I've been with Elvis pretty much since the beginning.
The first of his songs I can recall hearing and the first I purchased was Watching the Detectives a single released on 14th October 1977 which first charted on 5th November 1977 spending 11 weeks in the charts and peaking at number 15.
Even now that drum beat introduction sends visible shivers running up and down my spine and on any given day I would still list it as one of my top 10 songs by the great man.
The b-side had live versions of Blame It on Cain and Mystery Dance. The single has long since gone so here are the versions from My Aim is True
Watching the Detectives was Elvis Costello's 4th single. Unbelievably the first three Less Than Zero, Alison and (The Angels Wanna Wear My ) Red Shoes did not chart
When you think of some of the pap which has charted this just beggars belief.
Fortunately after this he was up and running.
Impeccable stuff - and he's still going strong.
ReplyDeleteEC seems to be a common thread that connects the bloggers/readers in 'this corner of the internet' as The Vinyl Villain might say. We all should chime in with our own first EC songs. Mine was Alison...
ReplyDeleteThese were the sounds of my final year at school. Happy memories and still a great album. Do you think he was more popular with us Scottish kids for some reason than in the rest of the country or did everyone love Elvis at that time?
ReplyDeleteI think the love was universal
DeleteCertainly appealed to the more geeky amongst us!
Great songs all. The lyrics are amazing on these early Elvis songs (and I spent ages when I was younger trying to puzzle them out). My favourite from the ones you mention is Red Shoes, but they're all classics.
ReplyDeleteWatching the Detectives and (I Don't Want To Go To) Chelsea were my introduction to EC... from a certain soundtrack we have discussed many times. My first album was Armed Forces, and my first album as a new release was Punch the Clock. All huge and unforgettable moments in my life.
ReplyDelete