TIME WARP: Tom Waits fans have always...

TIME WARP: Tom Waits fans have always assumed his career began with his 1973 debut album “Closing Time.” But it turns out that the rough-hewn singer recorded 13 songs nearly two years earlier for Bizarre/Straight Records, a label run by Waits’ former manager. Whether the material was intended for release or not is open to debate, but it’s being put out this month by Rhino Records. The collection includes four songs that Waits recut for his debut album (including “Ice Cream Man” and “Midnight Lullaby”) along with such songs as “Poncho’s Lament,” “Late Night Prostitute” and “Little Trip to Heaven.” Waits has so far remained mum on the ethics of releasing the 20-year-old material. But associates of the singer say he believes the songs were intended as demos and are unrepresentative of his work.