Elvis Costello & The Imposters have announced the upcoming release of The Boy Named If (Alive at Memphis Magnetic), a companion to January’s widely-acclaimed – and now Grammy nominated – album The Boy Named If.
Recorded during tour rehearsals at Memphis Magnetic Recording in October 2021 and May 2022, the album captures the band playing, as Costello puts it “some of our favourite songs while negotiating with any tricky angles in our new tunes.” The album will be available digitally on November 25.
This new album features live-in-the studio renditions of The Boy Named If songs, a version of Costello’s “Every Day I Write the Book”, songs by The Rolling Stones, Nick Lowe, The Byrds and Paul McCartney and a brand new remix of “Magnificent Hurt” by the Japanese duo, chelmico, which you can check out below.
Elvis first heard chelmico performing the theme tune to the anime show ‘Keep Your Hands Off Eizouken’ and from this encounter, he then asked the duo to complete a remix of “Magnificent Hurt.”
Costello says, “Over the last few years we’ve presented some of my songs in other languages on the album Spanish Model and the French language E.P. ‘La Face de Pendule à Coucou’ but this track is something of an entirely different stripe…
“As you will hear, the song is now an entirely different story in both words and music, re-harmonizing my interjections between their verses and it is this new Japanese model of the song that closes the storybook on The Boy Named If (Alive At Memphis Magnetic).”
Chelmico said, “Can’t believe we did a collaboration with Elvis Costello & The Imposters!! When we were talking on a Zoom call, Elvis said we can do whatever we want, so we did. Please enjoy our interpretation of the world of “Magnificent Hurt.” The beats by Ryo Takahashi are perfection and we’re all HAPPY that Elvis is happy with the track!”
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