Mad About The Wrong Boy
Re: Mad About The Wrong Boy
April . . .
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- Posts: 4914
- Joined: Wed Jul 12, 2006 2:27 pm
Re: Mad About The Wrong Boy
damn...gullible ba HAD again!!!hatman wrote:April Fools?
as i was at work already i had NOT read this:
the sleevenote where he finally tells us how important Bruce Thomas was to his early days.
perhaps i would have seen the light if i had!
Re: Mad About The Wrong Boy
Apr 01, 2014
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- Posts: 466
- Joined: Sat May 14, 2011 1:20 am
Re: Mad About The Wrong Boy
I got had as well. I was wondering why I could not find anything anywhere else on the internet.bronxapostle wrote:damn...gullible ba HAD again!!!hatman wrote:April Fools?
as i was at work already i had NOT read this:
the sleevenote where he finally tells us how important Bruce Thomas was to his early days.
perhaps i would have seen the light if i had!
-
- Posts: 466
- Joined: Sat May 14, 2011 1:20 am
Re: Mad About The Wrong Boy
Actually, after searching for some time, I was able to find a demo by Costello that seems to be an origin of one of the songs from Mad About the Wrong Boy:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oHg5SJY ... tu.be&t=43
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oHg5SJY ... tu.be&t=43
Re: Mad About The Wrong Boy
More comments from Bruce about this -
http://www.brucethomas.co.uk/?p=2180#comments
Graeme Henderson says:
April 22, 2014 at 8:12 pm
Bruce, what do you remember about Mad About The Wrong Boy? I picked up a copy a few years ago and found it a great listen, it’s quite interesting to hear the band without The Singer’s tones all over every song. Is that you playing six-string guitar on it? Was The Singer supportive of The Attraction’s efforts?
Bruce says:
April 22, 2014 at 8:45 pm
I’m afraid it’s not my guitar playing. That is Tim Renwick with whom I played in one of my earlier bands, Quiver. If you don’t know, Tim went on to play with the likes of Pink Floyd and Eric Clapton and was the uber-session guitar player of the era. I’m not at all keen on “backing bands” doing solo albums — with the honourable exception to the rule of that Band who backed Bob Dylan. I think EC was quite supportive of the project because it sidleined us at a time he was developing his burgeoning producing career — and made us sound less than we were, somewhat lightweight and kitsch — and, of course, served to seperate “the band” from him. He probably didn’t think that at all, to be fair — but I certainly did.
Jerry Cohen says:
April 23, 2014 at 3:41 am
Didn’t EC call the effort “Too Clever By two-Thirds”?
Bruce says:
April 23, 2014 at 11:45 am
It’s the sort of thing he’d say — given a third of a chance.
Nick S. says:
April 24, 2014 at 2:53 pm
What the heck does “Too clever by two thirds” mean anyway?
Bruce says:
April 24, 2014 at 7:18 pm
A bit more than “too clever by half”.
Nick S. says:
April 24, 2014 at 7:26 pm
Oh.
Nick S. says:
April 24, 2014 at 7:33 pm
Had to look that one up . . . not in “our” vernacular. Still doesn’t make much sense to me. Half-assed? ;0)
Bruce says:
April 24, 2014 at 8:52 pm
I guessed it wasn’t but now you know. English is full of lots of two-thirds arsed expressions
Nick S. says:
April 24, 2014 at 11:12 pm
Ha! I love the English language. Singer missed the mark on that one, methinks.
David Witherington says:
April 24, 2014 at 3:14 am
Hi, Bruce. I remember that the few 1980 reviews that I stumbled across at the time were mixed but generally favorable. To me personally, I had mixed feelings at the time. When i first heard about the LP prior to its release, I was floored in a bad way…”are Elvis Costello and the Attractions breaking up?” Being the fan boy that I am, I was still riding the high of those classic first albums. While “My Aim is True” is an impeccable debut for EC, it was “This Year’s Model” that not only introduced the fans to the mighty Attractions, but also introduced EC himself to the band that will always be his “bad ass heartbeat” (thanks, Pete, for that line…hehe). Do you remember when and how the idea for an Attractions album came to be?…was it conceived after “Get Happy,” its predecessor of the same year? Needless to say, I was happy as a lark that the band wasn’t breaking up (…yet anyway!) Sadly though, it is after this excursion that the records took a “singer/songwriter” feel as opposed to a “band” feel…if that makes any sense. All of that said, I still have an odd fascination with “Mad about the Wrong Boy.” It reminds me a bit of XTC’s pop (especially their very early “new wave” sounds). It’s a footnote for sure, but footnotes have their places too. It’s every bit as valid as the Rumour’s “solo” LP’s, and twice as interesting in its sound because it is not easy to pinpoint your musical influences. Underrated.
