Spike (Elvis Costello album)

In 1987, Costello began writing with Paul McCartney for the latter's Flowers in the Dirt album. They composed a dozen songs together, which showed up on multiple albums by McCartney and Costello. Two of those songs appear on this album, "Pads, Paws and Claws" and the hit single "Veronica". As his first album for a new label, in his own words Costello had the budget of "a small independent movie", and having in mind the blueprint for five albums, decided to make all of them. The song reached No. 79 on the iTunes chart following Thatcher's death in April 2013. In addition, he played this song at Glastonbury 2013 having previously performed it there on the Pyramid Stage in 1987. Lyrics are given in the booklet for the eighth track, "Stalin Malone", but the album recording is an instrumental and does not include vocals. A version with a recitation of the lyrics as poetry appears on the 2001 bonus disc. ==Artwork==

The album cover was designed by Jeri and John Heiden. Costello described the image to the BBC in 1989: "I had this image of the beloved entertainer in captivity, as we see him now hung up on the wall. That's kind of what the record companies do now; they go out and shoot their artists and hang them up like a trophy in the boardroom." ==Release history==

The album was released initially on compact disc in 1989. As part of the Rhino Records reissue campaign for Costello's back catalogue from Demon/Columbia and Warners, it was re-released in 2001 with 17 additional tracks on a bonus disc. The bonus disc included three tracks with Nick Lowe on bass and Attractions drummer Pete Thomas for use as b-sides, recorded at Wessex Sound Studios after the Spike mixing sessions. ==Track listing==

All tracks written by Elvis Costello, except where noted; track timings taken from Rhino 2001 reissue. Original album • "...This Town..." – 4:32 • "Let Him Dangle" – 4:45 • "Deep Dark Truthful Mirror" – 4:07 • "Veronica" (Costello, Paul McCartney) – 3:09 • "God's Comic" – 5:31 • "Chewing Gum" – 3:47 • "Tramp the Dirt Down" – 5:41 • "Stalin Malone" – 4:09 • "Satellite" – 5:45 • "Pads, Paws and Claws" (Costello, McCartney) – 2:56 • "Baby Plays Around" (Costello, Cait O'Riordan) – 2:47 • "Miss Macbeth" – 4:23 • "Any King's Shilling" – 6:07 • "Coal-Train Robberies" – 3:18 • "Last Boat Leaving" – 3:31 Note: "Coal-Train Robberies" is excluded from single-LP editions of the album. 2001 bonus disc Tracks 1–12 are solo demo recordings. • "Miss Macbeth" – 3:51 • "...This Town..." – 3:50 • "Deep Dark Truthful Mirror" – 4:07 • "Coal Train Robberies" – 2:52 • "Satellite" – 4:50 • "Pads, Paws and Claws" (Costello, McCartney) – 2:08 • "Let Him Dangle" – 3:39 • "Veronica" (Costello, McCartney) – 3:03 • B-side to "So Like Candy" single • "Tramp the Dirt Down" – 5:19 • "Baby Plays Around" (Costello, O'Riordan) – 2:42 • "Put Your Big Toe in the Milk of Human Kindness" – 3:17 • "Last Boat Leaving" – 3:29 • "The Ugly Things" (Nick Lowe) – 2:56 • B-side to "This Town" single • "You're No Good" (Clint Ballard, Jr.) – 2:22 • B-side to "Veronica" single • "Point of No Return" (Gerry Goffin, Carole King) – 2:34 • B-side to "Baby Plays Around" single • "The Room Nobody Lives In" (John Sebastian) – 4:46 • B-side to twelve-inch and CD single of "Veronica" • "Stalin Malone" – 3:12 version with recitation ==Personnel==

• Elvis Costello – vocals, acoustic guitar, bass guitar, electric guitar, mandolin, piano, bells, acoustic bass guitar, organ, melodica • T Bone Burnett – acoustic guitar, bass, national steel guitar • Cait O'Riordan – maracas, bells Dublin • Derek Bell – Irish harp, hammered dulcimer • Frankie Gavin – fiddle • Dónal Lunny – acoustic guitar, bouzouki, electric bouzouki • Davy Spillane – pipe, uilleann pipes, Low whistle • Steve Wickham – fiddle • Christy Moore – bodhran • Pete Thomas – drums New Orleans • Lionel Batiste – bass drum • Gregory Davis – trumpet • Willie Green – drums • Kevin Harris – tenor saxophone • Charles Joseph – trombone • Kirk Joseph – sousaphone • Roger Lewis – baritone saxophone, soprano saxophone • Jenell Marshall – snare drum • Allen Toussaint – grand piano • Efrem Towns – trumpet Hollywood • Michael Blair – glockenspiel, marimba, tambourine, xylophone, bells, timpani, vibraphone, Chinese drums, Oldsmobile hubcap, Parade drum, anvil, whiplash, crash-box, temple bells, snare drum, "magic table", metal pipe, "Martian dog bark" • Ralph Forbes – electric drums, drum programming • Mitchell Froom – organ, harmonium, electric piano, chamberlin, Indian harmonium • Roger McGuinn – twelve-string guitar, Rickenbacker bass guitar • Jim Keltner – tom-toms, snare drum, Chinese cymbal • Jerry Marotta – drums • Buell Neidlinger – cello, double bass • Marc Ribot – banjo, electric guitar, Spanish guitar, sounds • Jerry Scheff – electric bass, double bass, fuzz bass • Benmont Tench – piano, clavinet, spinet, Vox Continental • Tom "T Bone" Wolk – accordion, bass London • Chrissie Hynde – harmony vocals • Nick Lowe – bass • Paul McCartney – Hofner bass guitar, Rickenbacker bass guitar • Pete Thomas – drums ==Charts==

Weekly charts Year-end charts Singles ==Certifications==