Imperial Bedroom

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Imperial Bedroom
IB album cover large.jpg
ReleasedJuly 2, 1982
RecordedNovember 1981, AIR Studios, London
ProducerGeoff Emerick from an original idea by Elvis Costello
Length50:57 (original LP)
78:05 (1994 reissue)
50:57 + 69:54 (2002 reissue)

Excerpt from Rhino liner notes:

To some extent Imperial Bedroom was the record on which The Attractions and I granted ourselves the sort of scope that we imagined The Beatles had enjoyed in the mid-‘60s. We had engaged the engineering skills of the sonic, and somewhat unsung, genius behind many of those productions. The studio was booked for an unprecedented 12 weeks. If we needed a harpsichord or Mellotron, we hired one; if we required a 12-string acoustic guitar, marimba, or accordion, we went out and bought one; if we heard strings and trumpet and horns, we booked the musicians and Steve began writing out the parts. It had not begun in this fashion. After our excursion to Nashville, during which we recorded nearly 30 tracks in nine days for the album, Almost Blue, we reconvened at a country cottage to rehearse my new songs. This followed our working method for the album Trust. Once again, we recorded the rehearsals on an 8-track machine (one of which appears on CD 2). Even when we entered the vastly more sophisticated AIR Studios, we still intended to record the album “live” with few overdubs.

The first two weeks did not go well. The only thing that really survives on the final record from those chaotic and undisciplined sessions is the screaming introduction and tag of "Man Out Of Time" — a fair indication of the tone of those days. We were trying to beat the songs into submission. A few of these drunken and berserk items can be found on CD 2, if you care to attend the autopsy.

Somewhere around the end of the second week, a moment of sober reflection set us on a new course.

Tracks

Side 1
TitleWriter(s) Length
1. Beyond Belief  Elvis Costello 2:33
2. Tears Before Bedtime  Elvis Costello 3:00
3. Shabby Doll  Elvis Costello 4:45
4. The Long Honeymoon  Elvis Costello 4:15
5. Man Out Of Time  Elvis Costello 5:25
6. Almost Blue  Elvis Costello 2:46
7. ...And In Every Home  Elvis Costello 3:20
Side 2
TitleWriter(s) Length
1. The Loved Ones  Elvis Costello 2:47
2. Human Hands  Elvis Costello 2:42
3. Kid About It  Elvis Costello 2:44
4. Little Savage  Elvis Costello 2:37
5. Boy With A Problem  Elvis Costello, Chris Difford 2:09
6. Pidgin English  Elvis Costello 3:58
7. You Little Fool  Elvis Costello 3:08
8. Town Cryer  Elvis Costello 4:16


Credits

Elvis Costello - vocals and guitar
Steve Nieve - piano, organ, orchestrations
Bruce Thomas - bass
Pete Thomas - drums


Imperial Bedroom (1994 Rykodisc/Demon edition)

Disc 1: Imperial Bedroom
TitleWriter(s) Length
1. Beyond Belief  Elvis Costello 2:33
2. Tears Before Bedtime  Elvis Costello 3:00
3. Shabby Doll  Elvis Costello 4:42
4. The Long Honeymoon  Elvis Costello 4:15
5. Man Out Of Time  Elvis Costello 5:26
6. Almost Blue  Elvis Costello 2:47
7. ...And In Every Home  Elvis Costello 3:20
8. The Loved Ones  Elvis Costello 2:47
9. Human Hands  Elvis Costello 2:43
10. Kid About It  Elvis Costello 2:44
11. Little Savage  Elvis Costello 2:37
12. Boy With A Problem  Elvis Costello, Chris Difford 2:10
13. Pidgin English  Elvis Costello 3:58
14. You Little Fool  Elvis Costello 3:08
15. Town Cryer  Elvis Costello 4:11
16. From Head To Toe  William "Smokey" Robinson 2:34
17. The World Of Broken Hearts  Doc Pomus, Mort Shuman 3:01
18. Night Time  Paddy Chambers 2:52
19. Really Mystified  Tony Crane, Johnny Gustafson 2:03
20. I Turn Around  Elvis Costello 2:09
21. Seconds Of Pleasure  Elvis Costello 3:43
22. The Stamping Ground  Elvis Costello 3:09
23. Shabby Doll (Demo)Elvis Costello 4:18
24. Imperial Bedroom  Elvis Costello 2:47


Imperial Bedroom (2002 Rhino/Edsel edition)

Disc 1: Imperial Bedroom
TitleWriter(s) Length
1. Beyond Belief  Elvis Costello 2:33
2. Tears Before Bedtime  Elvis Costello 3:00
3. Shabby Doll  Elvis Costello 4:45
4. The Long Honeymoon  Elvis Costello 4:15
5. Man Out Of Time  Elvis Costello 5:25
6. Almost Blue  Elvis Costello 2:46
7. ...And In Every Home  Elvis Costello 3:20
8. The Loved Ones  Elvis Costello 2:47
9. Human Hands  Elvis Costello 2:42
10. Kid About It  Elvis Costello 2:44
11. Little Savage  Elvis Costello 2:37
12. Boy With A Problem  Elvis Costello, Chris Difford 2:09
13. Pidgin English  Elvis Costello 3:58
14. You Little Fool  Elvis Costello 3:08
15. Town Cryer  Elvis Costello 4:16


Disc 2: Bonus Disc
TitleWriter(s) Length
1. The Land Of Give And Take (Early Version of Beyond Belief)Elvis Costello 3:02
2. Tears Before Bedtime (Alternate Version)Elvis Costello 3:01
3. Man Out Of Time (Alternate Version)Elvis Costello 3:41
4. Human Hands (Early Version)Elvis Costello 2:42
5. Kid About It (Alternate Version)Elvis Costello 3:14
6. Little Savage (Alternate Version)Elvis Costello 3:06
7. You Little Fool (Alternate Version)Elvis Costello 2:57
8. Town Cryer (Fast Version)Elvis Costello 2:14
9. Little Goody Two Shoes (Alternate Version)Elvis Costello 3:08
10. The Town Where Time Stood Still (Alternate Version)Elvis Costello 2:56
11. ...And In Every Home (Rehearsal)Elvis Costello 3:11
12. I Turn Around  Elvis Costello 2:08
13. From Head To Toe  William "Smokey" Robinson 2:33
14. The World Of Broken Hearts  Doc Pomus, Mort Shuman 3:01
15. Night Time  Paddy Chambers 2:53
16. Really Mystified  Tony Crane, Johnny Gustafson 2:03
17. The Stamping Ground  Elvis Costello 3:08
18. Shabby Doll (Demo)Elvis Costello 4:17
19. Man Out Of Time (Demo)Elvis Costello 3:26
20. You Little Fool (Demo)Elvis Costello 3:07
21. Town Cryer (Demo)Elvis Costello 2:55
22. Seconds Of Pleasure (Demo)Elvis Costello 3:17
23. Imperial Bedroom  Elvis Costello 2:48


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