Playlist for The Tobolowsky Files
Episode 1: Sex, Death and Halloween
IN PROGRESS
Episode 2: Local Hero
- Wind Beneath My Wings, Bette Midler on Jackpot – The Best Bette
- The Ballad of Davy Crockett, Riders in the Sky on Riders In The Sky Present Davy Crockett, King of the Wild Frontier
- The Death of Crockett, Carter Burwell on The Alamo: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack
Episode 3: Land of Enchantment
- Midnight Rider, The Allman Brothers Band on A Decade Of Hits 1969-1979
- Arizona, Ahanu: Music for Relaxation, Healing, and Meditation on Native American Flute Music
- Happy Trails, Roy Rogers and Dale Evans on Drive Time: Route 66
Episode 4: The Alchemist
- Chopsticks, Liberace
- Claire de Lune, Klara Kormendi on Debussy / Ravel: Piano Music
- Piano Sonata No. 20 in A major : Andantino , Franz Schubert played by Elisabeth Leonskaja on Schubert: Piano Sonata Nos 13 & 20
Episode 5: The Middle Chapters
- Going Up The Country, Canned Heat on Living The Blues
- Let’s Work Together, Canned Heat on Future Blues
- Don’t Stop, Fleetwood Mac on Rumours
Episode 6: The Price of Nothing
- Eskimo Song, written by Stephen Tobolowsky, performed by the L.A. Slugs
- Road to Nowhere, Talking Heads on Little Creatures
Episode 7: Once in a Lifetime
IN PROGRESS
Episode 8: A Wager With Freddie
- Purple People Eater, The Countdown Singers on Monster Mash and Other Songs of Horror
- Over the Rainbow, Judy Garland on The Wizard of Oz
- Fantasie in C Major, Op. 17 , Maurizio Pollini playing Robert Schumann on Schumann: Fantasy in C, Arabesque, Liszt: Sonata in B Minor, La Lugubre Gondola, Maurizio Pollini
Episode 9: A Christmas Memory
- Shelter From The Storm, Bob Dylan on Blood On The Tracks
- Meet Me In The Morning, Bob Dylan on Blood On The Tracks
- I Heard A Voice Last Night performed by Cast of Thousands featuring Stevie Ray Vaughan on guitar on A New Hi (unavailable)
Episode 10: Miss Hard-to-Get
- My Little Girl, RCA Victor Square Dance Orchestra on Let’s Square Dance, Volume 4
- This Old Man, Johnny Bregar on Stomp Your Feet!
- Piano Concerto No. 3 in D Minor, Op. 30: 1. Allegro Ma Non Tanto, London Symphony Orchestra & Vladimir Ashkenazy on Rachmaninov: Piano Concertos Nos. 1 – 4
Episode 11: Chaos Theory
- I Don’t Like to Travel, Lightnin’ Williams on Mercury Blues & Rhythm Story CD 4: Southwest
- Wild Honey Pie, The Beatles on The White Album
- La vie en rose, Edith Piaf on 100 Classic French Songs
Episode 12: The Sound of Surprise
- Between the Devil and the Deep Blue Sea, Thelonious Monk on Monk Alone: The Complete Columbia Solo Studio Recordings of Thelonious Monk
- Over the Waves, Clark Kessinger on The Legend of Clark Kessinger
Episode 13: Conference Hour
- Face to Face That I Shall Meet Him, Ry Cooder on Jazz
- Stand By Me, Ry Cooder on Chicken Skin Music
Episode 14: Lost in Act 1
- Die Forelle, S 563/6bis (First Version, Alternative text, 1844), Leslie Howard, pianist on Liszt: The Schubert Transcriptions, III
- It’s No Game, Pt. 1, David Bowie on Scary Monsters
Episode 15: The Politics of Romance
- La vie en rose, Edith Piaf on 100 Classic French Songs
- Am I Blue, Billie Holiday on The Quintessential Billie Holiday, Vol. 9 (1940-1942)
Episode 16: Dating Tips for Actors
- Lean on Me (Glee Cast Version), Glee Cast on Glee: The Music, Vol. 2
- You Can’t Always Get What You Want (Glee Cast Version), Glee Cast on Glee: The Music, Vol. 2
- Jump (Glee Cast Version), Glee Cast on Glee: The Music, Vol. 2
- Don’t Stop Believin’ (Glee Cast Version), Glee Cast on Glee: The Music, Vol. 1
Episode 17: The Uncertainty Principle
- Am I Blue, Billie Holiday on The Quintessential Billie Holiday, Vol. 9 (1940-1942)
- Defying Gravity, Jesse Winchester on Live
Episode 18: Without a Handle
- For a Dancer, Linda Ronstadt and Emmylou Harris on Western Wall: The Tucson Sessions
Episode 19: Season of Misdirection
- Chopin: Impromptu in C Sharp Minor OP. 66 played by Murray Perahia, Chopin: Impromptus, Fantasie, Barcarolle, Berceuse
Episode 20: The World’s Not What It Used To Be
- I Can’t Get Started, Bunny Berigan on Let’s Do It!
