50 Songs For 50 Days - Elvis Costello's October Surprise

Pretty self-explanatory
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verbal gymnastics
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Re: 50 Songs For 50 Days - Elvis Costello's October Surprise

Post by verbal gymnastics »

Ymaginatif wrote:Sounds like a very slow way to put up a playlist on Spotify :)

I hope that it will be something more than just that - dragged out over 50 days.
Absolutely. I guess the main interest is that for fans we know Elvis is directly involved in doing this.
Who’s this kid with his mumbo jumbo?
Hawksmoor
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Re: 50 Songs For 50 Days - Elvis Costello's October Surprise

Post by Hawksmoor »

verbal gymnastics wrote:Absolutely. I guess the main interest is that for fans we know Elvis is directly involved in doing this.
For sure. But in fairness to him, he has taken more of an interest in the online presentation of his music than many other artists, for quite some time now. The 'sleeve notes' that have appeared on the website for 'Look Now', the 'Purse' EP, the 'Hey Clockface' LP and, now for '50 Days', are long, detailed, interesting, and obviously written by EC himself.

Not many artists are doing that. When I'm talking to non-fans (or indeed, to people who are fans of other artists), one of the points on which I will always champion EC is that, for an artist of his age and career-point, he remains passionately interested in his own songs, in a way which I think few other artists really are.
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docinwestchester
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Re: 50 Songs For 50 Days - Elvis Costello's October Surprise

Post by docinwestchester »

Spotify is amazing. I've used the premium version for about 5 years. Worth every bit of the $9.99/month.

(actually I pay $14.99/month for 4 separate accounts - the family plan)

I still buy some physical media, just to support the artists, but almost never listen to it.
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Re: 50 Songs For 50 Days - Elvis Costello's October Surprise

Post by Hawksmoor »

bronxapostle wrote:i want....FAR FROM THE PRIZE!!!
With you. Perhaps the most poignant and beautiful of all his (so far) unreleased songs. Years ago - well, decades ago - I remember somebody, think it was Chris Difford - doing a 'my personal top ten' in Smash Hits or whatever. He included 'Stranger in the House' and said 'it scares me to sleep'. I feel that about about 'Far From the Prize'.
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Re: 50 Songs For 50 Days - Elvis Costello's October Surprise

Post by bronxapostle »

Hawksmoor wrote:
bronxapostle wrote:i want....FAR FROM THE PRIZE!!!
With you. Perhaps the most poignant and beautiful of all his (so far) unreleased songs. Years ago - well, decades ago - I remember somebody, think it was Chris Difford - doing a 'my personal top ten' in Smash Hits or whatever. He included 'Stranger in the House' and said 'it scares me to sleep'. I feel that about about 'Far From the Prize'.

I will dig up one of my brilliant analogue recordings and share here before long. Promise!!
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Re: 50 Songs For 50 Days - Elvis Costello's October Surprise

Post by Harry Worth »

I share the disquiet of others of EC championing Spotify, but I'll just have to get over myself I suppose. I've got the 'free' Spotify - I've had it for ages but rarely use it. It's shuffling the tracks and adding others :(

The David Byrne book is all very good, not just the chapter on the tiny amount of money per play artists receive from streaming services!
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Re: 50 Songs For 50 Days - Elvis Costello's October Surprise

Post by docinwestchester »

Harry Worth wrote: I've got the 'free' Spotify - I've had it for ages but rarely use it. It's shuffling the tracks and adding others :(
The free version is awful. If you pay, there’s none of that nonsense.
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Re: 50 Songs For 50 Days - Elvis Costello's October Surprise

Post by Hawksmoor »

Harry Worth wrote:The David Byrne book is all very good, not just the chapter on the tiny amount of money per play artists receive from streaming services!
Isn't it just? I love his idea that Southern hemisphere music developed as percussive/melodic because it was played outdoors and the sound had to travel a long way, whereas Northern hemisphere music developed as harmonic/reverberative because it was bouncing back off the walls of a building.
sweetest punch
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Re: 50 Songs For 50 Days - Elvis Costello's October Surprise

Post by sweetest punch »

No. 4 - Jimmie Standing In The Rain

“Eyes going in and out of focus
Mild and bitter from tuberculosis
Forgotten man
Indifferent nation”

From “National Ransom”
Since you put me down, it seems i've been very gloomy. You may laugh but pretty girls look right through me.
jardine
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Re: 50 Songs For 50 Days - Elvis Costello's October Surprise

Post by jardine »

