Man. Fernwood 2 Night. I was hooked as a kid. They were SO freaking good. And the comments are killing me. A lot seem to think this was a legit talk show. Love it.
Tom made a lot of appearances on a lot of different talk & variety shows and everything he said, did and performed was with a great sense of humor. Yes, many of his songs are serious and come from personal pain, but he truly knew the humor they also contained and he was always "in" on the jokes. I saw him perform in person many times during this period and his humor was very sharp.
Love Tom Waits. The man is a classic and a great character. It takes a special sense of humor to get him. The comments just prove that not everyone is smart enough to get him.
I can't decide what's funnier -- Barth Gimbel and Jerry Hubbard interviewing Tom Waits, or the comments below from people who have no idea what they're watching.
Lucky enough to have been there when he performed this song at Park West in Chicago in 76? 78? can't quite recall but the place was packed and he was great. Might've been touring with Loudon Wainwright III. Good times
Saw it when it first aired (I was 10 y.o.) and was blown away. And that was before I knew it wasn't a bit but a real song (which I discovered six years later) and as close to a real interview as there ever was on that show. Been watching and showing this clip to people for years and I'm So glad that it's still up and available.
I am surprised that people intelligent enough to enjoy Tom Waits, are not understanding that this is all a joke. All three of them are playing make believe together. You can clearly see that one of the best lines, "There's a bottle in front of you. I'd rather have a bottle in front of me, than a frontal lobotomy.", is in fact just that. A line. Fred Willard is the interviewer on the right. He is a comedic actor. Does it make sense then, that he would be on a KNOWN COMEDY SHOW being serious?
a great introduction to Tom is the Beautiful Maladies, a collection of his Island Records Recordings. Other than that, Swordfishtombones, Rain Dogs, Franks Wild Years and The Black Rider are standouts for me. But you really can't go wrong with any of his albums. No one else can tell a story like him, true genius.
Mr. Waits riffing on Stojowski Op.26 No.3 as is his habit seen in the early 80's riffing on the NYC downtown scene at The Wooster Group when Jeff Weiss was performing How The Rent Gets Paid translated by Mr.Waits along with a whole mess of stuff while he was over-paying for a lousy apartment near the Holland Tunnel turned the whole thing into Frank's Wild Years conveniently opening at Steppenwolf in Chicago and sure not in New York City, thank you very much Mr.Waits for chronicling everyone else's life into your own. Excelsior sir. Bon Ton.
To those who are talking about the TV halfwits...this is the satirical sitcom "Fernwood Tonight," where Fred Willard and Martin Mull spoof the inanity of talk shows by playing halfwits. It's satire. So of course it's scripted.
anyone else thinks it's crazy how he comes up with these witty poetic responses to everything so quickly. Like lowkey the way his humor is, is so poetic and different but it's funny af. like the frontal lobotomy. Lol j found out about him but love watching his interviews haha.
I was walking down the street one day , and looked up as i passed this cat , and said " Hey Tom , what's up ?? " ..... ( New Haven , CT ) ...like he was a friend of mine ( Longtime Fan ) .... He said " Hey man ...." ( in his gravely voice ) ....... i was down the street and around the corner before I realized who it was !!!! hahaha found out that he was playing in town ( sadly ) on the Monday after he played.......... that's life....he played at Toad's Place in New Haven , Ct.
I saw this first when I was in my teens (I had a crush on Martin Mull and my best friend had a crush on Fred Willard, so much so we bought tickets to see him at a comedy club in San Francisco). Ihad never heard the frontal lobotomy joke before, and later on I realized it's been around since the 1950's.
I love this, the wonderful surreal lyrics and the lol interview. I'm sure Tom will the delighted to know this has made Modern Art Rock's 'Video of the day'!! (as on our facebook page) If you are here reading this it probably means you love creative and original art rock. Join the movement, relish the classics and discover and support new art rock bands coming through; please 'like' and share our Facebook page (link via you tube channel)
Yes, the amazing Martin Mull and Fred Willard did this great "couch tv" parody. Check out Martin's early musical comedy jazz work. He know the guitar... better than that guy from the Nazz or Creams.
