Music Videos pt 1 (1979-1992) - Final Season Specials

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.

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)

Aragorn trips and falls in Lord of the Rings, dir. Ralph Bakshi (1978)

An Exhaustive History of Ralph Bakshi's Lord of the Rings, video essay via YouTube, Folding Ideas (2021)

In The Neighbourhood, Tom Waits music video from Swordfishtrombones, dir. Haskell Wexler (1983)

Welcome to the Black Parade, My Chemical Romance music video, dir. Samuel Bayer (2006)

Rain Dogs Promos, dir. Chris Blum (1985)

Pachinko adverts feat. Nicholas Cage, dir. ???? (mid-2000s?)

Downtown Train, Tom Waits music video from Rain Dogs, dir. Jean-Baptiste Mondino (1985)

Blow Wind Blow, Tom Waits music video from Rain Dogs, and Limousine Interview promo, dir. Chris Blum (1987)

Temptation, Tom Waits music video from Franks Wild Years, dir. Betzy Bromberg (1987)

Lee Baby Sims Obituary, Media Confidential Blog (2015)
It's Alright With Me, Tom Waits music video from Red Hot + Blue, dir. Jim Jarmusch (1990)

Going Out West, Tom Waits music video from Bone Machine, dir. Jesse Dylan (1992)

Closer, Nine Inch Nails music video from The Downward Spiral, dir. Mark Romance (1994)

Ricky Jay Plays Poker, dir. Jesse Dylan (2007)

I Don’t Wanna Grow Up, Tom Waits music video from Bone Machine, dir. Jim Jarmusch (1992)

Coffee and Cigarettes III - Somewhere in California, dir. Jim Jarmusch (1993)

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True Orphans pt 4 (1990-1992) - Final Season Specials

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.

Music extracts used for illustrative/review purposes include:
Serrano, flexi-disc insert for the book 'Sylvia Plachy's Unguided Tour', Tom Waits (1990)

Russian Dance, The Black Rider, Tom Waits (1993)

I Left My Heart In San Francisco, live recording, Orpheum Theatre, San Francisco CA, w. George Corey / Douglass Cross (31 December 1990)

I Left My Heart In San Francisco, I Left My Heart In San Francisco, Tony Bennett (1962)

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)

It's Alright With Me, Can-Can Original Broadway Cast Recording, C.K Alexander / w. Cole Porter (1953)

It's Alright With Me, We Must Believe In Magic, Crystal Gale (1977)

Thousand Bing Bangs, Devout Catalyst, Ken Nordine / Tom Waits (1991)

A Thousand Bingbangs (solo version), Transparent Mask, Ken Nordine (2011)

First Kiss, Orphans: Brawlers Bawlers & Bastards, Tom Waits (2006)

The Movie, Devout Catalyst, Ken Nordine / Tom Waits (1991)

I'm Not Your Fool Anymore, Mississippi Lad, Teddy Edwards / Tom Waits (1991)

Adios Lounge, Beautiful Mess, Thelonius Monster / Tom Waits (1992)

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The Dead Don't Die (film, dir. Jarmusch, 2019) [F23]

Returning to wrap up our film mini-season, Leigh Singer helps Sam and Martin break down this zombie/comsumerism/meta mash-up. With some slight disappointment in this compared to other Jarmusch (and other zombie) films, we question the purpose of his story and his enthusiasm for the genre. And Tom Waits gets to be a weird hobo in the woods too.

Music extracts used for illustrative/review purposes include:
The Dead Don't Die Trailer, via YouTube (dir. Jim Jarmusch, 2019)

We're in Now Now, clip from Spaceballs via Youtube (dir. Mel Brooks, 1987)

Tom Waits - The Acting Years, video essay via Vimeo, Leigh Singer (2019)

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Coffee and Cigarettes (film, dir. Jarmusch, 1993/2003) [F17]

Song by Song is delighted to welcome film journalist Leigh Singer, as we dive into another Jim Jarmusch anthology film. We consider the relationship of Waits to Iggy Pop, his position as a film actor in 1993, as well as taking a look at the successes and failures of the other chapters (and the film as a whole).

Music extracts used for illustrative/review purposes include:
Coffee & Cigarettes Trailer, via YouTube (dir. Jim Jarmusch, 2003)

Coffee & Cigarettes - Somewhere In California, via YouTube (dir. Jim Jarmusch, 1993/2003)

I Don't Wanna Grow Up (music video, dir. Jim Jarmusch), Bone Machine, Tom Waits (1993)

The Garage Tapes, clips of Tom Waits shot by Jim Jarmusch, via YouTube (1992)

Coffee & Cigarettes - Strange To Meet You (featuring Saw Sage from The Gatmo Sessions), via YouTube (dir. Jim Jarmusch, 1986/2003)

Saw Sage, Moanin' Parade, Gatmo/Waits et al (2000)

Taylor Mead's Ass, via Vimeo (dir. Andy Warhol, 1964)

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Mystery Train (film, dir. Jarmusch, 1989) [F07]

Back for a second week, Matthew Crosby joins Martin and Sam to take a look at Jim Jarmusch's 1989 multiple-narrative movie Mystery Train. While we're all full of love and excitement for the quirks and details of the film, there's some debate as to the strength of some of the acting performances, the narrative coherence, as well as whether it's Elvis or Carl Perkins.

Music extracts used for illustrative/review purposes include:
Mystery Train Trailer, via YouTube (dir. Jim Jarmusch, 1989)

Jiffy Squid trailer, Mystery Train feat. Tom Waits, Screamin' Jay Hawkins & Cinqué Lee, via YouTube (1989)

Elvis or Carl Perkins, Mystery Train feat. Masatoshi Nagase & Yûki Kudô, via YouTube (1989) - no subtitles but you get the idea, right?

Down By Law (film, dir. Jarmusch, 1986) [F04]

Sam and Martin welcome friend of the show Matthew Crosby to dig into one of Waits's most sizeable film roles, the 1986 Jim Jarmusch classic Down By Law. Immediately proving their analytic credentials by remembering at least two of the main characters' names, Matthew, Sam and Martin discuss the acting strengths (and weaknesses…?) of the three protagonists, the improvisational elements in the scripting, as well as Jarmusch's ability and willingness to film actors listening.

Music extracts used for illustrative/review purposes include:
Jockey Full of Bourbon, Rain Dogs, Tom Waits (1985)

Tango Til They're Sore, Rain Dogs, Tom Waits (1985)

Down By Law trailer, via YouTube (dir. Jim Jarmusch, 1986)

Down By Law & Variety (album), John Lurie (1987/1999)

Fishing With John - Episode 2 - Tom Waits, via YouTube (1991)

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Night On Earth (film, dir. Jarmusch, 1991) [F10]

Song by Song welcomes back Helen Zaltzman to talk through the film that launched a podcasting power-couple, Jim Jarmusch’s 1991 taxi-based anthology Night On Earth. With some mixed feelings about the various segments, along with overall admiration for the ambition of the piece, Helen, Martin & Sam pick through the emotional connections (or lack thereof) between the characters, the sense of space, time and tone found in the chapters, and the contribution of whichever random guy wrote the music.

Music extracts used for illustrative/review purposes include:
Good Old World (Gypsy), Night On Earth, Tom Waits (1991)

Night On Earth Trailer, via YouTube (dir. Jim Jarmusch, 1991)

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