El vis Cos tello - 'My Aim Is True' 45th Anniv. Celebration (Demos + Live)

EC & Flip City

Nearly Complete Demos

1974-1975

rec. Maida Vale Studios, London

and Hope & Anchor Studios, Islington

soundboard recordings (sound quality: VG+)

01 Exiles Road (1)

02 Baseball Heroes

03 Radio Soul (1)

04 Third Rate Romance (1) 

05 Living In Paradise

06 Radio Soul (2)

07 Radio Soul (3)

08 Pay It Back

09 Imagination Is a Powerful Deceiver (1)

xx Imagination Is a P-ful Deceiver (2)*

11 Imagination Is a Powerful Deceiver (3)

12 Third Rate Romance (2)

13 Knockin' On Heaven's Door

14 I'm Packing Up (1)

15 I'm Packing Up (2)

16 (Please Mister) Don't Stop the Band

17 Exiles Road (2)

18. Wreck On the Slide

19 On the Road

20 You Win Again

21 Sweet Revival

*Track 10 Imagination Is A Powerful Deceiver (2) was officially released in 2001 as Track 7, Disc 2 on the Rhino Records 2-CD reissue of My Aim Is True, which explain why it is absent here.

Flip City:

Declan P. MacManus - guitar, lead vocals  |  Mich Kent - bass, vocals

Steve Hazelhurst - guitar, vocals, keyboards, sax  |  Malcolm Dennis - drums (early session only)

Ian Powling - drums (last sessions)  |  Dickie Faulkner - percussion, vocals (last sessions)

ROB SEZ: I can't let the 45th anniversary of the seminal debut album pass without proper recognition. Before EC & The Attractions, and before EC & Clover, there was Flip City. This is the "pre-professional" band with whom Elvis learned how to sing, write songs, and perform live. It was during this time he also worked his day job as a computer operator. In these demos, you can hear EC & company getting it together — with the promise of much more (and better) things to come, just a year or two later. Below is a live, 25th anniversary celebration of the album performed by EC and most of the members of Clover, the band that backed him during the album sessions. The performance is a marvel, considering how many years elapsed between the recoring of the album and this reunion. Big thanks to the Teenage Dogs In Trouble blog for originally sharing the live recording. Please enjoy.

EC & Clover

Great American Music Hall

San Francisco, CA

November 8, 2007

audience recording (sound quality: VG+)

For the 30th anniversary of My Aim Is True, and for a benefit for the child of Austin De Lone, EC and Clover re-created the album they recorded together in 1977. Clover members present were John McFee on guitar and pedal steel, Sean Hopper on keyboards and John Ciambotti on bass. Clover's drummer was unavailable and was replaced by Pete Thomas. Clover's vocalists didn't participate in the 1977 album recording sessions or this concert.

Following the top-to-bottom playing of the My Aim Is True with original arrangements, EC and the rest of the musicians in various combinations played a second set of songs all written before 1977, the declared rule for the evening.

DISC ONE

 
EC & Clover (above), 46 or 47 years ago...
and reunited onstage in S.F., Nov. 2007

1. Introduction

2. Welcome to the Working Week 

3. Miracle Man

4. No Dancing

5. Blame it On Cain

6. Alison

7. Sneaky Feelings

8. (Angels Wanna Wear My) Red Shoes

9. Less Than Zero

10. Mystery Dance

11. Pay it Back

12. I'm Not Angry

13. Waiting for the End of the World

14. Watching the Detectives

DISC TWO

1. Just Like a Jukebox ? (EC solo)

2. Wave a White Flag (EC solo)

3. Blue Minute (EC solo)

4. Jump Up (EC solo) 

5. ? (EC solo)

6. Living in Paradise

7. Stranger In the House

8. (old song with new arrangement)

9. Radio Sweetheart

10. Mr. Moon

11. ?

12. chatter

13. ?

14. (What's So Funny Bout)  Peace, Love and Understanding? (all)

  

FLAC

   

MP3@320

    

El vis Cos tello - The ALTERNATE Get Happy!

