So It Goes 1977 - EC's appearances: An Appeal

[Man out of Time]

The gigography and the concert schedule are the backbone of the Wiki, and before it the EC HomePage. However, recent research on EC's TV appearances leads me to ask you, the forum collective, for a view on an apparent contradiction between the gigography for 1977 (which is taken from the original gigography on the EC HomePage), and Wikipedia.

The WIki gigography

http://www.elviscostello.info/wiki/inde ... 1977-12-03

lists an appearance by EC and the As on "So It Goes" a late night music and culture show hosted by Anthony H Wilson. The Wiki suggests that the show broadcast in parts of the UK on 3 December 1977 included EC and the As performing three songs live at Eric's club in Liverpool (recorded on 2 August 1977) and two songs in the studio.

Both WIkipedia and IMDB seem to agree that So It Goes was not broadcast on 3 December, but that a show was broadcast on 4 December. Wikipedia

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/So_It_Goes ... )#Show_9_2

has a detailed description of the content of each show, but does not list any EC content for the show broadcast on 4 December.

It does suggest that in show 1 of series 2, broadcast on 9 October 1977, Elvis Costello performs 'Mystery Dance' at Eric's, Liverpool; and that show 2, broadcast on 16 October 1977 included clips of Elvis Costello performing at Eric's singing 'Alison' (short excerpt only), '(I Don't Want To Go To) Chelsea', "Watching the Detectives" and 'Lip Service'. It also suggests that show 7, broadcast on 20 November 1977 included EC performing 'No Dancing', live at Eric's club.

Whoever has written the WIkipedia entry, appears to have had access to tapes of the shows, or running orders or both. The detailed listings on Wikipedia are at odds with the entries on the Wiki and the HomePage which suggest EC playing three songs live: '(I Don't Want To Go To) Chelsea, 'Lip Service' and 'Watching The Detectives' and two - 'Alison' and 'Radio Radio' in the studio.

Helpfully, Wikipedia is more consistent with the (incomplete) HomePage setlist for the gig at Eric's on 2 August

http://www.elviscostello.info/setlists/770802.php

which includes (I Don't Want To Go To) Chelsea, Lip Service, Watching the Detectives and No Dancing, but not Alison or Mystery Dance.

Do we now amend the Wiki to bring it into line with the entry for So It Goes on Wikipedia (adding three new TV appearances and deleting the one shown for 3 (or 4) December, or do we maintain the entry on the Wiki based on evidence of our own? Over to you please...

MOOT

[Science Fiction Twin]

I'm not sure that this helps but the sleeve notes in "The Right Spectacle" claim that the recordings made at Eric's for So it Goes were shown on two successive editions during October 1977. It also claims that Alison was first performed on "Granada Reports" in July 1977.

The Right Spectacle features Alison[Excerpt], No Dancing & Lip Service from So It Goes. The sleeve notes do say that other tracks were recorded at Eric's (it does not name them) but does not say whether they were braoadcast.

[redsfan720]

I'm not sure what I feel about the different attributions of the date, but I will say that the "So It Goes" recording of No Dancing is about the best damn thing I've ever heard.