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THE
ELVIS COSTELLO
FAQ LIST
Version 3.2
January, 1995
Welcome to the Elvis FAQ! Hopefully this document will contain
something for all Elvis fans, from diehards to newbies alike. It is
still in the early developmental stages, so I would really appreciate
your input. Drop me a line at lister@qjet.bu.edu if you spot any
errors, can fill in some of the ?'s, or have any suggestions on
format, new sections to include, etc.
Note:
For information about Elvis' recording career, please see the Elvis
Costello Discography, an impressive document maintained by Paul
Hosken (rmcb@vm.op.dlr.de). The latest version can be obtained from
CS.UWP.EDU in the directory "/pub/music/artists/c/costello.elvis".
Table of Contents
Biographical Details
Brief Album Synopsis
Elvis' Backing Bands
Connections to Other Artists
Frequently Asked Questions
Books on Elvis
Concert Tours
Film Appearances
Soundtracks
TV Appearances
Obscure References to Elvis in Films/TV
Elvis' Desert Island Choices
Elvis' Ten Favourite Things
Origins of EC album titles
Acknowledgements
Biographical Details
Given Name: Declan Patrick Aloysius* MacManus (* added by Elvis)
Stage Names: The Beloved Entertainer, D. P. Costello, Elvis Costello,
The Costello Show, Henry (Howard) Coward, The Emotional
Toothpaste, The Imposter, King of America, Little Hands
of
Concrete, The MacManus Gang, Napoleon Dynamite
Born: London, August 25, 1954
Parents: From Merseyside, Liverpool
Father: Ross MacManus, musician (trumpeter), formerly sang with the
Joe Loss
Orchestra
Mother: Lillian MacManus, ran record store shop in Selfridges dept.
store.
Siblings: ?
1st Marriage: 1971? Mary, had son Matthew circa 1974
2nd Marriage: 1985 Cait O'Riordan (Caught oh-REER-dan),former bassist
for The
Pogues
Brief bio. : Born in London, lived in outskirts, went to a secondary
modern
school in Hounslow, W. London. Moved to Liverpool, left
school
in 1972, got a job as a computer operator in a cosmetics
firm.
Played local pubs with group Flip City, disbanded in
1975,
made solo acoustic demo tape, sent to various record
companies. Given contract by Stiff records, recorded
MAIT
with U.S. C/W band Clover 1976. (Clover's lead singer
was
Huey Lewis at the time, but he did not participate in
the
recording sessions) The Attractions formed through
auditions,
recorded TYM 1977.
Left the Attractions c. 1986 to pursue solo career.
Switched
to Warner label and recorded Spike (1989), Mighty Like a
Rose
(1991), and The Juliet Letters (w/ Brodsky Quartet)
(1992).
Temporarily re-united with the Attractions for the album
Brutal Youth (1994) and subsequent tour of N. America
and
Europe.
Brief Album Synopsis
(For more detailed info., please see the discography)
Jul 1977 - My Aim is True
May 1978 - This Year's Model
Feb 1979 - Armed Forces
Mar 1980 - Get Happy!
Oct 1980 - *Taking Liberties
Nov 1980 - *Ten Bloody Marys & Ten How's Your Fathers
Feb 1981 - Trust
Nov 1981 - Almost Blue
Jul 1982 - Imperial Bedroom
Aug 1983 - Punch The Clock
Jul 1984 - Goodbye Cruel World
1985 - +The Best of Elvis Costello
Apr 1986 - King of America
Oct 1986 - Blood and Chocolate
1987 - *Out of Our Idiot
Feb 1989 - Spike
1989 - +Girls, Girls, Girls
May 1991 - Mighty Like a Rose
Feb 1993 - The Juliet Letters
Mar 1994 - Brutal Youth
* = Collection of B-sides and out-takes
+ = contains previously released material
Elvis's Backing Bands
Flip City
Mich Kent - bass, Malcolm Dennis, Ian Powling - Drums, Steve
Hazelhurst
- guitar, Dickie Faulkner - percussion, Mike Whelan, Ken
Smith.
Clover (on MAIT) : Alex Call, John McFee - Guitar, Vocal, John
Ciambotti -
gte/vcb/b/v, Sean Hopper - Keyb, Vocal, Huey Lewis -
Harmonica,
Vocal (not featured on MAIT), Micky Shine - Drums, Vocal
The Attractions : Steve Nieve - keyb, Bruce Thomas - bass, Pete Thomas
- drums
Afrodiziak (on 'Punch the Clock'): Carol Wheeler, Claudia Fontaine,
Naomi
Thompson - vocal
TKO Horns (on 'Punch the Clock'): Jimmy Paterson - Trombone, Dave
Plews -
Trumpet , Stuart Robson - Horn, Paul Spear -
Tenor
Sax, Jeff Blythe - Alto Sax
The Dirty Dozen Brass Band (on 'Spike', 'MLAR'): Gregory Davis -
trumpet,
Efrem
Towns - Trumpet, Kevin Harris - Tenor Saxophone, Roger
Lewis -
Baritone and Soprano Saxophones, Charles Joseph -
Trombone,
Kirk Joseph - Sousaphone
The Confederates : James Burton - guitar, Jerry Scheff - bass
The Rude 5 (on 'MLAR') : Larry Knechtel - keyb, Mark Ribot/James
Burton-guitar,
Pete Thomas/Jim Keltner - drums, Jerry Scheff
- bass,
Steven Soles - vocals/guitar
The Brodsky Quartet (on 'TJL') : Michael Thomas - Violin, Ian Belton -
Violin,
Paul Cassidy - Viola, Jacqueline Thomas : Violoncello
Connections to Other Artists
Artists that Elvis has collaborated/worked with
-----------------------------------------------
Larry Adler, Chet Baker, Martin Belmont, Tony Bennett, Rueben Blades,
The Bluebells, Billy Bremmer, Charles Brown, Carlene Carter, Philip
Chevron, The Chieftains, Johnny Cash, Jimmy Cliff, Mary Coughlan,
Chris Difford, Dave Edmunds, The Eurythmics, Georgie Fame, Darryl
Hall, John Hiatt, Chrissy Hynde, Wendy James, George Jones, Mick
Jones, The Kinks, Clive Langer, Nick Lowe, Madness, Paul McCartney,
Roger McGuinn, Christy Moore, Cait O'Riordan, Roy Orbison, Sam
Phillips, The Pogues, Mark Ribot, Annie Ross, Ricky Scaggs, The
Specials, Dusty Springfield, Bruce Springsteen, Squeeze, The Stiff
Gang,
Rachel Sweet, Benmont Tench, Allen Toussaint, 'Til Tuesday, T-Bone
Burnett,
David Was, Rob Wasserman, Robert Wyatt
Artists that have influenced Elvis
----------------------------------
The Band, The Beatles, Hoagy Carmichael, The Grateful Dead, Bob Dylan,
Lowell George, George Jones, Randy Newman, Gram Parsons, John Prine,
Brinsley Schwarz, The Rolling Stones, Tom Waits, Hank Williams
Other artists often mentioned on the EC mailing list
---------------------------------------------------------
Tasmin Archer, Billy Bragg, Aztec Camera, Nick Drake, Joe Jackson,
Yoko Ono, Liz Phair, The Replacements, Linda Ronstadt, Richard
Thompson, XTC
FAQS
Resource Questions
------------------
Q. Is there a WWW/Mosaic Elvis Costello page?
A. Yes, if you are not reading it already, the URL is
http://east.isx.com/~schnitzi/elvis.html
Q. Are there any Elvis Fanzines?
A. The Elvis Costello Information Service is published six times a
year,
and contains concert reviews, information regarding new releases,
etc.
For more information see the Elvis WWW page, or write to Richard
Groothuizen, Primulastraat 46, 1441 HC Purmerend, Holland.
Q. How do I join the Elvis Costello mailing list?
A. Send e-mail to majordomo@rain.org with the words 'subscribe
costello-l'
in the message body. There is also a digest version available by
substituting
'costello-l-digest' for 'costello-l' above.
Q. How many people are there on the mailing list?
A. For a list of e-mail addresses, send e-mail to majordomo@rain.org
with the
words 'who costello-l' in the message body.
Q. Where are the archives to the Elvis Costello mailing list kept?
A. The archives, are available by FTP at CS.UWP.EDU, in the
directories
"/pub/music/artists/c/costello.elvis", "pub/music/lists/costello"
and
"pub/music/lyrics/c/costello.elvis".
Q. Has anyone on the EC mailing list done a poll of people's favourite
EC songs/albums?
A. Every few months polls are conducted on the mailing list, the most
recent ones being in March, May, and September 1994. The results of
the latest one were:
Top ten songs: Top Three Albums:
Beyond Belief Imperial Bedroom
Accidents Will Happen (tie)-| King of America
Man Out of Time | Get Happy!
New Lace Sleeves
| Oliver's Army
(tie)-| Riot Act
| Watching the Detectives
So Like Candy
(tie)-| I Want You
| New Amsterdam
Sulky Girl
Elvis Questions
---------------
Q. What was EC's first ever official release?
A. The 7" single on Stiff Records (BUY 11) "Less Than Zero" b/w "Radio
Sweetheart" was EC's debut recording early in 1977.
Q. What are Elvis' all-time top selling albums?
A. #1: Spike, #2: Mighty Like a Rose
Q. I've heard that EC has done 'country' & 'classical' albums, which
ones
are they, and are they to be recommended?
A. 'Almost Blue' is a collection of country/western covers recorded by
EC and the Attractions in Nashville. Reactions to this album are
largely
a matter of taste, but if you can't stand steel pedal guitars I
wouldn't
recommend it.
'King of America' was also recorded with a c/w flair, and is the
favourite
Elvis album of many fans.
'The Juliet Letters' features Elvis and the Brodsky Quartet, a well
known
string quartet in classical musical circles. Again, EC fans either
love or hate this album. In any case, it provides an interesting
showcase
for Elvis' vocal abilities.
Q. I'd like to get a couple of 'live import recordings' (bootlegs) by
EC, which ones would you recommend?
