(CelebrityAccess) – Universal Music Group (UMG) has acquired Frank Zappa\u2019s recordings, publishing catalog of songs, film archives, and the contents of The Vault, a storage facility that houses the late Zappa\u2019s life\u2019s work.<\/p>\n

UMG signed the expansive agreement with Moon, Dweezil, Ahmet, and Diva Zappa (the Zappa Trust). The contents of The Vault span the four-decade career of the legendary musician, composer, guitarist, and prominent activist. The acquisition includes Frank Zappa\u2019s name and likeness.<\/p>\n

Catalog division Universal Music Enterprises (UMe) and Universal Music Publishing Group (UMPG) will now build on the company\u2019s track record of working with the Zappa Trust to “amplify Frank Zappa\u2019s career as a trailblazer, iconoclast, brilliant musician, and fearless artist who challenged music and culture with his unconventional and uncompromising vision and advocacy”.<\/p>\n

Under the new agreement, UMPG has acquired Zappa\u2019s complete publishing catalogue including Watermelon In Easter Hay, Cosmik Debris, Peaches En Regalia, Uncle Remus, Joe\u2019s Garage<\/em> and hundreds more.<\/p>\n

The Zappa Trust said: \u201cTen years ago, Gail Zappa partnered with UMe to bring Frank Zappa\u2019s music into the digital era and help expand the Frank Zappa business around the world, setting in motion a fruitful partnership that has resulted in exponential growth. UMG have more than proven their passion for Frank\u2019s art and so the entire Zappa family \u2013 Moon, Dweezil, Ahmet and Diva \u2013 is thrilled to pass the baton to the new forever stewards for all things Frank Zappa. Old and new fans will get more of what they want \u2013 more Frank Zappa music for years to come.\u201d<\/p>\n

Marc Cimino, Chief Operating Officer (COO) of UMPG, said: “A powerful voice in music and culture, Frank Zappa was one of the most brilliant artists of his time. We are honoured to welcome Zappa\u2019s influential song catalogue and that his estate has chosen UMG to uphold his artistry and to grow his immense legacy throughout the world.”<\/p>\n

In 2012, Zappa Records and the Zappa Trust \u2013 headed by his widow, Gail Zappa \u2013 made Zappa\u2019s entire recorded catalogue available digitally for the first time through a partnership with UMe, with half of the albums remastered from the original sources and the remaining albums retransferred and prepared from the original digital tapes for CD, streaming and download. Many albums were also remastered for reissue on vinyl.<\/p>\n

\u201cUMG plans to dive into The Vault for new archival projects for decades to come. Additionally, with Zappa\u2019s name and likeness, UMG will engage existing fans and new audiences around the world with merchandise, feature films, interactive experiences, as well as non-fungible tokens (NFTs) and other next-generation Web3 projects.\u201d<\/p>\n

Following Zappa\u2019s death in 1993 of prostate cancer at the age of 52, there have been more than 60 posthumous releases, beginning with 1994\u2019s Cilvization Phaze III<\/em>. Zappa\u2019s last album completed before his death, Dance Me This<\/em>, was issued in 2015 as his 100th album.<\/p>\n

Zappa was posthumously inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1995 and awarded the Recording Academy’s Lifetime Achievement Grammy Award in 1997.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

(CelebrityAccess) – Universal Music Group (UMG) has acquired Frank Zappa\u2019s recordings, publishing catalog of songs, film archives, and the contents of The Vault, a storage facility that houses the late Zappa\u2019s life\u2019s work. UMG signed the expansive agreement with Moon, Dweezil, Ahmet, and Diva Zappa (the Zappa Trust). The contents of The Vault span the<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":36,"featured_media":66245,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_stc_notifier_status":"sent","_stc_notifier_sent_time":"2022-06-30 10:32:47","_stc_notifier_request":false,"_stc_notifier_prevent":false,"_stc_subscriber_keywords":"","_stc_subscriber_search_areas":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[70,51,75,22,13934],"tags":[16580,900],"class_list":["post-121488","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-agency-management","category-breaking-news","category-business-news","category-industry_news","category-music-publishing","tag-frankzappa","tag-umg"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\n