This is John Zorn's infamous turn-on-a-dime band. Although they can play any style of music, the majority of their songs are noisy and complex. At any moment, a beautiful melody can degenerate into a hurricane of white noise — and then suddenly switch to something else. They've taken everything aggressive about jazz and heavy metal, blended it together, and tightened it. They look like a rock band: drums, electric guitar, bass, keyboards, and saxophone.
The band formed in 1988, playing live before they recorded their first album under John Zorn's name ("Naked City"). They recorded their final album in December of 1992.
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June 18, 2003
Sala Kongresowa
Warsaw, Masovian Voivodeship, Poland1. Batman
2. Latin Quarter
3. James Bond Theme(Monty Norman cover)
4. You Will Be Shot
5. A Shot in the Dark(Henry Mancini cover)
6. Snagglepuss
7. Sunset Surfer
8. Blood Is Thin
9. Thrash Jazz Assassin
10. Ujaku
11. Blood Duster
12. N.Y. Flat Top Box
13. Demon Sanctuary
14. Numbskull
15. Hammerhead
16. Igneous Ejaculation
17. Perfume of a Critic's Burning Flesh
18. Il clan dei siciliani(Ennio Morricone cover)
19. Saigon Pickup
20. Lonely Woman(Ornette Coleman cover)
21. Chinatown(Jerry Goldsmith cover)
22. Theme From the Man from U.N.C.L.E.(Hugo Montenegro cover)
23. Tekufah(Masada cover)
24. Osaka Bondage
25. Shangkuan Ling-Feng
26. Dead Spot
27. Blunt Instrument
28. Speedball
29. Pile Driver
30. Slan
31. Gob of Spit
32. Bonehead
33. Inside Straight
June 17, 2003
Koninklijk Theater Carré
Amsterdam, North Holland, Netherlands1.
2. Batman
3. Latin Quarter
4. James Bond Theme(Monty Norman cover)
5. You Will Be Shot
6. A Shot in the Dark(Henry Mancini cover)
7. Snagglepuss
8. Sunset Surfer
9. Blood Is Thin
10. Thrash Jazz Assassin
11. Ujaku
12. Blood Duster
13. N.Y. Flat Top Box
14. Demon Sanctuary
15. Numbskull
16. Hammerhead
17. Igneous Ejaculation
18. Perfume of a Critic's Burning Flesh
19. Il clan dei siciliani(Ennio Morricone cover)
20. Saigon Pickup
21. Lonely Woman(Ornette Coleman cover)
22. Chinatown(Jerry Goldsmith cover)
23. Theme From the Man from U.N.C.L.E.(Hugo Montenegro cover)
24. Tekufah(Masada cover)
25. Osaka Bondage
26. Shangkuan Ling-Feng
27. Dead Spot
28. Blunt Instrument
29. Speedball
30. Pile Driver
31. Slan
32. Gob of Spit
33. Bonehead
34. Inside Straight
1. The Vault
2. The Cincinnati Kid(Lalo Schifrin cover)
September 18, 1993
The Knitting Factory
New York, New York, United StatesEarly show
1. Grand Guignol
2. Rapid Shave(Shirley Scott cover)
3. The Vault
4. Osaka Bondage
5. Hellraiser
6. Dead Spot
7. Kaoru
8. Thrash Jazz Assassin
9. Bonehead
10. Pistol Whipping
11. Shock Corridor
12. The Prestidigitator
13. Sack of Shit
14. Lying on the Sofa of Life(DNA cover)
15. Jezebel(Frankie Laine cover)
16. The Outsider
17. Sunset Surfer
18. Bone Orchard
19. Improvisation
20. Mr. Kiss Kiss Bang Bang(John Barry cover)
September 18, 1993
