Blue Chair

Last updated
"Blue Chair"
Song by Elvis Costello and the Attractions
from the album Blood & Chocolate
Released15 September 1986
RecordedMarch–May 1986
Genre New wave
Length3:42
Label Demon
Songwriter(s) Elvis Costello
Producer(s)
"Blue Chair"
Blue Chair - Elvis Costello (1987 single artwork).jpg
Single by Elvis Costello
B-side "American Without Tears No. 2 (Twilight Version)"
ReleasedJanuary 1987 (January 1987)
RecordedAugust–September 1985; January 1987
Length3:39
Label Demon
Producer(s)
Elvis Costello singles chronology
"I Want You"
(1986)		"Blue Chair"
(1987)		"A Town Called Big Nothing"
(1987)

"Blue Chair" is a song written by new wave musician Elvis Costello and recorded by Costello with his backing band the Attractions. The song first appeared on Costello's 1986 album, Blood & Chocolate . First intended for Costello's previous album King of America , the song was scrapped during that session and reworked with the Attractions around Steve Nieve's piano part.

Contents

After the song appeared as an album track on Blood and Chocolate, Costello reworked the earlier King of America track and released it as a solo single in 1987. The single reached number 94 in Britain. Since its release, the song has been lauded by critics.

Background

"Blue Chair" was first written by Costello for his 1986 album King of America . Costello attempted to record a version of the song with his longstanding backing band, the Attractions, but deemed this version "lacklustre" and scrapped it. [1] Costello then attempted it with the Confederates, a collection of studio musicians with whom he recorded most of King of America. [2] Per Costello, this version remained in the tentative running order for King of America for a long time, but was scrapped late into the album's assembly because "it seemed brash and too eager to please without really doing so." [3] Costello commented in a 1986 interview:

If I was only interested in hits, we'd hove put out "Blue Chair". We had a version of that that sounded to most people like a Top 10 American hit, but I left it off the album because I just didn't think we'd got it right. It lacked a bit of soul, somehow. So I'd rather wait, to get it right. [4]

During the sessions for Costello's next album, Blood & Chocolate , he revived the song. Having reunited with the Attractions for the album, Costello and the band rearranged the song around Steve Nieve's piano part. [5] [6] Costello noted that this "fully realized" [1] new arrangement was inspired by Prince's songs "Manic Monday" and "Raspberry Beret." [7] [8]

Release

"Blue Chair" was first released on Blood & Chocolate in September 1986. Though this version was not released as a single, Costello returned again to the track after the two singles from Blood & Chocolate, "Tokyo Storm Warning" and "I Want You", underachieved commercially. Costello explained,

After the unsurprising commercial failures of both the six minute-plus Blood and Chocolate singles, I decided to look again at the "Blue Chair" backing track scrapped during the King of America sessions. Turning up Mitchell Froom's organ and T-Bone Wolk's overdubbed Telecaster part we filled out some of the space above T-Bone and Mickey Curry's bass and drums. I then re-cut the lead vocal and added a vocal arrangement that took a very distant cue from Sly's "Everyday People". [7]

This new recording of "Blue Chair" was released as a single in January 1987. The single did not reverse Costello's commercial fortunes, only reaching number 94 on the UK charts. This version would appear on the rarities album Out of Our Idiot later that same year, as well as on later expanded editions of Blood & Chocolate. [9] [10]

Critical reception

"Blue Chair" has received critical acclaim since its release. Barry Gutman of the East Coast Rocker described the song as "poppy" in an 1986 article, noting that the song was reminiscent of Costello's 1979 album Armed Forces . [11] Retrospectively, David Gorman of Trunkworthy praised the song as one he could "listen to a dozen times in a row," singling out the single rerecording as his preferred version, asserting that it features "the best singing the man has ever done." [2] Diffuser.fm cited the song as an example of "pretty melodic stuff" on Blood & Chocolate, [12] while Stereogum named it one of the "sneering gems" on the album. [13]

Charts

Chart (1987)Peak
position
UK Singles (OCC) [14] 94

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Elvis Costello</span> English singer-songwriter (born 1954)

