Record Mirror, July 23, 1977

Bibliography   72 76 77 78 79 80 81 82 83 84 85 86 87 88 89 90 91 92 93 94 95 96 97 98 99 00 01 02 03 04 05 06 07 08 09 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 UK & Ireland weeklies UK & Ireland magazines UK & Ireland newspapers US newspapers US rock magazines US music magazines US magazines US alternative weeklies European magazines European newspapers Canada  •  Mexico  •  Asia Australia  •  New Zealand South America  •  Africa Blogs  •  Fanzines  •  Books Online publications Record Mirror   1974 March 16 1977 March 19 1977 March 26 1977 April 16 1977 May 28 1977 July 16 1977 July 23 1977 August 6 1977 August 13 1977 August 20 1977 August 27 1977 September 3 1977 September 17 1977 September 24 1977 October 8 1977 October 15 1977 October 22 1977 November 5 1977 November 26 1977 December 3 1977 December 17 1977 December 31 1978 January 14 1978 January 21 1978 February 25 1978 March 4 1978 March 11 1978 March 18 1978 March 25 1978 April 15  1978 April 22 1978 May 20 1978 June 24  1978 July 8  1978 September 16  1978 September 30 1978 October 21  1978 November 18 1978 November 25 1978 December 30 1979 January 6 1979 January 13  1979 February 3 1979 March 3 1979 May 12 1979 May 19 1979 June 2 1979 October 13 1979 October 27 1979 December 15 1980 January 12 1980 January 19 1980 January 26 1980 February 2 1980 February 16 1980 February 23 1980 March 1 1980 March 8 1980 March 22 1980 April 12 1980 May 10 1980 August 23 1980 September 6 1980 October 4 1980 October 18  1980 December 6 1980 December 27 1981 January 3  1981 January 10 1981 January 17 1981 January 24 1981 January 31 1981 February 28 1981 March 14 1981 April 4 1981 June 13 1981 July 4 1981 August 8 1981 September 12 1981 October 3 1981 October 24 1981 November 7 1981 December 26   1982 January 9 1982 January 16 1982 March 27 1982 May 1  1982 June 5  1982 June 12 1982 June 19 1982 June 26 1982 July 3 1982 July 10 1982 July 24  1982 September 4 1982 September 18  1982 October 9 1982 October 16 1982 November 27 1983 January 1   1983 June 4  1983 July 2 1983 July 16 1983 July 30 1983 August 13 1983 September 10  1983 November 19  1983 December 10  1984 January 7   1984 March 24 1984 March 31 1984 April 14 1984 April 21 1984 May 5 1984 May 12 1984 June 2 1984 June 9   1984 June 16  1984 June 30 1984 October 20  1985 May 11  1985 June 15  1985 July 20  1985 September 21 1985 November 9  1985 December 7  1985 December 21  1986 February 22 1986 March 8 1986 April 26 1986 May 17  1986 May 31 1986 June 28  1986 July 12  1986 August 2 1986 August 23  1986 September 20 1986 November 8  1986 November 29  1986 December 6 1987 December 12 1988 February 27  1988 November 12 1988 December 17 1989 January 7  1989 February 4  1989 February 11 1989 February 18   1989 March 4  1989 April 29 1989 May 6  1989 May 13  1989 June 17 1989 July 1 1989 July 29 — Punching cards to punchy rock Wally Weely Wally Weely talks to Elvis Costello A fortnight ago the young man in the sombre suit punched his last computer programme, collected his final pay packet and, waving goodbye to Acton, he stepped onto the tube train for his last rush hour. Yep, a fortnight ago Elvis Costello gave up his day job to become a real live pop star. It was a scene from every young man's dream. Keep It As A Hobby Productions "went professional" and Elvis Costello hit the road. But, as you can see, he didn't hang up his suit, throw away his tie and start growing his hair long. Neither did he turn to safety pins and black plastic bin liners. Elvis Costello follows no trends. He's an Individualist who dresses like he chooses and speaks his mind at all times. "Yeah. I'm just me. I'm not part of any movement. There isn't any category you can shove me under." Same goes for this angry young man's music too. His songs are fiery and intense but mysterious too. They have a flavour all their own. Costello scorns yer heavy metal monsters like Led Zeppelin and cracks up over technoflash kings like ELP or Yes. And in an Irish accent as fervent as the Clash's Joe Strummer, Elvis ridicules the new wave too. "They've all got the same songs, these bands, you know. One about your generation and one about being bored and so on. It's like a formula. I'm not into that. I listen to everything from country music to jazz, and I'm influenced by everything I hear. No one song of mine is representative of my style. Every one is different." That sounds like a refreshing change from all those bands nowadays who pump out the same song for two sides of an album, wouldn't you agree? But that very same variety caused young Elvis not a few heartaches. He couldn't find a record company prepared to sign him up. "My songs just didn't sound like other songs in the charts. And record companies are so unimaginative they thought that meant they could never be hits themselves." All except Stiff Records' Jake Riviera who, with characteristic foresight, recognised the potential in Elvis Costello's