The most mind boggling thing about htis post is the collection of comments that express an absolute inability to get the joke. Yo! Clueless! The whole thing's a joke! These are are professionals (including creator/producer Norman Lear) on Fernwood Tonight... a parody talk show. Google it! Jeez! I suppose the concept of parody got lost somewhere in the last 30 years.
speaklo They are so good that the fools are fooled. The drunk tom character is as good as any jazz musician parody I've ever seen. The dichotomy of his immense talent mixed with the quick humour of the work is really what makes it special. They don't make them like this anymore.
"Fernwood Tonight" was part of the show "Mary Hartman, Mary Hartman," a Norman Lear soap opera parody. Check it out on Wikipedia. /wiki/Mary_Hartman,_Mary_Hartman Tom Waits is in on the joke, believe me.
You know this show was scripted right? Performers and actors performing and acting. And that everyone who's ever heard 'The Piano Has Been Drinking' has laughed at it? Except yourself.
theres two thing i really hate about this video... the way it comes on really loud and the laughing at that blonde guy... makes me cringe.. but in all this is the best version of him playing this song... it lifts me haha...
![ARGENTINA vs. CHILE [3-0] | RESUMEN | ELIMINATORIAS SUDAMERICANAS | FECHA 7](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/De3AWmXzhuA/mqdefault.jpg)
is Tom the coolest guy on earth or is that just me !
He definitely is
No, don't worry, he is
No Way Definitely Not Just You!!!! I 💓💓💓💓💓 Him
For me it's draw between Tom Waits and Lightnin Hopkins haha
Dont knw U , but Tom
"I´de rather to have a bottle in front of me than a frontal lobotomy...." very good:)
One of the best wordplay answers ever! Funny interview !
oh thank you ...cause i used to ear '' better to have a Bottom in front of me than my front in a Bottom ME '' …….hum hum ….
Should be inscribed somewhere.
@@paulwilliams8555 Also a song sung by an actual physician
Some of the best off the cuff wordplay ever lol
A TV show that was perfectly in synch with Tom Waits' vibe.
"I live at Bedlam and Squalor"....Legendary stuff.
Man. Fernwood 2 Night. I was hooked as a kid. They were SO freaking good. And the comments are killing me. A lot seem to think this was a legit talk show. Love it.
I loved this show too.. But somehow, in my mind, I thought this show was Fred Willard as host and Al Franken as second. RIP Fred Willard.
RIP to both Martin Mull and Fred Willard.
Tom waits is so cool and funny and a rare personality type...
This guy is so poetic! and a musical genious!
Tom made a lot of appearances on a lot of different talk & variety shows and everything he said, did and performed was with a great sense of humor. Yes, many of his songs are serious and come from personal pain, but he truly knew the humor they also contained and he was always "in" on the jokes. I saw him perform in person many times during this period and his humor was very sharp.
This reminds me of a Carol Burnett episode. This is too funny. I totally forgot about this show! Tom Waits has the best sense of humor.
Rest in peace Fred Williard
Tom's sharp as a tack here, even if they thought they were belittling him(they weren't, it's just there act), they were just struggling to keep up.
stephen3ooonsxr he’s in on the joke
You're the only one struggling to keep up here lol
Love Tom Waits. The man is a classic and a great character. It takes a special sense of humor to get him. The comments just prove that not everyone is smart enough to get him.
"I'd prefer a bottle in front of me than a frontal labotomy"
Comic genious.
he's comedic genius on top of the extraordinay music
I can't decide what's funnier -- Barth Gimbel and Jerry Hubbard interviewing Tom Waits, or the comments below from people who have no idea what they're watching.
My goodness, what a great clip.
you should look for the Frank Zappa ones.
Never tire of watching this. Two of my all-time favorites together, Fernwood & Tom Waits, can't get any better than this!
"And it's almost a thrill for me."
the best interview ever
They laugh and dont even realize they are watching a legend
It’s supposed to be a bit. Don’t take it so seriously. That’s just the kind of show it was. It just happens to be a great song as well.
