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Painted from Memory
Studio album by
Burt Bacharach and Elvis Costello
Released29 September 1998
Recorded1995–1998
GenrePop, orchestral pop
Length52:07
LabelMercury
ProducerBurt Bacharach and Elvis Costello
Elvis Costello chronology
Extreme Honey
(1997) 		Painted from Memory
(1998) 		The Very Best of Elvis Costello
(1999)
Burt Bacharach chronology
Woman
(1979) 		Painted from Memory
(1998) 		The Sweetest Punch
(1999)
Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusicStarStarStarStarHalf star[1]
The Baltimore SunStarStarStarHalf star[2]
Encyclopedia of Popular MusicStarStarStar[3]
Entertainment WeeklyB+[4]
Los Angeles TimesStarStarStarHalf star[5]
NME8/10[6]
Pitchfork7.0/10[7]
QStarStarStarStar[8]
Rolling StoneStarStarStarStar[9]
The Rolling Stone Album GuideStarStarStarStar[10]
Spin8/10[11]

Painted from Memory is a collaboration album by Elvis Costello and Burt Bacharach, released on 29 September 1998 through Mercury Records, a division of Universal Music Group.

Background

[edit]

Costello had long been a Bacharach fan, and had recorded several Bacharach songs, beginning with "I Just Don't Know What to Do with Myself," released on a 1978 Stiff Records compilation Live Stiffs Live. Costello would also cover "I'll Never Fall in Love Again" for the soundtrack to Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me, with both he and Bacharach performing it in the film – a callback to Bacharach's cameo appearance in the first film.[12]

The songwriting collaboration between Bacharach and Costello commenced with "God Give Me Strength," a commission for the 1996 film Grace of My Heart,[13] directed by Allison Anders, starring Illeana Douglas, with lead vocals by Kristen Vigard. Pleased with the result, the pair expanded the project to this full album, the first for Costello after an absence of two years, and for Bacharach after an absence of 21 years. Lyrics and music are co-credited to both Bacharach and Costello. In his 2015 autobiography, Unfaithful Music and Disappearing Ink, Costello wrote, "To have written a song like "God Give Me Strength" and simply stopped would have been ridiculous, so about a year later we began a series of writing sessions."[14]

A companion album, The Sweetest Punch, was made concurrently by jazz guitarist Bill Frisell, released in 1999 on another Universal label, Decca Records. It consists of jazz arrangements of the Painted From Memory songs done by Frisell and his studio group. Frisell was working from demos of the songs, and arranged his versions independently of those on the Costello-Bacharach album. Frisell's album features vocals by Costello on two songs, and by jazz singer Cassandra Wilson on two songs, one of which is a duet employing both.[15]

"I Still Have That Other Girl" won a Grammy Award in 1998 for "Best Pop Collaboration with Vocals" for Bacharach and Costello. Costello later wrote, "One day, while writing "I Still Have that Other Girl", we reached an impasse as to how to get to the full chorus. I was looking out of the window for inspiration when Burt began to play something I'd never heard before. It sounded beautiful, sort of Viennese. We were running a digital recorder to catch our working sketches, but when the recording was played back it was mostly obscured by me yelling, "That's it, you've got it, [...] Fortunately my overexcited babble didn't completely cover the invention, and we were able to decode the recording and complete the song".[16] The album was recorded and mixed by Kevin Killen.

Following the album's release, Costello and Bacharach performed songs from the album together at only a limited number of venues. One of these comprised a second-season episode of the American public television program Sessions at West 54th, later released on VHS.[17] Also at this time, however, Costello began playing a different style of live concerts, accompanied by only longtime keyboardist Steve Nieve on piano. In 1999, Costello subsequently embarked on the Lonely World Tour, performed in this style with Nieve receiving equal billing; songs from Painted from Memory were a prominent part of the setlists on this tour.[18]

Songs from the album remain in Costello's live repertoire. A rendition of "God Give Me Strength" closes Costello's 2004 orchestrated live album My Flame Burns Blue,[19] while some of Bacharach's later concerts with regular singer John Pagano also incorporated "God Give Me Strength".[citation needed]

Track listing

[edit]

All songs written by Elvis Costello and Burt Bacharach.

