Songs written for other artists

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This is a list of songs Elvis wrote for other artists. (This list may be incomplete.)


From EC Homepage Discography - Extracurricular Work
No. Song title Artist Album/release Comments Link(s)
1 Abandoned Masquerade Diana Krall The Girl In The Other Room, 2004 music by Diana, lyrics by Elvis ---
2 All This Useless Beauty June Tabor Angel Tiger, 1991 & Essential Folk, 1995 ---
3 Almost Blue Chet Baker Chet Baker Sings And Plays From The Film "Let's Get Lost" The version played in the film is not identical to that on record/CD ---
4 Almost Ideal Eyes David Crosby not recorded on All This Useless Beauty (Rhino reissue), 2001 ---
5 Back On My Feet Paul McCartney Once Upon A Long Ago, 1987 and on the remastered CD version of Flowers In The Dirt, 1993 EC/McCartney composition ---
6 Basement Kiss Wendy James Now Ain't The Time For Your Tears, 1993 EC/O'Riordan composition ---
7 Comedians Roy Orbison Mystery Girl, 1989 & Black & White Night Live, 1989 The lyrics are different to EC's version on Goodbye Cruel World. ---
8 Complicated Shadows Johnny Cash not recorded recorded by EC on All This Useless Beauty & Secret, Profane & Sugarcane. ---
9 Couldn't You Keep That To Yourself Ute Lemper Punishing Kiss, 2004 ---
10 Departure Bay Diana Krall The Girl In The Other Room, 2004 music Krall, lyrics Krall/Costello ---
11 The Deportees Club Christy Moore Voyage, 1989 Alternate version Deportee appears on Goodbye Cruel World ---
12 Dirty Rotten Shame Ronnie Drew of The Dubliners Dirty Rotten Shame, 1995 also issued as a CD single ---
13 Don't Be Careless Love Paul McCartney Flowers In The Dirt, 1989 EC/McCartney, EC on keys & harmonies ---
14 Do You Know What I'm Saying? Wendy James Now Ain't The Time For Your Tears, 1993 ---
15 Earthbound (EC/O'Riordan), for on Wendy James Now Ain't The Time For Your Tears, 1993 EC/O'Riordan composition ---
16 Fake Tin Star Diana Krall Single: Narrow Daylight, 2004 Krall/Costello ---
17 Fill In The Blanks Wendy James Now Ain't The Time For Your Tears, 1993 This song is unreleased by Elvis Costello, but his demo version is available unofficially. ---
18 Forbidden Nights Darlene Love Introducing Darlene Love, 2015 ---
19 The Girl In The Other Room Diana Krall The Girl In The Other Room, 2004 music & lyrics Krall/Costello ---
20 Girls Talk Dave Edmunds Repeat When Necessary, 1979 & A-Side of single B-Side of Single: I Can't Stand Up For Falling Down ---
21 Having It All Patsy Kensit to perform in the ill-fated film Absolute Beginners, 1986 demo version on King Of America Rhino/Edsel reissue ---
22 Hidden Shame Johnny Cash Boom Chicka Boom, 1990 on All This Useless Beauty (Rhino reissue), 2001 ---
23 I Want To Stand Forever Wendy James Now Ain't The Time For Your Tears, 1993 This song is unreleased by Elvis Costello, but his demo version is available unofficially. ---
24 I Want To Vanish June Tabor Against The Streams, 1994 recorded on All This Useless Beauty, 1996 & live on Costello & Nieve, 1996 ---
25 I Wonder How She Knows Charles Brown Someone To Love, 1992 EC/Brown composition ---
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  1. I'm Coming Through (music Krall, lyrics Krall/Costello), for Diana Krall on The Girl In The Other Room [2004; CD]
  2. I've Changed My Address (music Krall, lyrics Krall/Costello), for Diana Krall on The Girl In The Other Room [2004; CD]
  3. Indigo Moon (EC/McCartney), yet to be released [87]
  4. Indoor Fireworks, for Nick Lowe on The Rose Of England [85; CD; F-Beat ZL70765/Demon FIENDCD 73]
  5. It's Not Too Late (EC/T-Bone Burnett/Bob Neuwirth), for T-Bone Burnett on The Criminal Under My Own Hat [92; CD/CAS; Columbia 4679782/4]
  6. London's Brilliant (EC/O'Riordan), for Wendy James on Now Ain't The Time For Your Tears
  7. Losing You (Just A Memory), for Dusty Springfield (this is the song "Just A Memory" with an extra verse or so written especially for Dusty) on White Heat [83; LP; Casablanca])
  8. The Lovers That Never Were (EC/McCartney), for Paul McCartney on Off The Ground [93; CD; Parlophone CDPCSD 125] & OFF THE GROUND-THE COMPLETE WORKS [93; 2xCD; Parlophone CDEQ 5010]. A demo of this song exists with EC singing the choruses.
  9. Maureen And Sam (EC/Mayes), for Allan Mayes on Stumbling In The Aisle [86; LP; U.S. STC 86-2-1001]
  10. The Miranda Syndrome (EC/Ruben Blades), for Ruben Blades on Nothing But The Truth [88; CD/LP/CAS; Elektra 960 754-2/1/4], EC plays acoustic guitar.