- 96 Tears, Graham Blvd on Vietnam Era Vol.1
Episode 21: Heart. Broken.
- If I Should Fall Behind, Dion on Deja Nu
Episode 22: The Dangerous Animals Club
- Bach prelude #1 in C Major BWV 846, Glenn Gould on The Well Tempered Clavier
- Wild Thing, The Troggs on 20th Century Masters – The Millenium Collection: The Best of the Troggs
Episode 23: It’s Not My Dog
- Your Sweet and Shiny Eyes, Bonnie Raitt on Home Plate (Remastered)
Episode 24: Don’t Argue with the Road
- Forever Young, Soweto Gospel Choir on African Spirit
- Forever Young , Bob Dylan on Planet Waves
Episode 25: F.A.Q.
- Riders on the Storm, The Doors
Episode 26: Dark Matter
- When Things Go Wrong (It Hurts Me Too), Big Bill Broonzy on Trouble in Mind
- Homegrown Tomatoes, Guy Clark on Better Days
Episode 27: Three Honeymoons
- Moonlight Becomes You, Bing Crosby on Bing Crosby: A Centennial Anthology of His Decca Recordings
- Griogal Cridhe (Beloved Gregor), Mac-Talla on Rough Guide to Scottish Folk
Episode 28: The Afflictions of Love
- Brahms Intermezzo in E Flat, Op. 117/1, Glenn Gould on Brahms: Ballades, Rhapsodies, Intermezzi (Disk 2)
Episode 29: The Classic
- Everything Old is New Again, Daryl Ott on Everything Old is New Again
- Everything Old is New Again, Peter Allen on The Very Best of Peter Allen
Episode 30: Plan B
- Mr. Siegal, Tom Waits on Heart Attack and Vine
Episode 31: City of Illusion
- Innocent When You Dream (Barroom), Tom Waits on Frank’s Wild Years
Episode 32: Nighttime on Mars
- Jersey Girl, Tom Waits on Heart Attack and Vine
Episode 33: The X Factor
- Tenderly, Oscar Peterson on Perfect Peterson: The Best of the Pablo and Telarc Recordings
Episode 34: A Good Day At Auschwitz
- Western Wall, Emmylou Harris and Linda Ronstadt on Western Wall: The Tucson Sessions
Episode 35: Playing It As It Lays
- What Becomes of the Broken Hearted (Se Decidi Cosi), Jimmie Ruffin on Motown Around the World
- My Girl (Mein Girl), The Temptations on Motown Around the World
Episode 36: Virtual Reality
- A Place in the Sun (Il Sole E’Di Tutti), Stevie Wonder on Motown Around the World
- You Keep Me Hanging On (Chi Mi Aiutera), The Supremes on Motown around the World
Episode 37: Chasing the Laugh
- When You’re Smiling, Billie Holiday on The Complete Billie Holiday
- Rancho Grande, Mariachi Azteca on Mexico
Episode 38: Escaping the Shadow
- Into the Mystic, Van Morrison on Moondance
Episode 39: Contagion
- Where Is Everybody, Nine Inch Nails on The Fragile (Right)
- Beethoven Sonata #25 in G Major op 79 (Second Movement), Alfred Brendel
Episode 40: Man in the Closet
- Nighttime, Oscar Peterson on Perfect Peterson: The Best of the Pablo and Telarc Recordings
Episode 41: Everyday Weather and How It Works
- Chopin Prelude for Piano in D Flat Op.28/15 “Raindrop”, Claudio Arrau
Episode 42: The Moment Before Zero
- Times of Our Lives, Cheap Trick on The Latest
- Bird on a Wire, John Bergeron on In the House of Mystery
Episode 43: The Stranger
- Chopin Waltz for Piano in E flat, B 46, Claudio Arrau
- Chopin Waltz in E Flat C 223, Claudio Arrau
- Chopin Waltz in A Minor CT 224, Claudio Arrau
All found on: Chopin: Préludes, Impromptus, Waltzes, Ballades, Etc / Arrau
