Elvis Costello Singer and composer Date of Birth: 25.08.1954 Country: Great Britain

Biography of Elvis Costello

Elvis Costello, a singer and composer, began his music career in the band Flip City, which performed in London pubs. During this time in the mid-1970s, he took on the pseudonym Elvis Costello and became interested in folk-rock. He struggled to secure a recording contract for a long time as the explicit lyrics of Costello shocked representatives of major record labels. However, the independent Stiff Records, which also signed The Damned and Ian Dury's band, noticed the promising performer. Stiff Records provided Costello with the well-known producer Nick Lowe, who had previously played in Elvis' idol Brinsley Schwartz. One of the founders of Stiff Records, Jake Riviera, played a role similar to Colonel Parker in the early career of the "little" Elvis.

Debuting in 1977 with the single "Less Than Zero," Elvis Costello established his image as an "angry young man in glasses" and paved the way for non-commercial artists like Joe Jackson. His first album, "My Aim Is True," featured the American group Clover, who used the collective pseudonym The Shamrocks. The single "Red Shoes" became a hit in the UK, helping the debut album break into the national Top 20. The beautiful ballad "Alison" later became an international hit for Linda Ronstadt, although it was performed without the author's permission. Costello sued Linda, but still received a substantial percentage of her royalties.

Costello formed the permanent band The Attractions (Bruce Thomas, Pete Thomas, and Steve Nieve) and released the album "This Year's Model" in 1978. The album charmed both critics and listeners, reaching the top 5 in the UK and showcasing Costello's songwriting talent with melodic compositions like "I Don't Want To Go To Chelsea." The 1979 album "Armed Forces" propelled Elvis into the pop market. The single "Oliver's Army" reached second place on the UK charts, and the album became his first and only entry into the American Top 10.

In his next album, "Get Happy!", released in 1980, Elvis Costello attempted to experiment with soul, and his unique arrangement of Sam and Dave's song "I Can't Stand Up For Falling Down" reached fourth place in the UK. The album entered the UK Top 3 (11th place in the US), marking the peak of Costello's commercial success. In 1980, he released the classical pop album "Trust," which was not well-received by the public. He made another attempt with a country-style album recorded in Nashville and produced by experienced producer Billy Sherrill, featuring renowned guitarist James Burton and John McFee. The album's single "Good Year For The Roses" became a favorite on European radio stations.

The subsequent albums, "Imperial Bedroom" (1982) and "Punch The Clock" (1983), did not enjoy the same level of success. However, the single "Everyday I Write The Book" from "Punch The Clock" reached the top 30 in the UK (top 40 in the US). Costello reissued the single twice, each time changing the B-side, and each reissue yielded positive results. The album "Goodbye Cruel World" (1984) was considered a failure.

In 1985, his compilation album of greatest hits reached the top 10 in the UK. Elvis Costello then recorded his first album without The Attractions, collaborating with American musicians James Burton and Glen D. Hardin. Released a year later, the album "Blood And Chocolate" did not achieve success. The Attractions disbanded, and Bruce Thomas, in 1990, published a semi-biographical novel called "The Big Wheel," attempting to explain the nature of Costello's phenomenon. Steve Nieve recorded two solo albums (instrumental) and currently leads a group of musicians who provide accompaniment for Jonathan Ross's popular TV program.

Elvis Costello produced The Pogues (he later married the bassist, Cait O'Riordan) and remained in the shadows until the release of the 1989 album "Spike," written in collaboration with Paul McCartney. The album immediately entered the UK Top 10, and the song "Veronica" became a hit single. In 2009, Costello released the album "Secret, Profane & Sugarcane," recorded in Nashville with producer T-Bone Burnett, which marked another return to country music. He invited Nashville musicians Stuart Duncan (violin), Jerry Douglas (dobro), and Mike Compton (mandolin) to participate.

In 2010, he released the album "National Ransom," also produced by T-Bone Burnett. In September 2013, he collaborated with hip-hop group The Roots on the album "Wise Up Ghost," which was originally intended to be a collection of reworked songs from Costello's extensive catalog but resulted in entirely new material. There is no musical style that Elvis Costello has not experimented with, including classical music. He currently owns his own record label, where he signs and produces emerging musicians. Costello's eclectic style has had a significant influence on numerous well-known bands, with Prefab Sprout considering him their spiritual mentor. His compositions have been performed by Dusty Springfield, Dave Edmunds, Robert Wyatt, and many other acclaimed musicians.