  11. Miss Mary (EC/Zucchero), for Zucchero 'Sugar' Fornaciari's on Miserere [92; CD/MC; Polydor 513 682-2/4 (US), London 517 097-2/4 (France)]. EC is possibly part of the backing choir.
  12. Mistress And Maid (EC/McCartney), for Paul McCartney on Off The Ground [93; CD; Parlophone CDPCSD 125] & OFF THE GROUND-THE COMPLETE WORKS [93; 2xCD; Parlophone CDEQ 5010].
  13. My Brave Face (EC/McCartney), for Paul McCartney on Flowers In The Dirt [89; LP/CD; Parlophone PCSD 106]
  14. The Nameless One, for Wendy James on Now Ain't The Time For Your Tears
  15. Narrow Daylight (music Krall & lyrics Krall/Costello), for Diana Krall on The Girl In The Other Room [2004; CD] and Single: Narrow Daylight [2004-05-__; CD5; Verve 9866818 (UK)])
  16. The Other End Of The Telescope (EC/Aimee Mann), for 'Til Tuesday on Everything's Different Now [89; CD/LP; Epic EPC 460737] & Coming up Close: A Retrospective [CD (enhanced); Epic Legacy EK 64944], EC on bvox
  17. Passionate Fight, for Ute Lemper on Punishing Kiss [2000-04-04; CD]
  18. Punishing Kiss (EC/MacManus/O'Riordan), for Annie Ross and the Low Note Quintet on Short Cuts [93: CD; Imago-BMG 72787 210142 (Germany)]), for Ute Lemper on Punishing Kiss [2000-04-04; CD]
  19. Puppet Girl (EC/O'Riordan), for Wendy James on Now Ain't The Time For Your Tears
  20. Put Away Forbidden Playthings, for Fretwork on Sit Fast, 1997
  21. Radio Sweetheart, for Carlene Carter on Two Sides To Every Woman [79; LP; Warner BSK 3375 (US)]
  22. The Scarlet Tide [Costello/T Bone Burnett], for Alison Krauss on Cold Mountain soundtrack [2003-12-__; CD]
  23. Shadow And Jimmy (EC/David Was), for Was Not Was on What Up, Dog? [88; LP; Fontana SFLP4], [88; CAS; SFMC4] & [88; CD; 834 291-2])
  24. Shamed Into Love (EC/Ruben Blades), for Ruben Blades on Nothing But The Truth [88; Elektra 960 754-1]
  25. Shatterproof, for Billy Bremmer (a-side of single [84; 7"/12"; Arista 557] and on Bash! [Arista 06 179])
  26. Shipbuilding (EC/Langer), for Robert Wyatt on Nothing Can Stop Us [82; CD; Rough Trade (some CDs do not include this track!)], [82; 7" a-side; Rough Trade RTT 115], [82; 12" a-side; Rough Trade RTT 115T]. EC on bvox)
  27. St. Stephen's Day Murders, for The Chieftains on The Bells Of Dublin [91; CD; RCA 60824]
  28. Stranger In The House, for Rachel Sweet on Fool Around [78; LP; Stiff SEEZ 12/Stiff-Teldec 6.23659 (Germany, green vinyl)]
  29. That Day Is Done (EC/McCartney), for Paul McCartney on Flowers In The Dirt [89; LP/CD; Parlophone PCSD 106] EC on harmonies
  30. That's What Friends Are For, for Georgie Fame on That's What Friends Are For [79; LP/CAS; Pye N119], GEORGIE FAME AT HIS BEST [95; CD; Castle Communications MAT CD 323] & _JAZZ '81_ (various artists) [CD]
  31. This Is A Test, for Wendy James on Now Ain't The Time For Your Tears
  32. Three Distracted Woman, song cycle for Anne Sofie von Otter and the Brodsky Quartet
  33. Tommy's Coming Home [McCartney/MacManus], unreleased
  34. Unwanted Number, performed by For Real on Soundtrack: Grace Of My Heart [96; CD; MCA MCAD 11510 (US)]
  35. Upon A Veil Of Midnight Blue, for Mary Coughlan on Love For Sale [93; CD; Demon FIENDCD 730]. This is the original version of the EC/Charles Brown song "I Wonder How She Knows".
  36. We Despise You (EC/O'Riordan), for Wendy James on Now Ain't The Time For Your Tears
  37. (I Love You) When You Sleep, for Tracie (on Far From The Hurting Kind [84; LP; Respond RRL 502/Respond-Teldec 6.26033 (Germany)] and a-side single [84; 7"/12"; Respond KOB 710])
  38. Why Can't A Man Stand Alone?, for Sam Moore (of Sam & Dave) (not recorded)
  39. You Bowed Down (EC/McGuinn), for Roger McGuinn on Back From Rio [91; CD; Arista ARCD-8648 (US)] EC on bvox.
  40. You Want Her Too (EC/McCartney), for Paul McCartney on Flowers In The Dirt [89; LP/CD; Parlophone PCSD 106] EC on 2nd vox & keys


The Jo Marshall Demos

  • I don't know if these are fake or not, but apparently EC wrote the following songs early in his career for a woman called Jo Marshall (These titles may not be 100% correct, and the versions I have heard of are performed by Jo and not EC). If anyone has further information on these demos then please contact me).:
    • He Doesn't Look Like You
    • Big Brown Eyes
    • I Want To Talk To You
    • True Love


Internal links


External links

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