Episode 44: The Voice From Another Room
- Once In a Lifetime on The Best of the Talking Heads
- Psycho Killer on The Best of the Talking Heads
- Wild, Wild Life on The Best of the Talking Heads
- The Overload on Remain in Light
- Radio Head (2005 Remaster) on True Stories
Episode 45: The Things I Never Learned in School
- School Is Out, Ry Cooder on Show Time
Episode 46: The Time Machine Deconstructed
- Beethoven Sonata #31 op 110 in A flat, Alfred Brendel on Beethoven: The Late Piano Sonatas Alfred Brendel
Episode 47: The Metamorphic Man
- High in the Morning, Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers on Mojo
- Beethoven Sonata #8 in C Minor op.13 “Pathetique” Second Movement, Alfred Brendel on Beethoven: Favourite Piano Sonatas Alfred Brendel
Episode 48: The Zen Story
- Das Wandern (from “Die Schone Mullerin”), Anna Malikova on Schubert-Lizst Piano Transcriptions
- Der Wanderer (Schubert-Lizst), Anna Malikova on Schubert-Lizst Piano Transcriptions
- I and Love and You, The Avett Brothers on I and Love and You
Episode 49: View From The Mountain
- Morning Mood, Peer Gynt Suite No.1, Op.46 on Berliner Philharmoniker & Herbert von Karajan Grieg: Peer Gynt Suites & Sibelius: Pelieas et Melisande
- Aasa’s Death
- In the Hall of the Mountain King
- Solveig’s Song, Peer Gynt Suite No.2, Op.55 on Berliner Philharmoniker & Herbert von Karajan Grieg: Peer Gynt Suites & Sibelius: Pelieas et Melisande
Episode 50: The Primary Source
- Brothers, The Vaughan Brothers on Family Style
- “Fur Elise” Bagatelle in A minor WoO 59, Ludwig van Beethoven played by Alfred Brendel on Beethoven: Für Elise; Eroica-Variationen
Episode 51: The Light of the First Day
- Amelia Earhart’s Last Flight , The Country Gentlemen on Can’t You Hear Me Callin’
- Amelia Earhart’s Last Flight , Kinky Friedman on Best of the Kerrville Folk Festival, Vol. 2
Episode 52: The Rubicon
- Born Under a Bad Sign (Original), Albert King on The Rough Guide to The Blues
Note: Link goes to Single Version of song, mp3 version of Born Under a Bad Sign (Original) does not appear to be available.
- Well, Well, Well, Peter Paul and Mary on Album
Episode 53: The Return of Mr. Huge
- Everything Is Broken, R. L. Burnside on Big Bad Love (Music from the Motion Picture)
- Jacob’s Ladder, Rev. Lonnie Farris on Let My People Go – Negro Spirituals – Roots Collection Vol. 9
- All That You Have Is Your Soul, Tracy Chapman on Crossroads
Episode 54: The Long Road to Somewhere Else
- Sitting Here in Limbo, Sloan Wainwright on Rediscovery
- Beethoven: Piano Concero #5 in E Flat Op.73 “Emperor” – Second Movement Adagio Un Poco Moss, Alfred Brendel and Simon Rattle Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra on Beethoven: The Piano Concertos
Episode 55: The True Arena
- Beethoven: Sonata No.21 C-dur “Waldstein” op.53 1st movement Allegro con brio, Alfred Brendel on Beethoven: Complete Piano Sonatas & Concertos [Box Set]
- Beethoven: Sonata No.21 C-dur “Waldstein” op.53 3rd movement Rondo (Allegretto Moderato – Prestissimo) , Alfred Brendel on Beethoven: Complete Piano Sonatas & Concertos [Box Set]
Episode 56: What Does the First Day of a Dream Look Like?
