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ELVIS COSTELLO & The Attractions are playing three special concerts to showcase material from their much-publicised C&W album "Almost Blue", which was recorded in Nashville during the spring and finally sees the light of day tomorrow (Friday) on F-Beat Records. Their first two dates are pre-Christmas shows at Guildford Civic Hall and London Rainbow (23) then - after a brief visit to the States - Costello and the band team up with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra to play London's Royal Albert Hall on January 7.
The new LP, produced by Billy Sherrill, also features pedal steel guitarist John McFee - and he'll be joining them on three major U.S. Concerts at Los Angeles Sports Arena (December 29), New York Palladium (31) and Nashville Grand Ole Opry (January 3). McFee then accompanies them to Europe for the Albert Hall show and a subsequent Paris concert - at the Theatre Des Champs Elysee on January 10.
Costello will be the first rock star to appear at the Albert Hall since the ill-fated Frank Zappa show, though the actual rock 'n' roll content is likely to be minimal - the first half will be devoted to country music and, in the second set, Elvis will perform with the 86-piece RPO. The material in this second half will be varied but, said a spokesman, "will be maximized to use the full scope of the orchestra".
Meanwhile on November 8, London Weekend's South Bank Show screens an hour-long documentary - networked nationally - about the making of "Almost Blue". Directed by Peter Carr (who made the City programme about Malcolm Allison and Manchester City), it was shot mainly in Nashville, but also includes footage of the country show which Costello and the band played in Aberdeen earlier this year.
The LP contains 12 tracks, none of them Costello compositions, several of them country standards - " Why Don't You Love Me" (Hank Williams), 'Sweet Dreams'(Don Gibson), 'I'm Your Toy (Gram Parsons), "Tonight The Bottle Let Me Down" (Merle Haggard), "Sittin' And Thinkin' (Charlie Rich) and Honey Hush, ( Joe Turner), as well as Costello's current chart single 'Good Year For The Roses'.
Tickets for the Albert Hall concert cost £9.50, £8.50, £7.50, £5.50, £4.50, £3.50 and £2.50, and they're available by post from the Royal Albert Hall, Kensington Gore, London SW7 (the box office doesn't open to personal applications until November 9). And audience members are requested to dress "formally", as the show is being filmed and recorded for posterity.
For the more usual Costello style, with a liberal dash of country music, Guildford tickets are on sale now all at £4. The Rainbow box-office opens this Saturday (24) with tickets at £5.50 and £5 - also available by post from the theatre, 232 Seven Sisters Road, London N4.
Inclusive tickets for the UK and Paris dates, as well as details of booking for the US shows, may be obtained from Elvis Costello Tickets, PO Box 281, LONDON N15 5LW - Enclose S.A.E.
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