Discography 1978

1977-1979 • 1980-1984 • 1985-1989 • 1990-1994 • 1995-1999 • 2000-2004 • 2005-2009 • 2010-2014 • 2015-2019 • 2020-2024 • New releases 1977 • 1978 • 1979 • 1980 • 1981 • 1982 • 1983 • 1984 • 1985 • 1986 • 1987 • 1988 • 1989 • 1990 • 1991 • 1992
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1978

Excerpts From Stiff's Greatest Hits
various artists

Alison (excerpt) - EC

(The Angels Wanna Wear My) Red Shoes (excerpt) - EC

Watching The Detectives (excerpt) - EC

1978-__-__; 7"; Stiff FREEB2 (UK promo, 33rpm)

Also contains excerpts from 9 other Stiff releases (Stiff BUY 13 - BUY 24).

Nick Lowe Live From The El Mocambo, March 6th 1978
Nick Lowe with Elvis Costello & The Attractions

I Love The Sound Of Breaking Glass [5:51] - Nick Lowe

Shake And Pop [3:15] - Nick Lowe with Elvis Costello & The Attractions

Heart Of The City [3:38] - Nick Lowe with Elvis Costello & The Attractions

1978-__-__; 7";CBS 7CDN-1 (CANADA promo, 33rpm)

This 7" is the missing 3 track encore from the Live At The El Mocambo LP where Nick Lowe and band play along with Elvis Costello & The Attractions

Alison single
Elvis Costello

Alison (3:16)

Less Than Zero (3:08)

1978-__-__; 7"; Stiff (Teldec) 6.12259 (Germany/Netherlands, ps)

Heroes & Cowards
various artists

Less Than Zero - EC

Mystery Dance - EC

Alison - EC

1978-__-__; LP; Stiff SEWL 1000 (Italian)

Live Stiffs
various artists

I Just Don't Know What To Do With Myself (live; UEA, Norwich) (Bacharach/David) (2:28) - EC+A

Miracle Man (live) (3:56) - EC+A

Sex & Drugs & Rock & Roll & Chaos (live) (Dury/Jankel) (5:42) - Stiff Gang (including EC)

(37:18)
1978-02-__; LP; Stiff GET1]
1978-__-__; LP; Stiff/EMI SEEZ-7 (Australia, promo)
1978-__-__; LP; Stiff SRL 610003 (Netherlands or Italy?)
1979-__-__; LP; Music For Pleasure MFP 50445 (Issued in a new cover)
1979-03-25; LP; Stiff/Victor VIP-6636 (Japan)
1979-03-25; MC; Stiff/Victor VIP-1652 (Japan)
____-__-__; LP; US Arista/Stiff STF0001 (back of sleeve contains a 'Stiff Album Voucher' in top right corner)
____-__-__; 8T; Arista/Stiff AS80001 (USA)
1994-11-07; CD; Mau Mau Records (Demon) MAUCD621
19_-__-__; CD; DIAB 851

"MM" was recorded live Leicester University, 1977-10-22.
"S&D&R&R" was recorded live at the Lyceum Ballroom, London, 1977-10-28.
"IJDKWTDWM" was recorded live at the UEA, Norwich, 1977-10-18.
The CD version of "IJDKWTDWM" is slightly slower than the LP version.

Stiff Fourplay
various artists
Side 1:

Watching The Detectives - EC

New Rose (Brian James) - The Damned

Side 2:

Wake Up And Make Love To Me (Dury/Jankel) - Ian Dury

Welcome To The Working Week - EC

1978-02-24; 7"; Stiff Fourplay (promo flexi-disc (33 rpm) given away with edition no.78 of Rock Australia magazine)

The flexi was manufactured and distributed by EMI (Australia).

