Song By Song

Aaaaaaand finally... we're delighted to welcome Sam Clements to the show for an extended farewell to the podcast, discussing the process involved in producing a weekly music show for 8+ years. Martin and Sam fess up to a few things, talk about the work involved behind the scenes, and consider what a project like this affects the people involved. It's been a pleasure folks, the time went so quickly. Speak soon. x website: songbysongpodcast.com twitter: @songbysongpod e-mail: songbysongpodcast@gmail.com

Having gone through all of Waits's music Song by Song, we're obviously well-placed to say which ones are best... or maybe least-worst... perhaps just from our perspective... subjectively good in these two people's opinions... but then who are we to say? Anyway, in this penultimate episode, Sam and Martin have a little chat about The Old Favourites as the podcast enters the final straight. website: songbysongpodcast.com twitter: @songbysongpod e-mail: songbysongpodcast@gmail.com Music extracts used for illustrative/review purposes include (deep breath): All The World Is Green, Blood Money, Tom Waits (2002) Barcarolle, Alice, Tom Waits (2002) Blind Love, Rain Dogs, Tom Waits (1985) Blue Skies, The Early Years vol 2, Tom Waits (1993) Cold Cold Ground, Franks Wild Years, Tom Waits (1987) Diamond In Your Mind, Orphans: Brawlers Bawlers and Bastards, Tom Waits (2006) Downtown Train, Rain Dogs, Tom Waits (1985) Fall Of Troy, Orphans: Brawlers Bawlers and Bastards, Tom Waits (2006) Falling Down, Big Time, Tom Waits (

Having done the work, put in the hours and carefully considered all the options, Martin and Sam discuss exactly where they think a new listener to Waits's music might want to start, considering the various angles and perspectives one might have, as well as a little discussion of Tom's compilation albums. website: songbysongpodcast.com twitter: @songbysongpod e-mail: songbysongpodcast@gmail.com Music extracts used for illustrative/review purposes include: Martha, Closing Time, Tom Waits (1973) Lonely, Closing Time, Tom Waits (1973) Closing Time, Closing Time, Tom Waits (1973) Downtown Train, Rain Dogs, Tom Waits (1985) Time, Rain Dogs, Tom Waits (1985) 9th & Hennepin, Rain Dogs, Tom Waits (1985) The Black Rider, The Black Rider, Tom Waits (1993) I'll Shoot The Moon, The Black Rider, Tom Waits (1993) Lucky Day, The Black Rider, Tom Waits (1993) Diamonds On My Windshield, The Heart of Saturday Night, Tom Waits (1974) (Looking For) The Heart of Saturday Night, The Heart of Saturday Night, Tom Waits (1974) The

Our second set of music videos brings Philippa back to Martin and Sam for the last decade-and-change of Waits music videos. Sampling the work of Jesse Dylan, Matt Mahurin and various others, we consider what these videos mean in a post-YouTube world, as well as Waits's filmed promos in the 21st century. website: songbysongpodcast.com twitter: @songbysongpod e-mail: songbysongpodcast@gmail.com Music extracts used for illustrative/review purposes include: Hold On, Tom Waits music video from Mule Variations, dir. Matt Mahurin (1999) Come On Up To The House, (unauthorised?) Tom Waits music video from Mule Variations, dir. Anders Lövgren (1999) What's He Building, Tom Waits music video from Mule Variations, dir. Lex Brand (1999) God's Away On Business, Tom Waits music video from Blood Money, dir. Jesse Dylan (2002) Lie To Me, Tom Waits music video from Orphans, dir. Danny Clinch (2006) Tom Waits Press Conference, promo for Glitter&Doom tour, dir. unknown (2008) Tom Waits' Private Listening Party, promo for Bad

Continuing our season of specials on material outside the show’s main remit, Philippa Spanos returns to help Martin and Sam consider the creative and commercial aspects of Waits’s music videos. Starting with a long-overlooked animation experiment from the 70s, we chart how these films function in relation to the music, the commercial purpose of a video, as well as all the tiny tiny guitars. website: songbysongpodcast.com twitter: @songbysongpod e-mail: songbysongpodcast@gmail.com Music extracts used for illustrative/review purposes include: Tom Waits For No-One / The One That Got Away, short film feat. Tom Waits, dir. John Lamb (1979) In The Neighbourhood, Tom Waits music video, dir. Haskell Wexler (1983) Rain Dogs Promos, dir. Chris Blum (1985) Downtown Train, Tom Waits music video, dir. Jean-Baptiste Mondino (1985) Blow Wind Blow, Tom Waits music video, and Limousine Interview promo, dir. Chris Blum (1987) Temptation, Tom Waits music video from Franks Wild Years, dir. Betzy Bromberg (1987) It's Alright With

