Text discography 1981

Stiff EC reissue - Elvis Costello
Record 1 (BUY 11, thin paper ps):
 Less Than Zero
 Radio Sweetheart (single mix)
Record 2 (BUY 14, thin paper ps):
 Alison
 Welcome To The Working Week
Record 3 (BUY 15):
 (The Angels Wanna Wear My) Red Shoes
 Mystery Dance
Record 4 (BUY 20, thin paper ps /w slightly different colours to original):
 Watching The Detectives
 Blame It On Cain (live) - EC+A
 Mystery Dance (live) - EC+A
[1981-__-__; 4x7"; Stiff GRAB3]
Stiff reissue of their 4 EC 7" singles in a 'vertical' plastic holder. On the labels the copyright is given as 'Stiff Records' instead of the original 'Stiff Records Ltd'. There is a stamped "AY 50332" in the runoff groove of all 4 singles, and the original runoff messages do not appear. The covers have an elliptical cutout on the back that's even smaller than the one on the Stiff Box Set No. 2 reissues, except the BUY 15 ('Stiff') sleeve which is identical to the Stiff Box Set No. 2 sleeve. There is no "Delga" mark on the BUY 11 & BUY 15 covers and the photo on the BUY 20 sleeve is beginning to look decidedly sepia! BUY 20 has the words "Made in England" on the label.

Trust - Elvis Costello & The Attractions
Side 1:
 Clubland (3:42)
 Lovers Walk (2:15)
 You'll Never Be A Man (2:54)
 Pretty Words (3:10)
 Strict Time (2:39)
 Luxembourg (2:25)
 Watch Your Step (2:57)
Side 2:
 New Lace Sleeves (3:44)
 From A Whisper To A Scream (2:52)
 Different Finger (1:56)
 White Knuckles (3:46)
 Shot With His Own Gun (3:29)
 Fish 'N' Chip Paper (2:53)
 Big Sister's Clothes (2:09)
[1981-01-__; LP; F-Beat XXLP 11 (UK)]
[1981-__-__; MC; F-Beat XXC 11 (UK)]
[1981-01-__; LP; Columbia 37051 (USA)]
[19__-__-__; LP; F-Beat/Warner-Pioneer P-10965 (Japan)]
[19__-__-__; LP; Half-speed master (Japan)]
[19__-__-__; 8T; Columbia 37051 (USA)]
[1984-04-06; LP; Demon IMP FIEND 30]
[1984-04-__; MC; Demon IMP FIEND CASS 30]
[1986-01-__; CD; Demon IMP FIEND CD 30]
[19__-__-__; LP; Liberation Records LIB 5105 (Australia)]
[19__-__-__; MC; Liberation Records TCLIB 5105 (Australia)]
Produced by Nick Lowe in association with Roger Bechirian.
Reached #9 in UK charts, & #28 in the US.

4 Tracks From The Trust LP - Elvis Costello & The Attractions
 You'll Never Be A Man
 Pretty Words
 From A Whisper To A Scream
 New Lace Sleeves
[1981-01-__; 12"; F-Beat EL-2 (UK, white label promo)]
Cheaply pressed and in a plain white sleeve.

Texas radio promo
 New Lace Sleeves - EC+A
[1981-__-__; 7"; Q-102-EP (US, promo)]

From A Whisper To A Scream single - Elvis Costello & The Attractions
 From A Whisper To A Scream (2:52)
 Luxembourg (2:25)
[1981-02-__; 7"; F-Beat XX14 (UK, ps)]

From A Whisper To A Scream single - Elvis Costello & The Attractions
 From A Whisper To A Scream
 Different Finger
[1981-__-__; 7"; WEA 58260]
[1981-__-__; 7"; F-Beat WEA 18.723 (Holland, ps)]

From A Whisper To A Scream single - Elvis Costello & The Attractions
 From A Whisper To A Scream
 ?
[1981-__-__; 7"; F-Beat CP369 (Spanish promo, ps)]

Watch Your Step - Elvis Costello & The Attractions
 Watch Your Step (2:59)
 Luxembourg (2:27)
[1981-04-__; 7"; Columbia 11-60519 (US, ps)]

Watch Your Step - Elvis Costello & The Attractions
 Watch Your Step (2:59)
 Watch Your Step (2:59)
[1981-__-__; 7"; Columbia 11-60519 (US white label promo)]

The Elvis Costello Interview with Tom Snyder: Tomorrow Coast To Coast
 Interview (11:23)
 Watch Your Step - EC+A
[1981-05-__; 12"; Columbia/CBS AS 958 XSM-168566 (US stickered promo)]
[19__-__-__; CD; Columbia/CBS (US promo)]