Alternate Takes, Demos, Live Versions

studio tracks recorded 1979

soundboard, FM & audience recordings (sound quality: VG to Ex-) 

-none officially released-

click on image for enlarged view

ROB SEZ: Yet another installment in the "Classic Albums Revisited" series. This one's a compilation with a mix of alternate takes, band rehearsals, demos, and live versions. (As with all my posts, none of these recordings has ever appeared on any officially-released version of the album, including reissues.) When Get Happy! first came out, I wasn't such a big fan. But it's grown on me quite a bit over time. When I first heard it, the manic energy and hyper-abundance of short, catchy songs proved to be more than I could digest at the time. In retrospect, I now hear it as another brilliant collection by EC & The Attractions. Highlights of this comp are many of the live performances, including two rare Peel Session tracks from 1980. Don't miss the EC solo version of "New Amsterdam" from 1989, the gospel-tinged rendition of "Motel Matches" from 1996, and a rare EC & The Attractions performance of "Riot Act" — all killer. Some of the alternate studio takes, rehearsals, and demos give you an idea how the songs might've turned out if a different speed or style had prevailed during recording sessions (check out the "skanking" version of "King Horse"). Unless otherwise indicated in the comment file tags, these are studio and live recordings by EC & The Attractions.

The album's master takes were recorded at Eden Studios, Acton, London in the fall of 1979 as well as Wisseloord Studios, Hilversum, Netherlands. I'm guessing the alternate takes were recorded at the same time. The demos were recorded by EC at Archipelago Studios, Pimlico, London earlier that year. In several cases, my secret source offered up similar-sounding alternates for some of the songs. In those instances, I went looking for compelling live recordings. Several of my master sources this time were high-quality lossy files, which explains why there's no lossless version. Hope you enjoy this and the bonus tracks I couldn't resist including.

MP3@320

El vis Cos tello - The ALTERNATE Trust

Alternate Takes, Rehearsals, Live Versions

In-studio tracks recorded July-Nov. 1980

soundboard, FM & audience recordings (sound quality: VG to Ex-) 

-none officially released-

click on image for enlarged view

ROB SEZ: By popular demand, here's another installment in the "Classic Albums Revisited" series. (By the way, I'm not going to do alternate versions of every EC album: just a handful that I like — and for which I have rare & worthy material to share.) Recently, I posted a full live version and a full alternate version of EC's classic 1982 album. This time around, it's a single compilation album with a mix of alternate takes, band rehearsals, and live versions. As I put it together, I kept marveling at the creativity of EC's melodies & lyrics and The Attractions' musical swagger. They were crazy great! A few of the alternate takes and rehearsals are admitedly not terribly different from the master takes officially released on the album. But trainspotters like me should enjoy playing "spot the difference." This album's songs were recorded at Eden Studios, Acton, London in the fall of 1980, so I'm guessing the alternate takes were recorded at the same time. The band rehearsals might've been recorded at DJM Studios, Holborn, London a few months earlier. In some cases, my secret source only offered unexciting alternates for some of these songs. When that happened, I went looking for compelling live recordings. As with the last post, most all my master sources this time were high-quality lossy files, which explains why there's no lossless version. Please enjoy.

REPERCUSSION: There is a connection, albeit indirect, between EC and The dB's. When Chris, Will, Gene and Peter got the band going in the late 1970s, they aspired to become an American version of The Attractions. A lofty goal — and one they very nearly achieved, musically speaking.

MP3@320

  

P.S. - Track 07 in this compilation bears a resemblance to the "Alternate Version" found on the bonus disc of the 2003 reissue, particulary in its tempo. Upon careful listening, however, you'll notice there's a distinctly different vocal take in the version included here.  

