Saturday Boxing - Elvis Costello
In the 18 months spanning July 1977 to January 1979, Elvis Costello and the Attractions released three of what are arguably the greatest “new wave” records of the era. My Aim Is True, This Year's Model, and Armed Forces are still considered among the best of Costello’s long career. At least around my place. In 1993, Rykodisc took on the process of remastering and re-releasing Elvis’ first three albums, in a set called 2 1/2 Years. Alongside the original recordings are several bonus tracks, and the first-ever official release of Live at the El Mocambo. For any fan of Elvis or of this era, these disks are must-haves.
The liner notes are somewhat skimpy, but they were written by Elvis himself, which is pretty cool. I’ve grouped the songs in the order they came on the disks; i.e. tracks from My Aim Is True come first, and so on.
Radio Sweetheart.mp3
“Radio Sweetheart,” my first “professional recording,” was originally picked to be my Stiff Records debut single. Having been pushed onto the B-side by “Less Than Zero,” it was also left off the album due to a difference in sound: it was the only track cut at the sessions to prominently feature an acoustic guitar!
Mystery Dance (alternate).mp3Another “pre-professional recording” made in my bedroom and later broadcast for the first time by Charlie Gillett on his BBC Radio London programme “Honky Tonk.” We discussed recording it for Charlie’s Oval Records label, but before this could happen jake Rivera heard the song on a tape which I hand-delivered to Stiff Records on the day they opened for business with the release of Nick Lowe’s “So It Goes.” Although it was the first (and only) demo Stiff had received, I became the second signing to the new label.
Poison Moon.mp3
“Pre-professional recordings” from the same bedrooms session as “Mystery Dance,” most of which were broadcast by Charlie Gillett. Despite the presence of familiar titles and lyrics which re-appear in later compositions, this group of songs are in a radically different style than those on My Aim Is True. With hindsight, I must confess that I am uneasy with my blatant imitation of certain American singers and songwriters.
Crawling to the USA.mp3Having been featured in early club shows, this version was actually recorded at Waterloo Studios, Sydney, during Elvis and the Attractions’ first, literally, riotous Australian tour. Elvis was later seen performing it in the “smash hit” film Americathon, in which he made his motion picture debut as Earl Manchester.
Greenshirt.mp3
(This) song...which later appeared on Armed Forces, must have been recorded some time after This Year’s Model. (It) is rare in the sense that most songs from this time were written in hotel rooms, rehearsed on tour buses or at sound checks, and then recorded. However this is the exception; “Greenshirt” contains a verse I later dropped.
Tiny Steps.mp3
If this sounds as if it belongs on This Year’s Model then it was probably for the benefit of the documentary film crew who were climbing up the walls and crawling across the floor in an attempt to capture us in an act of recording our “new sound.” For reasons I cannot explain we elected to sound as much like our last record as possible. Not without justification they made their escape and the film was never completed.
“Tiny Steps” first appeared as a B-side of “Radio-Radio.”
Clean Money.mp3Originally intended as the opening track of (Armed Forces) and featuring Dave Edmunds (and a rare appearance by the Attractions) on backing vocals. It was later scrapped and only issued as the B-side of “Clubland” in late 1980.
Watching the Detectives (live).mp3
From the Live at Hollywood High EP that was issued with the initial Radar release (of Armed Forces).
Less Than Zero.mp3Pump it Up.mp3
These final two tracks are from Live at El Mocambo. The March 6, 1978, show was broadcast live from the El Mocambo in Toronto, Canada, on CHUM-FM. It was later released exclusively by Canadian Columbia as a promotional-only album.
posted by aikin @ 1:09 PM
5 Comments:
Thanks for the alternate takes stuff. As far as his early albums go, Im with you on the first two, but I really didn't like Formed Arses. I thought the picture on the free EP said it all, "Elvis Costello Sold Out."
However, he completelly redeemed himself (IMHO) when his next album Get Happy! was released. BTW ever see the import version of that LP? The cover is painted to look like the cover's been worn, so it appears like it's an old album that's been slid in and out of your record stacks for decades.
My local record store Peaches thought the import version was damaged, so they sold them for $3.99. Guess that's why they went out of business!
I love when record stores don't know what they've got. My friend Andrew worked at (lookout) Licorice Pizza at the time the first Pere Ubu album was released, and he told me it got numerous returns from customers who thought the album was damaged, but that was actually how the album was recorded.
I was at the Hollywood High show, bought a ticket for $5 from a scalper, loved those versions - he opened with Accidents Will Happen, I don't think it was out yet - and my fave EC albums are Get Happy and Trust, which is to say, I found Armed Forces a disappointment but that's just relative - a lotta people woulda killed to have made that album. From what I've heard, Elvis hated it because it was made during a bad time for him personally; my main problem with it is it isn't as compelling as the albums before or after. Although of course it contained a bunch of good songs.
I think I'm pubrock rambling now, will return to my ale, cheers.
I love when record stores don't know what they've got. My friend Andrew worked at (lookout) Licorice Pizza at the time the first Pere Ubu album was released, and he told me it got numerous returns from customers who thought the album was damaged, but that was actually how the album was recorded.
I was at the Hollywood High show, bought a ticket for $5 from a scalper, loved those versions - he opened with Accidents Will Happen, I don't think it was out yet - and my fave EC albums are Get Happy and Trust, which is to say, I found Armed Forces a disappointment but that's just relative - a lotta people woulda killed to have made that album. From what I've heard, Elvis hated it because it was made during a bad time for him personally; my main problem with it is it isn't as compelling as the albums before or after. Although of course it contained a bunch of good songs.
I think I'm pubrock rambling now, will return to my ale, cheers.
robp - if you happen to see this, thanks for the note on this OLD post!! This is great stuff and I really should reup it. Armed Forces remains one of my all-time favorite disks.
Glad to have stumbled across it. Didn't even check if the songs were still up as I have em already. I'm curious about Tiny Steps first appearing as a b-side of Radio Radio, because I have it as part of a 3 song 45 with I Don't Want To Go To Chelsea and Night Rally. And if I remember correctly, Chelsea was the last track on the UK version of This Year's Model, replaced on the US release by Radio Radio. Good as that album was, it was kind of short, could've used all those songs.
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