Lucky enough to have been there when he performed this song at Park West in Chicago in 76? 78? can't quite recall but the place was packed and he was great. Might've been touring with Loudon Wainwright III. Good times
Saw it when it first aired (I was 10 y.o.) and was blown away. And that was before I knew it wasn't a bit but a real song (which I discovered six years later) and as close to a real interview as there ever was on that show. Been watching and showing this clip to people for years and I'm So glad that it's still up and available.
playing the last notes and picking up a lit cigarette all in one move ... it's awesome
RIP Fred Willard
Great sketch, thanks for posting
I am surprised that people intelligent enough to enjoy Tom Waits, are not understanding that this is all a joke. All three of them are playing make believe together. You can clearly see that one of the best lines, "There's a bottle in front of you. I'd rather have a bottle in front of me, than a frontal lobotomy.", is in fact just that. A line. Fred Willard is the interviewer on the right. He is a comedic actor. Does it make sense then, that he would be on a KNOWN COMEDY SHOW being serious?
All 3 are hanging on for dear life
a great introduction to Tom is the Beautiful Maladies, a collection of his Island Records Recordings. Other than that, Swordfishtombones, Rain Dogs, Franks Wild Years and The Black Rider are standouts for me. But you really can't go wrong with any of his albums. No one else can tell a story like him, true genius.
That guy is AMAZING... simply the Coolest man on this planet!!! I would break my right leg to enjoy a pint with that bloke! He is from another world!
The way to get this is to think: 'Best In Show' or 'Spinal Tap'- a lot of the same people involved. It was actually a pretty great show.
Mr. Waits riffing on Stojowski Op.26 No.3 as is his habit seen in the early 80's riffing on the NYC downtown scene at The Wooster Group when Jeff Weiss was performing How The Rent Gets Paid translated by Mr.Waits along with a whole mess of stuff while he was over-paying for a lousy apartment near the Holland Tunnel turned the whole thing into Frank's Wild Years conveniently opening at Steppenwolf in Chicago and sure not in New York City, thank you very much Mr.Waits for chronicling everyone else's life into your own. Excelsior sir. Bon Ton.
You can tell FT is class show-they give (their guest) Tom all the best lines.
AWESOME! Great performance & spoof talk show. Perfect.
Tom parodying his writing style is hysterical
I live at Bedlam and Squalor.
Frontal Lobotomy - priceless. I'll be cracking up all night over that.
To those who are talking about the TV halfwits...this is the satirical sitcom "Fernwood Tonight," where Fred Willard and Martin Mull spoof the inanity of talk shows by playing halfwits. It's satire. So of course it's scripted.
Classic
one of the best versions of a great song.
"Well I'd rather have a bottle in front of me than a frontal lobotomy" classic Tom!
It's classic Dorothy Parker.
Be kind to Barth Gimble (the host). His twin brother Garth was impaled by a star on an aluminum Christmas tree shortly before this show went to air.
RIP Fred Willard
“I had to leave our four year old for collateral.”
anyone else thinks it's crazy how he comes up with these witty poetic responses to everything so quickly. Like lowkey the way his humor is, is so poetic and different but it's funny af. like the frontal lobotomy. Lol j found out about him but love watching his interviews haha.
I was walking down the street one day , and looked up as i passed this cat , and said " Hey Tom , what's up ?? " ..... ( New Haven , CT ) ...like he was a friend of mine ( Longtime Fan ) .... He said " Hey man ...." ( in his gravely voice ) ....... i was down the street and around the corner before I realized who it was !!!! hahaha found out that he was playing in town ( sadly ) on the Monday after he played.......... that's life....he played at Toad's Place in New Haven , Ct.
This is the greatest. I have seen him live twice and it is always a hoot, but this is hilarious.
FANTASTIC!!!
Thanks
Love him!
I saw this first when I was in my teens (I had a crush on Martin Mull and my best friend had a crush on Fred Willard, so much so we bought tickets to see him at a comedy club in San Francisco). Ihad never heard the frontal lobotomy joke before, and later on I realized it's been around since the 1950's.
fing brill a frontal labotamy/ or a. seen tom 3 times legend with his poetry
I love this, the wonderful surreal lyrics and the lol interview. I'm sure Tom will the delighted to know this has made Modern Art Rock's 'Video of the day'!! (as on our facebook page) If you are here reading this it probably means you love creative and original art rock. Join the movement, relish the classics and discover and support new art rock bands coming through; please 'like' and share our Facebook page (link via you tube channel)
Martin Mull and Fred Willard are amazing. I have never even seen this show before - thanks for posting!
