Elvis Costello And Elton John Team Up For Canadian TV Show

04/02/08 3:00pm

by Kate Harper (CHARTattack)

Elvis Costello and Elton John have joined forces for a new Canadian television series called Spectacle: Elvis Costello With…

Hosted by Costello (real name Declan Patrick MacManus), the program will begin shooting soon and will air later this year on CTV in Canada, Channel 4 in the U.K. and the Sundance Channel in the U.S. It was developed and conceived in Canada and will feature 13 one-hour episodes that will include Costello's one-on-one interviews, collaborations, performances and thematic panel discussions.

The show has also partnered with Bono's (Product) RED, which raises awareness for The Global Fund, the world's largest financier dedicated to the eradication of HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis and malaria. Program excerpts and performances will be distributed through a variety of platforms, and a portion of the proceeds will be donated to The Global Fund.

"I'm not interested in extracting some dark secret," Costello says of the idea behind the program. "I'd rather hear about a bright secret, a deep love or a curiosity that might be otherwise obscured by fame. This is a wonderful opportunity to talk in complete thoughts about music, movies, musicians and other fascinating people involved in making great music, as well as true music aficionados."

Spectacle will be co-produced by John's Rocket Pictures, Toronto-based Reinvention Entertainment, SpyBox Pictures and Prospero Pictures. John will act as an executive producer along with his Toronto-born civil partner David Furnish, Costello and others. He says Costello's musical expertise will give the show a boost.

"I thought it would be sensational to use his knowledge and intelligence to explore the artistry of musicians and other fascinating people involved in making great music, as well as true music aficionados."

Costello has made forays into the world of music journalism before via articles for Vanity Fair. His list of the 500 greatest albums of all time appeared in the magazine in 2000. Another of his articles, published in 2002, included a 24-hour soundtrack. Costello is also no stranger to hosting TV shows. He filled in as a guest host for The Late Show With David Letterman in 2003.

Costello's new album with The Imposters, Momofuku, will be released on April 22 on vinyl and on May 6 on CD by Lost Highway Records. Costello recently reissued This Year's Model, his 1978 album with The Attractions.

Here are the songs on Momofuku:

"No Hiding Place"
"American Gangster Time"
"Turpentine"
"Harry Worth"
"Drum And Bone"
"Flutter And Wow"
"Stella Hurt"
"Mr. Feathers"
"My Three Sons"
"Song With Rose"
"Pardon Me Madam, My Name Is Eve"
"Go Away"