A. For starters the following are good performances in good quality:
Aim To Please [CD] - Early Flip City demos.
Do The Rhumba [CAS] - Jap TV broadcast from 21-Nov-87.
Elvis Goes To Washington & Dave Edmunds & Rockpile Don't [CD] -
Stereo
FM radio broadcast from '79. One of the best 'early' EC
boots.
Every Day I Write The Book [CD] - Philadelphia 11/08/84.
Nashville And More [CD] - studio demos for _Almost Blue_.
Riot Act '83 [CD] - Hammersmith Palace, London, 17-Oct-83.
This is Tomorrow [CD] - London concert from BBC tapes
Unauthorized Live Vol.1 - burnin'!
(from Paul Hosken (rmcb@vm.op.dlr.de)).
Q. A number of live tracks have appeared on various b-sides, how come
EC
has never released a live album (excluding the _El Mocambo_
promo)?
A. ?
Q. Where did he come up with the pseudonym 'Elvis Costello'
A. His great-grandmother's name was Costello, and he started out after
Flip
City disbanded in 1975 using the name 'D. P. Costello'. After
signing with
Stiff records, he changed the first name to Elvis, purportedly at
Jake
Riviera's suggestion. According to EC: 'I thought Elvis was a
better name than Jesus, and almost as exclusive'.
Q. What was the Bonnie Bramlett incident?
A. Elvis back in 1979 made some not-so-politically-correct comments
about
Ray Charles while drinking with Bonnie Bramlett in the bar of the
Holiday Inn-Downtown in Columbus, Ohio. He was later forced to make
a
public apology at a press conference.
Q. What was the story behind Less Than Zero/Radio Radio performance on
SNL?
A. According to an interview with EC, they were bored and drunk
(supposedly, Lorne Michaels wanted the Sex Pistols, but they
declined), and decided to pull a "Jimi Hendrix" (Hendrix did a
similar thing on Lulu's 1960's BBC show--stopped in the middle
of one song and start another). EC later commented that "obviously,
it
isn't THAT live".
Q. Where does he currently reside?
A. He lives with his wife Cait near Enniskerry, Ireland.
Q. Did he really get his record contract by setting up an amp on the
side-
walk in front of a record company?
A. Elvis got his contract with Stiff Records after he mailed them his
demo
tape. In order to get an international deal (purportedly at Jake
Riveria's
suggestion) he later strapped a pignose amp on his back and played
in front
of a hotel in London where a CBS records international convention
was
taking place. He was not arrested, but forced to leave by the
police.
Q. What guitars does he play?
A. The list currently includes:
- Fender Jazzmaster, with 'Elvis Costello' inlaid on the fretboard
- oldish Martin D28
- Gibson J-160E acoustic
- Gretch Country Gent
- '54 Telecaster (stolen while on tour c. 1984)
- Gibson F-5 mandolin
- 3 Ferringtons: a small 17" and a normal 25 3/8" both with "Elvis
Costello" inlaid on the neck, and a 34" fretless bass (what look
like
frets are really just inlaid plastic strips)
Q. What was EC's first job?
A. Computer operator for the Elizabeth Arden cosmetics firm.
"[In 1973?] I got a job as a computer operator, which happened
to be comparatively well paid: about twenty pounds a week. I'd
just put tapes on the machines and feed cards in, line up printing
machines - all the manual work the computer itself doesn't have
arms to do."
(From Elvis Costello Explains Himself, Rolling Stone,9/2/82 by
Greil
Marcus)
Q. When did he first start wearing glasses?
A. At the Elizabeth Arden cosmetics firm (the 'vanity factory' in 'I'm
Not
Angry'), where the computer screens were giving him headaches. He
adopted
a pair of peardrop-shaped tinted glasses. According to _?_, " There
is
no reason to suggest that Declan - or Elvis - ever had to wear
glasses
for optical reasons.
Q. Why are some EC tunes credited to MacManus, and others Costello?
A. EC changed his name legally back to DPAM, so for international
copyright reasons, all songs after KOA are published under DPAM.
('I Hope You're Happy Now' was written in 1984)
Q. Why are there so many references to 'Hammersmith' in EC songs?
(Crimes of Paris, London's Brilliant Parade, Fish 'n' Chip Paper)
A. Possibly because EC's father used to play the Hammersmith Palais in
London
frequently with the Joe Loss Orchestra. Elvis later himself
performed
there.
Q. What's up with the lyrics to 'Stalin Malone'
A. Elvis couldn't get the words to fit the music, so he left the song
as an instrumental and printed the words on the back of 'Spike'
(not
found in cassette version).
Q. Who is that saying the words 'Poor Napoleon' in the song of the
same name?
A. EC's wife, Cait. She also says the words 'In Dusseldorf' in
'Chewing Gum'.
Q. When will the "Kojak Varieties" & the Brodsky "Encores" be
officially
released?
A. (The former is a collection of various covers done by EC and the
Rude Five,
while the latter contains several songs performed live by EC and
the
Brodskys on their U.S. tour). According to Brett Milano (CD Review
Magazine): EC is "none too pleased that it's been bootlegged," and
EC
himself says: "I don't want to have criminals telling me when to
release
my records. I'll put it out when the time comes . . . I waited 30
years
to sing some of those songs, so I figure I can wait another five to
put
these versions out." Nor will the Brodsky "Encores" EP be released
in the
·
immediate future.
Q. Why was the original name of EC's third album changed from
"Emotional
Fascism' to 'Armed Forces'? ('EF' appears on the inner sleeve of
the UK LP)
A. ???
Q. What are 'The Crimes of Paris'? (from the song of the same name,
also
mentioned in 'Jack of All Parades')
A. (From: AMadDogRby@aol.com) I also asked EC about the Crimes of
Paris.
We can all keep guessing because he doesn't know either- he just
liked
the phrase. He has searched many guides on the origins of slang and
common phrases and has come up empty himself. He doesn't believe
The C
of P have anything to do with The Illiad or to do with
Shakespeare's
character Paris. His best assumption is that it derives from a time
when the British looked at Paris as a city full of temptations, sin
and general debauchery and thus The Crimes of Paris.
Q. What is the translation of the Italian dedication in the Brutal
Youth
CD booklet?
A. "I proclaim, I dedicate this absurd scribble and babble to my
youthful
brute with amazing desire" (from eeihmy@eeiatus01.ericsson.se)
Q. Did the Canadian band The Tragically Hip get their name from the
line
in Elvis' song 'Town Cryer' (found on Imperial Bedroom)?
A. No. It apparently was from the (former Monkee) Michael Nesmith
video 'Elephant Parts', which predates Imperial Bedroom.
Q. Who painted the cover painting of Imperial Bedroom?
A. The artist was Barney Bubbles, a popular new wave graphic artist
who
committed suicide several years ago. He also directed the video for
'Accidents Will Happen'. The credit on the sleeve 'Sal Forlenza,
1942'
is false, as EC describes in the IB liner notes how he commissioned
Barney to paint the cover in 1981.
Q. Did EC paint the cover of B&C under the pseudonym of Eamonn Singer?
A. ??
Questions regarding The Attractions
-----------------------------------
Q. What are they up to now?
A. Steve and Pete are members of the Jonathan Ross Band, while Bruce
is living in L.A., writing a book about Bruce Lee. All are
currently
touring with E.C. Following the tour Steve plans to tour with
French pianist Alain Chalfont.
Q. What is Steve Nieve's real name?
A. Steve Nieve's (pronounced like the word naive) real name is Steve
Nason.
Q. Are Bruce and Pete Thomas related?
A. No.
Q. What keyboards does Steve Nieve use on stage?
A. A Farfisa and a Vox Continental (among others), both popular organs
in the mid-sixties and was all Steve had/could afford at the time.
Q. What's the title of the Attractions' solo album, and is it to be
recommended?
A. 'Mad About the Wrong Boy' was recorded by Bruce, Pete, and Steve in
198_ and is a fine example of early 80's pop. Although the songs
are
fairly well written, and the instrumental performances are
excellent,
you quickly become aware of the reason why the Attractions are very
rarely
featured as singers on EC albums.
Q. Who are Brain/Hart? (writers of Sad About Girls and other tracks on
the
Attractions solo album)
A. It has been suggested that it's Steve Nieve (and Faye Hart?).
EC calls "Mad About Girls" SN's song in the liner notes for Ryko's
Trust. The song is credited to Brain/Hart. SN was sometimes
introduced on stage as "Norman Brain", and on the back of the Trust
LP
(& Ryko CD booklet) SN appears as "Steve Hart".
According to the book "Elvis Costello - A Completely False
Biography
Based On Rumor, Innuendo, and Lies" by Krista Reese (1981) on page
105, it says, Steve Nieve's girlfriend at the time was a lady by
the
name of Faye Hart. It's written that she had a very abrasive
personality and was fond of calling herself, "Farrah Fuck-It
Minor".
(LeeAnne@aol.com)
Ryko Re-issue Questions
-----------------------
Q. The jewel-box sprockets on my Ryko re-issues are broken. How do I
get
replacements?
A. Write a letter saying how many replacement cases you need to:
Carter, Pickering Wharf, Bldg. C., Salem, MA 01970
Q. What albums are Ryko planning to re-release?
A. MAIT, Live at El Mocambo, TYM, AF, GH, T, AB,IB have already been
re-released with bonus tracks. A new 'Greatest Hits' compilation
(containing
no new material) has also been released. PTC and GCW are due out
Feb. 21,
1995, and KoA and B&C in Fall 1995.
Q. Why aren't all of Elvis' B-sides being released on the Ryko
re-issues?
A. The re-issues are under Elvis' direct control. He is apparently
more concerned about quality in the extended play selections,
rather than
completeness.
Q. Is it worth replacing my old CDs with the new Ryko releases?
A. The bonus tracks are obviously a strong enticement, and many people
on the list have noticed a marked improvement in sound quality,
especially
on the earlier albums.
Q. Why were the titles of 'Lovers Walk' and 'Man Called Uncle' changed
to
'Lover's Walk' and 'Men Called Uncle' on the GH re-issue?
