Sunday, August 20, 2006

Number 876 - Elvis Costello



Number 876

Elvis Costello

"Oliver's Army"

(1979)
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Genre:Alt Pop
Buddy Holly Lives ! Well not quite. This man has a interesting bio that's for sure, here look.....

"1979 would arguably see the peak of Costello's commercial success with the release of Armed Forces (originally to have been titled Emotional Fascism, a phrase that appeared on the LP's inner sleeve). Both the album and the single Oliver's Army went to #2 in the UK. Costello also found time in 1979 to produce the debut album for ska band, The Specials."
"His success in the US was severely bruised when, during a drunken argument with Stephen Stills and Bonnie Bramlett in a Columbus, Ohio Holiday Inn hotel bar, Costello referred to James Brown as a "jive-ass nigger", then upped the ante by pronouncing Ray Charles a "blind, ignorant nigger"."

"Bramlett and friends had evidently been baiting Costello with derisive comments about British rock music in general and "sawed-off Limey"-type comments aimed at him in particular.
A contrite Costello apologised at a New York City press conference a few days later, claiming that he had been drunk and had been attempting to be obnoxious in order to bring the conversation to a swift conclusion, not anticipating that Bramlett would bring his comments to the press."
"According to Costello, "it became necessary for me to outrage these people with about the most obnoxious and offensive remarks that I could muster". In his liner notes for the expanded version of Get Happy!!, Costello writes that some time after the incident he had declined an offer to meet Charles out of guilt and embarrassment, though Charles himself had graciously forgiven Costello ("Drunken talk isn't meant to be printed in the paper")."
"It is notable that Costello worked extensively in Britain's Rock Against Racism campaign both before and after this interlude. This incident specifically inspired his Get Happy! song Riot Act."
Dear oh dear, a big tsk there, don't you think? I definitely wouldn't be insulting Mr Charles that's for sure. But in the end all was forgiven which makes you wonder how Mel Gibson is doing..hmmm.
Roll Call...
For The Specials see Number 924
For James Brown see Number 741
For Ray Charles see Number 518
For Stephen Stills see Number 660
Rolling Stone Top 500 Songs ranked this song at Number (Not this song but 3 others did) and the Album ranked at Number 482 (Rolling Stone sure love Costello)
This song has a crowbarred rating of 59.2 out of 108
Search Artist here:1-2-3-A-B-C-D-E-F-G-H-I-J-K-L-M-N-O-P-Q-R-S-T-U-V-W-X-Y-Z
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posted by crowbarred at 7:18 pm

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