Over three hours worth of newly-unearthed Frank Zappa music is set to get an official release as a compilation called Funky Nothingness. Due out June 30th via Zappa/UMe, the music is believed to have been intended for a sequel to Hot Rats, the avant-garde rocker’s 1969 solo debut; as a preview, you can hear his previously-unreleased song “Work With Me Annie/Annie Had a Baby” now.
Freshly dug out from the Zappa vault, Funky Nothingness will include 25 unreleased and rare tracks, as well as compositions, covers, and miscellaneous jams from 1970 studio sessions with Zappa’s core group: Aynsley Dunbar, Don “Sugarcane” Harris, Ian Underwood, and Max Bennett. Physical copies will arrive on double-LP or triple-CD formats, and pre-orders are ongoing.
“Funky Nothingness delivers on all fronts, showcasing Zappa’s love for rhythm and blues, picking up where Hot Rats left off with extended instrumental workouts fusing rock, jazz, and classical elements into music that can only be described as Zappa,” reads a statement from “Zappa vaultmeister” Joe Travers, who also compiled the collection along with Zappa’s son Ahmet Zappa.
“Work With Me Annie/Annie Had a Baby,” is a medley of the two 1954 hits of the same name, originally sung by Hank Ballard & The Midnighters. With vocals by “Sugarcane” Harris, Zappa’s version leans all the way into a bluegrassy jam.
Listen to “Work With Me Annie/Annie Had a Baby” below, and then keep scrolling to see the tracklists and artwork for Funky Nothingness.
Funky Nothingness arrives just shy of a year after Universal Music Group purchased nearly all of Zappa’s life work. Before you dive into his deep cuts, get to know the mustachioed mastermind in 10 of his most notable songs.
Funky Nothingness Artw0rk:
Funky Nothingness Tracklist:
Vinyl 2xLP
Side A
01. Funky Nothingness
02. Tommy/Vincent Duo I
03. Love Will Make Your Mind Go Wild
04. I’m a Rollin’ Stone
Side B
01. Chunga’s Revenge (Basement Version)
02. Basement Jam
Side C
01. Work With Me Annie / Annie Had A Baby
02. Tommy/Vincent Duo II
03. Sharleena (1970 Record Plant Mix)
Side D
01. Khaki Sack
02. Twinkle Tits
3xCD
Funky Nothingness – The Album
01. Funky Nothingness
02. Tommy/Vincent Duo I
03. Love Will Make Your Mind Go Wild
04. I’m A Rollin’ Stone
05. Chunga’s Revenge (Basement Version)
06. Basement Jam
07. Work With Me Annie / Annie Had A Baby
08. Tommy/Vincent Duo II
09. Sharleena (1970 Record Plant Mix)
10. Khaki Sack
11. Twinkle Tits
Zappa/Hot Rats ’70 Session Masters and Bonus Nothingness
01. Chunga’s Revenge (Take 5)
02. Love Will Make Your Mind Go Wild (Take 4)
03. Transylvania Boogie (Unedited Master)
04. Sharleena (Unedited Master)
05. Work With Me Annie/Annie Had A Baby (Alternate Edit)
06. Twinkle Tits (Take 1, False Start)
07. Twinkle Tits (Take 2)
Zappa/Hot Rats ’70 Session Masters and Bonus Nothingness
01. The Clap (Unedited Master-Part I)
02. The Clap (Unedited Master-Part II)
03. Tommy/Vincent Duo (Unedited Master)
04. Chunga’s Revenge (Take 8)
05. Halos and Arrows
06. Moldred
07. Fast Funky Nothingness
