From the desk of: Stuart

Swordfishtrombone: TomWaitsCoversChronology

First of all. Apologies for leaving you for a week. I have been extremely busy, as has Rob. He has already apologized, and hopefully we will have some great updates coming this week. Please, please forgive us.

Also, if you’re in the Boston area, be sure to check out Bishop Allen, Page France, and The Teeth at the Middle east Downstairs on Friday, Aug. 17th. $10 advance, $12 door.

This is one of the best CDs I own. I bought it at the Winnipeg Folk Fest in 2000 for $8 Canadian. This also makes it one of the cheapest CDs I own. $8 would be a steal in US dollars, but $8 Canadian? I didn’t really have to think twice about it.

Swordfishtromebone has a special place in my heart. Not only is it the first Tom Waits song I ever heard, but that bass line still gives me shivers. There’s something mysterious about the way it’s played – the bass line carries the melody during certain parts of the progression, only to be countered by a very static comping pattern on the marimba. Everything in this song compliments the lyrics, which are very coherent and a little scary. I’ve always assumed the song was about Frank’s Wild Life, but I’m not really sure… Waits does seem to follow themes and specific subject matter on his albums, but he never really mentions anyone by name in the song. It could just as easily be a tall tale he dreamed up.

Anyway, it’s been covered a fair amount, and not just on tribute albums. I won’t say all of them are good, but there are some unique ones. For a song that’s only 20 years old, it has a pretty decent amount of covers under it’s belt.

1983 – Tom Waits – Swordfishtrombone
2001 – Claudia Bettinaglio – Swordfishtrombone
2003 – Kazik Staszewski – Swordfishtrombone
2003 – Hell Blues Choir – Swordfishtrombone
???? – The Tremors – Swordfishtrombone (from their website)

2005 – Clara Bellino – Swordfishtrombone (All I could find for now was a video of her singing this “On the San Francisco Bay.” I’m still looking for the album.

While on YouTube, I found another video from a German band called Hunde Im Regen. I could be wrong about the band name. Please let me know. Hunde Im Regen – Goidfischviolin

Please help me find these. I am extremely curious about the “Mrs. Bubble and Bones” recording. She is a Scandinavian folk musician who plays accordion. It would be a very interesting version, I’m sure.

1997 – Jan Nohansen, the Brazz Brothers – Swordfishtrombone
2001 – Mrs. Bubble and Bones – Swordfishtrombone
The Koter – Swordfishtrombone
Tom Gabel (Against Me!) – Swordfishtrombone
Kare Nordseth – Swordfishtrombone
The Spektors – Swordfishtrombone