Just a thought linking to another thread. Looking at these lyrics, thinking of the depth of ECs plunges in to the woes of the world, his regular singing of PLU makes more and more sense. It has that lovely twist -- 'What's so funny. . . ?" -- which makes it near to his own twists, but its plea out from under the weight of many of his own songs...I'm now not surprised that he sings it so often. And now, I'm glad he does.
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Re: 50 Songs For 50 Days - Elvis Costello's October Surprise

Post by bronxapostle »

Hawksmoor wrote:
bronxapostle wrote:i want....FAR FROM THE PRIZE!!!
With you. Perhaps the most poignant and beautiful of all his (so far) unreleased songs. Years ago - well, decades ago - I remember somebody, think it was Chris Difford - doing a 'my personal top ten' in Smash Hits or whatever. He included 'Stranger in the House' and said 'it scares me to sleep'. I feel that about about 'Far From the Prize'.
https://youtu.be/cqY-kcbFoUg
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Re: 50 Songs For 50 Days - Elvis Costello's October Surprise

Post by Hawksmoor »

bronxapostle wrote:https://youtu.be/cqY-kcbFoUg
Well, there you go.

Made me cry.

Nice work. How much felt emotion is behind those three or four lines?
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Re: 50 Songs For 50 Days - Elvis Costello's October Surprise

Post by bronxapostle »

Achingly beautiful for such a short piece of music. One short verse, two chorus and then done. Maybe he felt he never finished it??? but, i say PERFECT as is. AND assuredly, anyone who has never heard it (and I imagine that is many as he had only played it a dozen or so times and all in 1996!) deserves to enjoy it as much as we do Hawk, yes? I just hope EC doesn't mind my share here.
HE TOO SHOULD SHARE THIS TAKE!!
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Re: 50 Songs For 50 Days - Elvis Costello's October Surprise

Post by Hawksmoor »

bronxapostle wrote:Achingly beautiful for such a short piece of music. One short verse, two chorus and then done. Maybe he felt he never finished it??? but, i say PERFECT as is. AND assuredly, anyone who has never heard it (and I imagine that is many as he had only played it a dozen or so times and all in 1996!) deserves to enjoy it as much as we do Hawk, yes? I just hope EC doesn't mind my share here.
HE TOO SHOULD SHARE THIS TAKE!!
I'm really grateful for it. The only version I had, previously, had some audible audience chatter. Bless you.
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Re: 50 Songs For 50 Days - Elvis Costello's October Surprise

Post by bronxapostle »

I was lucky to see it the 3 1996 shows i attended in D.C. and NYC twice. My quick listens to share this expeditiously for you this morning had me judge this one best. MAY I ASK HAWK....despite not being audiophile quality, my SONY cassette has a certain charn, yes? My age old comparison...IT SOUNDS LIKE YOU ARE THERE!!
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Re: 50 Songs For 50 Days - Elvis Costello's October Surprise

Post by sweetest punch »

No. 5 Night Rally

“They're putting all your names
In the forbidden book
I know what they're doing
But I don't want to look”

From 'This Year’s Model'
Since you put me down, it seems i've been very gloomy. You may laugh but pretty girls look right through me.
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Re: 50 Songs For 50 Days - Elvis Costello's October Surprise

Post by Hawksmoor »

bronxapostle wrote:I was lucky to see it the 3 1996 shows i attended in D.C. and NYC twice. My quick listens to share this expeditiously for you this morning had me judge this one best. MAY I ASK HAWK....despite not being audiophile quality, my SONY cassette has a certain charn, yes? My age old comparison...IT SOUNDS LIKE YOU ARE THERE!!
Heh heh, absolutely. My previous copy of that particular song had, as background ambience, two blokes arguing because one had been to the bar for some drinks, and the other thought that he was pushing in front of him. I can never hear the song now without hearing, after Elvis' last line, a disembodied voice saying 'oh, so I just floated in, did I?'