A. According to Elvis, the original titles were printed incorrectly,
the
Ryko versions are the correct ones.
Q. Why does "Black Sails in the Sunset" on the ryko re-issue of
"Trust" fade
out 11 seconds earlier than the "Out of Our Idiot" version?
A. According to ICE (International CD Exchange), the Rykodisc reissues
originated with Demon, the British label that Costello partially
owns,
and that Elvis himself oversaw the entire process, so any minor
changes merely reflect his wishes."
Q. Is my CD defective, or is there a missing beat 23 seconds into "I'm
Not Angry" on the Ryko re-issue of "My Aim is True"?
A. There is indeed a missing beat, no reply from Ryko yet as to why.
Q. What's with the extra track (31) on the Ryko re-issue of "Get
Happy!!"?
A. Jeff Rougvie, Ryko product manager says: 'The demo version of "Love
For Tender" which closes the album is intentionally cut, which is
why
it is not listed as an extended play track. As I'm sure you've
noticed, the album is now 30 tracks long (up from the original 20).
When the first song on the disc (albeit a different version) begins
again after track 30, it almost heralds the whole album starting
again. Mr. Costello thought that this would be humorous, and we
agreed.'
Books
"A Singing Dictionary" Elvis Costello. 1980 Plangent Visions Music
Inc. Music
scores and lyrics to: MAIT, TYM, AF, GH!!, TL plus "That's What
Friends Are
For"
"Everyday I Write The Song (Grumbling Appendix To The Singing
Dictionary)". Elvis Costello. 1983 Plangent Visions Music Ltd.
Music scores and lyrics to: T, IB, PTC plus some great photos
"Spike" Elvis Costello. 1989. Words and music score to the album.
"Brutal Youth" Elvis Costello. 1994. Words and music score to the
album.
"Elvis Costello: A Man Out Of Time (A Critical Companion To His Lyrics
And Music)". David Gouldstone. 1989 Sidgwick & Jackson ISBN
0283997079.
The author gives his own personal interpretations of EC's lyrics.
Covers
through B&C
"God's Comic" David Gouldstone. 199_ (Revised Version of EC: A Man Out
of
Time)
Covers through 'Spike'
"Written in My Soul" Bill Flanagan. Contains 1986 interview with EC @
King
of America, originally published in Musician magazine.
"Punk Diary: 1970-1979'. George Gimarc 1994 St. Martin's Publishing.
Follows Elvis through his days from Rusty, Flip City to the start of
his days with the Attractions and Stiff Records. It's also a good
source of info about early releases, demos and rarities.
"The Dark Stuff" Nick Kent. Features two interviews with Elvis circa
1978.
"Book of Rock Lists" by David Marsh. EC is mentioned many times in
various
lists.
"Ranters & Crowd Pleasers" by Greil Marcus ISBN number 0-385-41720-9.
(punk in pop music, 1977-92). Our El is devoted a well-deserved
nine
chapters, including the "Elvis Costello Repents" article from
Rolling
Stone, perhaps the last word on the infamous Bonnie Bramlett
incident.
"The Story of My Life" by Jay McInereny. There are several references
to EC in this novel. The main character's name is Alison - the group
sings part of Alison to her. She replies with some lines from "Party
Girl".
Also, one the women shows up with "a member of the EC band"
(wvaughan@magnus.acs.ohio-state.edu)
"Stiff: The Story Of A Record Label" by Bert Muirhead.
Details all Stiff releases 1976-1982.
"Elvis Costello: The Illustrated Disco/Biography". Geoff Parkyn. 1984
Omnibus
Press ISBN 0711905312. Covers to release of GCW
"Strip Jack" authored by Ian Rankin. Published by St. Martin's
Press, 1994. $20.95 ISBN 0312105533.
St. Martin's specializes in fiction, especially mysteries. This
one
features an Inspector Rebus of the Glasgow Police Force. Features
a
character named Aloysius Costello, a university professor.
"Elvis Costello: A Completely False Biography Based On Rumour,
Innuendo
And Lies". Krista Reese 1981 Proteus Publishing ISBN0906071623.
Covers
through Trust
"Elvis Costello: An Illustrated Biography". Mick St.Michael. 1986
Omnibus
Press ISBN 0711907722. Covers through GCW and release of Best Of.
"The Complete Costello" ed. K.L. Stuart. 1991 Clark MacKent Publishing
Co.,
Palo Alto, CA. This lyric collection that purports to be the
complete EC
guide for all the songs thru MLAR...Including compilations and
European
versions.
"The Big Wheel". Bruce Thomas. 1990 Viking 0670834432. EC penned the
song
'How To Be Dumb' in response to this book by the Attractions' bassist
about
life on the road with EC & the Attractions.
"Going Through the Motions" 1985. Author unknown. Contains set lists
from
1977-1985. Available through the Elvis Costello Information Service.
Concert Tours
(need comments on early tours)
1977: London :openr. John Cooper Clarke
1977: Live Stiffs Tour USA ops: Rockpile, Talking Heads, Tom Petty,
Eddie
Money
1979: Armed Funk Tour: USA ops: Rubinoos, UK ops: John Cooper Clarke,
Richard
Hell & the Voidoids
1980: Trust Tour: EC & A, op. Squeeze
1981: Imperial Bedroom Tour :ops. The Plimsouls, Sussman Lawrence
1982: Almost Blue, Almost 1982 Tour: op. Talk Talk
1983: Punch the Clock Tour : EC, Attractions, & TKO Horns; op. Aztec
Camera
1984: Goodbye Cruel World Tour : EC & Attractions; ops. Nick Lowe, The
Pogues
1986: Napoleon Dynamite/Spinning Songbook Tour : EC & Attractions
,also
Bangles,Tom Petty ; featured Elvis with a big wheel with song
titles,
which he got members of the crowd to spin to select the next
song.
Huey Lewis was the guest 'host' at a few shows in San Francisco.
Last
show in L.A. had Tom Waits as the MC (bigstar@io.com)
1987: King of America Tour: EC, op. Nick Lowe.
EC played 6 cities in U.S. with the KofA band.
1989: Spike Tour : Nick Lowe, Rude 5
Featured EC solo acoustic.
1991: Mighty Like a Rose Tour : Elvis Costello & the Rude 5; ops. The
Replacements, Sam Phillips, The La's
Elvis in full beard, baseball cap and sunglasses
1993: Juliet Letters Tour (4 venues only) : EC and the Brodsky Quartet
Performed entire album plus eight encores
1994: Brutal Youth Tour : EC & the Attractions; ops. Crash Test
Dummies,
Difford and Tilbrook of Squeeze, Cast
Elvis toured with the Attractions for first time since 1987
Film Appearances
Straight to Hell: Elvis has cameo as a waiter, and his song 'A Town
Called Big Nothing' is featured on the soundtrack.
Cait O'Riordan sings 'Danny Boy' with the Pogues in
the
film.
Americathon : Elvis seen briefly singing on a street corner as
'Earl
Manchester'. Sings 'Crawling to the USA' and
'Wednesday
Week' on the soundtrack.
No Surrender: Elvis plays an incompetent magician in a dilapidated
nightclub.
Absolute Beginners: EC has cameo appearance at a bar in a black
leather
jacket.
(can anyone verify this?)
The Bullshitters: EC plays part of a rock band manager.
Music Related Films
-------------------
The Juliet Letters: Full length concert video featuring EC and Brodsky
Quartet.
"Rock for Kampuchea": 1979 benefit concert video featuring various
bands at
the Hammersmith Odeon, London.
Weird Nightmare : Ray Davies of the Kinks and EC worked together on
the film Ray made on the life of Charles Mingus,
"Weird
Nightmare". It is available only on Japanese laser
disc.
It is a documentary-style film, with quite a lot of
commentary from E and some studio work!
Soundtracks
Americathon - features "Crawling to the USA", "Wednesday Week"
Club Paradise - features "Seven Day Weekend" in closing credits
The Courier - stars EC's wife, Cait O'Riordan
- features 8 instrumentals composed and arranged by EC
'The Family' (BBC series). EC contributed 4 unreleased songs to play
over the credits of 4 episodes.
Week 1: "Step inside love" (Lennon/McCartney)
Week 2: "You`ve got to hide your love away"
(Lennon/McCartney)
Week 3: "Sticks and Stones" (Titus Turner)
Week 4: "Kinder Murder" from BY.
GBH (Grievous Bodily Harm) TV Series Soundtrack (All instrumentals)
Godfather III - features 'Miracle Man' in scene in Italian villa w/
Andy
Garcia
and Sofia Coppola
Party Party - EC does the title track
Scully (British TV show) - "Turning the Town Red" is theme song.
Self Catering (made for TV movie) - features "I Can't Stand Up For
Falling
"Down" and "Pump it Up"
Straight To Hell - features 'A Town Called Big Nothing'
Until the End of the World - features Elvis cover of 'Days' by the
Kinks
TV Appearances
(Need more info on British/European TV appearances)
197? BBC - Top of the Pops
1978, "Saturday Night Live"
Watching the Detectives / Less Than Zero (start) /Radio, Radio
1978,9? - TISWAS : Elvis makes an appearance on this anarchistic
children's
TV show.
1979 BBC - Top of the Pops
Oliver's Army
Feb. 4, 1981, "Tomorrow Show with Tom Snyder
New Lace Sleeves / Watch Your Step
1981, ITV "The South Bank Show" Documentary on the making of Almost
Blue
1983, "Late Night With David Letterman" : Man Out of Time/ Kid About
It
August 1984, "The Tonight Show (Guest Host Joan Rivers)" :
I Hope You're Happy Now / Peace In Our Time
- EC changes the last verse of PIOT to 'There's already one
spaceman
in the White House, why'd you want the same one for'
July 13, 1985, "Live Aid" : All You Need is Love (EC had the lyrics
written
on the back of his hand)
1987 Roy Orbison and Friends - TV Special
198? Chet Baker and Friends - Home Video
1986 or 1987: Guest VJ on MTV
198? BBC series "Scully" - EC appears on one episode as the main
character's
train-obsessed and simpleton brother.
