Frank Zappa ‘Halloween 81’ Box Set Coming In October

Frank Zappa‘s October 31 and November 1, 1981 concerts at The Palladium in New York City will be issued as the six-CD box set Halloween 81 on October 2 via Zappa Records/UMe. The costume box set features over 70 previously unreleased tracks and includes a “Count Frankula” mask and cape.

Zappa and his band ended a five-show, four-night Halloween run at The Palladium with early and late performances on Halloween as well as a concert on November 1. All three concerts that closed out the run are included on the massive set. Frank debuted a new band for his Fall 1981 tour that saw him joined by newcomers bassist Scott Thunes, drummer Chad Wackerman and keyboardist Robert Martin as well as veteran band members guitarists Ray White and Steve Vai, percussionist Ed Mann and keyboardist Tommy Mars. The group came into The Palladium raring to go after a month on the road.

Preview Halloween 81 by streaming “I’m The Slime” from November 1, 1981 below:

Halloween 81 6-CD Costume Box Set Tracklist

DISC 1

10/31/81 – 8pm Show 1

1. Chunga’s Revenge
2. “The Finest Night Of The Year”
3. You Are What You Is – Take 1
4. You Are What You Is – Take 2
5. Mudd Club
6. The Meek Shall Inherit Nothing
7. Dumb All Over
8. Heavenly Bank Account
9. Suicide Chump
10. Jumbo Go Away
11. Envelopes
12. Drowning Witch
13. What’s New In Baltimore?
14. Moggio
15. We’re Turning Again
16. Alien Orifice

DISC 2

10/31/81 – 8pm Show 1 – cont’d

1. Teen-age Prostitute
2. Flakes
3. Broken Hearts Are For Assholes
4. The Blue Light
5. Tinsel Town Rebellion
6. Yo Mama
7. Bobby Brown Goes Down
8. City Of Tiny Lites
9. “We’re Not Gonna Stand For It!”
10. Strictly Genteel
11. Dancin’ Fool
12. Whipping Post

DISC 3

10/31/81 – 12am Show 2

1. Black Napkins
2. “A Historical Event”
3. Montana
4. Easy Meat
5. Society Pages
6. I’m A Beautiful Guy
7. Beauty Knows No Pain
8. Charlie’s Enormous Mouth
9. Fine Girl
10. Teen-age Wind
11. Harder Than Your Husband
12. Bamboozled By Love
13. Sinister Footwear II
14. Stevie’s Spanking
15. Commercial Break

DISC 4

10/31/81 – 12am Show 2 – cont’d

1. Cocaine Decisions
2. Nig Biz
3. Doreen
4. Goblin Girl
5. The Black Page #2
6. Tryin’ To Grow A Chin
7. Strictly Genteel
8. The Torture Never Stops
9. “The Real Show Keeps Going”
10. Joe’s Garage
11. Why Does It Hurt When I Pee?
12. The Illinois Enema Bandit
13. “The Halloween Tradition”
14. King Kong
15. Auld Lang Syne

DISC 5

11/01/81

1. Zoot Allures
2. “The Last Of Our Halloween Shows”
3. I’m The Slime
4. Pound For A Brown
5. Dave & Al
6. Cosmik Debris
7. Montana
8. Easy Meat
9. Dumb All Over
10. Heavenly Bank Account
11. Suicide Chump
12. Jumbo Go Away
13. Envelopes
14. Drowning Witch

DISC 6

11/01/81 – cont’d

1. What’s New In Baltimore?
2. Moggio
3. We’re Turning Again
4. Alien Orifice
5. Teen-age Prostitute
6. Sinister Footwear II
7. Stevie’s Spanking
8. Cocaine Decisions
9. Nig Biz
10. Goblin Girl
11. The Black Page #2
12. Whipping Post
13. Broken Hearts Are For Assholes
14. The Torture Never Stops