Elvis Costello: Last News

When actor and singer Rita Wilson was a young girl, she and her Greek mother would bond over listening to songs on the radio, especially ’70s singer-songwriters.

Jeff Bridges and Helen Mirren have been listed as just two of the names who will be reading chapters on the audiobook edition of Bob Dylan‘s forthcoming essay collection.The book, The Philosophy of Modern Song, contains over 60 essays written by Dylan about songs by artists such as Stephen Foster, Elvis Costello, Hank Williams and Nina Simone. It is set for release on November 1.Sissy Spacek, Oscar Isaac and Steve Buscemi will also be reading essays written by Dylan.

Chris Willman Senior Music Writer and Chief Music Critic The question is no longer just what Bob Dylan will have to say about Elvis Costello’s “Pump It Up” or the Clash’s “London Calling” when he writes about them in his new book, “The Philosophy of Modern Song.” Now we can wonder how Helen Mirren or Renée Zellweger will sound giving voice to Dylan’s prose as they read those chapters, respectively, in the audiobook version, which, like the hardback, arrives Nov. 1. Variety previously reported the titles of the historical songs Dylan has written essays about for the tome, followed by the the names of the actors enlisted to read individual chapters for the audiobook, but those two lists hadn’t been paired up till now. A look at the list below, being revealed for the first time today, shows that all of the stars involved have been given multiple assignments, including Jeff Bridges, Oscar Isaac, Rita Moreno, Jeffrey Wright, Sissy Spacek, John Goodman, Alfre Woodard and Steve Buscemi as well as Mirren and Zellweger.

Chris Willman Senior Music Writer and Chief Music Critic The list of narrators for the audiobook version of Bob Dylan’s upcoming book has come to light, and it reads like a who’s who of Oscar contenders from the past few decades, along with the author himself doing some of the reading. The lineup of voice talent reading chapters from “The Philosophy of Modern Song” aloud includes Jeff Bridges, Steve Buscemi, John Goodman, Oscar Isaac, Helen Mirren, Rita Moreno, Sissy Spacek, Alfre Woodard, Jeffrey Wright and Renée Zellweger. This lineup of all-star Dylan surrogates has yet to be officially announced. It was first published by the U.K. magazine Uncut; Variety has confirmed the list.

Chris Willman Senior Music Writer and Chief Music Critic It’s practically unheard of for artists in the rock realm to publicly announce their setlists before shows have even gone on sale, but Elvis Costello has taken things a step or two beyond that. In announcing a 10-night stand he’ll be doing in New York City in February, Costello said he would be performing at least 200 unique songs over the run, and revealed partial setlists containing 10 of the 20-plus numbers he plans to perform each night, touching on every famous or obscure part of his career. The 10 shows will take place over a two-week period Feb. 9-22, 2023, at Manhattan’s intimate Gramercy Theatre. Tickets go on sale for Citi card members today and to the general public on Friday. A 10-night pass is being offered on top of tickets for the individual shows.

Chris Willman Senior Music Writer and Chief Music Critic Nick Lowe and Shakespeare were wrong, about having to be cruel to be kind. A tour stop Tuesday in Anaheim that had Lowe supporting headliner Elvis Costello as an opening act before eventually joining him for three climactic duets was kindly and 100% cruelty-free, reuniting the two former studio workmates in a fashion that made it seem as if no 40-year intervals had passed at all, except for the incidental actually-getting-better factors. (You’re not getting older, you’re getting Basher, etc.) Not that the show at the City National Grove of Anaheim — one of several SoCal appearances this week by Costello, with and without Lowe in tow — needed its crowning dream-teaminess to come up aces. Costello’s current sets with the Imposters represent the best example rock ‘n’ roll has at the moment of a vast catalog of classic material played with improvisational vigor by one of the great bands the medium has known, augmented by fresh material that can stand proudly alongside the vintage. “Indoor Fireworks” was one of the quieter songs performed Tuesday, but it’s an apt description of what’s occurring on this can’t-miss outing (with apologies to the shed stops where the group pyro happens outdoors).

Elvis Costello has unveiled details of a huge 10-night residency in New York next year.Costello revealed the plans for the residency while on The Tonight Show starring Jimmy Fallon and said the gigs would feature a changing setlist.“I’m gonna play a 10-night stand in New York City next February,” Costello explained on the show.“But here’s the thing – I’m going to print a list of 10 songs a night that’s gonna give you a clue to what the night’s gonna be like. And the other 10 songs that I might play are a secret.”He went on to say that fans will “never hear the same song twice” and that the setlists would add up to “200 songs [played] over 10 nights.”He also revealed that for fans wanting to go to all 10 nights of the residency, a “special price” would be set.The residency will take place at Gramercy Theatre in February 2023.

Chris Willman Senior Music Writer and Chief Music CriticBilly Joe Shaver, one of the figureheads of the “outlaw country” movement that came out of Texas and flourished in the 1970s, is the subject of a forthcoming tribute album that sees some of the top names in country and Americana saluting the late legend, including Willie Nelson, Miranda Lambert, George Strait, Nathaniel Rateliff, Rodney Crowell and Margo Price. The project, “Live Forever: A Tribute to Billy Joe Shaver,” comes out on New West Nov.

who quit the regular show, Pointless, earlier this year, sees four teams of contestants — this time, it was celebrity broadcasters Arielle Free, Toby Anstis, Sonny Jay, Josie D'Arby, Neev Spencer, Colin Murray, Elis James and John Robins — try to come up with obscure answers that no-one else from the show's 100 anonymous panellists could think of. The team with the least number of points, wins. In this celebrity special, the broadcasters are playing to win a jackpot of money for charity.