Our final season wouldn't be complete without a look at the emails sent in by you, dear listeners, covering some errors and omissions, new theories, questions about remasters and several lovely well-wishes as we head towards the end of the show.  website: songbysongpodcast.com twitter: @songbysongpod e-mail: songbysongpodcast@gmail.com Music extracts used for illustrative/review purposes include: You Have Beautiful Eyes, Over The Garden Wall OST, The Blasting Company (2014/2016) Glitter & Doom tour performance from The Fox Theatre, Atlanta GA (5 July 2008) Cold River, Master of Disaster, John Hiatt (2005) Sixthfinger from Topper Toys, advert (1965) Why Oh Why, Songs to Grow On for Mother and Child, Woodie Guthrie (recorded 1947, released 1956/1991) We think your Song by Song experience will be enhanced by hearing, in full, the songs featured in the show, which you can get hold of from your favourite record shop or online platform. Please support artists by buying their music, or using services which guara

We're delighted to bring you an extended interview with the man who literally wrote the book on Tom Waits, Barney Hoskyns. Bouncing through a selection of Waits's material from the 70s to the present day, we discuss what it's like to interview and write about artists, what changed (and stayed the same) in Waits's music, and how you should always take a suggestion from Nick Cave seriously. website: songbysongpodcast.com twitter: @songbysongpod e-mail: songbysongpodcast@gmail.com Music extracts used for illustrative/review purposes include: Ol' 55, Closing Time, Tom Waits (1973) Tom Traubert's Blues (Four Sheets To The Wind In Copenhagen), Small Change, Tom Waits (1976) Shore Leave, Swordfishtrombones, Tom Waits (1983) Goin' Out West, Bone Machine, Tom Waits (1992) Take It With Me, Mule Variations, Tom Waits (1999) Satisfied, Bad As Me, Tom Waits (2011)

Just imagine... at one point we thought this surprisingly epic True Orphans series might fit in two episodes, HA! Anyway, for this final episode Martin and Sam consider the Waits material from 2010 to the present day, including several contributions to tribute albums, a few live recordings, and his beautiful-yet-flawed farewell to David Letterman. website: songbysongpodcast.com twitter: @songbysongpod e-mail: songbysongpodcast@gmail.com Music extracts used for illustrative/review purposes include: Tootie Ma Is A Big Fine Thing, Preservation - An Album To Benefit Preservation Hall and The Preservation Hall Music Outreach Program, Tom Waits & The Preservation Hall Jazz Band (2010) Corrine Died on the Battlefield, Preservation - An Album To Benefit Preservation Hall and The Preservation Hall Music Outreach Program, Tom Waits & The Preservation Hall Jazz Band (2010) Fortune Has its Cookies To Give Out, live recording, Herbst Theater, San Francisco CA, w. Lawrence Ferlinghetti (2 October 2010)  Ghost to a

As we enter the new millennium, Waits pushes into new sonic territory with various collaborations, covers and spoken word pieces, including nostalgic re-inventions and some more full-blooded engagement with hip hop music. website: songbysongpodcast.com twitter: @songbysongpod e-mail: songbysongpodcast@gmail.com Music extracts used for illustrative/review purposes include: Helium Reprise, Helium, Tin Hat Trio (2000) I’ll Tell You Why That Is, Beatin' the Heat, Dan Hicks and his Hot Licks / Tom Waits (2000) Mahfouz, Witness, Dave Douglas / Tom Waits (2001) Go Tell It On The Mountain, Go Tell It On The Mountain, The Blind Boys of Alabama / Tom Waits (2002) Kitate, The Ride, Los Lobos / Tom Waits / Martha Gonzalez (2004) Going Fetal, Blinking Lights and Other Revelations, The Eels (2004) Ramblin’ Man, live recording, The House Of Blues, Cleveland OH, w. Hank Williams (13 August 2006) Spoonful, live recording, The House Of Blues, Cleveland OH, w. Willie Dixon (13 August 2006) Morning Hollow, It's A Wonderful Life

Just a brief FYI that Song by Song is taking a (previously unannounced) seasonal break for two weeks. We'll be back on January 10th 2024 with the penultimate episode of our True Orphans series. Have a lovely Winterval everyone!