El vis Cos tello - The ALTERNATE Imp erial Bed room

Demos & Alternate Takes

Islington & London, England

August & November 1981

soundboard recordings (quality: VG to Ex-)

*none officially released*

click on image for enlarged view

ROB SEZ: Continuing my celebration of this amazing album's 40th anniversary, following last week's live version of the album. This week, I'm offering a companion album comprised of band demos, outtakes, and alternate takes from the album recording sessions. Think of this as the "trainspotter" version of the album for EC geeks — like me! As with the live version, I sequenced the tracks in the same order as the original album. (Once again, there's nothing here that's ever been officially released on any version of the album.) This gives you a chance to marvel at the early ideas, lyrics, and band contributions as heard in the demos. And it lets you enjoy the more evolved outtakes and alternates — recorded just a few months later when EC & The Attractions arrived at Air Studios to create their masterpiece. Wait 'til the end for the mystery bonus track: definitely worth waiting for. Comments? Yes, please.

SOURCES: Based on available information, I assume the band demos were recorded in August 1981 at Pathway Studioes in Islington, with the outtakes and alternate takes recorded in November 1981 at Air Studios in London during album sessions. Where exactly did these precious rarities come from? I won't ever say, since it would betray my sources. My music-sharing companions know who they are, and I'm forever in their debt. I received these as high-quality MP3s, which explains why there's no lossless share this time.

MP3@320

P.S. - Track 05 in this compilation bears a resemblance to the "Alternate Version" found on the bonus disc of the 2002 reissue, particulary in its tempo. Upon careful listening, however, you'll notice there's a second distinct vocal line in the version included here, plus it lacks the keyboard overdub that can be heard on the officially-released "Alternate Version." The version in this compilation is an alternate mix with an added vocal part that makes for a distinctly different version of the song.

 

El vis Cos tello - Imp erial Bed room LIVE!

various sources & venues 1981-2016

sbd, preFM, FM & audience recordings

sound quality: (Ex to VG)

-none officially released-

click on image for enlarged view

A Classis Albums Revisited project

of The dB's Repercussion Blog

ROB SEZ: The upcoming 40th anniversary of this masterpiece's release (July 2, 1982) prompted me to fulfill a 20-year dream: to re-create the album, with the same running order, using only live versions.  For the longest time, I assumed it was a fool's errand. There are numerous live recordings of the better-known album tracks. But a couple of the songs have seldom been played live. When they were, the only historical remnant was typically a crappy audience recording. Fortunately for me, there are lots of EC fans out there, posting their gems here & there. A coupla years ago, I made a key discovery: the remarkable El vis Cos tello Wiki. After stumbling onto this fabulous fan-run site, I was finally able to do proper research. Over several years' time, I began compiling candidates for this compilation, listening to hundreds of different recordings, culling them for the very best versions. Fast forward to the past several weekends, when I found some extra hours and started to bring this together. SO: how'd I do? Give it a listen and please leave a comment. (Wanna nominate a better recording you think belongs on the comp? Find the email address at the very bottom of the blog's home page, and please get in touch.) One more thing: the odd spacing & spelling for this post is my attempt to evade the record / publishing company 'bots...

Stay tuned for a related share coming next week.

HOW I CHOSE THE RECORDINGS: I wanted to find that magical intersection between great performances and great (or at least good-enough) sound quality. If a live version more or less copied the studio version on an average night, I just kept looking. I was listening for that something extra: a transcendent performance, a revelatory acoustic version, an unusual arrangement, or an Elvis & Steve duo version that laid bare the beating heart of the song. Because EC with The Attractions has never been surpassed as a live combo, I tended to give the 1980s shows (and '90s reunions) a closer listen. Most of the recordings I finally picked are EC with The Attractions, unless otherwise noted in the comment file tags. I would love to have used only soundboard, preFM or FM recordings, but they were not available in all cases. When I could find nothing of higher quality, my Plan B was to locate the best-sounding audience recordings with a strong performance. In one case, I had to punt: the only live versions of "Boy With a Problem" I considered were from a so-so performance in 1982 and a brief soundcheck run-through that same year. Neither one was good enough. So I went to my "secret source" for a previously unreleased demo version. But hey, the demo sounds like it was recorded live, so maybe it's not really cheating...

DISCLOSURE: I used lossless captures of lossy sources for tracks 7 & 12 since they were the best quality recordings I could find. All the other tracks are from lossless sources.

FLAC

MP3@320