Elvis Costello - The Trainspotters' News

This Site Has Moved

Mon, 07 Jul 2003 04:23:27 GMT

Elvis Costello News after July 1, 2003 can now be found at our new URL. Try it Here or Here. The full 'Trainspotters' Guide To Elvis Costello' is also back online here.

RSS readers should visit the new site and grab the new RSS/XML URL.

This site will remain here with the archives prior to July 2003. Hopefully these will also be accessible via a search at the new site, but maybe not :-)

Sun, 06 Jul 2003 23:59:37 GMT

Watching the master - Ottawa Bluesfest Review http://www.canoe.ca/JamConcertsA2D/costello_elvis_070503-sun.html

NYTimes on 'The Shape Of Things'

Thu, 03 Jul 2003 16:52:12 GMT

Notorious misanthrope Neil LaBute adapts his own play for the big screen, a kind of curdled parable of sexual cruelty, a gender-reversed variation of LaBute's most searing film "In The Company of Men."

Rachel Weisz stars as a college student and aspiring artist >who uses the timid and insecure Paul Rudd as an experiment in man-molding. There is very little here that's recognizably human.

Elvis Costello, whose songs provide relief from LaBute's dialogue, has managed more corrosive insight in a single verse than LaBute has in entire plays, and more compassion as well. Verdict: C- . (A.O. Scott, The New York Times).
(Submitted by Kelly Hale)

Setlist - Toronto July 2, 2003

Thu, 03 Jul 2003 16:52:11 GMT

Elvis Costello & The Imposters

1. Everybody's Crying Mercy
2. My Dark Life
3. In The Darkest Place
4. Clubland
5. So Like Candy
6. Clown Strike
7. Toledo
8. Dust 2...
9. Pump It Up
10. Either Side Of The Same Town
11. I Can't Stand Up For Falling Down
12. Man Out Of Time
13. Indoor Fireworks
14. Sweet Dreams
15. Tart
16. Deep Dark Truthful Mirror / You Really Got A Hold On Me

Encore 1
17. Everyday I Write The Book
18. Pouring Water On A Drowning Man
19. I Hope You're Happy Now

Encore 2
20. Watching The Detectives
21. Almost Blue
22. (What's So Funny, 'Bout) Peace, Love & Understanding?

Thu, 03 Jul 2003 13:18:44 GMT

Toronto Review - Thu, July 3, 2003 Elvis pumps it up - Superb artist presents old songs in brand new ways - By JANE STEVENSON Elvis Costello may have a classic songbook that stretches back 26 years but he wanted to make one thing perfectly clear last night at the Hummingbird Centre: "We don't do requests." This clarification came after some audience members had clumsily spent the first part of his two-hour concert shouting out song titles during some of the show's more delicate pauses despite the fact that the British singer-songwriter was doing just fine without their guidance. In fact, last night was probably the most vocally strong I've ever heard Costello -- or maybe it was just that I could hear him so well in the intimate and acoustically perfect surroundings -- as he expertly crooned his way through both more obscure songs and familiar hits, the latter for the most part dramatically rearranged. Thus you had a strangely slowed down version of the normally blistering Pump It Up , a more playful and sped-up rendition of Everyday I Write The Book and a downright jazzy, finger-snapping run-through of Watching The Detectives. In between, Costello and The Imposters -- Attractions keyboardist Steve Nieve and drummer Pete Thomas, along with new bassist Davey Faragher (Cracker) -- never failed to entertain. COSTELLO SEDUCED THE CROWD It was more like a complete and utter seduction really as Costello -- dressed in head-to-toe black save for red cowboy boots -- coerced the crowd into singalongs on tunes ranging from Tart -- from 2002's When I Was Cruel - - to the Beatles' You Really Got A Hold On Me. Costello was equally at his intoxicating best on both pretty and caustic pop ballads like My Dark Life, In The Darkest Place, So Like Candy, Toledo and Indoor Fireworks, and the more uptempo Dust 2, I Can't Stand Up (For Falling Down) and I Hope You're Happy Now. Since Costello played here a little over a year ago at the Molson Amphitheatre, he's become engaged to Canadian jazz-pop pianist Diana Krall and he'll follow up When I Was Cruel with North, an album said to be influenced by her since it features 11 piano-based ballads. All I care about is that he returns to perform again, and soon, because, frankly, there are few showmen like him as he so capably demonstrated during the show-ending (What's So Funny 'Bout) Peace, Love & Understanding.

Thu, 03 Jul 2003 13:18:43 GMT

Almost Blue cover by Cathie Rae - Download Now Cathie Rae's cover of Almost Blue is available for download on the Jazz Base Scotland website: http://www.jazzbase-scotland.co.uk/cr_01_sounds.html mp3 - 5.1mb (Submitted by John Harrison)

Sat, 28 Jun 2003 19:30:43 GMT

A tale about Elvis and John Martyn Irish singer/songwriter Mark Geary (see Mahttp://www.markgeary.com/html/) tells the following story in a Dublin Event Guide feature on music festivals : What`s been your best festival experience? Well I`m sorry to say that I`ve been to a few festivals , `cause I`m usually broke and playing gigs meself , but me fave experience was in New York at The Guinness Festival a few years back ( 1999). I had a little room beside Elvis Costello and after I came off stage and was hiding in me little room there was a knock on the door and there Elvis was with John Martyn. They asked if they could come in and borrow me guitar for a few mins as their gear was already on stage , so I sat there and listened to them rehearse their sets and drink all me beer. Lovely. (Submitted by John Foyle)

Dylan's 'Masked and Anonymous'

Sat, 28 Jun 2003 14:55:59 GMT

Movie Trailer (QuickTime)
Order Soundtrack:
Official Homepage : Another one
Fan Page
Bob Who?

