Elvis Costello
Elvis Costello performing in June 2005
Background information
Birth name	Declan Patrick McManus
Born	August 25, 1954 (1954-08-25) (age 53) London, England
Genre(s)	Rock Pop Pub rock Punk rock New Wave
Occupation(s)	Singer-songwriter
Instrument(s)	Vocals Guitar
Years active	1977 - Present
Label(s)	Stiff, Radar, F-Beat, Demon, Columbia, Warner Bros., Deutsche Grammophon, Lost Highway
Associated acts	The Attractions, The Imposters, Burt Bacharach, Allen Toussaint, George Jones, Emmylou Harris, Anne Sofie von Otter, Diana Krall, The Brodsky Quartet, Michael Tilson Thomas, Paul McCartney
Website	Elvis Costello.com
Notable instrument(s)
guitar, baritone guitar, bass, piano, keyboard

Elvis Costello (born Declan Patrick McManus August 25, 1954) is an English musician, singer, and songwriter. Image File history File linksMetadata No higher resolution available. ... is the 237th day of the year (238th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1954 (MCMLIV) was a common year (link will display full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_England. ... This article is about the capital of England and the United Kingdom. ... For other uses, see England (disambiguation). ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... For other uses, see Rock music (disambiguation). ... For popular forms of music in general, see Popular music. ... Pub rock was a mid- to late-1970s musical movement, largely centred around North London and South East Essex, particularly Canvey Island and Southend on Sea. ... Punk rock is an anti-establishment music movement beginning around 1976 (although precursors can be found several years earlier), exemplified and popularised by The Ramones, the Sex Pistols, The Clash and The Damned. ... The New Wave was a movement in American, Australian and British popular music, in the late 1970s and early 1980s, growing out of the New York City musical scene centered around the club CBGB. The term itself is a source of much confusion. ... The term singer-songwriter refers to performers who both write and sing their own material. ... A musical instrument is a device constructed or modified with the purpose of making music. ... Harry Belafonte singing, photograph by C. van Vechten Singing is the act of producing musical sounds with the voice, which is often contrasted with speech. ... For other uses, see Guitar (disambiguation). ... This does not adequately cite its references or sources. ... Stiff Records is a record label created in London in 1976 by entrepreneurs Dave Robinson and Andrew Jakeman (aka Jake Riviera), and active until 1985. ... Radar Records was the label formed by Jake Rivera in 1978 after he had previously founded Stiff Records. ... F-Beat records was one of the early record labels setup by Jake Rivera before he started Demon Records. ... After Jake Rivera previously started Stiff Records, Radar Records and F-Beat Records, he founded Demon Records with Andrew Lauder and Elvis Costello in 1980. ... Warner Bros. ... Logo Deutsche Grammophon is a German record label. ... Lost Highway Records was a Nashville based subsidiary of Universal Music until it was merged into Island Def Jam Records. ... Declan Patrick Aloysius McManus (born August 25, 1954), better known by his stage name, Elvis Costello, is a popular British musician, singer, and songwriter of Irish descent. ... Declan Patrick MacManus (born August 25, 1954, in London), better known by his stage name, Elvis Costello, is an English musician, singer, and songwriter of Irish ancestry. ... This biographical article needs additional references for verification. ... Paul Shaffer (L) and Allen Toussaint on the September 7, 2005 show of The Late Show with David Letterman Allen Toussaint (born January 14, 1938) is an American musician, songwriter and record producer and one of the most influential figures in New Orleans R&B. In the 1960s and 1970s... For other persons named George Jones, see George Jones (disambiguation). ... Emmylou Harris (b. ... The Swedish mezzo-soprano Anne Sofie von Otter (born 9 May 1955) is a well-known opera singer and concert recitalist. ... Diana Jean Krall, OC, OBC (born November 16, 1964) is a Grammy award-winning Canadian jazz pianist and singer. ... The Brodsky Quartet is an internationally acclaimed British string quartet, in existence since 1972, though only Paul Cassidy is an original member. ... Michael Tilson Thomas (born December 21, 1944), nicknamed MTT, is an American conductor, pianist and composer. ... Sir James Paul McCartney, MBE (born 18 June 1942) is an English singer, songwriter and multi-instrumentalist who first gained worldwide fame as one of the founding members of The Beatles. ... For other uses, see Guitar (disambiguation). ... Mustapick Deep Baritone Guitar Baritone guitar It was actually the Danelectro Company that first introduced the Baritone Guitar to the music world in the late 1950’s. ... The electric bass guitar (or electric bass) is a bass string instrument played with the fingers by plucking, slapping,popping or using a pick. ... A short grand piano, with the top up. ... Look up keyboard in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... is the 237th day of the year (238th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1954 (MCMLIV) was a common year (link will display full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... For other uses, see England (disambiguation). ... A songwriter is someone who writes the lyrics to songs, the musical composition or melody to songs, or both. ...

His full given name is often listed as Declan Patrick Aloysius McManus; however, Aloysius was not one of his names at birth, being added years later, around the time of the release of King of America (typically, it was a tongue-in-cheek gesture, Aloysius being one of the middle names of the character played by doomed English comic Tony Hancock in Hancock's Half Hour). At that time he also toyed with the idea of dropping his stage name Elvis Costello, in favour of performing under his real name Declan McManus. Biography published in 1978 (1983 paperback reprint shown) Anthony John Hancock (12 May 1924 – 24 June 1968) was a major figure in British television and radio comedy in the 1950s and 1960s, known as Tony Hancock. ... Hancocks Half Hour was a famous BBC radio comedy series of the 1950s starring Tony Hancock. ...

Costello was an early participant in London's pub rock scene in the mid-1970s, and later became associated with the punk rock and New Wave musical genres, before establishing himself as a unique and original voice in the 1980s. His output has been wildly diverse: One critic wrote that "Costello, the pop encyclopedia, can reinvent the past in his own image".^[1] Pub rock was a mid- to late-1970s musical movement, largely centred around North London and South East Essex, particularly Canvey Island and Southend on Sea. ... Punk rock is an anti-establishment music movement beginning around 1976 (although precursors can be found several years earlier), exemplified and popularised by The Ramones, the Sex Pistols, The Clash and The Damned. ... The New Wave was a movement in American, Australian and British popular music, in the late 1970s and early 1980s, growing out of the New York City musical scene centered around the club CBGB. The term itself is a source of much confusion. ... Popular music is music belonging to any of a number of musical styles that are accessible to the general public and are disseminated by one or more of the mass media. ...

Early life

Declan McManus was born in St Mary's Hospital, Paddington in London, and lived in Twickenham, attending what is now St Mark's Catholic Secondary School in neighbouring Hounslow.^[2] With a musically inclined father (his father, Ross McManus, sang with The Joe Loss Orchestra), McManus's first television appearance was alongside his dad in a television commercial for R. White's lemonade ("I'm a Secret Lemonade Drinker"). St Marys Hospital QEQM building (above) and old section (below) (Photographs by username Hegster) Although there must be many hospitals named St Marys Hospital, the most famous is probably located in Paddington, West London, England. ... A street in Paddington including a pub, a restaurant targeted at tourists and Paddington Station in the background. ... This article is about the capital of England and the United Kingdom. ... Twickenham is a suburb in the London Borough of Richmond upon Thames, south west London. ... , Hounslow is the principal town of the London Borough of Hounslow in West London. ... Joshua Alexander Loss or Joe Loss, musician, born 22 June 1909 in Bishopsgate, London. ...

McManus moved with his mother to Birkenhead in 1971. It was there that he formed his first band, a folk duo called Rusty. After completing secondary school Saint Francis Xavier in Liverpool, he moved back to London where he next formed a band called Flip City,^[3] which had a style very much in the pub rock vein. They were active from 1974 through early 1976. Around this time, McManus adopted the stage name D.P. Costello. Map sources for Birkenhead at grid reference SJ3088 Birkenhead is a town on The Wirral Peninsula, Merseyside, on the left bank of the River Mersey, opposite Liverpool. ...