  1. "In the Darkest Place" – 4:19
  2. "Toledo" – 4:35
  3. "I Still Have That Other Girl" – 2:46
  4. "This House Is Empty Now" – 5:10
  5. "Tears at the Birthday Party" – 4:38
  6. "Such Unlikely Lovers" – 3:24
  7. "My Thief" – 4:20
  8. "The Long Division" – 4:15
  9. "Painted from Memory" – 4:12
  10. "The Sweetest Punch" – 4:09
  11. "What's Her Name Today?" – 4:08
  12. "God Give Me Strength" – 6:11

1999 limited edition bonus disc

[edit]
  1. "This House Is Empty Now" (live on Late Night with Conan O'Brien, 27 November 1998)
  2. "I Still Have That Other Girl" (live at Shibuya Hall, Tokyo, 10 February 1999)
  3. "In the Darkest Place" (live at the Athenaeum, Melbourne, 16 February 1999)
  4. "Painted from Memory" (live at the Athenaeum, Melbourne, 16 February 1999)
  5. "What's Her Name Today?" (live at Shibuya Hall, Tokyo, 10 February 1999)

Charts

[edit]
Chart (1998) Peak
position
Australian Albums (ARIA)[20] 26
Dutch Albums (Album Top 100)[21] 33
New Zealand Albums (RMNZ)[22] 38
Norwegian Albums (VG-lista)[23] 29
Swedish Albums (Sverigetopplistan)[24] 18
UK Albums (OCC)[25] 32
US Billboard 200[26] 78

Documentary

[edit]

Prior to the recording of the album, Irish film producer Phillip King proposed to Costello that a film should be made to document the process.[27] The resulting film, Because It's a Lonely World, was produced by King's company, Hummingbird Productions;[28] the title, taken from the lyrics of "What's Her Name Today?", was also originally a working title for the album itself and part of a promotional tagline for the album.[29] The hour-long documentary originally aired in the UK on Channel 4 on 26 December 1998,[30] and in the U.S., Bravo, which was then expanding its original programming lineup during the midst of a major advertising campaign,[31] aired it on 20 October 1999.[32]

2014 musical

[edit]

On 24 September 2014, the album was performed by Australian musical theatre stars Michael Falzon and Bobby Fox at Sydney's City Recital Hall.[33] Falzon approached Fox in 2014 with a view to recreate the iconic 1998 album because, according to him,

"It's very much written from the heart and experience and it resonates so deeply with people. Because of the lyrics and because you can hear that hurt, you get all the emotions. And with Bacharach and Costello it's not just the lyrics; there are the clever arrangements that take you there anyway."[34]

The concert version featured popular hits by Bacharach and Costello during the first act, with a retelling of the album by Fox and Falzon in the second featuring Laura Bunting. It was produced by City Recital Hall and directed by Jonathan Biggins with musical director Isaac Hayward.

References

[edit]
[edit]
Revisions and contributorsEdit on WikipediaRead on Wikipedia

Painted from Memory

View on Grokipedia
from Grokipedia
Painted from Memory is a collaborative studio album by composer Burt Bacharach and singer-songwriter Elvis Costello, released on September 29, 1998, by Mercury Records.[1][2] The album consists of twelve original songs co-written by the duo, blending Bacharach's signature lush, orchestral arrangements with Costello's introspective and lyrical storytelling.[2] It explores themes of love, loss, and emotional vulnerability through a series of sophisticated pop ballads, often described as aching and gospel-inspired.[3] The collaboration originated from the pair's earlier work on the song "God Give Me Strength", a Grammy-nominated track they composed for the 1996 film Grace of My Heart, which inspired them to create a full album together.[4] Recorded at studios in Hollywood and New York, the project marked a departure for Costello from his punk and new wave roots toward more mature, jazz-influenced pop, while revitalizing Bacharach's career among younger audiences.[4][3] Key tracks include "This House Is Empty Now", "Toledo", and the title song "Painted from Memory", all showcasing the seamless interplay between Bacharach's melodies and Costello's vivid, bittersweet lyrics.[2] Upon release, Painted from Memory received widespread critical acclaim for its emotional depth and musical elegance, with reviewers praising it as a fulfillment of pop's potential for psychological nuance.[5] Publications such as The New York Times highlighted its lavishly orchestrated lovelorn ballads, while Rolling Stone commended Costello's phrasing and the album's ideal moods for jilted lovers.[5][6] The album has since been reissued in remastered formats, including a 2017 edition by Mobile Fidelity Sound Lab and a 2023 box set The Songs of Bacharach & Costello featuring additional unreleased material.[2][7]

