Tours and official releases chronology
text only version
- 1965
- May
The very early Mothers - featuring, Ray Collins, Roy Estrada & Jimmy Carl Black - used to perform at The Broadside in Pomona. From there probably come their earliest live recordings available
(Mystery Disc & Joe's Corsage).
- November
The Mothers hired a 2nd guitar player, Henry Vestine which was soon replaced by Elliot Ingber.
- 1966
- April 7-16
Shortly after the recording of Freak Out!, The Mothers got a ten days engagement in Waikiki, Hawaii.
- May - June
The Mothers gets multiple engagements in San Francisco.
On June 24-25 they opened for Lenny Bruce at the Fillmore Auditorium - from these gigs are said to come some of the earlier live recording audible on MOFO,
MD,
YCDTOSA1 &
YCDTOSA5.
Elliot Ingber was fired at the end of June.
- June 1966: Freak Out!
- September
Three new members for The Mothers: Don Preston, Bunk Gardner and Billy Mundi as 2nd drummer. Also Jim Fielder is hired on guitar. MOI are now a 8 elements group.
- November - December
The year ends with multiple engagements at The Ballroom Farm in NYC.
- 1967
- January 7-21
Two weeks engagement in Montreal.
- February 17-19
Fillmore Auditorium, San Francisco - Jim Fielder's last known gigs with The Mothers.
- March - September
The Mothers moves to NYC where they kept, for almost six months, even if not always continuously, the
'Absolutely Free - Pigs & Repugnant' show at the Garrick Theatre.
- June 1967: Absolutely Free
- September
At the end of the Garrick Theatre period, The Mothers have two new members - Ian Underwood and Motorhead Sherwood - and are now a nine members band.
- September 23 to October 2
The first MOI European tour.
The MOI play Louie Louie on the Royal Albert Hall pipe organ in London
(UM).
The complete MOI gig in Stockholm (Sep 30) is ended up in
'Tis The Season To Be Jelly (BTB).
- December
Art Tripp replaces Billy Mundi as 2nd drummer of the MOI.
The year ends with a five days engagement in Philadelphia.
- 1968
- March 1968: We're Only In It For The Money
- March - May
Usa gigs. On May 3 the Mothers play at The Dog in Denver, some of the performance is available in
Electric Aunt Jemina (BTB).
- May 1968: Lumpy Gravy - with The Abnuceals Emuukha Electric Symphony Orchestra & Chorus
- May - July
USA gigs. On 18 May in Hallendale (Fl) the MOI recorded the live portion of
King Kong (UM).
On July 27 the MOI play God Bless America at the Whisky A Go-Go in LA
(UM).
- August - September
After some 'in and out', Ray Collins definitively leaves The Mothers.
- September 28 to October 26
The 2nd MOI European tour
For the London Royal Festival Hall show on October 25, FZ hired some members of the BBC Orchestra, the result is audible in AOTT. Most part of this unique performance is also available in video (Uncle Meat).
- November - December
Lowell George and Buzz Gardner join The Mothers, that are now a ten elements band.
Most of the November 8 show in Fullerton, including a Wild Man Fischer performance, ended up in
Our Man In Nirvana (BTB).
- December 1968: Cruising With Ruben & The Jets
- 1969
- January - March
The ten members MOI continue to ride USA & Canada. Some bits of the February Miami and NYC shows are available on YCDTOSA5.
- March 1969: Mothermania
- April 1969: Uncle Meat
- April - May
The ten members MOI continue to ride USA & Canada.
After the Toronto & Appleton gigs, in the end of May, Lowell George quits The Mothers.
- May 30 to June 7
The very short 1969 MOI European tour. A bit of the London performance can be heard on
YCDTOSA5.
- June 13 to August 19
Last Usa gigs for the original Mothers of Invention: FZ disbanded the group at the end of August.
An hour of the July 8 Boston performance can be heard in The Ark
(BTB).
- October 1969: Hot Rats
- October 24-28
FZ is Master of Ceremonies at the Amougies Festival in Belgium. He jammed with Pink Floyd, Archie Shepp, Cpt. Beefheart and others.
In early November FZ is in London with Cpt. Beefheart.