Different Finger single - Elvis Costello & The Attractions
 Different Finger
 Different Finger
[1981-__-__; 7"; Columbia DJC4-8435 (Canadian radio promo, standard CBS sleeve)]

Strict Time single - Elvis Costello & The Attractions
 Strict Time
 Fish 'N' Chip Paper
[1981-__-__; 7"; Columbia DJC4-8439 (Canadian promo)]

Alison single
 Alison (US version) (3:05) - EC
 Accidents Will Happen (3:00) - EC+A
[1981-__-__; 7"; Columbia 13-33401 (US/Canada 'Hall Of Fame' reissue, red or grey label)]

Concerts For The People Of Kampuchea - various artists
 The Imposter (live) (2:10) - EC+A
[1981-03-27; 2xLP; Atlantic SD 2-7005 (USA)]
[1981-04-03; 2xLP; Atlantic K60153 (UK)]
[1981-__-__; 2xLP; Atlantic P-5595-6 (Japan)]
[1996-__-__; 2xCD; Hammersmith Music CDP5595]
Bruce Thomas also plays bass on the Rockestra tracks.
Recorded live at the Hammersmith Odeon, London, 29-Dec-79.

Good Year For The Roses single - Elvis Costello & The Attractions
 Good Year For The Roses (Jerry Chesnut) (3:05)
 Your Angel Steps Out Of Heaven (Jack Ripley) (1:55)
[1981-09-__; 7"; F-Beat XX17 (UK, ps)][1981-09-__; 7"; Columbia 18-02629 (US/Canada)][1981-11-__; 7"; F-Beat WEA/FB 18.879 (Holland/Germany, ps different to UK)][1981-__-__; 7"; Radar 45-2154 (Spain, ps)][1981-__-__; 7"; F-Beat/Warner P-1588X (Japan, ps)] "YASOOH" produced by Billy Sherrill.
The first 5000? UK copies were issued in a picture sleeve, but were recalled and reissued in a standard 'F-Beat' sleeve. However, a few hundred made it into circulation. The apparent reason why they were recalled was simply that EC hated it!
Reached #6 in UK charts.

Good Year For The Roses single - Elvis Costello & The Attractions
 Good Year For The Roses (Jerry Chesnut) (3:05)
 Good Year For The Roses (Jerry Chesnut) (3:05)
[1981-__-__; 7"; Columbia 18-02629 (US white label promo)]

Almost Blue - Elvis Costello & The Attractions (31:08)
Side 1:
 Why Don't You Love Me (Like You Used To Do)? (Hank Williams) (1:30)
 Sweet Dreams (Don Gibson) (2:52)
 Success (Johnny Mullins) (2:35)
 I'm Your Toy (Hot Burrito No. 1) (Ethridge/Parsons) (3:18)
 Tonight The Bottle Let Me Down (Merle Haggard) (2:05)
 Brown To Blue (Jones/Franks/Mathis) (2:35)
Side 2:
 Good Year For The Roses (Jerry Chesnut) (3:05)
 Sittin' And Thinkin' (Charlie Rich) (2:50)
 Colour Of The Blues (Williams/Jones) (2:15)
 Too Far Gone (Billy Sherrill) (3:18)
 Honey Hush (Lou Willie Turner) (2:05)
 How Much I Lied (Parsons/Rifkin) (2:40)
[1981-10-23 LP; F-Beat XXLP13 (UK)]
[1981-10-__; MC; F-Beat XXC 13 (UK, issued in cardboard cigarette-style pack]
[19__-__-__; LP; Columbia FC 37562 (US/Canada)]
[19__-__-__; LP; F-Beat/Warner-Pioneer P-11107 (Japan)]
[1984-04-06; LP; Demon IMP FIEND 33]
[1984-04-06; MC; Demon IMP FIEND CASS 33]
[1986-01-__; CD; Demon IMP FIEND CD 33]
[19__-__-__; LP; Liberation Records LIB 5106 (Australia)]
[19__-__-__; MC; Liberation Records TCLIB 5106 (Australia)]
[19__-__-__; LP; (Israel, with sticker in Hebrew)]
Produced by Billy Sherrill.
The CD version has the correct title for "How Much I've Lied", and lists "Tonight The Bottle Let Me Down" as simply "The Bottle Let Me Down". It also has some incorrect track credits ("Brown To Blue [Mathis]" & "Good Year For The Roses [Chestnut]"). The US/Canada versions of the LP have the US spelling of colour (color) in the title of "Colour Of The Blues".
The LP came in 4 different coloured covers; blue/pale blue, blue/pink, blue/green, & blue/yellow, and some copies had a sticker saying either "WARNING. This album contains country & western music and may cause offence to narrow minded listeners" or simply "The new album from Elvis Costello and The Attractions".
The original version of "I'm Your Toy" by the Flying Burrito Brothers was simply called "Hot Burrito No. 1".
Reached #7 in UK charts, & #50 in the US.
UK: Went gold (100,000 copies) (date unknown).