1989? BBC "Everything You Always Wanted to Know About Spike"
Special on making of 'Spike'
1989? Documentary : The Making of "Flowers in the Dirt"
1989? BBC Late Show : Interview + 'Let Him Dangle' and 'Baby Plays
Around'
March 3, 1989 "Late Night With David Letterman"
Pads, Paws, and Claws / Leave My Kitten Alone
March 25, 1989 "Saturday Night Live"
(Introduction by guest host Mary Tyler Moore : "Elvis Costello's penis
is
here tonight")
Veronica / Let Him Dangle
1991, "Saturday Night Live" - Host: George Wendt
The Other Side of Summer / So Like Candy
1991, "MTV Unplugged"
(Anyone have the track listing?)
1991 ABC "In Concert" Featured a concert from the MLAR tour with the
rude 5
Sept. 1993 PBS : Special on making of 'The Juliet Letters'
March 1993, "The Tonight Show With Jay Leno"
Jacksons, Monk, and Rowe / Taking My Life In Your Hands
April 1, 1994, "Late Night With David Letterman" : 13 Steps Lead Down
May 12, 1994, "Late Night With David Letterman" : Kinder Murder
June 1994 "MTV Unplugged w/ Tony Bennett"
Duet with Tony Bennett - They Can't Take That Away From Me
June 12, 1994 Host of MTV's "120 Minutes"
Elvis plays some rocking videos from some lesser known groups, also
'Oliver's Army' and 'Sulky Girl'
·
July 21, 1994 HBO "Larry Sanders Show"
Performs '13 Steps Lead Down', Elvis acts in several skits.
July 1994 MuchMusic 'Egos and Icons'
Interview with Elvis about BY, along with clips of some old videos
Oct 29, 1994 BBC1 "The Danny Baker Show"
Interview where EC admits his worst song to date was 'Party Party'
Nov 18, 1994 BBC2 "The O-zone"
"13 Steps Lead Down"
Nov 26, 1994 BBC1 "The Danny Baker Show"
'Shipbuilding' / 'London's Brilliant Parade'
Obscure Elvis References in TV, Movies, etc.
Beastie Boys - latest album features a song with the lyric 'I got more
attractions than Elvis Costello'
Beavis and Butthead - Title of one episode is "Radio Sweethearts"
Beverly Hills 90210 - 'The Other Side of Summer' is featured as
background
music during one episode
Dead at 21 - 'Accidents Will Happen' features as background music as
two
people are changing a baby
"E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial" -- older son sings "Accidents Will
Happen" for
a few seconds while opening the fridge
door
(EC still gets royalties for this
apparently)
Fast Times at Ridgemont High - Jeff Damone has a huge 'Trust' poster
on his bedroom wall
Jocks - One of the characters asks if he can play some EC in the car.
Just One of the Guys - Two women in the movie mention that the lead
actress 'dresses like Elvis Costello'
Less Than Zero - EC's 'Trust' poster appears prominently in this
movie.
Melrose Place - Alison Parker's ex-boyfriend sings horrendous version
of
'Alison' in one episode.
Mystery Date - main character (Nathan Hawke) has a MAIT poster in his
room.
MST3K - Crow & Gypsy the wise-cracking robots frequently make Elvis
references
(some of them rather obscure - apparently Jim Mallon (voice of
Gypsy)
is a big Elvis fan)
The Newz - Featured a comedy skit entitled "The Abbott and Costello
Show",
in which the actors impersonating Bud Abbott and *Elvis*
Costello.
The Rockford Files - EC mentioned in one episode as an example of
modern
culture.
Satisfaction - Justine Bateman does a version of 'Mystery Dance' on
the
soundtrack.
Saturday Night Live 1994 - Michael McKean (Spinal Tap) does Elvis
Costello impersonation in one skit .
SCTV - 'Elvis and Costello' skit features players impersonating Elvis
Presley
and Lou Costello.
Short Cuts -- Nightclub singer sings "Punishing Kiss"
Singles - a guy meets an old friend who used to be a DJ and talks
about
how he used to mix 'Peace, Love..' by EC and a Public Enemy
song
on the radio.
Square Pegs - dialogue on one episode mentions EC: 'I mean look at
Elvis
Costello (reply): Do I have to?'
(pearsonp@elwha.evergreen.com)
Steven Banks Show - 'Spike' poster on wall of main character's
apartment.
- woman on show goes to a concert where EC jams with
Dylan, Van Morrison, Harrison and others.
Taxi - In one episode Latka Gravas (Andy Kaufman), is listening to a
record
player on headphones while he's fixing a cab. Louie DePalma
(Danny
DeVito) goes to the record player and drags the needle. Causing
Latka
to
shout "Hey! You just wasted Elvis Costello!"
Whose Line is it Anyway - comedian Greg Proops sang out the credits in
an
Elvis Costello style one episode. Also does
a
Elvis-esque version of Rudolf the Red Nosed
Reindeer
WKRP - A 'Trust' poster can be seen on the wall of the radio studio
in some
episodes
Contributors:
(mlechner@ozarks.sgcl.lib.mo.us),(haas%sjsuvmi.bitnet@mitva.mit.edu)
(selway.j@mail.ei.com),(Choochmon@aol.com),(dorian@apanix.apana.org.au
)
(pearsonp@elwha.evergreen.edu), (smallman@cyberspace.com)
Elvis' Desert Island Choices
(from Eddie Thornley)
On Desert Island Discs you get 8 records, a book
(as well Bible & Shakespeare) plus a luxury item. Then at
the end the castaway can only have one record.
I believe he chose his dad's track At Last as the one to keep.
RECORDS
1 Beethoven's String Quartet Opus 135 performed by the Brodsky
Quartet
2 Frank Sinatra - I've got you under my skin
3 Ross MacManus - At Last (but at least I've *got* this one)
4 Mozart - Marriage of Figaro Act 1, Aria
5 Beatles - You've really got a hold on me
6 Schubert - Bb piano sonata - Brendel
7 Purcell - Dido & Aeneas, Dido's lament - von Otte
8 Duke Ellington Orchestra - Bloodcount (Billy Strayhorn)
featuring Johnny Hodges (Alto Sax)
BOOK A James Thurber Selection
containing:
Let your mind alone
The greatest man in the world
LUXURY An upright piano
decorated with an embossed Boticelli
Elvis' 10 Favourite Things
>From (July 1994 Washington Post article):
1. Ace Ventura Pet Detective "A guilty pleasure...I just laughed
myself sick"
2. The Age of Innocence "It's as close to The Magnificent Ambersons as
you're
going to get these days"
3. The Art Institute of Chicago
4. Goya's A Man Picking Fleas From His little Dog
5. Bikini Kill by Bikini Kill "Their record label is called Kill Rock
Stars.
We're probably on their list"
6. Martinis and Bikinis by Sam Phillips "I fear it might be like Aimee
Mann's
record. It might be almost *too* good to get airplay"
7. The memoirs of Hector Berlioz
8. All These Things by the Uniques
9. Duke Ellington's Anatomy of a Murder sountrack
10. Mezzo soprano Anne Sophie von Otter
>From an interview with EC on BBC's 'Pop on the line' show, Nov 26,
1994:
(DYDT6012@iruccvax.ucc.ie)
Favorite EC single - changes all the time, but Watching the
Detectives is
a favourite as it was his first hit.
Favourite early EC album - TYM and Thrust.
Favourite classical composer - Schubert.
When asked if the Beatles influenced him, Elvis said that Please
Please Me and With The Beatles were the first single and album he
bought and that he was a member of the Beatles fan club when he was
11. When Elvis first began playing guitar at 13 he played Beatles
songs.
Origins of EC Album Titles
My Aim is True - lyric from "Alison"
This Year's Model - variation on lyric from "(I.D.W.T.G.T.)
Chelsea", also
variation on song title 'This Year's Girl'
Armed Forces - probably from 'Oliver's Army', but also general
military
theme. (Original title for album was 'Emotional
Fascism')
Get Happy! - Elvis' response to poor reviews of 'Armed
Forces'
(martin@gate2.cc.unp.ac.za)
Trust - perhaps from Squeeze song of the same name (b-
side of
both 'Is That Love?', and 'Tempted' which were
produced
by EC.) (Robmy@aol.com)
Taking Liberties - line from 'Crawling to the USA'
Almost Blue - ? (later became a song title on "Imperial
Bedroom")
Imperial Bedroom - ? Original title was 'PS I Love You' (EC wrote
title
song
after album was released)
Punch the Clock - lyric from "The Greatest Thing"
Goodbye Cruel World - Around this time EC got sick of pop star life,
things
became strained with the Attractions, his first
marriage
broke up, hence the title. (From Musician
magazine,
[JerrydB@aol.com])
King of America - first line of "Brilliant Mistake"
Blood & Chocolate - first line of "Uncomplicated"
Ten Bloody Mary's and Ten How's Your Fathers - ? (Ten songs on each
side)
Out of our Idiot - ?
Girls+ /Girls=$+Girls - ?
Spike - Reference to blues musician Spike Jones
Mighty Like A Rose - quote in booklet, also line from 'The Other Side
of
Summer': ('The mightiest rose / the absence of
perfume')
The Juliet Letters - songs are written in the form of letters to
Juliet of
Shakespearean fame
Brutal Youth - beginning of 2nd verse of "Favourite Hour"
Originally contributed by (boojum1660@aol.com)
Acknowledgements
Thanks to all the people on the EC mailing list, without whom
this FAQ would have been impossible to write. Special thanks
go to Amy Coppola, Gordon Dymowski, Melinda Hale, Paul Hosken, and
Aaron Yarlas for helping to edit early versions of this document.
@FROM :lister@qjet.bu.edu
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From owner-costello-l@rain.org Sat Jan 21 00:57:49 1995
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Date: Wed, 18 Jan 95 19:15:12 -0500
From: lister@qjet.bu.edu (Matt Lister)
Message-Id: <9501190015.AA06058@qjet.bu.edu>
To: costello-l@rain.org
Subject: Elvis FAQ Version 3.2
Sender: owner-costello-l@mail.rain.org
Precedence: bulk
Hi everyone, I haven't posted the FAQ for a while, so here is the
updated version. Sorry about the length!