To support himself, he worked a number of office jobs, most famously at the Elizabeth Arden cosmetics firm - immortalised in the lyrics of "I'm Not Angry" as the "vanity factory" - where he worked as a data entry clerk. He worked for a short period as a computer operator at the Midland Bank computer centre in Bootle Merseyside. He continued to write songs, and began actively looking for a solo recording contract. On the basis of a demo tape, he was signed to noted independent label Stiff Records. His manager at Stiff, Jake Riviera, suggested a name change, using Elvis Presley's first name and his mother's maiden name to form Elvis Costello. Stiff Records is a record label created in London in 1976 by entrepreneurs Dave Robinson and Andrew Jakeman (aka Jake Riviera), and active until 1985. ... Jake Riviera (born Andrew Jakeman) founded Stiff Records in 1976, a label best known for its punk and new wave acts, including Elvis Costello, Madness, Ian Dury, and the Damned. ... Elvis Aron Presley (January 8, 1935 – August 16, 1977), often known simply as Elvis and also called The King of Rock n Roll or simply The King, was an American singer, musician and actor. ...

Career

1970s

Elvis Costello, striking a classic pose.

The first Costello single for Stiff was "Less Than Zero" b/w "Radio Sweetheart (single mix)," released on March 25, 1977. Two months later, Costello's first album, My Aim Is True (1977), was a moderate commercial success (No. 14 in the UK and Top 40 in the US) with Costello appearing on the cover in his trademark oversize glasses, bearing a striking resemblance to a menacing Buddy Holly. A highlight of the album was the country-influenced ballad "Alison" with a typically biting Costello lyric. Costello's backing on this first album was provided by American West Coast band Clover, a roots/country outfit living in England. Clover did not exactly become Huey Lewis and The News (Huey Lewis did play with Clover shortly before the recording of My Aim Is True, but he and Sean Hopper, who does play on My Aim Is True, struck out on their own and recruited a new band, mostly from a competing band, Soundhole). Costello was originally marketed as a punk artist. Later on, as the term new wave was applied to the first post-punk bands, Costello was classified as new wave for a time. Image File history File links Elvis Costello File history Legend: (cur) = this is the current file, (del) = delete this old version, (rev) = revert to this old version. ... Image File history File links Elvis Costello File history Legend: (cur) = this is the current file, (del) = delete this old version, (rev) = revert to this old version. ... is the 84th day of the year (85th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Also: 1977 (album) by Ash. ... My Aim Is True is the debut album by Elvis Costello. ... Charles Hardin Holley (September 7, 1936 – February 3, 1959),[1] better known as Buddy Holly, was an American singer, songwriter, and a pioneer of rock and roll. ... ... Punk rock is an anti-establishment music movement beginning around 1976 (although precursors can be found several years earlier), exemplified and popularised by The Ramones, the Sex Pistols, The Clash and The Damned. ... The New Wave was a movement in American, Australian and British popular music, in the late 1970s and early 1980s, growing out of the New York City musical scene centered around the club CBGB. The term itself is a source of much confusion. ...

The same year, Costello recruited via auditions his own permanent band, The Attractions, consisting of Steve Nieve (born Steve Nason; piano), Bruce Thomas (bass guitar), and Pete Thomas (unrelated to Bruce Thomas; drums). He released his first major hit single, "Watching The Detectives," which was recorded with Nieve and the pair of Steve Goulding (drums) and Andrew Bodnar (bass), both members of Graham Parker & The Rumour (whom he had used to audition for The Attractions). Declan Patrick Aloysius McManus (born August 25, 1954), better known by his stage name, Elvis Costello, is a popular British musician, singer, and songwriter of Irish descent. ... Keyboardist Steve Nieve (born Steven Nason in London, England, on February 19, 1958) is best known for his work with Elvis Costello. ... Bruce Thomas (born August 14, 1948 in Stockton-on-Tees, England) is best known as bassist for The Attractions; the band formed in 1977 to back Elvis Costello on stage and record. ... Pete Thomas (born August 9, 1954 in Hillsborough, Sheffield, England) is best known as the longtime drummer for Elvis Costello. ... Graham Parker playing at Brits Pub in Minneapolis, Minnesota . ...

Stiff's records were initially distributed only in the UK, which meant that Costello's first album and singles were initially available in the US as imports only. In an attempt to change this, Costello was arrested for busking outside of a London convention of CBS (Columbia Records) executives, "protesting" that no US record company had yet seen fit to release Elvis Costello records in the United States. Costello signed to CBS in the US a few months later. Busking is the practice of doing live performances in public places to entertain people, usually to solicit donations and tips. ...

In December 1977, Costello and The Attractions appeared on Saturday Night Live as a last minute fill-in for the Sex Pistols, but Costello ended up causing some controversy himself. Following a whirlwind tour with other Stiff artists (captured on the Live Stiffs album, notable for Costello's recording of the Burt Bacharach/Hal David standard "I Just Don't Know What To Do With Myself") the band recorded the frenetic, raucous This Year's Model (1978). Some of the more popular tracks include the British hit "(I Don't Want To Go To) Chelsea" and the subversively anthemic "Pump It Up". His U.S. record company saw Costello as such a priority that his last name replaced the word "Columbia" on the label of the disc's original pressing. This article is about the American television series. ... Radio Radio was an A-side 7 45 rpm single by Elvis Costello and The Attractions in the UK in October 1978. ... This biographical article needs additional references for verification. ... Hal David (born May 25, 1921 in New York City, New York) is an American lyricist and songwriterFicticiousbyMichaelAlfredMontalbano. ... This Years Model (1978) was Elvis Costellos second album, and his first with The Attractions. ...

A tour of the US and Canada also saw the release of the much bootlegged promo-only "Live at the El Mocambo," which finally saw an official release as part of the "2½ Years" box set in 1993. It was during the ensuing United States tour that Elvis met and developed a relationship with former Playboy model, Bebe Buell (mother of Liv Tyler). Their on-again-off-again courtship would last until 1984 and would allegedly become a deep well of inspiration for some of Costello's most lovelorn songs. Bebe Buell traveled in celebrity circles most of her life. ... Liv Tyler (born Liv Rundgren, on July 1, 1977 at Mount Sinai Hospital in New York City, New York[1]) is an American actress best known for her roles of Grace Stamper in Armageddon and Arwen in The Lord of the Rings trilogy. ...

1979 would arguably see the peak of Costello's commercial success with the release of Armed Forces (originally to have been titled Emotional Fascism, a phrase that appeared on the LP's inner sleeve). Both the album and the single Oliver's Army went to #2 in the UK. Costello also found time in 1979 to produce the debut album for 2 Tone ska revival band, The Specials. This article does not cite any references or sources. ... Olivers Army is a song written by Elvis Costello, originally performed by Elvis Costello and the Attractions and appearing on the album Armed Forces in 1979. ... This page meets Wikipedias criteria for speedy deletion. ... Ska (pron. ... This article does not cite its references or sources. ...

1980s

The soul-infused Get Happy!! would be the first, and - along with King of America - possibly most successful, of Costello's many experiments with genres beyond those he is normally associated with. The single, "I Can't Stand Up For Falling Down" was an old Sam and Dave song (though Costello increased the tempo considerably). The brevity of the songs (20 tracks in under 50 minutes) suited the band's new style (the Thomas' typically melodic rhythm section and Nieve's reasonable impersonation of Booker T. Jones) as well as the frantic and stressful conditions under which it was written and recorded, crammed between live dates and fuelled by excessive drinking. Lyrically, the songs are full of Costello's signature wordplay, to the point that he later felt he'd become something of a self-parody and toned it down on later releases. He has mockingly described himself in interviews as "rock and roll's Scrabble champion." The only 1980 appearance in North America was at the Heatwave festival in August near Toronto. The fourth album by Elvis Costello, his third with the Attractions, Get Happy!! is notable for being a dramatic break in tone from Costellos previous trilogy of commercially successful albums, and for being heavily influenced by R&B and soul music. ... King of America is the tenth album by the British rock singer Elvis Costello, billed as the Costello Show featuring the Attractions and Confederates. ... I Cant Stand Up For Falling Down is a single by British musician Elvis Costello and was taken from his 1980 album Get Happy!. It was the only single taken from the album and peaked at #4 in the UK. The song was a cover of a Sam & Dave... Sam & Dave were an American soul duo, known as one of the best and earliest soul groups. ... The first two measures of Mozarts Sonata XI, which indicates the tempo as Andante grazioso and a modern editors metronome marking: = 120. “Andante” redirects here. ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... Word play is a literary technique in which the nature of the words used themselves become part of the subject of the work. ... Heatwave promotional poster Heatwave was a rock festival August 23, 1980, outside of Toronto, Canada at Mosport Park, Bowmanville, Ontario. ...

