Prior to the recording of the album, Waits became friends with his designated producer Jerry Yester and one afternoon in early 1972 recorded a pre-production tape in Yester's residence. In order to focus on his career, Waits relocated from San Diego to Los Angeles in early 1972 and performed more frequently at The Troubadour, where David Geffen discovered him performing "Grapefruit Moon." The performance, which "floored" Geffen, led Geffen to negotiate with Waits's manager Cohen and Waits signed to Asylum Records within a month. Through Cohen's contacts, Waits recorded a number of demos in Los Angeles in late summer 1971 with producer and engineer Robert Duffey, later released as The Early Years in two respective volumes, against Waits's wishes. At a Troubadour performance in summer 1971, Herb Cohen inadvertently spotted Waits and became his manager. In November 1970, Waits performed his first paid show at the The Heritage, earning $25 for his performance. Around this time, Waits also began working as a doorman at the nearby club, The Heritage, which was also a coffee house by day.
#SEMISONIC CLOSING TIME INSTRUMENTAL SERIES#
Waits's setlist at these series of shows, described as "hootenanny nights" consisted primarily of Bob Dylan covers although it included songs which would later appear on Closing Time and its successor, The Heart of Saturday Night (1974), including "Ice Cream Man", "Virginia Avenue", " Ol' '55", " I Hope That I Don't Fall in Love with You", "Shiver Me Timbers" and "Diamonds on my Windshield". Tom Waits began his musical career in 1970, performing every Monday night at The Troubadour, a venue in Los Angeles. The album has been reissued twice since its initial release, in 1999 and again in 2010. The album has sold under 500,000 copies in the United States and has gained a contemporary cult following among rock fans. Other songs from the album were covered by artists ranging from Tim Buckley to Bette Midler. The album's lead, and only, single, " Ol' '55", attracted attention due to a cover version by Waits's better known label mates The Eagles. Critical reaction to Closing Time was positive. The album is noted for being folk and jazz influenced. Upon release, the album was mildly successful in the United States, although it did not chart and received little attention from music press in the United Kingdom and elsewhere internationally. Produced and arranged by former Lovin' Spoonful member Jerry Yester, Closing Time was the first of seven of Waits's major releases through Asylum, the final being Heartattack and Vine (1980). Spring 1972 at Sunset Sound Recorders and United Western Recorders in Hollywood, CaliforniaĬlosing Time is the debut studio album by American singer-songwriter Tom Waits, released in March 1973 on Asylum Records.
For other uses, see Closing time (disambiguation). This article is about the album by Tom Waits.