Rounding out the second half(?) of the 1990s, Waits explores collaborations with old friends and some unusual covers, as well as the building of experimental musical instruments, including his own mouth. It's a weird one, no doubt about it! website: songbysongpodcast.com twitter: @songbysongpod e-mail: songbysongpodcast@gmail.com Music extracts used for illustrative/review purposes include: Brother Can You Spare a Dime, Brother Can You Spare A Dime Day, Tom Waits / w. Yip Harburg / Jay Gorney (1993) Fever, live recording, Raven Theatre, Healdsburg CA, w. Eddie Cooley / Otis Blackwell [under pseudonym "John Davenport"] (11 August 1996) Old Time Feeling, Friends Of Mine, Ramblin' Jack Elliot / Guy Clark / Tom Waits (1998) World Of Adventure / River Of Men, freeform singing, Fishing With John TV show, Tom Waits / John Lurie (1991/1998) Highway Cafe, Pearls In The Snow - The Songs Of Kinky Friedman, w. Kinky Friedman (1998) Coattails of a Dead Man, Antipop, Primus / Tom Waits (1999) Do You Know What I Idi Amin, E

Into the 1990s, Martin and Sam return for more unreleased Waits tracks, splitting the decade into two more manageable chunks. This first episode sees some repurposed music, a few live songs, as well as Waits delivering heart-felt advice alongside Thelonius Monster. website: songbysongpodcast.com twitter: @songbysongpod e-mail: songbysongpodcast@gmail.com Music extracts used for illustrative/review purposes include: Serrano, flexi-disc insert for the book 'Sylvia Plachy's Unguided Tour', Tom Waits (1990) I Left My Heart In San Francisco, live recording, Orpheum Theatre, San Francisco CA, w. George Corey / Douglass Cross (31 December 1990) Auld Lang Syne, live recording, Orpheum Theatre, San Francisco CA (31 December 1990/1 January 1991) It’s Alright With Me, Red Hot + Blue, Tom Waits / w. Cole Porter - music video dir. Jim Jarmusch (1990) Thousand Bing Bangs, Devout Catalyst, Ken Nordine / Tom Waits (1991) The Movie, Devout Catalyst, Ken Nordine / Tom Waits (1991) I'm Not Your Fool Anymore, Mississippi Lad, Te

More discussions of Waits's unreleased recordings brings us to the 1980s, featuring several demos, a bunch of covers, and significant collaborations with other musicians, both big and small. Highlights this week include his contribution to a poetry documentary, a live Ewan MacColl cover, and his evening of collaborations with The Replacements. website: songbysongpodcast.com twitter: @songbysongpod e-mail: songbysongpodcast@gmail.com Music extracts used for illustrative/review purposes include: Purple Avenue / Empty Pockets, live recording, Expo Theatre, Montreal Canada (3 July 1981) Smuggler's Waltz / Bronx Lullaby, from Poetry In Motion, dir. Ron Mann (1982) Carnivalins, unreleased recording, Frank's Wild Demos (1986?) Vegas Theme, unreleased recording, Frank's Wild Demos (1986?) Downtown Train (alt take), NME's Big Four 7" EP, Tom Waits (1986) Harlem Shuffle, Dirty Work, The Rolling Stones (1986) I Forgot More Than You'll Ever Knew (About Her), live recording, Beverly Theatre, Los Angeles CA, Tom Waits with

Our second episode dealing with the non-album work of Tom Waits (and our second from the 1970s) brings a variety of covers, live performances, outtakes and re-uses from studio sessions... including the Hokey Pokey. Check the show notes for versions of everything we're discussing, and hopefully you'll find some new favourites. website: songbysongpodcast.com twitter: @songbysongpod e-mail: songbysongpodcast@gmail.com Music extracts used for illustrative/review purposes include: Martin Goes And Does Where It’s At / Bombed Anyway, I'm Everyone I've Ever Loved, Martin Mull feat. Tom Waits (1977) Just Another Dime Store Novel, unreleased recording - possibly from the Foreign Affairs sessions / Filmways Heider Recording, Tom Waits (1977) (Meet Me In) Paradise Alley, Paradise Alley Soundtrack, Tom Waits (1978) With a Suitcase (Street Band Version), unreleased recording - from the Paradise Alley sessions, Tom Waits (1978) Tijuana, Jack Tempchin, Jack Tempchin, w. Tom Waits (1978) Summertime, live recording, The Royal