Matt Lister
THE
ELVIS COSTELLO
FAQ LIST
Version 3.2
January, 1995
Welcome to the Elvis FAQ! Hopefully this document will contain
something for all Elvis fans, from diehards to newbies alike. It is
still in the early developmental stages, so I would really appreciate
your input. Drop me a line at lister@qjet.bu.edu if you spot any
errors, can fill in some of the ?'s, or have any suggestions on
format, new sections to include, etc.
Note:
For information about Elvis' recording career, please see the Elvis
Costello Discography, an impressive document maintained by Paul
Hosken (rmcb@vm.op.dlr.de). The latest version can be obtained from
CS.UWP.EDU in the directory "/pub/music/artists/c/costello.elvis".
Table of Contents
Biographical Details
Brief Album Synopsis
Elvis' Backing Bands
Connections to Other Artists
Frequently Asked Questions
Books on Elvis
Concert Tours
Film Appearances
Soundtracks
TV Appearances
Obscure References to Elvis in Films/TV
Elvis' Desert Island Choices
Elvis' Ten Favourite Things
Origins of EC album titles
Acknowledgements
Biographical Details
Given Name: Declan Patrick Aloysius* MacManus (* added by Elvis)
Stage Names: The Beloved Entertainer, D. P. Costello, Elvis Costello,
The Costello Show, Henry (Howard) Coward, The Emotional
Toothpaste, The Imposter, King of America, Little Hands
of
Concrete, The MacManus Gang, Napoleon Dynamite
Born: London, August 25, 1954
Parents: From Merseyside, Liverpool
Father: Ross MacManus, musician (trumpeter), formerly sang with the
Joe Loss
Orchestra
Mother: Lillian MacManus, ran record store shop in Selfridges dept.
store.
Siblings: ?
1st Marriage: 1971? Mary, had son Matthew circa 1974
2nd Marriage: 1985 Cait O'Riordan (Caught oh-REER-dan),former bassist
for The
Pogues
Brief bio. : Born in London, lived in outskirts, went to a secondary
modern
school in Hounslow, W. London. Moved to Liverpool, left
school
in 1972, got a job as a computer operator in a cosmetics
firm.
Played local pubs with group Flip City, disbanded in
1975,
made solo acoustic demo tape, sent to various record
companies. Given contract by Stiff records, recorded
MAIT
with U.S. C/W band Clover 1976. (Clover's lead singer
was
Huey Lewis at the time, but he did not participate in
the
recording sessions) The Attractions formed through
auditions,
recorded TYM 1977.
Left the Attractions c. 1986 to pursue solo career.
Switched
to Warner label and recorded Spike (1989), Mighty Like a
Rose
(1991), and The Juliet Letters (w/ Brodsky Quartet)
(1992).
Temporarily re-united with the Attractions for the album
Brutal Youth (1994) and subsequent tour of N. America
and
Europe.
Brief Album Synopsis
(For more detailed info., please see the discography)
Jul 1977 - My Aim is True
May 1978 - This Year's Model
Feb 1979 - Armed Forces
Mar 1980 - Get Happy!
Oct 1980 - *Taking Liberties
Nov 1980 - *Ten Bloody Marys & Ten How's Your Fathers
Feb 1981 - Trust
Nov 1981 - Almost Blue
Jul 1982 - Imperial Bedroom
Aug 1983 - Punch The Clock
Jul 1984 - Goodbye Cruel World
1985 - +The Best of Elvis Costello
Apr 1986 - King of America
Oct 1986 - Blood and Chocolate
1987 - *Out of Our Idiot
Feb 1989 - Spike
1989 - +Girls, Girls, Girls
May 1991 - Mighty Like a Rose
Feb 1993 - The Juliet Letters
Mar 1994 - Brutal Youth
* = Collection of B-sides and out-takes
+ = contains previously released material
Elvis's Backing Bands
Flip City
Mich Kent - bass, Malcolm Dennis, Ian Powling - Drums, Steve
Hazelhurst
- guitar, Dickie Faulkner - percussion, Mike Whelan, Ken
Smith.
Clover (on MAIT) : Alex Call, John McFee - Guitar, Vocal, John
Ciambotti -
gte/vcb/b/v, Sean Hopper - Keyb, Vocal, Huey Lewis -
Harmonica,
Vocal (not featured on MAIT), Micky Shine - Drums, Vocal
The Attractions : Steve Nieve - keyb, Bruce Thomas - bass, Pete Thomas
- drums
Afrodiziak (on 'Punch the Clock'): Carol Wheeler, Claudia Fontaine,
Naomi
Thompson - vocal
TKO Horns (on 'Punch the Clock'): Jimmy Paterson - Trombone, Dave
Plews -
Trumpet , Stuart Robson - Horn, Paul Spear -
Tenor
Sax, Jeff Blythe - Alto Sax
The Dirty Dozen Brass Band (on 'Spike', 'MLAR'): Gregory Davis -
trumpet,
Efrem
Towns - Trumpet, Kevin Harris - Tenor Saxophone, Roger
Lewis -
Baritone and Soprano Saxophones, Charles Joseph -
Trombone,
Kirk Joseph - Sousaphone
The Confederates : James Burton - guitar, Jerry Scheff - bass
The Rude 5 (on 'MLAR') : Larry Knechtel - keyb, Mark Ribot/James
Burton-guitar,
Pete Thomas/Jim Keltner - drums, Jerry Scheff
- bass,
Steven Soles - vocals/guitar
The Brodsky Quartet (on 'TJL') : Michael Thomas - Violin, Ian Belton -
Violin,
Paul Cassidy - Viola, Jacqueline Thomas : Violoncello
Connections to Other Artists
Artists that Elvis has collaborated/worked with
-----------------------------------------------
Larry Adler, Chet Baker, Martin Belmont, Tony Bennett, Rueben Blades,
The Bluebells, Billy Bremmer, Charles Brown, Carlene Carter, Philip
Chevron, The Chieftains, Johnny Cash, Jimmy Cliff, Mary Coughlan,
Chris Difford, Dave Edmunds, The Eurythmics, Georgie Fame, Darryl
Hall, John Hiatt, Chrissy Hynde, Wendy James, George Jones, Mick
Jones, The Kinks, Clive Langer, Nick Lowe, Madness, Paul McCartney,
Roger McGuinn, Christy Moore, Cait O'Riordan, Roy Orbison, Sam
Phillips, The Pogues, Mark Ribot, Annie Ross, Ricky Scaggs, The
Specials, Dusty Springfield, Bruce Springsteen, Squeeze, The Stiff
Gang,
Rachel Sweet, Benmont Tench, Allen Toussaint, 'Til Tuesday, T-Bone
Burnett,
David Was, Rob Wasserman, Robert Wyatt
Artists that have influenced Elvis
----------------------------------
The Band, The Beatles, Hoagy Carmichael, The Grateful Dead, Bob Dylan,
Lowell George, George Jones, Randy Newman, Gram Parsons, John Prine,
Brinsley Schwarz, The Rolling Stones, Tom Waits, Hank Williams
Other artists often mentioned on the EC mailing list
---------------------------------------------------------
Tasmin Archer, Billy Bragg, Aztec Camera, Nick Drake, Joe Jackson,
Yoko Ono, Liz Phair, The Replacements, Linda Ronstadt, Richard
Thompson, XTC
FAQS
Resource Questions
------------------
Q. Is there a WWW/Mosaic Elvis Costello page?
A. Yes, if you are not reading it already, the URL is
http://east.isx.com/~schnitzi/elvis.html
Q. Are there any Elvis Fanzines?
A. The Elvis Costello Information Service is published six times a
year,
and contains concert reviews, information regarding new releases,
etc.
For more information see the Elvis WWW page, or write to Richard
Groothuizen, Primulastraat 46, 1441 HC Purmerend, Holland.
Q. How do I join the Elvis Costello mailing list?
A. Send e-mail to majordomo@rain.org with the words 'subscribe
costello-l'
in the message body. There is also a digest version available by
substituting
'costello-l-digest' for 'costello-l' above.
Q. How many people are there on the mailing list?
A. For a list of e-mail addresses, send e-mail to majordomo@rain.org
with the
words 'who costello-l' in the message body.
Q. Where are the archives to the Elvis Costello mailing list kept?
A. The archives, are available by FTP at CS.UWP.EDU, in the
directories
"/pub/music/artists/c/costello.elvis", "pub/music/lists/costello"
and
"pub/music/lyrics/c/costello.elvis".
Q. Has anyone on the EC mailing list done a poll of people's favourite
EC songs/albums?
A. Every few months polls are conducted on the mailing list, the most
recent ones being in March, May, and September 1994. The results of
the latest one were:
Top ten songs: Top Three Albums:
Beyond Belief Imperial Bedroom
Accidents Will Happen (tie)-| King of America
Man Out of Time | Get Happy!
New Lace Sleeves
| Oliver's Army
(tie)-| Riot Act
| Watching the Detectives
So Like Candy
(tie)-| I Want You
| New Amsterdam
Sulky Girl
Elvis Questions
---------------
Q. What was EC's first ever official release?
A. The 7" single on Stiff Records (BUY 11) "Less Than Zero" b/w "Radio
Sweetheart" was EC's debut recording early in 1977.
Q. What are Elvis' all-time top selling albums?
A. #1: Spike, #2: Mighty Like a Rose
Q. I've heard that EC has done 'country' & 'classical' albums, which
ones
are they, and are they to be recommended?
A. 'Almost Blue' is a collection of country/western covers recorded by
EC and the Attractions in Nashville. Reactions to this album are
largely
a matter of taste, but if you can't stand steel pedal guitars I
wouldn't
recommend it.
'King of America' was also recorded with a c/w flair, and is the
favourite
Elvis album of many fans.
