Elvis on iTunes originals, recorded in Vancouver, March 2007

[Otis Westinghouse]

iTunes mailed me this:

Elvis Costello

Elvis Costello joined us in the studio to play some music and talk about his career, from his first chart success with "Watching the Detectives" to his musical response to Hurricane Katrina, "The River in Reverse." Six exclusive new recordings, interviews, and songs from his classic albums form Elvis Costello's iTunes Originals.

But the link didn't actually take me to it - looks like they've sent the email prematurely. Sting is there though! Looks like £7.90 is the standard charge.

[martinfoyle]

Nunki posted this tracklisting and info on the eclistserv


1. It Was Recorded Almost By Accident (1:45)
2. Watching the Detectives (3:43)
3. It Was the Ballad of This Year's Model (0:55)
4. Little Triggers (iTunes Originals Version) (3:28)
5. It Has Mick Jones of the Clash Playing Guitar (0:30)
6. Big Tears (3:09)
7. It Was About People Meeting In the Night At a Hotel, Not a
Complicated Story (1:22)
8. Motel Matches (iTunes Originals Version) (2:21)
9. It's a More Regretful Song (1:22)
10. Riot Act (3:33)
11. It Was More the Expression Came to Mind (0:59)
12. Kid About It (iTunes Originals Version) (3:20)
13. I Told a Tale, Which You Have to Listen to the Lyrics (0:59)
14. Man Out of Time (5:26)
15. An Example of One of Those Songs That Nearly Got Away (1:00)
16. Love Field (iTunes Originals Version) (4:47)
17. The Main Body of the Song Is Very Repetitive, It's Supposed to Be
Like That (1:18)
18. I Want You (6:38)
19. I'm Glad to Get the Opportunity to Put the Word to the Fore (1:55)
20. Invasion Hit Parade (iTunes Originals Version) (4:32)
21. It's Kind of a Gospel Song (1:36)
22. Bedlam (Nashville Alternate Version) (4:46)
23. It's More of the Idea That We Are In a Flow Towards a Way of Living (1:41)
24. The River In Reverse (iTunes Originals Version) (4:29)

"Little Triggers," "Motel Matches," "Kid About It," "Love Field,"
"Invasion Hit Parade," and "The River In Reverse" are new solo
recordings.

"Watching The Detectives," "Big Tears," "Riot Act," "Man Out Of Time,"
and "I Want You" are the familiar studio recordings.

"Bedlam (Nashville Alternate Version)" is -- I think -- the same as
the "Frankincense/Nashville Mix" which turned up on iTunes last month
without explanation.

The odd-numbered tracks are Elvis talking about the songs.

[johnfoyle]

Adam from Universal posts to listserv -

The performances represent a cross section of selections spanning
Elvis'
entire career along with interview segments. The performances were
recorded in Vancouver, in March of 2007, and feature Elvis performing
solo on organ and guitar. In my humble opinion (if you can ignore the
"umusic" label for a moment, and look at it more from the perspective
of
someone who has been a fan for decades) they sound stellar, with my
favorite musical moments being his performance of "Little Triggers"
with
heavy reverb (which is a recurring effect throughout the session) and
passionate vocals, and "River In Reverse" which sounds like Elvis
delivering an angry sermon, complete with voice cracking at the end,
and
him slowly pulling away from the mic to devastating effect, my favorite
of the iTunes versions. "Kid About It" features Elvis on piano, and is
also a standout interpretation.

[Mechanical Grace]

I had an iTunes card gathering dust so used it get this. Sort of mad at myself for buying some (5) of these recordings for maybe the 5th or 6th time, but like I said, I hadn't used the card for months so why not.

First thing I'll do is burn it to CD, cause recently my straining Mac mini crashed, and when I got things running again, my iTunes library had been completely nuked. Another reason to have an iPod! Though truth to tell I still don't buy much music as downloads; just the occasional single I've got an urge to hear or to play to my son, e.g., Dick Dale's Miserlou (so he could hear it without the Black Eyed Peas or Quentin Tarantino's vain Pulp Fiction dialogue overlap) which he now can't stop playing.

[migdd]

I'm totally uninterested in iPod or mp3 downloads, flac files, etc. My kids love them but, screw convenience, I need more hi-fi, dammit!

That being said, if this is not going to be offered in any other format, I might borrow migdd jr.'s ipod and download this sucker. Sounds like a fun listen!

[Hawksmoor]

iTunes mailed me this:

Elvis Costello

Elvis Costello joined us in the studio to play some music and talk about his career, from his first chart success with "Watching the Detectives" to his musical response to Hurricane Katrina, "The River in Reverse." Six exclusive new recordings, interviews, and songs from his classic albums form Elvis Costello's iTunes Originals.

But the link didn't actually take me to it - looks like they've sent the email prematurely. Sting is there though! Looks like £7.90 is the standard charge.

I had the same problem. What you have to do is open Itunes as you normally would, then scroll right down the main menu page of the Store. You'll find a country selector, probably set (mine was) to 'UK'. Open the drop-down and change it to 'USA', then you'll find the Elvis stuff.