The Knitting Factory
New York, New York, United StatesLate show
1. Louange à l'éternité de Jésus(Olivier Messiaen cover)
2. Ma non troppo erotico(Ennio Morricone cover)
3. Pet Sounds(The Beach Boys cover)
4. Taila(Raïna Raï cover)
5. Asylum
6. Henry: Portrait of a Serial Killer(Robert McNaughton cover)
7. Inside Straight
8. Super Stupid(Funkadelic cover)
9. Pigfucker
10. New Jersey Scum Swamp
11. Demon Sanctuary
12. Hammerhead
13. Speedfreaks
14. Igneous Ejaculation
intro15. Happy Birthday to You(Mildred J. Hill & Patty Hill cover)
16. Igneous Ejaculation
17. Jazz Snob Eat Shit
18. No Reason to Believe
19. Slan
20. Blood Is Thin
21. Shangkuan Ling-Feng
22. Gob of Spit
23. Chinatown(Jerry Goldsmith cover)
24. Metaltov
25. Latin Quarter
26. You Only Live Twice(Nancy Sinatra cover)
27. A Shot in the Dark(Henry Mancini cover)
28. Lying on the Sofa of Life(DNA cover)
29. The Bad and the Beautiful(David Raksin cover)
September 17, 1993
The Knitting Factory
New York, New York, United StatesEarly show
View on Setlist.fm →September 17, 1993
The Knitting Factory
New York, New York, United StatesLate show, Yamatsuka Eye on vocals for Leng Tch'e and from Shock Corridor to Pistol Whipping
1. Leng Tch'e
2. Strange Cargo(William Orbit cover)
3. The Yodel(John Patton cover)
4. Pet Sounds(The Beach Boys cover)
5. The List of Adrian Messenger(Jerry Goldsmith cover)
6. Metaltov
7. The Bad and the Beautiful(David Raksin cover)
8. Henry: Portrait of a Serial Killer(Robert McNaughton cover)
9. Shock Corridor
10. Bonehead
11. Kaoru
12. Thrash Jazz Assassin
13. Dead Spot
14. Hellraiser
15. The Prestidigitator
16. Pistol Whipping
September 16, 1993
The Knitting Factory
New York, New York, United StatesLate show
1. Jingi no hakaba(Toshiaki Tsushima cover)
2. Broken Shadows(Ornette Coleman cover)
3. Snagglepuss
4. Body Heat(John Barry cover)
5. Taila(Raïna Raï cover)
6. Prophetiae Sibyllarum(Orlande de Lassus cover)
7. Osaka Bondage
8. Igneous Ejaculation
9. Demon Sanctuary
10. Thrash Jazz Assassin
11. Obeah Man
12. Bonehead
13. Dead Spot
14. Fuck the Facts
15. Blood Duster
16. Pile Driver
17. Facelifter
18. Gob of Spit
19. I Die Screaming
1.
September 16, 1993
The Knitting Factory
New York, New York, United StatesEarly show
1. Night in Tunisia(Dizzy Gillespie cover)
2. The Mystery Song(Duke Ellington cover)
3. Saigon Pickup
4. Asylum
5. Preludes op. 74, no. 2: Très lent, contemplatif(Alexander Scriabin cover)
6. Preludes op. 74, no. 3: Allegro drammatico(Alexander Scriabin cover)
7. Baby Doll(Kenyon Hopkins cover)
8. Sunset Surfer
9. Bone Orchard
10. Dreamsville(Henry Mancini cover)
11. The Cincinnati Kid(Lalo Schifrin cover)
12. Blood Is Thin
13. Slan
14. N.Y. Flat Top Box
15. Ujaku
16. Blunt Instrument
17. Numbskull
18. Speedball
19. Speedfreaks
20. Kaoru
21. Victims of Torture
22. Pistol Whipping
23. Shangkuan Ling-Feng
24. Graveyard Shift
1. Once Upon a Time in America(Ennio Morricone cover)
September 15, 1993