- You Can’t Get There From Here, Risers on Risers
Episode 57: The Long Distance Relationship
- Chopin Nocturne #12 in G Op.37, No. 2 , Claudio Arrau on Chopin: The Complete Nocturnes and Impromptus
Episode 58: Gone
- Give Me One Reason, Tracy Chapman on New Beginning
- Give Me One Reason, Junior Wells on Come On In This House
- Amazing Grace, The Five Blind Boys of Alabama on Spirit of the Century
Episode 59: The End / An Introduction
- No Nostalgia, Ages and Ages on Alright You Restless
- Deep Purple, Artie Shaw on The Essential Artie Shaw
- Franz Schubert, 3 Klavierstücke, D. 946, No. 2 in E Flat Major, Maurizio Pollini, pianist, on Schubert: Piano Sonata, D 959; Allegretto, D945; Piano Pieces, D946
Today on The Tobolowsky Files, you referred to people with Down Syndrome as patients. Really? Were they sick?
Down Syndrome is not a disease. It is a genetic condition with a wide range of symptoms, mild to severe. Many may have physical or mental limitations, but people with Down Symdrome now live long lives and may be independent and productive citizens.
Dear Karen
I thought I had replied but the website has this listed that I didn’t. Forgive me. I know that people with down syndrome are not “ill”. Technically, the people who came to the Bob Darnell Fan club were patients. They came from a “home” with a nurse. Between you and me, I am not sure they were sick with anything but neglect. They had been sent to this facility by family members. They seemed healthy to me. But they were patients. It was a poor choice of words on my part even though it was technically correct.
Stephen Tobolowsky
Wow, Karen. Why can’t you just let the story take your mind to another persons point of view and walk away with a different perspective.
Stephen, I think your stories are humbling, funny, happy, and sad. Your stories reflect human emotions and experiences in a masterfull way. Keep doing this. Thank you.
I apologize to everyone I offend, but not to people who are offended.
Thank you so much for posting this playlist! I am mainlining your podcasts after getting them recommended to me by a friend and am finding so much interesting new (to me) music as well as enjoying your stories immensely.
The song that really blew me away is not listed, though! What is the fantastic jazz number at the beginning of the special episode of Oct 14 2011 (between eps 51 and 52)? It sounds so familiar, yet I can’t place it…
Rebecca, do you remember what that episode was about? I’m a bit mystified which one you could be referring to.
Stephen
You sounded like you had a cold in this episode, which started out with David introducing you as the man who played yourself in STBP. It wasn’t a full episode – announcements about coming to Boston in Nov 2011 and Seattle Jan 2012 and you shared a story you were currently writing that was going to be in a textbook. The story was about you being stuck in a long line of parked cars outside a basketball game, being attacked by a moth, and yelling at both them and it.
I would love to know which episode number is the one where you’re in the convenience store and the guy looking for mangoes decides to hold you hostage. It was the first one I heard and now I’m hooked.
You’re a wonderful story-teller and I tell everyone I know. Thanks so much.
Dear Jim
That episode is Light of the First Day – Episode 51. It is downloadable on Itunes and at slashfilm.com
Best story telling since William Shakespeare. Love your podcast. Thanks.
Stephen! hey… found about about the files a few weeks late… i listen to KTCK in dallas, but from southern new jersey, so, the is a slight lag and i started listening in between when episode 58 was put up and the first 50 were vanished.
how could someone get their ears on the first 50 episodes?
love,
Stephen
Stephen I am posting info on the first 50 podcasts soon. David Chen and I have taken them down temporarily. They hopefully will be remade as a national radio show…also free. more to come.
That is great to read. I have listened to all the podcasts that are available. I find it interesting to hear you tell the same story, like your hostage ordeal, in different ways. Looking forward to podcasts 2-49. I was able to find number 1 online somewhere.
ps… shame about big tex today.
I just got hooked on your excellent podcast & have never spent so much time looking for remnants of your first 50. Please put them back up! They are perfect as is… No need to remake. Sad I discovered them too late.
Why can’t you leave them up at least until the remade ones are finished?
Also, are the stories in your new book Dangerous Animals Club taken from the Tobolowsky Files? Or, completely different?