- November 28-29
Frank Zappa "and Friends" give a couple of gigs in Los Angeles with one of the "Hot Rats" line-up.
- 1970
- January 1970: Burnt Weeny Sandwich
- February - April
Frank Zappa & Hot Rats: Zappa & Underwood did some occasional gigs in California with always changing line-ups, including: Cpt. Beefheart, Max Bennett, Ed Greene, Don 'Sugarcane' Harris, Jeff Simmons and Ainsley Dumbar.
- May
The MOI reunion tour: for the Contempo '70 music festival was scheduled in LA a concert with The Mothers & The LA Philharmonic Orchestra conducted by Zubin Metha.
FZ with Underwood and a bunch of former & future Mothers (Collins, Motorhead, Preston, Mundi, Dumbar, Simmons) did a short 'rehearsal tour'.
- June 12 to July 5
The new Mothers present them self in some gigs and TV-shows in USA and Europe. The new line-up features the former Turtles Mark Volman & Howard Kaylan (Flo & Eddie), Ian Underwood, George Duke, Jeff Simmons and Ainsley Dumbar.
- July - August
Frank Zappa in Europe: Zappa did at least two gigs in France without the Mothers: at the
Riviera Festival in Antibes with Jean-Luc Ponty (the first known time FZ and JPL played together on stage) and at the Saint Raphael Pop Festival with an unknown band.
- August 1970: Weasels Ripped My Flesh
- August 21
The Mothers are back: the famous El Monte Legion Stadium show (that actually took place at Santa Monica Civic Auditorium)
- September 17 to November 21
Usa & Canada tour.
- October 1970: Chunga's Revenge
- November 1970
The Flo & Eddie Mothers did some memorable gigs at the Fillmore West in San Francisco and at the Fillmore East in NYC (hear Tengo Na Minchia Tanta and
Freaks & Motherfu*#@%! - BTB).
- November 26 to December 17
European Tour. On December 15 in Paris Jean-Luc Ponty joined the Mothers on stage for a sparkling
King Kong jam that ended up in Disconnected Synapses
(BTB).
- 1971
- January 28 to February 5
Pinewood Studios, UK - 200 Motels shooting. Most of the
Frank Zappa's 200 Motels double album was recorded live during the shooting with The Royal Philharmonic Orchestra. The orchestral premiere of 200 Motels scheduled at the Royal Albert Hall for February 8 was canceled.
Jeff Simmons left the band just before the start of the movie and was replaced by Martin Lickert (Ringo Starr chauffeur!). George Duke left the band after the end of the shooting.
- May 10 to June 6
Short Usa Tour. The Flo & Eddie MOI combo now has Jim Pons on bass and Bob Harris on keyboards.
- June 5 - 6
The Mothers record their first entirely live album at the Fillmore East in New York City with, as special guests, Don Preston (FE) and jam with John Lennon & Joko Ono (the jam is audible in Playground Psychotic and in the Plastic Ono Band's ).
- July 2 to 10
Canada tour. At the end Bob Harris left the band.
- August 1971: Fillmore East, June 1971
- August 7
UCLA Pavilion, Los Angeles: the JABFLA show.
Don Preston replaces Bob Harris at keyboards until the end of the 'Flo & Eddie era'.
- August 25 to 29
Short West Coast tour.
- October 1971: Frank Zappa's 200 Motels - the original motion picture sound track.
- October 1 to 24
Usa & Canada tour
- November 1971: Frank Zappa's 200 Motels - the MGM movie was premiered in USA between October and November 1971.
- November 19 to December 10
The infamous 1971 European tour.
- December 4
Montreaux: nearly at the end of the show, a big fire destroyed the Casino hall and the Moi equipment: the whole show can be heard in Sweet Cheese/Fire
(BTB).
The Mothers canceled all sequent European gigs to be ready for the London shows...
- December 10
London: nearly a the end of the first of two scheduled shows at the Rainbow Theatre, a young agitate man throw FZ off the stage into the orchestra pit. FZ ended up at the local hospital with various injuries that kept him for some months on a wheel chair. Excerpt of this performance can be heard in
Playground Psychotics.
