“Making my first record felt like the start of something I had imagined for a long time, before having the slightest idea of a potential audience,” writes Elvis Costello in the booklet of an anniversary box set of 104 tracks, including 52 unreleased, expected on October 2.
Elvis Costello’s first album, My Aim Is Truewill celebrate its 50th anniversary next year, but the event is so significant that it does not wait to celebrate it. On October 2, the singer published an imposing box set of five discs dedicated to this period, with 104 tracks in total, including 52 previously unreleased. The object is called My Aim Is True (49th Anniversary Edition)and Costello today reveals a taste of what awaits fans when the box set arrives in stores: four primitive versions of “Watching the Detectives”.
“It made me cringe”
The first disc is a remastered version of the original album, which merges the tracklists from the British and American editions. “Last night I listened to this wonderfully wonky record in its entirety for the first time in about 45 yearswritten in the booklet Nick Lowe, the producer of My Aim Is True. (It was) an invaluable opportunity to observe up close the extraordinary work of one of the greatest popular song composers of this era — or any other. »
From The Blue Print to Covered in Clover
The box set continues with a set of 17 recordings from 1975 and 1976, predating the sessions of My Aim Is Truewhich Costello named The Blue Print. Included are home tapes recorded in his bedroom, 13 takes from a 1976 session at the Hope & Anchor studio, and a recently found reel of songs recorded that same year, including an early version of “Radio Radio” known as “Radio Soul.”
The third disc is called The Stranger in the House and brings together all of the surviving demos and studio scraps from My Aim Is True. The fourth, Becoming the Attractionsbrings together live recordings of his very first concerts with the Attractions. And the whole thing closes on Covered in Clovera unique reunion concert that Costello put on in 2007 with the group Clover — who accompanied him in the studio on My Aim Is Truebefore some of its members founded Huey Lewis and the News.
Costello and the Imposters begin the next leg of their long-term tour on September 10 in Lancaster, Pennsylvania. It will end on September 24 in Victoria, Canada.
My Aim Is True (49th Anniversary Edition): the complete tracklist
CD1: My Aim Is True
1. “Welcome to the Working Week” – remaster 2026
2. “Miracle Man” – remaster 2026
3. “No Dancing” – remaster 2026
4. “Blame It on Cain” – remaster 2026
5. “Alison” – remaster 2026
6. “Sneaky Feelings” – remaster 2026
7. “(The Angels Wanna Wear My) Red Shoes” – remaster 2026
8. “Less Than Zero” – remaster 2026
9. “Mystery Dance” – remaster 2026
10. “Pay It Back” – remaster 2026
11. “I’m Not Angry” – remaster 2026
12. “Waiting for the End of the World” – remaster 2026
13. “Watching the Detectives” – single version
CD2: The Blue Print
1. “I Turn Around” – Hope & Anchor Studio**
2. “Losing You” – Hope & Anchor Studio**
3. “Leverman” – Hope & Anchor Studio**
4. “Citizen Junction” – Hope & Anchor Studio**
5. “I Hear a Melody” – Pathway Studios
6. “Poison Moon” – bedroom recording
7. “Wave a White Flag” – bedroom recording
8. “Mercury Wings” – Ms. Dore** tape
9. “Jump Up” – Hope & Anchor Studio**
10. “No Star” – Hope & Anchor Studio**
11. “Walk On” – Hope & Anchor Studio**
12. “Radio Soul” – Hope & Anchor Studio**
13. “Clean Money” – Hope & Anchor Studio**
14. “Don’t Put a Levy on My Love” – Hope & Anchor Studio**
15. “Play It Safe” – Hope & Anchor Studio**
16. “Imagination (Is a Powerful Deceiver)” – Hope & Anchor Studio**
17. “I Can’t Turn It Off” – Hope & Anchor Studio
CD3: The Stranger in the House
1. “Radio Sweetheart” – drop from My Aim Is True
2. “Cheap Reward” – in-room check-in
3. “Mystery Dance” – bedroom recording
4. “Stranger in the House” – drop from My Aim Is True
5. “Running Out of Angels” – Hope & Anchor Studio**
6. “Just Like a Jukebox” – Hope & Anchor Studio**
7. “I Don’t Want to Go Home” – Pathway Studios
8. “Blame It on Cain” – bedroom recording
9. “Blue Minute” – Ms. Dore** tape
10. “Pay It Back” – in-room recording**
11. “Exiles Road” – Flip City – Hope & Anchor Studio**
12. “Knockin’ on Heaven’s Door” – Flip City – Hope & Anchor Studio**
13. “Sweet Revival” – Flip City – Hope & Anchor Studio**