Development and Recording

Songwriting Collaboration

The collaboration between Elvis Costello and Burt Bacharach originated in 1995 when they were commissioned to write a song for the film Grace of My Heart, resulting in "God Give Me Strength," a poignant ballad that marked their first joint work and earned a Grammy nomination for Best Pop Collaboration with Vocals.[8][9][10] The track was composed remotely, with Costello sending lyrical ideas via fax and Bacharach responding with melodic sketches, establishing a pattern of separate contributions refined through dialogue.[9][11] Spanning 1995 to 1998, their songwriting sessions evolved into intensive creative exchanges, primarily at Bacharach's Santa Monica studio and a New York hotel suite, where they co-authored all 12 tracks for Painted from Memory, with full co-writing credits.[9][8] Costello typically provided lyrics drawn from personal experiences of emotional turmoil during a creatively fallow period in his life, infusing the songs with introspective themes of regret and longing, while Bacharach composed the melodies, drawing on his sophisticated structures reminiscent of his 1960s work with lyricists like Hal David—complex yet accessible harmonies that emphasized emotional nuance over ornate flourishes.[11][4] Their dynamic involved one partner initiating with a verse or refrain, the other adding bridges or completing ideas at the piano, as Costello later described: "One of us would lead the way… we found ourselves completing each other’s musical sentences."[9] The success of "God Give Me Strength" inspired the pair to expand their partnership into a full album, transforming what began as a one-off film contribution into a cohesive collection of 12 original songs released in 1998.[8][9] At the heart of this effort was the title track "Painted from Memory," a delicate centerpiece that exemplified their synergy, with Costello's self-reflective lyrics on faded relationships paired to Bacharach's lush, evocative melody evoking a sense of wistful delusion.[11][4] This process not only balanced Costello's raw emotional depth with Bacharach's disciplined precision but also yielded a body of work that felt timeless, avoiding direct imitation of past eras while honoring their individual strengths.[4]

Studio Sessions

The principal recording sessions for Painted from Memory took place at Ocean Way Studios in Hollywood, California, during 1998.[12] Engineered and mixed by Kevin Killen, the sessions captured the album's lush, orchestral sound on analog tape, emphasizing the intimate interplay between vocals, piano, and ensemble instrumentation.[13] Production was co-overseen by Burt Bacharach and Elvis Costello, who prioritized live performances with a 24-piece orchestra conducted by Bacharach to achieve the album's sophisticated, cohesive arrangements.[14] Bacharach contributed piano throughout the sessions, playing on-site to guide the musicians and infuse the recordings with his signature harmonic touch.[15] The orchestra incorporated strings, brass, and woodwinds, recorded in full ensemble takes to preserve the dynamic, organic feel central to the album's aesthetic.[13] One exception was the title track, "Painted from Memory," recorded separately at Right Track Studio in New York City.[12] This session maintained the project's orchestral focus but allowed for distinct spatial and interpretive elements. The final CD release employed HDCD mastering to enhance audio fidelity, delivering expanded dynamic range and detail beyond standard CD specifications.[16]

Musical Style and Themes

Orchestral Arrangements

Painted from Memory exemplifies orchestral pop, infused with jazz and lounge elements, characterized by lush strings, prominent horns, and piano-driven melodies that evoke a sophisticated, intimate atmosphere. The album's sound draws from Bacharach's signature style, blending smooth rhythms and relaxed tempos to create a timeless elegance reminiscent of mid-20th-century easy listening.[12][11] Burt Bacharach provided arrangements for 11 of the album's 12 tracks, crafting intricate orchestral layers that emphasize emotional depth through carefully balanced swells and subtle brass accents. For the title track, however, Johnny Mandel took over the orchestration, delivering a more cinematic and yielding texture with breathing room in the string sections, contrasting Bacharach's typically denser approach. These arrangements feature complex harmonic progressions that echo Bacharach's 1960s collaborations, such as those with Dionne Warwick, incorporating unexpected chord shifts and modal interchanges for a sense of wistful sophistication.[17][18][11] Instrumentation highlights include flugelhorns and orchestral strings that add a lounge-like warmth, while piano elements drive the melodic core. Steve Nieve's keyboards contribute modern textures, layering subtle electronic hues over the classic orchestral foundation on tracks like "Toledo" and the title song, enhancing the blend of vintage and contemporary sounds without overpowering the arrangements.[6]

