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Some good EC Web sites

- EC's o-fficial site
- A good EC site
- Wikipedia on EC
- Bright Blue Times
- Good article on EC
- On MySpace, check out these very active Elvis Costello groups: "Elvis Costello" (several hundred members), and "Elvis Costello - the Real King" (several hundred members).

'Scarlet Tide' video

During a live performance on the Today Show (July 21, 2005), Costello expressed his feelings about the Iraq War by changing the lyrics of his Oscar-nominated song (from "Cold Mountain"), "Scarlet Tide." (watch the video). Later, he explained what he did, saying, "At 2 a.m. on the 21st July, I woke up and re-wrote a few lines of 'The Scarlet Tide' to reflect the frustration that I sense with the disastrous and dishonest prosecution of a war, an action that might have been thought treasonous in saner times."

The original lyrics are:

Man has no choice,
When he wants everything.

The rewritten lyrics are:

Admit you lied,
And bring the boys back home.






Other EC video performances

Check out this energetic 2005 live performance of "Peace, Love, and Understanding" from the "Club Date: Live in Memphis" DVD on iFilm.

From the same Memphis DVD, here's "Alison-Suspicious Minds."

Here's a cheesy, late '70s music video of "Pump It Up."

Another late '70s music video: "Radio, Radio."


Some cool live audio

Here are some rare, live Elvis Costello performances.

Accidents Will Happen
Alison (Bridge School Concerts) recommended
All This Useless Beauty (Conan) recommended
Baby Plays Around
God Only Knows (with Brodsky Quartet) recommended
Chelsea (fast)
Everyday I Write the Book (Woodstock)
Girl's Talk
I Stand Accused ('79)
I Want You (London)
Less Than Zero (Dallas version) recommended
Lipstick Vogue
Little Atoms (acoustic)
Man Out of Time recommended
Mystery Dance
No Action
Oliver's Army (acoustic)

 

- Elvis stuff you might not have known

Costello gets banned from SNL - On December 17, 1977, Elvis Costello and The Attractions appeared on Saturday Night Live as a last-minute fill-in for the Sex Pistols. (Problems with the Sex Pistols' various criminal records made getting visas difficult.) Costello was interested in playing "Radio Radio." Columbia Records, Costello's US label, was interested in having an already-established hit be performed on SNL to stoke the fires of interest in the fanbase, and suggested Costello play something from his debut album "My Aim Is True."

That night on SNL, Costello first performed Watching the Detectives (see the video on You Tube). Later in the show, he began the second song of the evening by playing "Less than Zero." However, after a few bars, he brought the band to an awkward halt, yelling "Stop! Stop!," then said to the audience, "I'm sorry, ladies and gentlemen, there's no reason to do this song here." He then led the band in a performance of "Radio Radio." Listen to the original recording from SNL or watch the video on You Tube. Costello was banned from Saturday Night Live for 12 years, probably more for annoying producer Lorne Michaels than actually for the song's anti-broadcasting message.

Read the humorous encounter that transpired when Costello was invited back to play for SNL's 25th anniversary show.

 

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