I think Elvis did a good job and put a lot of time and effort into his Net gig, when it was running. I was very suprised that he made as much of an effort as he did! I could not believe it. Just remmember, he too has a very time consuming career and now a very needy girlfriend! That stuff takes time.
With regards to Roger Daltrey, he's so fucking cool. I heard he's got a new TV show coming out, where he's like a wild daredevil type of guy...anybody heard about it????????
Will Elvis take up the site again?
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Copenhagen Fan
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Hey, just thought - there's bound to be some kind of website for the release of North, as there's going to be a downloadable track. You'll probably have to go to a website for that and input your PIN - though I don't think there'll be the personal contributions this time!
To add to the 'Elvis trying to get cover versions' debate - what's wrong with that? That was the whole raison d'etre of writers like Cole Porter, the Gershwins, Irving Berlin and all those guys - they made their carreers from writing songs that lots of people wanted. There is no loss of artistic integrity from wanting as many people as possible to love your music.
I'd love worldwide popularity for Elvis as I think he's more talented than anyone since The Beatles - I'd love people to be whistling his songs, and thinking of them as standards. Can't speak for America, but in Britain, every housewife, bank manager and schoolboy knows 'Angels' by Robbie Williams, but no-one outside a few serious rock fans knows 'Alison'.
I think Elvis hasn't been massively embraced partly because of his unusual voice (takes ages before you realise that in fact it's not grating, but one of the most unique and expressive in pop), his impressionistic lyrics (what the hell is a 'stripping puppet on a liquid stick gets into it pretty thick'?) and his image. Now I love his voice, lyrics and image, but it hasn't worked for most people, and it's getting late in the day now for this to change.
He's not even appreciated by younger 'serious' pop fans who have got into oldies like Bowie and the Smiths - they might have heard of Elvis, but don't know his stuff, as he's had no champion to introduce him to them. Thom Yorke of Radiohead loves Elvis, but this hasn't been exploited - when the Blood & Chocolate reissues came out, they should've trumpeted it with a Thom Yorke quote on the sticker, and across the top of shop displays, for example (it's one of his fave albums). Paul Weller's career experienced a huge surge when he was championed by Oasis, but it hasn't worked for our Elv.
The only other thing would be a massive, smash-hit film, which uses all Elvis songs on the soundtrack, leading to soundtrack sales a la 'Oh Brother Where Art Thou'. That could really work, but this new 'I Love Your Work' movie is an indie movie which just won't do it, I reckon.
I reckon 'North' won't work as the crossover - I haven't heard it yet but from what you guys have been saying, it sounds as though it takes ten listens before you 'get' the melodies - this ain't gonna work as a mainstream smash. Hope I'm wrong though!
The lyrics are more direct though, which may help - but again, it sounds like he might get some jazz artists covering his North stuff, rather than Beyonce Knowles.
I do think it'd be great if some mainstream stars covered his back catalogue tho - I still think Alison would become a world standard if the right person covers it. I am not at all snobbish about who covers his stuff - anything that gets his songs known by as many people as possible is fine in my book. Any suggestions? In the past I've suggested 'You Little Fool' or 'Tart' by Destiny's Child - I can imagine them in that current, nervy-strings R&B style. And Ronan Keating could still be the one to take Alison global. (However, I draw the line at Shania Twain. God, she's irritating!!!)
To add to the 'Elvis trying to get cover versions' debate - what's wrong with that? That was the whole raison d'etre of writers like Cole Porter, the Gershwins, Irving Berlin and all those guys - they made their carreers from writing songs that lots of people wanted. There is no loss of artistic integrity from wanting as many people as possible to love your music.
I'd love worldwide popularity for Elvis as I think he's more talented than anyone since The Beatles - I'd love people to be whistling his songs, and thinking of them as standards. Can't speak for America, but in Britain, every housewife, bank manager and schoolboy knows 'Angels' by Robbie Williams, but no-one outside a few serious rock fans knows 'Alison'.
I think Elvis hasn't been massively embraced partly because of his unusual voice (takes ages before you realise that in fact it's not grating, but one of the most unique and expressive in pop), his impressionistic lyrics (what the hell is a 'stripping puppet on a liquid stick gets into it pretty thick'?) and his image. Now I love his voice, lyrics and image, but it hasn't worked for most people, and it's getting late in the day now for this to change.