1981's Trust had a more pop sound, but the overall result was clearly affected by the growing tensions within the band, particularly between Bruce and Pete Thomas. Despite its eclecticism ("Different Finger" had a distinct country feel) and pop hooks, Trust was not a major success and the first album since his debut to generate no hit singles. Following the commercial disappointment of Trust, Costello took a break from songwriting and the band decamped to Nashville to record Almost Blue, an album of country music cover songs written by the likes of Hank Williams ("Why Don't You Love Me (Like You Used To Do?)"), Merle Haggard ("Tonight The Bottle Let Me Down") and Gram Parsons ("How Much I Lied"). It was not a country-rock album (a la The Byrds or Eagles), which might have been more palatable to his established audience and to reviewers, but rather an undiluted country album. It received mixed reviews, some of which accused Costello of growing soft. Perhaps in anticipation of the inevitable accusations of apostasy, the first pressings of the record in the UK bore a sticker with the message: "WARNING: This album contains country & western music and may cause offence to narrow minded listeners". Almost Blue did spawn a surprise UK hit single in a version of George Jones's "Good Year For The Roses" (written by Jerry Chesnut). Album released in 1981 by Elvis Costello Personnel Elvis Costello: Vocals, guitars, all instruments on Big Sisters Clothes Steve Nieve: Piano, organ Bruce Thomas: Bass Pete Thomas: Drums Glenn Tilbrook: Vocal on From a Whisper to a Scream Martin Belmont: Guitar on From a Whisper to a Scream Produced... For popular forms of music in general, see Popular music. ... This article includes a list of works cited but its sources remain unclear because it lacks in-text citations. ... For other cities named Nashville, see Nashville (disambiguation). ... Almost Blue (1981) is an album by Elvis Costello. ... This article includes a list of works cited but its sources remain unclear because it lacks in-text citations. ... In pop music a cover version is a new rendition of a previously recorded song. ... This article is about Hank Williams, Sr. ... Merle Ronald Haggard (born April 6, 1937) is an American country music singer, guitarist and songwriter. ... Gram Parsons (November 5, 1946 – September 19, 1973) was an American singer, songwriter, guitarist and pianist. ... The Byrds (formed in Los Angeles, California, in 1964) were an American rock band. ... “The Eagles” redirects here. ... For other persons named George Jones, see George Jones (disambiguation). ... Jerry Donald Chesnut (born May 7, 1931) is an American country music songwriter. ...

Imperial Bedroom (1982) marked a much darker, almost baroque sound for Costello, due in large part to the production of Geoff Emerick, famed for engineering several Beatles records. Featuring a superior set of songs - both musically and lyrically - it remains one of his most critically acclaimed records but again failed to produce any hit singles. Costello has said he disliked the marketing pitch for the album, weak ads consisting only of the phrase "Masterpiece?". Imperial Bedroom also featured Costello's song "Almost Blue"; jazz singer and trumpeter Chet Baker would later perform and record a beautifully morose version of this song. Imperial Bedroom is a 1982 album by Elvis Costello. ... Adoration, by Peter Paul Rubens. ... Engineer Geoff Emerick. ... The White Album, see The Beatles (album). ... The Chet Baker Monument in Amsterdam Chesney Henry Chet Baker Jr. ...

1983 saw another sidetrack with the pop-soul of Punch the Clock, featuring female backing vocals (Afrodiziak) and a four piece horn section (The TKO Horns), alongside The Attractions. Clive Langer (who co-produced with Alan Winstanley), provided Costello with a melody which eventually became "Shipbuilding", an oblique and articulate look at the political contradictions of the Falklands War: The controversial military build-up provided jobs for Britain's struggling shipyards. The song featured a striking solo by Chet Baker. (Prior to the release of Costello's own version, an affecting, emotive version of the song was a minor UK hit for former Soft Machine drummer and political activist Robert Wyatt). Equally political was "Pills And Soap" — a UK hit for Costello himself under the pseudonym of "The Imposter" — an attack on the changes in British society brought on by Thatcherism, released to coincide with the run-up to the 1983 UK general election. (The electorate was seemingly unswayed.) Punch the Clock also generated an international hit in the single "Everyday I Write the Book", aided by a prophetic music video featuring lookalikes of the Prince and Princess of Wales undergoing domestic strife in a suburban home. The song became Costello's first top forty hit single in the US. Also in the same year, Elvis provided vocals on a version of the Madness song "Tomorrow's Just Another Day" released as a B-side on the single of the same name and has become a rarity. Album issued in 1983 by Elvis Costello. ... Afrodiziak were the British singers Caron Wheeler and Claudia Fontaine. ... In a symphony orchestra the horn section is the group of musicians who play the horn (sometimes referred to as the French horn). ... The TKO Horns were horn section formed in 1982 when Big Jim Paterson (trombone), Paul Speare (tenor sax) and Brian Maurice (alto sax) left Dexys Midnight Runners. ... Shipbuilding is a song written by singer/songwriter Elvis Costello and producer Clive Langer. ... Combatants Argentina United Kingdom Commanders President Leopoldo Galtieri Vice-Admiral Juan Lombardo Brigadier-General Ernesto Crespo Brigade-General Mario Menéndez Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher Admiral Sir John Fieldhouse Rear-Admiral John “Sandy” Woodward Major-General Jeremy Moore Casualties 649 killed 1,068 wounded 11,313 taken prisoner 75 fixed... The Chet Baker Monument in Amsterdam Chesney Henry Chet Baker Jr. ... For the book by William S. Burroughs, see The Soft Machine. ... Robert Wyatt (born Robert Wyatt-Ellidge, 28 January 1945, in Bristol) is an English musician, and a former member of the influential Canterbury scene band Soft Machine. ... Margaret Hilda Thatcher, Baroness Thatcher, LG, OM, PC (née Roberts; born 13 October 1925) served as British Prime Minister from 1979 to 1990 and leader of the Conservative Party from 1975 until 1990, being the first (and, to date, only) woman to hold either post. ... The UK general election, 1983 was held on June 9, 1983 and gave the Conservatives and Margaret Thatcher the most decisive election victory since that of Labour in 1945. ... The Prince Charles, Prince of Wales (Charles Philip Arthur George[2]; born 14 November 1948), is the eldest son of Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh. ... “Diana Spencer” redirects here. ... Madness are an English pop/ska band from Camden Town, London that formed in 1976. ...

Tensions within the band were beginning to tell, and Costello announced his retirement and the disbandment of the group shortly before they were to record Goodbye Cruel World (1984). Costello would later say of this record that they had "got it as wrong as you can in terms of the execution". With a number of poor songs (and even the better songs harmed by murky production), the record was poorly received upon its initial release, and even many ardent Costello fans see Goodbye as his weakest album (the liner notes to the 1995 Rykodisc re-release, penned by Costello, begin with 'Congratulations!, you've just purchased our worst album'). Despite the record's poor reputation, a few songs were well-regarded, such as "The Comedians" (later recorded, with rewritten lyrics, by Roy Orbison). On the album's second single, "The Only Flame in Town", Daryl Hall of Hall & Oates shared lead vocals. Costello's retirement, although short-lived, was accompanied by two compilations, Elvis Costello: The Man in the UK, Europe and Australia and The Very Best of Elvis Costello & the Attractions in the US. Goodbye Cruel World, released in 1984, was Elvis Costellos ninth album overall and eighth with The Attractions. ... Roy Kelton Orbison (April 23, 1936 – December 6, 1988), nicknamed The Big O, was an influential American singer-songwriter, guitarist and a pioneer of rock and roll whose recording career spanned more than four decades. ... Daryl Hall (born Daryl Franklin Hohl on October 11, 1946, Pottstown, Pennsylvania) is an American singer and songwriter best known as half of the music duo Hall & Oates (with music partner John Oates). ... Hall & Oates is a popular music duo made up of Daryl Hall & John Oates. ...

In 1985 he appeared in the "Live Aid" benefit concert in England, singing The Beatles' "All You Need is Love" — inevitably, the event was overrunning and Costello was asked to "ditch the band", not a popular move with the Attractions. Judging from the fact that photographs at the event show that he had scrawled the lyrics on the back of his hand, this was not overly rehearsed. Ethiopia, as its borders were in 1985. ... The White Album, see The Beatles (album). ... Music sample All You Need Is Love ( file info) Problems? See media help. ...

