Elvis Costello & The Attractions' 1978 Classic 'Radio Radio' Gets A New Treatment From Astro Fito Páez

Elvis Costello & The Attractions' 1978 Classic 'Radio Radio' Gets A New Treatment From Astro Fito Páez

Costello And Páez Released Their Collaboration Today After A Live Chat Between Friends And Musical Admirers

Spanish Model Will Launch On September 10 Via UMe

Watch / Share The Video Of “Radio Radio”

Los Angeles - August 27, 2021 - The song that came to be known as "Radio Radio" began life in 1975 as "Radio Soul," written in a blatant imitation of Bruce Springsteen's romantic references made it onto American radio for 20-year-old artist DP MacManus .

The BBC radio of the composer's youth was both magical and mundane. His father sang the hits of the day on live radio broadcasts with a dance band, but the production of recorded music for "The Light Program" was limited by a fee called "Needle Time." The music scene was only illuminated by weak signals broadcast from Radio Luxembourg and on board pirate radio stations.

When Elvis Costello rerecorded his song as "Radio Radio" in 1978, he captured the frustration and disappointment of a listener playing and waiting for the precious transmission of a favorite song amid the scathing uniformity of daily radio.

When Elvis Costello and the Attractions toured America for the first time in November 1977, the unreleased song was already part of their repertoire. The magnitude of his task of breaking into a largely indifferent and equally uniform FM (or even AM) radio became increasingly apparent, prompting Costello to substitute the unknown song in place of the scheduled title, live during his American television debut on the show "Saturday Night Live."

It would have been utter absurdity for Costello and producer Sebastian Krys to ask anyone to fight this ancient battle again for their album, Spanish Model , yet they were surprised and delighted when Fito Páez delivered a complete lyrical rewrite of “Radio Radio. "

Costello tells us: “I was standing in Disneyland when the first mix came to my phone. I brought the speaker close to my ear. I heard Fito sing my name and the word 'whiskey' and I knew that he had taken a leap into darkness (or perhaps light) and was telling his own story. "

"We live in a world that Joni Mitchell alluded to when she wrote the line about 'none of the crazy people get too many options.' Every device and every circuit is talking to us, if not yelling at us. It is not always easy to hold on to what you love and value, but Fito knows how to do it. "

By recording his voice over the original instrumental parts of the Attractions, Fito Páez sings with a unique humor and passion about how he tries to disconnect from that static and nonsense by tuning in to “Radio Radio,” the same song he's singing.

Argentine musician Carlos Vandera attended the adaptation. Spanish Model will be released on September 10th via UMe .

Costello added: “What Fito has given to our album is like a great episode of 'The Twilight Zone' and almost incidentally an explanation of the very process of making this new album, Spanish Model . I wanted to accompany illustrated and animated clips to complement Fito's imaginative and fun reinterpretation. "

The musical short film by "Eamon Singer" and Arlo McFurlow imagines Fito discovering This Year's Model in a San Telmo record store, taking a taxi and flying to London, where he passes a welcoming committee that includes the Queen of England. , while calling another taxi to go to a record store on King's Road where he discovers a copy of Spanish Model on the shelves with his face on the cover.

There is nothing else you can do but turn the dial on the radio and pour a relaxing potion.

Before the video was released on YouTube, Costello and Páez discussed the song and album in a captivating, almost half-hour talk that delved into how old friends and mutual artistic admirers met, Costello's idea and interest in recreating this album. for Spanish speakers around the world, Páez's novel approach to song, their similar experiences with radio in their respective countries of England and Argentina, and much more. The conversation and video are available to view here: https://elviscostello.lnk.to/RadioVideoPR

" When we discovered that the actual music on the tape was so vivid and so strong when you took my voice away, that the band had tremendous strength, had tremendous power and cohesion, it was really like a canvas prepared for a new image," Costello he said in the chat. “Every one of the singers has come in, particularly the young women who have changed the perspective of the song, that has been a transformation that has been very, very exciting to listen to. Your interpretation, I didn't want to ask you to fight a battle we fought 43 years ago over how radio felt because radio was the only way to communicate. Radio and records, these two things had to coexist. "

“Now we have a million different ways to communicate and a million ways to confuse each other, this is what I feel is what you said in your performance. I laughed so hard when I heard him, when I heard you sing my name I thought wait a minute, I couldn't follow him at the speed I was going, he just sang my name and that's not in the lyrics and neither is the whiskey. Sebastian gave me a translation back to English and I understood the humor and I thought this is perfectly posed for today that we live in an age where things are too complicated or discarded so quickly without due consideration, any of both is a mistake, and you have such a good humor in the way you say it and it makes our track sound like a crazier kind of energy, which I loved. "

