~
Two things happened on a December 7th; the bombing of Pearl Harbor in Honolulu, Hawaii, in 1941 and the birth of Tom Waits in Pomona, California in 1949. Both changed my life forever and we would never see the world the same way again.
I
first became aware of Waits when I was dancing on Broadway at the
hungry i in San Francisco (link below). Janice, one of the girls who danced there,
loved his songs and used them regularly. Then one night he actually came
into the club; Janice was in heaven and I got to meet him. He is an easy going, down-to-earth guy
and I liked him a lot.
Bryars made a loop of 13 bars; he was by that time teaching at Leicester Polytechnic and was able to make use of a small sound studio there. To preserve the delicate original, he recorded it on to a second machine, leaving the loop running while he went to fetch a coffee. When he returned, he found that the painting students in the various rooms around the studio had fallen silent and were listening sombrely to the old man’s voice. Someone was weeping in a corner. It’s an effect that audiences have been experiencing ever since.
Recognizing that his piano was in tune with the singer, began to
work on harmonization. He made a simple chordal arrangement, which in
later versions has developed into a rich ensemble sound with strings and
brass, weighted to the low end of the harmonic scale. There have been several versions of
the work from 1972 to 2019. This is the 1993 version and the CD has Tom Waits singing the hymn.
CD front & back
Design – David Lau
cover photos by Nick White
photo of CD cover by Styrous®
The piece was first recorded for use in a documentary which chronicles street life in and around Elephant and Castle and Waterloo,
in London. When later listening to the recordings, Bryars noticed the
clip was in tune with his piano and that it conveniently looped into 13
bars.
For the first LP recording, he was limited to a duration of 25 minutes;
later he completed a 60-minute version of the piece for cassette tape; and with the advent of the CD, this is a 74-minute version.
This is a very strange recording in so many ways, which is not unusual for neither Bryars nor Waits. I have a favorite track on any album; I don't on this one because although there are six tracks, the music runs from one track to the next. The tape loop of the homeless man (called The Tramp) plays with orchestral variations on the first four tracks but Waits doesn't actually come in until the fifth track when he accompanies the tape loop of "The Tramp". Waits then takes over on the sixth track which is VERY quiet and dreamy but his whiskey-and-cigarette flavored voice is unmistakable.
Gavin Bryars is an English composer and double bassist. He has worked in jazz, free improvisation, minimalism, historicism, avant-garde, and experimental music.
Tom Waits is an American singer, songwriter, musician, composer, and actor. His
lyrics often focus on the underbelly of society and are delivered in
his trademark deep, gravelly voice. He worked primarily in jazz during the 1970s, but his music since the 1980s has reflected greater influence from blues, rock, vaudeville, and experimental genres.
Jesus' Blood Never Failed Me Yet was shortlisted for the 1993 Mercury Prize, an annual music prize awarded for the best album released in the United Kingdom by a British or Irish act created by Jon Webster.
The prize when to Suede for their self-titled album.
Tracklist:
1 - Tramp With Orchestra I (String Quartet) - 27:05
2 - Tramp With Orchestra II (Low Strings) - 15:16
3 - Tramp With Orchestra III (No Strings) - 4:48
4 - Tramp With Orchestra IV (Full Strings) 6:06
5 - Tramp And Tom Waits With Full Orchestra - 19:38
6 - Coda: Tom Waits With High Strings - 1:47
Companies, etc.
Phonographic Copyright (p) – Point Music
Copyright (c) – GB Records (2)
Copyright (c) – Mnemonic Records
Copyright (c) – Point Music-
Produced For – Euphorbia Productions Ltd.
Produced For – Philips Classics Productions
Manufactured By – PolyGram Classics & Jazz
Marketed By – PolyGram Classics & Jazz
Made By – UML
Recorded At – Prairie Sun Recording Studios
Engineered At – The Looking Glass Studios
Mixed At – The Looking Glass Studios
Produced At – Dave Hunt Studio
Produced At – Cedar
Published By – Island Records Inc.
