My Aim Is True

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My Aim Is True
Studio album by Elvis Costello
Released	July 22, 1977 (UK) March 1978 (U.S.)
Recorded	Pathway Studios, London, 1976–1977
Genre	Pub rock, Punk Rock
Length	32:56
Label	Stiff Records (UK) Columbia Records (U.S.) Demon/Rykodisc (October 19, 1993 Reissue) Rhino (August 11, 2001 Reissue) Hip-O (2007 Reissue)
Producer	Nick Lowe
Professional reviews
All Music Guide link Pitchfork Media (9.8/10.0) link Robert Christgau (B+) link Rolling Stone link
Elvis Costello chronology
My Aim Is True (1977) This Year's Model (1978)

My Aim Is True is the debut album by Elvis Costello.

The album was recorded at Pathway Studios in Islington, London, over the course of 1976 during late-night studio sessions, in a total of twenty-four hours. It was the first of five straight Costello albums produced by Nick Lowe.

The cover art features rows of tiny black and white checks (surrounding the photo of Costello) on which the phrase "Elvis Is King" is written. Costello's pose on the cover would become an iconic look for him, with the Buddy Holly glasses and the knees bent inwards together. He struck a similar pose in the photo on the back of the original sleeve.

The musicians who were featured on the album were uncredited on the original release (due to contractual difficulties), although the backing band was made up of members of the band Clover, which included Huey Lewis, (although he was not present for the sessions) who went on to later fame with The News.

In 2003, the TV network VH1 named My Aim Is True the 80th greatest album of all time. In 2003, the album was ranked number 168 on Rolling Stone magazine's list of the 500 greatest albums of all time.

On November 8, 2007, Costello reunited with the members of Clover from the original recording sessions to perform the songs from "My Aim Is True" for the first time ever in public at the Great American Music Hall in San Francisco. The event was a benefit for the Richard de Lone Special Housing Fund, which assists those with Prader-Willi Syndrome.

Contents 1 Background 2 Track listing 2.1 Side one 2.2 Side two 2.3 Bonus tracks (1993 Rykodisc) 2.4 Bonus Disc (2001 Rhino) 2.5 Track Listing (2007 Deluxe Edition Hip-O) 3 Personnel 4 Charts 5 Certifications 6 References

[edit] Background

Costello (born Declan MacManus) had been performing in clubs and pubs in Liverpool and London since 1970 and had created some demo tapes, but he had had little success in obtaining a recording contract. When Stiff Records was founded in 1976, Costello submitted his demos there and found some interest, but initially they wanted him as a songwriter for Dave Edmunds. Edmunds, however, was reluctant, so the company had Costello and Clover re-record some of his songs, with Lowe producing, to try and persuade him. The new recordings were good enough on their own for Stiff Records to abandon that idea.^[1]

The label then suggested that he share a debut album with Wreckless Eric, but Costello had written enough songs, most of them at home late at night so as not to wake his wife and young son or on the Underground while commuting to work, to have an entire album of his own.^[1] Costello called in sick to his day job (as a data-entry clerk) in order to rehearse and record the album with Clover, which was cut in a series of six four-hour sessions for about £1,000.

Costello stayed at his day job as the first two singles, "Less Than Zero" and "Alison", were pre-released without much success. Finally, the label decided to release the album in the summer of 1977, and he was asked to quit his job and become a professional musician. Stiff Records would match his office wages and gave him a record advance of £150, an amp, and a tape recorder.^[1] Three weeks after its release, Costello was on the cover of a music paper. He described this situation as being "an overnight success after seven years."^[1]

The song "Watching the Detectives" is the theme song for the PBS program History Detectives.

[edit] Track listing

All songs written by Elvis Costello unless otherwise indicated.

[edit] Side one

1. "Welcome to the Working Week" – 1:22
2. "Miracle Man" – 3:31
3. "No Dancing" – 2:39
4. "Blame It on Cain" – 2:49
5. "Alison" – 3:21
6. "Sneaky Feelings" – 2:09

[edit] Side two

1. "(The Angels Wanna Wear My) Red Shoes" – 2:47
2. "Less Than Zero" – 3:15
3. "Mystery Dance" – 1:38
4. "Pay It Back" – 2:33
5. "I'm Not Angry" – 2:57
6. "Waiting for the End of the World" – 3:22

• Tracklisting notes: "Watching the Detectives", which was released in the UK as a single in October 1977, was not on the original UK release of the album, but was added to the U.S. release as the last track on side one.

[edit] Bonus tracks (1993 Rykodisc)

1. "Watching the Detectives" – 3:45
2. "Radio Sweetheart" – 2:25
3. "Stranger in the House" – 3:01
4. "Imagination (Is a Powerful Deceiver)" – 3:38
5. "Mystery Dance" (Demo version) – 2:13
6. "Cheap Reward" (Demo version) – 2:15
7. "Jump Up" (Demo version) – 2:06
8. "Wave a White Flag" (Demo version) – 1:53
9. "Blame It on Cain" (Demo version) – 3:30
10. "Poison Moon" (Demo version) – 1:53

• Tracklisting notes: The Rykodisc reissue placed "Watching the Detectives" after a 5-second silence following "Waiting for the End of the World."

