Last year, Elvis Costello made an extraordinary appearance on country singer George Jones' album My Very Special Guests. At the Wembley Country bash at Easter, the pair were noticed canoodling at some length backstage. Clearly, they can't get enough of each other's company.
When George was invited to host a television special in Los Angeles earlier this month, who should he put at the top of the old guest list? Elvis!
Elvoid turned up with the Attractions, some old chum by the name of Nick Lowe and John Hiatt. El and the chaps turned in versions of "He's Got You" and "Tonight The Bottle Let Me Down." Elvis later joined George Jones for a vocal twosome on "Stranger In The House."
Costello didn't hang around LA for too long, he was quickly off to Nashville where even as we type he's recording a country album with Billy Sherrill, probably country music's top producer. So far we know that the Attractions are definitely still in the picture and that the only addition to the studio line-up is guitarist/pedal steel player John McFee.
Formerly a member of Clover, the band who played on My Aim Is True (McFee was responsible for the memorable guitar solo on "Alison"), McFee is now with the Doobie Bros. As yet untitled, the new Costello album is apparently being set for what we in the biz usually describe as a "rush release." It might be on the racks within six weeks.
Only one thing puzzles us as the moment: where did Elvis get that hat?
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