Credits:
Alto Vocals [Chorus] – Elsa Higby, Katie Geissinger, Margo Grib*
Art Direction – Margery Greenspan
Baritone Vocals [Chorus] – Gregory Purnhagen, Jeffrey Kensmoe*, Peter Stewart (2)
Bassoon [Orchestra] – Kim Laskowski
Cello [Hampton String Quartet] – John Reed (3)
Cello [Orchestra] – Beverly Lauridsen, Clay Ruede, Jeanne LeBlanc, Jesse Levy, Mark Shuman, Semyon Fridman
Clarinet [Orchestra] – Allen Blustine, Steven Hartman
Composed By [Music] – Gavin Bryars
Conductor, Producer – Michael Riesman
Contrabassoon [Orchestra] – Jeffrey Marchand
Design – David Lau (2)
Double Bass [Bass] [Orchestra] – Barbara Wilson (2), Homer Mensch, John Beal
Engineer, Mixed By – Chris Ekers, Dante DeSole
Executive-Producer – Kurt Munkacsi, Philip Glass, Rory Johnston
Flute [Orchestra] – Michael Parloff
French Horn [Orchestra] – Ann Yarborough*, Ron Sell, Sharon Moe, Tony Miranda
Guitar [Orchestra] – Brian Koonin
Harp [Orchestra] – Karen Lindquist, Nina Kellman
Oboe [Orchestra] – Dorothy Darlington
Organ [Orchestra] – Michael Riesman
Percussion [Orchestra] – Frank Cassara
Photography By [Cover Photo] – Nick White (4)
Photography By [Photos (Inlay Card & Inside) Except Tom Waits] – Alastair Thain
Recorded By [Tom Waits' Vocals] – Mark "Mooka" Rennick*
Soprano Vocals [Chorus] – Kristin Norderval, Lisa Bielawa, Marion Beckenstein, Michele Eaton
Tenor Vocals [Chorus] – Eric Lamp*, Jeffrey Johnson, John Koch
Trombone [Orchestra] – James Pugh*, Keith O'Quinn
Trumpet [Orchestra] – Neil Balm, Wilmer Wise
Tuba [Orchestra] – Alan Ralph*
Viola [Hampton String Quartet] – Richard Maximoff
Viola [Orchestra] – Alfred Brown, Juliet Haffner, Olivia Koppel*, Paul Peabody
Violin [1st] [Hampton String Quartet] – Regis Iandiorio
Violin [2nd] [Hampton String Quartet] – Richard Henrickson
Violin [Orchestra] – Dale Stuckenbruck, David Nadien, Donna Tecco, Elena Barere, Eriko Sato-Oei*, Jan Mullen, Jean Ingraham, Laura Seaton, Matthew Raimondi, Max Ellen, Mayuki Fukuhara, Nancy McAlhany, Richard Sortomme, Sanford Allen
Vocals [Additional] – Tom Waits
Notes:
Original version © 1971 Gavin Bryars.
Current version © 1993 Mnemonic/(MCPS/PRS).
℗ © 1993 Point Music / a joint venture of Euphorbia Productions, Ltd. and Philips Classics Productions.
Manufactured and marketed by PolyGram Classics and jazz, a division of PolyGram Records, Inc., New York, NY.
Printed in the U.S.A.
Engineered and mixed at The Looking Glass Studios, NYC.
Tom Waits' vocals recorded at Prairie Sun Recording, Cotatti, CA.
Pre-Production/Tape Preparation: Dave Hunt Studio, London; Cedar Audio, Cambridge; Nick Gilpin, Autograph.
Tom Waits appears courtesy of Island Records, Inc.
Total Time - 74:43
Barcode and Other Identifiers
Barcode (Scanned): 028943882323
Barcode (Text): 0 289-438823-2 3Tom Waits
Matrix / Runout (Burned on Master): 438 823-2 02@
Matrix / Runout (Pressed on Stamper - Variant 1): E
Matrix / Runout (Pressed on Stamper - Variant 2): D
Label Code: LC 6042
Rights Society: MCPS/PRS
Other: PG 925
Other: PTH
Matrix / Runout (Pressed on Stamper - Variant 3): G
Gavin Bryars With Tom Waits – Jesus' Blood Never Failed Me Yet
Label: Point Music – 438 823-2
Format: CD, Album, Reissue
Country: US
Released:
Genre: Electronic, Classical
Style: Abstract, Contemporary, Minimal
1 - Tramp With Orchestra I (String Quartet) - 27:05
2 - Tramp With Orchestra II (Low Strings) - 15:16
3 - Tramp With Orchestra III (No Strings) - 4:48
4 - Tramp With Orchestra IV (Full Strings) 6:06
5 - Tramp And Tom Waits With Full Orchestra - 19:38
6 - Coda: Tom Waits With High Strings - 1:47
Companies, etc.
Phonographic Copyright (p) – Point Music
Copyright (c) – GB Records (2)
Copyright (c) – Mnemonic Records
Copyright (c) – Point Music-
Produced For – Euphorbia Productions Ltd.
Produced For – Philips Classics Productions
Manufactured By – PolyGram Classics & Jazz
Marketed By – PolyGram Classics & Jazz
Made By – UML
Recorded At – Prairie Sun Recording Studios
Engineered At – The Looking Glass Studios
Mixed At – The Looking Glass Studios
Produced At – Dave Hunt Studio
Produced At – Cedar
Published By – Island Records Inc.
