Elvis Costello

Now, your father was a singer. He was a trumpet player. Uh-huh. And we've got a track from the group that he played with, Joe Lawson, the orchestra. And let's listen to him singing At Last in 1969. Oh, wow.

You know, my dad started out, here my mother ran clubs in that same, you know, almost evangelical way when there's a new style of music arriving from overseas on records, which were very scarce and expensive and difficult to get. My father went, and mother were both went to London in the early 50s and my dad played around the jazz scene.

You know, my dad started out, here my mother ran clubs in that same, you know, almost evangelical way when there's a new style of music arriving from overseas on records, which were very scarce and expensive and difficult to get. My father went, and mother were both went to London in the early 50s and my dad played around the jazz scene.

You know, my dad started out, here my mother ran clubs in that same, you know, almost evangelical way when there's a new style of music arriving from overseas on records, which were very scarce and expensive and difficult to get. My father went, and mother were both went to London in the early 50s and my dad played around the jazz scene.

I guess when I came along, he did what a lot of jazz musicians realize is necessary. He got a job that paid better as a singer. So then he was in a commercial dance band, and that's how he came to sing this song associated with Glenn Miller. When he's singing At Last There, it has no reference to Etta James. That was a cover.

I guess when I came along, he did what a lot of jazz musicians realize is necessary. He got a job that paid better as a singer. So then he was in a commercial dance band, and that's how he came to sing this song associated with Glenn Miller. When he's singing At Last There, it has no reference to Etta James. That was a cover.

I guess when I came along, he did what a lot of jazz musicians realize is necessary. He got a job that paid better as a singer. So then he was in a commercial dance band, and that's how he came to sing this song associated with Glenn Miller. When he's singing At Last There, it has no reference to Etta James. That was a cover.

That is a note-for-note transcription of the Glenn Miller recording of that last one.

That is a note-for-note transcription of the Glenn Miller recording of that last one.

That is a note-for-note transcription of the Glenn Miller recording of that last one.

Well, we also dug up one of the earliest recordings of you, where you're singing backup vocals for your dad. It's the theme music for a soda company. I think it's called Secret Lemonade Drinker.

Well, we also dug up one of the earliest recordings of you, where you're singing backup vocals for your dad. It's the theme music for a soda company. I think it's called Secret Lemonade Drinker.

Well, we also dug up one of the earliest recordings of you, where you're singing backup vocals for your dad. It's the theme music for a soda company. I think it's called Secret Lemonade Drinker.

It's wonderful, yeah. We're doing the background voices on it. It was my first paid recording session.

It's wonderful, yeah. We're doing the background voices on it. It was my first paid recording session.

It's wonderful, yeah. We're doing the background voices on it. It was my first paid recording session.

Well, here's the weird thing, isn't it, about the Elvis name is my dad is affecting this Elvis inflection. Exactly. He's a very good mimic and he could do comic mimicry like that. And that's why I had such a rich record collection, because every week you would get given a stack of hit parade singles because this dance band just played the hit parade.

Well, here's the weird thing, isn't it, about the Elvis name is my dad is affecting this Elvis inflection. Exactly. He's a very good mimic and he could do comic mimicry like that. And that's why I had such a rich record collection, because every week you would get given a stack of hit parade singles because this dance band just played the hit parade.

Well, here's the weird thing, isn't it, about the Elvis name is my dad is affecting this Elvis inflection. Exactly. He's a very good mimic and he could do comic mimicry like that. And that's why I had such a rich record collection, because every week you would get given a stack of hit parade singles because this dance band just played the hit parade.

It's hard for Americans to understand, but we didn't have the 24 hour pop radio that you all had. And everything was decoded through a series of other interpretations. So you would hear these very bizarre versions of The Four Tops or The Who played by a Glenn Miller-style swing band with a guy who was – A really elderly guy who was like 35. You know, my dad was about 35 when he was doing this.