It was the end of the tour and of the 'Flo & Eddie era'.
- 1972
- March 1972: Just Another Band From L.A.
- July 1972: Waka/Jawaka
- September 9 to 24
The Grand Wazoo tour: only seven shows for this really big band: 20 elements including Jim Gordon, Tony Duran, Tom Fowler, Sal Marquez, Ian & Ruth Underwood.
Since October 1007 you can hear this big band in Wazoo (recorded in Boston, September 24).
- October - December
The Petit Wazoo tour with a ten elements band including Jim Gordon, Tony Duran and Bruce Fowler.
A sample of this band performances is available since January 2006 in
Imaginary Diseases.
- November 1972: The Grand Wazoo
- 1973
- February 23 to May 20
The 1973 USA tour (with many pauses) with a very new combo: Ian Underwood, Jean Luke Ponty, George Duke, Ruth Underwood, Ralph Humphrey, Tom & Bruce Fowler. Sal Marquez joined in on march 24. For some shows (from April 7 to May 1) Kim Vassy was on vocals.
- June 15 to July 8
The 1973 Pacific tour (Hawaii and Australia). At the end of the Australian tour Sal Marquez left the Mothers.
Zappa edited an extended Yellow Snow Suite from the Sydney June 25 show (One Shot Deal).
- August 18 to September 14
The 1973 European tour: at the end of this tour Ian Underwood left the Mothers after 6 years of almost continuous playing with FZ.
- September 14
Empire Pool, Wembley: last show with Frank Zappa and Jean Luc Ponty together.
- September 1973: Over-Nite Sensation
- October 26 to December 02
Back on the road in Usa and Canada with the new band: two drummers (Chester Thompson & Ralph Humphrey), Napoleon Murphy Brock, Ruth Underwood, George Duke, Bruce and Tom Fowler.
- December 9-10
The Roxy, Los Angeles, with Jeff Simmons as guest.
The shows were recorded (R&E) and filmed (while waiting for the DVD from The Zappa Family Trust, you can seen an account in Classic Albums: Frank Zappa - Apostrophe(')/Over-Nite Sensation, very short fragment can be seen in The True Story Of 200 Motels and a "trailer" is present in the Baby Snakes DVD. Even more is available at Zappa.Com).
- 1974
- February
Some shows in California, Jeff Simmons rejoins The Mothers.
- March 1 to 23
First 1974 USA tour.
- March 1974: Apostrophe (')
- April 19 to May 12: The Mothers 10th Anniversary Tour
FZ again with a ten members band. for this tour only Don Preston rejoins The Mothers, Walt Fowler is added on trumpet, while Ruth Underwood is not in the band. Will be the last tour for Ralph Humphrey and the last Zappa band with two drummers.
Part of the South Bend May 12 performance ended up in Unmitigated Audacity
(BTB).
- June 28 to July 21
New USA & Canada tour.
After the Bloomington July 3 show, Jeff Simmons leaves definitively the band: the Mothers are back to a more traditional 6 members line-up (with Napoleon Murphy Brook, Tom Fowler, George Duke, Ruth Underwood and Chester Thompson).
- August 1974
Some shows in California, including the KCET TV LA performances: see the
A Token Of His Extreme video and
The Dub Room Special!.
- September 1974: Roxy & Elsewhere
- September 6 to October 5
The 1974 European tour.
- September 22-23
The Helsinki Concert(s) - YCDTOSA2
- October 29 to December 3
The last 1974 USA tour.
- October 31
Felt Forum, New York City: the first FZ Halloween soiree in NYC!
- November 19
Tom Fowler gets his left hand broken, will be replaced until the end of the tour by Mike Urso or James 'Bird Legs' Youman.
- December 31
1975 New Year's Eve Special Show at the Long Beach Arena.
The last show with Tom Fowler, Chester Thompson and Ruth Underwood (she will shortly come back for the NYC '76 Christmas run).
- 1975
- April 11
Claremont, California: the two opening shows of the Bongo Fury tour, featuring Cpt. Beefheart.
The new band features Terry Bozzio on drums, Bruce & Tom Fowler, George Duke, Napoleon Murphy Brook and Danny Walley.
