Spectacle season 2

[oldhamer]

For those in the UK, does anyone know when (or if) season 2 will be aired? The first season was on Channel 4, but they shunted it around the late-night slots. Have they bought the second season rights, and said when they'll be showing them?

[Neil.]

It seems unlikely it'll be aired, as Channel 4 didn't fund any of it, and anyway, even when they did with series 1, they thought little of the end product and showed it really late at night.

[scielle]

I've e-mailed Channel 4 asking about it and was told they have no plans to air Season 2.

[oldhamer]

Thanks for the information chaps. Even if it comes as a bit of a bummer

Can we get the Beeb to pay for the rights to show it? After all, isn't this what we pay our license fee for? *shakes fist*

[Who Shot Sam?]

Just watched the Levon Helm/Allen Toussaint/Richard Thompson episode I attended and am pretty sure I saw Steve Buscemi in the audience. How did I miss that?

Great episode BTW. I am so happy I went.

[Ypsilanti]

Yes--they cut to Mr. Buscemi in the audience a couple of times. Seems almost a little dangerous--so many super-cool guys all inside the same building at one time, both on the stage and in the audience. Like the place could have exploded from a coolness supernova.

On the Elvis / MLP episode, it looked like that actor Eric McCormack was in the audience. They showed his face in the crowd shots once or twice. He's no Buscemi, of course, but I guess he's legitimately famous. Or famous-ish. He was all fired up about "Chelsea".

[charliestumpy]

Many of us have been all fired up about Chelsea since 1963.

I think that it is in many ways quite liberating to obtain Season 2 Spectacle clips eventually only via kind people in New World posting on YouTube.

We are all famous despite the overpaid media.

Some are too famous despite assumed names.

The next time I am on planet/star Pluto I shall ensure that my oeuvre is published also on Skaros (home of NHS-Ireland-Liverpool-London).

[johnfoyle]

Elvis Costello "Spectacle" Season Two Ad Campaign

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WDfU2vlK ... r_embedded

Any Elvis Costello fan would be thrilled to see these ads in the Times Square Subway Station, one of the busiest places on Earth. There are dozens of them!

[TX_Fan]

Several other tunes are up from last episode...Many thanks to deerfried! Great Work!

Chelsea - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D67Nc8CxFDo
So Like Candy - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PPWAXDWgZDk
Still Have That Other Girl - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jFnr6RdnOM4
Motel Matches - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FD3usFnlnT4
Brilliant Mistake - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4pdxvxnJ8p4
I Threw It All Away - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IIeT7TVqgKM

[johnfoyle]

Ray LaMontagne (SPECTACLE 205) (clip 3)

Video:

Ray LaMontagne discusses the strange act of writing.

http://link.brightcove.com/services/pla ... 1323128001

Elvis watches as Ray talks about fairy lights.

[migdd]

Wow.

[bronxapostle]

Elvis sitting there thinking..."what the heck is he talking about; i write these songs in my sleep"!!!

[wardo68]

I liked the quick shot to the girls with the "he's so dreamy" faces.

[oily slick]

man that crowd is a bunch of stiffs for chelsea. the so like candy is delicious. still have that other girl is swell too, but it continues to be difficult to watch elvis w/o a guitar.

[Neil.]

Agreed - Elvis has never looked comfortable without his guitar. 'Other Girl' is a stinker of a song in terms of the high notes - Elvis sounded like he was struggling a tad - it was uncomfortable to watch, which it shouldn't be. Glad he got rid of those extraneous notes on 'finish it NOW and 'think that I WILL' - I never liked the way he placed a one-syllable word over three notes in that song. Candy was good, though - and would love to have heard the whole of Motel Matches, one of my absolute favourite Elvis songs! And Brilliant Mistake - wish we'd been given the whole of that, too! Love that song.

[Jeremy Dylan]

Is it just me, or has his wardrobe not caught up with his weight loss? That suit and hat look like they were meant for a man of more excessive girth than the trim fellow currently occupying them.