The little things that fans treasure that really make you feel like you are there! :D

Mind you, my original Get Happy!! had a very audible click/pop a nanosecond before the first note of 'Riot Act'. I still miss that. :(
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Re: 50 Songs For 50 Days - Elvis Costello's October Surprise

Post by cwr »

I was at the first concert where he performed "Far From The Prize" and after it was over I couldn't get anyone else to confirm that it had really happened. It was my 2nd EC show (1st was Tinley Park near Chicago in 1994) and I went to see where people were lining up to get autographs afterwards near the stage door, and I asked a few people "hey what was that song where it was just a spotlight on him at the end of 'Little Atoms'?" I truly didnt know if it was a snippet of a cover or a new original, and NO ONE else there seemed to have any memory of it. It wasn't until I saw set lists of the next shows that I was able to verify that I hadn't just imagined it!
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Re: 50 Songs For 50 Days - Elvis Costello's October Surprise

Post by Top balcony »

cwr wrote:I was at the first concert where he performed "Far From The Prize"
Were you standing next to me at the incomparable Royal Court on 20th July 1996 http://www.elviscostello.info/wiki/inde ... _The_Prize
then ? :wink:
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Re: 50 Songs For 50 Days - Elvis Costello's October Surprise

Post by Hawksmoor »

Top balcony wrote:
cwr wrote:I was at the first concert where he performed "Far From The Prize"
Were you standing next to me at the incomparable Royal Court on 20th July 1996 http://www.elviscostello.info/wiki/inde ... _The_Prize
then ? :wink:
I don't know if cwr was, but I was there! Love seeing Elvis in Liverpool, there's always something magical, especially in the old days when it was always the Royal Court. Alan Bleasdale with his private box, all that - lovely atmosphere. Saw him six times 1984 to 1996, always at the Royal Court, happy days.

Mind you, July 2016 at the Philharmonic was another absolute cracker - singing Happy Birthday to his Mum, Bleasdale visibly present, lovely. It's the place to see Elvis!
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Re: 50 Songs For 50 Days - Elvis Costello's October Surprise

Post by sulky lad »

Hawksmoor wrote:
Top balcony wrote:
cwr wrote:I was at the first concert where he performed "Far From The Prize"
Were you standing next to me at the incomparable Royal Court on 20th July 1996 http://www.elviscostello.info/wiki/inde ... _The_Prize
then ? :wink:
I don't know if cwr was, but I was there! Love seeing Elvis in Liverpool, there's always something magical, especially in the old days when it was always the Royal Court. Alan Bleasdale with his private box, all that - lovely atmosphere. Saw him six times 1984 to 1996, always at the Royal Court, happy days.

Mind you, July 2016 at the Philharmonic was another absolute cracker - singing Happy Birthday to his Mum, Bleasdale visibly present, lovely. It's the place to see Elvis!
Every time I've seen Elvis in Liverpool it's been awful ( only joking!)
After the 1996 show I got everyone to sign my Get Happy!, El Mocambo and Blood And Chocolate LP sleeves but I had to wait for Steve to go and see his sister off to the bus stop before he came back to see us all. Sadly Bruce kept away from the throng and I have to wait another 22 years before I completed the set!
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Re: 50 Songs For 50 Days - Elvis Costello's October Surprise

Post by sweetest punch »

No. 6
Hurry Down Doomsday (The Bugs Are Taking Over)

“In time you can turn these obsessions into careers
While the parents of those kidnapped children
Start the bidding for their tears”

From “Mighty Like A Rose”
Since you put me down, it seems i've been very gloomy. You may laugh but pretty girls look right through me.
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Re: 50 Songs For 50 Days - Elvis Costello's October Surprise

Post by Top balcony »

Hawksmoor wrote: Bleasdale visibly present
Sir Alan Bleasedale was leaning on his walking stick having a quiet smoke outside the Philharmonic Hall before 10th June 2013's Spinning Songbook show. Sulky and I interrupted his tranquillity and I said " are you going to get a spin?" his reply : "f**k that, I want to go in the cage!".
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Re: 50 Songs For 50 Days - Elvis Costello's October Surprise

Post by sulky lad »

Top balcony wrote:
Hawksmoor wrote: Bleasdale visibly present
Sir Alan Bleasedale was leaning on his walking stick having a quiet smoke outside the Philharmonic Hall before 10th June 2013's Spinning Songbook show. Sulky and I interrupted his tranquillity and I said " are you going to get a spin?" his reply : "f**k that, I want to go in the cage!".

:D :D :D
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Re: 50 Songs For 50 Days - Elvis Costello's October Surprise

Post by Hawksmoor »

Top balcony wrote:
Hawksmoor wrote: Bleasdale visibly present
Sir Alan Bleasedale was leaning on his walking stick having a quiet smoke outside the Philharmonic Hall before 10th June 2013's Spinning Songbook show. Sulky and I interrupted his tranquillity and I said " are you going to get a spin?" his reply : "f**k that, I want to go in the cage!".
Perfect. On a day when I was a little bit sad about Elvis hinting it might be a long time before he can play live again, that anecdote has reminded me of happier times and put a big smile on my face. Thank-you!
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