The Pogues bassist Darryl Hunt had died at the age of 72.Hunt, who joined the band in 1986, died in London yesterday (August 8).The Pogues wrote on Twitter that they were “saddened beyond words” to share the news. No information about the cause of his death has been shared publicly.The band posted a black-and-white photo of Hunt holding a guitar case, paying tribute by quoting the lyrics of their song ‘Love You Till the End’ (written by Hunt) with: “I know you want to hear me catch my breath/ I love you till the end.”We are saddened beyond words.

The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon has some new co-hosts.

Taylor Swift claims the Official biggest Americana album of 2022 so far, can reveal.

Glastonbury boss Michael Eavis took to the stage at the festival tonight (Thursday, June 23), playing a heart-warming covers set before Bastille performed a secret show. Check out photos and footage below.As rumours of Bastille’s secret set at William’s Green spread across the Worthy Farm site, the area grew so busy that festival-goers had to be warned to stop heading to the area.

Elvis Costello has shared a cover of a classic Beatles song in tribute to Paul McCartney on his 80th birthday. McCartney turned 80 on 18 June, just days before the legendary singer-songwriter is set to headline Glastonbury festival.

Elvis Costello has shared a cover of The Beatles‘ ‘Here, There And Everywhere’ to mark Paul McCartney’s 80th birthday.Macca turned 80 on Saturday (June 18), and stars from across the music world and beyond paid tribute to “the best songwriter ever” with tributes, covers and more.To celebrate, Costello covered the ‘Revolver’ classic, which was also covered by John Lennon and Yoko Ono’s son Sean Ono Lennon to mark the occasion.“A little birdy told me this was one of your your fav Beatles tunes,” Ono Lennon wrote in the video’s caption. “So Happy Birthday! Thank you for all the beautiful music.

Jem Aswad Senior Music EditorThe music industry’s return to whatever passes for normal these days has been hit and miss, to put it mildly: Grammy Week, Coachella, and the first publishers’ week in three years have seen an uneven balance of caution and carelessness — some events have a relatively high percentage of masks and distancing, some have hardly any at all, and at each one you hear tales of how severe someone’s bout with Covid was or wasn’t, and that someone else couldn’t make it because they suddenly tested positive.The “publishers week” we’re referring to is the usual combination of A2IM’s Indie Week conference, the National Music Publishers Association’s annual meeting, and the closer, the Songwriters Hall of Fame induction ceremony, which is one of the most unique and memorable awards shows in the business — which is a parallel event to the Clive Davis pre-Grammy Gala in that it’s invite-only and features a number of once-in-a-lifetime performances. Not only is it the annual family reunion for the songwriting an publishing industry, over the years we’ve seen performances from  Neil Diamond, Drake, Tom Petty, Bonnie Raitt, Justin Timberlake, Ariana Grande, Van Morrison, Cyndi Lauper, John Prine, Leon Russell, Elvis Costello and dozens of others, along with several completely unique homages: Lady Gaga singing Four Non-Blondes’ hit “What’s Up” to Linda Perry; Stevie Nicks belting “The Rose” to Bette Midler; Emmylou Harris performing Eric Clapton’s heartbreaking hit “Tears in Heaven” for the song’s co-writer Will Jennings; and one year, the evening ended with Billy Joel and Garth Brooks duetting at the piano in matching Stetson hats.

Jem Aswad Senior Music EditorThe Grammys might be the most well-known music awards show in the world, but the Songwriters Hall of Fame’s ceremony is arguably the most unique. The invite-only event, being held June 16 at the Marriott Marquis in New York City, and its awards honor the most important and yet most frequently overlooked people in the music business — the songwriter, duh — and it resembles a cross between the Grammys and an annual family reunion for the tight-knit songwriting and music-publishing community.At each ceremony, superstars receiving honors frequently tell the room that the accolade means more to them than any other award they’ve received, because it’s an endorsement and a validation from their peers.

Chris Willman Senior Music Writer and Chief Music CriticIn the unlikely rock-star mini-feuds department, Elvis Costello and Rod Stewart — who decades ago had discussions about making an album together — renewed what seems to be a frenemy-ship in recent days. They’ve tangled on social media in a humorously feisty way over what Costello considered to be a botched royal performance by Stewart, and what Stewart considers to be an unbecoming hairline on Costello’s part.According to the Daily Mirror (which Costello additionally took on… because hating the Daily Mirror is one thing almost all music stars can agree on), Costello took a few moments in a Glasgow show to get in a little dig at Stewart, who’s known as a major booster of Scottish soccer.

Rod Stewart and Elvis Costello have ended their feud. Maybe this is the first you’ve heard about their feud.

Rod Stewart has hit out at fellow musician Elvis Costello after he criticised his Jubilee performance at a concert.

Rod Stewart and Elvis Costello have laughed off a so called spat between the two.It comes after it was reported that Costello branded the recent Platinum Jubilee concert, which was headlined by Queen, Diana Ross and Elton John, “shite” and singled out Stewart for criticism.“I mean, I know you all love him and he’s one of yours and everything, but Rod. What the fuck? I must say, listen we all have bad nights vocally, but for fuck’s sake, Sweet fucking Caroline,” he is reported to have said, according to the Mirror.“Are you fucking kidding me? I mean I’ve been in showbusiness 45 years so I do know a thing or two.