[oily slick]

Elvis now employs Don King as his sartorial advisor.

[Jeremy Dylan]

Elvis now employs Don King as his sartorial advisor.

[Jack of All Parades]

Favorite part of last nights episode- anything John Prine. It is so rare to see him on TV. Kudos to EC for giving him this exposure. Fond memories of many shows but in particular one in a small club in Washington, DC-the hole in daddy's arm, the drainage of money and the ubiquitous flag decal, indeed.

[pophead2k]

Just caught Bruce Part One. Definitely one of the best episodes to date, primarily because of the following two reasons:

1) Bruce can out-talk EC
2) Bruce sings as loud as EC, making for a spectacular duet of 'I Can't Stand Up'.

Bruce seems to turn EC into an uber-fan during the show. His solo acoustic performance of 41 Shots is incredible, and Elvis is visibly moved. When Bruce talks about inviting that 'third' thing into the songwriting, the personal, grounded part that makes the song connect, Elvis seems to be learning something, and maybe even evaluating in his mind whether or not he makes that connection when he writes.

A great hour of television and I can't wait for part two.

[johnfoyle]

http://www.nj.com/entertainment/music/i ... o_for.html

Springsteen joins Costello for television Spectacle



KEN WORONER
Bruce Springsteen, left, and Elvis Costello, performing on the Sundance Channel show, "Spectacle, Elvis Costello With ..."

By Jay Lustig/The Star-Ledger
January 17, 2010


If I tried to come up with a list of personal rock ’n’ roll fantasies, a late-’70s jam session featuring the combined forces of Bruce Springsteen, Elvis Costello and their respective backing groups — the E Street Band and the Attractions — would have to be near the top. Springsteen’s "Born To Run" and "Darkness on the Edge of Town" albums and Costello’s "My Aim Is True," "This Year’s Model" and "Armed Forces" — all released between 1975 and 1979 — made up a big part of the soundtrack of my teenage years, and still rank among my all-time favorites.

So it was thrilling, and a bit surreal, to watch Springsteen, Costello, two E Streeters (guitarist Nils Lofgren and keyboardist Roy Bittan) and two original Attractions (keyboardist Steve Nieve and drummer Pete Thomas) play together on two episodes of Costello’s music-and-talk show "Spectacle: Elvis Costello With ..." Those episodes will air on the Sundance Channel on Wednesday and Jan. 27 at 10 p.m.

The hour-long shows — both taped at a nearly four-hour session in September at New York’s Apollo Theatre — will close the second season of this remarkable series, whose previous installments have featured guests like Bono and the Edge of U2, Elton John, the Police and Lou Reed.

Songs performed by the entire ensemble include urgent versions of Springsteen’s "The Rising" and "Seeds," as well as a soul-shouting duet on the Sam and Dave hit "I Can’t Stand Up For Falling Down" and a well-conceived medley of Springsteen’s "Radio Nowhere" and Costello’s "Radio Radio."

At Costello’s request, Springsteen also performs "Wild Billy’s Circus Story," "Galveston Bay" and "American Skin (41 Shots)," while Costello sings Patti Scialfa’s "Black Ladder." They also try out an impromptu duet on Roy Orbision’s "Oh, Pretty Woman," but abandon it after one verse.

Costello opens the first episode by singing Springsteen’s "She’s the One" and introducing him as the "past, present, future of rock ’n’ roll." The artists’ respect and admiration for each other is obvious as they discuss Springsteen’s development as a musician and a person, and their musical philosophies.

"The greatest rock ’n’ roll musicians are desperate men," Springsteen muses. "You’ve got to have something bothering you all the time."

"You can’t always be a nice guy in the song, is what it is," Costello responds.

The pair also zeros in on specific topics, such as Springsteen’s early years performing in Asbury Park (he calls it a "low-rent Fort Lauderdale" and says the town’s isolation from the recording industry meant "you were left in a bit of your own wilderness"), fatherhood, the influence of Bob Dylan and President Obama’s inauguration.