In the same year Costello teamed up with good friend T-Bone Burnett for a single called "The People's Limousine" under the moniker of The Coward Brothers. That year, Costello also produced Rum, Sodomy, and the Lash for the punk/folk band the Pogues. It was then that he met his second wife, Pogues bassist Cait O'Riordan. [[]] The True False Identity, 2006. ... Rum, Sodomy, and the Lash is the second album by The Pogues, released in 1985. ... The Pogues are a band of mixed Irish and English background, playing traditional Irish folk with influences from the English punk rock movement. ... Caitlín Cáit ORiordan (born 4 January 1965) was the bass player for Irish punk/folk band, The Pogues from 1983-1986. ...

By 1986, Costello was preparing to make a comeback. Working in the US with Burnett, a band containing a number of Elvis Presley's sidemen (including James Burton and Jerry Scheff), and minor input from the Attractions, he produced King of America an acoustic-guitar-driven album with a country sound. Around this time he legally changed his name back to Declan McManus, adding Aloysius as an extra middle name. The Attractions felt understandably insecure about their dispensability upon perceiving that their boss had cut a new album largely without them, and was planning to undertake a major tour showcasing the King of America material with his new musical partners. To allay their fears, Costello retooled his upcoming tour to allow for multiple nights in each city; playing one night with The Confederates (James Burton et al.), one night with The Attractions, and one night solo acoustic. Elvis Aron Presley (January 8, 1935 – August 16, 1977), often known simply as Elvis and also called The King of Rock n Roll or simply The King, was an American singer, musician and actor. ... James Burton (born August 21, 1939 in Minden, Louisiana) is an American guitarist. ... Jerry Obern Scheff is an American bassist, perhaps best known for his work with Elvis Presley in the early 1970s as a member of his TCB Band. ...

Later that year, he returned to the studio with the Attractions and recorded Blood and Chocolate, which was lauded for a post-punk fervour not heard since 1978's This Year's Model. It also marked the return of producer Nick Lowe, who had produced Costello's first five albums. While Blood and Chocolate failed to chart a hit single of any significance, it did produce what has since become one of Costello's signature concert songs — "I Want You". It is on this album that Costello adopted the alias "Napoleon Dynamite", the name he later attributed to the character of the obnoxious emcee that he played during the vaudeville-style tour to support Blood and Chocolate. (The pseudonym had previously been used in 1982, when the B-side single "Imperial Bedroom" was credited to Napoleon Dynamite & The Royal Guard.) Blood and Chocolate is the name of a 1986 album by Elvis Costello and the Attractions. ... This Years Model (1978) was Elvis Costellos second album, and his first with The Attractions. ... Bowi EP sleeve (1977). ... Blood and Chocolate is the name of a 1986 album by Elvis Costello and the Attractions. ... Napoleon Dynamite is a 2004 independent film co-written by Jared and Jerusha Hess and directed by Jared Hess. ... A Master of Ceremonies or MC is the host of a staged event or other performance. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ...

In 1989 Costello, with a new contract with Warner Bros., released Spike. The album was perhaps his most accessible pop recording, and it spawned his biggest single in America, the Top Twenty hit "Veronica", one of several songs Costello co-wrote with Paul McCartney in that timeframe (see "Collaborations" section below). “WB” redirects here. ... Spike is an album by the British rock and roll singer Elvis Costello, released on February 14, 1989 (see 1989 in music). ... Sir James Paul McCartney, MBE (born 18 June 1942) is an English singer, songwriter and multi-instrumentalist who first gained worldwide fame as one of the founding members of The Beatles. ...

1990s

In 1991, infamously having grown a long beard, Costello released Mighty Like a Rose, which featured the single "The Other Side of Summer". He also found time to co-compose and co-produce, with Richard Harvey, the title and incidental music for the acclaimed mini-series G.B.H. by Alan Bleasdale. This entirely instrumental, and largely orchestral soundtrack garnered a BAFTA, for "Best Music for a TV Series" for the pair. Mighty Like a Rose is an album by a British rock singer Elvis Costello, it was released on May 14, 1991. ... G.B.H. was a seven-part British television drama written by Alan Bleasdale, made by independent production company G.B.H (Films) and shown in the summer of 1991 on Channel 4, and repeated in July-August 2006 on More4. ... Alan Bleasdale (born March 23, 1946 in Liverpool, England, UK) is a British television dramatist, best known for several powerful social drama serials based around the lives of ordinary people. ... BAFTA Award The British Academy of Film and Television Arts (BAFTA), is a British organisation that hosts annual awards shows for film, television, childrens film and television, and interactive media. ...

In 1993, Costello tested the classical music waters with a critically acclaimed collaboration with the Brodsky Quartet on The Juliet Letters. Costello returned to rock and roll the following year with a project that reunited him with The Attractions, Brutal Youth. The Brodsky Quartet is an internationally acclaimed British string quartet, in existence since 1972. ... The Juliet Letters is a 1993 album by Elvis Costello and The Brodsky Quartet. ... Brutal Youth is an album by Elvis Costello. ...

In 1995, Costello released Kojak Variety, an album of cover songs recorded 5 years earlier, and followed in 1996 with an album of songs originally written for other artists, All This Useless Beauty. This was the final album of original material that he issued under his Warner Bros. contract. In the spring of 1996, Costello played a series of intimate club dates, backed only by Nieve on the piano, in support of All This Useless Beauty. An ensuing summer and fall tour with the Attractions proved to be the death knell for the band. With relations between Elvis and bassist Bruce Thomas at a breaking point, Costello announced that the current tour would be the Attractions' last. The quartet performed their final U.S. show in Seattle, Washington on September 1, 1996, before wrapping up their tour in Japan. Kojak Variety is a 1995 album by Elvis Costello. ... All This Useless Beauty is a 1996 album by Elvis Costello and The Attractions. ... “Seattle” redirects here. ... is the 244th day of the year (245th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1996 (MCMXCVI) was a leap year starting on Monday (link will display full 1996 Gregorian calendar). ...

To fulfill his contractual obligations to Warner Bros., Costello released a greatest hits album titled Extreme Honey (1997). It contained an original track titled "The Bridge I Burned", featuring Elvis' son, Matt, on bass.

In 1997, he also collaborated with Kevin Nelson on a made-for-tv movie; although it starred the famous soap opera actress, Michelle van Aalst, the film never aired.

In the intervening period, Costello also served as artistic chair for the 1995 Meltdown Festival, which gave him the opportunity to leverage his increasingly eclectic musical interests. His involvement in the festival yielded a one-off live EP with jazz guitarist Bill Frisell, which featured both cover material and a few of his own songs. Meltdown is an annual music festival held at the Royal Festival Hall, part of Londons South Bank Centre. ... William Richard Bill Frisell (born March 18, 1951) is a North American jazz guitarist, progressive folk musician and composer. ...

In 1998, Costello signed a unique multi-label contract with Polygram Records, sold by its parent company the same year to become part of the Universal Music Group. Costello released his new work on what he deemed the suitable imprimatur within the family of labels. His first new release as part of this contract involved a collaboration with famed sixties pop songwriter Burt Bacharach. Their work had commenced earlier, in 1996, on a song called "God Give Me Strength" for the movie Grace of My Heart. This led the pair to write and record Painted From Memory, released under his new contract in 1998, on the Mercury Records label. They also recorded an updated version of Bacharach's song "I'll Never Fall in Love Again" for the soundtrack to Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me, with both appearing in the film to perform the song. He also wrote "I Throw My Toys Around" for The Rugrats Movie and performed it with No Doubt. PolyGram was the name from 1972 of the major label recording company started by Philips as a holding company for its music interests in 1945. ... Universal Music Group (UMG) is the largest business group and family of record labels in the recording industry. ... This biographical article needs additional references for verification. ... Painted From Memory is a collaboration between Elvis Costello and famed sixties pop tunesmith Burt Bacharach, released September 29, 1998, on Mercury Records, now a division of the Universal Music Group. ... Mercury Records was a record label founded in Chicago, Illinois in 1945 by Irving Green, Berle Adams and Arthur Talmadge. ... Ill Never Fall In Love Again is a popular song written by Burt Bacharach and Hal David. ... Austin Powers: the Spy Who Shagged Me is the second film in the Austin Powers series started with Austin Powers: International Man of Mystery and continued in Austin Powers in Goldmember. ... The Rugrats Movie is a 1998 animated film, produced by Paramount Pictures and Nickelodeon Movies. ... For other uses, see No Doubt (disambiguation). ...