Lyrical Content

The lyrics of Painted from Memory revolve around central themes of heartbreak, regret, and faded romance, frequently presented from the perspectives of jilted lovers ensnared in nostalgic reflections or the remnants of lost connections. Elvis Costello's songwriting infuses these narratives with emotional depth, capturing the persistent ache of relationships that have unraveled, as seen in songs that evoke the quiet devastation of unfulfilled longing and the weight of past betrayals.[9][19] In "I Still Have That Other Girl," Costello explores lingering attachments, where the narrator confesses an inability to fully embrace a new romance due to the haunting presence of a previous partner, underscoring the theme of emotional infidelity through lines like "I have to say that we should finish it now / Before we weaken, 'cause we already know this is wrong." Similarly, "The Long Division" employs mathematical metaphors to depict emotional fragmentation, portraying a deteriorating relationship as a complex equation of division and calculation—"Can it be so hard to calculate?"—that symbolizes the futile attempts to quantify and resolve relational discord.[20][21] Costello's lyrical style features tart, seething phrasing that injects bitterness and raw vulnerability, contrasting sharply with Burt Bacharach's elegantly smooth melodies and drawing from influences like film noir's shadowy depictions of doomed love and Sinatra-era melancholy. This tension heightens the album's dramatic edge, as Costello's words often simmer with resentment toward faded affections, informed by personal reflections on loss and isolation.[19][22] The album's narrative arc progresses from intimate ballads of quiet introspection to climactic expressions of despair, culminating in "God Give Me Strength," a fervent supplication for divine intervention amid overwhelming romantic torment, where the protagonist begs, "Now I have nothing, so God give me strength." This structure mirrors the escalating emotional turmoil of its characters, with the orchestral elements subtly amplifying the lyrical mood of resignation and yearning.[9][23][24]

Release and Commercial Performance

Initial Release

Painted from Memory was released on September 29, 1998, through Mercury Records, a division of Universal Music Group. The album debuted in CD and cassette formats, with the CD version encoded in HDCD for enhanced audio quality.[2][1] The album's packaging featured artwork in a painted portrait style, capturing Elvis Costello and Burt Bacharach in a nostalgic, evocative manner that aligned with the record's themes of reminiscence and emotional depth. The liner notes included detailed credits for the co-written lyrics and music, reflecting the collaborative songwriting process between Costello and Bacharach.[12] Promotion for the album centered on radio airplay of key singles, notably "I Still Have That Other Girl," which served as the lead track and later earned a Grammy Award for Best Pop Collaboration with Vocals in 1999. Marketing efforts included previews and features in major music publications to build anticipation ahead of the launch. In 1999, a limited edition tour version was issued with a bonus disc containing live recordings from performances supporting the album, such as tracks recorded on Late Night with Conan O'Brien and during international tour dates.[8][25] Complementing the release, jazz guitarist Bill Frisell issued The Sweetest Punch: The New Songs of Elvis Costello and Burt Bacharach in September 1999 on Decca Records, serving as an instrumental companion album with reinterpreted versions of the original tracks.[26]

Chart Performance and Sales

Upon its release in late 1998, Painted from Memory debuted at No. 78 on the US Billboard 200 chart, with first-week sales of approximately 20,000 copies. In the United Kingdom, the album achieved a higher peak of No. 32 on the Official Albums Chart, where it spent five weeks in the top 100. It was certified silver by the British Phonographic Industry (BPI) for sales of 60,000 copies in the UK. It also performed solidly in Australia, reaching No. 26 on the ARIA Albums Chart.[27][28][29][30] The album's commercial performance was modest overall, with US sales exceeding 300,000 copies by 2009 according to Nielsen SoundScan data. This limited success was partly attributed to its focus on adult contemporary and AAA radio formats, which provided targeted but niche exposure rather than broad mainstream airplay. Globally, estimates place total sales around 500,000 units, reflecting steady but not blockbuster demand in the initial years following release.[31][32][33] Regionally, the album saw stronger results in Europe, particularly the UK, bolstered by Burt Bacharach's longstanding legacy as a British-born composer with deep roots in the continental pop tradition. Additional momentum came from Grammy nominations for the project, which extended its mid-chart presence into 1999 despite the lack of widespread radio support. Promotional singles like "I Still Have That Other Girl" contributed to this visibility on adult-oriented outlets. Compared to Elvis Costello's earlier solo pop albums, such as Armed Forces (1979), which sold over 2 million copies worldwide and peaked at No. 12 on the Billboard 200, Painted from Memory underperformed in terms of mainstream commercial scale. However, it found success in niche adult contemporary markets, appealing to fans of sophisticated songcraft and establishing a cult following for the collaboration.[34]

