Tom Waits fails in trying to stop a french show using his songs

Tom Waits has lost a court case trying to stop the french production On Achève Bien les Anges, claiming the Zingaro company did not have permission to use his work.

The ruling does not affect a separate case Waits is bringing against the theatre for using his work without his permission.

Source: The Guardian

J’ai le sentiment que quelqu’un m’a fait les poches pendant que je tournais la tête et c’est désagréable.

I've got the feeling somebody went through my pockets when I had my head turned and it's disagreeable. 

(Tom Waits in Vanity Fair France)

PEN award for Waits and Brennan

According to the San Diego Tribune, Tom Waits and Kathleen Brennan will receive a PEN New England’s Song Lyrics of Literary Excellence Award, The award has previously been presented to Chuck Berry, Randy Newman, Kris Kristofferson and Leonard Cohen.

Waits tribute to Merle Haggard

Tom Waits has written a tribute to Merle Haggard, who died on april 6th, in Rolling Stone.

Tom Waits to star in Hulu series Citizen

Tom Waits has joined the cast of Citizen, Hulu’s supernatural drama pilot, from director Alfonso Gomez-Rejon, Deadline reports.

Waits will play Cesar, a priest who is a walking anachronism of virtue and vice, mostly virtue. A proudly anti-authoritarian man, Cesar runs a guerrilla humanitarian outfit with questionable legality from his church in Boyle Heights.

Another new song by Tom Waits: The soul of a man

You can listen to The soul of a man - another Blind Willy Johnson song sung by Tom Waits from the upcoming album God don't never change - over at Alligator Records' website.

From the liner notes:

The Soul Of A Man performed by Tom Waits
Tom Waits: Vocals • Casey Waits: Drums • Kathleen Brennan: Background Vocals
Produced by Tom Waits/Kathleen Brennan • Engineered by Karl Derfler • Production Coordinator: Jodie Wilson
Traditional: Blind Willie Johnson/Arranged by Tom Waits. © 2014 Jalma Music, ASCAP Tom Waits, Under License to Burning Rose Productions, Ltd.
Samples: Smith Casey “Country Rag (East Texas Rag)” from the John and Ruby Lomax Collection, American Folklife Center, Library of Congress. Used courtesy of Odyssey Productions, Inc.

New Tom Waits recording: John the revelator

What better way to break a long spell without Tom Waits news than a new recording? Here's John the revelator from the upcoming album God don't never change - the songs of Blind Willie Johnson.


From the liner notes at Alligator Records:

John The Revelator performed by Tom Waits
Tom Waits: Vocals, Cigar Box Banjo • Casey Waits: Drums
Produced by Waits/Brennan • Engineered by Karl Derfler • Production Coordinator: Jodie Wilson
Traditional/Arranged by Tom Waits, Adapted by Son House. © 2015, Jalma Music, ASCAP, Sondick Music, BMI P Tom Waits, Under License to Burning Rose Productions, Ltd.

UPDATE (Feb. 12): Looks like the video has been removed from Youtube. You can still listen to the song at the Alligator Records website (although regional restrictions might apply, so I'm told).

Happy birthday, Tom Waits

On December 7, 1949, Thomas Alan Waits was born to Jesse Frank Waits and Alma Johnson McMurray.