- April 18 to May 26
The Bongo Fury tour: the last one with Zappa for George Duke and Tom Fowler.
- June 1975: One Size Fits All
- September 17-18
Royce Hall, UCLA, Los Angeles; the Abnuceals Emuukha Electric Orchestra plays Zappa's
Orchestral Favorites.
- September 27 to December 9
USA & Canada tour.
The new five elements Zappa combo features Roy Estrada (back from the old Mothers), Napoleon Murphy Brook, André Lewis and Terry Bozzio.
- October 1975: Bongo Fury
- October 31
Norma Jean Bell is guest on NYC Halloween shows and joins the band for the rest of the tour (until December 9).
- November 1
College Of William And Mary, Williamsburg, VA: Joe's Menage.
- November 21-22
Two shows in Yugoslavia, in Zagreb and Ljubljana: the only time FZ played behind the red curtain.
- December 26-31
Few shows in California, with the 1976 New Year's Eve Special Show in Inglewood.
- 1976
- January 11 to February 5
1976 Pacific Tour (Hawaii, New Zealand, Australia and Japan.
- January 20
Hordern Pavilion, Sydney, Australia: FZ:OZ.
- February 3
Kosei Nenkin Kaikan, Osaka, Japan: Black Napkins (Zoot Allures).
- February 13 to March 13
The 1976 European tour.
The last tour with Napoleon Murphy Brock (who will shortly come back in 1984) and Roy Estrada.
- October 1976: Zoot Allures
- October 12 to November 25
The 1976 USA and Canada tour.
A nearly completely new combo: Patrick O'Hearn on bass, Ray White on guitar, Eddie Jobson on keyboards & violin. Bozzio keeps the drums. And with Bianca Thornton on keyboards and vocals until November 11.
Part of the Detroit November 17 performance ended up in Conceptual Continuity
(BTB).
- December 26-29
1976 Christmas special big band run in New York City: the ZINY shows, with a twelve elements band featuring Ruth Underwood.
- 1977
- January 13 to February 17
The 1977 European tour, back with the small band (White, O'Hearn, Jobson and Bozzio).
- February 9-10
FZ plays in London for the first time since 1973.
- September 8 to November 11
The 1977 USA & Canada tour
The new band with Bozzio, O'Hearn and the new entries Peter Wolf, Tommy Mars, Ed Mann and Adrian Belew.
- October 28-31
During the NYC Halloween run, with Roy Estrada as guest, was filmed Baby Snakes.
- December 31
Los Angeles - 1978 New Year's Eve Special Show, with Roy Estrada.
- 1978
- January 24 to March 1
The 1978 European tour - last tour with Terry Bozzio.
The tour opened and ended in London, where were recorded most of the Sheik Yerbouti basic tracks.
- March 1978: Zappa In New York
- August 26 to September 9
The short 1978 European summer festivals tour.
The new band: Willis and Walley replace Adrian Belew, Arthur Barrow replaces Patrick O'Hearn and Vinnie Colaiuta replaces Bozzio.
In Munich the band filmed We Don't Mess Around.
- September 1978: Studio Tan
- September 15 to October 31
The 1978 USA & Canada tour.
Ike Willis left the band on Oct 14 and Patrick O'Hearn joined on Oct 13: for the remaining shows the band played with two bass players!.
- October 27-31
The 1978 NYC Halloween run.
The two bass players band did 6 shows at the Palladium, Halloween audio DVD is made from here.
- 1979
- January 1979: Slip Dirt
- February 10 to April 1
The 1979 European tour, with Ed Mann, Vinnie Colaiuta, Arthur Brown, Tommy Mars, Peter Wolf, Ike Willis, Denny Walley and Warren Cuccurullo on additional guitars.
- February 17-19
The band made 4 gigs in London: the Inca Roads solos on SUNPYG and The Yellow Snow Suite on YCDTOSA1 comes from here.
- February 23-24
Two shows in Paris - the second one ended up on Anyway The Wind Blows
(BTB).
