Bring back Dido. Good for WordFace though.

He didn't answer many of those questions for the simple reason they weren't put.
I no longer ask people why they do adverts because I long ago realised that they did them for the same reason that I would do them if I were ever given the opportunity. For the money. They're in show business. That's what they do. They "need the money" just the same as the rest of us.
Elvis plays, as he has done for years, with the Imposters, among whose number can be found two former members of the Attractions.
As for the 60 sides, well, I'm no discographer but I imagine he's referring to "The Delivery Man", the collaboration with Allen Toussaint, "Il Sogno", "North" and "My Flame Burns Blue" for a start. That can't be far short.
As for saying he'd never come back to the UK I think he made it clear that that was a result of a misunderstanding.

I enjoyed the stuff about playing live (particularly the Dylan dates) and still being a compulsive record buyer, but like Mark I did wonder who exactly the 'us', referring to his live band, he kept mentioning are.

Haven't seen the proper cover yet, just the little picture on here and I thought The Word had decided to get round what must be a monthly headache in finding an appropriate cover star by opting for portraits of the staff, with Andrew Harrison first out of the hat.

Are you sure that they're a good idea? The photographer must have held a grudge because s/he's done no favours for any of the staff. David Quantick looks like a Harry Hill impersonator, John McReady looks like the author of one of those true crime memoirs called "GRAPPLER!" or "NOBBLER!" or something, and Stuart Maconie manages to look weirdly camp and slightly menacing at the same time. I always thought that picture bylines were supposed to hide the ravages of age (Julie Burchill was using that "hip young gunslinger" pic well into the 90s), but you seem to want to achieve the very opposite.

I quite enjoyed the Elvis interview for exactly the same reasons as Archie. Also thought Rennie Sparks piece on the Barenaked cruise was a hoot.
I'm a longtime Handsome Family fan so it's good to see Word giving them (and I guess their shipmates) some credit.

I think he is overly self critical, leading to his rash statements about never playing UK etc etc. It was a good article, with good questions seemingly thoughtfully answered. Thank you, Mr H.
I have seen him live only thrice: once at the now long since burnt down Bingley Hall in Brum, and he was, then, trying far too hard to be new wave, playing far too fast. However, flash forward to Worthy Farm, 1994, when he came on after Paul Weller, or before, I forget which, but went then on the record to say he felt made redundant by the excellence of Weller performance. Huh?! I remember a thrilling hour or so from EC and an ever so dull PW. The crowd size seemed to vary equivalent to my estimation, if I recall that bit, too.
Finally, at Symphony Hall, again Brum, 2004 or 5, solely with Steve Nieve. Slow start and off after less than hour, more than made up for by 90 minutes of encores. It were fab, with quite the creepiest version of "I want you" ever.

Having sat (sorry stood and sat) through 2 of his tedious endlessly boring concerts I probably give the article a miss. I like his songs on the radio but he increasingly seems rather pleased with himself and I hate the way he wears hats in a knowing way.

I think he knows he is going bald. I know how he feels. Hats are great!

Gap in my education, sorry, but WTF is (are?) Gebs

Gebs are what specsavers insist on calling Glasses sorry "2for 1 off all frames and lenses including bifocals".It may just be a South Yorkshire thing.

I will remember that as i take off my gebs and admire my knowing way with a hat.
Actually I do know what you mean, but he seems to have sort of grown into the look. It was the beardy years that did it for me. He looks quite, um, check that mirror again, normal again now, to me.
I guess you had to be a specky nerd in 77 to accept the joy of his presentation!

Thanks Mr Hepworth for your intelligent conversation with Elvis. I'm a long term fan, stuck through most of his musical excursions in recent years, i.e since he became a little bored with himself I think. A lot of it's very good - OK the album with Anne Sophie Von Otter gathers dust but anyone who hasn't seen him since way back should know he's even more of a spellbinding singer than he was then. I do tire of his complaints about the UK and that younger people don't revere him as they do Willie Nelson. He's refreshingly honest with you about how he's hived off his back catalogue but, whilst I don't expect a duty of care, it's disingenuous to complain about the price people like me are considering paying for this third round of 'definitive' reissues. Still love him though, he's given me so many savourable moments at home and in concert.