14. “Pay It Back” – Flip City – Hope & Anchor Studio**
15. “Imagination (Is a Powerful Deceiver)” – Flip City – Hope & Anchor Studio**
16. “Living in Paradise” – Hope & Anchor Studio**
17. “Welcome to the Working Week” – Pathway Studios
18. “Miracle Man” – bedroom recording**
19. “Miracle Man” – Pathway Studios
20. “(The Angels Wanna Wear My) Red Shoes” – Ms. Dore tape**
21. “(The Angels Wanna Wear My) Red Shoes” – Pathway Studios
22. “Waiting for the End of the World” – Pathway Studios
23. “Living in Paradise” – drop from My Aim Is True
24. “Call on Me” – Pathway Studios
25. “Watching the Detectives” – trio version, Pathway Studios**
26. “No Action” – trio version, Pathway Studios
27. “Poison Moon” – Ms. Dore** tape
28. “Stranger in the House” – Ms. Dore tape**
CD4: Becoming the Attractions
1. “Alison” – What’s On, Granada Reports
2. Introduction by Dave Robinson – live, The Nashville Room
3. “Mystery Dance” – live, The Nashville Room
4. “Pay It Back” – soundcheck, The Nashville Room
5. “Radio Sweetheart” – soundcheck, The Nashville Room
6. “Sneaky Feelings” – soundcheck, The Nashville Room
7. “Crawling to the USA” – soundcheck, The Nashville Room
8. “Lip Service” – Pathway Studios**
9. “(The Angels Wanna Wear My) Red Shoes” – with introduction, Top of the Pops**
10. Interview #1 – Good Afternoon with Mavis Nicholson
11. “Watching the Detectives” – show Good Afternoon**
12. Interview #2 – Good Afternoon with Mavis Nicholson
13. “Hoover Factory” – Good Afternoon rehearsal**
14. “I Just Don’t Know What to Do With Myself” – Live Stiffs, University of East Anglia, Norwich, United Kingdom
15. “Whole Wide World” – Live Stiffs, University of Leicester, Leicester, United Kingdom**
16. Intro KSAN – Old Waldorf, San Francisco
17. “Pump It Up” – Old Waldorf, San Francisco**
18. “Lip Service” – recording of unknown provenance**
19. “Mystery Dance” – Winterland Ballroom, San Francisco**
20. “Blame It on Cain” – Winterland Ballroom, San Francisco**
21. “Less Than Zero (Dallas Version)” – Warner Theater, Washington
22. “Waiting for the End of the World” – The Agora Ballroom, Cleveland**
23. “Miracle Man” – Warner Theater, Washington
24. “Watching the Detectives” – Winterland Ballroom, San Francisco**
25. “I’m Not Angry” – Winterland Ballroom, San Francisco**
CD5: Covered in Clover
1. “Welcome to the Working Week” (live at the Great American Music Hall, San Francisco, November 8, 2007)**
2. “Miracle Man” (live at the Great American Music Hall, San Francisco, November 8, 2007)**
3. “No Dancing” (live at the Great American Music Hall, San Francisco, November 8, 2007)**
4. Intro to “Blame It on Cain” (live at the Great American Music Hall, San Francisco, November 8, 2007)**
5. “Blame It on Cain” (live at the Great American Music Hall, San Francisco, November 8, 2007)**
6. “Alison” (live at the Great American Music Hall, San Francisco, November 8, 2007)**
7. Intro to “Sneaky Feelings” (live at the Great American Music Hall, San Francisco, November 8, 2007)**
8. “Sneaky Feelings” (live at the Great American Music Hall, San Francisco, November 8, 2007)**
9. Intro to “Red Shoes” (live at the Great American Music Hall, San Francisco, November 8, 2007)**
10. “(The Angels Wanna Wear My) Red Shoes” (live at the Great American Music Hall, San Francisco, November 8, 2007)**
11. “Less Than Zero” (live at the Great American Music Hall, San Francisco, November 8, 2007)**
12. “Mystery Dance” (live at the Great American Music Hall, San Francisco, November 8, 2007)**
13. “Pay It Back” (live at the Great American Music Hall, San Francisco, November 8, 2007)**
14. “I’m Not Angry” (live at the Great American Music Hall, San Francisco, November 8, 2007)**
15. “Waiting for the End of the World / Gloria” (live at the Great American Music Hall, San Francisco, November 8, 2007)**
16. “Watching the Detectives” (live at the Great American Music Hall, San Francisco, November 8, 2007)**
17. “Mr. Moon” (live at the Great American Music Hall, San Francisco, November 8, 2007)**
18. Intro to the love trilogy (live at the Great American Music Hall, San Francisco, November 8, 2007)**
19. “Love Has No Pride” (live at the Great American Music Hall, San Francisco, November 8, 2007)**
20. “Love Is Gone” (live at the Great American Music Hall, San Francisco, November 8, 2007)**
21. “(What’s So Funny ‘Bout) Peace, Love and Understanding” (live at the Great American Music Hall, San Francisco, November 8, 2007)**