The Knitting Factory
New York, New York, United StatesEarly show
1. Batman
2. Latin Quarter
3. The Sicilian Clan(Ennio Morricone cover)
4. Snagglepuss
5. James Bond Theme(Monty Norman cover)
6. The Cage(Charles Ives cover)
7. The Cage(Charles Ives cover)
Played second time8. Igneous Ejaculation
9. Hammerhead
10. Ujaku
11. Blood Duster
12. S/M Sniper
13. S/M Sniper
Played second time14. N.Y. Flat Top Box
15. Demon Sanctuary
16. Billy Liar
17. Billy Liar
Played second time18. You Will Be Shot
19. Obeah Man
20. Dead Dread
21. Speedball
22. Fuck the Facts
23. Punk China Doll
24. Back in the Earth(Live Skull cover)
25. A Shot in the Dark(Henry Mancini cover)
26. The Way I Feel(John Patton cover)
27. Camille(Georges Delerue cover)
28. Chinatown(Jerry Goldsmith cover)
29. Metaltov
September 15, 1993
The Knitting Factory
New York, New York, United StatesLate show
1. Graveyard Shift
2. I Want to Live(Johnny Mandel cover)
3. Reanimator
4. Reanimator
Played second time5. Blues Groove(John Patton cover)
6. Oh, Pretty Woman(Roy Orbison cover)
>7. Lonely Woman(Ornette Coleman cover)
8. Surfer Girl(The Beach Boys cover)
9. Church Key(The Revels cover)
10. Inside Straight
11. Blunt Instrument
12. Victims of Torture
13. Victims of Torture
Played second time14. Numbskull
15. Perfume of a Critic's Burning Flesh
16. Skatekey
17. Zapata(John Barry cover)
18. Ma non troppo erotico(Ennio Morricone cover)
19. Torture Garden
20. Pile Driver
21. Whiplash
22. Whiplash
Played second time23. Kaoru
24. The Ways of Pain
25. Thrash Jazz Assassin
26. I Die Screaming
27. Taxi Driver(Bernard Herrmann cover)
28. Metaltov
July 10, 1992
Aula Magna
Lisbon, Lisbon, PortugalMay 24, 1992
Cankarjev Dom
Ljubljana, Ljubljana, SloveniaWith Yamatsuka Eye on vocals
View on Setlist.fm →May 5, 1992
Teatro Nuovo
Turin, Piedmont, ItalyMay 3, 1992
Fabrik
Hamburg, Hamburg, GermanyNaked City + Eye: John Zorn, Bill Frisell, Fred Frith, Wayne Horwitz & Joey Baron + Yamatsuka Eye (vocals)
1. Henry: Portrait of a Serial Killer(Robert McNaughton cover)
2. Shock Corridor
3. Dead Spot
4. Blood Is Thin
5. Speedfreaks
6. Hellraiser
7. Blunt Instrument
8. Kaoru
>9. Zorn & Eye Duo
>10. Osaka Bondage
>11. The Vault
12. Thundercrack
13. Lacrosse(John Zorn cover)
14. Snagglepuss
15. Devil's Island(Wayne Shorter cover)
16. Metaltov
1. Strange Cargo(William Orbit cover)
2. Terkmani Teepee
3. Jezebel(Frankie Laine cover)
4. You Will Be Shot
5. Poisonhead
6. Thrash Jazz Assassin
7. Slan
8. Ujaku
9. Bonehead
10. Zorn & Eye Duo
>11. The Prestidigitator
12. Torture Garden
13. Facelifter
14. Igneous Ejaculation
15. Shangkuan Ling-Feng
16. Sack of Shit
17. Graveyard Shift
18. Hammerhead
19. Hawaii Five-O(Mort Stevens and His Orchestra cover)
20. Chinatown(Jerry Goldsmith cover)
May 1, 1992
Stadtgarten Köln
Cologne, North Rhine-Westphalia, GermanyYamatsuka Eye joins on vocals for Leng Tch'e and from Osaka Bondage to the end of the set (encore included).
1. Leng Tch'e
2.
