Elusive British rocker Elvis Costello recently spent five days in Nashville recording with George Jones, whose next LP will also be sweetened by Willie Nelson, Waylon Jennings, Linda Ronstadt, Emmylou Harris, and James Taylor.
But when we found Elvis at New York's Lone Star Café, ready to take in Delbert McClinton's set, he wouldn't confirm that Jones will record "Stranger in the House" (a country tearjerker that Elvis cut as a single but never released in the U.S.) or that Ronstadt will include his "Alison" on her forthcoming album.
"Those are both expensive rumors," Costello said a little cryptically. "Put away the paper." Would he like to see Ronstadt and Jones cover his songs? "Yes – artistically for the latter, financially for the former." Elvis said he has enough material for his next three albums and, asked if he'll tour the states again soon, got visibly feisty. "We're never gonna tour America again." What, he was asked, did he so dislike about touring here. "If you don't know by now, I can't tell ya."
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