Elvis Costello




 * (This page covers Elvis Costello as a solo artist, with The Attractions, and as The Imposter)

Elvis Costello (born Declan Patrick MacManus; 25 August 1954) is an English singer-songwriter. He began his career as part of London's pub rock scene in the early 1970s and later became associated with the first wave of the British Punk & New Wave movement of the mid-to-late 1970s. His critically acclaimed debut album, My Aim Is True, was recorded in 1976. Shortly after recording his first album he formed The Attractions as his backing band. His second album, This Year's Model, was released in 1978, and was ranked number 11 by Rolling Stone on its list of the best albums of the period 1967-1987. Costello and The Attractions toured and recorded together for the better part of a decade, though differences between them caused a split by 1986. Much of Costello's work since has been as a solo artist, though reunions with members of The Attractions have been credited to the group over the years. (Read more at Wikipedia.)

Links to Peel
Peel regularly played tracks from Costello’s first four albums – including the whole of ‘This Year’s Model’ over two nights in March 1978 – coinciding with the musician’s four sessions for the show. The first of these was notable for featuring material from ‘My Aim Is True’ with backing by the Attractions, who had not been on Costello’s debut album.

In 1979, Costello produced the first LP by the Specials, played extensively by Peel, and three years later co-wrote and produced Robert Wyatt’s ‘Shipbuilding’, which was voted #2 in the 1982 Festive Fifty; the following year, the DJ voiced his pleasure when Costello’s own version placed #48 in the show’s annual listeners' chart. The same 1983 Festive Fifty also contained ‘Pills and Soap,’ played by Peel on its initial single release by Costello under the name The Imposter.

Following Peel's death, Costello paid tribute to the DJ by saying that he was "a great man, a fabulous killjoy - he was as rare as the music that he loved."

Festive Fifty Entries

 * 1977 Festive Fifty: Watching The Detectives #55
 * 1978 Festive Fifty: Watching The Detectives #25
 * 1978 Festive Fifty: Alison #37
 * 1983 Festive Fifty: Shipbuilding #48
 * 1983 Festive Fifty: Pills And Soap #24
 * 1986 Festive Fifty: I Want You #40

Sessions
Four sessions. Official releases:
 * 'Stranger In The House' from #3 on This Years Model CD reissue, 2002 (Edsel Records MANUS 102)
 * 'High Fidelity' from #4 on Various Artists: Kats Karavan: The History Of John Peel On The Radio 4xCD, 2009 (Universal ‎271 415-1)

1. Recorded 1977-07-25. First broadcast 01 August 1977. Repeated 17 August 1977, 28 December 1977, 26 May 1980, 04 August 1980.
 * Red Shoes / Less Than Zero / Mystery Dance / Blame It On Cain

2. Recorded 1978-03-13. First broadcast 20 March 1978. Repeated 10 April 1978, 01 May 1978, 14 August 1978, 01 January 1979.
 * (I Don't Wanna Go To) Chelsea / The Beat / Pump It Up / You Belong To Me

3. Recorded: 1978-10-23. First broadcast 30 October 1978. Repeated 15 November 1978, 10 January 1979.
 * Really Mystified / Radio Radio / (I Just) Don't Know What To Do With Myself / Stranger In The House

4. Recorded 1980-02-25. First broadcast 03 March 1980. Repeated 24 March 1980, 05 May 1980, 24 June 1980, 23 December 1980.
 * High Fidelity / Possession / Beaten To The Punch / B Movie

Other Shows Played
(The following list was compiled only from the database of this site, Lorcan's Tracklistings Archive, and Ken Garner’s Peel Sessions (pg217-9). Please add more information if known.)


