Revolver Tour Setlists on ElvisCostello.com

[FAVEHOUR]

The official website is posting setlists in the "Yellow Press" section.

Dave

[docinwestchester]

The official website is posting setlists in the "Yellow Press" section.

Dave

Click here:
http://www.elviscostello.com/#/news/the ... -lists/117

[verbal gymnastics]

I wonder how many songs from Revolver there will be.

So far it's And your bird can sing.

I'd love to hear him do I'm only sleeping.

[Jeremy Dylan]

Hell, I'd love him to do the whole bloody record. Then throw in the Strawberry Fields / Penny Lane double A side and then on to Sgt Pepper.

[The imposter]

Then on to the white album next year

The "girl" theme is an interesting move: Girl,Party girl, girls talk, this years girl etc.
Maybe there are others to be explored like "tears" or "roses". Just the other day I was listening to an 80s live medley of GYFR, Poisoned Rose, I threw away the rose...

[Jeremy Dylan]

ANIMALS THEME

The Monkey
Monkey to Man
Battered Old Bird
King Horse
Leave My Kitten Alone
Pads, Paws and Claws
The Butcher's Boy
Freedom for the Stallion

[queenofthefleapit]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hE5v71h1tLA

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cQJBHKyf ... re=related

Clips of Girl and You Tripped At Every Step (especially lovely)!

[bronxapostle]

bumping this cos i use doc's link to get to official..try it!

[Man out of Time]

Now this on the official site under the heading: Napoleon Remembers.

My many years in showbusiness have taught me that the audience is actually a group of individuals who - though deserving of respect and any even affection – may be transformed into an angry beast in the frenzy of the night.

I take the precaution of keeping a whip and chair close at hand, at all times.

So, it was with some trepidation that I picked up my cane, put on the pancake and powder and once again doffed a topper to assume my role as the M.C. of The Spectacular Spinning Songbook.

Could so patently absurd an entertainment as this survive in our Age Of Entitlement?

Well, cynicism be damned!

A rocking good time was had by one and all!

The public absolutely hurled themselves into this show with good humour and untrained limbs.

It was enough to melt my cruel old vaudeville heart.

While some people cavorted in the “Hostage-To-Fortune Go-Go Cage”, others whispered testimonials and personal asides, just shy of the spotlight.

They were both surprising and humbling.

You don’t expect to find such heart in the middle of the circus.

“The Revolver Tour” lit out from Reno on 7th of May, taking in two nights apiece at the Oakland Fox and Wiltern Theatre, Los Angeles.

The last of these shows was filmed for a future motion picture release.

The Spectacular Spinning Songbook featured forty banners, both individual song titles and a number of Jackpots prizes.

The operation of the Wheel was scrupulously fair at all times but as you know the house always wins.

This wheel doesn't revolve around the company store.

Neither does it stop exclusively for pirates, brigands or stamp collectors, let alone revenue collectors…

It is The People’s Wheel…

And it costs a pretty penny…

Faithful versions of hits and favourites like “Chelsea” and “The Other Side Of Summer” were heard alongside spanking new arrangements of “Veronica” and “Pump It Up”, the latter running on into a two-keyboard rendition of Harlan Howard’s “Busted”.

The revolution of fortune sometimes offered the chance to introduce the hits of the future like, “Flutter & Wow” and “A Slow Drag With Josephine” or rarely heard songs such as “All Grown Up”, accompanied solely by the grand piano of Steve Nieve.

The proposition “Detectives vs Hoover Factory” was met with a split audience decision on three occasions and both titles were performed, while “Watching the Detectives” prevailed on two other evenings.

The jackpot named, “Time” triggered a sequence of songs with that word in the title, including such tunes as, “Clowntime Is Over”, “Strict Time”, “Man Out Of Time” and the Jagger/Richards composition, “Out Of Time, while the “I Can Sing A Rainbow” jackpot revealed; “Greenshirt”, “Blue Chair”, “Red Shoes” and Prince’s “Purple Rain”.

In the one echo of the original “Costello Sings Again Tour” of 1986, the special guests at the second Wiltern show were once again, The Bangles.

Time has only brought greater beauty to their vocal harmonies.

Their dancing was absolutely groovy and tip-top.

Susanna Hoffs took the lead vocal on “Doll Revolution”, while the ensemble came together for a reprise of the “Blood and Chocolate” tune, “Next Time Around”, first performed at the Beverly Theatre in ‘86, together with completely off-the-cuff harmonies on the Lennon/McCartney song, “Girl”.

“The Revolver Tour” next touched down at Chicago Theatre, where the Wheel gave us a rare performance of “The Element Within Her” and an arrangement of “The River In Reverse” which turned out to incorporate the Bob Dylan/Rick Danko tune, “This Wheel’s On Fire”.

