As Helen wrote of Wednesday, Elvis Costello’s Super Deluxe Edition of ‘The Return Of The Spectacular Spinning Songbook’ released via Hip-O/Universal, contains 3 discs, a CD, a DVD and a 10” vinyl EP recorded over a two-night stand at the Wiltern theater in Los Angeles on May 11th and 12th 2011, a special commemoration card autographed by Costello, a 40-page hardcover photo-book, a tour poster and a limited edition postcard. Quite a treat for Costello’s fans and landing just in time for the Holidays, you would think, except that Elvis Costello himself doesn’t want you to buy it, because it is too pricey!
This is what was posted on the official website:
‘Unfortunately, we at www.elviscostello.com find ourselves unable to recommend this lovely item to you as the price appears to be either a misprint or a satire.
All our attempts to have this number revised have been fruitless but rather than detain you with tedious arguments about morality, panache and book-keeping – when there are really bigger fish to filet these days – we are taking the following unusual step.’
Advertised at $202.66 on Amazon, but sold for more than $300 elsewhere, the live box set is a special edition limited to 1,500 copies worldwide, but Costello thinks you should make better use of your money:
‘If you should really want to buy something special for your loved one at this time of seasonal giving, we can whole-heartedly recommend, “Ambassador Of Jazz” – a cute little imitation suitcase, covered in travel stickers and embossed with the name “Satchmo” but more importantly containing TEN re-mastered albums by one of the most beautiful and loving revolutionaries who ever lived – Louis Armstrong.
The box should be available for under one hundred and fifty American dollars and includes a number of other tricks and treats. Frankly, the music is vastly superior.
If on the other hand you should still want to hear and view the component parts of the above mentioned elaborate hoax, then those items will be available separately at a more affordable price in the New Year, assuming that you have not already obtained them by more unconventional means.’
By more unconventional means? What does it mean you may ask…. Should I add that the title of the previous post is ‘Steal This Record’?