Dear Skip,
So happy you liked the podcasts. The reason they are being remade is not because we felt they needed to be redone. It is a matter of the audience. The podcast reached several thousand listeners. Through PRI the stories can potentially reach hundreds of thousands of listeners. Do do that the podcasts have to be redone in PRI format. This has risks and benefits. The PRI format requires the shows be an hour long. That means there has to be new material. Hopefully the new material will be enjoyable. The first four we have done are very good. Hopefully, if we are successful, the quality will remain high. The book Dangerous Animals Club centers around the material in the first 25 podcasts. The stories have been shaped so they work in written form. There is also new material in the stories that are not in the podcasts. So roughly, the first 25 podcasts ARE available in the audio book form as well, with the new material included.
For now, both Simon & Schuster and PRI have invested their time and money to produce, so in agreement with them, the old podcasts are not available in deference to their efforts. This may change in the future, and we expect all the podcasts to be available again in one form or another.
Hope this helps!
Stephen
All makes sense. You’re an excellent storyteller and beyond that… your subtle lessons embedded are nothing short of sagely. Just what I need right now. I normally wouldn’t have gone to so much trouble scouring Google for perhaps some links to the first 50 that slipped through the cracks before the plug was pulled, but they’re just that good.
Thanks for the explanation and I’ll have to just be patient for the PRI versions. Will check out the book in the interim. Any estimate on when PRI will be releasing the new stuff?
You have a new fan
I sometimes catch glimpses of a story on the radio, then I can’t seem to remember where I heard it, but I know it was a Tobolowsky story. I just heard part of a story while driving to work the other day, about a fruitcake which travelled around the world, only to come back to the recipient who steamed it and served it to a very skeptical dinner crowd. It was hilarious and now I can’t find this podcast anywhere! Please help. Was this a podcast? Was it an interview? If it’s online I’d love to send this story to a friend. Always funny, funny stuff. Thank you for these stories.
Dear Chuck
I don’t believe the fruit cake story was mine. Sounds hilarious though.
This really is disappointing, as I was happily going through the podcast and enjoying it very much, and now I am stuck at episode 35 with no way to get from there to episode 50 except the vague promise that the missing 14 episodes will be available in some form some day.
Oh well, I guess I’ll just let this podcast go and move on to ones that aren’t restricting access to their own archives. Thanks for 36 enjoyable episodes.
Dear Joseph I understand your frustration. It is contractual on our part…both with Simon and Schuster and PRI. Next podcasts will start coming out in a couple of weeks.
Please sign a more fan-friendly contract next time.
Dear Ricky, I have talked to several of the powers that be and it appears to be an industry-wide effort to deal with the problems of new media running into old media. I am talking over options for the future with all sorts of folks who are more informed than myself to keep their being problems like this in the future.
It’s your work so you can do what you want with it, and I’m glad you’ve found a way to make some money off them, but:
Other podcasts have managed to enter into commercial expansions without blocking access to the listeners who helped build the momentum that got you there.
You’re a great storyteller and I wish you much success with this new phase in your career. I hope you go far with it. But this decision still seems to me (I’m sorry, I don’t know how else to say it) a dick move.
Dear Joseph, the joke is that I am not making any money off of it – nor was that the intention of the contracts. The contracts were to be insure that I would do the audio version of my book – not someone else (which I did for scale – which means no money!) I think the difficulty I have had will either go away or will be the sign of the times. Marc Maron may run into the same problem. We shall see. At any rate I am writing new stories that will be out soon.
Stephen- great stuff here, keep up the good work. Radio will live on with great programming like this.
Can you help me locate an episode- i only caught part of it and am dying to hear the rest. Its the one about your vocal chord surgery/accident in Iceland.
Dear Joe. The way I understand that the story is steaming on demand right now. Google”the Afflictions of Love” and see where you can listen.
Hello, I check your blogs like every week. Your writing style is awesome, keep
up the good work!
Stephen,
I’m an architect recently moved away from dear NYC, and I love reading to my kids, so many of your stories touch the right nerves. Have you written up somewhere your method for turning your interesting life’s events into compelling stories? How do you identify what and when to foreshadow – you do that wonderfully. Can you feel when you’re writing whats going to work? I’ve always wondered how a good storyteller figures that out.
Keep Podcasting!
Tim
Dear Tim
I usually know what story I want to tell. I work other stories into it sort of using my right brain. Before I finish I have to consider how I want to tie it together. There are usually several ways I can do this. I sort of sleep on it and see what comes to the surface. It is very much a tug of war between planning and instinct. Keeping my fingers crossed also helps.
Stephen