According to Egotastic, Scarlett Johanssen is set to record an album of Tom Waits covers on a Rhino label. I think she did an OK job in the Karaoke scene in Lost in Translation but otherwise haven’t heard her singing voice.
Do you think she can hit TW’s gritty highs and gravelly lows ? What should her session list look like? I’d test her range with:
Grapefruit Moon
Jack & Neal
Jockey Full of Bourbon
Black Rider
Johnsburg, Illinois
Filipino Box Spring Hog
Muriel
Eggs and Sausage
Never Talk to Strangers, in a duet with Paul Simon
This seems like a terrible terrible idea to me. I thought you were making it up until I checked it out online. It still seems shady though. If it is true I do have to giver her some credit for avoiding the standard light pop that actresses tend to when starting a singing career.
Hmm. She won’t be able to sing them in Waits’s style, of course. But I can imagine her doing some nice, soulful work on some of the more ballad-y stuff: “Blue Valentines,” “Blind Love,” even “How’s It Going to End.”
Are we sure this is to be covers and not original stuff written by Tom Waits? This site (worth a look just for the photo) says:
The whole story is really poorly written, but that sentence suggests to me that it’s going to be new stuff that he’s written.
Come to think of it, I really doubt that that’s the case.
It’s interesting that she’s avoiding all the songs that the great Holly Cole did on her Waits songbook album, *Temptation *. This has to be intentional, and suggests she’s aware of Temptation, which is in my lifetime topten albums of all time.
Really, really bad idea. I’ve heard her sing Gershwin’s Summertime and I thought it was mediocre, at best. Sure, she could carry the tune and her voice was pleasant enough but her phrasing felt awkward and there was no real spark or soul to it. Audio wallpaper.
I’m with Lissener, seek out Holly Cole’s album of Tom Waits covers. I actually prefer her version of Jersey Girl over Tom’s :eek:
Yuh, whiskey tango foxtrot?!?! Must be somebody at allmusic.com who’s too cool for Holly Cole; they spent all their stars on Scott Walker and Can. Amazon’s average rating is 4.5/5, and iTunes averages 5/5. That’s more like it.
Neko Case, that lovely redheaded alt-country chanteuse (and part-time New Pornographer) already covered it on one of those Tom Waits tribute compilations.
As a huge fan of Tom Waits (he’s my favorite musician) and Scarlett Johannsen (she’s my #1 celebrity crush), I have to admit I’m rather intrigued about this project.
God, I wish I hadn’t opened this thread. I don’t want her to sing any Tom Waits. The last thing I want is a bunch of pretentious hollywood brats ‘discovering’ Mr. Waits. Soon other crappy bubblegum bands will be doing covers.
Can’t that skank just wear skimpy outfits, embarass herself publicly in bars and make movies?
I think What’s He Building? or Big in Japan (special nod to Lost in Temptation) would be fun. But she could sound sweet on his earlier stuff. I’d like to hear her version of I hope That I Don’t Fall In Love With You. I’m curious to hear how she does. And now I’m off to put on Temptations myself.
I think What’s He Building? or Big in Japan (special nod to Lost in Temptation) would be fun. But she could sound sweet on his earlier stuff. I’d like to hear her version of I hope That I Don’t Fall In Love With You. I’m curious to hear how she does. And now I’m off to put on Temptations myself.
Crap. Sorry about the double. Oh, and while I was waiting, I heard [bLateComer**'s entry, Pasties & a G-String. Cracked me right up, but I think Scarlett would have fun ruining it.