'The Juliet Letters' features Elvis and the Brodsky Quartet, a well
known
string quartet in classical musical circles. Again, EC fans either
love or hate this album. In any case, it provides an interesting
showcase
for Elvis' vocal abilities.
Q. I'd like to get a couple of 'live import recordings' (bootlegs) by
EC, which ones would you recommend?
A. For starters the following are good performances in good quality:
Aim To Please [CD] - Early Flip City demos.
Do The Rhumba [CAS] - Jap TV broadcast from 21-Nov-87.
Elvis Goes To Washington & Dave Edmunds & Rockpile Don't [CD] -
Stereo
FM radio broadcast from '79. One of the best 'early' EC
boots.
Every Day I Write The Book [CD] - Philadelphia 11/08/84.
Nashville And More [CD] - studio demos for _Almost Blue_.
Riot Act '83 [CD] - Hammersmith Palace, London, 17-Oct-83.
This is Tomorrow [CD] - London concert from BBC tapes
Unauthorized Live Vol.1 - burnin'!
(from Paul Hosken (rmcb@vm.op.dlr.de)).
Q. A number of live tracks have appeared on various b-sides, how come
EC
has never released a live album (excluding the _El Mocambo_
promo)?
A. ?
Q. Where did he come up with the pseudonym 'Elvis Costello'
A. His great-grandmother's name was Costello, and he started out after
Flip
City disbanded in 1975 using the name 'D. P. Costello'. After
signing with
Stiff records, he changed the first name to Elvis, purportedly at
Jake
Riviera's suggestion. According to EC: 'I thought Elvis was a
better name than Jesus, and almost as exclusive'.
Q. What was the Bonnie Bramlett incident?
A. Elvis back in 1979 made some not-so-politically-correct comments
about
Ray Charles while drinking with Bonnie Bramlett in the bar of the
Holiday Inn-Downtown in Columbus, Ohio. He was later forced to make
a
public apology at a press conference.
Q. What was the story behind Less Than Zero/Radio Radio performance on
SNL?
A. According to an interview with EC, they were bored and drunk
(supposedly, Lorne Michaels wanted the Sex Pistols, but they
declined), and decided to pull a "Jimi Hendrix" (Hendrix did a
similar thing on Lulu's 1960's BBC show--stopped in the middle
of one song and start another). EC later commented that "obviously,
it
isn't THAT live".
Q. Where does he currently reside?
A. He lives with his wife Cait near Enniskerry, Ireland.
Q. Did he really get his record contract by setting up an amp on the
side-
walk in front of a record company?
A. Elvis got his contract with Stiff Records after he mailed them his
demo
tape. In order to get an international deal (purportedly at Jake
Riveria's
suggestion) he later strapped a pignose amp on his back and played
in front
of a hotel in London where a CBS records international convention
was
taking place. He was not arrested, but forced to leave by the
police.
Q. What guitars does he play?
A. The list currently includes:
- Fender Jazzmaster, with 'Elvis Costello' inlaid on the fretboard
- oldish Martin D28
- Gibson J-160E acoustic
- Gretch Country Gent
- '54 Telecaster (stolen while on tour c. 1984)
- Gibson F-5 mandolin
- 3 Ferringtons: a small 17" and a normal 25 3/8" both with "Elvis
Costello" inlaid on the neck, and a 34" fretless bass (what look
like
frets are really just inlaid plastic strips)
Q. What was EC's first job?
A. Computer operator for the Elizabeth Arden cosmetics firm.
"[In 1973?] I got a job as a computer operator, which happened
to be comparatively well paid: about twenty pounds a week. I'd
just put tapes on the machines and feed cards in, line up printing
machines - all the manual work the computer itself doesn't have
arms to do."
(From Elvis Costello Explains Himself, Rolling Stone,9/2/82 by
Greil
Marcus)
Q. When did he first start wearing glasses?
A. At the Elizabeth Arden cosmetics firm (the 'vanity factory' in 'I'm
Not
Angry'), where the computer screens were giving him headaches. He
adopted
a pair of peardrop-shaped tinted glasses. According to _?_, " There
is
no reason to suggest that Declan - or Elvis - ever had to wear
glasses
for optical reasons.
Q. Why are some EC tunes credited to MacManus, and others Costello?
A. EC changed his name legally back to DPAM, so for international
copyright reasons, all songs after KOA are published under DPAM.
('I Hope You're Happy Now' was written in 1984)
Q. Why are there so many references to 'Hammersmith' in EC songs?
(Crimes of Paris, London's Brilliant Parade, Fish 'n' Chip Paper)
A. Possibly because EC's father used to play the Hammersmith Palais in
London
frequently with the Joe Loss Orchestra. Elvis later himself
performed
there.
Q. What's up with the lyrics to 'Stalin Malone'
A. Elvis couldn't get the words to fit the music, so he left the song
as an instrumental and printed the words on the back of 'Spike'
(not
found in cassette version).
Q. Who is that saying the words 'Poor Napoleon' in the song of the
same name?
A. EC's wife, Cait. She also says the words 'In Dusseldorf' in
'Chewing Gum'.
Q. When will the "Kojak Varieties" & the Brodsky "Encores" be
officially
released?
A. (The former is a collection of various covers done by EC and the
Rude Five,
while the latter contains several songs performed live by EC and
the
Brodskys on their U.S. tour). According to Brett Milano (CD Review
Magazine): EC is "none too pleased that it's been bootlegged," and
EC
himself says: "I don't want to have criminals telling me when to
release
my records. I'll put it out when the time comes . . . I waited 30
years
to sing some of those songs, so I figure I can wait another five to
put
these versions out." Nor will the Brodsky "Encores" EP be released
in the
·
immediate future.
Q. Why was the original name of EC's third album changed from
"Emotional
Fascism' to 'Armed Forces'? ('EF' appears on the inner sleeve of
the UK LP)
A. ???
Q. What are 'The Crimes of Paris'? (from the song of the same name,
also
mentioned in 'Jack of All Parades')
A. (From: AMadDogRby@aol.com) I also asked EC about the Crimes of
Paris.
We can all keep guessing because he doesn't know either- he just
liked
the phrase. He has searched many guides on the origins of slang and
common phrases and has come up empty himself. He doesn't believe
The C
of P have anything to do with The Illiad or to do with
Shakespeare's
character Paris. His best assumption is that it derives from a time
when the British looked at Paris as a city full of temptations, sin
and general debauchery and thus The Crimes of Paris.
Q. What is the translation of the Italian dedication in the Brutal
Youth
CD booklet?
A. "I proclaim, I dedicate this absurd scribble and babble to my
youthful
brute with amazing desire" (from eeihmy@eeiatus01.ericsson.se)
Q. Did the Canadian band The Tragically Hip get their name from the
line
in Elvis' song 'Town Cryer' (found on Imperial Bedroom)?
A. No. It apparently was from the (former Monkee) Michael Nesmith
video 'Elephant Parts', which predates Imperial Bedroom.
Q. Who painted the cover painting of Imperial Bedroom?
A. The artist was Barney Bubbles, a popular new wave graphic artist
who
committed suicide several years ago. He also directed the video for
'Accidents Will Happen'. The credit on the sleeve 'Sal Forlenza,
1942'
is false, as EC describes in the IB liner notes how he commissioned
Barney to paint the cover in 1981.
Q. Did EC paint the cover of B&C under the pseudonym of Eamonn Singer?
A. ??
Questions regarding The Attractions
-----------------------------------
Q. What are they up to now?
A. Steve and Pete are members of the Jonathan Ross Band, while Bruce
is living in L.A., writing a book about Bruce Lee. All are
currently
touring with E.C. Following the tour Steve plans to tour with
French pianist Alain Chalfont.
Q. What is Steve Nieve's real name?
A. Steve Nieve's (pronounced like the word naive) real name is Steve
Nason.
Q. Are Bruce and Pete Thomas related?
A. No.
Q. What keyboards does Steve Nieve use on stage?
A. A Farfisa and a Vox Continental (among others), both popular organs
in the mid-sixties and was all Steve had/could afford at the time.
Q. What's the title of the Attractions' solo album, and is it to be
recommended?
A. 'Mad About the Wrong Boy' was recorded by Bruce, Pete, and Steve in
198_ and is a fine example of early 80's pop. Although the songs
are
fairly well written, and the instrumental performances are
excellent,
you quickly become aware of the reason why the Attractions are very
rarely
featured as singers on EC albums.
Q. Who are Brain/Hart? (writers of Sad About Girls and other tracks on
the
Attractions solo album)
A. It has been suggested that it's Steve Nieve (and Faye Hart?).
EC calls "Mad About Girls" SN's song in the liner notes for Ryko's
Trust. The song is credited to Brain/Hart. SN was sometimes
introduced on stage as "Norman Brain", and on the back of the Trust
LP
(& Ryko CD booklet) SN appears as "Steve Hart".
According to the book "Elvis Costello - A Completely False
Biography
Based On Rumor, Innuendo, and Lies" by Krista Reese (1981) on page
105, it says, Steve Nieve's girlfriend at the time was a lady by
the
name of Faye Hart. It's written that she had a very abrasive
personality and was fond of calling herself, "Farrah Fuck-It
Minor".
(LeeAnne@aol.com)
Ryko Re-issue Questions
-----------------------
Q. The jewel-box sprockets on my Ryko re-issues are broken. How do I
get
replacements?
A. Write a letter saying how many replacement cases you need to:
Carter, Pickering Wharf, Bldg. C., Salem, MA 01970
Q. What albums are Ryko planning to re-release?
A. MAIT, Live at El Mocambo, TYM, AF, GH, T, AB,IB have already been
re-released with bonus tracks. A new 'Greatest Hits' compilation
(containing
no new material) has also been released. PTC and GCW are due out
Feb. 21,
1995, and KoA and B&C in Fall 1995.
Q. Why aren't all of Elvis' B-sides being released on the Ryko
re-issues?
A. The re-issues are under Elvis' direct control. He is apparently
more concerned about quality in the extended play selections,
rather than
completeness.
