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Hear Tom Waits’ Unreleased, Stripped-Down, ‘Spiritual’ Version of ‘Get Behind the Mule’
To mark the 25th anniversary of Tom Waits’ 'Mule Variations' and the record label Anti, an unreleased take on "Get Behind the Mule" has been unearthed.
While the album version of “Get Behind the Mule” features a lineup of all-star musicians like guitarist Smokey Hormel, bassist Larry Taylor, harpist Charlie Musselwhite and percussionist Stephen Hodges, the “Spiritual” rendition — a variation on Variations, if you will — features Waits alone with his Wurlitzer electric piano, putting additional emphasis on the murder ballad lyrics penned by the singer and his wife/collaborator Kathleen Brennan. To release the album, Waits made the surprise decision to ink a deal with the newly formed Anti, an offshoot of the punk label Epitaph Records. “Reaching the 25-year milestone for Anti Records, I am filled with gratitude for Tom Waits and his album, Mule Variations, which didn’t just start our label; it sparked a lasting partnership built on trust, creativity, and a love for pushing artistic boundaries,” Epitaph founder and CEO Brett Gurewitz said in a statement.
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