Ran into him just a couple years ago in the tiny airport of Santa Fe, New Mexico. He almost missed his plane because he was so wrapped up in his own private universe, tapping his foot and rocking back and forth (though not as pronounced as in this video). I had to point out to him that his flight had been called ages ago... he showed me his ticket and said "For real?", I said "For real" and walked him to the gate. I so badly wanted to talk to him, thank him for his music, but didn't want to interrupt his musings.

This is an amazing look into his legendary Tropicana phase. Before he met Kathleen, before he got married and polished like a new dime. How he ever pulled into his persona is a real mystery. Self-invented out of the ashes of the 40’s and 50’s, he was such a staggering departure from the acoustic guitar strumming songwriters all trying to surpass Bob Dylan. Tom was completely fishing off a different pier, on a different coast of a mythic shore of a strange island port bar. As if his parents were refugees from a Filipino/ Cuban Cruise Ship Directors gig with no direction home. Somehow out of this incredible chaos, he became a sober family man who is perhaps our greatest living songsmith.

When he plays the piano it's just like angels clearing the space of demons. Otherworldly ✨✨✨✨✨

Of course, this is unbelievably great.

Sweet Cheezus, what an amazingly unique artist Tom has been for us, through all of his sonic permutations. Tom has always delivered the goods. ☮

A one of a kind songwriter and performer, very underrated. Saw him work 5 or 6 times starting in the mid-70's. He never disappoints.

I’ve been a Tom Waits fan since I was thirteen years old and somehow, all these years, I’ve never seen this clip! This is fantastic!!

I would like to submit this as evidence to why keeping your creative space as chaotic as possible is part of the creative process

Holy Moley actual recording of Tom at his Tropicana hovel...history with Flo and Eddie as well...wow

I thought I had seen everything, but never even knew this existed. Thanks for sharing!

FYI, Tom wasn't putting on a shtick or a persona. This is simply Tom's personality! After hearing Tom talk about his struggle with Auditory Processing Disorder and noise sensitivity, seeing him stimming, and also see him avoiding eye contact I personally believe that he's on the high functioning end of Autism. Tom shows autistic kids that there's nothing wrong with them! He shows them that they don't have to mask their behaviors in order to find approval. Tom is himself wherever he goes. And, he's loved exactly for who he is. This is the kind of representation we need to see in the media!

girl you are rocking back and forth violently

A genius story teller. This is real talent right here.

Great! Interesting to see him honing his character early in his career. It's all stage craft, but I loved it at the time. My guess is he never actually lived in that Tropicana apartment, but it made a great prop. Thanks for this.

Thank you very much! :o)

Booze and cocaine. I used to not like his music but I just hadn’t gotten it yet. Genius and such a wonderful man.

this is beautiful. a genius

This is real history right here. Performers, pay attention. This really is Tom finding himself at this period of time. Keep in mind, just a few years later he'd release "Swordfishtrombone" - an album FULL of performance and theatrics. Something he hasn't let go to this day. Man, this is great.

Thanks for uploading this gem

FICKING PRICELESS! INTIMATE VIEW OF TOM!

A genius on a journey

Oh man he plays Burma Shave! That was unexpected & wonderful. I wonder if the rocking was an affectation.

muchas gracias for the upload! ive been looking for this for years as it seemed to had dissappeared. what a document of his early years! totally wasted but still witty and beautiful in his expression.i really love that clip.

I used to think I didn't like Tom Waits. I was wrong...

Bro! Thank you so much for posting. 🤯

The embodiment of imagination, like a made-up friend.

This is a fascinating clip. Never seen it.

Tom Waits and the Turtles. That would've been a great musical hook up. Or better yet, Zappa & Mothers and Waits.

Excellent 👍

"He earns millions of dollars but he lives here.'" He was known but not wealthy at this point .

I never saw the entire segment. The view of the Tropicana Motel at the beginning was cool.

Tom Waits; at the end of those places... we've never been.

4:52 he would later write the line “I ain’t no extra baby,I’m a leading man”

Now I wanna watch 200 motels.

He is the greatest songwriter this country has ever produced. Dylan is great, but forget it!

🔥💙🔥

I first saw Tom Waits on The Mike Douglas show. You want to talk culture clash!

Abso-Fucking-lutely Priceless!!!!

Tom Waits Pop Singer

As a fairly recent discoverer of Tom Waits, who I think is a genius, I find him fascinating. At first sight he looks like a substance-addled wreck, yet even in thin interview his brain and his wit are pin-sharp, and I find it hard to shake off the feeling that he has fooled everyone with a created persona. Unless he is a great an actor as he is a songwriter I know it's unlikely, but something just doesn't quite seem to add up!

Brilliant. :o)

What song is that? Edit: it's 'Burma Shave'

true magic....people can say he ripped off Beefheart but he has the goods....a great songwriter

hey frank, where's flo ? im not sure, but he'll be standing next to eddie

I don't know anything about Tom Waits, only heard a song or two of his. What I see here is a man in the throes of some kind of mental illness. Glad to hear he pulled out of it later.

His piano was famously in the kitchen, jammed into the counter, very tight space. He didn't have big furniture like that couch either. He had lawn chairs. This isn't his crib. The video performance is stellar though, this isn't a complaint.

Whatever happened to Flo and Eddie?

7:38 "it was either this or a career in air conditioning and refrigeration" LOL

Does anyone know the name of the song he plays around 9:45

A blast from the past ?

And now almost every piano bar in the country has some "hipster" performing, with a hat like Tom's, and wishing they had his talent.

Tom( Napoleon Dynamite)Waits

This looks like this was filmed during Tom's as yet unknown and secret "meth head up for a week" stage. (before he transitioned into a drunk, and finally a secret clean and sober stage) It's either that or he just got out of a "special" hospital and the thorazine hadn't worn off yet?

9:11

wt kind of drugs was my mans on?

that guy called tom a 'pop' singer lmao

Who are Flo & Eddie?

Clearly talented . But what is wrong with him ?

Bad beer claimed interview

Funny how things turn out back in 1978 ~ No one cares if Flo & Eddie have a new record coming out but people are clamoring to get a new Tom Waits LP here at the tail end of 2022 ~ BTW where are Flo & Eddie now ~

so good! Also kind of cringey with Flo and Eddie dissing Tom in a way - but I s till love em