[edit] Bonus Disc (2001 Rhino)

1. "No Action" (Early version) – 2:15
2. "Living in Paradise" (Early version) – 3:00
3. "Radio Sweetheart" – 2:31
4. "Stranger in the House" – 3:04
5. "I Just Don't Know What to Do with Myself" (Burt Bacharach, Hal David) (from Live Stiffs) – 2:27
6. "Less Than Zero" (Dallas version) (from Live at the El Mocambo) – 4:19
7. "Imagination (Is a Powerful Deceiver)" – 3:39
8. "Mystery Dance" (Demo version) – 2:15
9. "Cheap Reward (Demo version) – 2:18
10. "Jump Up" (Demo version) – 2:09
11. "Wave a White Flag" (Demo version) – 1:59
12. "Blame It on Cain" (Demo version) – 3:34
13. "Poison Moon" (Demo version) – 1:53

[edit] Track Listing (2007 Deluxe Edition Hip-O)

Disc 1:

1. "Welcome To The Working Week"
2. "Miracle Man"
3. "No Dancing"
4. "Blame It On Cain"
5. "Alison"
6. "Sneaky Feelings"
7. "(The Angels Wanna Wear My) Red Shoes"
8. "Less Than Zero"
9. "Mystery Dance"
10. "Pay It Back"
11. "I'm Not Angry"
12. "Waiting For The End Of The World"
13. "Watching The Detectives"
14. "No Action" (early version)
15. "Living In Paradise" (early version)
16. "Radio Sweetheart"
17. "Stranger In The House"
18. "Welcome To The Working Week" (Pathway Studios demo)
19. "Blue Minute" (Pathway Studios demo)
20. "Miracle Man" (Pathway Studios demo)
21. "Waiting For The End Of The World" (Pathway Studios demo)
22. "Call On Me" (Pathway Studios demo)
23. "(The Angels Wanna Wear My) Red Shoes" (Pathway Studios demo)
24. "I Don't Want To Go Home" (Pathway Studios demo)
25. "I Hear A Melody" (Pathway Studios demo)

Disc 2: Elvis Costello & the Attractions: Live at The Nashville Rooms - August 7, 1977

1. Introduction by Dave Robinson
2. "Welcome To The Working Week"
3. "Blame It On Cain"
4. "No Dancing"
5. "Waiting For The End Of The World"
6. "Night Rally"
7. "Hoover Factory"
8. "No Action"
9. "(I Don't Want To Go To) Chelsea"
10. "Miracle Man"
11. "The Beat"
12. "Less Than Zero"
13. "(The Angels Wanna Wear My) Red Shoes"
14. "Lipstick Vogue"
15. "Watching The Detectives"
16. "Lip Service"
17. "Mystery Dance"
18. "Alison"
19. "Pay It Back" (soundcheck)
20. "Radio Sweetheart" (soundcheck)
21. "Sneaky Feelings" (soundcheck)
22. "Crawling In The USA" (soundcheck)
23. "Alison" (soundcheck)

Note: The Rykodisc version has the original tracks and bonus tracks on one CD. The Rhino version has two CDs with the original tracks on the first CD. The Hip-O version has the original tracks and bonus tracks on the first CD and a recording of a 1977 concert on the second.

[edit] Personnel

• Elvis Costello – vocals, guitar, piano and drumsticks on "Mystery Dance"
• Nick Lowe – backing vocals, piano, drumsticks and bass on "Mystery Dance"
• John McFee – lead guitar, pedal steel guitar, backing vocals
• Sean Hopper – piano, organ, backing vocals
• Stan Shaw – organ on "Less Than Zero"
• Johnny Ciambotti – bass, backing vocals
• Mickey Shine – drums
• Andrew Bodnar – bass on "Watching the Detectives"
• Steve Goulding – drums on "Watching the Detectives"
• Steve Nieve – organ and piano overdubs on "Watching the Detectives"

[edit] Charts

Album

Year	Chart	Position
1978	Billboard Pop Albums	32

[edit] Certifications

Organization	Level	Date
CRIA – Canada	Gold	April 1, 1978
RIAA – U.S.	Gold	September 4, 1981
RIAA – U.S.	Platinum	October 12, 2001

[edit] References

v • d • e Elvis Costello discography Albums My Aim Is True · King of America · Spike · Mighty Like a Rose · Brutal Youth · Kojak Variety · North · Il Sogno Elvis Costello and The Attractions This Year's Model · Armed Forces · Get Happy!! · Trust · Almost Blue · Imperial Bedroom · Punch the Clock · Goodbye Cruel World · Blood and Chocolate · All This Useless Beauty Elvis Costello and The Imposters When I Was Cruel · Cruel Smile · The Delivery Man · Momofuku Collaborations The Juliet Letters with The Brodsky Quartet · Terror & Magnificence with John Harle · Painted from Memory with Burt Bacharach · The Sweetest Punch with Bill Frisell · For the Stars with Anne Sofie von Otter · My Flame Burns Blue with The Metropole Orkest · Piano Jazz with Marian McPartland · The River in Reverse with Allen Toussaint Live albums Live at the El Mocambo · Deep Dead Blue · Costello & Nieve Soundtracks G.B.H. · Jake's Progress Compilations Taking Liberties · Ten Bloody Marys & Ten How's Your Fathers · The Best of Elvis Costello & The Attractions · Out of Our Idiot · Girls Girls Girls · 2 ½ Years · The Very Best of Elvis Costello and The Attractions 1977-86 · Extreme Honey · The Very Best of Elvis Costello · Singles, Vol. 1 · Singles, Vol. 2 · Singles, Vol. 3