Elvis Costello Catalogue To Be Mined Again

10/31/06 7:00pm

Look for more vintage Elvis Costello material to be hitting the market, as Universal Music Enterprises has acquired the first 11 albums from the prolific artist's catalogue.

Costello's wide-ranging works have been released on the Universal-affiliated Decca/Deutsche Grammophon, Lost Highway, Mercury, Island and Verve Forecast labels since the late '90s, so it makes sense for his 1977 to 1986 repertoire that was first recorded for Columbia to also be included under the corporate umbrella.

The Costello albums that fall under the agreement are: My Aim Is True (1977); This Year's Model (1978); Armed Forces (1979); Get Happy!! (1980); Almost Blue (1981); Trust (1981); Imperial Bedroom (1982); Punch The Clock (1983); Goodbye Cruel World (1984); King Of America (1986); and Blood And Chocolate (1986).

While both Rykodisc and Rhino have launched extensive Costello reissue campaigns over the past two decades, UME plans to release "definitive" reissues, boxed sets, live albums, multiple-CD sets, compilations, rarities discs, limited edition releases and DVD collections of music videos and concert and television performances. It also plans to make ringtones and digital boxed sets available.

"There have been so many great new artists and bands in the last few years that have been inspired by the sound and attitude we had back then, I thought this was a good time to re-introduce these albums," says Costello. "On top of that, it's great to be able to do this through a company that has not only enjoyed major success with reissues but has done them with a genuine emphasis on quality."