The Dub Room Special is a film produced by Frank Zappa for direct-to-video release in October, 1982. The video combines footage from a performance at the KCET studios in Los Angeles on August 27, 1974, a concert performed at The Palladium, New York City on October 31, 1981, some clay animation segments by Bruce Bickford, and interviews. The 1974 footage was originally conceived as part of the TV special A Token of His Extreme. The entire production was edited in the "Dub Room" at Compact Video, a post-production facility in Burbank, California. A few of the Compact Video staff members have brief appearances.
The videocassette was released in 1982 and was available only through Zappa's mail-order company, which was known by its phone number "818-PUMPKIN". This was produced in small quantities with a plain black and white typed label. Though it had a $49.98 price tag it quickly sold out. The videocassette was sold in both VHS and Beta formats. The Beta version contained a stereo Hi-Fi soundtrack, but not the VHS copy, as the format did not yet have the capability.
The video was reissued on DVD on October 17, 2005 with some interview sections trimmed. In 2007 a soundtrack with the same name was released. In 2013 the original 1974 "A Token Of His Extreme" video was released on DVD.
Track listing
"Kim?"/The Dog Breath Variations/Uncle Meat
Room Service
Nig Biz
Approximate
Cosmik Debris
Cocaine Decisions
"The Massimo Bassoli Instant Italian Lesson"/Montana
"In Case You Didn't Know"/Tengo Na Minchia Tanta
Florentine Pogen
Stevie's Spanking
Stink-Foot
Flakes
Inca Roads
Easy Meat
"Huh-Huh-Huh"
The following interview sections on the original videocassette version were cut from the DVD re-issue: Zappa talking about Compact Video (originally preceded Room Service) Intermission (after Florentine Pogen) with title cards and Zappa talking about bad continuity