In 1999, Costello contributed a cover version of the 1974 song "She", originally by Charles Aznavour and Herbert Kretzmer, for the soundtrack of the film Notting Hill, with Trevor Jones producing. For the 25th anniversary of Saturday Night Live, Costello was invited to the program, where he re-enacted his abrupt song-switch: This time, however, he interrupted the Beastie Boys' "Sabotage", and they acted as his backing group for "Radio Radio." She is a song by Charles Aznavour and Herbert Kretzmer. ... Charles Aznavour (Armenian: Շառլ Ազնավուր; born May 22, 1924) is an Armenian-French singer, songwriter and actor. ... Herbert Kretzmer (born October 5, 1925) is an English songwriter and journalist, best known for the English lyrics of the hit musical Les Misérables. ... Notting Hill is a 1999 romantic comedy film set in the Notting Hill district of London, England, UK. The screenplay was written by Richard Curtis who had previously written Four Weddings and a Funeral. ... Trevor Alfred Charles Jones (born March 23, 1949 in Cape Town, South Africa) is a South African orchestral film score composer. ... This article is about the American television series. ... Beastie Boys is a hip hop musical group from New York City, consisting of Michael Mike D Diamond, Adam MCA Yauch and Adam Ad-Rock Horovitz. ...

2000 to present

Costello performing with The Imposters in 2005.

In 2001, Costello was announced as the featured "artist in residence" at UCLA (although he ended up making fewer appearances than expected) and wrote the music for a new ballet. He produced and appeared on an album of songs for opera singer Anne Sofie von Otter, For The Stars. Appropriately enough, this album came out on Deutsche Grammophon. Image File history File links Download high resolution version (1024x686, 74 KB) Summary Elvis Costello & The Imposters - Royal Court Theatre Liverpool 16/02/2005 Author: Haribomort (Manchester, UK) Licensing File links The following pages on the English Wikipedia link to this file (pages on other projects are not listed): Elvis... Image File history File links Download high resolution version (1024x686, 74 KB) Summary Elvis Costello & The Imposters - Royal Court Theatre Liverpool 16/02/2005 Author: Haribomort (Manchester, UK) Licensing File links The following pages on the English Wikipedia link to this file (pages on other projects are not listed): Elvis... Binomial name Ucla xenogrammus Holleman, 1993 The largemouth triplefin, Ucla xenogrammus, is a fish of the family Tripterygiidae and only member of the genus Ucla, found in the Pacific Ocean from Viet Nam, the Philippines, Palau and the Caroline Islands to Papua New Guinea, Australia (including Christmas Island), and the... The Teatro alla Scala in Milan, Italy. ... For other uses, see Singer (disambiguation). ... The Swedish mezzo-soprano Anne Sofie von Otter (born 9 May 1955) is a well-known opera singer and concert recitalist. ... Logo Deutsche Grammophon is a German record label. ...

In 2002 he released a new album, When I Was Cruel, this time on Island Records, and toured with a new band, the Imposters (essentially the Attractions but with a different bass player, Davey Faragher, formerly of Cracker). On February 23rd, 2003, Costello, along with Bruce Springsteen, Steve Van Zandt, and Dave Grohl performed a version of The Clash's "London Calling" at the 45th Grammy Awards ceremony, in honor of legendary Clash frontman Joe Strummer, who had died in December of the previous year. In March 2003, Elvis Costello & The Attractions were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. In May, his engagement to Canadian jazz singer and pianist Diana Krall was announced. September saw the release of North, an album of piano-based ballads concerning the breakdown of his former marriage, and his falling in love with singer Diana Krall. When I Was Cruel is Elvis Costellos 20th album, recorded in 2001 and 2002 and released in the US by Island Records on 23 April 2002. ... Island Records is an American record label, owned by Universal Music Group and is operated through The Island Def Jam Music Group. ... Davey Faragher has been the bassist for Elvis Costellos backing band the Imposters since 2001. ... Cracker is an American alternative rock band fronted by former Camper Van Beethoven singer David Lowery, with guitarist Johnny Hickman. ... Bruce Frederick Joseph Springsteen (born September 23, 1949) is an influential American singer, songwriter, and guitarist. ... Steven van Zandt (born November 22, 1950 in Boston, Massachusetts) is one of the founding members of Bruce Springsteens E-Street Band and plays guitar and mandolin. ... David Eric Grohl (born January 14, 1969, in Warren, Ohio) is an American rock musician and songwriter. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... London Calling is the hit song off the album of the same name (London Calling, 1979) by the U.K. punk/rock band The Clash; it is also the albums first track. ... For other persons named John Mellor, see John Mellor (disambiguation). ... The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame at sunset. ... For other uses, see Jazz (disambiguation). ... A pianist is a person who plays the piano. ... Diana Jean Krall, OC, OBC (born November 16, 1964) is a Grammy award-winning Canadian jazz pianist and singer. ... North is a 2003 album by Elvis Costello. ... Diana Jean Krall, OC, OBC (born November 16, 1964) is a Grammy award-winning Canadian jazz pianist and singer. ...

In 2004, the song "Scarlet Tide" (co-written by Costello and T-Bone Burnett and used in the film Cold Mountain) was nominated for an Academy Award; he performed it at the awards ceremony with Alison Krauss, who also sang the song on the official soundtrack. Costello co-wrote many songs on wife Diana Krall's 2004 CD, The Girl in the Other Room, the first of hers to feature several original compositions. In July 2004 Costello's first full-scale orchestral work, Il Sogno, was performed in New York. The work, a ballet after Shakespeare's A Midsummer Night's Dream, was commissioned by Italian dance troupe Aterballeto, and received critical acclaim from the classical music critics, while being scorned by the popular music press. This article is about the film. ... Academy Award The Academy Awards, popularly known as the Oscars, are the most prominent and most watched film awards ceremony in the world. ... Alison Krauss (born July 23, 1971)[1] is an American bluegrass-country singer and fiddle player. ... Diana Jean Krall, OC, OBC (born November 16, 1964) is a Grammy award-winning Canadian jazz pianist and singer. ... The Girl in the Other Room is the eighth album by popular jazz singer and pianist Diana Krall. ... Wikipedia does not yet have an article with this exact name. ... For other uses, see A Midsummer Nights Dream (disambiguation). ...

Costello's hand prints on the European Walk of Fame, Rotterdam

While composing it, Costello deliberately avoided listening to the previous interpretations by Mendelssohn and Britten in order to ensure his own originality. A range of musical moods and styles are used to represent the different elements of the cast - satirical pomp for the courtiers, jazz for the faeries, and for Bottom a deliberately intrusive "brass band" motif. Performed by the London Symphony Orchestra, conducted by Michael Tilson Thomas, the recording was released on CD in September by Deutsche Grammophon. Image File history File linksMetadata Size of this preview: 800 × 600 pixelsFull resolution (3072 × 2304 pixel, file size: 5. ... Image File history File linksMetadata Size of this preview: 800 × 600 pixelsFull resolution (3072 × 2304 pixel, file size: 5. ... Nickname: Motto: Sterker door strijd (Stronger through Struggle) Location of Rotterdam Coordinates: , Country Netherlands Province South Holland Government  - Mayor Ivo Opstelten  - Aldermen Jeannette Baljeu Hamit Karakus Orhan Kaya Lucas Bolsius Jantine Kriens Dominic Schrijer Roelf de Boer Leonard Geluk Area [1]  - City 319 km²  (123. ... Jakob Ludwig Felix Mendelssohn Bartholdy, born and known generally as Felix Mendelssohn (February 3, 1809 – November 4, 1847) was a German composer and conductor of the early Romantic period. ... Edward Benjamin Britten, Baron Britten, OM CH (November 22, 1913 Lowestoft, Suffolk - December 4, 1976 Aldeburgh, Suffolk) was a British composer, conductor, and pianist. ... For other uses, see Jazz (disambiguation). ... Nick Bottom is a character in Shakespeares A Midsummer Nights Dream who provides comic relief throughout the play, and is famously known for getting his head transformed into that of a donkey by the elusive Puck within the play. ... The London Symphony Orchestra (LSO) is one of the major orchestras of the United Kingdom. ... Michael Tilson Thomas (born December 21, 1944), nicknamed MTT, is an American conductor, pianist and composer. ... Logo Deutsche Grammophon is a German record label. ...