The show pressed on to the Taft Theatre in Cincinnati, against doctor’s orders, borne up against malady by the good people of Ohio and Kentucky and where the finale included a version of The Who’s “Substitute”.

Medical advice meant it was necessary to rest the voice for one evening but we hope that the patrons of the postponed concert in the Wellmont Theatre in New Jersey will be more than happy with the forthcoming announcements.

The tour resumed on the 15th of May in the typical uproar of the Tower Theatre Philadelphia.

This magnificent honky-tonk has been a regular stop since 1978 and the welcome on this occasion did not disappoint.

The MacManus Family made an appearance in Boston, when brothers, Declan and Ronan, harmonized in public for the first time ever, as Biblecode Sundays joined Elvis Costello and the Imposters for performances of “American Without Tears” and “Little Palaces”.

One young man was so overcome by the awesome sight of the Spectacular Spinning Songbook that he dropped to his knees, produced a ring and asked his gal to marry him in front of more than 2000 witnesses.

She accepted…

Then hugged me first…

We wish them every happiness…

As soon as my ordination in the ministry is complete we hope to offer a complete service.

My friend of thirty years or more, Peter Wolf, without whom I quite literally might not have lived to tell the tale, joined the finale of the Boston show for a seductive version of Sonny Boy Williamson’s “Help Me” and his song, “Cry One More Time”, which I had not had occasion to perform since 1975.

“Revolver Tour” concluded with a three-night, sold-out stand at the Beacon Theatre in New York City.

Hearts swelled and eyes filled with tears at the sight of the legendary, Xavier Valentine being reunited with his niece, Katarina, Valentina Valentine, who had, until this night, been our sole guide from your place in the stalls to your place in the stars.

The Valentine Family have two estranged branches, one hails from the lace capital of Carrickmacross and the other from the Ukraine.

This was their first appearance together.

Biblecode Sundays, returned in New York to raise the roof on the second evening with a set of traditional fiddle and accordion tunes played off the back of “Little Palaces”.

A second red sparkle drumkit was also in place that night, as Tennessee Thomas joined Pete Thomas in a father and daughter drum corps for the set-closing versions of “Turpentine” and “Uncomplicated” and encore performances of “Pump It Up" and “Peace, Love and Understanding”.

Alex Turner of the Arctic Monkeys arrived backstage, hotfoot from Ed Sullivan Theatre to rehearse “Lipstick Vogue” in the dressing room, five minutes from showtime and on which he shared the vocal duties during in the finale.

Special guest spinners over the three evenings included, Mike Myers, Willie Garson of “Sex In The City” and “White Collar” fame and Questlove from The Roots, who also manned the drumkit for a totally impromptu rendition of “Black And White World” on the final night.

Jim Lauderdale also joined the company on the last evening for the “King’s Ransom” jackpot, which yielded, “Indoor Fireworks” and “Brilliant Mistake” from “King Of America” and the co-written hit, “I Lost You” from the recently deleted album, “National Ransom”.

This followed a birthday salute to the author in the form of a solo rendition of Bob Dylan’s timely, “License To Kill”.

A secret plan to ask Rachel Ray to make pancakes for the entire audience following a guest spin was only thwarted by a scheduling clash.

And then it was done, the lights dimmed and the wheel rolled out of town.

So, as I return to my own private Elba and The Spectacular Spinning Songbook is dispatched back to the Hartlepool Museum of Showbusiness Machinery, where it will be on exclusive public display until late August, I would like to take a moment to send the following salutations.

Thanks go out to our, mostly locally recruited, official go-go dancers:

The Rt. Hon. Penelope Halfpenny, Ms. Kitty “Meow” McMuffin of “The Lusty Lady”, direct from “The Wookey Hollow”, Belmont Road, Liverpool, Miss Candy Mugglestone, The Tersichorean Stylings of Miss Felicity Sisters, Her Royal Highness, Jacinta Trimble, the Duchess of Lexington, The Baroness Astrid von Koolhaven, Ms Sventlana Smashkahnova, Susie Darling and the former Mother Superior of Our Lady Of Perpetual Torment, Dixie De La Fontaine.

They left not a tail feather unshaken...

We would also like to acknowledge the tireless efforts of all of our production team, crew and drivers.

Without you, we are but stringless puppets...

But thanks go most of all to our participants, contestants, protestants, supplicants and especially to the witnesses who didn’t make it to the stage, for their part in the adventure.

We hope we shall see you again, when the Spectacular Spinning Songbook comes to your town in the near future.

Yours through music and mischief. Napoleon Dynamite

A few points to note -

The last of these shows was filmed for a future motion picture release.

- can anyone who was at the final Beacon show confirm or deny this ?

I Lost You” from the recently deleted album, “National Ransom”.

