Elvis Costello’s oft-bootlegged Live at the El Mocambo finally will receive an official commercial release next month as the first title of the singer’s new The Costello Show live-performance series of complete concert recordings.
The 14-track live album captures Costello and the Attractions’ March 6, 1978, concert at Toronto’s El Mocambo club, as broadcast by CHUM-FM. At the time, the band was touring North America in support of Costello’s 1977 debut My Aim Is True; the follow-up This Year’s Model, the first record to feature the Attractions, would be released 11 days later.
Some 300-500 promotional copies of Live at the El Mocambo were released on vinyl that year by Columbia Records in Canada. In 1993, Rykodisc reissued the album on CD, again as a promo-only item; this time it was available as a bonus disc in the 2½ Years box set or to fans who bought Ryko’s versions of Costello’s first three albums.
Now the album will receive its first commercial release Sept. 29, inaugurating the new live CD series. According to Universal Music, the “series will continue with the album releases of significant classic Costello concerts, including a performance at Hollywood High in California and other shows to be announced.”
Interestingly, that June 4, 1978, performance at Hollywood High School also has been partially released as a promo; the 7-inch “Live at Hollywood High” — featuring Costello and the Attractions running through “Accidents Will Happen,” “Alison” and “Watching the Detectives” — came free with initial copies of the UK release of Armed Forces in 1979.
Full tracklist after the jump…
Tracklist: Elvis Costello, Live at the El Mocambo
1. “Mystery Dance”
2. “Waiting for the End of the World”
3. “Welcome to the Working Week”
4. “Less Than Zero”
5. “The Beat”
6. “Lip Service”
7. “(I Don’t Want to Go to) Chelsea”
8. “Little Triggers”
9. “Radio Radio”
10. “Lipstick Vogue”
11. “Watching the Detectives”
12. “Miracle Man/Band Introduction”
13. “You Belong to Me”
14. “Pump It Up”
PREVIOUSLY ON SLICING UP EYEBALLS:
Regarding the Hollywood High concert, note that 9 of the 21 songs were also released on the Rhino reissue of “Armed Forces” in 2002. In truth, it’s not one of his better concerts. It is only a classic in the sense that it is one of the few to have songs released from it.