1979 , Get Happy sleevenote/'highwire Elvis'

Pretty self-explanatory
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wardo68
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Post by wardo68 »

The jacket of my wife's vinyl says side one starts with "ICSUFFD". The first song on side one (per the label) is "Love For Tender".

The first song on the outside of the cassette I bought in 1986 is "ICSUFFD". The first song on "side one" on the actual cassette is "Love For Tender". (While it doesn't have the cool graphics that Mr. Foyle posted above, it does have the note from "your friend, Nick Lowe, producer" which as far as I can tell, did not make it to any other version after that.)

The Columbia CD, Ryko CD and Rhino CD I have all begin with "Love For Tender". In fact I recall reading that the reason why the demo of "Love For Tender" was truncated on the Ryko CD was to bring the whole package full circle, back where we started.

However you cut it, this is still solidly in my top 5 EC albums. It's been that way for 20+ years now, and I don't expect that will change.
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Post by bambooneedle »

Otis Westinghouse wrote:Seriously, though, regarding the two sides issue, I would swear it was deliberate not an error to do it that way. 20 songs was like two LPs for the price of one, so I read it as a playful attempt to make an LP equivalent of a double A-side single. It would be interesting to know more about that detail, so if any of you meet Elvis soon...
Yes, someone should ask him about this, and which side he prefers as side 1. LFT etc, no doubt.
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verbal gymnastics
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Post by verbal gymnastics »

Otis Westinghouse wrote:Yes, but the CD gets it wrong. Elvis shouldn't have allowed it. How come you think this, VG?
It just is OK?! :lol:
pophead2k wrote:Love For Tender is a much better opener than ICSUFFD. Riot Act is a much better closer than High Fidelity
Absolutely.
Otis Westinghouse wrote:Didn't you have it on vinyl back in the day?
But of course! I had the poster insert on my bedroom wall.
John wrote:It was also Man Called Uncle way back then, sleeve, label, cassette....
This has been a question that has bugged me for years. When did "Man Called Uncle" become "Men Called Uncle"? I wrote to Beyond Belief about this years ago but never received a reply.
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And No Coffee Table
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Post by And No Coffee Table »

verbal gymnastics wrote:This has been a question that has bugged me for years. When did "Man Called Uncle" become "Men Called Uncle"? I wrote to Beyond Belief about this years ago but never received a reply.
It was first listed that way on the Ryko/Demon reissue in 1994, but it had been introduced in concert as "Men Called Uncle" during the 1984 solo tour (for instance, December 3, 1984 at the Royal Festival Hall). I really think "Men Called Uncle" was always the intended title.
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Otis Westinghouse
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Post by Otis Westinghouse »

But Man Called Uncle refs the immortal Man From U.N.C.L.E. so much better. Who was the blond actor who was Ilya Kuryakin, if that's right? He made an LP called 'Music - A Part of Me' which apparently has to be heard to be believed.
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Post by Boy With A Problem »

David McCallum
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Post by Otis Westinghouse »

God my memory is going with age. Heard the LP?
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Post by martinfoyle »

John picked up a vinyl copy at a flea market during our first visit to the US back in 1982. It's actually quite pleasant, though I imagine the jazz cigarettes brigade had a totally different perspective back in the day. Plent of cheap cd copies and snippets here, and here, so you may judge for yourself.
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Post by bambooneedle »

verbal gymnastics wrote:
John wrote:It was also Man Called Uncle way back then, sleeve, label, cassette....
This has been a question that has bugged me for years. When did "Man Called Uncle" become "Men Called Uncle"? I wrote to Beyond Belief about this years ago but never received a reply.
Another question to ask EC.
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Post by johnfoyle »

http://blogcritics.org/archives/2006/06/04/092808.php

Vinyl Tap: Elvis Costello - Get Happy!!
June 04, 2006
Gordon Hauptfleisch

I get a new turntable and dust off some old albums. Vinyl Tap #15:

One of my favorite advertising slogans centers around Get Happy!! — Elvis Costello's fourth studio album: “20 Songs — All Different!â€
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Post by johnfoyle »

Another interesting analysis of GH -

http://www.benigncomedy.com/2007/07/cos ... ts-20.html
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Re: 1979 , Get Happy sleevenote

Post by johnfoyle »

Elvis wrote about promoting a single from this album -

http://www.elviscostello.info/wiki/inde ... _1977-1987


There have been numerous opportunities to make a complete fool of myself, like being persuaded to be “flown” on a pantomime wire while miming to “I Can’t Stand Up For Falling Down” by those witty Top Of The Pops people, and then having to get blind drunk in order to do it because of a fear of heights.


http://www.elviscostello.info/wiki/inde ... 1980-02-28
Top Of The Pops, Feb. 1980

This priceless moment is now on youtube-


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q-K0n9D50pQ
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Re: 1979 , Get Happy sleevenote/'highwire Elvis'

Post by thepopeofpop »

It's just occured to me that starting the album with LFT on the CD isn't just a one-time "error".

The CD was first issued back in 86 by Demon, and then by Columbia in the US. Then it was reissued by Rykodisc and Demon in the 90s - a completely different remastered edition. Then it was remastered again by Rhino in the early 2000s, and then it was reissued all over again by Universal in 2006. If starting the CD with LFT was a mistake then the Powers the Be have had lots of opportunities to fix this mistake.