`She` on another compilation

Sat, 28 Jun 2003 14:55:58 GMT

Fri, 27 Jun 2003 22:36:24 GMT

Reuters: Costello Heads 'North' on New Album http://reuters.com/newsArticle.jhtml?type=musicNews&storyID)92233 Costello Heads 'North' on New Album Thu June 26, 2003 04:10 AM ET By Barry A. Jeckell NEW YORK (Billboard) - Elvis Costello has dubbed his upcoming album "North." Due Sept. 23 via Deutsche Grammophon, the album is comprised solely of ballads. "The record begins with a song called 'You Left Me In the Dark' and ends with a track called 'I'm In the Mood Again,"' Costello explained in a statement. "You have to listen to what goes on in between to find out why." The collection will feature instrumentation ranging from a solo piano to an enormous ensemble. Along with frequent collaborator and Attractions/Imposters keyboardist Steve Nieve, "North" features drummer Peter Erskine and double-bassist Mike Formanek, as well as Costello's own piano work on the songs "Let Me Tell You About Her" and "I'm In the Mood Again." Written over the final months of 2002 and recorded in New York in April and May, the album reunites Costello with the Brodksy Quartet. He last worked with the string ensemble on 1993's "Juliet Letters" (Warner Bros.). On "North," the group performs parts co-written by Nieve on the track "Still." Costello and the Imposters begin a summer North American tour July 2 in Toronto. It comes in support of the group's 2002 Island album "When I Was Cruel," which debuted at No. 20 on The Billboard 200. Reuters/Billboard (Submitted by David Caplan)

Lyrics to North (Unreleased Costello LP)

Fri, 27 Jun 2003 19:33:11 GMT

The always amazing elvis costello homepage has the scoop on lyrics to the upcoming Elvis Costello CD North.

Mr. Pete Thomas in Rolling Stone....on page "45" !!

Sun, 22 Jun 2003 05:26:12 GMT

Ad of Sirius satellite radio.

It Says "Pete Thomas / drummer/percussionist - stream presets_alt nation/organic rock/pure jazz/universo latino

Hometown: Sheffield, England. Has played in Elvis Costello's bands since 1977. Fueled the Punk and Post Punk eras for nearly a decade. Session collaborations include: The Vines, Los Lobos, Sheryl Crow, Bonnie Raitt and his Alt Country band Jack Sh*t. Rock-n-Roll Hall of Fame inductee."
(Submitted by Greg Odegaard)

The new album - Official PR statement

Sun, 22 Jun 2003 05:26:10 GMT

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE June 17, 2003
NEW ELVIS COSTELLO ALBUM 'NORTH' SET FOR SEPTEMBER 23 RELEASE BY DEUTSCHE GRAMMOPHON

The new Elvis Costello album 'North' is to be released on September 23rd by Deutsche Grammophon. The record presents eleven new compositions written at the piano by Costello between Autumn 2002 and New Year's Day 2003. The album, which features Steve Nieve on piano, Peter Erskine on drums and Mike Formanek on double bass, displays a tender and intimate vocal side never before showcased on record as the eleven ballads are sung predominately in his baritone register.

The instrumentation on the album ranges from solo piano to a forty-eight piece ensemble, composed of a rhythm section, horn nonet and twenty-eight string players. All the orchestrations were arranged and conducted by Costello. The horn nonet consists of alto flute, Bb flat clarinet, bass clarinet, alto saxophone, tenor saxophone, Flugel Horn, two French Horns and trombone.

The featured soloists include Lee Konitz on alto saxophone ('Someone Took The Words Away') and Lew Soloff on Harmon-muted trumpet ('Let Me Tell You About Her'). Elvis is reunited with The Brodsky Quartet on 'Still,' the string parts for which were co-written with Steve Nieve. Elvis plays piano on 'Let Me Tell You AboutHer' and 'I'm In The Mood Again' but there are less than 12 bars of electric guitar on the entire record.

The album was recorded at Avatar Studios and Nola Recording in New York City between April and May and produced by Elvis Costello and Kevin Killen, who engineered and mixed the record. Describing the contents of the album, Costello said "The record begins with a song called 'You Left Me In The Dark' and ends with a track called 'I'm In The Mood Again.' You have to listen to what goes on in between to find out why." Asked about the significance of the title 'North,' Costello replied "That's Where I'm Headed."

In May, at the 20th Annual ASCAP Pop Music Awards in Los Angeles, Elvis received the Founders Award, which honors pioneering songwriters who have made exceptional contributions to music. Past Founders Award recipients include James Taylor, Burt Bacharach & Hal David, Stevie Wonder, Tom Waits, Joni Mitchell, Leiber & Stoller, Quincy Jones and Walter Becker and Donald Fagen to name a few.

New album Elvis Costello Album: North

Sun, 22 Jun 2003 03:24:31 GMT

The website of HMV Japan now has some information about EC's new album, which is titled 'North'. Due in Japan Sept 10, 2003. The page has titles of all songs in the album, but unfortunately they are all written in the Japanese letters. I'm translating the information into English here, so there may be some mistakes.

1) Prelude/ You left me in the dark
2) Someone took the words away
3) When did I stop dreaming
4) You turned to me
5) Fallen
6) When it sings
7) Still
8) Let me tell you about her
9) Can you be true?
10) When green eyes turn blue
11) I'm in the mood again
12) Impatience
13) Too Blue (bonus track to Japanese edition)
14) North (special track available from the Internet)

The artists who play in this album are; Brodsky Quartet, Lee Connits (I don't know how to spell) (sax), Steve Nieve (p), Pete Thomas (ds), Marc Ribot (g), Mingus Big Band, and Jazz Passengers. The album will be released 10th September in Japan from Universal Records. (in Japanese)

(Submitted by Ayako Sasamoto)