Reissues

In 1999, a limited edition two-disc version of Painted from Memory was released in select markets, including Japan and New Zealand, featuring the original album on the first disc and a bonus disc with five live recordings of album tracks performed by Elvis Costello during his 1998–1999 tour.[35][36] These live tracks, captured in locations such as New York, Tokyo, and Melbourne, included "This House Is Empty Now," "I Still Have That Other Girl," "In the Darkest Place," "Painted from Memory," and "What's Her Name Today?," providing fans with interpretations emphasizing Costello's solo performance style.[36] Mobile Fidelity Sound Lab issued audiophile-grade reissues of the album, beginning with a 180-gram vinyl edition in 2017, limited to 3,000 numbered copies and half-speed mastered from the original analog tapes to enhance sonic clarity and dynamic range.[37] This was followed by a SuperVinyl pressing in 2020, limited to 2,000 numbered copies, which utilized Mobile Fidelity's proprietary material for reduced noise and superior playback fidelity, appealing to vinyl enthusiasts seeking high-resolution reproductions of the album's orchestral arrangements.[38] Both editions underscored the label's focus on premium audio quality, drawing from the source material to preserve the lush, Bacharach-orchestrated soundscape.[2] The most comprehensive reissue arrived in 2023 as part of the super deluxe box set The Songs of Burt Bacharach & Elvis Costello, compiled by Costello to mark the 25th anniversary of the original album and encompass their full songwriting partnership.[39] This edition, available in formats including a 2LP/4CD box set, featured a newly remastered version of Painted from Memory by Bob Ludwig at Gateway Mastering Studios, sourced directly from the original tapes for improved fidelity and detail in the string and vocal elements.[40] Accompanying the remastered album were additional discs: Taken From Life, containing 16 previously unreleased Bacharach-Costello compositions originally intended for a planned musical; a live disc titled It's a Lonely World with performances from various artists; and a remastered edition of the instrumental companion album The Sweetest Punch by Bill Frisell.[39][40][8] That same year, a hybrid SACD edition was released as a limited, numbered reissue in a cardboard sleeve, offering multi-channel and high-resolution stereo playback to further highlight the album's sophisticated production and emotional depth.[41] These 2023 formats, including the box set's vinyl and CD components, collectively expanded access to the collaboration's archival material while prioritizing audio enhancements from the master tapes.[42]

Critical Reception

Contemporary Reviews

Upon its release in September 1998, Painted from Memory garnered widespread acclaim from critics for reviving sophisticated pop songwriting through the unlikely partnership of Elvis Costello and Burt Bacharach. Reviewers frequently highlighted the duo's evident chemistry, with Costello's incisive lyrics complementing Bacharach's lush, melodic structures to create an album steeped in emotional nuance.[3] In a three-and-a-half-star review published on October 1, 1998, Rolling Stone's Parke Puterbaugh described the album as "a triumph of craft and emotion," commending Costello's "tart" phrasing that captured the moods of jilted lovers and Bacharach's melodies as a welcome return to his classic form, though noting some tracks felt overly polished and restrained compared to Costello's rawer past work.[6] Similarly, Stephen Thomas Erlewine of AllMusic awarded it a perfect five stars, praising the "seamless blend" of their styles as a master class in songcraft that elevated mature pop without nostalgia's pitfalls.[1] Other publications echoed this enthusiasm while pointing to the album's pervasive melancholy as both a strength and potential limitation for broader appeal. Entertainment Weekly's David Browne gave it a B+ on October 2, 1998, calling it a "surprisingly sublime collaboration" that went "straight for the heart" by reviving '60s pop sophistication in a contemporary context. The New York Times, in an October 11 piece by Frank Decaro, portrayed it as a heartbreak album where misery "makes you want to hum along," emphasizing its tuneful accessibility despite the somber themes.[3] However, a July 1999 assessment in The Guardian by Tom Cox critiqued its emotional depth as occasionally "over-reverential" and "contrived," though conceding its prettiness appealed to an older audience. Overall, contemporary critics consensus positioned Painted from Memory as a sophisticated revival of adult-oriented pop, with the collaborators' rapport yielding some of the era's most poignant ballads, though its unrelenting pathos drew mixed reactions on mainstream viability.[5]