He's not even appreciated by younger 'serious' pop fans who have got into oldies like Bowie and the Smiths - they might have heard of Elvis, but don't know his stuff, as he's had no champion to introduce him to them. Thom Yorke of Radiohead loves Elvis, but this hasn't been exploited - when the Blood & Chocolate reissues came out, they should've trumpeted it with a Thom Yorke quote on the sticker, and across the top of shop displays, for example (it's one of his fave albums). Paul Weller's career experienced a huge surge when he was championed by Oasis, but it hasn't worked for our Elv.
The only other thing would be a massive, smash-hit film, which uses all Elvis songs on the soundtrack, leading to soundtrack sales a la 'Oh Brother Where Art Thou'. That could really work, but this new 'I Love Your Work' movie is an indie movie which just won't do it, I reckon.
I reckon 'North' won't work as the crossover - I haven't heard it yet but from what you guys have been saying, it sounds as though it takes ten listens before you 'get' the melodies - this ain't gonna work as a mainstream smash. Hope I'm wrong though!
The lyrics are more direct though, which may help - but again, it sounds like he might get some jazz artists covering his North stuff, rather than Beyonce Knowles.
I do think it'd be great if some mainstream stars covered his back catalogue tho - I still think Alison would become a world standard if the right person covers it. I am not at all snobbish about who covers his stuff - anything that gets his songs known by as many people as possible is fine in my book. Any suggestions? In the past I've suggested 'You Little Fool' or 'Tart' by Destiny's Child - I can imagine them in that current, nervy-strings R&B style. And Ronan Keating could still be the one to take Alison global. (However, I draw the line at Shania Twain. God, she's irritating!!!)
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miss buenos aires
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gilli,
i have had my share of disillusionment. it stinks. only to be made more sour by expressing yourself and have the people around you not share in it or worse mock you (i a talking about myself. the "mocking" i have read on this post seems good humored or at least self mocking as well...).
yum, good humor.
as i was saying, disillusionment and elvis. i started off as an elvis fan in the "i never trusted you / even when your aim was true" sort of way, but as i have said before i do still believe in elvis.
about the island site, i believe elvis has expressed his current distaste for island, so why would he contiue to post there? and the mess the message board turned into. i would run from my own site if that happend in any association to me. does that take some of the sting out of it?
plus, peeps, north is not on island records. i highly doubt they will post or promot anything that has to do with that record, even it is an "official elvis costello website."
i have had my share of disillusionment. it stinks. only to be made more sour by expressing yourself and have the people around you not share in it or worse mock you (i a talking about myself. the "mocking" i have read on this post seems good humored or at least self mocking as well...).
yum, good humor.
as i was saying, disillusionment and elvis. i started off as an elvis fan in the "i never trusted you / even when your aim was true" sort of way, but as i have said before i do still believe in elvis.
about the island site, i believe elvis has expressed his current distaste for island, so why would he contiue to post there? and the mess the message board turned into. i would run from my own site if that happend in any association to me. does that take some of the sting out of it?
plus, peeps, north is not on island records. i highly doubt they will post or promot anything that has to do with that record, even it is an "official elvis costello website."
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Gillibeanz
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HungupStrungup
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Don't forget that on the old site, Island provided links to Rhino for information about the reissues. I'm sure it was mandated by contract and done without great enthusiasm, but they did it.firebetty wrote:. . . north is not on island records. i highly doubt they will post or promot anything that has to do with that record, even it is an "official elvis costello website."
Beyond that, Island/Def Jam and Deutsche Grammophone are under the same corporate umbrella, Universal Music. I think a contract was crafted that allows Elvis to record for one division or another depending upon the product and which staff has the better chance of promoting it. Polygram was the choice for Painted from Memory and For the Stars, Island/Def Jam for last year's pair of "rowdy rhythm records," and DGG for North.
I think Warner Brothers was baffled and dismayed by The Juliet Letters, so this time 'round EC chose a company that has a lot more diversity in its catalogue and worldwide reach. We'll see if that works out to North's advantage.
As for the "official site," the elviscostello.com domain probably belongs to him, and responsibility for hosting and maintaining it could be shifted from one corporate division to another with little effort or fuss. With only a month until the new album's release, I'm surprised there's still no sign the site is being revived.