- March 1979: Sheik Yerbouti
- May 1979: Orchestral Favorites
- September 1979: Joe's Garage Act I
- November 1979: Joe's Garage Acts II & III
- 1980
- March 25 to May 11
The first 1980 North American tour
The new band: David Logeman, Arthur Barrow, Tommy Mars, Ike Willis and Ray White.
- May 8
The band had a short special gig at The Mudd Club in NYC - Video exist of it!
- May 23 to July 3
The 1980 European tour.
- June 11-12
3 shows in Paris: one of them was pro-shot.
- October 10 to December 11
The second 1980 North American tour.
Two new band members: Bob Harris (his only tour with FZ) and Steve Vai. Winnie Colaiuta replaces David Logeman for his last tour with FZ.
- October 25
Memorial Auditorium, Buffalo, NY: Buffalo
- 1981
- May 1981: Tinsel-Town Rebellion and Shut Up & Play Yer Guitar
- September 1981: You Are What You Is
- September 27 to December 12
The 1981 North American tour.
The new band: Chad Wackerman, Scott Thunes, Robert Martin, Ed Mann, Tommy Mars, Steve Vai & Ray White.
- October 31
Both Halloween NYC shows were pro-shot (check: The Torture Never Stops) and one of them was broadcasted by MTV. Some performances are also visible in The Dub Room Special!.
- December 21: Baby Snakes premiere in NYC.
- 1982
- May 1982: Ship Arriving Too Late To Save A Drowning Witch
- May 5 to July 14
The 1982 European tour (the band is not changed).
- July 14
The longest ever Zappa European tour ends in Palermo with a big riot. It was the first and only time FZ played in Sicily, his father homeland!
- October, 29: The Dub Room Special! premiere at The Ritz in NYC.
- 1983
- January 11
Barbican Center, London: The London Symphony Orchestra conducted by Kent Nagano plays Zappa.
- February 9
San Francisco, War Memorial Opera House: Frank Zappa conducts Ionisation and
Integrales at the Edgar Varese Memorial Concert.
- March 1983: Baby Snakes and The Man From Utopia
- June 1983: London Symphony Orchestra Vol. I
- 1984
- January 9
Paris, Théâtre de la Ville: Ensemble InterContemporain conducted by Pierre Boulez plays The Perfect Stranger.
- June 15-16
Berkeley, Ca: A Zappa Affair - The Berkeley Symphony Orchestra conducted by Kent Nagano.
- July 17 to September 2
The 1984 North American Tour (first leg)
The new Band: Napoleon Murphy Brock, Chad Wackerman, Scott Thunes, Robert Martin, Ray White and the new entries Alan Zavod and Ike Willis.
- August 1
Napoleon Murphy Brock quits the band in Santa Fe on Aug 1.
- August 1984: Boulez Conducts Zappa: The Perfect Stranger
- August 25-26
The band plays at The Pier in NYC, the Does Humor Belong In Music? video show.
- September 9 to October 16
The 1984 European tour.
- October 1984: Them Or Us
- October 25 to December 23
The 1984 North American tour (second leg).
- October 31
At the Felt Forum in NYC Zappa played his last Halloween shows.
- November 1984: Thing-Fish and Francesco Zappa
- 1985
- January 1985: Does Humor Belong In Music? video
- April 1985: The Old Masters Box One - It includes renewed version of Freak Out!, Absolutely Free,
We're Only In It For The Money, Lumpy Gravy,
Cruising With Ruben & The Jets and the first Mystery Disc
- November 1986: Frank Zappa Meets The Mothers Of Prevention
- 1986
- January 1986: Does Humor Belong In Music? (published only in Europe in CD)
- November 1986: The Old Masters Box Two - It includes renewed version of Uncle Meat, Hot Rats, Burnt Weeny Sandwich, Weasels Ripped My Flesh, Chunga's Revenge, Fillmore East, June 1971, Just Another Band From L.A. and the second Mystery Disc
- November 1986: Jazz From Hell
- 1987
- January 1987: Video From Hell - A "preview of the newest releases by Honker Home Video. Music and video concepts by Frank Zappa", contains footage from various Zappa eras.