[Hawksmoor]

Update. You can get to see them the way I described, but you can't buy them if you are in the UK, only if you're in the US. Nice one, Elvis. Guess this is where we part company after 30 years. It's been fun.

[Otis Westinghouse]

What bollocks! Oh well, I'll keep my cash and enjoy them for free...

[bronxapostle]

don't pay for it.......let's just send copies all around the world!!!!!!

[thepopeofpop]

Update. You can get to see them the way I described, but you can't buy them if you are in the UK, only if you're in the US. Nice one, Elvis. Guess this is where we part company after 30 years. It's been fun.

That's Apple, not Elvis, you should be blaming.

Not only are these things only available in the US, but even iTunes itself is only available in certain countries...

And they say that downloads are going to wipe out CDs? Right

[Hawksmoor]

That's Apple, not Elvis, you should be blaming.

No, I'm afraid I think that's a cop-out. We're not talking about some naive young band who've just signed up to a contract they didn't even read, where all the decisions are with the recording company. This is a media-savvy, opinionated and clued-in guy with 30 years' experience and a lot of control (when he wants to) over the way his music is organised and marketed. Had he wanted it released in the UK, it would have been released in the UK.

[bambooneedle]

don't pay for it.......let's just send copies all around the world!!!!!!

I'm open to trading. For The Stars, anyone?

[sweetest punch]

That's Apple, not Elvis, you should be blaming.

No, I'm afraid I think that's a cop-out. We're not talking about some naive young band who've just signed up to a contract they didn't even read, where all the decisions are with the recording company. This is a media-savvy, opinionated and clued-in guy with 30 years' experience and a lot of control (when he wants to) over the way his music is organised and marketed. Had he wanted it released in the UK, it would have been released in the UK.

Don't panic. The "iTunes Originals" is at the moment only available in the USA. As far as I can see, it's not yet available in Europe, Japan or Australia. Let's wait a few more days (or weeks); it will problably become available soon in the rest of the world.

[Hawksmoor]

Don't panic. The "iTunes Originals" is at the moment only available in the USA. As far as I can see, it's not yet available in Europe, Japan or Australia. Let's wait a few more days (or weeks); it will problably become available soon in the rest of the world.

Fair enough, let's give it a few weeks and see. I guess part of my irritation was at the idea of Itunes actually sending me an email inviting me to buy/listen to something that, when it came to it, I couldn't buy or listen to.

[And No Coffee Table]

For what it's worth, Elvis' previous iTunes exclusive, Futurama Sessions, was released November 30, 2004 in the US and January 4, 2005 in the UK.

[thepopeofpop]

Don't panic. The "iTunes Originals" is at the moment only available in the USA. As far as I can see, it's not yet available in Europe, Japan or Australia. Let's wait a few more days (or weeks); it will problably become available soon in the rest of the world.

No doubt. My only annoyance is that Apple takes its sweet time sorting out the licensing of downloads in different territories. As I say, this isn't an Elvis thing...

[The Walrus]

Update. You can get to see them the way I described, but you can't buy them if you are in the UK, only if you're in the US. Nice one, Elvis. Guess this is where we part company after 30 years. It's been fun.

I just don't understand why iTunes is different with some of its releases' availability--depending on where you live in the world... Why not just make it the same everywhere?

Too much sense, huh?

[ReadyToHearTheWorst]

No doubt it's down to contractual strings in the deals Apple have to make with the copyright holders, same deal as 'regioned' DVDs and Japan only bonus tracks - big business likes to think it's controlling distribution.

[sweetest punch]

Now available in Japan:
http://phobos.apple.com/WebObjects/MZSt ... 4&s=143462

[Hawksmoor]

But still not in the UK, apparently. This is getting annoying.

[martinfoyle]

Indeed, so who'll oblige those of us in Elvis previous home countries?

[tjg]

PM me.

[johnfoyle]

I've been revisiting this collection.

In my usual way of distrusting keeping recordings as a download I have the recordings on a cdr. In addition to the iTunes collection I have a cdr labeled 'iTunes Raw'. I've no memory of where I got it . It consists of the songs recorded for the iTunes collection and a few alternate takes and some songs that were not used at all . None of Elvis's commentary is featured .

The track list is

1. Alibi (EC w/ guitar)
2. Invasion Hit Parade (guitar)
3. Kid About It ( 'long fade' says a man with a Canadian accent) (Piano)
4. Kid about It ('short fade') (Piano)
5. Kinda Murder ('mix one') (guitar)
6. Little Triggers ('mix one') (guitar)
7. Motel Matches ('mix one') (organ)
8. Love Field ('mix one') (guitar)
9. Motel Matches (no intro) (organ)
10. River In Reverse ('mix one') (guitar)
11. So Like Candy ('mix one') (guitar)
12. So Like Candy ('short mix') (guitar)
13. Suit Of Lights ('domestic mix') (guitar)