"Hang On St. Christopher" | ||||
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Single by Tom Waits | ||||
from the album Franks Wild Years | ||||
B-side | "Hang On St. Christopher (Instrumental)" | |||
Released | 1987 | |||
Recorded | Sunset Sound Factory, Los Angeles Los Angeles, Universal Recording Corp., Chicago | |||
Genre | Experimental rock | |||
Length | 2:46 | |||
Label | Island | |||
Songwriter(s) | Tom Waits | |||
Producer(s) | Tom Waits | |||
Tom Waits singles chronology | ||||
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"Hang On St. Christopher" is a song by Tom Waits appearing on his 1987 album Franks Wild Years . It was released as a single in 1987 by Island Records. The song centers around Frank O'Brien, a character who Waits concocted during the making of Swordfishtrombones in 1983. A series of road oriented imagery is evoked in the lyrics, which are sung from the perspective of O'Brien, a downtrodden individual who leaves behind his family and hometown in hopes of attaining a more prosperous future. During his journey, the protagonist carries a medallion dedicated to Saint Christopher, the patron saint of travel. [1]
Greg Cohen developed the North-African influenced horn arrangement in the recording studio and also played an alto horn on the song. A set of Leslie bass pedals were placed on a kitchen table and operated by William Schimmel using his fists. These musicians were augmented by Ralph Carney on tenor saxophone, Marc Ribot on guitar, and Michael Blair on drums. [1] [2]
Year | Publication | Country | Accolade | Rank |
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2000 | Elvis Costello | United Kingdom | The Best Songs from the 500 Best Albums Ever [3] | * |
2004 | Rock and Roll Hall of Fame | United States | The Songs That Shaped Rock [4] | * |
2005 | Bruce Pollock | United States | The 7,500 Most Important Songs of 1944-2000 [5] | * |
(*) designates unordered lists.
All songs written by Tom Waits.
Adapted from the liner notes. [6]
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Region | Date | Label | Format | Catalog |
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United States | 1987 | Island | LP | 0-96750 |
The song was covered by BulletBoys on their second album, 1991's Freakshow , and a video was made to promote the release. The song was also covered by Rod Stewart on his 1995 album A Spanner in the Works .
Rain Dogs is the ninth studio album by American singer-songwriter Tom Waits, released in September 1985 on Island Records. A loose concept album about "the urban dispossessed" of New York City, Rain Dogs is generally considered the middle album of a trilogy that includes Swordfishtrombones and Franks Wild Years.
Closing Time is the debut album by American singer-songwriter Tom Waits, released on March 6, 1973, on Asylum Records. Produced and arranged by former Lovin' Spoonful member Jerry Yester, Closing Time was the first of seven of Waits' major releases by Asylum.
The Heart of Saturday Night is the second studio album by singer and songwriter Tom Waits, released on October 15, 1974, on Asylum Records. The title song was written as a tribute to Jack Kerouac. The album marks the start of a decade-long collaboration between Waits and Bones Howe, who produced and engineered all Waits' recordings until the artist left Asylum.
Franks Wild Years is the tenth studio album by Tom Waits, released 1987 on Island Records. It is the third in a loose trilogy that began with Swordfishtrombones. Subtitled "Un Operachi Romantico in Two Acts", the album contains songs written by Waits and collaborators for a play of the same name. The play had its world premiere at the Briar St. Theatre in Chicago, Illinois, on June 22, 1986, performed by the Steppenwolf Theatre Company. "If I Have to Go" was used in the play, but released only in 2006 on Orphans: Brawlers, Bawlers & Bastards. The theme from "If I Have to Go" was used under the title "Rat's Theme" in the documentary Streetwise as early as 1984. The title is derived from "Frank's Wild Years", a track from Swordfishtrombones.
Big Time is the first conventional live album by American musician Tom Waits, featuring performances from two shows on Waits' 1987 tour. The album was released less than a year later on Island Records. While Big Time was the first released recording of public concert performances by Waits, it was not strictly his first live release: his 1975 Nighthawks at the Diner was a live performance before an audience that was conducted entirely within a recording studio.
