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Canterzeuhl 
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Joined: December 06 2011
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 Topic: Zappa's family trust regain control of catalog
Posted: June 13 2012 at 07:11 |
Copied and pasted from the FZ Website:
TIME TO FREAK OUT… FRANK’S BACK!
ZAPPA FAMILY TRUST REGAINS CONTROL OF ICONIC MUSICIAN’S EXTENSIVE CATALOG
GLOBAL LICENSE/DISTRIBUTION DEAL SIGNED WITH UNIVERSAL MUSIC ENTERPRISES
CATALOG OF 60 RECORDINGS TO BE LAUNCHED WITH JULY 31 RELEASE OF 12 TITLES
Back home where it belongs, the music of FRANK ZAPPA is now back in the hands of the ZAPPA FAMILY TRUST.
To celebrate this, the estate has signed a global license and distribution deal with UNIVERSAL MUSIC ENTERPRISES to release 60 of the iconic composer’s recordings. The roll-out kicks off July 31 with 12 recordings, with another dozen recordings to be released monthly through the end of 2012.
“The ink is not yet dry on The Zappa Family Trust's worldwide deal with Universal Music Enterprises,” says Gail Zappa. “They made us the offer we couldn't refuse--for all the right reasons. It is a win-win for all of us, but mostly for Frank Zappa. Long may his baton wave. We are so ready to go.”
“The artist and composer, Frank Zappa, is one of the most important and influential artists in music history with his prolific body of work, including his breakthrough rock ‘n roll concept albums. We are honored that Gail Zappa and the Zappa Family Trust have entrusted us with his legacy. We intend to honor him and bring high quality releases, digital and physical, for his new and longtime fans,” said Bruce Resnikoff, President/CEO, Universal Music Enterprises (UMe).
Now fully back in hands of the Zappa Family Trust--headed by Zappa’s widow Gail Zappa--the releases will honor the iconic legacy of the composer, musician, bandleader and filmmaker. ZAPPA was posthumously inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1995 and received the Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award in 1997 (although the family would like to know where it is). The official biography: Frank Zappa, American composer, 1940-1993.
The UME deal is for the entire Zappa Catalog as it appeared on Frank Zappa's own independent label, Barking Pumpkin Records. Many of the original analog masters have been re-mastered for this occasion. Yes that's right, you heard right. The entire Catalog, in all its spiffnificent glory will launch July 31, just in time for Frank Zappa’s daughter DIVA’s birthday-- an occasion that will be celebrated along with GAIL, sister MOON UNIT and brothers DWEEZIL and AHMET.
For more information, go to www.zappa.com.
The initial 12 FRANK ZAPPA releases included in the ZAPPA/ UNIVERSAL deal set for July 31 are as follows. **Date signifies original year of release.
1. Freak Out! (1966) 2. Absolutely Free (1967) 3. Lumpy Gravy (1968) 4. We're Only In It For The Money (1968) 5. Cruising With Ruben & The Jets (1968) 6. Uncle Meat (1969) 7. Hot Rats (1969) 8. Burnt Weeny Sandwich (1970) 9. Weasels Ripped My Flesh (1970) 10. Chunga's Revenge (1970) 11. Fillmore East, June 1971 (1971) 12. Just Another Band From L.A. (1972)
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Slartibartfast
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Posted: June 13 2012 at 08:39 |
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Arf
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Released date are often when it it impacted you but recorded dates are when it really happened... 
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HolyMoly
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Posted: June 13 2012 at 09:17 |
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I wasn't aware the music was ever NOT in the hands of the ZFT. Guess I've been out of touch. I had noticed that buying one of his albums could cost you at least $40 these days, probably because of limited availability. So this new development bodes well for that.
Edited by HolyMoly - June 13 2012 at 09:17
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My other avatar is a Porsche
It is easier for a camel to pass through the eye of a needle if it is lightly greased.
-Kehlog Albran
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npjnpj
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Posted: June 13 2012 at 09:35 |
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I'm wondering if there's a significant improvement over the Ryko releases. I was always very happy with them and considering they were Zappa approved (as far as I know), I can't really imagine it's possible to get much more out of the masters. I might be wrong though. It'll be interesting.
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HolyMoly
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Posted: June 13 2012 at 09:39 |
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The Zappas are pretty anal about quality control, so I'm pretty confident they'll be up to snuff. I doubt I'll feel the need to buy any of them a second/third time, but it should be nice for newcomers. In fact, someone recently emailed me for a recommendation about where to start with FZ, and after I made my suggestions, she was shocked to see how hard it was to get them at a good price. So I let her know the good news.
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My other avatar is a Porsche
It is easier for a camel to pass through the eye of a needle if it is lightly greased.