God that man is prolix! He's always been capable of talking the hind leg off a donkey, and now it's all four legs. I found it (like most of his records) smart but utterly unengaging.

Haven't read the piece yet (Word lives in my bathroom and accompanies a variety of ablutory activities through the month) but I looked at the cover and thought 'Mmm... that's going to help the circulation figures..".

Am I right in thinking that EC was the only performer whose sales figures actually fell following an appearance on TOTP?

Richard Lowe's post reminds me of the oft-quoted observation that the reason journalists loved Elvis so much was because he was the only rock star who was uglier than they were...

Genius though. Play 'This Year's Model' through to 'Get Happy' and say it ain't so. Everybody runs out of tunes in the end, but Elvis had more than most and as a performer, in his day - from 77 through to 87, say - utterly compelling. I can't remember much from that time that comes close to Elvis, bug-eyed with rage, tightly buttoned into sweat-drenched suit, Attractions behind him tight as a gnat's chuff, powering their inimitable way through 'Lipstick Vogue' and a dozens other early classics... just fantastic.

Can we not be the judge of what's 'magnificent' and what isn't?

On reflection I suspect that the interview was overhyped (as ageing hipster alludes to re how"magnificent" it was) and that I expected a truly extraordinary interview. And you also clearly have to be a bigger fan than me (and I like some of his stuff but I don't get on that well with all of it) to fully appreciate it.....honestly I thought last months interview with Nick Cave was far more entertaining and interesting.

And I actually think that rock stars - especially smart articulate and aware ones like Costello - should not just do things for the money (unless hes really hard up - which at least is a rational reason). So why advertise gas guzzling luxury cars? You can say that its showbusiness and thats what he does, but sorry hes not Bruce Forsyth.

He once wrote one of the best songs ever about war which Robert Wyatt sang and I think its a sad and dismal place for such a man to end up - more for us than him it would seem. It doesn't undermine what he has done before, but you do feel that oh Ok he's just like all the rest then. And maybe thats what he wants. Man born out of the punk fire finally ends up as friend of globalised corporation. And maybe that's what it is.

Would you be as sanguine if Bruce Springsteen did the same thing?

Come off it, Mark. Re-read Heppos actually unecessary defence of his article. Elvis is an entertainer, as indeed is Bruce, both Bruces actually. It's a job. He may well have a conscience but it is probably subsumed by the wish to give his twins a good life. That's a conscience too. The road is too well paved with those who appear to cut off their noses to spite their faces "for mankind", with many subsequently found to have had on a false one all the time. Bruce advertises all the time, but it is for his own product, 'cos it sells a wee bit more than Mr Costellos.

As a hardcore EC fan from 1989 who has come down a bit in the last year or two by
(1) Refusing to buy the new reissues and
(2) Giving his London gig last year a miss

I still have a soft spot for him and am curious to what he has to say. He could be a bit more honest about the commercials but it's all really due to having to pay for moving to New York and setting up a new family, and maybe pay for the wives left behind. It's usual EC "don't blame me" stuff though about not being happy about how the new reissues are panning out. He holds the rights and he's not an idiot, so he could have determined what was going to become of My Aim Is True et al before he signed them over and cashed what was probably the largest cheque on offer. He has a large fanbase who will buy anything, eg downloads of every gig on a tour, yet his online presence is a joke.

And he's not releasing any new records any more, except today it's announced that he is:

http://billboard.com/bbcom/news/article_display.jsp?vnu_content_id=10037...

Which is a bit more of a lovable move than releasing the fifth CD version of This Year's Model. I'll be buying it.