IT WAS A BIT REMISS OF ME

I wrote not that long ago of the surprising lack of chart success, singles-wise, for Elvis Costello. I really should have mentioned the fact that this is my all-time favourite single he's ever released:-

mp3 : Elvis Costello & The Attractions - Man Out Of Time

It was criminal that this only reached #58 in the charts.  I can't recall it getting much radio airplay back in 1982, but then again I wasn't really listening to much daytime radio in those days as I was too busy attending lectures at university.......(ha)

To be fair, it's not exactly the sort of song that lends itself to daytime airplay, thanks in part to the ear-splitting shrieks that open and end the song.  Plus at five and a bit minutes in length, it would just get in the way of the jingles and adverts.

Here's the b-sides from the 12":-

mp3 : Elvis Costello & The Attractions - Town Cryer (alternative version)
mp3 : Elvis Costello & The Attractions - Imperial Bedroom

The former is a rather different version of the closing track on the LP Imperial Bedroom while the latter, despite having that title, didn't appear on the LP until a mid 90s CD re-release.  Both are well worth a listen.

The first time I ever heard this single was a live TV appearance - I'm 99.99% certain it was on The Last Resort, one of the earliest shows that Jonathan Ross presented on Channel 4.  It was a truly majestic performance in which all of The Attractions showed off their talents, but in particular Steve Nieve on the piano. And thanks to the wonders of modern technology, some very kind individual has converted their near 30-year VHS copy onto youtube but sadly it seems to be set in a way that it can't be embedded elsewhere. Here's the link:-

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lYftZ0hd4FQ&playnext=1&list=PL765533D8C9211B8D

And having watched it again today for the first time in all those years, I reckon it is the definitive version:-

mp3 : Elvis Costello & The Attractions - Man Out Of Time (live)

Happy Listening