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zumacraig
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Posted: June 13 2012 at 10:30 |
wonder if they'll go on iTunes.
i need a new copy of hot rats. will also pick up zoot allures on the second round of releases. this will be fun!
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Stardust we are.
-Roine Stolt
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TheShaggs
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Posted: June 13 2012 at 10:54 |
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Are they re releasing the vinyl too?
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irrelevant
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Posted: June 13 2012 at 11:42 |
 TheShaggs wrote:
Are they re releasing the vinyl too? |
And the original vinyl mixes to CD?
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HolyMoly
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Posted: June 13 2012 at 12:01 |
That press release is the only real official announcement that's been
made by the ZFT that I know of, but from what it says here,
Jail Zappa wrote:
The UME deal is for the entire Zappa Catalog as it appeared on Frank
Zappa's own independent label, Barking Pumpkin Records. Many of the
original analog masters have been re-mastered for this occasion. |
... my guess is that it will simply be a repackaging of the same mixes that have been prepared for CD already. Which I guess is different from the "remastering" they're talking about, which is simply the act of transferring the recordings to a CD, right? It appears this deal just went through (Gail doesn't like to give a lot of advance notice on such things), so I highly doubt that a lot of expense has been undertaken in re-doing this stuff. Frankly (ha!), I think it's kind of a risky move, what with the CD market shrinking and all. Notwithstanding maniacs like the denizens of PA, that is.
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My other avatar is a Porsche
It is easier for a camel to pass through the eye of a needle if it is lightly greased.
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darkshade
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Posted: June 13 2012 at 12:59 |
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I just want the Roxy DVD. This is cool I guess. Prices for FZ's albums will hopefully go down (they are unnecessarily high right now).
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The Bearded Bard
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Posted: June 13 2012 at 13:17 |
I've been meaning to check out Zappa's stuff for a while, and if availability increases and prices decreases because of this new development I will finally afford to
Also, it's good to hear that the rights to, and control of, everything Zappa ever made is back in the right hands 
Edited by The Bearded Bard - June 13 2012 at 13:17
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bb1319
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Posted: June 13 2012 at 16:07 |
darkshade wrote:
I just want the Roxy DVD. This is cool I guess. Prices for FZ's albums will hopefully go down (they are unnecessarily high right now).
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Same, I just want the Roxy DVD. Although remastered albums would be cool, too.
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"I'd say that what we hear is the quality of our listening." -Robert Fripp
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HolyMoly
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Posted: June 13 2012 at 16:24 |
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I gave up on the Roxy DVD years ago. If it comes, fine. But I don't really care anymore.
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My other avatar is a Porsche
It is easier for a camel to pass through the eye of a needle if it is lightly greased.
-Kehlog Albran
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zravkapt
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Posted: June 13 2012 at 19:14 |
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Hopefully we get the original mix of Hot Rats and not the 1987 remix which has been the only available mix on CD. As others have pointed out, I don't recall Frank's music not being controlled by his family since his death. Rykodisc no longer has the rights to his music, which is why their CDs went out-of-print and became expensive.
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Magma America Great Make Again
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HolyMoly
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Posted: June 13 2012 at 19:27 |
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Here's a thought -- maybe the family went into debt and the catalogue went into escrow, thereby temporarily taking control away from them. Don't want to start any rumours, just speculation.
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My other avatar is a Porsche
It is easier for a camel to pass through the eye of a needle if it is lightly greased.
-Kehlog Albran
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Zombywoof
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Joined: November 26 2009
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Posted: June 14 2012 at 13:14 |
Your subject made me think he'd come back from the dead! Thanks for getting me excited about nothing ... 
Edited by Zombywoof - June 14 2012 at 13:15
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Continue the prog discussion here: http://zombyprog.proboards.com/index.cgi ...
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zravkapt
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Posted: June 14 2012 at 15:10 |
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^Like in a 2Pac hologram type of way...wouldn't that be weird.
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Magma America Great Make Again
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Zombywoof
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Posted: June 14 2012 at 15:28 |
zravkapt wrote:
^Like in a 2Pac hologram type of way...wouldn't that be weird.
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GREAT GOOGLY MOOGLY!!
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Continue the prog discussion here: http://zombyprog.proboards.com/index.cgi ...
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HolyMoly
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Posted: June 14 2012 at 15:29 |
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Actually, on Dweezil Zappa's "Zappa Plays Zappa" tours several years ago, Dweezil occasionally played along with his dad on a large movie screen behind the band. Kinda corny if you ask me, but there you are. PRE-2PAC!
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My other avatar is a Porsche
It is easier for a camel to pass through the eye of a needle if it is lightly greased.
-Kehlog Albran
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Junges
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Posted: June 14 2012 at 15:31 |
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Ah, if they aren't repressing the vinyls... f**k it.. cd's suck.
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Zappa's family trust regain control of catalog