Costello released another album that same month: The Delivery Man, recorded in Oxford, Mississippi, and released on Lost Highway Records. Mainly blues, country, and folk, The Delivery Man received early acclaim as one of Costello's best albums, and continues Costello's personal quest to release an album on each of Universal's record labels. The Delivery Man is a 2004 album by Elvis Costello. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... Lost Highway Records was a Nashville based subsidiary of Universal Music until it was merged into Island Def Jam Records. ...

In July 2005, a CD recording of a collaboration with Marian McPartland on her show Piano Jazz was released. It featured Costello singing six jazz standards and two of his own songs, accompanied by Marian McPartland on piano. In November 2005 Costello started recording a new album with Allen Toussaint and producer Joe Henry. The River in Reverse was released in the UK on the Verve label on 29 May 2006. Also released in 2006 was a live recording of a concert with the Metropole Orkest at the North Sea Jazz Festival, entitled My Flame Burns Blue. Marian McPartland, born Margaret Marian Turner on March 21, 1918 in England near Slough, Buckinghamshire, is a British jazz pianist. ... Piano Jazz is a weekly one hour radio show produced and distributed by National Public Radio. ... Paul Shaffer (L) and Allen Toussaint on the September 7, 2005 show of The Late Show with David Letterman Allen Toussaint (born January 14, 1938) is an American musician, songwriter and record producer and one of the most influential figures in New Orleans R&B. In the 1960s and 1970s... Joe Henry is a singer, songwriter, guitarist and record producer. ... Look up verve in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... is the 149th day of the year (150th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2006 (MMVI) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... The North Sea Jazz Festival is an annual jazz festival held each second weekend of July in Den Haag, The Netherlands. ...

Costello has been commissioned to write a chamber opera by the Danish Royal Opera, Copenhagen, on the subject of Hans Christian Andersen's infatuation with Swedish soprano Jenny Lind, called The Secret Songs. Some of the songs were previewed on the Opera's main stage in October 2005. However, since Costello has repeatedly missed deadlines, plans have been changed: extracts from the projected opera will be interspersed with songs from The Juliet Letters for performance in the Opera's studio theatre (Takelloftet) in March 2007. It will be directed by Kasper Bech Holten and will feature Danish soprano Sine Bundgaard as Lind. Chamber opera is a designation for operas written to be performed with a chamber ensemble rather than a full orchestra. ... For other uses, see Copenhagen (disambiguation). ... Hans Christian Andersen or simply H.C. Andersen , (April 2, 1805 – August 4, 1875) was a Danish author and poet, most famous for his fairy tales. ... First U.S.Daguerrotype of Jenny Lind in New York, September 14, 1850 taken by her Swedish classmate, Poly Von Schneidau from Chicago, at the Mathew Brady Studio in New York City. ...

Controversies

Costello's success in the U.S. was bruised for a time in the late 1970s when, during a drunken argument with Stephen Stills and Bonnie Bramlett in a Columbus, Ohio, Holiday Inn hotel bar, Costello allegedly referred to James Brown as a "jive-ass nigger," then upped the ante by pronouncing Ray Charles a "blind, ignorant nigger." It is debatable that these were the exact words Costello used, considering that the terms 'jive-ass' and 'nigger' are particular to American dialects. Stephen Arthur Stills (born January 3, 1945) is an American guitarist and singer/songwriter best known for his work with Buffalo Springfield and Crosby, Stills & Nash (and Young). ... Bonnie Bramlett (born Bonnie Lynn OFarrell, 11 August 1944, Alton, Illinios), is an American singer known for her distinctive vocals in rock and pop music. ... Nickname: Location in the state of Ohio, USA Coordinates: , Country State Counties Franklin, Delaware, and Fairfield Government  - Mayor Michael B. Coleman (D) Area  - City  212. ... For the song by Elton John, see Holiday Inn (song). ... James Brown, known variously as: Soul Brother Number One, the Godfather of Soul, Mr. ... // Nigger is a racial slur used to refer to dark-skinned people, especially those of African ancestry. ... For the composer and conductor of the Ray Charles Singers, see Ray Charles (composer). ...

A contrite Costello apologized at a New York City press conference a few days later, claiming that he had been drunk and had been attempting to be obnoxious in order to bring the conversation to a swift conclusion, not anticipating that Bramlett would bring his comments to the press. According to Costello, "it became necessary for me to outrage these people with about the most obnoxious and offensive remarks that I could muster." In his liner notes for the expanded version of Get Happy!!, Costello writes that some time after the incident he had declined an offer to meet Charles out of guilt and embarrassment, though Charles himself had forgiven Costello ("Drunken talk isn't meant to be printed in the paper"). In a Rolling Stone interview with Greil Marcus[2], he recounts an incident when Bruce Thomas was introduced to Michael Jackson as Costello's bass player and Jackson saying, "I don't dig that guy...". New York, New York and NYC redirect here. ... The fourth album by Elvis Costello, his third with the Attractions, Get Happy!! is notable for being a dramatic break in tone from Costellos previous trilogy of commercially successful albums, and for being heavily influenced by R&B and soul music. ...

It is notable that Costello worked extensively in Britain's Rock Against Racism campaign both before and after this interlude and also produced the debut album of the Specials whose multi-racial line-up was a very public statement about integration. This incident specifically inspired his Get Happy!! song "Riot Act".^[4] Rock Against Racism (RAR) was a campaign set up by Red Saunders, Roger Huddle and others in winter 1976. ...

Personal life

Costello has been married three times:

• In 1974, McManus married Mary Burgoyne. The couple had a son, Matthew, and divorced in 1984.
• In 1986, Costello married Cait O'Riordan, then bassist for the band The Pogues. The couple split at the end of 2002.
• Costello became engaged to singer Diana Krall in May 2003. In December, Costello and Krall married at the London estate of Sir Elton John. Their twin sons Dexter Henry Lorcan and Frank Harlan James were born December 6, 2006 in New York City.

Wikinews has related news:

Canadian jazz star Diana Krall gives birth to twin boys

Caitlín Cáit ORiordan (born 4 January 1965) was the bass player for Irish punk/folk band, The Pogues from 1983-1986. ... The Pogues are a band of mixed Irish and English background, playing traditional Irish folk with influences from the English punk rock movement. ... Diana Jean Krall, OC, OBC (born November 16, 1964) is a Grammy award-winning Canadian jazz pianist and singer. ... Sir Elton Hercules[1] John CBE[2] (born Reginald Kenneth Dwight on 25 March 1947) is a five-time Grammy and one-time Academy Award-winning English pop/rock singer, composer and pianist. ... Image File history File links WikiNews-Logo. ... Wikinews is a free-content news source and a project of the Wikimedia Foundation. ...

Collaborations

In addition to his major recorded collaborations with Bacharach, the Brodsky Quartet, and von Otter, Costello has frequently been involved in other collaborations.

In 1987, Costello began a long-running songwriting collaboration with Paul McCartney. They wrote a number of songs together, including: Sir James Paul McCartney, MBE (born 18 June 1942) is an English singer, songwriter and multi-instrumentalist who first gained worldwide fame as one of the founding members of The Beatles. ...

• "Back On My Feet", the B-side of McCartney's 1987 single "Once Upon A Long Ago", later added as a bonus track on the 1993 re-issue of McCartney's Flowers in the Dirt
• Costello's "Veronica" and "Pads, Paws and Claws" from Spike (1989)
• "So Like Candy" and "Playboy to a Man" from Mighty Like a Rose (1991)
• McCartney's "My Brave Face", "Don't Be Careless Love", "That Day Is Done" and "You Want Her Too" from Flowers in the Dirt (1989)
• "The Lovers That Never Were" and "Mistress and Maid" from Off the Ground (1993).
• "Twenty-Five Fingers" and "Tommy's Coming Home" (Officially unreleased).