work. He put the young troubadour into the studios with producer Nick Lowe and various members of that American blue-eyed soul outfit Clover. And Costello's angry bark and two of his biting songs "Less Than Zero" and "Radio Sweetheart" came out as a single back in the spring. A touch of reggae here, some roaring R&B there, both were good beaty pop songs with strong and thoughtful lyrics. Elvis Costello drew favourable comparisons with such as Bob Dylan, Bruce Springsteen and Graham Parker. And also came in for a lot of criticism. Many said he was just too derivative. "That was a real disappointment. I knew how unimaginative the business was ... but I didn't realise the media would be just as bad. It seems like there's a new game critics play now. It's called 'spot the influence.' People seem to listen to what a record sounds LIKE, not what it sounds OF. They forget that songs are as much about the lyrics as they are about the music, and they don't listen to the words. "I don't write instrumentals, I write songs that mean something and are an event. Anybody with any imagination at all can see that. And I don't sound like anybody else either. I sound like me. I'll argue the toss with anybody you like that I sound like me." An explosive character, I bet Elvis Costello gave his workmates a hard time when "Less Than Zero" came out and sank like a stone. But let's hope they'll give him a second chance when his debut album is released on Stiff at the end of next week. Called My Aim Is True it features his second single, a tender love ballad "Alison," now deleted, and his third "Red Shoes." It has drawn rave reviews on the grapevine already. And for those who prefer to see their heroes live and in the flesh, Elvis Costello starts touring next week too, backed by his brand new band The Attractions playing and singing with all the conviction of a man who knows he's going to be a star attraction himself before the summer's through. Which is all rather a far cry from punching computer cards in Acton, wouldn't you say? Tags: Woods Centre  •  Plymouth  •  1st Attractions Tour  •  Stiff Records  •  Acton  •  Jake Riviera  •  Nick Lowe  •  Pete Thomas  •  Steve Mason  •  Bruce Thomas  •  The Attractions  •  Clover  •  My Aim Is True  •  Less Than Zero  •  Radio Sweetheart  •  Alison  •  Alison (single)  •  (The Angels Wanna Wear My) Red Shoes  •  Keep It As A Hobby Productions  •  Bob Dylan  •  Graham Parker  •  The Clash  •  Joe Strummer  •  Led Zeppelin  •  Bruce Springsteen  •  Gerry & The Pacemakers  •  The Sex Pistols << >> Record Mirror, July 23, 1977 Wally Weely profiles Elvis Costello. Chris Rushton reviews Elvis Costello & The Attractions, Friday, July 15, 1977, Woods Centre, Plymouth, England. Record Mirror reports on upcoming tour dates. Images Clippings. Elvis Costello Plymouth Chris Rushton It could have been the Cavern in Liverpool more than 10 years ago. The group with the fragile young faces wore ties, starched collars and short stylised haircuts. But it's 1977 in Woods, Plymouth, and it is Elvis Costello and his band playing so-called new wave music. Elvis looks like a slightly stroppy creep of a school prefect — the type that gets beaten up after school hours. But once on stage he takes over the minds and the eardrums of the audience without ever resorting to clever tricks or smooth talking between numbers. Every song is rattled out efficiently and effectively with only the barest pause for loud applause. This machine-like performance is not without atmosphere as each song blends with those that came before and unnecessary chat would spoil the climax the group build for. The music reminds me more of a roughened up Gerry and the Pacemakers than the Sex Pistols … and that's not an insult. It's difficult to label Costello — and that's always a good sign for any act — but he kept flashing up images of what used to be known as rhythm 'n' blues in the days of the Cavern. True he has added more than a little to it — tight lyrics, smooth aggression and a lot more power — but the old beat 'n' swing is still there. Clippings. Elvis finally hits Britain Record Mirror Elvis hits the road in Britain this month: Elvis Costello that is, the UK singer / songwriter who last week gave up his full time job to pursue his musical career. Backing Elv, will be The Attractions: Peter Thomas drums, Bruce Thomas bass and Steve Mason keyboards. Dates are: Manchester Arches July 21, London Dingwalls 26, Hope and Anchor 27, Huddersfield Poly 29, Liverpool Erics 30, Coventry Mr Georges August 4, Middlesbrough Rock Garden 5, Redditch Tracys 6, London Nashville 7, 14, 21 and 28 and September 4, Plymouth Castaways 23, Scarborough Penthouse 26, Dudley JBs 27, Edinburgh Tiffanies 31, Falkirk Maniqui Ballroom September 1. His latest single "Red Shoes" is released by Stiff on July 29, off his album My Aim Is True. Cover.

External links

• Wikipedia: Record Mirror
• elviscostello.info
• americanradiohistory.com  
• Flickr: Michael Kane