- September 1987: London Symphony Orchestra Vol. II
- December 1987: The Old Masters Box Three - It includes renewed version of Waka/Jawaka, The Grand Wazoo, Over-Nite Sensation, Apostrophe ('), Roxy & Elsewhere, One Size Fits All, Bongo Fury and Zoot Allures
- 1988
- January 1988: Uncle Meat (or September 1997) - A movie started in 1967 with the original MOI and finally released only in 1987 or 1988
- February 2 to March 23
The 1988 USA tour. Zappa again (and for the last time) on the road with a twelve elements group, the largest ever FZ band (excluding The Grand Wazoo band and the one for the special 1976 Christmas shows).
Ed Mann, Chad Wackerman, Scott Thunes, Robert Martin and Ike Willis comes from the 1984 bands, Mike Keneally is the new entry on keyboards and guitar, Paul Carman, Albert Wing and Kurt McGettrick are on sax, and two old band members, Walt and Bruce Fowler, on trumpet and trombone.
- April 9 to June 9
The 1988 European tour - The last Zappa tour.
- April 1988: Guitar
- May 5
The Barcelona show was broadcasted live.
- May 1988: You Can't Do That On Stage Anymore Vol. 1
- June 9
Genova, Italy: the last Zappa rock show.
- June
Due to FZ disappointment with some fights between the musicians, Zappa fired the whole band and canceled all the shows of the second part of the North American tour.
- October 1988: Broadway The Hard Way
- November 1988: You Can't Do That On Stage Anymore Vol. 2 - The Helsinki Concert(s) (1974)
- 1989
- January 1989: The True Story Of 200 Motels - A one hour documentary on the genesis of the movie
- May 1989: The Amazing Mr. Bickford - Directed by Frank Zappa and animated by Bruce Bickford, with classical Zappa music soundtrack
- November 1989: You Can't Do That On Stage Anymore Vol. 3
- 1990
- spring
Sufferer by now for a long time, FZ had as conclusive diagnosis an inoperable prostate cancer.
- 1991
- April 1991: The Best Band You Never Heard In Your Life
- June 1991: Make A Jazz Noise Here and You Can't Do That On Stage Anymore Vol. 4
- 1992
- July 1992: You Can't Do That On Stage Anymore Vol. 5 and You Can't Do That On Stage Anymore Vol. 6
- September 17-28
Frankfurt, Berlin, Vienna: Ensemble Modern perform The Yellow Shark.
FZ is on stage for the first two shows.
- October 1992: Playground Psychotics
- 1993
- April 1993: Ahead Of Their Time
- November 1993: The Yellow Shark
- December 4
Frank Zappa dies in Los Angeles.
- Official posthumous releases
- December 1994: Civilization Phaze III
- April 1995: The London Symphony Orchestra Volumes I & II 2CD edition
- February 1996: The Lost Episodes
- September 1996: Läther
- October 1996: Frank Zappa Plays The Music Of Frank Zappa, a memorial tribute
- April 1997: Have I Offended Someone?
- September 1998: Mystery Disc CD version
- December 1999: Everything Is Healing Nice
- August 2002: FZ:OZ
- February 2003: Halloween
- October 2003: Does Humor Belong In Music? DVD edition
- December 2003: Baby Snakes DVD edition
- May 2004: Joe's Corsage
- September 2004: Quaudiophiliac
- October 2004: Joe's Domage
- October 2005: The Dub Room Special! DVD edition
- December 2005: Joe's Xmasage
- January 2006: Imaginary Diseases
- October 2006: Trance-Fusion
- December 2006: The MOFO Project/Object (two versions: 2 or 4 cds)
- April 2007: Buffalo
- May 2007: Classic Albums: Frank Zappa - Apostrophe(')/Over-Nite Sensation
- August 2007: The Dub Room Special!
- October 2007: Wazoo
- May 2008: The Torture Never Stops
- June 2008: One Shot Deal
- October 2008: Joe's Menage
- January 2009: The Lumpy Money Project/Object
Back to The clickable multi-purpose FZ calendar
Ok, now check the real Frank Zappa Chronology.
Corrections and additions are really welcome.
This page created on January 2006 and latest revised on February 21, 2009
Touring Can Make You Crazy