(I Don't Want To Go To) Chelsea single
Elvis Costello & The Attractions

(I Don't Want To Go To) Chelsea (3:06)

You Belong To Me (2:19)

1978-03-03; 7"; Radar ADA 3 (UK, ps)
1978-03-__; 7"; Radar 17124 (Germany, ps)
1978-__-__; 7"; Smash TAR 2 (Sweden, ps (b/w version of UK sleeve))
1978-09-__; 7"; Radar/Warner P-303F (Japan, ps)
1978-__-__; 7"; WEA/Radar 17124 (France)
1978-__-__; 7"; Radar 45-1680 (Spain, ps)

The Radar label was set up by Jake Riviera specifically to handle EC, Nick Lowe and The Yachts.
Reached #16 in UK charts.

Live At The El Mocambo
Elvis Costello & The Attractions
Side 1:

Mystery Dance (live; El Mocambo) (2:04)

Waiting For The End Of The World (live; El Mocambo) (3:46)

Welcome To The Working Week (live; El Mocambo) (1:15)

Less Than Zero (Dallas Version) (live; El Mocambo) (3:55)

The Beat (live; El Mocambo) (3:24)

Lip Service (live; El Mocambo) (2:22)

(I Don't Want To Go To) Chelsea (live; El Mocambo) (3:43)

Little Triggers (live; El Mocambo) (2:41)

Side 2:

Radio, Radio (live; El Mocambo) (2:29)

Lipstick Vogue (live; El Mocambo) (4:39)

Watching The Detectives (live; El Mocambo) (5:38)

Miracle Man (live; El Mocambo) (3:59)

You Belong To Me (live; El Mocambo) (2:26)

Pump It Up (live; El Mocambo) (4:00)

1978-03-06; LP; Canadian Columbia CDN-10C (Canadian promo)

Recording of a stereo CHUM-FM live broadcast on 1978-03-06 in Toronto. (Recorded by Comfort Sound).
The times listed here are the approximate times of the music excluding crowd noise and intros.
This version of "Less Than Zero" has different lyrics to the studio version, and is commonly known as the 'Dallas Version'.
Only 300 (possibly 500) copies pressed. This album was heavily bootlegged and here's what Beyond Belief has to say about the differences between an original and a counterfeit copy:

"Starting with the album cover, an original will have a thick cardboard jacket with a grey (not white) inside. The spine of the jacket will be squared off (not tapered or rounded) with the title information printed squarely on the spine. Also the front cover black & white photos will be sharply reproduced (not blured or smudged). The disc itself is of thick vinyl with bands between songs. The label on the disc will be clearly centred on the disc with sharp printing of the song titles. Finally the hand written (not machine) engraving in the dead wax will be as follows:

CDN-10-A-1A-2HDKZ (side 1)

CDN-10-B-1A-2HDKZ (side 2)"

(Also, the reviews of the show on the back cover are harder to read on the bootleg version).

The support act that evening was Nick Lowe. CBS Records Canada released a very limited 33 1/3 rpm 7" promo called Nick Lowe Live At The El Mocambo [7CDN-1] with the following tracks: "I Love The Sound Of Breaking Glass" b/w "Shake & Pop/Heart Of The City".

This Year's Model
Elvis Costello & The Attractions
Side 1:

No Action (1:57)

This Year's Girl (3:16)

The Beat (3:42)

Pump It Up (3:12)

Little Triggers (2:38)

You Belong To Me (2:19)

Watching The Detectives - only on Belgian, French, German, Swedish (Smash) & Argentinian versions

Side 2:

Hand In Hand (2:30)

(I Don't Want To Go To) Chelsea (3:06) - only on UK version

Lip Service (2:34)

Living In Paradise (3:51)

Lipstick Vogue (3:29)