- I guess if he'd played more songs from it on this tour, it might still be selling...

we hope that the patrons of the postponed concert in the Wellmont Theatre in New Jersey will be more than happy with the forthcoming announcements.

- watch for news of a rescheduled date..

MOOT

[Jeremy Dylan]

I took that to mean the second show at the Wiltern was the one that was filmed, rather than the Beacon, as much as I'd like it to be the latter.

[docinwestchester]

I took that to mean the second show at the Wiltern was the one that was filmed, rather than the Beacon, as much as I'd like it to be the latter.

There was no camera crew at the Beacon.

[SoulForHire]

A little confession:
Prior to this tour, I had not bought National Ransom. This was the only album of his EVER that I did not buy. And I used to collect almost everything he would release (soundtracks, etc.). This was an over reaction to Sulfur to Sugarcane, the only album of his that I did not like (though I am a bit neutral on North).

However, after hearing two songs from the disc live when I saw him in Vegas, I bought it the very next day. I would be surprised if there wasn't at least a little upsurge in the sales of that record during/after the tour.

[Jeremy Dylan]

I would bloody hope so. Or at least sales of 'Slow Drag with Josephine' on iTunes.

[Jack of All Parades]

One of the highlights for me during the recent Boston show was Josephine and a major disappointment was that he failed to do Jimmie which is a tremendous song. That he continues to arbitrarily ignore a great many of the songs from last year's strong effort is puzzling to me. I will never figure out his arbitrary efforts at marketing such strong material. Yet one more reason why I found the song selections he offered in that show so boring, ultimately, as they were the old war horses heard countless times even in their new versions.

[bronxapostle]

as always CS, two words: HEAD EXAMINED! same old warhouses? you're kidding, right? no two shows EVER the same here; same setlist would STILL be a different show! EVERY night an adventure. stay home next time, or quit bellyaching!

[Jack of All Parades]

You may be right about that, BA, as regards the skull examination. But I think you miss the point. Never said I hated the show as my post on the Boston show clearly shows. Just continue to be mystified that a wonderful opportunity as this tour is continues to not include more strong material from either the last album or from the past twenty years. By my count there were 25 songs played that night in Boston. Nine were those old war horses like Accidents, PLU, Red Shoes, Pump it UP, etc that for sure make a great many casual fans quite ecstatic but if you have been hearing them since 1978 in live shows they can become passe especially when he has such an extensive catalog of good material right up to the current date that he can draw upon. Fortunately, my math skills have not deteriorated. When over a third of the songs are those it tends to leave me less than ecstatic. It just seemed like a tremendous opportunity to showcase even more of his catalog and he did not do it-only two songs that evening were post 1985. What was fun that night was hearing him do something like Josephine or Cry One More Time or Out of Time, though the last two are not his, but I still enjoy a good cover by him.

[bronxapostle]

yes, of course we all enjoy a new cover or a handful of obscure songs, but you obviously do understand a portion of the hits must come nightly. at least it is not EVERY show that you get those same EIGHT or NINE songs. it really is just a tiny bit of his set that is played nightly. but, i do hope you get more of the song selections you want next time. enjoy...

[Ypsilanti]

yes, of course we all enjoy a new cover or a handful of obscure songs, but you obviously do understand a portion of the hits must come nightly. at least it is not EVERY show that you get those same EIGHT or NINE songs. it really is just a tiny bit of his set that is played nightly. but, i do hope you get more of the song selections you want next time. enjoy...

And not for nothing...EC really does try to make things as entertaining as possible--mixes it up when playing those 8 or 9 songs--new arrangements, weaving in bits of other songs, etc. Few artists would bother to do that. At the Beacon, I got to hear brand new versions of both Veronica & Pump It Up. I'm sure he does that primarily to keep things interesting for himself & the band, but it made those songs more of treat for me than they would have been in their traditional arrangements. I especially liked the 6/8 version of Pump It Up, AND I got to see Elvis play piano (another treat!) AND I got to see him sing Busted (yet another treat!). Clearly, he's trying to do what he can to satisfy both casual and hardcore fans. It's easy to call Alison (for example) boring, but imagine how Elvis feels about it. He's sung it thousands of times. And yet, instead of phoning it in, gagging from boredom, he goes out night after night and sings it like it's the first time--full of all the passion & emotion that song requires--and deserves--because, like the other 8 or 9, it's a great song--even if it's become a tad too familiar...

[bronxapostle]

well said ypsi...did you like 5-23 recording?

[verbal gymnastics]

I'm with Christopher on this in the sense that I can understand his, and others, disappointment.

Given the number of songs at Elvis and the Imposters' disposal and that (only half jokingly) Elvis said they'd rehearsed 157 and a half songs I think there was a lot more scope to vary the wheel choices and to omit some of the warhorses.