Bruce says:
April 24, 2014 at 2:21 pm
I’ll settle for that review. I think you’fe hit several nails on the head there. The writing was probably on the wall as everly as “My Funny Valentine”, don’t you think?.
freudian slip there, on re-reading. “Everly” instead of “early.”
Nick S. says:
April 24, 2014 at 7:39 pm
Or even “I Just Don’t Know What To Do With Myself.” (Your playing on Live Stiffs makes that song.)
Bruce says:
April 24, 2014 at 8:52 pm
That’s probabaly because I didn’t know what to with my … sorry.
Nick S. says:
April 24, 2014 at 11:17 pm
Apology excepted. ;0)
David Witherington says:
April 25, 2014 at 2:58 am
Thanks, Bruce…and you’re right. “My Funny Valentine” was an omen of what was to come for sure. I seem to remember once in an interview you said “I don’t know how long we’ll last, but I don’t plan to watch him turn into Frank Sinatra!” (or something similar). I laughed out loud when I read it. And I agree with Nick S. that you did a wonderful job with Dusty’s “I Just Don’t Know What to Do with Myself.” I just bought the “Live Stiffs” film on DVD, authorized by the director…best looking print I’ve ever seen. That film is a party!
Bruce says:
April 25, 2014 at 11:36 am
How eerily prophetic You never saw the cover of “Trust” that the band had to protest against — where he dressed himelf in a Frank Sinatra hat and raincoat, sitting a a smoky bar. He wanted to call the album “Looking Italian”. When we was persuaded to drop the idea, he asked what we suggested calling the album instead. Pete replied, “Let’s not call it anything — they’ll just have to take it on trust.”
David Witherington says:
April 25, 2014 at 1:24 pm
Very interesting anecdote that I had never heard, Bruce! I love that story. Thank God you guys stepped in when you did or we’d have an album called “Looking Italian” by Elvis Costello and the Sticky Valentines! Now that you describe it, that pic sounds like the one that wound up on the inner sleeve and eventually the U.S. “Watch Your Step” picture sleeve. “Trust” was a much better title too, as was the final cover. Stories like that would make your memoirs a hoot to read, my friend.
Bruce says:
April 25, 2014 at 1:27 pm
Yes, he might have sneaked it out somewhere — it was probably an expensive photo session.
http://www.brucethomas.co.uk/?p=2180#comments
Graeme Henderson says:
April 22, 2014 at 8:12 pm
Bruce, what do you remember about Mad About The Wrong Boy? I picked up a copy a few years ago and found it a great listen, it’s quite interesting to hear the band without The Singer’s tones all over every song. Is that you playing six-string guitar on it? Was The Singer supportive of The Attraction’s efforts?
Bruce says:
April 22, 2014 at 8:45 pm
I’m afraid it’s not my guitar playing. That is Tim Renwick with whom I played in one of my earlier bands, Quiver. If you don’t know, Tim went on to play with the likes of Pink Floyd and Eric Clapton and was the uber-session guitar player of the era. I’m not at all keen on “backing bands” doing solo albums — with the honourable exception to the rule of that Band who backed Bob Dylan. I think EC was quite supportive of the project because it sidleined us at a time he was developing his burgeoning producing career — and made us sound less than we were, somewhat lightweight and kitsch — and, of course, served to seperate “the band” from him. He probably didn’t think that at all, to be fair — but I certainly did.
Jerry Cohen says:
April 23, 2014 at 3:41 am
Didn’t EC call the effort “Too Clever By two-Thirds”?
Bruce says:
April 23, 2014 at 11:45 am
It’s the sort of thing he’d say — given a third of a chance.
Nick S. says:
April 24, 2014 at 2:53 pm
What the heck does “Too clever by two thirds” mean anyway?
Bruce says:
April 24, 2014 at 7:18 pm
A bit more than “too clever by half”.
Nick S. says:
April 24, 2014 at 7:26 pm
Oh.
Nick S. says:
April 24, 2014 at 7:33 pm
Had to look that one up . . . not in “our” vernacular. Still doesn’t make much sense to me. Half-assed? ;0)
Bruce says:
April 24, 2014 at 8:52 pm
I guessed it wasn’t but now you know. English is full of lots of two-thirds arsed expressions
Nick S. says:
April 24, 2014 at 11:12 pm
Ha! I love the English language. Singer missed the mark on that one, methinks.
