With the super-deluxe 50th anniversary reissue of Frank Zappa’s 1974 album Apostrophe (‘) just weeks away, the first episode of a new YouTube series devoted to the album premieres today. As with previous video series devoted to Whiskey A Go Go and Over-Nite Sensation, Zappa’s Vaultmeister Joe Travers is back to guide viewers through the history of Zappa’s most commercially successful LP.
Viewable on Zappa’s YouTube channel, the episode provides a rare look into “The Vault,” the celebrated Frank Zappa archive. Travers shows the invoice that Zappa typed out for Tina Turner and the Ikettes for their vocal contributions to Over-Nite Sensation and Apostrophe (‘). He also provides a look at the master tapes from the album, which yielded Zappa’s first chart hit in the No. 86-peaking “Don’t Eat The Yellow Snow.”
Order the deluxe edition of Frank Zappa’s Apostrophe (‘) now.
The 75-track, six-disc re-release of Apostrophe (‘) is due out Sept. 13. Its bonus material includes recordings from concerts in Colorado and Ohio, dozens of fresh mixes, and a wealth of information about the album’s recording. The super deluxe edition is packaged with a 52-page booklet featuring unseen archival stills of album cover photographer Sam Emerson as well as liner notes and essays contributed by Travers and veteran British music journalist Simon Prentis.
Apostrophe (‘) was Zappa’s first ever certified Gold album and peaked at No. 10 on the Billboard 200 Chart. But even on an album where he repeated the phrase “strictly commercial,” he was bringing his wildly unique creative perspective to bear on the music. It also continued his penchant for surprise left turns; despite the album’s lyrical focus on the silly and absurd, “Uncle Remus” was a serious treatise on racism
“With Apostrophe (‘), Zappa continued to carve out his own genre in music, while celebrating ten years in the business,” Travers shared in a statement. “Nobody sounded like Frank Zappa. This album, and specifically ‘Don’t Eat The Yellow Snow’ brought that unique wonderful sound to the masses in a way that nobody, including Frank, would expect.”
Order the deluxe edition of Frank Zappa’s Apostrophe (‘) now.