3. Razorwire
4. Metaltov
5. Jezebel(Frankie Laine cover)
6. The Outsider
introduced as "Knucklehead"7. Henry: Portrait of a Serial Killer(Robert McNaughton cover)
8. Devil's Island(Wayne Shorter cover)
9. Lacrosse(John Zorn cover)
10. Dark Eyed Kid(William Orbit cover)
introduced as "Strange Cargo"11. Prophetiae Sibyllarum(Orlande de Lassus cover)
12. Osaka Bondage
13. Facelifter
14. Thrash Jazz Assassin
15. Zorn & Eye Duo
16. Kaoru
17. Speedfreaks
1st take - aborted halfway through18. Speedfreaks
2nd take - full tune19. Dead Spot
20. The Vault
introduced as "The Catacombs"21. Shock Corridor
22. Hellraiser
23. Bonehead
24. Blood Is Thin
25. Shangkuan Ling-Feng
26. Blunt Instrument
1. Night in Tunisia(Dizzy Gillespie cover)
2. Poisonhead
3. American Psycho
introduced as "Thundercrack"April 26, 1992
Stadttheater Kleine Bühne
Basel, Basel-Stadt, Switzerland1. Razorwire
2. Sunset Surfer
3. Metaltov
4. Triggerfingers
5. Terkmani Teepee
6. Asylum
7. Sex Fiend
8. Jezebel(Frankie Laine cover)
9. The Outsider
10. Party Girl
11. Strange Cargo(William Orbit cover)
12. Osaka Bondage
13. Poisonhead
14. I Die Screaming
15. Leng Tch'e
16. Catacombs
17. Thundercrack
April 12, 1992
Harold L. Zellerbach Theatre
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United StatesApril 9, 1992
The Marquee
New York, New York, United StatesLineup: John Zorn, Bill Frisell, Wayne Horwitz, Fred Frith, Joey Baron, and special guest Yamataka Eye.
1. Leng Tch'e
2. Strange Cargo(William Orbit cover)
3. Asylum
4. Terkmani Teepee
5. Party Girl
take 16. Party Girl
take 27. Sunset Surfer
8. Shock Corridor
9. Igneous Ejaculation
10. Slan
11. Speedfreaks
12. Bonehead
13. The Ways of Pain
14. Blood Duster
15. Catacombs
16. Poisonhead
17. The Vault
18. Thrash Jazz Assassin
19. Hellraiser
20. Dead Spot
21. Sack of Shit
22. Metaltov
23. Once Upon a Time in America(Ennio Morricone cover)
24. Snagglepuss
25. The Yodel(John Patton cover)
26. Bone Orchard
27. The List of Adrian Messenger(Jerry Goldsmith cover)
28. Night in Tunisia(Dizzy Gillespie cover)
29. Osaka Bondage
30. Demon Sanctuary
31. Torture Garden
32. Blood Is Thin
33. Super Stupid(Funkadelic cover)
34. Blunt Instrument
35. Kaoru
36. Pistol Whipping
37. Facelifter
38. Numbskull
39. Shangkuan Ling-Feng
40. I Die Screaming
41. The Bitter and the Sweet
August 16, 1991
The Cat Club
New York, New York, United StatesJuly 30, 1991
Pavillon
Hanover, Lower Saxony, Germany1. Leng Tch'e
2. Shangkuan Ling-Feng
3. Ujaku
4. Thrash Jazz Assassin
5. Victims of Torture
6. Demon Sanctuary
7. The Prestidigitator
8. Sack of Shit
9. I Die Screaming
10. Dead Spot
11. Pistol Whipping
12. Jazz Snob Eat Shit
13. Osaka Bondage
14. Rosemary's Lullaby(Krzysztof Komeda cover)
15. Asylum
16. Saigon Pickup
17. Triggerfingers
18. You Will Be Shot
19. Bone Orchard
Some of Naked City's most popular tracks include Batman, Bonehead, Demon Sanctuary, Speedball, Blood Is Thin. Listen to these songs and discover more from their extensive catalog.
This is John Zorn's infamous turn-on-a-dime band. Although they can play any style of music, the majority of their songs are noisy and complex. At any moment, a beautiful melody can degenerate into a... Read the full biography on this page.
You can find Naked City vinyl records and merchandise on eBay. We feature a curated selection of vinyl releases and collectibles available for purchase.
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