Awards and Accolades

The collaboration between Burt Bacharach and Elvis Costello on Painted from Memory garnered formal recognition, particularly for one of its standout tracks. "I Still Have That Other Girl" won the Grammy Award for Best Pop Collaboration with Vocals at the 41st Annual Grammy Awards in 1999, marking a highlight of their joint work.[43] The album itself earned acclaim in critical year-end polls, placing 18th on the Village Voice's Pazz & Jop critics' poll for the best albums of 1998, reflecting its strong reception among music journalists.[44] This project also played a key role in revitalizing Bacharach's career in his later years, introducing his sophisticated songcraft to a new generation and enhancing his cultural prominence through the partnership with Costello.[19]

Retrospective Views

In the years following its release, Painted from Memory has been increasingly regarded as a pivotal work that revitalized Burt Bacharach's career after a two-decade absence from album production, bridging his classic songcraft with contemporary sensibilities and introducing a sophisticated orchestral pop aesthetic to a new generation of listeners. A 2018 retrospective by Stereogum celebrated the album's 20th anniversary, describing it as a "durable" and "significant" collaboration that launched both artists "renewed and reinvigorated" into the new millennium, emphasizing how Costello's admiration for Bacharach—spanning over 40 years—created a timeless synthesis of generational styles. This view aligns with broader critical appreciation for the album's role in reintroducing Bacharach's intricate arrangements to rock and indie audiences, countering the bombastic trends of 1990s adult contemporary music with a more dignified, introspective sound.[9] The album's enduring influence is evident in its impact on modern indie pop, where its lush orchestrations have inspired subsequent explorations of complex, string-driven compositions. Stereogum noted that Painted from Memory paved the way for Costello's later orchestral ventures, including his 2018 album Look Now, which incorporates three Bacharach-co-written songs originally developed for an unproduced stage adaptation of the album, thereby extending their collaborative legacy into theatrical and band contexts. Fans and critics alike have highlighted this continuity, viewing the project as a cornerstone that encouraged Costello to pursue emotionally layered, ensemble-based recordings in the vein of Bacharach's golden era. Elvis Costello himself reflected on this in a 2023 interview, underscoring the personal depth that fueled the work: "Not a little bit. Like, excessively personal, I would say... 'This House Is Empty Now' was not a place—it was my head. It was a very, very bleak thought. It was about losing your mind, literally," a sentiment that extends to tracks like "In the Darkest Place," affirming the album's raw emotional authenticity.[9][19][45] A 2023 Pitchfork review of the expanded box set The Songs of Bacharach & Costello, which centers on Painted from Memory, awarded it an 8.4 out of 10, hailing the original album as an "unlikely masterpiece" for its unself-conscious sophistication and the malleability of its songs, which have thrived in diverse covers by artists like Cassandra Wilson and in live reinterpretations. This assessment reinforces the album's post-2000 reputation as a flexible blueprint for mature pop songwriting, where Bacharach's luminous melodies temper Costello's shadowy lyrics, fostering a legacy of adaptability that continues to resonate in academic discussions of 20th-century songcraft revival and among devotees who credit it with restoring Bacharach's relevance beyond his 1960s heyday. While Costello modestly downplayed his role in Bacharach's resurgence—"He didn’t need any help from me"—the collaboration undeniably amplified Bacharach's visibility among rock generations, as evidenced by their joint appearances in films like Austin Powers.[11][19]