"But it's a dangerous game that comedy plays
Sometimes it tells you the truth
Sometimes it delays it"
Sometimes it tells you the truth
Sometimes it delays it"
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Copenhagen Fan
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Hungup,
you seem always seem to be one step ahead of me... just a bit more informed.
copie,
i have been thinking about the image thing, and while jerry didn't have an image, one was given to him, don't you think jerry bear? aren't images assigned even if we don't want them, or they don't fit? an image is always created - it is what you want people to assume you are. and even the anti-image is an image. true?
have been thinking about this interms of the low-fi popular explotion.
low-fi is just a techneque that illudes to authenticity. does it make it authentic?
you seem always seem to be one step ahead of me... just a bit more informed.
copie,
i have been thinking about the image thing, and while jerry didn't have an image, one was given to him, don't you think jerry bear? aren't images assigned even if we don't want them, or they don't fit? an image is always created - it is what you want people to assume you are. and even the anti-image is an image. true?
have been thinking about this interms of the low-fi popular explotion.
low-fi is just a techneque that illudes to authenticity. does it make it authentic?
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Sour Milk Cow
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Have you SEEN how long those journal entries were?
I went back to the "Journal" section of the official EC site, and I was flabbergasted at how long those journal entries were! I copied them to a word file to save them (after all, once they get "deleted" from the website, like the "Ask Elvis" section was, they are gone for good. )
There were only a handful of entries, but they ended up being about 25 pages in 10 point type, single-spaced. That's a pretty lengthy journal, and he writes with humor and insight. I don't know why some people weren't happier with his efforts. It seems like he went out of his way to make things interesting, and I believe when he does it again, it will have even more stuff that will be interesting.
If the "downloadable" track is an experiment, maybe he will eventually make more songs available through his site. Stuff that doesn't fit on any particular album. I'd pay a monthly subscription fee, if there were a couple of new songs a month available. It would sure be a hell of lot more profitable for him than any "single" cd release of the past 10 years. If he charged 99 cents a song, he could have an instant "worldwide" single that would be purchased by fans all over the globe. Yes, there would be piracy, but most fans would just as soon pay a dollar and encourage this sort of thing to continue.
There were only a handful of entries, but they ended up being about 25 pages in 10 point type, single-spaced. That's a pretty lengthy journal, and he writes with humor and insight. I don't know why some people weren't happier with his efforts. It seems like he went out of his way to make things interesting, and I believe when he does it again, it will have even more stuff that will be interesting.
If the "downloadable" track is an experiment, maybe he will eventually make more songs available through his site. Stuff that doesn't fit on any particular album. I'd pay a monthly subscription fee, if there were a couple of new songs a month available. It would sure be a hell of lot more profitable for him than any "single" cd release of the past 10 years. If he charged 99 cents a song, he could have an instant "worldwide" single that would be purchased by fans all over the globe. Yes, there would be piracy, but most fans would just as soon pay a dollar and encourage this sort of thing to continue.
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Copenhagen Fan
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verbal gymnastics
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There are some good opinions in this thread.
I agree with SMC. I found Elvis' journals very informative and very funny. He seemed to spend a fair bit of time in trying but Island just didn't seem to want to know. It's a bit difficult with Elvis and advertising. I'm not sure what he wants. In the last several years he's spent a lot of time slagging off his record label and the lack of advertising his product. He's not the type of artist that record compaies are going to spend a huge amount of money promoting unfortunately.
Fair enough, he gave it a go and he did not feel it worked and he did not feel it was given support. This is the same website, remember, that says !There is no current Elvis Costello activity" when he is actually on tour there!
As far as the whole promotional side of him is concerned, he used to be a real curmudgeon apparently. I have met him three times in the last few years and have always found him courteous. At the end of the day he writes his songs, he plays them live and we decide whether or not to buy them. If he became a global megastar he'd probably complain even more about his lack of privacy and how he can't do this anymore or he can't do that anymore.
Does Diana Krall sell more CDs than him? If so, I can foresee some ego trouble on ECs part....
I agree with SMC. I found Elvis' journals very informative and very funny. He seemed to spend a fair bit of time in trying but Island just didn't seem to want to know. It's a bit difficult with Elvis and advertising. I'm not sure what he wants. In the last several years he's spent a lot of time slagging off his record label and the lack of advertising his product. He's not the type of artist that record compaies are going to spend a huge amount of money promoting unfortunately.
Fair enough, he gave it a go and he did not feel it worked and he did not feel it was given support. This is the same website, remember, that says !There is no current Elvis Costello activity" when he is actually on tour there!
As far as the whole promotional side of him is concerned, he used to be a real curmudgeon apparently. I have met him three times in the last few years and have always found him courteous. At the end of the day he writes his songs, he plays them live and we decide whether or not to buy them. If he became a global megastar he'd probably complain even more about his lack of privacy and how he can't do this anymore or he can't do that anymore.
Does Diana Krall sell more CDs than him? If so, I can foresee some ego trouble on ECs part....
Who’s this kid with his mumbo jumbo?