"Knives Out" is a song by the English rock band Radiohead, released as the second single from their fifth album, Amnesiac (2001). It features lyrics about cannibalism and guitars influenced by the Smiths.
Kathleen Patricia Brennan is an Irish-American musician, songwriter, record producer, and artist. She is known for her work as a co-writer, producer, and influence on the work of her husband Tom Waits.
"When I Fall in Love" is a popular song, written by Victor Young (music) and Edward Heyman (lyrics). It was introduced in Howard Hughes' last film One Minute to Zero as the instrumental titled "Theme from One Minute to Zero". Jeri Southern sang on the first vocal recording released in April 1952 with the song's composer, Victor Young, handling the arranging and conducting duties. The song has become a standard, with many artists recording it; the first hit version was sung by Doris Day released in July 1952.
"I Know There's an Answer" is a song by American rock band the Beach Boys from their 1966 album Pet Sounds. Written by Brian Wilson, Terry Sachen, and Mike Love, the song was inspired by Wilson's experience with the drug LSD and his struggle with ego death. Musically, it is distinguished for its colorful arrangement, unorthodox structure, and bass harmonica solo. The instrumentation also includes guitars, tambourine, tack piano, banjo, clarinets, flutes, electric keyboards, and timpani. Wilson, Love, and Al Jardine trade the lead vocal, for which the melody spans two octaves.
"Don't Let Me Be Misunderstood" is a song written by Bennie Benjamin, Horace Ott and Sol Marcus for American singer-songwriter and pianist Nina Simone, who recorded the first version in 1964. "Don't Let Me Be Misunderstood" has been covered by many artists. Two of the covers were transatlantic hits, the first in 1965 by the Animals, which was a blues rock version; and in 1977 by the disco group Santa Esmeralda, which was a four-on-the-floor rearrangement. A 1986 cover by new wave musician Elvis Costello found success in Britain and Ireland.
"Burning Down the House" is a song by new wave band Talking Heads, released in July 1983 as the first single from their fifth studio album Speaking in Tongues.
Orphans: Brawlers, Bawlers & Bastards is a limited edition three CD set by Tom Waits, released by the ANTI- label on November 17, 2006 in Europe and on November 21, 2006 in the United States.
Freakshow is the second album by American rock band BulletBoys. It was released in 1991 by Warner Bros. Records. It is the follow-up to their successful self-titled debut.
The discography of the American rock musician Tom Waits spans five decades. It consists of 17 studio albums, 3 live albums, 7 compilation albums, 23 singles, 2 soundtracks, and 1 box set. Waits has also released one video album and 16 music videos.
ButterFly is the sixteenth studio album by American singer Barbra Streisand. Released on October 1, 1974, by Columbia Records, it marked Streisand's first album of entirely new material in over three years. Primarily a contemporary pop record recorded throughout 1974, it also incorporates music from the reggae and R&B genres. All of the tracks on ButterFly are cover songs produced by Streisand's then-boyfriend Jon Peters, originating from artists like Bob Marley, David Bowie, Evie Sands, and Graham Nash.
"It’s Different for Girls" is a song by Joe Jackson appearing on his 1979 album, I'm the Man. The song has since become one of his most successful singles, notably being the highest charting Joe Jackson single in the UK. Covers have been recorded and released by several artists.
"In the Neighborhood" is a song by Tom Waits appearing on his 1983 album Swordfishtrombones. It was released as a single in October 1983 by Island Records.
"Hang Down Your Head" is a song by Tom Waits appearing on his 1985 album Rain Dogs and released as a single that year by Island Records. It is in the same vein as Tom Waits' earlier work, featuring a more conventional melodic structure compared to other songs on Rain Dogs, albeit featuring an idiosyncratic arrangement. Allmusic critic Stewart Mason called the song "among the most direct and effective things Waits has ever written."
"Time" is a song by Tom Waits appearing on his eighth studio album Rain Dogs. It was written by Waits and was recorded in 1985 at RCA Studios in New York City.
Innocent When You Dream is a song by Tom Waits appearing on his tenth studio album Franks Wild Years. The song was used as the soundtrack to the closing sequence, Auggie Wren's Christmas Story, in the 1995 film, Smoke.
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