All the subsequent remasters of GH are not clones of the original Demon CD, but rather fresh remasters from the original master tapes, so it's not as if they have to start with LFT...
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Re: 1979 , Get Happy sleevenote/'highwire Elvis'

Post by Otis Westinghouse »

They've all got it wrong, though (remember what Paul Rambali said?).
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Re: 1979 , Get Happy sleevenote

Post by Lester Burnham »

johnfoyle wrote:Elvis wrote about promoting a single from this album -

http://www.elviscostello.info/wiki/inde ... _1977-1987


There have been numerous opportunities to make a complete fool of myself, like being persuaded to be “flown” on a pantomime wire while miming to “I Can’t Stand Up For Falling Down” by those witty Top Of The Pops people, and then having to get blind drunk in order to do it because of a fear of heights.


http://www.elviscostello.info/wiki/inde ... 1980-02-28
Top Of The Pops, Feb. 1980

This priceless moment is now on youtube-


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q-K0n9D50pQ
I hate to bump old threads (but I'll do it anyway – ha!) but does anyone happen to have this video anywhere? I've looked online but can't seem to find it. I remember it being quite hilarious, and Elvis looking a whole lot less than pleased at his predicament.
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Otis Westinghouse
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Re: 1979 , Get Happy sleevenote/'highwire Elvis'

Post by Otis Westinghouse »

Found a clip of it on the TOTP archive, tiny window and rubbish quality and no highwire, so this is either not the one, or that bit is at start or end, both of which are missing.
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Re: 1979 , Get Happy sleevenote/'highwire Elvis'

Post by johnfoyle »

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Otis Westinghouse
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Re: 1979 , Get Happy sleevenote/'highwire Elvis'

Post by Otis Westinghouse »

Well it's nice to see this done by someone who knew which was the real SIde 1!
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Re: 1979 , Get Happy sleevenote/'highwire Elvis'

Post by the_platypus »

"Love for Tender" as the opener -> "Riot Act" as the closer is obviously the correct running order.
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Re: 1979 , Get Happy sleevenote/'highwire Elvis'

Post by Otis Westinghouse »

Don't get me started! The original vinyl made it clear that 'I Can't...' is the side 1 opener (despite some playful ambiguity on the record labellling). For some reason Elvis has let them get it wrong on CD releases. And Graeme Thompson revealed his ignorance on this front too.

I was listening to some of these songs on headphones the other day and they all sound truly wonderful. The production is fascinating.
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Re: 1979 , Get Happy sleevenote/'highwire Elvis'

Post by krm »

the_platypus wrote:"Love for Tender" as the opener -> "Riot Act" as the closer is obviously the correct running order.
No it´s not!
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Re: 1979 , Get Happy sleevenote/'highwire Elvis'

Post by sulky lad »

Oh yes it is !!
My 2 x45 rpm promo records of Get Happy state Record 1 Side 1 LFT to King Horse
Side 2 Possession to High Fidelity, Record 2 (XX Promo 1C !) Side 3 ICSUFFD to 5 Motel Matces and Side 4 Human Tpuch to Riot Act - I rest my case m'lud ! :lol:
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Re: 1979 , Get Happy sleevenote/'highwire Elvis'

Post by the_platypus »

Otis Westinghouse wrote:Don't get me started! The original vinyl made it clear that 'I Can't...' is the side 1 opener (despite some playful ambiguity on the record labellling). For some reason Elvis has let them get it wrong on CD releases. And Graeme Thompson revealed his ignorance on this front too.
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Otis Westinghouse
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Re: 1979 , Get Happy sleevenote/'highwire Elvis'

Post by Otis Westinghouse »

sulky lad wrote:Oh yes it is !!
My 2 x45 rpm promo records of Get Happy state Record 1 Side 1 LFT to King Horse
Side 2 Possession to High Fidelity, Record 2 (XX Promo 1C !) Side 3 ICSUFFD to 5 Motel Matces and Side 4 Human Tpuch to Riot Act - I rest my case m'lud ! :lol:
That figures though as that's in line with the original release label, which went with this ordering, whereas, as above, the sleeve was the other way round. You can argue that the label is the discographic authority and to be followed, and the CD takes that approach (presumably sanctioned by EC), but I would argue that the sleeve was the real authority - the label's just a label, the sleeve represents the reality of the release.

Let's, for argument's sake, imagine that the sleeve is fashioned 'Get Happy!!' and the label 'Get Happy!'. What's the correct title? The former, of course.

Opposing case rested, m'lud.

Any evidence of EC commenting on this anywhere? Don't think the booklet notes touch on it.
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Re: 1979 , Get Happy sleevenote/'highwire Elvis'

Post by John »

the_platypus wrote:
Otis Westinghouse wrote:Don't get me started! The original vinyl made it clear that 'I Can't...' is the side 1 opener (despite some playful ambiguity on the record labellling). For some reason Elvis has let them get it wrong on CD releases. And Graeme Thompson revealed his ignorance on this front too.
Yes, everyone is wrong but you.
No, I'm on Otis' side. I guess it's what your used to, but I have always listened to the album starting with the lead single ICSUFFD with MAn Called Uncle on side 2. :wink:
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