By Brian Hiatt - Rolling Stone
Elvis Costello made his instant-classic debut, 1977’s My Aim Is True, in just over 24 hours, while he still had a day job as a computer operator. But as Costello discusses in the new episode of Rolling Stone Music Now, the music on the album only hinted at what he was up to in his earliest years as an artist — all of which is finally revealed on his just-released new box set, the five-disc My Aim Is True (49th Anniversary Edition).
Alongside a remaster of the album, the set includes The Blue Print, acoustic recordings from 1975 and 1976; demos and outtakes, including the country songs he kept under wraps at the time; live recordings that trace the birth of the Attractions; and a 2007 San Francisco benefit concert where he’s backed by the musicians from the original sessions.
https://megaphone.link/IMP8123828473
In the Rolling Stone Music Now interview, Costello breaks down the box’s long-buried early recordings, and goes deep on the making of My Aim Is True, including the real story behind “Alison,” and much more. To hear the whole episode, listen on Apple Podcasts or Spotify, or just press play above. Here are some highlights from the discussion:
Costello started writing “(The Angels Wanna Wear My) Red Shoes” on a train to his mother’s house, then ran upstairs to find a guitar before he could forget it. “I was on my way to visit my mother, and the song came into my head,” he says.
“There were no tape recorders or anything like that that you carried around in your pocket, no phone, no way of memorizing it other than through repetition. So I had to make my way as swiftly as possible to my old house, and I said hello to my mum, kissed my mum on the cheek, and ran upstairs and found this old battered guitar that was on top of the wardrobe, and sat there for about an hour until I had it drilled into my brain and I wouldn’t lose it.”
As for where the red shoes came from: “I have no clue. I just figured they were something that didn’t feature in my wardrobe, and those angels would definitely want them.”