Elvis Costello Introduces...The Tracks From His New Album 'Almost Blue' - Elvis Costello & The Attractions
 (Track list as for regular album)
[1981-10-__; LP; F-Beat E.C.CHAT 1 (UK promo)]
[1981-10-__; LP; Columbia AS 1318 (US promo)]
Each track is preceeded by a short spoken intro.
The UK cover is a pasteup; the front cover has a drawing of the band by Bruce Thomas on white paper, with a copy number and the artists' names stamped (in black, blue & red ink) and their signatures in various colours. The back has the tracklist and times printed in black on blue paper. The cover lists the keyboard player as Steve Neive.
The US cover is plain black, some with a square red on white sticker ontaining the title.
The US title is Almost Blue (Elvis Introduces His Favorite Country Songs).

Excerpts From The Album 'Almost Blue' - Elvis Costello & The Attractions
 Good Year For The Roses (Jerry Chesnut)
 Colour Of The Blues (Williams/Jones)
 Why Don't You Love Me (Like You Used To Do)? (Hank Williams)
 Sweet Dreams (Don Gibson)
[1981-10-__; 7"; F-Beat EC-1 (UK promo)]
Came in a thin plain white paper sleeve, with the track details typed on a cheap computer and printed out on a sticky label. The label was also white, with the barest of information printed in smudged green ink. The record also sounded as if it had been pressed during an artillery exercise and mastered in a frying-pan.

Almost Blue Radio Sampler

[1981-11-__; 12"; Columbia AS 1318 (US, promo)]

Fundamental Frolics - various artists
 The Psycho Song (solo, live) (Leon Payne) (4:04)
[1981-11-__; LP; BBC Records REB 435 (UK)]
Charity benefit live album.
Recorded live at The Apollo Theatre, London, 1981-06-01.
The correct title of this song is simply "Psycho".

Sweet Dreams single - Elvis Costello & The Attractions
 Sweet Dreams (Don Gibson)
 Psycho (live; Palomino) (Leon Payne) (3:30)
[1981-12-04; 7"; F-Beat XX19 (UK, ps)]
"P" was recorded live at The Palomino Club, N. Hollywood, USA, 1979-02-16, and produced by EC.
Reached #42 in UK charts.
"Psycho is based on a series killings in 1966 by a 25-year-old University of Texas graduate student, Charles Whitman, who went berserk with a rifle, killing 20 people & injuring another 28 including his ex-wife, her new boyfriend, some small chilren & a puppy. The murderer's conversation throughout the song ("You think I'm psycho, dincha, Mama?") draws on the fact that Whitman knew he was going out of his mind, tried to get help and left a death note asking for an autopsy which he hoped would absolve him of blame by proving he was mad." - from UK magazine 'Q' (Aug-95).

Good Year For The Roses single - Elvis Costello & The Attractions
 Good Year For The Roses (Jerry Chesnut)
 Your Angel Steps Out Of Heaven (Jack Ripley)
 Sweet Dreams (Don Gibson)
 Psycho (live; Palomino) (Leon Payne)
[1981-__-__; 7"; F-Beat XX22E (Scandinavian)]

NME Dancin' Master - various artists
 Big Sister - EC+A (2:18
[1981-10-03; MC; NME 001]
This was a cassette offered to readers of New Musical Express.

New Rock Champions - various artists
 Alison - EC
[1981-__-__; LP; RCA NL33186 (Italy)]
This also exists as a white label promo.

New Wave Disco d'Ouro - various artists
 Alison - EC
 Watching The Detectives - EC
[1981-__-__; LP; Nova Records 10.006 (72516) (Portugal. Special edition for members of "Círculo de Leitores" book club.)]

Happy Rock: O Maximo Da New Wave - various artists
 Alison - EC
[1981-__-__; 2xLP; Nova Records 10.014/15 (72826) (Portugal). Badly pressed compilation issued as a special edition for members of the "Círculo de Leitores" book club. Record 1 is on green vinyl, & record 2 on red. Some editions came with a T-shirt.)]

On The Road... Country Collection - various artists
 Stranger In The House - George Jones & EC
[1981-__-__; LP; CBS 84961 (Holland)]

Hits Hits Hits - various artists
 Good Year For The Roses - EC+A
[1981-__-__; LP; RTL 2063]

 King Horse - EC+A
 Precious (live) - Pretenders
 Fascination - Undertones
 Bad Case Of Lovin' You - Robert Palmer
[19__-__-__; 7"; Ariola PROMO 16 (Dutch promo)]