Having determined not to waste everyone's time with a comprehensive coverage of ALL of Waits's recordings... Sam and Martin return to the podcast to do exactly that. Sorry? In this first of several episodes, we consider some of the most prolific years of Waits's career, covering as many recordings as we can find between 1971 and 1977. website: songbysongpodcast.com twitter: @songbysongpod e-mail: songbysongpodcast@gmail.com Music extracts used for illustrative/review purposes include: Getting Drunk On A Bottle / I Like To Sleep Late In The Morning, live recording, Snap Sessions - KPFK FM - Santa Monica OR Folk Arts Rare Records, w. Dave Blue (November, 1973) Friday’s Blues, live recording, Snap Sessions - KPFK FM - Santa Monica OR Folk Arts Rare Records, w. Ray Bierl (November, 1973) Good Night Loving Trail, Dime Store Novels vol 1 - Ebbets Field, w. Utah Phillips (1974)  Spanish is the Loving Tongue, live recording, San Diego, w. Charles Badger Clark / Bill Simon (1974) Your Sweet and Shiny Eyes, Home Plate,

WE DID IT! Just over 8 years and several hundred episodes since Ol’ 55, we’ve songed all the songs there are to Song by Song. Along with a little look back at Bad As Me, Kirk, Sam and Martin also give this alphabetically-first-but-chronologically-last track full consideration, and quickly check in to see how The Eagles have been doing. Plus - BONUS! A final appearance of the Smooth Marble Egg theory of art! website: songbysongpodcast.com twitter: @songbysongpod e-mail: songbysongpodcast@gmail.com Music extracts used for illustrative/review purposes include: After You Die, Bad As Me, Tom Waits (2011) I Wish You Peace, One Of These Nights, The Eagles (1975) We think your Song by Song experience will be enhanced by hearing, in full, the songs featured in the show, which you can get hold of from your favourite record shop or online platform. Please support artists by buying their music, or using services which guarantee artists a revenue - listen responsibly.

A quintessential and sincere song of advice and experience for Kirk, Martin and Sam this week, perhaps also bordering on the sentimental? We discuss the paired imagery in the lyrics, more rhythmic shifting, and examine the questions these songs are asking (along with the answers they suggest).  website: songbysongpodcast.com twitter: @songbysongpod e-mail: songbysongpodcast@gmail.com Music extracts used for illustrative/review purposes include: Tell Me, Bad As Me, Tom Waits (2011) Why, Diva, Annie Lennox (1992) We think your Song by Song experience will be enhanced by hearing, in full, the songs featured in the show, which you can get hold of from your favourite record shop or online platform. Please support artists by buying their music, or using services which guarantee artists a revenue - listen responsibly.

Diving into the three bonus tracks from the Bad As Me Deluxe edition, Sam and Martin welcome Kirk Hamilton of the Strong Songs podcast to explore isolated sax stabs, irregular rhythmic structures and sparse arrangements. We consider Waits's continued vocal experimentation, the oblique details of his lyric writing, and the politics and history of dancehall/pop crossovers from reggae star Shaggy. website: songbysongpodcast.com twitter: @songbysongpod e-mail: songbysongpodcast@gmail.com Music extracts used for illustrative/review purposes include: She Stole The Blush, Bad As Me, Tom Waits (2011) It Wasn't Me, Hot Shot, Shaggy feat. Rik Rok (2000) We think your Song by Song experience will be enhanced by hearing, in full, the songs featured in the show, which you can get hold of from your favourite record shop or online platform. Please support artists by buying their music, or using services which guarantee artists a revenue - listen responsibly.

At the end of the album-proper, Andrea, Martin and Sam consider the festive season as well as all its associated traumas. We return to Leonard Cohen, Bob Dylan, Rickie Lee Jones as well as 1970s Tom Waits, debating possible autobiographical elements, poverty tourism, and which lullaby is best used to ring in the new year. website: songbysongpodcast.com twitter: @songbysongpod e-mail: songbysongpodcast@gmail.com Music extracts used for illustrative/review purposes include: New Year's Eve, Bad As Me, Tom Waits (2011) A Sight For Sore Eyes, Foreign Affairs, Tom Waits (1977) We think your Song by Song experience will be enhanced by hearing, in full, the songs featured in the show, which you can get hold of from your favourite record shop or online platform. Please support artists by buying their music, or using services which guarantee artists a revenue - listen responsibly.

With serious discussion of disturbing events from the start, Andrea illuminates for Sam and Martin some of the context for this song of military trauma. We consider musical presentation of problems and solutions to injustice, sonic and lyrical density, and Waits’s political engagement more broadly  website: songbysongpodcast.com twitter: @songbysongpod e-mail: songbysongpodcast@gmail.com Music extracts used for illustrative/review purposes include: Hell Broke Luce, Bad As Me, Tom Waits (2011) Song 33, single, Noname (2020) We think your Song by Song experience will be enhanced by hearing, in full, the songs featured in the show, which you can get hold of from your favourite record shop or online platform. Please support artists by buying their music, or using services which guarantee artists a revenue - listen responsibly.