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.
Burt Freeman Bacharach was an American composer, songwriter, record producer, and pianist who is widely regarded as one of the most important and influential figures of 20th-century popular music. Starting in the 1950s, he composed hundreds of pop songs, many in collaboration with lyricist Hal David. Bacharach's music is characterized by unusual chord progressions and time signature changes, influenced by his background in jazz, and uncommon selections of instruments for small orchestras. He arranged, conducted, and produced much of his recorded output.
Almost Blue is the sixth studio album by the English singer-songwriter Elvis Costello, and his fifth with the Attractions—keyboardist Steve Nieve, bassist Bruce Thomas and drummer Pete Thomas. It was recorded in May 1981 in Nashville, Tennessee, and released in October the same year. A departure from Costello's previous works, it is a covers album composed entirely of country music songs, including works written by Hank Williams and George Jones. The project originated with Costello's desire to record a collection of covers after his two previous studio albums commercially underperformed following Armed Forces (1979).
King of America is the tenth studio album by the English singer-songwriter Elvis Costello, released on 21 February 1986. Co-produced by Costello and T Bone Burnett, the album originated following a series of tours the two made under the name "the Coward Brothers". Recording took place in mid-1985 at various studios in Los Angeles, California, with a group of American session musicians dubbed "the Confederates". Selected by Burnett, they included Ray Brown, Earl Palmer and former members of Elvis Presley's TCB Band. Costello's regular backing band, the Attractions, were intended to appear on half of the album before poor sessions led to them appearing on only one track, "Suit of Lights".
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.
Steve Nieve is an English musician and composer. In a career spanning more than 40 years, Nieve has been a member of Elvis Costello's backing bands the Attractions and the Imposters, as well as Madness. He has also experienced success as a prolific session musician, featured on a wide array of other artists' recordings.
Goodbye Cruel World is the ninth studio album by the English singer-songwriter Elvis Costello, and his eighth with the Attractions—keyboardist Steve Nieve, bassist Bruce Thomas and drummer Pete Thomas. It was released on 18 June 1984 through F-Beat Records in the United Kingdom and Columbia Records in the United States. Produced by Clive Langer and Alan Winstanley, who returned from 1983's Punch the Clock, the album was recorded at London's Sarm West Studios in March 1984 during a period of turmoil for the artist. The problematic sessions included disagreements between Costello and the producers over the album's direction and high tensions amongst the Attractions.
Painted from Memory is a collaboration album by Elvis Costello and Burt Bacharach, released on 29 September 1998 through Mercury Records, a division of Universal Music Group.
The Delivery Man is the 21st studio album by Elvis Costello, released on 21 September 2004 through Lost Highway Records. It was recorded with the Imposters at Sweet Tea Studio in Oxford, Mississippi. It peaked at No. 40 on the Billboard 200.
My Flame Burns Blue is the twenty-second album by Elvis Costello, released on Deutsche Grammophon. It consists of recordings from the North Sea Jazz Festival in July 2004, made with Steve Nieve and The Metropole Orkest conducted by Vince Mendoza. It peaked at No. 2 on the Billboard Jazz albums chart and at No. 188 on the Billboard 200.
Cruel Smile is a compilation album by Elvis Costello and the Imposters, released in 2002. It consists of B-sides and leftover material from the When I Was Cruel sessions.
The Juliet Letters is a studio album by the British rock singer and songwriter Elvis Costello and British string quartet Brodsky Quartet, released in 1993 by Warner Bros. Records. Costello described the album as "a song sequence for string quartet and voice and it has a title. It's a little bit different. It's not a rock opera. It's a new thing." It peaked at No. 18 on the UK Albums Chart, and at No. 125 on the Billboard 200.
Costello & Nieve is a limited edition five-disc live album by Elvis Costello and Steve Nieve, released in 1996. It was recorded in Los Angeles, San Francisco, Chicago, Boston and New York City.
Live at the El Mocambo is a 1993 live album by Elvis Costello and the Attractions. Recorded on March 6, 1978, from a live radio broadcast by CHUM-FM in Toronto. A tape of the broadcast was obtained by the Canadian division of CBS records and released as an exclusive Canadian promotional album in the same year. As the show's fame began to grow, it became heavily bootlegged.
The discography of the English singer-songwriter Elvis Costello includes 33 studio albums, 6 live albums, 17 compilation albums, 6 tribute albums, 2 extended plays, 62 singles and 4 box sets. This page distinguishes between United States and United Kingdom release dates and record labels. Of note are the reissue series, Costello's back catalogue having undergone reissue three times by three different companies.
"Watching the Detectives" is a 1977 single by English singer-songwriter Elvis Costello. Inspired by the Clash and Bernard Herrmann, the song features a reggae beat and cynical lyrics.
National Ransom is a studio album by English singer-songwriter Elvis Costello, released on 25 October 2010 through the Hear Music label. It was recorded in Nashville and Los Angeles with American songwriter and producer T Bone Burnett. The album's cover art is made by Maakies creator Tony Millionaire.
At This Time is an album by American pianist, composer and music producer Burt Bacharach, released in 2005 through Columbia Records. Guests include Elvis Costello and Rufus Wainwright. In 2006, it won a Grammy Award for Best Pop Instrumental Album.
Look Now is the 30th studio album by English singer-songwriter Elvis Costello and The Imposters, released on 12 October 2018. Look Now was the first studio album released by Costello since 2013. The album was co-produced by Costello and Sebastian Krys.
"Jack of All Parades" is a song by English singer-songwriter Elvis Costello, which was released on his tenth studio album King of America (1986). The song was written by Costello, credited under his real name Declan MacManus, and produced by T Bone Burnett, Costello and Larry Kalman Hirsch. As a musician, Costello is credited on the track as "The Little Hands of Concrete". It is a love song, inspired by his new relationship with Cait O'Riordan of the Pogues, and is unusual in Costello's catalogue for being a positive love song.
