The Basement Version (2016)

Five discs of rarities, some vinyl only tracks, studio demos, outtakes and live tracks. Forgotten Orphans was a collection that began on the Tom Waits forum. This is my completed version of it with artwork.

For many years ‘Tales Of The Underground’ was the essential Tom Waits bootleg compilation. It consisted of 96 tracks spread over 5 discs. Like everything else time has caught up with it, and it is now outdated and near obsolete. The ensuing years since it

first appeared have seen many audio upgrades, complete live shows in excellent quality now circulate and the official release ‘Orphans: Brawlers, Bawlers & Bastards’ (Anti-)

This 5-disc set compiles the best of ‘Tales’ together with tracks from the original Tom Waits forum - proposed 4-disc set project (2011). Some new and upgraded tracks

(noted by * for an upgrade or non ftp source) have also been added.

Volume 1 (1973-78)

01 Friday's Blues ftp                                    (Folk Arts Rare Records, Nov 16 1973)
02 I Like To Sleep Late In The Morning ftp (Folk Arts Rare Records, Nov 16 1973)
03 Tijuana ftp                                                (Folk Arts Rare Records, Nov 16 1973)
04 Spanish Is The Loving Tongue ftp        (San Diego, Jan 1 1974 late show)
05 Blue Skies ftp                                           (Heart Of Saturday Night Sessions)
06 Heart Of Saturday Night ftp                  (Heart Of Saturday Night Sessions)
07 Saturday Night Fish Fry ftp                    (Santa Barbara, Feb 13 1975)
08 Sweet And Shiny Eyes *TFTU2              (Bonnie Raitt - Homeplate 1975, TW: Piano / bv)

09 Stray Dog ftp                                            (Small Change sessions 1976)
10 What Else Is New *BCOD                       (Small Change sessions 1976)
11 Cupid ftp                                                   (West Chester, Oct 2 1976)
12 Just Another Dime Store Novel *DOTM (Foreign Affairs sessions, July - August 1977)  

13 Scarecrow ftp                                           (Foreign Affairs sessions 1977)
14 A Nickel's Worth Of Dreams ftp           (Foreign Affairs sessions 1977)
15 Mr Henry (early , Tie Undone) *DOTM (Foreign Affairs sessions, July - August 1977)

16 Playin' Hooky *BCOD                              (Foreign Affairs sessions 1977)
17 Saving All My Love For You *DOTM     (Foreign Affairs sessions, July-August 77)             

18 Martin Goes & Does Where It’s At *TFTU2 (Martin Mull - I’m Everyone I’ve Ever Loved 1977)

19 (Meet Me) In Paradise Alley ftp             (Paradise Alley soundtrack 1978)
20 Annie's Back In Town ftp                       (Paradise Alley soundtrack 1978)
21 With A Suitcase (Rhythm Section) ftp  (Paradise Alley sessions 1978)
22 With A Suitcase (Street Band) ftp         (Paradise Alley sessions 1978)
23 Bad Liver & A Broken Heart *DOTM    (Paradise Alley sessions)

Volume 2 (1978-1990)

01 Summertime ftp                                (Osaka Mar 1978)
02 Gee Baby, Ain't I Good To You ftp  (Seattle Oct 7 1978)
03 I Feel Good ftp                                   (Toronto Oct 19 1979 early)
04 Mr Henry *24bit vinyl                       (Bounced Checks 1981) 
05 Jersey Girl *24bit vinyl                      (Bounced Checks 1981 Alt. Version)
06 Whistlin’ Past The Graveyard  *24bit vinyl (Bounced Checks 1981 Alt.master)
07 The Piano Has Been Drinking *24bit vinyl  (Bounced Checks 1981 Dublin, Mar. 1981)
08 Purple Avenue (aka Empty Pockets) *TFTU4 (Montreal Jazz Festival, Expo Theatre, Jul 3 1981)

