Elvis Costello wins Grammy for Best Pop Collaboration with Vocals
Guardian, 1999-02-26
- Dan Glaister

 

Costello shows he still has what it takes

By Dan Glaister, Arts Correspondent

Friday February 26, 1999

After a career of more than 20 years, spanning new wave, classical, country and western, ballads, and pure pop, Elvis Costello yesterday won his first Grammy award, the American equivalent of the Brits.

The singer and songwriter won the Grammy for pop collaboration with vocals for his duet with the veteran American songwriter Burt Bacharach, on the song I Still Have That Other Girl.

Costello's was a rare male voice in a night dominated by female artists. Rap singer Lauryn Hill set a record for female artists, winning five Grammies, including album of the year for The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill, and best new artist.

Celine Dion won best female pop vocal award for My Heart Will Go On, from Titanic, while James Horner and WIll Jennings won a songwriting Grammy for the same song.

Madonna took three Grammies, including best pop album and best dance record, for her Ray Of Light album.

Other female winners included Alanis Morissette for best rock song and female rock vocal.

Predictably Eric Clapton won a Grammy, his 12th of the 1990s, best male pop vocal for My Father's Eyes.

Other British veterans to take awards were former Led Zeppelin members Robert Plant and Jimmy Page, who won the best hard rock performance for a song called Most High.

There was good news for a more obscure British veteran. Songwriter Dave Curtiss wrote Sepheryn 20 years ago, when it was recorded by a combo called Curtiss Maldoon.

More than 25 years after its first release, the song was picked up by William Orbit, producer of Madonna's Ray Of Light, who turned the song into the title track of her Grammy-winning album.

His original album is set for re-release, and, he says, there has been interest in his new material.

© Copyright Guardian Media Group plc. 1999