Celebrate Anniversary Of Frank Zappa’s ‘Apostrophe’ With Live ‘Yellow Snow Suite’
By Scott Bernstein Mar 22, 2016 • 1:48 pm PDT
On this date in 1974 Frank Zappa released his most commercially successful album and perhaps most accessible LP, Apostrophe. The album came just one year after Over-Nite Sensation which has a similar feel and is also quite accessible when it comes to FZ albums. In fact, some past releases have paired the material from both LPs including the first CD release of Apostrophe/Over-Nite Sensation in 1986.
Apostrophe features nine tracks, but its first four tracks form the “Don’t Eat the Yellow Snow Suite” which consists of “Don’t Eat the Yellow Snow,” “Nanook Rubs It,” “St. Alfonzo’s Pancake Breakfast” and “Father O’Blivion.” The suite was only played in full from 1973 to 1974 and 1978 to 1980 as per Wikipedia. One version of the “Don’t Eat the Yellow Snow Suite” took place at the Capitol Theatre in Passaic, New Jersey on October 13, 1978. Frank’s band of the time saw him joined by Denny Walley (slide guitar, vocals), Ike Willis (guitar, vocals), Patrick O’Hearn (bass), Arthur Barrow (bass), Tommy Mars (keyboards), Peter Wolf (keyboards), Vinnie Colaiuta (drums) and Ed Mann (percussion).
Watch pro-shot, black-and-white footage thanks to Music Vault:
