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NEW YORK, NY — On the set of NBC's Tomorrow Coast To Coast, Elvis Costello and the Attractions prepared during a commercial break for their first number. The audience of about 150 at the taping was made up by and large of youthful Costello fans rather than the usual aggregation of housewives and tourists.
Every mention of Costello's name either before or during the taping elicited explosive enthusiasm from the audience, the names of the other guests, film director Frank Capra and the southern reverend campaigning for decency in broadcasting drew little more than a snicker from the studio audience.
"And tonight from Tom Snyder, This Is Your Life." Costello mocked in his English accent during a commercial break. The audience laughed. "It's a hell of a life," the good spirited graying talk show host quipped back.
This quick exchange subtly set the tone for the interview to come. Although in introducing the show early in the taping, Snyder had said Costello would talk about being a new wave rock and roller, the actual interview hardly touched upon music.
Costello, in his first television interview and a rare interview all around, was well mannered, witty and quite charismatic, unlike the taunts and cockiness that former leader of the Sex Pistols and Public Image Ltd., John Lydon/Rotten had exhibited on the show some months before.
While Costello objected to being viewed as "mellowing out", the discourse concentrated mostly on the Englishman's humble beginnings and "nice guy" oriented angles. A very cordial Costello answered questions, but also introduced subjects, talking of the strong bond he maintains with his father/ musician, citing Cole Porter, Lorenz Hart and Hank Williams as inspirations and noting that he's been generally misunderstood. The two selections he performed with his band were slow, soft numbers.
At the interview's conclusion, Snyder admitted he found Costello to be a pleasant guest, and that he hadn't expected this. Costello and the Attractions left the building shortly thereafter.
Downstairs in the lobby of the NBC building, every major autograph hound in the city, all faces I've seen countless times before outside hotels in the theatre district and at telethons and other celebrity-oriented events, greeted Costello as he came off the elevator. He signed for all and chatted a bit before...
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