Costello talked about their collaboration: Flowers in the Dirt is Paul McCartneys comeback album, released in 1989. ... Spike is an album by the British rock and roll singer Elvis Costello, released on February 14, 1989 (see 1989 in music). ... Mighty Like a Rose is an album by a British rock singer Elvis Costello, it was released on May 14, 1991. ... Flowers in the Dirt is Paul McCartneys comeback album, released in 1989. ... Off the Ground (OTG) is a youth theatre and professional theatre run by Dan Meigh. ...

• In 1987, he appeared on the HBO special Roy Orbison and Friends, A Black and White Night, which featured his long-time idol Roy Orbison, and was invited back to Saturday Night Live for the first time since 1977.

Please Please Me is the first album recorded by The Beatles, rush-released on 22 March 1963 in the United Kingdom to capitalise on the success of singles Please Please Me (#1)[1] and Love Me Do (#17). ... HBO (Home Box Office) is a premium cable television network with headquarters in New York City. ... Roy Orbison and Friends, A Black and White Night is an acclaimed 1988 Cinemax television special originally broadcast on HBO starring Hall of Fame and Rock and Roll pioneer singer/songwriter Roy Orbison. ... Roy Kelton Orbison (April 23, 1936 – December 6, 1988), nicknamed The Big O, was an influential American singer-songwriter, guitarist and a pioneer of rock and roll whose recording career spanned more than four decades. ... This article is about the American television series. ...

Artistic significance

This article or section may contain original research or unverified claims. Please help Wikipedia by adding references. See the talk page for details.

While many musicians embrace myriad types of music as influences and preferences, few if any popular music artists have displayed the same level of determination and rigor in successfully pursuing projects encompassing such a wide stylistic range as Costello. From the Motown and Stax influenced Get Happy!! to the straight country and western of Almost Blue, the mid-1960s Beatles and Beach Boys influenced soundscapes of Imperial Bedroom to the chamber music recital of The Juliet Letters, the classic pop of his album with Burt Bacharach and My Flame Burns Blue to the classical ballet score of Il Sogno, eclectic only begins to describe Costello's work. Image File history File links Emblem-important. ... Motown Records, Inc. ... Stax Records is an American record label, originally based out of Memphis, Tennessee. ... Country music, once known as Country and Western music, is a popular musical form developed in the southern United States, with roots in traditional folk music, spirituals, and the blues. ... First formed in 1961, The Beach Boys are an American rock and roll band that gained popularity for their close vocal harmonies and lyrics reflecting a California youth culture of surfing, girls and cars. ... Chamber music is a form of classical music, written for a small group of instruments which traditionally could be accommodated in a palace chamber. ... The term classic pop may be used, in general, to refer to any kind of American popular music that either wholly predates the eruption of rock and roll in the mid-1950s, or to any popular music which exists concurrently to rock and roll but originated in a time before... This biographical article needs additional references for verification. ...

His eclecticism extends to his choice of collaborators; he has worked with Tony Bennett, Lucinda Williams, Lee Konitz, and Brian Eno, just a few of the artists not mentioned above. Costello has inadvertently made himself capable of challenging Kevin Bacon's role in a musical version of the six degrees of separation game, as his associations span the gamut in the music industry. For other persons named Tony Bennett, see Tony Bennett (disambiguation). ... Lucinda Williams (born January 26, 1953) is an American rock, folk, and country music singer and songwriter. ... Lee Konitz (born 1927 in Chicago, Illinois) is an American jazz composer and saxophone player. ... Brian Eno (pronounced ) (born Brian Peter George St. ... Kevin Norwood Bacon[1] (born July 8, 1958) is an American film and theater actor who has starred in Footloose, Animal House, Stir of Echoes, Wild Things, JFK, and Apollo 13, among many others. ... This article or section is in need of attention from an expert on the subject. ...

Costello is also a big music fan, and often champions the works of others in print. He has written several pieces for the magazine "Vanity Fair", including the summary of what a perfect weekend of music would be. His collaboration with Bacharach honoured Bacharach's place in pop music history. Costello also appeared in a documentary about singer Dusty Springfield. He has also interviewed one of his own influences, Joni Mitchell. Dusty Springfield OBE (16 April 1939 - 2 March 1999) was a popular English singer whose career spanned four decades. ... Joni Mitchell, CC (born Roberta Joan Anderson on November 7, 1943) is a Canadian musician, songwriter, and painter. ...

In 2004, Rolling Stone Magazine ranked him #80 on their list of the 100 Greatest Artists of All Time.^[6] This article is about the music magazine. ...

Discography

Main article: Elvis Costello discography

This page lists albums, singles and compilations by the musician Elvis Costello, release date (UK and U.S.) and label (UK and US). ...

Rykodisc/Demon reissues

From 1993 to 1995, Rykodisc Records (US) and Demon Records (UK) reissued Costello's pre-Warner Bros. catalogue with bonus tracks for each album as well as a greatest hits compilation and the live album Live at the El Mocambo. In addition, Rykodisc were the US distributor for The Juliet Letters. This licensing deal ended in 2000. Rykodisc is a Salem, Massachusetts based record label. ... After Jake Rivera previously started Stiff Records, Radar Records and F-Beat Records, he founded Demon Records with Andrew Lauder and Elvis Costello in 1980. ... “WB” redirects here. ...

Rhino reissues

Starting in 2001, Rhino Records began an eighteen double-disc reissue program for Costello's back catalogue prior to his Polygram/Universal contract. Except for the compilation, each of the reissues presented the remastered original album on one disc, and a separate bonus disc of B-sides, outtakes, live tracks, alternate versions and/or demos of songs. Rhino Entertainment is a specialty record label originally known for releasing retrospectives of famous comedy performers, including Stan Freberg, Tom Lehrer, and Spike Jones. ... Remaster (and its derivations, frequently found in the phrases digitally remastered or digital remastering) is a word and concept ushered into the mass consciousness via the digital age, although it had existed before then. ...

The project featured the direct participation and guidance of Elvis Costello himself, who wrote new liner notes for each album consisting of his thoughts on the music as well as anecdotes and reminiscences from the time. They were released in batches of three, with the exception of King of America, The Juliet Letters, and The Very Best of Elvis Costello, the last being an unaltered re-release of the Polygram compilation of 1999, which arrived in the stores singularly. The reissue dates are as follows: The Very Best of Elvis Costello is a compilation album on two compact discs by Elvis Costello, sampling his recorded work from the years 1977 through 1998. ...

1. April 17, 2001 - The Very Best of Elvis Costello
2. August 11, 2001 - My Aim Is True, Spike, All This Useless Beauty
3. February 19, 2002 - This Year's Model, Blood and Chocolate, Brutal Youth
4. November 19, 2002 - Armed Forces, Imperial Bedroom, Mighty Like A Rose
5. September 9, 2003 - Get Happy!!, Trust, Punch the Clock
6. August 3, 2004 - Almost Blue, Goodbye Cruel World, Kojak Variety
7. April 26, 2005 - King of America
8. March 21, 2006 - The Juliet Letters

The Almost Blue and Kojak Variety bonus discs were particularly notable as each contained, essentially, an entire new album's worth of material also performed but either not issued, or released as B-sides on singles originally. The Kojak bonus disc also included ten songs of the 'George Jones' tape, cover songs Costello intended to induce the famed country singer to perform on a subsequent album. The Get Happy bonus disc was also of note, with 30 additional tracks, bringing the total for the two disc set to 50 songs. is the 107th day of the year (108th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2001 (MMI) was a common year starting on Monday (link displays the 2001 Gregorian calendar). ... is the 223rd day of the year (224th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2001 (MMI) was a common year starting on Monday (link displays the 2001 Gregorian calendar). ... [[Media:Italic text]]{| style=float:right; |- | |- | |} is the 50th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... Also see: 2002 (number). ... is the 323rd day of the year (324th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Also see: 2002 (number). ... is the 252nd day of the year (253rd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2003 (MMIII) was a common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 215th day of the year (216th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2004 (MMIV) was a leap year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 116th day of the year (117th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2005 (MMV) was a common year starting on Saturday (link displays full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 80th day of the year (81st in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2006 (MMVI) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... In recorded music, the terms A-side and B-side refer to the two sides of 7 inch vinyl records on which singles have been released since the 1950s. ... For other persons named George Jones, see George Jones (disambiguation). ...