09 Jersey Girl (with Springsteen) *       (I Don't Wanna Go Home album, Live 1981)
10 Smuggler's Waltz (aka Bronx Lullaby) ftp (DVD Poetry In Motion 1982)
11 Rainbow Sleeves ftp                          (Ricky Lee Jones - Girl At Her Volcano CD 1983)
12 Rats Theme *BCOD                           (from the film Streetwise 1984)
13 Downtown Train *TFTR                    (NME alt mix) 1986
14 Strange Weather *TFTU3                 (demo version 1987)
15 Hang On St. Christopher (ext. remix) *24bit vinyl (12" single Hang On St Christopher)
16 Hang On St. Christopher (Inst.) *24bit vinyl (12"single b-side of above)
17 Big Rock Candy Mountain ftp           (Ironweed 1987)
18 Once More Before I Go *TFTU3        (Candy Mountain 1987, TW vocals) *
19 Lowdown Monkey ftp                        (Paul Westerberg - 3oclockreep CD 2008, rec. 1989)
20 Serrano ftp                                           (Unguided Tour CD 1990)

Volume 3 (1991-99)

01 It's All Right With Me ftp         (Red Hot + Blue A Cole Porter Tribute CD 1991)
02 Tommy The Cat ftp                  (Primus - Sailing The Seas Of Love CD 1991)
03 Movie (Ken Nordine / TW) ftp (Ken Nordine - Devout Catalyst CD 1992)
04 Thousand Bing Bangs ftp        (Ken Nordine - Devout Catalyst CD 1992)
05 World of Adventure ftp            (John Lurie - Fishing With John CD 1992)
06 River Of Men ftp                       (John Lurie - Fishing With John CD 1992)
07 Adios Lounge ftp                      (Thelonius Monster - Beautiful Mess CD 1992)
08 I'm Not Your Fool Anymore ftp  (Teddy Edwards - Mississippi Lad CD 1991)
09 Brother Can You Spare A Dime *TFTR (Brother Can You Spare A Dime promo CD 1993)
10 Filipino Box Spring Hog ftp     (V/A Born to Choose CD 1993)
11 Jesus Blood Never Failed Me Yet ftp (Gavin Bryars CD single version 1993)
12 Little Drop Of Poison ftp #      (The End Of Violence Soundtrack CD 1997)
13 Home I’ll Never Be *TFTU5      (Allen Ginsberg tribute, LA. Jun 21 1997)

14 Babbachichuija ftp                   (Orbitones, Spoon Harps & Bellowphones CD 1998)
15 Louise ftp                                   (Ramblin'Jack Elliot - Friends Of Mine CD 1998)
16 Old Time Feelin' ftp                  (Ramblin' Jack Elliot - Friends Of Mine CD 1998)
17 Highway Cafe ftp                      (V/A Pearls In Snow CD 1998)
18 Do You Know What I Idi Amin ftp (Chuck E Weiss - Extremely Cool CD 1999)
19 Rains On Me *                          (Chuck E Weiss - Extremely Cool CD 1999)
20 Big Face Money *TFTR             (Hold On CD single 1999)
21 It's Over ftp #                            (Liberty Heights Soundtrack CD 1999)

Volume 4 (2000-07)

01 I'll Tell You Why That Is *         (Dan Hicks And The Hot Licks - Beatin' The Heat CD 2000)
02 Helium Reprise ftp                     (Tin Hat Trio - Helium CD 2000)
03 Go Tell It on the Mountain ftp (Blind Boys Of Alabama - Go Tell It On The Mountain CD 2003)
04 Way Down in the Hole *           (Kronos Quartet w/Greg Cohen NYC 2003, Anti CD 2007)
05 God's Away on Business *       (Kronos Quartet w/Greg Cohen NYC 2003, Anti CD 2007)
06 Lost in the Harbor *                  (Kronos Quartet w/Greg Cohen NYC 2003, Anti CD 2007)
07 Diamond in Your Mind*           (Kronos Quartet w/Greg Cohen NYC 2003, Anti CD 2007)
08 Kitate *                                        (Los Lobos - The Ride CD 2004)
09 Crazy 'Bout My Baby *24 bit vinyl  (bonus Orphans vinyl 2006)
10 Diamond In Your Mind *24 bit vinyl  (bonus Orphans vinyl 2006)
11 Cannon Song *24 bit vinyl        (bonus Orphans vinyl 2006)
12 Pray *24 bit vinyl                        (bonus Orphans vinyl 2006)
13 No One Can Forgive Me *24 bit vinyl  (bonus Orphans vinyl 2006)
14 Mathie Grove *24 bit vinyl        (bonus Orphans vinyl 2006)
15 Pray *                                           (Book Of Knots - Traineater CD 2007)
16 Lucinda - Ain't Goin' Down To The Well * (Atlanta, GA. USA. 2008, ltd. vinyl single)

