Watching the Detectives
Elvis Costello's New Wave classic
In today’s header gif, we see Elvis Costello and The Attractions performing “Watching the Detectives” at a live Rockpalast show from Cologne, Germany in June of 1978. Rockpalast is a German music television show featuring rock, metal and jazz acts. It started in January of 1976 and still continues to this day on station Westdeutscher Rundfunk (WDR).
This 1978 tour was in support of Costello’s second studio album “This Year’s Model,” released in March of that year on Radar Records, his first with backing band “The Attractions.” However, “Watching the Detectives” appeared neither on the original UK pressing of his first album (“My Aim is True” with backing band Clover) or “This Year’s Model.” It had been written before Costello’s foray into professional musicianship, but recorded in the interim between the two album releases, backed in the studio by musicians from The Rumor and Attractions keyboardist Steve Nieve and contractually belonging to Columbia, the first album’s studio. The song was added to the US release as the last track of side one of “My Aim is True.” This re-issue made “My Aim is True” a smash hit in the US, the biggest selling import album in US history. “Watching the Detectives” was Costello’s first hit single on any national chart, peaking at #15 in the UK.
The song, set over a regge beat coupled with unsetting, dramatic guitar and keyboard bursts, is a melding of a tale of an unsatisfying relationship playing out while detective noir shows play in the background, presumably over the television. Which dark verses belong to which scene is ambigious at times, unsettling the listener and cleverly blending reality and unreality. Costello said that he wrote it after listening continuiously to The Clash’s first album, with subject matter that further inspired him to use elements from film score composer Bernard Hermann’s ouvre. This 1978 live version delivers, with a punch of raw energy that perfectly pairs with Costello’s tense, brilliant story telling (and arguably misogynistic) cynical lyrics. You can watch it here:
Do you want to watch the whole Rockpalast show? Sure, ya do. Here it is:
Saw Mr. MacManus in Ithaca, NY just under a year ago. My third time around, going back to '79. He's approximately the shape of a pumpkin now, but within five minutes of taking the stage, nobody noticed. He had a backup band to die for and his mix of charm and 'tude had us eating out of his hand.
He dipped into every aspect of his catalogue, but made sure not to neglect those first three LPs.
Money well spent, indeed.
Got arrested at my first Costello show for flipping off a cop. Good times!