The most amusing segment comes when they talk about the way Springsteen’s songwriting changed between 1975’s "Born to Run" and 1978’s "Darkness on the Edge of Town," becoming ... well, darker.

"One reason it was different is there was some young English songwriter at the time who said the songs on ‘Born To Run’ were too romantic," says Springsteen. "I can’t remember his name right now, but ..."

Costello looks genuinely surprised. "Was it me?" he asks. "It wasn’t me."

"I’ve been waiting 30 years for this moment," says Springsteen, with delight. "What do you think? Of course it was."


In harmony With long careers spanning a similar era, Bruce Springsteen and Elvis Costello have crossed paths many times.

1988: Both guest on the Cinemax special “Roy Orbison and Friends, A Black and White Night” (taped in ’87).

1996: Costello releases his version of Springsteen’s “Brilliant Disguise” as a B side to his “It’s Time” single. The song later comes out on the 2003 “Light of Day” benefit CD and a 2004 reissue of Costello’s “Kojak Variety” album.

2001: They perform a medley of Costello’s “Alison” and Smokey Robinson’s “Tracks of My Tears” and “Tears of a Clown” at a holiday benefit at Asbury Park’s Convention Hall.

2003: They perform “London Calling” with Steven Van Zandt and Dave Grohl as a tribute to the late Joe Strummer at the Grammy Awards.

2004: Springsteen sings “(What’s So Funny ‘Bout) Peace Love and Understanding” (written by Nick Lowe, but popularized by Costello) nightly on the Vote For Change concert tour.

2006: They are among a large group of musicians performing Wilson Pickett’s “In the Midnight Hour” at the Grammys.

2009: Costello is a surprise guest, dueting on the Jackie Wilson hit “(Your Love Keeps Lifting Me) Higher and Higher” at a Madison Square Garden concert by Springsteen.

[johnfoyle]

http://www.sundancechannel.com/sunfilte ... le-report/


SPECTACLE REPORT: Elvis Costello’s Must-Hear Songs by John Prine, Lyle Lovett, and Ray LaMontagne

January 14th, 2010

by Elvis Costello

Some people imagine I have a head start with my SPECTACLE encounters simply because my guests and I share an occupation.

However, the location of the specific common ground has often been unusual or obscure.

For example, Lyle Lovett and I both contributed to Robert Altman’s motion picture, SHORT CUTS.

I wrote the song “Punishing Kiss” for Annie Ross to perform, while Lyle, rather more crucially, was featured as a sinister confectioner. So, there was not much cause for dialogue, other than to remark upon this coincidence.

When I started my career, my unfortunate face and manner of speaking, which has often been mistaken for insolent at international borders, had me frequently described as “aggressive” or – perish the thought – “surly.”

In truth, I foolishly imagined that my songs might flourish while I remained out of the spotlight, but my natural shyness and impatience to get on with my work was often incorrectly decoded.

So while Ray Lamontagne may have found it hard to imagine that SPECTACLE’s M.C. was in anyway reticent, I can appreciate how his own natural reserve could be lazily mistaken for being “difficult.”

All I can say is that throughout our conversation Ray spoke with the same singular clarity and generosity found in his songs.

For all the contrasts between our three guests, one idea stands: they are all singers who have prevailed after initial comparisons to other performers, even when these supposed resemblances were intended to be complimentary.

I’ve always believed that a lot of good songs have been written while unsuccessfully attempting to copy the style of another writer. A lot of pop music is like this; you start out with someone else’s rhythm or voice in your head, and in utterly failing to duplicate it, you find your own.

JOHN PRINE

I’ve admired John Prine’s songs since his first remarkable collection on Atlantic Records. It is hard to think of any debut which contains so many indelible and enduring tunes.

In 1975, I was playing in a band that would have been seriously flattered by the term “semi-professional.” This is why I’ve always referred to the recordings made in my bedroom at that time as “pre-professional.”

Among the many writer’s hats that I imagined I was trying on then, John Prine’s was probably among the most unlikely and ill-fitting. But there were many lessons learned from his juxtaposition of the arcane with the raw and brutal details in a song such as “Sam Stone.”

The impact of those early songs is such that it would be foolish to overlook the riches and variety found in the rest of his catalogue, especially those on John’s own Oh Boy imprint.


“Sabu Visits The Twin Cities Alone” and “Crooked Piece of Time” – from Bruised Orange (1978)

John’s singing requires very little additional accompaniment and this first poignant song needs no more than a lonely clarinet solo and a distant accordion to spin its tale.

John’s remarkable solo SPECTACLE rendition of “Lake Marie” is a piece of epic storytelling; it may surprise and hopefully delight people more familiar with the full band recording.


“Crooked Piece of Time” is another great example of John fronting the band and illustrating that his wit is matched by his timing.


“Let’s Invite Them Over” – (with Iris Dement) from In Spite Of Ourselves

It seems extraordinary to recommend a “cover” by such wonderful songwriter, but I trust that, if you don’t already know Prine’s songs, you are probably going to want to hear them all after hearing “Lake Marie,” so I will offer up this mischievous duet with the great Iris Dement on the George Jones/Melba Montgomery swinging classic.

LYLE LOVETT

Mutual friends have found it odd that Lyle and I had never been properly introduced.

I had glimpsed him only once, though a half-open hotel room door, when seeking my pal, T Bone Burnett, who happened to be staying in an adjacent suite.

This was a coincidence that I unsuccessfully attempted to spin into a surreal shaggy dog story in my SPECTACLE introduction.

I imagined the establishment as “The Texas Songwriter Hotel” with likes Steve Earle and Guy Clark lurking behind the numbers along the corridor.

This was just my way of giving my guest a moment of respite after two very intense solo performances, but it contained some sense among the nonsense, as Lyle’s connection to the rich traditions of Texas songwriting became the central focus of our all too brief conversation.


“The Road To Ensenada” – from The Road To Ensenada (1996)

When Lyle spoke of the great Townes Van Zandt, he summoned a broader picture than that of the doomed and tragic figure often found in other accounts of the songwriter.

This song is among my favorite from Lyle’s catalogue, and one which seems to contain new, elegant echoes of Townes’ writing style.


“Natural Forces” – from Natural Forces (2009)

Given the time between recording and broadcasting the SPECTACLE episodes, the show has never been ideal as far as spotlighting new material in the manner of nightly entertainments. But I could not have been more impressed by this very powerful song about a man questioning his own worth – which just happens to be the title track Lyle’s latest recording.

RAY LAMONTAGNE

“Jolene” from Live at Bonnaroo (2005)

Like many people I first heard Ray’s voice and songwriting through “Jolene,” from the album Trouble. That song still kills me, and Ray was good enough to sing it on SPECTACLE. Like many of his songs, it sounds ageless and new, seemingly familiar and yet original.

It is admirable how Ray has been able to reach larger and larger audiences without distorting his songs’ essential musical and emotional values. Here’s how to do it in the Big Top.


“Winterbirds” – from Gossip In The Grain (2008)

People who imagine Ray Lamontagne to be cast entirely as a gentle voiced troubadour might be startled by his SPECTACLE rendition of “Henry Nearly Killed Me.”

We agreed to perform this song with just Ray on harp, Jay Bellerose’s drum set, and my Gibson Super 400 guitar acting as a kind of baritone voice.

Like a lot of great R&B songs, “Henry” never departs from one chord, so as Ray’s performance increased in intensity during rehearsals, I kicked in various fuzz-tones, wah-wahs and tremolo devices until every pedal was flat to the floor and my amp was humming like a demented hovercraft. It was at this point that the racket I was making received the nod of approval from Mr. L.

What I like about Ray’s latest album is the way in which the songwriting range has increased while a vivid artistic identity has been preserved.

The album contains the second great song entitled “Let It Be Me,” which boasts the abandon of “Henry,” the humor of “Meg White” and the beautiful and unexpected harmonic extensions in the chorus of “Winterbirds.”


THE FINALE

The songs and influence of Townes Van Zandt seemed to run like a thread through this edition of SPECTACLE. Both John Prine and Lyle Lovett have recorded Townes’ “Loretta,” and it turned out to be a favorite of Ray LaMontagne’s as well. I was happy to join them on this song, and on Prine’s great number, “Angel From Montgomery.”

Sadly, there was only time in the show for one of these pieces to be included. It was a very tough call, but in the end we went with “Loretta.” Hopefully, you’ll see this version of “Angel” on release some day. And in case you care to know the title of my favorite Townes Van Zandt song, it would be “Sad Cinderella.”

[johnfoyle]

http://www.sundancechannel.com/sunfilte ... e-artists/


SPECTACLE REPORT: Bruce Springsteen on his favorite artists

January 21st, 2010

by Elvis Costello


As someone once wisely noted, “There’s nothing you can say that can’t be sung,” and so it proved to be during the nearly four hours that Bruce Springsteen and I shared the Apollo stage for our SPECTACLE taping.

Given Bruce’s generosity in song and conversation, it’s little wonder our performance yielded two full episodes. There is very little I can add by way of recommendation. He was good enough to sing almost every song we discussed, and even one we didn’t really know.

Suffice to say that the version of “Point Blank” with which the Imposters and I opened the evening, as well as my heartfelt but vocally fatigued solo rendition of “Brilliant Disguise,” are two of my favorite Springsteen songs. Sadly, neither could be accommodated in the final edit.

I am sorrier still that Nils Lofgren’s wonderful performance of “Like Rain” – a song that I had loved since his days in Grin – could not be placed in the narrative either. I hope it emerges one day. Nils’ contribution to preparations for the evening’s collaboration between the Imposters and he and his E-Street Band colleague Roy Bitten was invaluable.

Five weeks or so after the taping, I found myself back in New York, just as Bruce and the E-Street Band were playing a two-night stand at Madison Square Garden.

It was among the shows in which entire albums were performed, and I was delighted to find that Bruce was performing what is still my favorite of all his records, The Wild, The Innocent and the E-Street Shuffle, from which he had performed “Wild Billy’s Circus Story” on SPECTACLE.

I’ve spent a lot of time with this album, and it was remarkable to hear it re-animated in every detail with such nuance and vitality. It was stranger still to find myself walking out to sing Jackie Wilson’s “Higher and Higher” during the show’s finale.

But then it occurs to me that during the SPECTACLE encounter Bruce and I found ourselves talking about other artists and their music as much as our own experiences.

In some cases this was a departure from those previous occasions when we had shared the stage. So here are some songs that you might enjoy by those very artists.


Roy Orbison: “Crawling Back” – from The Essential Roy Orbison (2006)

Despite his obvious love and debt to the balladeer, when Bruce name-checked Roy Orbison in “Thunder Road,” he was speaking of an artist who, at that time, wasn’t in clear view to much of his audience.

By 1987, when we both appeared as part of the all-star band assembled by T Bone Burnett for the Black and White Night television special, this strange and unacceptable state of affairs was at an end.

Roy’s incredible songs were given faithful and beautifully sung renditions during that long night at the Coconut Grove, and a catalogue that was once buried in lost vinyl racks is now much more readily available.

This song may have escaped your notice. It is one of Roy’s most beautiful. Building from a confidential opening, it eventually reaches a typically dramatic climax – but then that was Roy’s style of “singing for the lonely.”

I was sitting in a classical vocal recital in London one night when I realized that the second section of Roy’s melody recalls Robert Schumann, although I’m not sure how big he ever was on the radio in Wink, Texas.


The Clash: “Rudie Can’t Fail” – from London Calling (1979)

Another time Bruce and I shared a stage was at a Grammy Awards salute to Joe Strummer. Bruce led the charge through “London Calling.”

