Foreign Affairs  by Tom Waits

Foreign Affairs of 1977 is the fifth album by Tom Waits and is considered one of the most ambitious and cinematic milestones of his early career. In reality, it is the fifth "dive" of Tom Waits into the dives of jazz and nocturnal melancholy. The album moves along film-noir and jazz paths, continuing the style of Small Change (1976), but with a more "orchestral" aesthetic. The lyrics resemble "cheap novels" and narrate stories from the city's fringes.

The album was recorded live in the studio with the orchestra playing simultaneously with Waits, without any overdubbing or multi-tracking. The production belongs to his permanent collaborator, Bones Howe. Foreign Affairs was recorded at Filmways/Heider Recording in Hollywood in the summer of 1977. Piano, bass, drums, and wind instruments dominate, framed by a full orchestra.

The emblematic black and white photograph by George Hurrell (legendary portraitist of old Hollywood) exudes a film noir air. On the cover, Waits appears alongside Marsheila Cockrell (then working at the Troubadour), who holds a passport on his chest, reinforcing the theme of "foreign affairs" and escape.