It was one of the funniest shows on TV at the time and it only aired at 11:30 PM on UHF channels. Networks wouldn't touch it with a 10 foot pole.
Spending a lot of time here, against my wishes. Christ I know that feeling.
Great stuff!!
Such a genius!!!
4:06 that was too good ahahahahah
Fukkin Genius!
He asked to borrow money on a talk show.
LMFAO
I had to leave my 4 year old for collateral.
Reply
Brilliant.
"Small Change" 1976
RIP Fred Willard.
I love you
Yes, the amazing Martin Mull and Fred Willard did this great "couch tv" parody. Check out Martin's early musical comedy jazz work. He know the guitar... better than that guy from the Nazz or Creams.
All the newspapers have been fooling
bottle in front of me... great fucking line
Amazingly great talent ! Wash D C
Definition of a man.
A buck 99 for all you can stand.
The most mind boggling thing about htis post is the collection of comments that express an absolute inability to get the joke. Yo! Clueless! The whole thing's a joke!
These are are professionals (including creator/producer Norman Lear) on Fernwood Tonight... a parody talk show.
Google it! Jeez!
I suppose the concept of parody got lost somewhere in the last 30 years.
speaklo They are so good that the fools are fooled.
The drunk tom character is as good as any jazz musician parody I've ever seen. The dichotomy of his immense talent mixed with the quick humour of the work is really what makes it special. They don't make them like this anymore.
you can't find your waitress with a Geiger counter
incredible line
I don't know WHO came up with Tom Waits' lines or if he's making it up but whatever it is it's genius comedy.
Actually it's a live audience, probably not familar with a lesser known Tom Waits and lines like "the carpet needs a haircut"!
His van is still broke down...
Show was called Fernwood 2 Night, "a parody talk show" ...
It's been a few years but don't forget this was Heath Ledger's inspiration for his Joker in The Dark Knight!
Huh? How so? Just asking.
This interview wasn't.
@@jeffreyholmes7216 - It wasn't this interview, it was this one:
ruclips.net/video/uW0-qJPbHDA/видео.html
It's extremely apparent once you see it.
"Fernwood Tonight" was part of the show "Mary Hartman, Mary Hartman," a Norman Lear soap opera parody. Check it out on Wikipedia. /wiki/Mary_Hartman,_Mary_Hartman Tom Waits is in on the joke, believe me.
Man, Waits is even funnier than Willard.
This is not live tv, it is a tv show on a recorded tv comedy. iat is either Fernwood, USA or Mary Hartman, Mary Hartman!
Can I get back in time? I have something to do
Waites rules. Mpls on a nickel an a dime
They laugh...I cry....Worse night if your life? Have you ever seen Born into This? Charles Bukowski doc.
is that Fred Willard and Martin Mull?? what year is this?
EDIT: my GoogleFu is working - show called "Fernwood Tonight" sometime in 1977.
Poet
The laugh track is so annoying during the song.
Mr. Tom Waits owned the show on the interview.
It's young Leon from Roseanne! And his boyfriend
Fred Willard. Yes.
This is not a good presentation of Waits. He is much more than this. A true Shakesperian actor.
tom own's them hahaahaa
does anyone know what album this song was originally recorded on? I'm having trouble finding out which album its on.
"Small Change."
Never seen this before but he's mocking them at the expense of himself.
Against my wishes! Hahaha
Is that a young Frank Willard?
No
is this one better then the don one he did?
Is that Fred Willard?!
+Phillie Holmes yes.
Haha he was a baby here
the audience is laughing....they think it's some comical parody of a lounge entertainer...very complex emotions going on here, and layers of meaning.
You know this show was scripted right? Performers and actors performing and acting. And that everyone who's ever heard 'The Piano Has Been Drinking' has laughed at it? Except yourself.
I think it's meant to be a bit of both...which is what gives it some depth! Apart from the fact he's amazing
theres two thing i really hate about this video... the way it comes on really loud and the laughing at that blonde guy... makes me cringe.. but in all this is the best version of him playing this song... it lifts me haha...
Does anyone know what Tom is drinking? I'm curious.
Harvey's Bristol Cream 18%
He had to clean this up? What a shame.
the funniest part of this performance is how the audience is constantly laughing
Is that Bartolomeo Willard?
@duvud better then im to broke to pay attention?