Q. Is it worth replacing my old CDs with the new Ryko releases?
A. The bonus tracks are obviously a strong enticement, and many people
on the list have noticed a marked improvement in sound quality,
especially
on the earlier albums.
Q. Why were the titles of 'Lovers Walk' and 'Man Called Uncle' changed
to
'Lover's Walk' and 'Men Called Uncle' on the GH re-issue?
A. According to Elvis, the original titles were printed incorrectly,
the
Ryko versions are the correct ones.
Q. Why does "Black Sails in the Sunset" on the ryko re-issue of
"Trust" fade
out 11 seconds earlier than the "Out of Our Idiot" version?
A. According to ICE (International CD Exchange), the Rykodisc reissues
originated with Demon, the British label that Costello partially
owns,
and that Elvis himself oversaw the entire process, so any minor
changes merely reflect his wishes."
Q. Is my CD defective, or is there a missing beat 23 seconds into "I'm
Not Angry" on the Ryko re-issue of "My Aim is True"?
A. There is indeed a missing beat, no reply from Ryko yet as to why.
Q. What's with the extra track (31) on the Ryko re-issue of "Get
Happy!!"?
A. Jeff Rougvie, Ryko product manager says: 'The demo version of "Love
For Tender" which closes the album is intentionally cut, which is
why
it is not listed as an extended play track. As I'm sure you've
noticed, the album is now 30 tracks long (up from the original 20).
When the first song on the disc (albeit a different version) begins
again after track 30, it almost heralds the whole album starting
again. Mr. Costello thought that this would be humorous, and we
agreed.'
Books
"A Singing Dictionary" Elvis Costello. 1980 Plangent Visions Music
Inc. Music
scores and lyrics to: MAIT, TYM, AF, GH!!, TL plus "That's What
Friends Are
For"
"Everyday I Write The Song (Grumbling Appendix To The Singing
Dictionary)". Elvis Costello. 1983 Plangent Visions Music Ltd.
Music scores and lyrics to: T, IB, PTC plus some great photos
"Spike" Elvis Costello. 1989. Words and music score to the album.
"Brutal Youth" Elvis Costello. 1994. Words and music score to the
album.
"Elvis Costello: A Man Out Of Time (A Critical Companion To His Lyrics
And Music)". David Gouldstone. 1989 Sidgwick & Jackson ISBN
0283997079.
The author gives his own personal interpretations of EC's lyrics.
Covers
through B&C
"God's Comic" David Gouldstone. 199_ (Revised Version of EC: A Man Out
of
Time)
Covers through 'Spike'
"Written in My Soul" Bill Flanagan. Contains 1986 interview with EC @
King
of America, originally published in Musician magazine.
"Punk Diary: 1970-1979'. George Gimarc 1994 St. Martin's Publishing.
Follows Elvis through his days from Rusty, Flip City to the start of
his days with the Attractions and Stiff Records. It's also a good
source of info about early releases, demos and rarities.
"The Dark Stuff" Nick Kent. Features two interviews with Elvis circa
1978.
"Book of Rock Lists" by David Marsh. EC is mentioned many times in
various
lists.
"Ranters & Crowd Pleasers" by Greil Marcus ISBN number 0-385-41720-9.
(punk in pop music, 1977-92). Our El is devoted a well-deserved
nine
chapters, including the "Elvis Costello Repents" article from
Rolling
Stone, perhaps the last word on the infamous Bonnie Bramlett
incident.
"The Story of My Life" by Jay McInereny. There are several references
to EC in this novel. The main character's name is Alison - the group
sings part of Alison to her. She replies with some lines from "Party
Girl".
Also, one the women shows up with "a member of the EC band"
(wvaughan@magnus.acs.ohio-state.edu)
"Stiff: The Story Of A Record Label" by Bert Muirhead.
Details all Stiff releases 1976-1982.
"Elvis Costello: The Illustrated Disco/Biography". Geoff Parkyn. 1984
Omnibus
Press ISBN 0711905312. Covers to release of GCW
"Strip Jack" authored by Ian Rankin. Published by St. Martin's
Press, 1994. $20.95 ISBN 0312105533.
St. Martin's specializes in fiction, especially mysteries. This
one
features an Inspector Rebus of the Glasgow Police Force. Features
a
character named Aloysius Costello, a university professor.
"Elvis Costello: A Completely False Biography Based On Rumour,
Innuendo
And Lies". Krista Reese 1981 Proteus Publishing ISBN0906071623.
Covers
through Trust
"Elvis Costello: An Illustrated Biography". Mick St.Michael. 1986
Omnibus
Press ISBN 0711907722. Covers through GCW and release of Best Of.
"The Complete Costello" ed. K.L. Stuart. 1991 Clark MacKent Publishing
Co.,
Palo Alto, CA. This lyric collection that purports to be the
complete EC
guide for all the songs thru MLAR...Including compilations and
European
versions.
"The Big Wheel". Bruce Thomas. 1990 Viking 0670834432. EC penned the
song
'How To Be Dumb' in response to this book by the Attractions' bassist
about
life on the road with EC & the Attractions.
"Going Through the Motions" 1985. Author unknown. Contains set lists
from
1977-1985. Available through the Elvis Costello Information Service.
Concert Tours
(need comments on early tours)
1977: London :openr. John Cooper Clarke
1977: Live Stiffs Tour USA ops: Rockpile, Talking Heads, Tom Petty,
Eddie
Money
1979: Armed Funk Tour: USA ops: Rubinoos, UK ops: John Cooper Clarke,
Richard
Hell & the Voidoids
1980: Trust Tour: EC & A, op. Squeeze
1981: Imperial Bedroom Tour :ops. The Plimsouls, Sussman Lawrence
1982: Almost Blue, Almost 1982 Tour: op. Talk Talk
1983: Punch the Clock Tour : EC, Attractions, & TKO Horns; op. Aztec
Camera
1984: Goodbye Cruel World Tour : EC & Attractions; ops. Nick Lowe, The
Pogues
1986: Napoleon Dynamite/Spinning Songbook Tour : EC & Attractions
,also
Bangles,Tom Petty ; featured Elvis with a big wheel with song
titles,
which he got members of the crowd to spin to select the next
song.
Huey Lewis was the guest 'host' at a few shows in San Francisco.
Last
show in L.A. had Tom Waits as the MC (bigstar@io.com)
1987: King of America Tour: EC, op. Nick Lowe.
EC played 6 cities in U.S. with the KofA band.
1989: Spike Tour : Nick Lowe, Rude 5
Featured EC solo acoustic.
1991: Mighty Like a Rose Tour : Elvis Costello & the Rude 5; ops. The
Replacements, Sam Phillips, The La's
Elvis in full beard, baseball cap and sunglasses
1993: Juliet Letters Tour (4 venues only) : EC and the Brodsky Quartet
Performed entire album plus eight encores
1994: Brutal Youth Tour : EC & the Attractions; ops. Crash Test
Dummies,
Difford and Tilbrook of Squeeze, Cast
Elvis toured with the Attractions for first time since 1987
Film Appearances
Straight to Hell: Elvis has cameo as a waiter, and his song 'A Town
Called Big Nothing' is featured on the soundtrack.
Cait O'Riordan sings 'Danny Boy' with the Pogues in
the
film.
Americathon : Elvis seen briefly singing on a street corner as
'Earl
Manchester'. Sings 'Crawling to the USA' and
'Wednesday
Week' on the soundtrack.
No Surrender: Elvis plays an incompetent magician in a dilapidated
nightclub.
Absolute Beginners: EC has cameo appearance at a bar in a black
leather
jacket.
(can anyone verify this?)
The Bullshitters: EC plays part of a rock band manager.
Music Related Films
-------------------
The Juliet Letters: Full length concert video featuring EC and Brodsky
Quartet.
"Rock for Kampuchea": 1979 benefit concert video featuring various
bands at
the Hammersmith Odeon, London.
Weird Nightmare : Ray Davies of the Kinks and EC worked together on
the film Ray made on the life of Charles Mingus,
"Weird
Nightmare". It is available only on Japanese laser
disc.
It is a documentary-style film, with quite a lot of
commentary from E and some studio work!
Soundtracks
Americathon - features "Crawling to the USA", "Wednesday Week"
Club Paradise - features "Seven Day Weekend" in closing credits
The Courier - stars EC's wife, Cait O'Riordan
- features 8 instrumentals composed and arranged by EC
'The Family' (BBC series). EC contributed 4 unreleased songs to play
over the credits of 4 episodes.
Week 1: "Step inside love" (Lennon/McCartney)
Week 2: "You`ve got to hide your love away"
(Lennon/McCartney)
Week 3: "Sticks and Stones" (Titus Turner)
Week 4: "Kinder Murder" from BY.
GBH (Grievous Bodily Harm) TV Series Soundtrack (All instrumentals)
Godfather III - features 'Miracle Man' in scene in Italian villa w/
Andy
Garcia
and Sofia Coppola
Party Party - EC does the title track
Scully (British TV show) - "Turning the Town Red" is theme song.
Self Catering (made for TV movie) - features "I Can't Stand Up For
Falling
"Down" and "Pump it Up"
Straight To Hell - features 'A Town Called Big Nothing'
Until the End of the World - features Elvis cover of 'Days' by the
Kinks
TV Appearances
(Need more info on British/European TV appearances)
197? BBC - Top of the Pops
1978, "Saturday Night Live"
Watching the Detectives / Less Than Zero (start) /Radio, Radio
1978,9? - TISWAS : Elvis makes an appearance on this anarchistic
children's
TV show.
1979 BBC - Top of the Pops
Oliver's Army
Feb. 4, 1981, "Tomorrow Show with Tom Snyder
New Lace Sleeves / Watch Your Step
1981, ITV "The South Bank Show" Documentary on the making of Almost
Blue
1983, "Late Night With David Letterman" : Man Out of Time/ Kid About
It
August 1984, "The Tonight Show (Guest Host Joan Rivers)" :
I Hope You're Happy Now / Peace In Our Time
- EC changes the last verse of PIOT to 'There's already one
spaceman
in the White House, why'd you want the same one for'
July 13, 1985, "Live Aid" : All You Need is Love (EC had the lyrics
written
on the back of his hand)
1987 Roy Orbison and Friends - TV Special
198? Chet Baker and Friends - Home Video
1986 or 1987: Guest VJ on MTV
198? BBC series "Scully" - EC appears on one episode as the main
character's
train-obsessed and simpleton brother.
