Frank Zappa Vault Opening Wide For ‘Apostrophe (‘)’ 50th Anniversary Reissue

The Frank Zappa camp is celebrating the 50th anniversary of one of The Maestro’s most iconic albums. Apostrophe (‘) – 50th Anniversary Edition arrives on September 13 via Zappa Records/UMe, previewed today with a previously unreleased “Uncle Remus (Piano and Vocal Mix 2024).”

Zappa released Apostrophe (‘) on March 22, 1974. The critical and (strictly) commercial success of the record turned on a whole new audience to Zappa, which reverberated through the generations as an entry point into the vast Zappaverse along with its predecessor Over-Nite Sensation.

Apostrophe (‘) – 50th Anniversary Edition enhances the accessibility of the album, boasting 75 studio and live tracks, including a remastering of the original album’s nine cuts — by the renowned Bernie Grundman — along with two live shows.

Ahmet Zappa and Vaultmeister Joe Travers produced Apostrophe (‘) – 50th Anniversary Edition.

“Here we are celebrating the 50th anniversary of arguably the most popular record in Frank Zappa’s epic catalog,” Travers wrote. “With Apostrophe (’), Zappa continued to carve out his own genre in music while celebrating ten years in the business. 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.”

Apostrophe (‘) – 50th Anniversary Edition arrives in a variety of formats, including a six-disc (5CD/1Blu-ray Audio) Super Deluxe Edition and a 2LP + 7-inch single (“Don’t Eat The Yellow Snow”) vinyl release. The collection begins with the remastered original album followed by a bevy of alternate and outtakes, giving an in-depth look into the creation of the album.

The live shows include Colorado Springs, Colorado on March 21, 1974, the day before Apostrophe (‘) was released, and Dayton, Ohio on November 20, 1974. The compilation also includes FZ’s 1974 Quadraphonic mix, returning to print for the first time in 50 years. Additionally, there’s some “Bonus Swill” including an “Apostrophe TV Ad” and more.

Previewing the massive collection is “Uncle Remus (Piano and Vocal Mix 2024),” which isolates FZ and The Ikettes’ vocal master tracks and George Duke’s sweet-sounding piano and tack piano tracks. Listen below:

Head here to preorder Apostrophe (‘) – 50th Anniversary Edition and check out the various tracklists and formats.