Time Line: 1991 - 1995
1991 |
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| '91 | Released: the album "Devout Catalyst" (Grateful Dead Records) by Ken Nordine. With: "A Thousand Bing Bangs" and "The Movie" (spoken word) |
| '91 | Released: the album: "Mississippi Lad" (Antilles) by Teddy Edwards. With: "Little Man" and "I'm Not Your Fool Anymore". Teddy Edwards (1995): "Tom Waits is the one who got me my contract with PolyGram. He's wonderful, he's America's best lyricist since Johnny Mercer. He came down to the studio on the ''Mississippi Lad'' album, that's the first one I did for PolyGram, and he sang two of my songs, wouldn't accept any money, just trying to give me the best boost that he could." (Source: "Teddy Edwards: 'You ain't done nothing but play great'", Tony Gieske. Remembrance Of Swing Past) |
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Waits and Teddy Edwards at Mississippi Lad rehearsals |
| '91 | Released: "The Island Tape" by Island. With a 12" extended mix of: "Hang On St. Christopher" |
| '91 | Released: the movie "Night On Earth". Directed by Jim Jarmusch. With: Winona Ryder and Roberto Benigni |
| '91 | Released: the movie "The Fisher King". With uncredited cameo as disabled veteran beggar. Directed by Terry Gilliam. Terry Gilliam (1997): "He was a friend of Jeff Bridges, basically. He said, "You ought to meet Tom". It's funny because when I met him and even in the course of making the film, I'd never heard a Tom Waits record. I'd never listened to them at all. I just met him and liked him immediately. So into the film he went, and he was great. The studio was trying to cut him out. They felt it wasn't advancing the narrative in any significant way so they thought that was things that could go. They were totally wrong."(Source: "Dreams: December 1997 interview with Terry Gilliam Edited by Phil Stubbs) |
| '91 | Released: the movie "At Play In The Fields Of The Lord" (book by: Peter Mathissen). Supporting role as "Wolf" |
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Promo picture for "At Play In The Fields Of The Lord" with Tom Waits as Wolf |
| '91 | Released: the movie "Queen's Logic". Supporting role as "Monte" |
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Promo picture for "Queens Logic" with Tom Waits as Monte |
| '91 | Released: the book: "A View Through A Window Of A Subway" by Dragan Todorovic (Tas Print, Yugoslavia). Further reading: Bibliography |
| Aug. '91 | Robert Wilson, Paul Schmidt and Wolfgang Wiens team up to work out the scenic concept for the theatre play "Alice". Further reading: Alice |
| '91 | Released: the album "The Early Years I" by Bizarre/ Straight Records/ Edsel (= Herb Cohen). These 1971 recordings were produced by Robert Duffey. In 1973 Duffey was tour manager for Tim Buckley.Not authorized by Tom Waits. Jerry Yester (2000): "Those Bizarre/Straight things that Herbie Cohen released, those were like what I did in my living room, recording just to hear the songs. Tom was so pissed off when those things came out. And they shouldn't have been released. Not without his permission, anyway." (Source: "Wild Years: The Music and Myth of Tom Waits", Jay S. Jacobs, ECW Press 2000) |
| '91 | Released: the album: "Black Music For White People" (Bizarre = Zappa/ Cohen), with a cover of "Heartattack And Vine". This cover was used for a 1993 Levi Strauss TV-commercial. Waits took legal actions against Levi's. They apologized in "Billboard Magazine" (1995?) after which Waits dropped charges. Further reading: Copyright |
1992 |
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| Febr. - Mar. '92 | First try-outs for the theatre play "Alice". Paul Schmidt adds first texts (adapted from the work of Lewis Carrol). Further reading: Alice |
| Apr. '92 | Released: the album "Night On Earth", Island Records. The album was produced by Waits himself. Collaboration with Francis Thumm. The movie (produced by Jim Jarmusch), was released in 1991 |
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Cover for the album "Night On Earth" |
| May 30, '92 | Concert appearance for the LA Riot Benefit at the Wiltern Theatre, Los Angeles/ USA (includes Bone Machine outtakes). Also appearing: Chuck E. Weiss And The Goddamn Liars. Further reading: Performances: 1991-1995. Further reading: Charity |
| Early '92 | Released: the album "The Early Years 2", Bizarre/ Straight Records/ Edsel (= Herb Cohen). These 1971 recordings were produced by Robert Duffey. In 1973 Duffey was tour manager for Tim Buckley.Not authorized by Tom Waits |
| Early Aug. '92 | Released: the album "Bone Machine", Island Records. Produced by: Tom Waits. Collaboration with: Les Claypool and Keith Richards. Credits: "Special thanks to: Kathleen, Kellesimone, Casey" |
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L: Cover of the album: "Bone Machine". Concept by: Tom Waits and Jesse Dylan. Art direction and design by: Christie Rixford. Photography by: Jesse Dylan R: Poster promoting the album. Photography by: Jesse Dylan |
| Early Aug. '92 | Released: the promo interview CD: "Bone Machine, The Operator's Manual", Island |
| '92 | Released: video-clips for: "I Don't Wanna Grow Up" and "Goin' Out West" |