1989? BBC "Everything You Always Wanted to Know About Spike"
Special on making of 'Spike'
1989? Documentary : The Making of "Flowers in the Dirt"
1989? BBC Late Show : Interview + 'Let Him Dangle' and 'Baby Plays
Around'
March 3, 1989 "Late Night With David Letterman"
Pads, Paws, and Claws / Leave My Kitten Alone
March 25, 1989 "Saturday Night Live"
(Introduction by guest host Mary Tyler Moore : "Elvis Costello's penis
is
here tonight")
Veronica / Let Him Dangle
1991, "Saturday Night Live" - Host: George Wendt
The Other Side of Summer / So Like Candy
1991, "MTV Unplugged"
(Anyone have the track listing?)
1991 ABC "In Concert" Featured a concert from the MLAR tour with the
rude 5
Sept. 1993 PBS : Special on making of 'The Juliet Letters'
March 1993, "The Tonight Show With Jay Leno"
Jacksons, Monk, and Rowe / Taking My Life In Your Hands
April 1, 1994, "Late Night With David Letterman" : 13 Steps Lead Down
May 12, 1994, "Late Night With David Letterman" : Kinder Murder
June 1994 "MTV Unplugged w/ Tony Bennett"
Duet with Tony Bennett - They Can't Take That Away From Me
June 12, 1994 Host of MTV's "120 Minutes"
Elvis plays some rocking videos from some lesser known groups, also
'Oliver's Army' and 'Sulky Girl'
·
July 21, 1994 HBO "Larry Sanders Show"
Performs '13 Steps Lead Down', Elvis acts in several skits.
July 1994 MuchMusic 'Egos and Icons'
Interview with Elvis about BY, along with clips of some old videos
Oct 29, 1994 BBC1 "The Danny Baker Show"
Interview where EC admits his worst song to date was 'Party Party'
Nov 18, 1994 BBC2 "The O-zone"
"13 Steps Lead Down"
Nov 26, 1994 BBC1 "The Danny Baker Show"
'Shipbuilding' / 'London's Brilliant Parade'
Obscure Elvis References in TV, Movies, etc.
Beastie Boys - latest album features a song with the lyric 'I got more
attractions than Elvis Costello'
Beavis and Butthead - Title of one episode is "Radio Sweethearts"
Beverly Hills 90210 - 'The Other Side of Summer' is featured as
background
music during one episode
Dead at 21 - 'Accidents Will Happen' features as background music as
two
people are changing a baby
"E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial" -- older son sings "Accidents Will
Happen" for
a few seconds while opening the fridge
door
(EC still gets royalties for this
apparently)
Fast Times at Ridgemont High - Jeff Damone has a huge 'Trust' poster
on his bedroom wall
Jocks - One of the characters asks if he can play some EC in the car.
Just One of the Guys - Two women in the movie mention that the lead
actress 'dresses like Elvis Costello'
Less Than Zero - EC's 'Trust' poster appears prominently in this
movie.
Melrose Place - Alison Parker's ex-boyfriend sings horrendous version
of
'Alison' in one episode.
Mystery Date - main character (Nathan Hawke) has a MAIT poster in his
room.
MST3K - Crow & Gypsy the wise-cracking robots frequently make Elvis
references
(some of them rather obscure - apparently Jim Mallon (voice of
Gypsy)
is a big Elvis fan)
The Newz - Featured a comedy skit entitled "The Abbott and Costello
Show",
in which the actors impersonating Bud Abbott and *Elvis*
Costello.
The Rockford Files - EC mentioned in one episode as an example of
modern
culture.
Satisfaction - Justine Bateman does a version of 'Mystery Dance' on
the
soundtrack.
Saturday Night Live 1994 - Michael McKean (Spinal Tap) does Elvis
Costello impersonation in one skit .
SCTV - 'Elvis and Costello' skit features players impersonating Elvis
Presley
and Lou Costello.
Short Cuts -- Nightclub singer sings "Punishing Kiss"
Singles - a guy meets an old friend who used to be a DJ and talks
about
how he used to mix 'Peace, Love..' by EC and a Public Enemy
song
on the radio.
Square Pegs - dialogue on one episode mentions EC: 'I mean look at
Elvis
Costello (reply): Do I have to?'
(pearsonp@elwha.evergreen.com)
Steven Banks Show - 'Spike' poster on wall of main character's
apartment.
- woman on show goes to a concert where EC jams with
Dylan, Van Morrison, Harrison and others.
Taxi - In one episode Latka Gravas (Andy Kaufman), is listening to a
record
player on headphones while he's fixing a cab. Louie DePalma
(Danny
DeVito) goes to the record player and drags the needle. Causing
Latka
to
shout "Hey! You just wasted Elvis Costello!"
Whose Line is it Anyway - comedian Greg Proops sang out the credits in
an
Elvis Costello style one episode. Also does
a
Elvis-esque version of Rudolf the Red Nosed
Reindeer
WKRP - A 'Trust' poster can be seen on the wall of the radio studio
in some
episodes
Contributors:
(mlechner@ozarks.sgcl.lib.mo.us),(haas%sjsuvmi.bitnet@mitva.mit.edu)
(selway.j@mail.ei.com),(Choochmon@aol.com),(dorian@apanix.apana.org.au
)
(pearsonp@elwha.evergreen.edu), (smallman@cyberspace.com)
Elvis' Desert Island Choices
(from Eddie Thornley)
On Desert Island Discs you get 8 records, a book
(as well Bible & Shakespeare) plus a luxury item. Then at
the end the castaway can only have one record.
I believe he chose his dad's track At Last as the one to keep.
RECORDS
1 Beethoven's String Quartet Opus 135 performed by the Brodsky
Quartet
2 Frank Sinatra - I've got you under my skin
3 Ross MacManus - At Last (but at least I've *got* this one)
4 Mozart - Marriage of Figaro Act 1, Aria
5 Beatles - You've really got a hold on me
6 Schubert - Bb piano sonata - Brendel
7 Purcell - Dido & Aeneas, Dido's lament - von Otte
8 Duke Ellington Orchestra - Bloodcount (Billy Strayhorn)
featuring Johnny Hodges (Alto Sax)
BOOK A James Thurber Selection
containing:
Let your mind alone
The greatest man in the world
LUXURY An upright piano
decorated with an embossed Boticelli
Elvis' 10 Favourite Things
>From (July 1994 Washington Post article):
1. Ace Ventura Pet Detective "A guilty pleasure...I just laughed
myself sick"
2. The Age of Innocence "It's as close to The Magnificent Ambersons as
you're
going to get these days"
3. The Art Institute of Chicago
4. Goya's A Man Picking Fleas From His little Dog
5. Bikini Kill by Bikini Kill "Their record label is called Kill Rock
Stars.
We're probably on their list"
6. Martinis and Bikinis by Sam Phillips "I fear it might be like Aimee
Mann's
record. It might be almost *too* good to get airplay"
7. The memoirs of Hector Berlioz
8. All These Things by the Uniques
9. Duke Ellington's Anatomy of a Murder sountrack
10. Mezzo soprano Anne Sophie von Otter
>From an interview with EC on BBC's 'Pop on the line' show, Nov 26,
1994:
(DYDT6012@iruccvax.ucc.ie)
Favorite EC single - changes all the time, but Watching the
Detectives is
a favourite as it was his first hit.
Favourite early EC album - TYM and Thrust.
Favourite classical composer - Schubert.
When asked if the Beatles influenced him, Elvis said that Please
Please Me and With The Beatles were the first single and album he
bought and that he was a member of the Beatles fan club when he was
11. When Elvis first began playing guitar at 13 he played Beatles
songs.
Origins of EC Album Titles
My Aim is True - lyric from "Alison"
This Year's Model - variation on lyric from "(I.D.W.T.G.T.)
Chelsea", also
variation on song title 'This Year's Girl'
Armed Forces - probably from 'Oliver's Army', but also general
military
theme. (Original title for album was 'Emotional
Fascism')
Get Happy! - Elvis' response to poor reviews of 'Armed
Forces'
(martin@gate2.cc.unp.ac.za)
Trust - perhaps from Squeeze song of the same name (b-
side of
both 'Is That Love?', and 'Tempted' which were
produced
by EC.) (Robmy@aol.com)
Taking Liberties - line from 'Crawling to the USA'
Almost Blue - ? (later became a song title on "Imperial
Bedroom")
Imperial Bedroom - ? Original title was 'PS I Love You' (EC wrote
title
song
after album was released)
Punch the Clock - lyric from "The Greatest Thing"
Goodbye Cruel World - Around this time EC got sick of pop star life,
things
became strained with the Attractions, his first
marriage
broke up, hence the title. (From Musician
magazine,
[JerrydB@aol.com])
King of America - first line of "Brilliant Mistake"
Blood & Chocolate - first line of "Uncomplicated"
Ten Bloody Mary's and Ten How's Your Fathers - ? (Ten songs on each
side)
Out of our Idiot - ?
Girls+ /Girls=$+Girls - ?
Spike - Reference to blues musician Spike Jones
Mighty Like A Rose - quote in booklet, also line from 'The Other Side
of
Summer': ('The mightiest rose / the absence of
perfume')
The Juliet Letters - songs are written in the form of letters to
Juliet of
Shakespearean fame
Brutal Youth - beginning of 2nd verse of "Favourite Hour"
Originally contributed by (boojum1660@aol.com)
Acknowledgements
Thanks to all the people on the EC mailing list, without whom
this FAQ would have been impossible to write. Special thanks
go to Amy Coppola, Gordon Dymowski, Melinda Hale, Paul Hosken, and
Aaron Yarlas for helping to edit early versions of this document.
