No 1, July 2, 1983

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No 1

UK & Ireland magazines

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Elvis comes clean


No 1

At last The Imposter comes clean! This week Elvis Costello releases a single under his own name, a follow-up to "Pills And Soap" and a taster for the forthcoming album Punch The Clock, released on July 29. The single is entitled "Everyday I Write The Book" and is backed by "Heathen Town," a song not on the album.

Single and album are on the F-Beat label, now licensed to RCA, and produced by Clive Langer and Alan Winstanley of Madness and Dexys fame.

Punch The Clock includes a version of "Pills And Soap" and Costello's own reading of the song he and Langer wrote for Robert Wyatt, "Shipbuilding." By all reports, Elvis' new material owes something to the soul vein of the earlier Get Happy album and will be followed by some live dates with the Attractions later this year.


Tags: Punch The ClockEveryday I Write The BookThe AttractionsThe ImposterPills And SoapHeathen TownShipbuildingRobert WyattF-BeatClive LangerAlan WinstanleyMadnessDexys Midnight Runners(I Don't Want To Go To) ChelseaGet Happy!!

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No 1, July 2, 1983


No 1 notes the release of "Everyday I Write The Book" and previews Punch The Clock.


Phil McNeill reviews "Everyday I Write The Book"; the lyrics appear on page 30.


"Pills And Soap" is No. 26 on the singles chart and No. 2 on the independent singles chart.

Images

1983-07-02 No 1 page 05 clipping 01.jpgpage 30 - lyrics
Clippings.


Everyday I Write The Book

Elvis Costello And The Attractions

Phil McNeill

1983-07-02 No 1 page 30 clipping 01.jpg

How does an Angry Young Man grow up?

Obviously Elvis Costello can't keep spitting vitriol like "I Don't Want To Go To Chelsea" when in rock terms he's nearly a pensioner, but his low-key '80s image just doesn't excite us record-buyers.

It's taken the radical politics and radical musical departures of Robert Wyatt's "Shipbuilding" and The Imposter's "Pills And Soap" to drag him back into fashion.

So now Elvis tries again with a more familiar sound. "Everyday I Write The Book" is a clever, wordy song set to a stiflingly tight soul rhythm. Like much of Elvis' recent material, it's very good but very boring.

Six months ago it wouldn't have got a sniff at the charts. Now it should get to number eight.


Cover and page scans.
1983-07-02 No 1 cover.jpg 1983-07-02 No 1 page 05.jpg 1983-07-02 No 1 page 30.jpg

Chart pages.
1983-07-02 No 1 page 46.jpg 1983-07-02 No 1 page 47.jpg

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