Almost Blue (song)

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Almost blue
Almost doing things we used to do
There's a girl here and she's almost you
Almost
All the things that your eyes once promised
I see in hers too
Now your eyes are red from crying

Almost blue
Flirting with this disaster became me
It named me as the fool who only aimed to be

Almost blue
It's almost touching it will almost do
There's a part of me that's always true... always
Not all good things come to an end now, it is only a chosen few
I have seen such an unhappy couple

Almost me
Almost you
Almost blue


Alternate lyric, sung by Chet Baker:

Almost blue
Almost doing things we used to do
There's a girl here and she's almost you
Almost
All the things that you promised with your eyes
I see in hers too
Now your eyes are red from crying

Almost Blue
Written byElvis Costello
Performed byElvis Costello & The Attractions
Produced byGeoff Emerick from an original idea by Elvis Costello
MusiciansElvis Costello - vocal, guitar
Steve Nieve - keyboards
Bruce Thomas - bass
Pete Thomas - drums
RecordedNovember 1981, AIR Studios, London
ReleasedJuly 2, 1982
AlbumsImperial Bedroom, 1982
SinglesBaby Plays Around, 1989
Deep Dark Truthful Mirror, 1989
CollectionsThe Best Of Elvis Costello & The Attractions, 1985
Girls Girls Girls, 1999
The Very Best Of Elvis Costello, 1999
The Best Of Elvis Costello The First 10 Years, 2007
Unfaithful Music & Soundtrack Album, 2015
SoundtracksSoloalbum: Die Musik Zum Film, 2003 (Germany)
PromosA Conversation With Elvis Costello, 1982
UK Elvis Costello, 2002
Selections From Armed Forces - Imperial Bedroom - Mighty Like A Rose, 2002
Length2:46

First known performance:
December 21, 1981, Guildford, England
Last known performance:
2024
     (526 known performances, 1 as a snippet)


Alternate versions

Almost Blue (Live in Sydney)
Performed byElvis Costello & The Imposters
MusiciansElvis Costello - vocal, guitar
Steve Nieve - keyboards, melodica
Davey Faragher - bass
Pete Thomas - drums
RecordedJuly 13, 2002, Sydney, Australia
ReleasedOctober 1, 2002
AlbumsCruel Smile
Length5:04

Almost Blue (Piano Jazz version)
Performed byElvis Costello & Marian McPartland
Produced byShari Hutchinson
MusiciansElvis Costello - vocal, guitar
Marian McPartland - piano
RecordedMay 3, 2003, Manhattan Studio, New York
ReleasedJuly 12, 2005
AlbumsPiano Jazz: Costello/McPartland
Length2:48

Almost Blue (Live 2004)
Performed byElvis Costello with The Metropole Orkest
Produced byGert-Jan van den Dolder
Arranged byElvis Costello
MusiciansElvis Costello - vocal
Steve Nieve - piano, melodica solo
The Metropole Orkest
Vince Mendoza - conductor
Ruud Breuls - trumpet solo
RecordedJuly 9, 2004, The Hague, Netherlands
ReleasedJanuary 13, 2006
AlbumsMy Flame Burns Blue, 2006
Length5:47
Imperial BedroomIB album cover large.jpg

A Conversation With Elvis CostelloA Conversation With Elvis Costello album cover.jpg

The Best Of Elvis Costello & The AttractionsBOEC album cover 200.jpg

Single: Baby Plays AroundBaby Plays Around UK 7" single front sleeve.jpg

Single: Deep Dark Truthful MirrorDeep Dark Truthful Mirror Germany 3" CD single front.jpg

Girls Girls GirlsGGG album cover 300.jpg

The Very Best Of Elvis Costello, 1999The Very Best Of Elvis Costello (2CD) album cover.jpg

Cruel Smile2002 Cruel Smile Album small.jpg

Piano Jazz: Costello/McPartlandPiano Jazz.jpg

My Flame Burns BlueMy Flame Burns Blue album cover.jpg

The Best Of Elvis Costello The First 10 YearsThe Best Of Elvis Costello The First 10 Years album cover.jpg

Unfaithful Music & Soundtrack AlbumUnfaithful Music & Soundtrack Album album cover.jpg

