Advertise on podcast: Dangerous Amusements: the Elvis Costello playlist

My guest is writer, editor and podcaster, Courtney E Smith. The host of Songs My Ex Ruined discusses her love of Elvis Costello’s music and selects some of her favourite EC tracks for the playlist. Courtney recalls meeting Elvis during her time at MTV and shares her memories of some incredible Costello gigs, including VH1’s Decades Rock Live and his performance with the Roots at the Brooklyn Bowl.

Something a bit different to kick off 2024. This is a mini episode reflecting on how a stunning duet by Elvis Costello and Elton John introduced me to the wonderful music of David Ackles. They performed a beautiful version of Ackles' Down River on Spectacle, backed by James Burton, Allen Toussaint, Pete Thomas and Davey Faragher. In this episode, I look back at that performance and the career of David Ackles, who released four fine albums between 1968 and 1973.

Kenton Hall is a man of many talents: songwriter, musician, actor and director. He’s also a huge Elvis Costello fan. In this episode, Kenton tells me how he discovered Costello’s music, what it means to him and how it has influenced his own songwriting. We chat about some of his favourite Elvis records, memorable gigs and how Steve Nieve came to record a track for Kenton’s recent album Omniopath. Make sure you check out Kenton’s brilliant audio drama, London After Midnight, which he has adapted from the Tod Browning movie and in which he stars alongside Art Malik and others.

Music writer Tim Riley is the author of acclaimed books about the Beatles, John Lennon and Bob Dylan, among others. He’s also closely followed the career of Elvis Costello and tells me about the impact the early Elvis records had on him. We discuss memorable Costello gigs, Elvis’s talent for interpretation, his collaboration with Paul McCartney and the EC song that should have appeared in the Barbie movie. Tim also picks out six of his favourite Costello songs for the Powder and Perfume playlist. Check out Tim’s website to find out more about his music writing.

Writer and editor Jorge Farah describes Elvis Costello’s music as “the soundtrack to my life”. In this episode, we discuss how he came to be a Costello fan, chat about some of his favourite records and how he came to be one of the author’s of the popular Trunkworthy feature, The Elvis Costello Song of the Week. In addition, Jorge recommends some of his favourite artists from his adopted homeland of Argentina whose music he thinks will appeal to Costello fans. You can check out the featured tracks below: Barbi Recanati – Que No Emily And – Flasheando Amor Maria Pien – Una Pelicula Mariana Michi – Admiracion Nahuel Briones – Bases y Condiciones

A L Kennedy is an award-winning author, playwright, comic and performer. Among her acclaimed works is a collection of short stories named after the Elvis Costello song, All The Rage. In this episode, she tells me about her love of Costello’s music and his use of language. We also dig deep into Tramp The Dirt Down with a fascinating reflection on Britain in the 1980s and the anger towards Margaret Thatcher which inspired Costello’s totemic song. You can visit A L Kennedy’s website here. Her song choices are on the Bedroom Alibis playlist.

New York Times features editor Jim Windolf is the man behind the legendary Costello’s 500 feature for Vanity Fair. In the landmark November 2000 essay, Elvis identified 500 albums “essential to a happy life”, from ABBA to Zamballarana. In this episode, Jim recalls his inspiration for the feature and the process of working on it with Costello. He also reflects on interviewing Elvis and an incredible range of live gigs he’s watched over the years. Jim also picks six of his favourite Elvis Costello songs to add to the Bedroom Alibis playlist.

This is a quick plug for an appearance I’ve made on another show. It’s an absolute thrill and honour to be a guest on one of my favourite podcasts, Life Goals with Theo Delaney. I chat to Theo about football and music, picking eight goals and songs that mean a lot to me. As you’d expect, Elvis Costello features among my choices… I loved doing this, so please check it out wherever you get your podcasts.

Connor Ratliff is an actor, comedian and host of the acclaimed Dead Eyes podcast. He is also an Elvis Costello fanatic. In this episode, Connor tells me how he came to Costello's music in the 1990s, his Elvis "parlour games" and we dig into some of his favourite EC songs. We also chat about watching Costello live and what is was like to be on the front row, in Elvis's eyeline, for the 10 nights of the Gramercy Theatre residency in 2023. Connor has added six songs to the Bedroom Alibis playlist which will be published at the end of the season.

Music journalist Allison Rapp has written extensively about Elvis Costello’s music. She’s reviewed a wide variety of EC gigs, including 2023’s residency at the Gramercy Theatre in New York, and a memorable performance at the opening of the Bob Dylan Center. Allison also revisited My Aim Is True on the 45th anniversary of its release for Ultimate Classic Rock. In this episode, Allison tells me how she became a Costello fan, picks six of her favourite songs for the playlist and reveals the live show she’d love to see Elvis perform. You can read Allison’s articles about Costello – plus interviews with the likes of Bill Frisell, Roger McGuinn and Billy Bragg – on her website.

Acclaimed author Bill Schweigart takes time out from releasing two books in a month to chat about Elvis Costello’s music. Bill became a Costello fan with the release of Spike and tells me what the music means to him. He also picks six songs for the playlist, including the track he loved and had to give away. We also talk about standout gigs, how Elvis has inspired Bill’s writing and get an insight into his own creative process. Find out moreabout Bill’s books and other projects, including his collaboration with James Patterson.

A tribute to Burt Bacharach following his death a few days ago in February 2023. In this episode, I look back at his collaborations with Elvis Costello and celebrate the music they made together. I also revisit the thoughts of previous guests on the show about what different Bacharach/Costello songs mean to them.