Burt Bacharach, Elvis Costello announce lavish box set

The Songs of Bacharach & Costello celebrates three decade songwriting partnership

Elvis Costello has personally compiled The Songs of Bacharach & Costello, a lavish 4 CD + 2 LP box set that celebrates Costello’s and Burt Bacharach’s three decade songwriting partnership. Releasing March 3rd via UMe, The Songs of Bacharach & Costello, honors a collaboration which began in 1995 and continues to this day.

The comprehensive 45-song set includes a newly remastered version of Painted From Memory, a new collection called Taken From Life featuring unreleased songs from proposed Painted From Memory musical score and two newly recorded, orchestrally accompanied songs, plus live performances of Bacharach and Costello performing several of the songs from Painted From Memory, as well as other beloved Bacharach numbers, with orchestras in New York and London.

The Taken From Life title track is a 2022 recording with The Imposters produced by Sebastian Keys and the collection is completed by startling and beautiful vocal performances of other songs from the Painted From Memory musical score by Audra Mae and Jenni Muldaur with the piano accompaniment of Jim Cox and Thomas Bartlett, including the tragic, “I Looked Away” and the deranged catalogue song, “Shameless,” just two of the 19 previously unreleased tracks included in the set.

Among the live tracks are Costello performing stripped down versions of the songs on his Lonely World Tour with Steve Nieve, the classically trained pianist and keyboard player in both The Attractions and The Imposters; and a selection of Bacharach and Hal David songs Costello has performed and recorded over the years, including “I’ll Never Fall In Love Again,” which Bacharach and Costello famously performed together on screen in Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me.

Housed in a lavish 12.75” x 12.5” box, the expansive set features a 20-page booklet with photography from William Claxton and Rankin, in and out of the studio, early drafts of lyrics, studio notes, pages from the Painted From Memory musical script, and a newly written 10,000-word essay by Costello that beautifully details his nearly three-decade long friendship and prolific musical partnership with Bacharach, and how influential the legendary songwriter has been throughout his life.

The Songs of Bacharach & Costello is being previewed with the release of three rare and unreleased live performances from 1998 and 1999, including a stark and gripping “In The Darkest Place,” recorded as a duo with Nieve at the piano in Australia on the Lonely World Tour, and an arresting performance of “Painted From Memory,” recorded in Stockholm, Sweden with Nieve and The Swedish Radio Symphony Orchestra. Finally, we hear Costello and Bacharach live with an orchestra at London’s Royal Festival Hall, performing a sensational version of the latter’s 1963 Dionne Warwick (and Cilla Black’s) 1963 smash, “Anyone Who Had A Heart.“

In addition to the Super Deluxe Edition box set, which will also be available digitally for streaming and download, The Songs of Bacharach & Costello will also be available in a variety of abbreviated formats, including on 2 CD, which features both the newly remastered Painted From Memory and the entirety of Taken From Life; and on 2 LP, with Painted From Memory and selections from Taken From Life, available with an exclusive lithograph or without. Additionally, Painted From Memory has been mixed in immersive Dolby Atmos.

Painted From Memory has been newly remastered for its 25th anniversary from the original tapes by Bob Ludwig at Gateway Mastering Studios. The new remaster is presented on CD as well as 140-gram 2 LP black vinyl. Side D of the double vinyl showcases six songs from Taken From Life, including the three newly recorded compositions.

Meticulously compiled and thoughtfully sequenced with the invaluable help of compilation producer, Steve Berkowitz, The Songs of Bacharach & Costello is the complete picture of the two songwriters enduring partnership and friendship.

CD 1: Painted From Memory

1. Elvis Costello & Burt Bacharach – In The Darkest Place (2023 Remaster)
2. Elvis Costello & Burt Bacharach – Toledo (2023 Remaster)
3. Elvis Costello & Burt Bacharach – I Still Have That Other Girl (2023 Remaster)
4. Elvis Costello & Burt Bacharach – This House Is Empty Now (2023 Remaster)
5. Elvis Costello & Burt Bacharach – Tears At The Birthday Party (2023 Remaster)
6. Elvis Costello & Burt Bacharach – Such Unlikely Lovers (2023 Remaster)
7. Elvis Costello & Burt Bacharach – My Thief (2023 Remaster)
8. Elvis Costello & Burt Bacharach – The Long Division (2023 Remaster)
9. Elvis Costello & Burt Bacharach – Painted From Memory (2023 Remaster)
10. Elvis Costello & Burt Bacharach – The Sweetest Punch (2023 Remaster)
11. Elvis Costello & Burt Bacharach – What’s Her Name Today? (2023 Remaster)
12. Elvis Costello & Burt Bacharach – God Give Me Strength (2023 Remaster)