“Elvis is a titan of the arts, and we receive every artistic gesture as a gift, many great writers are adapted and translated into different languages, such as Shakespeare and Borges, why not take a contemporary artist like Elvis and make this part of its history ?, ” said Páez. "I had a very similar experience with radio and the way we get music there (Rosario, Argentina) so it was destined to happen, that I too had to tell this story." He went on to say about his adaptation: “In this case, you had to say something that was relevant. I am very proud of this version, it was one of the most important things I have done in my life. "

Sebastian Krys, the Argentine Latin GRAMMY Producer of the Year and Costello's musical co-conspirator on Spanish Model, moderated the conversation and served as a translator for Costello and Páez. He reflected upon hearing Páez's performance for the first time: “For me, I remember when Fito sent the song, I couldn't believe it because suddenly, in many ways, it explained the album. That was the song I was fine on, if anyone doesn't understand what this album is about, just listen to this song and this will explain what this is all about. It was a great moment for me when I heard his version because it really crystallized the idea. "

Spanish Model exudes the same kind of energy and spirit as the original but with a Latin twist. Featuring 19 featured artists representing 10 countries and territories throughout the Spanish-speaking world, including: Argentina, Chile, Colombia, the Dominican Republic, Mexico, Peru, Puerto Rico, Spain, Uruguay , plus several from the United States . The album is truly a global collaboration affair. Costello's punchy guitars collide with the carnival tones of his bandmates Steve Snow and the urgent, propelling rhythms of bassist Bruce Thomas and drummer Pete Thomas.while The Attractions virtually support a host of Latin music legends, contemporary stars and emerging artists for a set of exciting performances in Spanish imbued with the unique identity and style of each artist.

Spanish Model presents artists such as: Cami, Draco Rosa, Fito Páez, Francisca Valenzuela & Luis Humberto Navejas ( Enjambre vocalist ), Gian Marco & Nicole Zignago, Jesse & Joy, Jorge Drexler, Juanes, La Marisoul, Luis Fonsi, Morat , Nina Diaz, Pablo López, Raquel Sofía & Fuego, Sebastián Yatra, and Vega . They all sing these universal and timeless songs, which have been expertly translated and adapted into Spanish to preserve their meaning, energy, attitude and wit. The concept represents what can be a novelty: an artist who replaces his voice with newly recorded performances of other artists singing in another language, backed by original music.

This Year's Model, which has been recently remastered, will also be released simultaneously on CD and 180 gram black vinyl with the addition of "Big Tears" and "Radio Radio." A limited edition version, combining Spanish Model and the new edition of This Year's Model in a 180 gram double LP, will be released exclusively through the online stores ElvisCostello.com, uDiscover and Sound Of Vinyl .

Elvis Costello & The Attractions with Various Artists) - SPANISH MODEL [CD + LP]

CD / DIGITAL

All songs with Elvis Costello & The Attractions

1. No Action - Nina Diaz

2. (I Don't Want To Go To) Chelsea ((I Don't Want To Go To) Chelsea) - Raquel Sofía y Fuego

3. Yo Te Vi (The Beat) - Draco Rosa

4. Pump It Up - Juanes

5. Triggers (Little Triggers) - La Marisoul

6. Tu Eres Para Mi (You Belong To Me) - Luis Fonsi

7. Hand In Hand - Francisca Valenzuela and Luis Humberto Navejas

8. La Chica de Hoy (This Year's Girl) - Cami

9. Lie (Lip Service) - Pablo López

10. Living In Paradise - Jesse & Joy

11. Lipstick Vogue - Morat

12. La Peat (Night Rally) - Jorge Drexler

13. Cry (Big Tears) - Sebastián Yatra

14. Radio Radio - Fito Páez

15. Crawling To The USA - Gian Marco and Nicole Zignago

16. Se Esta Perdiendo La Inocencia (Running Out Of Angels) - Vega

 

LP

SIDE A

1. No Action - Nina Diaz

2. (I Don't Want To Go To) Chelsea ((I Don't Want To Go To) Chelsea) - Raquel Sofía y Fuego

3. Yo Te Vi (The Beat) - Draco Rosa

4. Pump It Up - Juanes

5. Triggers (Little Triggers) - La Marisoul

6. Tu Eres Para Mi (You Belong To Me) - Luis Fonsi

7. Hand In Hand - Francisca Valenzuela and Luis Humberto Navejas

8. La Chica de Hoy (This Year's Girl) - Cami

B SIDE

1. Lie (Lip Service) - Pablo López

2. Living In Paradise - Jesse & Joy

3. Lipstick Vogue - Morat

4. La Peat (Night Rally) - Jorge Drexler

5. Cry (Big Tears) - Sebastián Yatra

6. Radio Radio - Fito Páez

7. Crawling To The USA - Gian Marco and Nicole Zignago

8. Se Esta Perdiendo La Inocencia (Running Out Of Angels) - Vega

 

Lyrical adaptations by Fito Paez and Carlos Vandera

Produced by Sebastian Krys from an original idea by Elvis Costello

 

ELVIS COSTELLO

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