17 Bottom Of The World  *           (Edinburgh, Scotland 2008 (ltd. vinyl single)
hidden bonus track:
18 No One Can Forgive Me But My Baby *BCOD (John Hammond - Got Love If You Want It CD 1992)

Volume 5 (1999-2016)

01. I Know I've Been Changed *TFTR         (TV Documentary "Freedom Highway" 1999)    
02. Aint Going Down To The Well No More *TFTR (TV Documentary "Freedom Highway" 1999)   
03. Jesus Blood Never Failed Me Yet *TFTR ("Studio C", KBCO FM, Oct. 13, 1999)        
04. Chocolate Jesus + interview *TFTA3     (TV - Letterman 1999)
05. Walk Away  ftp                                         (Southside Johnny - Grapefruit Moon CD 2008)
06. Spacious Thoughts ftp                           (N.A.S.A. - The Spirit Of Apollo CD 2009)
07. Tootie Ma Was A Big Fine Thing *        (Preservation Hall Jazz Band CD 2010)
08. Corinne Died on the Battlefield *        (Preservation Hall Jazz Band CD 2010)
09. Fortune Has Its Cookies To Give Out *Dime  (Audience rec, San Francisco Oct 2 2010)
10. After You Die  *                                        (Bad As Me bonus track CD 2011)
11. She Stole The Blush *                             (Bad As Me bonus track CD 2011)
12. Tell Me *                                                    (Bad As Me bonus track CD 2011)
13. Raised Right Men *                                  (TV - Late Night with Fallon, Jul 10 2012)

14. Chicago *                                              (TV - Letterman, Jul 9 2012
15. Fadin' Moon  *                                          (Hank Williams III - Gutter Town CD 2011)
16. Shenandoah (with Keith Richards) *     (VA - Son of Rogues Gallery Pirate Ballads... CD 2013)
17. Little Red Rooster (Rolling Stones) *Dime  (Audience rec. Oakland May 5 2013)
18. The Soul Of A Man *                                (V/A - God Don't Never Change CD 2016)
19. John The Revelator *                               (V/A - God Don't Never Change CD 2016)

This is the definitive listing of this set. The mistakes on the original info have been corrected.

Source Abbreviations:
ftp = from the Tom Waits Forum ftp server (flac files that were available on the original 4-disc set compiled by Forum members)
TFTU2/3/4/5 = from original ‘Tales From The Underground’ bootleg 5-disc set
BCOD = from ‘Blue Crack Of Dawn’ bootleg
DOTM = from ‘Drunk On The Moon’ bootleg
24 bit Vinyl = Upgrade from original ‘Bounced Checks’ LP
TFTA3 = from ‘Tales From The Audience’ V3 bootleg
TFTR = from ‘Tales From The Riverside’ bootleg
Dime = Torrent from Dimeadozen tracker
* an asterisk with no further details, is from the source named on the right-hand side in brackets.

Buzz Fledderjohn was removed because it is on the official release ‘Orphans’
Track 19 on V3 is now ‘Rain On Me’ from the Chuck E Weiss album Extremely Cool CD 1999   

When I have accumulated enough tracks, the track listing for the final Vol 6 will be posted.

 Over 60% of the tracks from the five volumes have now been officially released.

last updated February 15, 2018

Name: Happyrudolf
Message: What a great work you have done upgrading the Tales From the Underground series and making some awesome artwork for the new collections.
I'm very impressed. Well done!!!

Thanks for your message Happyrudolf. I hope you will be inspired to collect the tracks to make your own upgrade copy.