But on the other hand there are songs that people want to hear and I think Elvis recognises this. In fairness though he changes the tempo, adds different songs to the codas etc. and makes them different for his benefit.

Unfortunately he's not on tour to please you and I - there are people who will see him once on a tour and that will be their special night. For the likes of myself who will see him
on quite a few dates, there will always be thrills, a sense of similarity and a sense of what could have been.

[Ypsilanti]

well said ypsi...did you like 5-23 recording?

Hi BA
Haven't been able to listen yet, but I will--hopefully today. Excited.

Everybody has favorites they didn't hear--30-or so records, plus a few covers...40 slots on the wheel. Do the math. All his albums were under-represented, out of necessity. Would have loved to have heard Voice in the Dark or other songs from my beloved National Ransom (luckily, as a NYer, I heard lots of those songs at the United Palace last summer and at the Greene Space last fall). But that's not what this tour was about.

Talked 2 two "casual fans" who attended shows at the Beacon...
1. My 25 yr old pal who went with me on 5/23...although she had never heard Elvis before (gasp), she whispered to me, "I'm going on i-tunes as soon as I get home".
2. 50-ish guy who said Armed Forces got him through a year of living with his parents. Said the show on the 24th was one of the top five concerts he had ever seen in his life.

As far as I'm concerned, the shows I saw were fun, full of surprises and incredibly entertaining. If I'm a little sad he didn't play Motel Matches, I'm thrilled to have heard Clowntime. I didn't get to hear Little Atoms, but I did get B&W World. I'm happy.

[Jack of All Parades]

Understand what you are saying VG. My frustration stems from one show, one night in Boston. The show I attended. It was an aberration, I think, in hindsight. I am reasonably certain he was trying to preserve his voice and did fewer song selections because of that so that he could be stronger for his hometown fans in NYC in the subsequent days. Arrangements of those old war horses were no different than any other night on any other tour with the one exception of Pump it Up which was simply speeded up, not a particularly inspired rearrangement of the tune. The wheel itself was underutilized for song choices as noted by Harold Lepidus in the Wang Theater thread within the link provided by Mr. Foyle. It was for all intents a non factor in the show with five spins, three of which were manipulated by the artist. The point is that if the intent of this series of shows was to shake up the old numbers and play from the extensive catalog, he failed to do either on this given night. That is fine. I will just need to be more selective in the future as to what shows or tours I choose to support.

[bronxapostle]

Elvis Costello & The Imposters
Boston
May 20th, 2011

I Hope You're Happy Now
Heart Of The City
Mystery Dance
Uncomplicated
Radio Radio
The Other Side Of Summer
New Lace Sleeves
Greenshirt
Blue Chair
Red Shoes
Purple Rain
Peace, Love And Understanding
A Slow Drag With Josephine
American Without Tears – with The Biblecode Sundays duet with Ronan MacManus
Little Palaces/Set Of Fiddle & Accordion Tunes – with The Biblecode Sundays
Alison
Hoover Factory
Watching The Detectives
Chelsea – IMPROMPTU
Help Me – with Peter Wolf
Cry One More Time – Peter Wolf
I Can't Stand Up
High Fidelity
Out Of Time
Pump It Up

let's go over this one time CS: you got HEART OF THE CITY (only previously played on 2005 tour); the rarely played (in recent years) NEW LACE SLEEVES, GREEN SHIRT, AMERICAN WITHOUT TEARS, LITTLE PALACES & OTHER SIDE OF SUMMER! you got the super RARE ones: BLUE CHAIR, HOOVER FACTORY and again recently rare playings of I CANT STAND UP and HIGH FIDELITY. you got two great covers OUT OF TIME way better than PURPLE RAIN (he should have done MORE of the song proper!) and the obviously long time no played HELP ME (my last one was 1981!) and a brand new cover with Wolf! so are you THAT much disturbed by the remainder: HOPE HAPPY; UNCOMPLICATED; RADIO RADIO; RED SHOES; SLOW DRAG; DETECTIVES: PLU; CHELSEA; ALISON and PUMP??? come on...you got to let the guy get a little thunderous "average fan" reaction for a small three or four GREATEST HITS nightly, no???

[stormwarning]

There's two viewpoints here
1. It's a great setlist with some real gems (as ba points out)
2. There's only one song from the last 20 years, two from the last 25 years

As good as the setlist is, the distribution curve is leaning too much to the 70's and 80's to suit the tastes of all fans.

[stormwarning]

I should add that I was at the NY April Fool's Day and the Beacon shows, and special highlights for me were the reworked National Ransom and the selections from Momofuku because they still sound new to me. Of course I also loved the reworkings of Everyday I Write The Book, Pump It Up (in 6/8) and Luxembourg, and I never ever get tired of a good version of Alison. All I'm saying is that a perfect show, in my opinion, would span his whole career seamlessly.