 * 1977
 * 11 March 1977: Less Than Zero (7") Stiff
 * 23 May 1977: Welcome To The Working Week (7” – Alison) Stiff
 * 16 June 1977: unknown tracks (LP - My Aim Is True) Stiff
 * 28 July 1977: three unknown tracks (LP - My Aim Is True) Stiff
 * 08 August 1977: Red Shoes (7”) Stiff
 * 13 October 1977: Watching The Detectives (7”) Stiff
 * 22 December 1977: Watching The Detectives (single) Stiff FF#55


 * 1978
 * 23 February 1978: (I Don’t Want To Go To) Chelsea (single) Radar
 * 13 March 1978: eight unknown tracks (LP – This Year’s Model) Radar
 * 16 March 1978: four more unknown tracks (LP – This Year’s Model) Radar
 * 11 May 1978: Radio Radio (CBS)
 * 27 December 1978: Alison (LP - My Aim Is True, 1977) Stiff (played from the 7" single) FF#37
 * 28 December 1978: Watching The Detectives (7") Stiff FF#25


 * 1979
 * 09 January 1979: Big Boys (LP–Armed Forces) Radar
 * 11 January 1979: Green Shirt (LP – Armed Forces) Radar
 * 15 January 1979: Party Girl (LP- Armed Forces) Radar
 * 16 January 1979: Moods for Moderns (LP – Armed Forces) Radar
 * 17 January 1979: Sunday’s Best (LP – Armed Forces) Radar
 * 24 January 1979: The Beat (LP-Live at the El Mocambo) Canadian Promo
 * 24 January 1979: Lip Service (LP-Live at the El Mocambo) Canadian Promo
 * 24 January 1979: (I Don't Want To Go To) Chelsea (LP-Live at the El Mocambo) Canadian Promo
 * 24 January 1979: Little Triggers (LP-Live at the El Mocambo) Canadian Promo
 * 28 May 1979: I Don't Want To Go To Chelsea
 * 26 November 1979: Crawling To The USA (LP - Americathon) Columbia


 * 1980
 * 02 January 1980: I Can't Stand Up For Falling Down (7") Radar
 * 07 January 1980: I Can't Stand Up For Falling Down (7") F-Beat
 * 30 January 1980: Love For Tender (LP – Get Happy!!) F-Beat
 * 04 February 1980: 5ive Gears in Reverse (LP - Get Happy!!) F-Beat (Peel laments that due to a communication breakdown, Elvis Costello is not in the studio for an interview as he promised the previous Thursday.)
 * 05 February 1980: Human Touch (album - Get Happy!) F-Beat
 * 06 February 1980: I Stand Accused (LP - Get Happy!!) F-Beat
 * 07 February 1980: Black and White World (LP - Get Happy!!) F-Beat
 * 11 February 1980: Love For Tender (LP - Get Happy!) F-Beat
 * 19 February 1980: Beaten To The Punch (LP – Get Happy!!) F-Beat
 * 25 February 1980: Motel Matches (LP - Get Happy!!) F-Beat
 * 26 February 1980: Riot Act (album - Get Happy!!) F-Beat
 * 27 February 1980: The Imposter (LP - Get Happy!!) F-Beat
 * 08 April 1980: Getting Mighty Crowded (7" b-side High Fidelity) F-Beat
 * 23 June 1980: New Amsterdam (LP - Get Happy!) F-Beat


 * 1983
 * 30 May 1983: Pills and Soap
 * 28 July 1983: Shipbuilding (album - Punch The Clock) F-Beat
 * 21 December 1983: (JP: 'This is at 48, and another one I was very pleased to see in there, I must say.') Shipbuilding (LP-Punch The Clock) F-Beat FF#48
 * 27 December 1983: Pills And Soap (LP-Punch The Clock) F-Beat FF#24 (as The Imposter)


 * 1984
 * 13 June 1984: Turning The Town Red (single - I Wanna Be Loved ) F-Beat


 * 1985
 * Peel 017 (BFBS) (1985-00-00): Oliver's Army (LP-Armed Forces) Radar


 * 1986
 * 23 December 1986: I Want You (LP-Blood And Chocolate) Demon FF#40 (JP: “Actually, I can't imagine why I didn't play that at all. Very foolish: I can't have listened to it properly, I think.”)


 * 1992
 * 23 February 1992 JP: "Elvis Costello said something very wise on Desert Island Discs today: “Sometimes it seems that music doesn’t have a place in the music industry plans" … I know what he means."


 * 1994
 * 22 January 1994: Oliver's Army (CD: Girls Girls Girls) Demon


 * 1995
 * 12 May 1995: Leave My Kitten Alone (CD-Kojak Variety) Warner Bros


 * 1996
 * 21 March 1996: 13 Steps Lead Down (CD: Brutal Youth) Warner Bros


 * TOTP
 * 08 June 1983 (TOTP) Pills and Soap (29) (as The Imposter)