Declan Patrick MacManus, known professionally as Elvis Costello, is an English singer, songwriter, record producer, author and television presenter. Per Rolling Stone, Costello "reinvigorated the literate, lyrical traditions of Bob Dylan and Van Morrison with the raw energy and sass that were principal ethics of punk", noting the "construction of his songs, which set densely layered wordplay in an ever-expanding repertoire of styles." His first album, My Aim Is True (1977), is widely regarded as one of the best debuts in popular music history. It spawned no hit singles, but contains some of Costello's best-known songs, including the ballad "Alison". Costello's next two albums, This Year's Model (1978) and Armed Forces (1979), recorded with his backing band the Attractions, helped define the new wave genre. From late 1977 through early 1980, each of the eight singles he released reached the UK Top 30. His biggest hit single, "Oliver's Army" (1979), sold more than 400,000 copies in Britain. He has had more modest commercial success in the US, but has earned much critical praise. From 1977 through the early 2000s, Costello's albums regularly ranked high on the Village Voice Pazz & Jop critics' poll, with This Year's Model and Imperial Bedroom (1982) voted the best album of their respective years. His biggest US hit single, "Veronica" (1989), reached number 19 on the Billboard Hot 100.

<i>Imperial Bedroom</i> 1982 studio album by Elvis Costello and the Attractions

Imperial Bedroom is the seventh studio album by the English singer-songwriter Elvis Costello, and his sixth with the Attractions—keyboardist Steve Nieve, bassist Bruce Thomas and drummer Pete Thomas. It was released on 2 July 1982 through F-Beat Records in the United Kingdom and Columbia Records in the United States. Recording took place at AIR Studios in London from late 1981 to early 1982 with production handled by Geoff Emerick. Placing an emphasis on studio experimentation, the album saw the group use unusual instruments, including harpsichord, accordion and strings arranged by Nieve. Songs were rewritten constantly while Costello tinkered with the recordings, adding numerous overdubs.

<i>Blood & Chocolate</i>

Blood & Chocolate is the eleventh studio album by the English singer-songwriter Elvis Costello, released in 1986 through Demon Records (UK) and Columbia Records (US). It is his ninth album with his long-standing backing band the Attractions. After his previous album King of America with producer T-Bone Burnett and different musicians, this album reunited him with producer Nick Lowe and his usual backing group the Attractions.

<i>King of America</i> 1986 studio album by the Costello Show featuring the Attractions and the Confederates

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The Attractions were an English backing band for the English new wave musician Elvis Costello between 1977 and 1986, and again from 1994 to 1996. They consisted of Steve Nieve (keyboards), Bruce Thomas, and Pete Thomas (drums). They also released one album as an independent entity, without Costello, in 1980.

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References

  1. 1 2 King of America (Liner notes). Elvis Costello. 2005.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  2. 1 2 "The Elvis Costello Song of the Week: Which Blue Becomes You?". Trunkworthy. Retrieved 23 December 2022.
  3. ↑ King of America (Liner notes). Elvis Costello. 1995.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  4. ↑ Jones, Allan (March 1, 1986). "Crown time is over". Melody Maker.
  5. ↑ Blood & Chocolate (Liner notes). Elvis Costello. 2002.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  6. ↑ Thomson 2006.
  7. 1 2 Blood & Chocolate (Liner notes). Elvis Costello. 1995.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  8. ↑ Perone 2015, p. 78.
  9. ↑ Willman, Chris (6 March 1988). "A Cache of Costello Collectibles". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 23 December 2022.
  10. ↑ Erlewine, Stephen Thomas. "Blood & Chocolate [Rhino Bonus Disc] - Elvis Costello, Elvis Costello & the Attractions | Release Info". AllMusic. Retrieved 23 December 2022.
  11. ↑ Gutman, Barry (19 November 1986). "Three nights with Elvis". East Coast Rocker.
  12. ↑ Wawzenek, Bryan (15 September 2016). "30 Years Ago: Elvis Costello Devours 'Blood & Chocolate'". Diffuser.fm. Retrieved 23 December 2022.
  13. ↑ Nelson, Elizabeth; Bracy, Timothy (24 March 2021). "Elvis Costello Best Albums: His Full Discography Ranked". Stereogum. Retrieved 23 December 2022.
  14. ↑ "Official Singles Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 20 December 2022.

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