On this cut from the London Calling album, Joe invites co-writer Mick Jones to the microphone to take the lead, and then returns at the chorus. It’s the Clash track that never fails to light up a room when it appears by chance.


Sam & Dave: “When Something Is Wrong With My Baby” – from The Best of Sam & Dave (1969)

It was inevitable that Bruce and I would talk about R&B singers and showmen, and there are none finer than Sam & Dave.

By turning a ballad into an uptempo number, I’d had a U.K. hit with a Sam & Dave b-side back in 1980.

For our SPECTACLE duet, Bruce and I combined both versions of the song in one arrangement.

I found it rather curious that neither singer wanted to step into the central position of the hallowed Apollo stage during the performance of this song.

As Bruce remarked on SPECTACLE, Sam & Dave’s strength came from the great contrast of their vocal approaches.

If Sam Moore had not been part of a duo, I feel sure he would be more readily spoken about as the equal of Sam Cooke, Otis Redding or Al Green. But having sung with Sam Moore on a couple of occasions, and, due to his vocal power, barely being able to hear a note that I was producing, I got a greater appreciation of Dave Prater’s ability to hold his own.

This great Isaac Hayes/David Porter ballad is one that shows how their voices really complimented each other.


The Buzzcocks – “What Do I Get?” from Buzzcocks Finest – Ever Fallen In Love (2002)


I knew that Bruce liked The Clash, but I was surprised when he mentioned The Buzzcocks as a band that he was listening to around the time of his Darkness At The Edge of Town.

The Buzzcocks 7” singles will always have place on my shelf, right alongside the best records by The Kinks and the early Who releases.


Bob Dylan: “Marchin’ To The City” – from Tell-Tale Signs (2008)

It is pretty hard to have a conversation about songwriting without Bob Dylan somehow coming up, and this episode of SPECTACLE was no exception. Along with another recent SPECTACLE guest, John Prine, Bruce was once seen as working in the shadow of the man from Hibbing, although considering the remarkable songs of each writer, this now seems quite absurd.

Meanwhile, recommendations from the Dylan catalogue are probably redundant and are certainly ever-changing, but here is an extraordinary vocal performance from the recent Tell-Tale Signs collection of alternate and previously unreleased takes.

Pete Seeger: “The Foolish Frog” – from Children’s Concert From the Town Hall (1962)

Inauguration Day 2009 was a day on which Bruce Springsteen shared the platform with a man who he had saluted on his Seeger Sessions albums and a man who, in 1961 during the long, unresolved struggle for social justice, stood up for his First Amendment rights and was convicted and threatened with jail for his pains.

If we had known how the thieves and robber barons of Wall St. would continue conduct themselves, then perhaps this cautionary children’s tale might have made the set-list.

[Jack of All Parades]

Watching the show last night I would say Pophead 2k hit it dead on-Mr. Springsteen can at least definitely out-generalize EC, if not out-talk him. He can out shout him as demonstrated in the Sam & Dave finale-they were both straining to out do one another-some strange body twists. I definitely feel that this was one show where EC spent a great deal of time intently listening-he seemed to hang on every word from Springsteen-and I think Pophead is on to something when he notes that it seems as if EC is running through in his head whether he makes the effort to bring that 'third party' into his song writing process. It has definitely given me pause to think about this today. I think an argument can be made that the "grounded" aspect of songwriting is often times missing from EC's songs and it is what makes Springsteen's efforts starting with "Darkness On The Edge of Town" resonate with so many of us. It is a hard thing to achieve and I marvel at how often it is done in a Springsteen song.

[johnfoyle]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QltBYiXieYQ
Bruce Springsteen on Spectacle (w/Elvis Costello) - Wild Billy's Circus Story /American Skin

http://www.youtube.com/user/zeroblindte ... hEFYVaobZM

http://www.megaupload.com/?d=8O79ALHP


Spectacle Part 1:

http://jungleland.dnsalias.com/account- ... id%3D32870
Spectacle Part 2:

http://jungleland.dnsalias.com/account- ... id%3D32890