27. San Ber’dino 5:01
28. Black Napkins 9:19