Thursday, February 18, 2010

Elvis Costello - 1987-04-18 - San Diego (Solo, Spinning Songbook show)


Elvis Costello -- solo, with Singing Songbook segments
(duet w/ Nick Lowe on 1 song)
April 18, 1987
San Diego State University
San Diego, California
Good Audience Recording
mp3 @ 192


In April-May, 1987, Elvis went out on a short solo tour in the U.S. (generally w/ Nick Lowe opening and joining Elvis on 1 song -his own 'Peace, Love, and Understanding'). On this tour, which had a decidedly different atmosphere than shows with the Confederates, he introduced the 'Spinning Songbook', in which in the second half of the show (following his duet w/Lowe and a brief intermission), Elvis came out as 'Napoleon Dynamite' and acted as a kind of game show host. The Spinning Songbook was a big 'Wheel-of-Fortune'-type spinning prop containing song titles from Elvis's catalog. Audience members were selected and invited up on stage to spin the wheel, and Elvis would perform the songs determined by the wheel spin. In many shows, he also selected a member of the audience to 'play drums' on a couple songs.The atmosphere was very loose and carnival-like, Elvis and the audience seem to be having a lot of fun with it, but it definitely is one of those 'You really had to be there' kind of things, as on the recording it mainly comes across as a lot of talk and a sort of waste of precious concert time. Nonetheless it was another unique kind of show Elvis offered, and he delivers many interesting solo versions of new and classic songs here. Later in 1987 (Fall), Elvis would go back on the road (U.S., Japan, Australia) with the Confederates as his backing band and go back to the more folk and country-tinged shows he started the year with.
One other 1987 note: 3 London shows in January 1987 (1/22 to 1/24) just before the Confederates shows, were the last time Costello would play a show with the Attractions until 1994 (and the Brutal Youth Tour).

Tracklist:
01. Sally Sue Brown
02. (The Angels Wanna Wear My) Red Shoes
03. - talk -
04. Green Shirt
05. - talk -
06. Heathen Town
07. Uncomplicated
08. Inch By Inch
09. New Amsterdam / You've Got To Hide Your Love Away
10. American Without Tears
11. American Without Tears No. 2
12. Radio Sweetheart / Jackie Wilson Said
13. I Want You
14. - Nick Lowe intro -
15. (What's So Funny 'Bout) Peace, Love And Understanding?
16. - talk - Napoleon Dynamite intro
17. - talk - spinning songbook
18. Honey, Are You Straight Or Are You Blind?
19. Everyday I Write The Book
20. Alison
21. - talk - more spinning songbook
22. Watching The Detectives
23. Taxi
24. Just A Memory
25. Girls Talk
26. Pump It Up (fades out)

Notes -
- duet with Nick Lowe on Peace, Love And Understanding.
- audience member Carolyn on drums during "Everyday I Write The Book" and "Alison".
- EC with beatbox on "Uncomplicated", "Watching The Detectives", "Pump It Up".
- fades between "Radio Sweetheart" and "I Want You" and the Nick Lowe intro
- Pump It Up comes from a different recording of the same show, but fades out early at 5:12.

New Link! (Updated 06/08/23)

1 comment:

thenotunnameless@yahoo.com said...

Could you please re-upload this show?