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Video screenshots from the videos for: "I Don't Wanna Grow Up" and "Goin' Out West" |
| Aug. - Sep. '92 | TV live performance and interview for the "Arsenio Hall Show" (USA). Performs: "Goin' Out West" |
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Waits and Arsenio Hall (video screenshot) |
| Late '92 | Released: the movie "Bram Stoker's Dracula". Directed by Francis Ford Coppola. Supporting role by Waits as R.M. Renfield. The movie was shot summer 1992 (during the recordings for Bone Machine). Rip Rense (1992): "Renfield was a masochist's nirvana. Waits wore a straitjacket for much of it, as well as manacles that imprisoned each finger individually (based on an actual apparatus used in Italy two centuries ago to teach young pianists to keep the proper position at the keyboard), thick glasses and one of those Supercuts-from-Bedlam haircuts. For a good deal of the movie, he was wet. "I was hosed down," he says. "And they seemed to want me that way...I got to have a really meaningful scene with Winona Ryder. Not how I imagined it would be, though. Bug juice dripping from the corners of my mouth. Unshaven. Totally gray. Screaming behind bars. Not how I saw our scene together. But I tried to rise above it." One more "Dracula" item, heretofore unreported, bears mentioning: Waits' voice was employed for the "primitive" vocal utterances of the Count. Gary Oldman was unable to get the desired horrific element into the lusty animalistic grunts and snarls of the character, so Waits was enlisted: "There's the lady in the back of the room with the bifocals on the chain, and the sweater, and the hair up, coffee and a cigarette, looking at the script," says Waits with bemusement, "and they're telling me, 'Tom, it's deep growl - you're killing her, and yet you're drinking of her'. And she looks up from her coffee and says, 'Tom - savor it!' And then looks back at her script. 'Oh, OK, savor it.' It was like porno radio. It was actually demeaning. But I think it will be good." (Source: "Waits In Wonderland" Image magazine (USA), by Rip Rense. Date: December 13, 1992). Keanu Reeves (2005) on staying at Coppola's during the recording of Dracula, 1992: "It was great to be in that environment: going for a run in the morning, looking at the stars at night, going into Francis's research library, spending time with him. You know watching Tom Waits sing "Waltzing Matilda" to Winona a the piano, Winona crying. It was a beautiful life. Les enfants du paradis." (Source: "Your Time With Mister Reeves" Premiere Magazine (USA), February, 2005) |
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Still from the movie: "Bram Stoker's Dracula" (Renfield) |
| Nov. - Dec. '92 | Second try-outs for the theatre play "Alice", the songs of Tom Waits (and Kathleen Waits-Brennan) were added and some changes were made to the texts. Further reading: Alice. Jay S. Jacobs(2000): "When the time came to orchestrate the material, Tom moved back to Hamburg on his own. He had just six weeks to complete this phase of the project. By the time the show opened, right before Christmas, he was practically crazed. The work was grueling, and he sorely missed his home and family. During the fine-tuning process many of those involved in the production could see how stressed out he'd become." (Source: "Wild years: The Music and Myth of Tom Waits". Jay S. Jacobs, ECW Press 2000) |
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Alice rehearsals. Date: Hamburg Germany, December 1992. Credits: photography by Thomas Wollenberger |
| Dec. 19, '92 | Premiere of the theatre play "Alice" (Robert Wilson). Thalia Theatre. Hamburg, Germany. Further reading: Alice |
| Late '92 | Waits wins a Grammy Award for: Best Alternative Music Album (Bone Machine). In these months the Waits family moves to Northern California (Petaluma County). Jim Jarmusch: "He flipped out when he got the Grammy. He hated that. Alternative to what?! What the hell does that mean?!" |
1993 |
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| '93 | Released: "Luck, Trust And Ketchup", a documentary insight behind the scenes of Roberts Altman's Short Cuts. Directed by: John Dorr and Mike E. Kaplan. Jim Jarmusch (1994): "Tom was exhausted. We had just shot a video the day before for "I Don't Wanna Grow Up" and he had been doing a lot of press. He was kind of in a surly mood as he is sometimes, but he's also very warm. He came in late that morning - I had given him the script the night before - and I was with Iggy. Tom threw the script down on the table and said, "Well, you know, you said this was going to be funny, Jim. Maybe you better just circle the jokes 'cause I don't see them". He looked at poor Iggy and said, "What do you think Iggy?" Iggy said, "I think I'm gonna go get some coffee and let you guys talk." So I calmed Tom down. I knew it was just early in the morning and Tom was in a bad mood. His attitude changed completely, but I wanted him to keep some of that paranoid surliness in the script. We worked with that and kept it in his character. If he had been in a really good mood, I don't think the film would have been as funny." (Source: "Jim Jarmusch". Village Noize, 1994 by Danny Plotnick) |