Covers

Les Amuse Girls Shoot Le Pianiste 2002 AllMusicinfoAmazon.uk
Anna-Lisa Shades of Blue 2000 AllMusicAmazon
Aslan Ahmadov (Аслан Ахмадов) My Favourite Jazz 2010 YouTubeaslanahmadov.ru
Chet Baker Let's Get Lost  soundtrack 1989 AllMusicDiscogsAmazonYouTube
Chet Baker Almost Blue  promo, 12" 1989 Discogs
Chet Baker Chet Baker In Tokyo 1987 AllMusicAmazonYouTube
Chet Baker Career: 1952-1988 2005 AllMusicAmazon
Chet Baker Almost Blue: Best of Chet Baker 2004 AllMusicAmazon
Chet Baker Bespoke Songs, Lost Dogs, Detours & RendezvousVarious artists 1998 AllmusicAmazonAmazon.uk
Matt Baker Almost Blue 2016 Bandcamp.com
Joe Barbieri Chet Lives! 2013 Amazon
Barnicle Bill Trio John Engels Barnicle Bill 2010 MySpaceTrytoneCDbaby
Barnicle Bill Trio performed live, 2010 2010 YouTubeRadio6.nl
Bitsutra Help Yourself 2017 Bandcamp.com
Bluenote Trio performed live, 2003-11-21, Tonic Ball 2, Indianapolis 2003 info needed
Salvatore Bonafede Rememberin' Bicio 2007 AllMusicAmazon
Bonnie Brett performed live, 2003, Living Arts Centre, Mississauga, Canada 2003 info needed
Matt Brown Theme Music Groupon Facebook 2013 YouTube
Shannon Butcher Butcher Sings Baker 2013 Amazon
Curtis Calderon Lost Soul: A Tribute to Chet Baker websiteinfo
Lu Campbell This Town 1998 AllMusicAmazon
Maye Cavallaro & Mimi Fox Hearts 2003 AllMusicAmazon
Fay Claassen Two Portraits Of Chet Baker 2006 AllMusicAmazonAmazon.uk
Jim Connerley Private Party 2010 websiteAmazon
Laura Crema Almost Blue 2003 website mp3 CDbabyAmazon
Roy Cruz cruzmusic.nl 2012 YouTubeMySpace
Maria Pia De Vito Jazz Italiano Live 2007 2007 infoinfo
Shamus Dark MySpace
Mary Ellen Desmond Darn That Dream 1998 AllMusicAmazon
Kate Dimbleby Good Vibrations 2000 AllMusicAmazon
Cyndy Duerfeldt Deep In A Dream 2009 AllMusicAmazon
Everything But The Girl 82-92 Essence & Rare 1992 AllMusicAmazon
Everything But The Girl Like The Deserts Miss The Rain (compilation) 2002 AllMusicDiscogs
Everything But The Girl I Always Was Your Girl (CDS) 1988 Discogs
Betsyann Faiella performed live, 2002-05-20, The Gardenia, Los Angeles 2002 ...But the most appealing aspect of Faiella's program was the inclusion of such superb classics as Mancini's "Two for the Road" (with lyrics by Leslie Bricusse), Rodgers & Hart's "It Never Entered My Mind" (with unusual new lyrics by Annie Ross) and Rae & DePaul's "You Don't Know What Love Is" (intriguingly appended to Elvis Costello's "Almost Blue")... LATimes.com
Steve Fairclough & Steve Lockwood performed live, 2008-11-00, Acoustic Avalon, Leicester, UK 2008 YouTube
Samantha Fierke Sam 2018 Apple MusicAmazonYouTube
Suzanne Fiore Live At The Metropolitan Room 2008 eMusicAmazon
James Fry Ballads 2007 inforeview
Giacomo Gates Everything is Cool 2015 AllMusicAmazon
Caesar Gergess & The Dusk Wanderers Journeys by Night 2011 YouTubeBandcampAmazon
Philip Harper The Thirteenth Moon 1994 AllMusicAmazon
Hey Stella Hey Stella 2001 info
Simon Höfele and Frank Dupree Salted Caramel 2022 YouTubeinfoAmazonAmazon.uk
Jazz Jousters Almost Blue 2012 Bandcamp.com
Gabriel Johnson performed live, 2013-11-02, Alvas Showroom, San Pedro, California 2013 YouTube
Gabriel Johnson Alone Together 2014 websiteYouTube
Marc Jordan This Is How Men Cry 1999 AllMusicAmazon
JvD4 performed live, 2022-02-06, Matthijs Gaat Door, NPO1 TV, Netherlands 2022 AllMusicYouTube
Diana Krall The Girl In The Other Room 2004 AllMusicAmazonAmazon.UK
Diana Krall performed live, Yoshi's, Oakland, CA, 2003-05-29 2003 link
Elissa Lala Touch Of Your Voice: New Takes On Chet Baker 2005 AllMusicAmazon
Daniel Lapp Quartet Best of Merry CHETmas: A Tribute To Chet Baker 2002 AllMusicAmazon
Jennifer Jason Leigh GeorgiaSoundtrack / Various artists 1996 AllMusicDiscogsAmazon
