Nighthawks at the Diner is the third studio album by singer and songwriter Tom Waits, released on October 21, 1975, on Asylum Records. It was recorded over four sessions in July in the Los Angeles Record Plant studio in front of a small invited audience set up to recreate the atmosphere of a jazz club. The album peaked at 164 on the Billboard 200,
Background
The title was inspired by Edward Hopper's 1942 painting Nighthawks. The album's working title had been "Nighthawk Postcards from Easy Street," but was shortened to Nighthawks at the Diner, which is the opening line to "Eggs and Sausage (In a Cadillac with Susan Michelson)". The cover, designed by Cal Schenkel, evokes the mood of the painting.
Recording
The album was recorded at Record Plant Los Angeles on July 30 and 31, 1975. Waits opens the album by calling the venue Raphael's Silver Cloud Lounge. Bones Howe recalled:
Howe was mostly responsible for organizing the band for the "live show", and creating the right atmosphere for the record.
Nighthawks at the Diner charted on the Billboard 200, where it peaked at 164. It is included in the book 1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die.
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Certifications
Notes
References
External links
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- Nighthawks at the Diner (Adobe Flash) at Radio3Net (streamed copy where licensed)