Costello's early single on Stiff can be found on the Ultimate Stiff Records Discography site: http://www.buythehour.se/stiff/

Universal reissues

In August 2006, three months after the conclusion of Rhino's reissue series (My Aim Is True through The Juliet Letters), Universal Music Enterprises announced their purchase of the early Elvis Costello catalog. This licensing acquisition covers from My Aim Is True through King of America, excluding the Warner Bros. albums (Spike through All This Useless Beauty). These albums had all been re-released on Rhino, a Warner Music Group subsidiary. The press release says, "[l]eading the industry in online marketing with a dedicated department that manages its digital and mobile business, UMe also expects to mine Costello's catalog for ringtones, digital box sets, and more."^[7] UMe announced that they would be reissuing the albums on their Hip-O Select label. Costello is quoted in the press release as saying, "[I]t's great to be able to do this through a company that has not only enjoyed major success with reissues but has done them with a genuine emphasis on quality."^[8] This reissue series will mark the fourth release of his Stiff/Radar/Demon catalog (released by Columbia Records in the US) on compact disc. Universal Music Group (UMG) is the largest business group and family of record labels in the recording industry. ... King of America is the tenth album by the British rock singer Elvis Costello, billed as the Costello Show featuring the Attractions and Confederates. ... “WB” redirects here. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... Hip-O Records is a record label, currently part of Universal Music Group, which specializes in reissues and compilations. ... Columbia Records is the oldest brand name in recorded sound, dating back to 1888, and was the first record company to produce pre-recorded records as opposed to blank cylinders. ...

Tribute albums

1. 1998 - Bespoke Songs, Lost Dogs, Detours & Rendezvous - (various artists)
2. 2002 - Almost You: The Songs of Elvis Costello - (various artists)
3. 2003 - The Elvis Costello Songbook - Bonnie Brett
4. 2004 - A Tribute to Elvis Costello - Patrik Tanner
5. 2004 - Davis Does Elvis - Stuart Davis

Stuart Davis performing (with Chad Phillips on bass guitar) at the 2005 Boulder Creek Festival in Boulder, Colorado Stuart Davis (born on January 11, 1971 in Des Moines, Iowa, USA) is a contemporary American musician and songwriter from Minnesota. ...

Singles

Elvis Costello has issued over 50 singles under several names, and with several different backing bands. For a complete list of singles and their chart placings, visit the related page:

Main article: Elvis Costello discography

This page lists albums, singles and compilations by the musician Elvis Costello, release date (UK and U.S.) and label (UK and US). ...

Filmography

• 1979 film debut as 'Earl Manchester' in Americathon
• 1984 as Henry Scully in UK TV series Scully
• 1985 as inept magician Rosco de Ville in Alan Bleasdale film No Surrender
• 1987 as Hives the Butler in Alex Cox film Straight to Hell, starring Joe Strummer and Courtney Love
• 1994, 1996 as himself in The Larry Sanders Show
• 1997 as himself in Spiceworld
• 1999 as himself in Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me, performing with Burt Bacharach, the song was "I'll Never Fall In Love Again"
• 1999 as himself in 200 Cigarettes
• 2001 as a public defender and a teacher in Prison Song,
• 2001 as himself in the final episode of 3rd Rock from the Sun,
• 2002 as himself (voice) in "How I Spent My Strummer Vacation", an episode of The Simpsons
• 2003 Academy Award nomination for best original song The Scarlet Tide in Cold Mountain.
• 2003 as 'Ben' in the Frasier episode "Farewell, Nervosa"
• 2003 as guest host on The Late Show with David Letterman
• 2003 as himself in I Love Your Work
• 2004 performing the Cole Porter song "Let's Misbehave" in De-Lovely
• 2005 as himself in the American situation comedy Two and a Half Men
• 2006 as himself in Putting the River in Reverse
• 2006 as himself in Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby
• 2006 as himself in Delirious

Americathon (also known as Americathon 1998) is a 1979 comedy starring John Ritter, Fred Willard, Peter Riegert, Harvey Korman and Nancy Morgan, with narration by George Carlin, based on a play by Firesign Theatre alumni Phil Proctor and Peter Bergman. ... Scully was a British television drama with some comedy elements set in the city of Liverpool, England in the first half of the 1980s. ... Alan Bleasdale (born March 23, 1946 in Liverpool, England, UK) is a British television dramatist, best known for several powerful social drama serials based around the lives of ordinary people. ... No Surrender is a 1985 comedy film starring Michael Angelis and James Ellis. ... Alexander Morton Cox (b. ... Straight to Hell is a song by The Clash, from their album Combat Rock. ... For other persons named John Mellor, see John Mellor (disambiguation). ... Courtney Love Cobain[1] (born July 9, 1964) is an American rock musician and Golden Globe-nominated actress, best-known as lead singer for the now-defunct alternative rock band Hole and for her two-year marriage to Nirvana frontman Kurt Cobain, who died in 1994. ... The Larry Sanders Show is a satirical television sitcom that originally aired from 1992 to 1998 on the HBO cable television network in the USA. It starred stand-up comedian Garry Shandling as vain, neurotic talk show host Larry Sanders. ... Spiceworld is the debut feature film of the four-time Brit Award-winning English pop girl group Spice Girls directed by Bob Spiers and written by Kim Fuller and Jamie Curtis. ... Austin Powers: the Spy Who Shagged Me is the second film in the Austin Powers series started with Austin Powers: International Man of Mystery and continued in Austin Powers in Goldmember. ... This biographical article needs additional references for verification. ... The 1999 film 200 Cigarettes stars Ben Affleck, Elvis Costello, Kate Hudson, Jay Mohr, Christina Ricci, Paul Rudd, Martha Plimpton, Casey Affleck, Courtney Love, Dave Chappelle, Janeane Garofalo, Guillermo Diaz, Gaby Hoffmann, Catherine Kellner, Brian McCardie, Nicole Parker and Angela Featherstone. ... For the song by System of a Down, see Prison Song (song) Prison Song is a 2001 United States prison film about a boy brought up in group homes with a gift and passion for art. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... How I Spent My Strummer Vacation is the second episode of The Simpsons fourteenth season. ... Simpsons redirects here. ... Although he never won an Oscar for any of his movie performances, the comedian Bob Hope received two honorary Oscars for his contributions to cinema. ... The Academy Award for Best Song is one of the awards given to people working in the motion picture industry by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences; nominations are made by Academy members who are songwriters and composers. ... This article is about the film. ... Frasier is an American sitcom starring Kelsey Grammer as psychiatrist Dr. Frasier Crane. ... Late Show with David Letterman is an hour-long weeknight comedy and talk show broadcast by CBS from the Ed Sullivan Theater on Broadway in New York City. ... I Love Your Work is an American film from 2003, directed by Adam Goldberg and starring Giovanni Ribisi, Franka Potente, and Joshua Jackson. ... Cole Albert Porter (June 9, 1891 – October 15, 1964) was an American composer and songwriter from Peru, Indiana. ... De-Lovely movie poster. ... A sitcom or situation comedy is a genre of comedy performance originally devised for radio but today typically found on television. ... Two and a Half Men is an Emmy-nominated television sitcom centered around a freewheeling bachelor, Charlie, whose carefree lifestyle is interrupted when his newly separated brother, Alan, moves in, along with Alans son Jake. ... Putting the River in Reverse is a documentary film on the first major recording session in New Orleans, USA, since Hurricane Katrina. ...

Notes

References

• Elvis Costello: "A Singing Dictionary": ISBN 0-7692-1505-X - Sheet music, chords, and lyrics for works 1977-1980.

External links

Wikiquote has a collection of quotations related to:

Elvis Costello

• ElvisCostello.com
• Elvis Costello 50 minutes video interview.
• Elvis Costello Photo Gallery
• Elvis Costello at All Music Guide
• Elvis Costello at the Internet Movie Database
• MusicMoz entry
• The Elvis Costello Home Page
• The Elvis Costello Home Page Wiki
• Elvis Costello News Blog
• The Trainspotters' Guide To Elvis Costello
• Bright Blue Times: The Music of Elvis Costello
• Elvis Costello Mystery Cover
• MoreThings
• Elvis protege
• Elvis Costello on MTV Overdrive
• Official Elvis Costello Lost Highway Artist Page
• elvis-costello.net