The Elvis Costello Home Page

Release date	Media	Catalogue number (comments)
My Aim Is True - Elvis Costello [32:56]

1977-07-22	LP	Stiff SEEZ 3 (UK)
1977-__-__	CAS	Stiff ZSEEZ 3 (UK)
1977-__-__	LP	Stiff SEEZ 3 (Finland, orange label)
1977-__-__	LP	Stiff SEEZ 3 (Norway/Sweden, label contains "King stereo" & "The world's most flexible record label)
(Belgian release on blue vinyl)
1977-__-__	LP	Stiff COU/B/SEEZ03 (Belgium, blue vinyl)
1977-__-__	LP	DuReCo/Stiff SRL 910.010/SEEZ3 (Holland, sleeve has white front & yellow back. Does not include "Watching The Detectives")
1977-__-__	LP	Stiff TXS 3115 (Spain, also as white label promo)
1977-__-__	LP	Stiff 1056 (Israel, pink label. Title also printed in Hebrew)
1977-__-__	LP	Stiff L-36872 (Australia, cover says "features Watching The Detectives", with this track added to the end of side 2. Manufactured & distributed by EMI-Australia))
19__-__-__	CAS	Stiff C 36872 (Australia)
1978-__-__	LP	Stiff SEEZ.3 (Australia cover says "features Watching The Detectives", with this track added to the end of side 2. Manufactured & distributed by EMI-Australia))
19__-__-__	CAS	Stiff TC-SEEZ.3 (Australia)
19__-__-__	LP	Festival Records L 36872 (Australia, with Watching The Detectives at the end of side 2)
19__-__-__	LP	Stiff STLP 1006 (Italy, green tint photo, yellow back)
19__-__-__	LP	Stiff SEEZ 3-NP (Portugal, green tint photo & back)
1978-03-__	LP	Columbia JC 35037 (US, 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 track listing pasted on the front)
1978-__-__	LP	Columbia PC 35037 (Canada)
19__-__-__	LP	Columbia (US promo, stickered, yellow tint photo & back)
1978-03-__	CAS	Columbia JCT 35037 (US and Canada)
1978-11-25	LP	Stiff 6001/Victor VIP-6581 (Japan, insert with lyrics. Also as white label promo)
19__-__-__	LP	Stiff WIP-6581 (Japan)
1982-__-__	LP	Discos Victoria VLP-27/22LO460 (Spain, includes Watching The Detectives. This album had the title Viva England)
1984-__-__	MC	Stify STK 71006 (Italy, does not contain Watching The Detectives)
1984-__-__	LP	Columbia PC 35037 (US/Canada)
1986-07-__	LP	Demon IMP FIEND 13 (UK)
1986-07-__	CAS	Demon IMP FIEND CASS 13 (UK)
1986-07-__	CD	Demon IMP FIEND CD 13 (UK)
1986-__-__	CD	Columbia 35037 (US)
19__-__-__	8T	Columbia (US)
19__-__-__	LP	Liberation Records LIB 5100 (Australia)
19__-__-__	CAS	Liberation Records TCLIB 5100 (Australia)
Japanese release in miniature paper sleeve
2003-09-27	CD	Victor VICP-62501 (Japan, miniature paper sleeves of original LP artwork)
HMV Classic Collection
( Front of box / cover of included CD )
1988-09-05	CD	HMV C88 2-12 (UK, special limited edition (1500) box in the HMV Classic Collection series, with 12 page booklet. The box contains the Demon IMP FIEND CD13 CD)
1988-09-05	LP	HMV C88 1-12 (UK, special limited edition (1500) box in the HMV Classic Collection series, with 12 page booklet. The box contains the Demon IMP FIEND 13 LP)

Tracks:

Side 1:
Welcome To The Working Week [1:22]
Miracle Man [3:31]
No Dancing [2:39]
Blame It On Cain [2:49]
Alison [3:21]
Sneaky Feelings [2:09]
Watching The Detectives --- not included on UK, Belgian & Portugese versions

Side 2:
(The Angels Wanna Wear My) Red Shoes [2:47]
Less Than Zero [3:15]
Mystery Dance [1:38]
Pay It Back [2:33]
I'm Not Angry [2:57]
Waiting For The End Of The World [3:22]

Producer:

Nick Lowe.

Personnel:

Elvis Costello - guitar, vocals, backing vocals

The Shamrocks (aka Clover):

John McFee - guitar, pedal steel
Sean Hopper - keyboards, backing vocals
Johnny Ciambotti - bass, backing vocals
Michael Shine - drums

Nick Lowe - backing vocals

Except:

"Mystery Dance":
Nick Lowe - bass
Elvis & Nick - piano & drumstick
"Less Than Zero":
Stan Shaw - organ
"Watching The Detectives":
Steve Goulding - drums
Andrew Bodnar - bass
Steve Nieve - piano, organ

Charts:

#14 (UK), #32 (US).

Went silver (60,000 copies) in the UK (date unknown).

Went gold (500,000 copies) in the US in 1981.

Went platinum (1 million copies) in the US in 1991.

Notes:

The track times listed on the LP are totally wrong.
Album recorded in a total of 24 hours at Pathway Studios, Islington.
Early LP covers had a black & white photo on the front, and many different coloured backs. Later issues had a green tint on the front picture and a green back. The Demon issue originally had a yellow tint on the photo and a yellow back, and the reissue has a green tint photo. The early covers also have different manufacturer credits on the back cover and label: "Made & manufactured by Press & Post" & "Distributed by Island Records". There are thought to be at least 11 different cover variations.
The first few UK copies came with a poster and a form asking the buyer to send in the address of a friend, who would then receive a free copy. The form read:

HELP US HYPE ELVIS
In these John Denver days, people in Framptonland are loathe to shell out on new artists. As you've bought this record we assume that you groove to the Elvis GB sound. As you know there are only two Elvis. On is fat and famous, one is small and languishes in obscurity. Stiff Records, ever keen to meet the record buying public demands, have hatched a plot that allows you to become a potent factor in El's future. Here's how are See-Elvis-Go-Gold-Stiff-Go-Broke scheme works. You pay the postage. We send the album. And all you have to do is write no more than 25 words why you like the English Elvis and send this sheet (together with postage stamps to the value of 23p) to: Stiff Records, 32 Alexander Street, London W2. We will then send a free album to the person of your choice who you think can do the most for Elvis. This offer is limited to the UK only. We are only giving away 1000 albums (Jeesus - only 1000!) so write off today and grab a small stake in shaping El's destiny. His meal ticket, your El Dorado. This offer does not apply to Island Records executives, groupies, liggers, Elvis Costello and employees of Stiff.

According to Goldmine Record Collector, in 1984 Columbia Records reissued, in the U.S. & Canada, all of studio albums to that time (MAIT, TYM, AF, GH, T, AB, IB, & PTC) with the prefix “PC” instead of the original “JC” or “FC”, but the same 5-digit number as before.