| '93 | Released: the movie "Short Cuts". Supporting role by Waits as limo driver Earl Piggot. Cameo by: Greg Cohen (bassplayer The low note quintet). Directed by Robert Altman. With Tim Robbins, Lily Tomlin. Original music by Gavin Friday |
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Still from the movie: "Short Cuts" w. Lily Tomlin |
| '93 | Released: the movie "Coffee And Cigarettes III, Somewhere In America" by Jim Jarmusch (conversation with Iggy Pop) |
| '93 | Released: the album "Born To Choose" (Rykodisc). With "Filipino Box Spring Hog". Collaboration with: David Hidalgo and Larry Taylor |
| '93 | Released: album "Brother Can You Spare Me A Dime?" (The Hamburg Foundation). Further reading: Charity |
| Apr. 2, '93 | Waits visits WonderCon Comics Convention. Oakland Convention Center. Oakland/ USA |
| Apr. '93 | Released: the album "Jesus' Blood Never Failed Me Yet" (Point Music) by Gavin Bryars. Produced by: Michael Riesman. Credits:"With special thanks to Tom Waits: Many years ago Tom contacted me because he had lost his recording of the original version, which he said was his favourite recording" |
| '93 | Released: B&W video for: "Jesus' Blood Never Failed Me Yet" |
| Sep. '93 | Released: the album "The Black Rider", Island Records. Produced by: Tom Waits. Collaboration with: Robert Wilson, William Burroughs and Gerd Bessler. The play premiered in 1990. Further reading: The Black Rider |
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Cover for the album: "The Black Rider ". Concept and art: Robert Wilson. Design: Christie Rixford. |
| Sep. 11, '93 | Radio interview with Gavin Bryars and Tom Waits for "Johnny Walker", BBC Radio 1. London/ UK |
| '93 | Born: second son "Sullivan" (third child). Jay S. Jacobs (2000): "Tom Waits was on top of the world in 1993. The critics hailed his music. Acting opportunities abounded, and he was doing interesting work in theater. No one could predict what he'd do next. As it turned out, his next move was to walk away from it all. He embarked on an extended vacation. Waits had been working constantly for over twenty years, and he was due for a break. He had achieved financial security. The Alice episode had demonstrated to him that pushing too hard just makes you crazy. Finally, there was this important motivator: the birth of another son, Sullivan. Now, more than ever, Waits was determined not to be the clich�d rocker who fits in his kids between tour dates and stints in the studio." (Source: "Wild Years: The Music and Myth of Tom Waits". Jay S. Jacobs, ECW Press 2000) |
| '93 | Released: the commercial Levi's single: "Heart Attack & Vine" (previously released on "Black Music For White People"). It was used for a 1993 Levi Strauss TV-commercial. Waits took legal actions against Levi's. They apologized in "Billboard Magazine" (1995?) after which Waits dropped charges. Further reading: Waits v. Levi Strauss |
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Levi's apology as printed in Billboard magazine (1995?).
An Apology To Tom Waits: Tom Waits is opposed to his music, voice, name or picture being used in commercials. We at Levi Strauss & Co. have long admired Waits' work and respect his artistic integrity including his heartfelt views on the use of his music in commercials. From January to June 1993 Levi Strauss Europe authorised broadcasting in 17 countries a commercial for Levi's 501 jeans called "Procession". This commercial featured Tom Waits' song "Heart Attack and Vine" performed by Screamin' Jay Hawkins. We obtained the rights in good faith and were unaware of Waits' objections to such usage of his composition. We meant no offense to Waits and regret that "Heart Attack and Vine" was used against his wishes and that the commercial caused him embarrassment. |
1994 |
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| '94 | Released: the album "American Recordings" by Johnny Cash. Waits composed the song: "Down There By The Train". It was never recorded by Waits himself |
| Mar. 9, '94 | +Charles Bukowski. In San Pedro, California/ USA |
1995 |
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| '95 | Released: the movie "Smoke". Directed by Wayne Wang. With Harvey Keitel. On the soundtrack: "Downtown Train" and "Innocent When You Dream" |
| '95 | Released: the movie "Things To Do In Denver When You're Dead". Directed by: Gary Fleder. Thriller with Andy Garcia and Christopher Lloyd. On the soundtrack: "Jockey Full Of Bourbon" |
| '95 | Released: the movie "Little Criminals". Directed by Stephen Surjik. On the soundtrack: "Clap Hands" |
| Sep. '95 | Released: the album "Temptation" (Metro Blue) by Holly Cole. All Tom Waits covers |
| Late Oct. '95 | Released: the tribute-album "Step Right Up" (Caroline/ Manifesto Records). Produced by: Evan Cohen. With "Martha" by Tim Buckley (1973). Album not authorized by Tom Waits |
| Oct. '95 | Staging of the play: "Alice" in New York City/ USA by: "The Brooklyn Academy of Music". With Paul Schmidt as text writer and Kathleen Waits-Brennan as co-lyricist. Further reading: Alice |
| Dec. '95 | American release: movie "12 Monkeys" (Terry Gilliam). On the soundtrack: "The Earth Died Screaming" |
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Further reading |
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