Night Rally (2:40) - only on UK version

Radio, Radio - only on US version

(35:14)
1978-03-17; LP; Radar RAD 3 (UK)
1978-03-17; LP; Radar RAD 3 (UK promo - see note below)
1978-__-__; MC; Radar RAC 3 (UK, different track order)
1978-05-__; LP; Columbia JC 35331 (US, original copies had the words Columbia Columbia Columbia' were replaced with 'Costello Costello Costello' on the label. Promo copies were also issued with with "For promotion only / ownership is reserved by CBS / Sale is unlawful" stamped in gold on the back of the cover and a tracking pasted on the front)
1978-05-__; MC; Columbia JCT 35331 (US)
1978-05-__; MC; Columbia PCT 35331 (Canada)
1984-__-__; LP; Columbia PC 35331 (US/Canada)
1978-__-__; LP; Radar 56477/France: WE 341 (Belgium/France, red vinyl)
1978-__-__; LP; Smash SLEPT 2 (Sweden)
1978-08-10; LP; Radar/Warner P-10538F (Japan)
1978-12-21; MC; Radar/Warner PKF 5011 (Japan)
1978-__-__; LP; Music Hall/Warner Bros. 50 14.386 (Argentina; all songs and album title (“El Modelo De Este Ano”!) are translated into Spanish.)
1980-05-__; LP; F-Beat XXLP 4 (with corrected sleeve) (UK)
1980-05-__; MC; F-Beat XXC 4 (UK)
1984-04-06; LP; Demon IMP FIEND 18 (UK)
1984-__-__; MC; Demon IMP FIEND CASS 18 (UK)
1986-01-__; CD; Demon IMP FIEND CD 18 (UK)
1986-01-__; CD; Columbia CK 35331 (US)
____-__-__; 8T; Columbia 35331 (USA)
____-__-__; LP; Liberation Records LIB 5101 (Australia)
____-__-__; MC; Liberation Records TCLIB 5101 (Australia)

Produced by Nick Lowe.
The first 5000 copies of the UK LP included a free single (see -B08), and had a small round black sticker with white lettering which read "Free album with this single".
The original LPs contained the following text etched next to the run-off groove on side 1: "Special pressing No. 003 Ring Moira on 434 3232 for your special prize". The first few people (believed to be limited to 1000) who phoned in received a photo (with printed autograph) and a badge with the text "Made In 1955 For 1984". In Record Collector (#49) it says that this offer appears to have been a hoax!
The original UK Radar LP release had the covers offset by about 1" so that the spine was on the back, and down the righthand side of the front was a printer's colour chart - a deliberate mistake?
The LP covers for releases in different countries featured different photos (from the same session) for both the outer and inner sleeve. The Belgian/French releases and the release on the Smash label contain an 'alternative' version of "Watching The Detectives". However, this is simply the normal version speeded up (the wrong speed was used when mastering the album). The promo version of the UK LP (RAD 3) apparently came with a pound note glued over the opening!
Reached #4 in UK charts, & #30 in the US.
US: Went gold (500,000 copies) in 1991.
UK: Went gold (100,000 copies) (date unknown).

Stranger In The House single
Elvis Costello

Stranger In The House - EC (/w Clover)

Neat Neat Neat (live) (Brian James) (3:02) - EC+A

1978-03-17; 7"; Radar SAM 83 (UK, plain Radar sleeve)

Free with first 5000 copies of UK version of This Year's Model LP.
"SITH" is 'An Ancient Production' and is an outtake from the My Aim Is True sessions. "NNN" is 'An Alive Production'.
"NNN" was recorded live at Leicester University, 22-Oct-77, and Davey Payne plays sax.

Pump It Up single
Elvis Costello & The Attractions

Pump It Up (3:12)

Big Tears (3:10)

1978-04-28; 7"; Radar ADA 10 (UK, ps)
1978-__-__; 7"; Radar 17168 (Germany, different ps)

Produced by Nick Lowe.
"Big Tears" is a This Years Model outtake.
Etched in the runoff for side A is "You Got to Hand it to Bruce". Side B contains "His Bottle's Gone".
Picture on German sleeve is a "closeup" of the UK cover photo from TYM; the reverse lists 3 dates on German tour of July 1978.
Reached #24 in UK charts.

