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Aug
07

ANTI- RECORDS ANNOUNCES 50TH ANNIVERSARY VINYL RE-ISSUES OF TOM WAITS’ SORDID AND TENDER TALES OF ‘SMALL CHANGE'

Featuring some of the most iconic songs from his late seventies catalogue, ‘Small Change’ by Tom Waits turns fifty this year. To celebrate the landmark occasion a new vinyl re-issue of the album will be available on October 2.

Uniquely combining elements of the great American songbook, jazz, beat poetry, vivid storytelling and his own modern sensibility, ‘Small Change’ was the high watermark of Waits’ 70s period, with classic songs like "Tom Traubert's Blues", “Step Right Up" and "The Piano Has Been Drinking". This is also the record where Tom's now iconic voice reached full maturity.

In a 1976 interview following the release of his third album, Waits reflected on the storytelling roots behind his evolving style, tracing his songs back to his days working the door at a local nightclub and eavesdropping in late-night diners:

"I got a job as doorman at a nightclub in L.A., and I listened to all the acts from the door. I heard bluegrass, comics, folk singers, string bands. At the same time, I was picking up people’s conversations in all-night coffee shops—ambulance drivers, cabdrivers, street sweepers. I did research there as an evening curator, and I started writing—gingerly. I thought at some point I’d like to forge it all into something meaningful and give it dignity.”

Here is a much-loved clip of Waits performing "The Piano Has Been Drinking" on Martin Mull's legendary late 70s TV show Fernwood Tonight: https://youtu.be/RKlmBZsVPK8

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Jul
31

Noise11 - Tom Waits Shares New Spoken Word Track ‘The Fly’

by Paul Cashmere

Tom Waits has released ‘The Fly’, his second piece of new original work this year, issuing the spoken word recording to streaming platforms ahead of a limited edition 12-inch vinyl with Massive Attack. The satirical piece continues Waits’ long tradition of blending beat poetry, surreal storytelling and black humour, while the physical release will raise funds for civil rights and community advocacy organisations.

The release marks another rare addition to Waits’ catalogue after an extended period without new original material. Earlier this year he reunited with Massive Attack for ‘Boots On The Ground’, his first newly recorded original music since the 2011 album Bad As Me. While that collaboration introduced Waits back into the recording studio, ‘The Fly’ shifts the focus to one of the defining elements of his career, his spoken word storytelling.

Illustrated with a lyric video created by Casey Waits, the recording centres on an ordinary housefly, with Waits delivering a mix of deadpan observation and sardonic humour. The narrator offers a reluctant admiration for the insect’s brief existence while reminding listeners of its ultimately forgettable fate.

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Jul
22

“The Fly,” a new spoken-word track by Tom Waits, out now

The new track arrives alongside an accompanying lyric video illustrated by Casey Waits, which features the fly and his guy. Waits wields his whipsaw humor in this satirical ode to the common housefly. Listen Now.

“Today, as in all of mankind’s yesterdays, guarantees this type of song will never go out of style. Man’s folly of fiascos is a feast for the flies.” - Tom Waits

The track is the B-side to “Boots On The Ground,” Wait’s collaboration with Massive Attack and his first new music since 2011’s Bad As Me. Both songs arrive September 4 on an eco-conscious vinyl, with process supporting civil rights and community advocacy organizations. Visit the Tom Waits Store to pre-order your copy. Read More

Apr
23

Extract from "The Fly"

Catch “The Fly,” the exclusive Waits B-side to Boots On The Ground, Waits’ collaboration with Massive Attack featuring Waits’s trademark droll and sardonic spoken word.

Waits and Brennan are donating proceeds from the vinyl sales to local organizations funding essential mental health resources for veterans and vital legal advocacy for immigrant communities; NAMI and VIDAS.

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Apr
15

Tom Waits x Massive Attack - Boots On The Ground

Sadly for all, this song is never more urgent and timely. The song chronicles the madness and rabid abandonment of mankind to the commands of "The Masters of War”, as Dylan put it. It marks Massive Attack's first new music since 2020 and Waits’s first new recording since the 2011 album, Bad As Me.

Listen & Pre-Order

The song is available today on streaming platforms and will be followed by a 12" vinyl release. The 12” edition features "Boots on the Ground" on Side A, with an exclusively Waits B-side titled "The Fly” - a track featuring Waits’s trademark droll and sardonic spoken word.

Massive Attack is embracing an eco-conscious vinyl pressing and packaging process for this record to leave a smaller carbon footprint. This ‘EcoSonic’ edition will be 180g vinyl in colors, red, white, and blue, and will be packed at random.

"One day many years ago, I accepted an invitation from Massive Attack to collaborate. Their long release delay never worried me. Today, as in all of mankind's yesterdays, guarantees this type of song will never go out of style. Man's folly of fiascos is a feast for the flies. Hence, the B-side of Massive Attack’s upcoming 12 inch "The Fly" features my appreciation for the winged nuisance." – Tom Waits Read More

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