Elvis Costello

Late July 1978

Private visit to Nashville during which "Stranger In The House" is to be recorded for the George Jones album, "My Very Special Friends".

Planned duet is postponed when Jones is unable to attend session.

July 25th 1978

Guest appearance with Delbert McClinton at the Lone Star Café, performing, Hank Williams', "You Win Again", the Chuch Berry number, "Don't Lie To Me" and Merle Haggard's "Tonight The Bottle Let Me Down".

August 5th 1978

Elvis Costello and the Attractions perform "live" on U.K. television for the first time on the "Revolver" programme, hosted by comic genius, Peter Cook.

August 1978

Recording of "Armed Forces" at Eden Studios produced by Nick Lowe.

A BBC documentary film crew is ejected from the studio on the second day of recording after a dispute with management over working conditions.

September 24th 1978

100,000 people attend the second "Rock Against Racism" event at Brockwell Park, Brixton. Elvis Costello and the Attractions share the bill with the reggae group, Aswad and the punk band, Sham 69.

October 18th 1978

Guest appearance at C.B.G.B's., playing guitar with Richard Hell and the Voidoids. Numbers performed include, "You Gotta Lose" and the Jagger/Richards song, "Shattered".

November 1978

Filming of video clip for "What's So Funny About Peace, Love and Understanding" in Stanley Park, Vancouver at the end of first trans-Canadian tour.

Filming of video clip for "Oliver's Army" in Honolulu during a stopover on the way to Japan.

First Japanese dates in Toyko and Osaka.

December 1978

First Australian tours attended by controversy after the band fail to perform an encore at a 35-minute set at the Regent Theatre, Sydney and members of audience destroy a number of seats.

December 1978

Motion picture career begins with appearance as "Earl Manchester" performing "Crawling To The U.S.A." in the satirical comedy, "Americathon" in Los Angeles, California

January 1st 1979

Release of "Armed Forces" on Radar and Columbia Records.

Both the album and first single, "Oliver's Army" reach #2 in the U.K. charts.

Second single, "Accidents Will Happen" also makes it into the Top 30, reaching #28.

This song is briefly referenced during a scene the Stephen Spielberg motion picture, "E.T. - The Extra-Terrestrial"

January 2nd 1979

The 26-date U.K. tour pauses only for the band to make television appearances, one of which is in Holland at which they lip-synch. Other musical guests include, The Dolly Dots and Chic.

February 6th 1979

The two and a half month, "Armed Funk Tour" of the U.S. opens in Seattle, Washington, one week after the final U.K. show.

Proposed opening act, Carl Perkins has tour support funds withheld at the last minutes by Jet Records supremo, Don Arden.

Berzerkley Records group, The Rubinoos deputize.

February 16th 1978

Elvis Costello and the Attractions and Chic lose out in the "Best New Artist" Grammy category to the disco sensation, Taste Of Honey of "Boogie Oogie Oogie" fame.

The band fail to attend the ceremony, playing two country music based sets at the Palomino Club, Pasadena.

March-April 1979

The date at the War Memorial Hall, Nashville provides an opportunity to finally record vocal part on "Stranger In The House" alongside George Jones with Billy Sherrill producing.

Carl Perkins is scheduled to make a guest appearance on "Mystery Dance" in the encore of the Nashville show but absents himself from the scene upon hearing the discrepancy in tempo and volume between the Attractions' recorded and live performances.

Idiotic remarks made during a drunken brawl in Columbus, Ohio cause the tour to end in controversy, death-threats, employment of armed bodyguards and the removal of records from radio playlists.

Having reached #10 in the U.S. Album Chart with "Armed Forces", Elvis Costello and the Attractions do not return to the United States until 1981.

Summer 1979

Various European concerts and festival dates, including Pink Pop, featuring, in order of appearance, The Average White Band, The Police, Dire Straits, Elvis Costello and the Attractions, Rush and the headliner, Peter Tosh.

Production of The Specials debut album at T.W. Studios, London.

Release of "That's What A Friends Are For" by Georgie Fame, the first release of an otherwise unrecorded Elvis Costello song.