Credits:
Alto Vocals [Chorus] – Elsa Higby, Katie Geissinger, Margo Grib*
Art Direction – Margery Greenspan
Baritone Vocals [Chorus] – Gregory Purnhagen, Jeffrey Kensmoe*, Peter Stewart (2)
Bassoon [Orchestra] – Kim Laskowski
Cello [Hampton String Quartet] – John Reed (3)
Cello [Orchestra] – Beverly Lauridsen, Clay Ruede, Jeanne LeBlanc, Jesse Levy, Mark Shuman, Semyon Fridman
Clarinet [Orchestra] – Allen Blustine, Steven Hartman
Composed By [Music] – Gavin Bryars
Conductor, Producer – Michael Riesman
Contrabassoon [Orchestra] – Jeffrey Marchand
Design – David Lau (2)
Double Bass [Bass] [Orchestra] – Barbara Wilson (2), Homer Mensch, John Beal
Engineer, Mixed By – Chris Ekers, Dante DeSole
Executive-Producer – Kurt Munkacsi, Philip Glass, Rory Johnston
Flute [Orchestra] – Michael Parloff
French Horn [Orchestra] – Ann Yarborough*, Ron Sell, Sharon Moe, Tony Miranda
Guitar [Orchestra] – Brian Koonin
Harp [Orchestra] – Karen Lindquist, Nina Kellman
Oboe [Orchestra] – Dorothy Darlington
Organ [Orchestra] – Michael Riesman
Percussion [Orchestra] – Frank Cassara
Photography By [Cover Photo] – Nick White (4)
Photography By [Photos (Inlay Card & Inside) Except Tom Waits] – Alastair Thain
Recorded By [Tom Waits' Vocals] – Mark "Mooka" Rennick*
Soprano Vocals [Chorus] – Kristin Norderval, Lisa Bielawa, Marion Beckenstein, Michele Eaton
Tenor Vocals [Chorus] – Eric Lamp*, Jeffrey Johnson, John Koch
Trombone [Orchestra] – James Pugh*, Keith O'Quinn
Trumpet [Orchestra] – Neil Balm, Wilmer Wise
Tuba [Orchestra] – Alan Ralph*
Viola [Hampton String Quartet] – Richard Maximoff
Viola [Orchestra] – Alfred Brown, Juliet Haffner, Olivia Koppel*, Paul Peabody
Violin [1st] [Hampton String Quartet] – Regis Iandiorio
Violin [2nd] [Hampton String Quartet] – Richard Henrickson
Violin [Orchestra] – Dale Stuckenbruck, David Nadien, Donna Tecco, Elena Barere, Eriko Sato-Oei*, Jan Mullen, Jean Ingraham, Laura Seaton, Matthew Raimondi, Max Ellen, Mayuki Fukuhara, Nancy McAlhany, Richard Sortomme, Sanford Allen
Vocals [Additional] – Tom Waits
Notes:
Original version © 1971 Gavin Bryars.
Current version © 1993 Mnemonic/(MCPS/PRS).
℗ © 1993 Point Music / a joint venture of Euphorbia Productions, Ltd. and Philips Classics Productions.
Manufactured and marketed by PolyGram Classics and jazz, a division of PolyGram Records, Inc., New York, NY.
Printed in the U.S.A.
Engineered and mixed at The Looking Glass Studios, NYC.
Tom Waits' vocals recorded at Prairie Sun Recording, Cotatti, CA.
Pre-Production/Tape Preparation: Dave Hunt Studio, London; Cedar Audio, Cambridge; Nick Gilpin, Autograph.
Tom Waits appears courtesy of Island Records, Inc.
Total Time - 74:43
Barcode and Other Identifiers
Barcode (Scanned): 028943882323
Barcode (Text): 0 289-438823-2 3Tom Waits
Matrix / Runout (Burned on Master): 438 823-2 02@
Matrix / Runout (Pressed on Stamper - Variant 1): E
Matrix / Runout (Pressed on Stamper - Variant 2): D
Label Code: LC 6042
Rights Society: MCPS/PRS
Other: PG 925
Other: PTH
Matrix / Runout (Pressed on Stamper - Variant 3): G
Gavin Bryars With Tom Waits – Jesus' Blood Never Failed Me Yet
Label: Point Music – 438 823-2
Format: CD, Album, Reissue
Country: US
Released:
Genre: Electronic, Classical
Style: Abstract, Contemporary, Minimal
Viewfinder links:
Net links:
The Cross-Eyed Pianist ~ A mesmerising musical experience
The Cusp Magazine ~ Bryars' famous work performed at Tate Modern
Gavin Bryars ~ Memorial service for those who died homeless
The Guardian ~ Anthem for the homeless
Opuszine ~ Jesus’ Blood Never Failed Me Yet
Pitchfork ~ Jesus' Blood Never Failed Me Yet
Gramophone ~ Jesus' Blood Never Failed Me Yet
YouTube links:
Jesus' Blood Never Failed Me Yet (1 hr., 14 mins., 43 sec.)
Jesus' Blood Never Failed Me Yet (edit w/Tom Waits)
Jesus' Blood Never Failed Me Yet (interview)
“ . . . the tears of the world are a constant quality.
For each one who begins to weep,
someone somewhere else stops.”
~ Samuel Beckett
~ Samuel Beckett
Tom Waits (front), Gavin Bryars (rear)