CD 2: Taken From Life

1. Elvis Costello – You Can Have Her [Previously Unreleased]
2. Cassandra Wilson & Bill Frisell – Painted From Memory
3. Elvis Costello & The Imposters – Don’t Look Now
4. Elvis Costello & The Imposters – Everyone’s Playing House
5. Audra Mae – I Looked Away [Previously Unreleased]
6. Elvis Costello & The Imposters – Taken From Life [Previously Unreleased]
7. Don Byron & Bill Frisell – My Thief
8. Jenni Muldaur – Shameless [Previously Unreleased]
9. Elvis Costello & The Imposters – Photographs Can Lie
10. Audra Mae – In The Darkest Place [Previously Unreleased]
11. Elvis Costello & The Imposters – Why Won’t Heaven Help Me?
12. Jenni Muldaur – Stripping Paper [Previously Unreleased]
13. Elvis Costello & The Imposters – He’s Given Me Things
14. Audra Mae – What’s Her Name Today? [Previously Unreleased]
15. Elvis Costello – Look Up Again [Previously Unreleased]
16. Burt Bacharach – Lie Back & Think Of England [Previously Unreleased]

CD 3: Because It’s A Lonely World – Live

1. Elvis Costello & Steve Nieve – Toledo (Live In Tokyo, Japan, Nakano Sunplaza Hall – February 8, 1999) [Previously Unreleased]
2. Elvis Costello & Steve Nieve – In The Darkest Place (Live In Melbourne, Australia, Athenaeum Theatre – February 16, 1999)
3. Elvis Costello & Steve Nieve – My Thief (Live In Tokyo, Japan, Shibuya Hall – February 10, 1999) [Previously Unreleased]
4. Elvis Costello & Steve Nieve – I Still Have The Other Girl (Live In Tokyo, Japan, Shibuya Hall – February 10, 1999)
5. Elvis Costello & Steve Nieve – I’ll Never Fall In Love Again (Live In Toronto, Ontario, Massey Hall – June 16, 1999) [Previously Unreleased]
6. Elvis Costello & Steve Nieve – God Give Me Strength (Live In Toronto, Ontario, Massey Hall – June 16, 1999) [Previously Unreleased]
7. Elvis Costello, Steve Nieve & The Swedish Radio Symphony Orchestra – Painted From Memory (Live In Stockholm, Sweden, Berwaldhallen – January, 5, 1999) [Previously Unreleased]
8. Elvis Costello, Steve Nieve & The Swedish Radio Symphony Orchestra – What’s Her Name Today? (Live In Stockholm, Sweden, Berwaldhallen – January, 5, 1999) [Previously Unreleased]
9. Elvis Costello & Burt Bacharach – This House Is Empty Now (Live In New York City, Late Night with Conan O’Brien – Nov. 27, 1998) [Previously Unreleased]

CD 4: Costello Sings Bacharach & David

1. Elvis Costello & The Attractions – I Just Don’t Know What To Do With Myself (Live in Norwich, UK, University of East Anglia – October 17, 1977)
2. Elvis Costello & Nick Lowe – Baby It’s You
3. Elvis Costello – Please Stay
4. Elvis Costello & Burt Bacharach – I’ll Never Fall In Love Again
5. Elvis Costello & Burt Bacharach – Make It Easy On Yourself (Live in London, UK, Royal Festival Hall – October 29, 1998) [Previously Unreleased]
6. Elvis Costello & Burt Bacharach – My Little Red Book (Live in London, UK, Royal Festival Hall – October 29, 1998) [Previously Unreleased]
7. Elvis Costello & Burt Bacharach – Anyone Who Had A Heart (Live in London, UK, Royal Festival Hall – October 29, 1998) [Previously Unreleased]
8. Elvis Costello & Burt Bacharach – I Just Don’t Know What To Do With Myself (Live In New York City, Sessions at West 54th – October 18, 1998) [Previously Unreleased]

Buddy Iahn
Buddy Iahn