David Witherington says:
April 24, 2014 at 3:14 am
Hi, Bruce. I remember that the few 1980 reviews that I stumbled across at the time were mixed but generally favorable. To me personally, I had mixed feelings at the time. When i first heard about the LP prior to its release, I was floored in a bad way…”are Elvis Costello and the Attractions breaking up?” Being the fan boy that I am, I was still riding the high of those classic first albums. While “My Aim is True” is an impeccable debut for EC, it was “This Year’s Model” that not only introduced the fans to the mighty Attractions, but also introduced EC himself to the band that will always be his “bad ass heartbeat” (thanks, Pete, for that line…hehe). Do you remember when and how the idea for an Attractions album came to be?…was it conceived after “Get Happy,” its predecessor of the same year? Needless to say, I was happy as a lark that the band wasn’t breaking up (…yet anyway!) Sadly though, it is after this excursion that the records took a “singer/songwriter” feel as opposed to a “band” feel…if that makes any sense. All of that said, I still have an odd fascination with “Mad about the Wrong Boy.” It reminds me a bit of XTC’s pop (especially their very early “new wave” sounds). It’s a footnote for sure, but footnotes have their places too. It’s every bit as valid as the Rumour’s “solo” LP’s, and twice as interesting in its sound because it is not easy to pinpoint your musical influences. Underrated.
Bruce says:
April 24, 2014 at 2:21 pm
I’ll settle for that review. I think you’fe hit several nails on the head there. The writing was probably on the wall as everly as “My Funny Valentine”, don’t you think?.
freudian slip there, on re-reading. “Everly” instead of “early.”
Nick S. says:
April 24, 2014 at 7:39 pm
Or even “I Just Don’t Know What To Do With Myself.” (Your playing on Live Stiffs makes that song.)
Bruce says:
April 24, 2014 at 8:52 pm
That’s probabaly because I didn’t know what to with my … sorry.
Nick S. says:
April 24, 2014 at 11:17 pm
Apology excepted. ;0)
David Witherington says:
April 25, 2014 at 2:58 am
Thanks, Bruce…and you’re right. “My Funny Valentine” was an omen of what was to come for sure. I seem to remember once in an interview you said “I don’t know how long we’ll last, but I don’t plan to watch him turn into Frank Sinatra!” (or something similar). I laughed out loud when I read it. And I agree with Nick S. that you did a wonderful job with Dusty’s “I Just Don’t Know What to Do with Myself.” I just bought the “Live Stiffs” film on DVD, authorized by the director…best looking print I’ve ever seen. That film is a party!
Bruce says:
April 25, 2014 at 11:36 am
How eerily prophetic You never saw the cover of “Trust” that the band had to protest against — where he dressed himelf in a Frank Sinatra hat and raincoat, sitting a a smoky bar. He wanted to call the album “Looking Italian”. When we was persuaded to drop the idea, he asked what we suggested calling the album instead. Pete replied, “Let’s not call it anything — they’ll just have to take it on trust.”
David Witherington says:
April 25, 2014 at 1:24 pm
Very interesting anecdote that I had never heard, Bruce! I love that story. Thank God you guys stepped in when you did or we’d have an album called “Looking Italian” by Elvis Costello and the Sticky Valentines! Now that you describe it, that pic sounds like the one that wound up on the inner sleeve and eventually the U.S. “Watch Your Step” picture sleeve. “Trust” was a much better title too, as was the final cover. Stories like that would make your memoirs a hoot to read, my friend.
Bruce says:
April 25, 2014 at 1:27 pm
Yes, he might have sneaked it out somewhere — it was probably an expensive photo session.
Re: Mad About The Wrong Boy
Noted elsewhere by MikeH -
The Attractions make an appearance on this new box set due for release at the end of April. Another Splash Of Colour - New Psychedelia in Britain 1980-1985
SLOW PATIENCE - THE ATTRACTIONS
Its on Amazon, a 3 cd set at £20
The track was the last track on side one of the album Mad About the Wrong Boy, written by Bruce and Pete.
http://www.cherryred.co.uk/another-spla ... g-3cd-set/
The Attractions make an appearance on this new box set due for release at the end of April. Another Splash Of Colour - New Psychedelia in Britain 1980-1985
SLOW PATIENCE - THE ATTRACTIONS
Its on Amazon, a 3 cd set at £20
The track was the last track on side one of the album Mad About the Wrong Boy, written by Bruce and Pete.
http://www.cherryred.co.uk/another-spla ... g-3cd-set/
Re: Mad About The Wrong Boy
It's trippy enough alright....
Re: Mad About The Wrong Boy
Today I got , via Discogs , Arms Race, the second of the two singles that were released from this album . The artwork is by Barney Bubbles, using photography by Brian Griffin .The sleeve of 'Single Girl' has , according to Paul Gorman's book about Barney, 'an illustration of the china dogs on his (Barney) mother's mantelpiece '. Both were mastered for disc by George Peckham , as marked by his scratching his nickname 'Porky Prime Cut ' into the run off groove. He also etch a phrase into the groove into the a-side of Single Girl , the words 'Don't be Stiff , be Attractive '.
Re: Mad About The Wrong Boy
You've done well there - as far as one can tell from the pictures, those look to be in excellent condition.
Re: Mad About The Wrong Boy
Slightly tempted by this Canadian edition on ebay at the moment...