Spike - Elvis Costello
Release date Media Catalogue number (comments)
1989-02-06 CD Warner 925 848-2
1989-02-06 LP Warner 925 848-1/WX 238 (also available in the US through BMG mail order, no: BMG R100841)
1989-02-06 CAS Warner 925 848-4
1989-__-__ CD Warner PRO-CD-3426 (US promo, tartan picture CD, digipak with booklet)
1989-02-25 CD Warner 25P2-2491 (Japan)
1989-__-__ CAS WEA 9 25948-4 (Singapore)
1995-__-__ CD Warner WPCR 351 (Japan, reissue)
19__-__-__ LP RCA 104.7127 (Brazilian promo, incl. lyrics)
20000-11-__ 3xCD Warner 9362480432 (Australia, 3 For One includes Spike, Mighty Like A Rose and The Juliet Letters)
Tracks:
  1. ...This Town... [4:26]
  2. Let Him Dangle [4:44]
  3. Deep Dark Truthful Mirror [4:03]
  4. Veronica [McCartney/MacManus] [3:10]
  5. God's Comic [5:27]
  6. Chewing Gum [3:43]
  7. Tramp The Dirt Down [5:40]
  8. Stalin Malone [4:04]
  9. Satellite [5:42]
  10. Pads, Paws And Claws [McCartney/MacManus] [2:54]
  11. Baby Plays Around [MacManus/O'Riordan] [2:48]
  12. Miss Macbeth [4:22]
  13. Any King's Shilling [6:03]
  14. Coal Train Robberies [3:15] --- not included on LP version
  15. Last Boat Leaving [3:29]
Producer:
Elvis Costello, Kevin Killen & T-Bone Burnett.
Personnel:
D.P.A.MacManus - Vocals + guitar on tracks 1,4,6,9,10,11,12,13,14,15.
Keyboards on tracks 1,10,14,15.
Tamborine on track 1.
Bass on tracks 5,10.
Bass piano on track 9.
Bass pedals on track 11.
Bells on tracks 11,15.
Mandolin on tracks 12,15.
Lionel Batiste - Bass drum on track 8.
Derek Bell - Irish harp & tiompan on track 13.
Micheal Blair - Percussion on tracks 1,2,3,4,5,6,7,9,10,12,14.
T-Bone Burnett - Guitar on tracks 1,4,14.
Trigger bass on track 10.
Ralph Forbes - Electric drums on tracks 1,9.
Mitchell Froom - Electric piano on track 4,12.
Chamberlain on tracks 4,5,9,12.
Harmonium on tracks 5,7.
Organ on tracks 9,11,12.
Frankie Gavin - Fiddle on track 13.
Willie Green - Drums on track 6.
Chrissie Hynde - Harmony vocal on track 9.
Jim Keltner - Snare drum on tracks 1,3,5,9.
Tom-toms on track 9.
Drums on track 15.
Donal Lunny - Bouzouki on tracks 7,12,13.
Guitar on track 7.
Bodhran on track 12.
Jerry Marotta - Drums on track 2,4,10,14.
Snare drum on track 12.
Jenell Marshall - Snare drum on track 8.
Paul McCartney - Bass on tracks 1,4.
Roger McGuinn - Guitar on track 1.
Christy Moore - Bodhran on track 13.
Buell Niedlinger - Double bass on tracks 5,13.
Cellos on track 5.
Cait O'Riodan - Lunge maracas on track 1.
Marc Ribot - Guitars on tracks 2,6,10.
Spanish guitar & banjo on track 5.
Distant sound on track 7.
Jerry Scheff - Bass on tracks 2,7,10,14.
Davy Spillane - Low whistle on tracks 7,13.
Uileann pipes on tracks 7,12,13.
Benmont Tench - Piano on tracks 2,4,9.
Spinet on tracks 4,9,14.
Clavinet on track 6.
Organ on track 14.
Pete Thomas - Drums on tracks 7,12.
Allen Toussaint - Piano on track 3.
Steve Wickham - Fiddle on tracks 7,12,13.
T-Bone Wolk - Bass on tracks 9,15.
Accordion on track 15.
The Dirty Dozen Brass Band on tracks 3,6,8,12.
Charts:
#5 (UK), #32 (US).
Went gold (100,000 copies) in the UK (date unknown).
Went gold (500,000 copies) in the US in 1989.
Notes:
  • German test pressings of the LP for instore play were issued.
  • At one point Elvis was going to call this album More Important Work. The final title is a nod to Lindley Armstrong 'Spike' Jones, a humourous American bandleader of the 1940s.