Jeanette Lindström Feathers 2000 AllMusicwebsite
Luisa Longo Hear Me 2006 AllMusicAmazon
Ingrid Lucia Almost Blue 2004 AllMusicAmazon
Jim MacDougall Dish.....Itnomo 2006 AllMusicAmazon
Manson Ensemble, vocalist Olivia Chaney performed live, 2003-06-20, London; Dominic Muldowney, conductor 2003 arranged by Ben Foskett
Thomas Marriott Flexicon 2009 AllMusic
Sue Matsuki performed live, 2004-04-22, Le Dome at The Manor, West Orange, New Jersey 2004 ...when was the last time a cabaret entertainer mixed the likes of Irving Berlin and Elvis Costello? ... Delivering a "blue" period that would make a Picasso drool, Matsuki shifted styles and eras with "Too Young For The Blues," "Almost Blue," "Bluesette," and "Shakin’ The Blues Away" ... SueMatsuki.com
Meredith McCall The Joy In Your Heart 2006 CDbabyAmazon
Elizabeth McQueen Happy Doing What We're Doing 2005 AllMusicAmazon
Mike Melillo Almost Blue 2000 AllMusicAmazon
Cava Menzies & Nick Phillips Moment to Moment 2014 Amazon
Mr Milk acoustic performance 2011 YouTubeMySpace
Alison Moyet Voice 2004 AllMusicAmazon
Alison Moyet performed live, 2008-10-07, Blender Theater at Gramercy, New York. 2008 YouTube
Alison Moyet performed live, 2013-05-10, Hackney Empire, London 2013 YouTube
Alison Moyet performed live, 2013-06-13, Tate Modern, Bankside, London 2013 YouTube
Nadin Band performed live, 2014-01-12, Pub Club "Graffiti", Minsk, Belarus 2014 websiteYouTube
GT Nash After Blue 2003 Amazon
Neongee Beatz Revenge The Beat Tape 2017 Bandcamp.com
The Night Of The Vampire The Chet Baker Special 2022 qobuzSpotifyYouTube
Ivette Oliveras performed live, 2008-10-04, Metropolitan Room, New York 2008 YouTubeMySpace
Karin Ottelohe Nothing Really Ends 2011 jazzinbelgium.comAmazon.ukiTunes
David Patrone Live at Barona Casino info neededwebsite
Cathie Rae Time Out 2002 jazzcds.co.uk
Dmitriy Raif studio recording 2018 YouTube
The Reputation The Reputation 2002 AllMusicAmazon
The Ritz Almost Blue 1991 AllMusicAmazon
Mae Robertson Meet The Sun Halfway 2008 websiteAllMusicAmazon
Veronica Romaniuk studio recording 2017 YouTube
RP5 Resetarits Puschnig Quintett Almost Blue 2000 websiteAmazon.de
Roswell Rudd Broad Strokes 2000 AllMusicAmazon
Sacré Choeur On A Higher Breeze... 1991 iTunes
Jan Urila Sas BAOSM​-​DMYD​-​EP 2015 Bandcamp.com
Jimmy Scott Holding Back The Years 1998 AllMusicAmazon
Erich Sellheim home studio production, sung in German 2016 YouTube
Kendra Shank Afterglow 1992 AllMusicAmazon
Fulvio Sigurtà, Claudio Filippini Through The Journey 2012 Amazon
Corry Sobol Sextet Streetcar Tracks 1991 AllMusicAmazonwebsite
Gwen Stefani Stormy WeatherVarious artists 1998 AllMusicAmazon
Dean Stevenson performed live, 2008, Hobart, Australia 2008 AllMusicYouTube
Victor Stranges & The Futurists performed live, Elvis Costello tribute show, 2022-09-18 Melbourne, VIC, Australia 2022 YouTubeinfo
Liz Terrell It's Alright With Me 2022 AmazonAmazon.ukwebsite
Kurt Thompson single release 2019 Apple MusicYouTubeYouTube
Rob van Bavel Almost Blue 2005 millisong.com
Yann Viet studio recording, 2017-05-19, Montreuil, France, for release on a solo album in 2018. 2017 YouTubeWebsiteinfo
Jill Walsh Two For The Road 2008 AllMusicbluemusicgroup.comAmazon
Jill Walsh Live Jazz On Broadway 2009 bluemusicgroup.com
Jill Walsh BalladsVarious artists 2009 bluemusicgroup.com
Joseph Walsh Forgotten In Manhattan 2003 Amazon
Michael Weston King They Call Her Natasha - live stage show in Liverpool and London 2011 For future release
Judy Wexler Dreams & Shadows 2008 AllMusicAmazonwebsite
Jim White Songs My Mother Sang 2006 AllMusicAmazon
Carrie Wicks I'll Get Around To It 2010 AllMusicAmazon
Janine Wilson The Blue Album 2000 AllMusicAmazon

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