Franks Wild Years

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Franks Wild Years

Studio album by Tom Waits
Released	August 1987
Recorded	The Sound Factory (Hollywood, California)
Genre	Rock
Length	55:34
Label	Island
Producer(s)	Tom Waits
All Music Guide link Robert Christgau (B) link
Tom Waits chronology
Rain Dogs (1985)	Franks Wild Years (1987)	Big Time (1988)

Franks [sic] Wild Years is an album by Tom Waits, released 1987 on Island Records. Subtitled "Un Operachi Romantico in Two Acts", the album contains songs written by Waits and collaborators (mainly his wife, Kathleen Brennan) for a play of the same name. The shared title of the album and the play is an iteration of "Frank's Wild Years", a song from Waits's 1983 album Swordfishtrombones.

The play had its world premiere in Chicago, Illinois on June 22, 1986, performed by the Steppenwolf Theatre Company at the Briar St. Theatre.

Various versions of the track "Way Down In The Hole" have served as the theme music for the HBO series The Wire, including Waits's original version for the second season.

[edit] Track listing

Tracks written by Tom Waits, except where noted.

"Hang on St. Christopher" – 2:46
- Tom Waits - Vocals
- Greg Cohen - Alto Horn, Horn Arrangements
- Ralph Carney - Tenor Sax
- Marc Ribot - Guitar
- William Schimmel - Leslie Bass Pedals
- Michael Blair - Drums
"Straight to the Top (Rhumba)" (Waits / Greg Cohen) – 2:30
- Tom Waits - Vocal, Optigon, Conga
- Greg Cohen - Leslie Bass Pedals
- Ralph Carney - Saxes
- Larry Taylor - Upright Bass
- Michael Blair - Conga
- William Schimmel - Pump Organ
"Blow Wind Blow" – 3:35
- Tom Waits - Vocal, Pump Organ
- Greg Cohen - Alto Horn
- Francis Thumm - Pump Organ
- Michael Blair - Glockenspiel
"Temptation" – 3:53
- Tom Waits - Optigon, Vocals, Guitar
- Michael Blair - Percussion, Conga, Marachas
- Ralph Carney - Saxophone
- Morris Tepper - Guitar
- Marc Ribot - Guitar
- Greg Cohen - Bass, Horn Arrangements
- Kathleen Brennan - Vocal Arrangements
"Innocent When You Dream (Bar Room)" – 4:15
- Tom Waits - Pump Organ, Vocals
- Greg Cohen - Bass
- Ralph Carney - Violin
- William Schimmel - Piano
"I'll Be Gone" (Waits / Kathleen Brennan) – 3:12
- Tom Waits - Vocal & Rooster
- William Schimmel - Accordion
- Greg Cohen - Bass
- Michael Blair - Marimba
- Morris Tepper - Guitar
- Ralph Carney - Baritone Horn
"Yesterday Is Here" (Waits / Brennan) – 2:29
- Tom Waits - Vocals, Guitar & Tambourine
- Larry Taylor - Bass
"Please Wake Me Up" (Waits / Brennan) – 3:36
- Tom Waits - Vocal, Mellotron & Optigon
- Ralph Carney - Baritone Horn
- Greg Cohen - Bass
- Jay Anderson - Bass
"Frank's Theme" – 1:49
- Tom Waits - Vocals, Pump Organ
"More Than Rain" – 3:52
- Tom Waits - Vocal, Optigon
- Greg Cohen - Bass
- William Schimmel - Accordion
- Morris Tepper - Guitar
- Francis Thumm - Prepared Piano
- Michael Blair - Orquestra Bells
- Ralph Carney - Baritone Horn
"Way Down in the Hole" – 3:30
- Tom Waits - Vocals
- Ralph Carney - Saxes
- Michael Blair - Percussion
- Marc Ribot - Guitar
- Angela Brown - Background Vocals
- Leslie Holland - Background Vocals
- Lynne Jordan - Background Vocals
- Greg Cohen - Bass
"Straight to the Top (Vegas)" (Waits / Cohen) – 3:26
- Tom Waits - Vocal Stylings
- William Schimmel - Cocktail Piano
- Ralph Carney - Tenor Sax
- Greg Cohen - Bass
- Michael Blair - Drums
"I'll Take New York" – 3:58
- Tom Waits - Vocal
- William Schimmel - Pump Organ
- Ralph Carney - Sax
- Michael Blair - Drums
- Greg Cohen - Bass
"Telephone Call From Istanbul" – 3:12
- Tom Waits - Vocals, Farfisa, Drums
- Greg Cohen - Bass
- Morris Tepper - Guitar
- Marc Ribot - Banjo
- Michael Blair - Drums
"Cold Cold Ground" – 4:07
- Tom Waits - Guitars & Vocal
- David Hidalgo - Accordion
- Larry Taylor - Bass
"Train Song" – 3:20
- Tom Waits - Piano, Vocal, Pump Organ
- David Hidalgo - Accordion
- Larry Taylor - Bass
- Greg Cohen - Alto Horn
"Innocent When You Dream (78)" – 3:08
- Tom Waits - Vocal, Pump Organ
- Greg Cohen - Bass
- Ralph Carney - Violin
- William Schimmel - Piano

[edit] Musicians

Jay Anderson - Bass
Michael Blair - Drums, Conga, Percussion, Orquestra Bells, Marachas, Marimba, Glockenspiel
Kathleen Brennan - Vocal Arrangements
Angela Brown - Background Vocals
Ralph Carney - Sax, Baritone Horn, Violin, Tenor Sax, Saxophone
Greg Cohen - Bass, Alto Horn, Horn Arrangements, Leslie Bass Pedals
David Hidalgo - Accordion
Leslie Holland - Background Vocals
Lynne Jordan - Background Vocals
Marc Ribot - Guitar, Banjo
William Schimmel - Piano, Pump Organ, Accordion, Leslie Bass Pedals, Cocktail Piano
Larry Taylor - Bass, Upright Bass
Morris Tepper - Guitar
Francis Thumm - Prepared Piano, Pump Organ
Tom Waits - Vocals, Pump Organ, Optigon, Guitar, Vocal Stylings, Rooster, Piano, Farfisa, Mellotron, Drums, Conga, Tambourine