A new Frank Zappa box will collect previously unreleased studio and live recordings to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the Mothers of Invention lineup from 1970.

The Mothers 1970 includes 70 tracks from the band's lineup as it appeared in 1970. It's a collective that didn't last long. Zappa disbanded the original Mothers in 1969; the 1970 lineup recorded the Chunga's Revenge album and toured North America and Europe.

By 1972, Zappa was recording as a solo artist.

The set will be available on June 26. You can hear a live cut from The Mothers 1970 - a tape recording of "Portuguese Fenders" - below.

The Mothers (Zappa trimmed the "Of Invention" part of their moniker when he re-grouped them) lasted barely seven months. But the lineup is among one of Zappa's most celebrated: drummer Aynsley Dunbar, pianist George Duke, organist Ian Underwood, bassist Jeff Simmons and Flo & Eddie, the aliases of the Turtles' Howard Kaylan and Mark Volman, who weren't allowed to appear under their own names for contractual reasons.

The four CDs are separated thematically. The first disc includes studio recordings from London's Trident Studios in June 1970; the remaining three discs feature live tracks from the year and recorded during the tour.

You can see the box set's track listing below.

'The Mothers 1970' Track Listing
Disc 1 – Trident Studios, London, England June 21-22, 1970
1. Red Tubular Lighter
2. Lola Steponsky
3. Trident Chatter
4. Sharleena (Roy Thomas Baker Mix)
5. Item 1
6. Wonderful Wino (FZ Vocal)
7. “Enormous Cadenza”
8. Envelopes
9. Red Tubular Lighter (Unedited Master)
10. Wonderful Wino (Basic Tracks, Alt. Take)
11. Giraffe - Take 4
12. Wonderful Wino (FZ Vocal, Alt. Solo)

Disc 2 – Live Highlights Part 1 – “Piknik” VPRO June 18, 1970 / Pepperland September 26, 1970
1. Introducing…The Mothers (Live on “Piknik” June 18, 1970)
2. Wonderful Wino (Live on “Piknik” June 18, 1970)
3. Concentration Moon (Live on “Piknik” June 18, 1970)
4. Mom & Dad (Live on “Piknik” June 18, 1970)
5. The Air (Live on “Piknik” June 18, 1970)
6. Dog Breath (Live on “Piknik” June 18, 1970)
7. Mother People (Live on “Piknik” June 18, 1970)
8. You Didn’t Try To Call Me (Live on “Piknik” June 18, 1970)
9. Agon (Live on “Piknik” June 18, 1970)
10. Call Any Vegetable (Live on “Piknik” June 18, 1970)
11. King Kong Pt. I (Live on “Piknik” June 18, 1970)
12. Igor’s Boogie (Live on “Piknik” June 18, 1970)
13. King Kong Pt. II (Live on “Piknik” June 18, 1970)
14. What Kind Of Girl Do You Think We Are? (Live at Pepperland September 26, 1970)
15. Bwana Dik (Live at Pepperland September 26, 1970)
16. Daddy, Daddy, Daddy (Live at Pepperland September 26, 1970)
17. Do You Like My New Car? (Live at Pepperland September 26, 1970)
18. Happy Together (Live at Pepperland September 26, 1970)

Disc 3 – Live Highlights Part 2 – Hybrid Concert: Santa Monica August 21, 1970 / Spokane September 17, 1970
1. “Welcome To El Monte Legion Stadium!” (Live)
2. Agon (Live)
3. Call Any Vegetable (Live)
4. Pound For A Brown (Live)
5. Sleeping In A Jar (Live)
6. Sharleena (Live)
7. The Air (Live)
8. Dog Breath (Live)
9. Mother People (Live)
10. You Didn’t Try To Call Me (Live)
11. King Kong Pt. I (Live)
12. Igor’s Boogie (Live)
13. King Kong Pt. II (Live)
14. “Eat It Yourself…” (Live)
15. Trouble Every Day (Live)
16. “A Series Of Musical Episodes” (Live)
17. Road Ladies (Live)
18. “The Holiday Inn Motel Chain” (Live)
19. What Will This Morning Bring Me This Evening? (Live)
20. What Kind Of Girl Do You Think We Are? (Live)

Disc 4 – Live Highlights Part 3 – FZ Tour Tape Recordings
1. “What’s The Deal, Dick?”
2. Another M.O.I. Anti-Smut Loyalty Oath (Live)
3. Paladin Routine #1 (Live)
4. Portuguese Fenders (Live)
5. The Sanzini Brothers (Live)
6. Guitar Build ’70 (Live)
7. Would You Go All The Way? (Live)
8. Easy Meat (Live)
9. “Who Did It?”
10. Turn It Down! (Live)
11. A Chance Encounter In Cincinnati
12. Pound For A Brown (Live)
13. Sleeping In A Jar (Live)
14. Beloit Sword Trick (Live)
15. Kong Solos Pt. I (Live)
16. Igor’s Boogie (Live)
17. Kong Solos Pt. II (Live)
18. Gris Gris (Live)
19. Paladin Routine #2 (Live)
20. King Kong - Outro (Live)

 

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