Elvis Costello's New Talk Show: The Host Sings

digg Share this on Facebook Huffpost - stumble reddit del.ico.us RSS

New York Times   |   November 30, 2008 09:22 AM


ELVIS COSTELLO would be a natural on TV -- or so people kept telling him. For years he believed it, entertaining meetings with the BBC and others as far back as the late 1980s about developing his own show. But nothing stuck, even after he filled in as a host of "Late Show" when David Letterman was recovering from shingles in 2003.

Cue Elton John. Mr. John and David Furnish, his partner, are friends of Mr. Costello's through his wife, the jazz singer and pianist Diana Krall. (The two were married at Mr. John and Mr. Furnish's English castle in 2003.) So last year, when Mr. Furnish was approached by a Canadian production company about creating a music-oriented program, one frontman came to mind.

"David and I were sitting in our house in France," Mr. John said in a phone interview, "and we said, wouldn't it be great to do a proper, full-length musical show, because we live in a sound-bite culture. Elvis has experience, he's got an encyclopedic knowledge of music. We're both completely anorak, as they say in Britain, geeks or nerds, on music. He's the one."

Read the whole story here.

ELVIS COSTELLO would be a natural on TV -- or so people kept telling him. For years he believed it, entertaining meetings with the BBC and others as far back as the late 1980s about developing his own...
ELVIS COSTELLO would be a natural on TV -- or so people kept telling him. For years he believed it, entertaining meetings with the BBC and others as far back as the late 1980s about developing his own...
 
Comments
18
Pending Comments
0
iPhone App Promo

Want to reply to a comment? Hint: Click "Reply" at the bottom of the comment; after being approved your comment will appear directly underneath the comment you replied to

View Comments:

Just saw the premiere episode, with Elton as guest. Excellent. Not the usual thing; Elvis and Elton sitting around talking about their influences and the old records they love. If you're a young musician-songwriter, watch and take notes. And stick around for the finale, a duet on an old David Ackles tune.

    Favorite    Flag as abusive Posted 06:15 PM on 11/30/2008
photo

Let your wife do the signing - she's much better than you.

    Favorite    Flag as abusive Posted 05:47 PM on 11/30/2008
photo

Elvis Costello's voice is decent, even sexy at times. Songwriting is his major strength. Can't help loving The King;his wife is a lucky lady.

    Favorite    Flag as abusive Posted 06:17 PM on 11/30/2008
photo

Diana Krall is his wife. She is better than he when it comes to signing.

    Favorite    Flag as abusive Posted 08:09 PM on 11/30/2008

it's be worth watching just to get one Elvis song a week.

    Favorite    Flag as abusive Posted 05:33 PM on 11/30/2008
photo

"What's so funny about Peace, Love and Understanding?"

    Favorite    Flag as abusive Posted 05:14 PM on 11/30/2008
- rini I'm a Fan of rini permalink
photo

Luv that.

    Favorite    Flag as abusive Posted 05:30 PM on 11/30/2008
photo

they should play that song at the Inauguration.

    Favorite    Flag as abusive Posted 05:47 PM on 11/30/2008

oh and I forgot - elvis is king!

    Favorite    Flag as abusive Posted 12:59 PM on 11/30/2008

well if I had cable I would dam sure be watching the detectives.

best of luck on the new venture, elvis!

    Favorite    Flag as abusive Posted 12:57 PM on 11/30/2008
- rini I'm a Fan of rini permalink
photo

CSI ?

Just kidding.

    Favorite    Flag as abusive Posted 05:30 PM on 11/30/2008
- rini I'm a Fan of rini permalink
photo

Elvis has left the building....

I love Elvis!! (The one with the glasses.)

    Favorite    Flag as abusive Posted 11:04 AM on 11/30/2008
photo

I love Elvis. I can't afford to spring for Sundance Channel right now, so I hope these will be put out on DVD.

    Favorite    Flag as abusive Posted 10:52 AM on 11/30/2008
photo

I watched an episode through On Demand last night. Probs can download somewhere.

    Favorite    Flag as abusive Posted 05:49 PM on 11/30/2008
photo

I'm looking forward to seeing this - Elvis Costello is one of the most talented and eclectic performers around. He's come quite a long way from sneaking in "Radio, Radio" on SNL all those years ago.

    Favorite    Flag as abusive Posted 10:17 AM on 11/30/2008
photo

He was great on the Colbert Christmas special, but I'm a little concerned about his voice.

    Favorite    Flag as abusive Posted 01:14 PM on 11/30/2008
- rini I'm a Fan of rini permalink
photo

The cool Elvis was never about a silken voice. As long as he can talk,

I'm gonna watch the show.

    Favorite    Flag as abusive Posted 05:31 PM on 11/30/2008
Comments are closed for this entry

You must be logged in to reply to this comment. Log in  or  Connect