My Aim Is True / This Year's Model Promo Picture Disc
Elvis Costello & The Attractions
Side 1:

Welcome To The Working Week

Miracle Man

(The Angels Wanna Wear My) Red Shoes

Less Than Zero

Alison

Watching The Detectives

Side 2:

1978-05-__; LP; Columbia-CBS (no cat.#) (US promo picture disc)

Side 1 contains the TYM photo with 'Elvis Costello & the Attractions' printed around the rim in bold letters. The other side has the EC picture from MAIT on a plain white background.
About 40 or so copies of this pic. disc were mispressed. The A-side is either gold or silver and has no picture. In the runout area are the words "Elvis Costello", and the tracks are as above. However, the B-side is white vinyl and contains tracks from some other group (sounds like Bon Jovi or Iron Maiden!). Supposedly the intention was to press gold albums for the other band, but this EC promo was being pressed at same time and a mixup resulted in a few mispressed with EC on the A-side.

Radio, Radio single
Elvis Costello & The Attractions

Radio, Radio (3:04)

Tiny Steps (2:42)

1978-10-20; 7"; Radar ADA 24 (UK, ps)
1978-10-__; 12"; Radar ADA 24 (UK promo, plain Radar sleeve, 500 only)
1978-__-__; 7"; Radar K-17264 (Italy, different ps)
1978-__-__; 7"; Radar 17264 (Belgium, 2d different ps)
1978-__-__; 7"; Smash TAR 6 (Sweden, ps)
[____-__-__; 7"; Radar RAD 17264 (Germany)
[____-__-__; 7"; Warner Bros. WB17264 (Netherlands)

Produced by Nick Lowe.
Reached #29 in UK charts.

This Year's Girl single
Elvis Costello & The Attractions

This Year's Girl (3:08)

Big Tears (3:10)

1978-__-__; 7"; Columbia 3-10762 (US, also issued as a white label promo)

"TYG" is a slightly edited version of the album track.

This Year's Girl single
Elvis Costello & The Attractions

This Year's Girl (3:08)

This Year's Girl (mono) (3:08)

1978-__-__; 7"; Columbia 3-10762 (white label US promo)

(I Don't Want To Go To) Chelsea single
Elvis Costello & The Attractions

(I Don't Want To Go To) Chelsea (3:06)

Tiny Steps (2:42)

Night Rally (2:40)

1978-__-__; 7"; Columbia C4-8292 (US/Canada, ps, a limited number of the Canadian singles were pressed on yellow 'tiger splattered' vinyl)

American Squirm single
Nick Lowe

American Squirm (Nick Lowe) - Nick Lowe

(What's So Funny 'Bout) Peace, Love And Understanding? (Nick Lowe) - Nick Lowe & His Sound (actually EC+A)

1978-11-23; 7"; Radar ADA 26 (UK, ps)
1978 __ __; 7"; WB 17.281 (Netherlands, different ps)

On "American Squirm" EC sings backing vocals.
"PL&U" is from the Armed Forces sessions.
Both tracks produced by 'The Artist'.
The UK sleeve contains a couple of references to EC; Nick his holding his guitar on the front, and EC's face is just visible in the clouds on the back.

Talking In The Dark single
Elvis Costello & The Attractions

Talking In The Dark (1:56)

Wednesday Week (2:02)

1978-12-18; 7"; Radar RG 1 (freebie, ps)

9000 copies pressed.
Given away free at London Dominion Christmas shows, the 3 New York shows in Jan-79, and when buying the Armed Forces LP at any Jan-79 UK concert.
Also given away as prizes in a NME competition in late '79. The prize was intended to be a cassette called Elvis At Home which contained the original "Honky Tonk Demos", but apparently EC objected. As a result this 7" plus 2 tickets for the Clarendon Ballroom, Hammersmith show (1980-01-18) was the prize.
Both tracks are Armed Forces outtakes.