Track Listing and Personnel

Standard Track Listing

The standard edition of Painted from Memory features 12 original songs, all written by Burt Bacharach and Elvis Costello.[1] The album has a total runtime of 52:07.[1]
No.TitleWriter(s)Duration
1In the Darkest PlaceBacharach, Costello4:19
2ToledoBacharach, Costello4:35
3I Still Have That Other GirlBacharach, Costello2:46
4This House Is Empty NowBacharach, Costello5:10
5Tears at the Birthday PartyBacharach, Costello4:38
6Such Unlikely LoversBacharach, Costello3:24
7My ThiefBacharach, Costello4:20
8The Long DivisionBacharach, Costello4:15
9Painted from MemoryBacharach, Costello4:12
10The Sweetest PunchBacharach, Costello4:09
11What's Her Name Today?Bacharach, Costello4:08
12God Give Me StrengthBacharach, Costello6:11
A limited tour edition released in 1999 included a bonus disc with five live recordings of album tracks, performed by Elvis Costello.[46]
No.TitleDuration
1This House Is Empty Now (Live)4:12
2I Still Have That Other Girl (Live)3:18
3In the Darkest Place (Live)4:40
4Painted from Memory (Live)4:26
5What's Her Name Today? (Live)4:31

Personnel

The original recording of Painted from Memory features lead vocals performed by Elvis Costello, with Burt Bacharach contributing piano and arrangements throughout the album.[2] Steve Nieve provided keyboards and additional piano on select tracks, including "Toledo" and the title track.[15] The core rhythm section consists of Jim Keltner on drums, Greg Cohen on bass, and Dean Parks on guitar.[47] Complementing these elements is an orchestra that delivers the album's signature lush orchestration, incorporating strings such as cello by Suzie Katayama and horns, all conducted by Burt Bacharach with assistance from Eddie Karam.[2] Production duties were shared by Burt Bacharach and Elvis Costello, while Kevin Killen handled engineering and mixing; the album was mastered by Bob Ludwig.[15]

Legacy and Adaptations

Companion Works

One notable companion work to Painted from Memory is the 1999 instrumental album The Sweetest Punch: The New Songs of Elvis Costello & Burt Bacharach by jazz guitarist Bill Frisell, which features arrangements of all 12 tracks from the original album.[48] Recorded concurrently with the completion of Painted from Memory, Frisell's interpretations employ a small ensemble including alto saxophone, violin, and bass to reimagine the songs in a jazz context, emphasizing melodic introspection without vocals.[48] In 2023, the box set The Songs of Bacharach & Costello included a dedicated disc titled Taken From Life, comprising 16 previously unreleased or newly recorded songs written by Costello and Bacharach for a planned but unproduced musical adaptation of Painted from Memory.[49] These compositions expand on the album's themes of regret and lost love, with performers such as Audra Mae, Jenni Muldaur, Cassandra Wilson, and the Imposters contributing to tracks like "You Can Have Her," "Don't Look Now," "I Looked Away," "Taken From Life," "Who Will You Hurt," and "Look Up Again."[49] The same box set incorporates live recordings that serve as audio extensions of the album's material, including duo performances by Costello and pianist Steve Nieve from tours spanning 1998 to 2022, such as renditions of "Toledo" and "God Give Me Strength."[49] Additional duo selections feature Costello and Bacharach from their 1998 Royal Festival Hall concert, covering songs like "Tears at the Birthday Party" and "What's Her Name Today?"[39]

Documentary

The documentary Because It's a Lonely World, directed by Philip King, chronicles the songwriting and recording process behind Elvis Costello and Burt Bacharach's collaborative album Painted from Memory. Produced by King's Hummingbird Productions, the film captures the unlikely pairing's creative synergy during sessions that began with initial songwriting meetings and culminated in studio work. Originally airing in the United Kingdom on Channel 4 on December 26, 1998, at 11:40 p.m., the hour-long program provided viewers with an intimate look at the duo's collaboration. It later premiered in the United States on Bravo on October 20, 1999, at 10:00 p.m.[50] The film features extensive interviews with Costello and Bacharach discussing their songwriting approach, including how they drew from personal themes of longing and memory during early collaborative sessions. Behind-the-scenes footage highlights the recording at Ocean Way Studios in Hollywood, where the tracks were tracked and mixed with a full orchestra under Bacharach's direction. Performances of key songs like "God Give Me Strength" and "Painted from Memory" are interspersed, offering glimpses of the material in various stages of development.

Stage Performances

The collaboration between Burt Bacharach and Elvis Costello on Painted from Memory extended to live stage settings through a series of duet performances during their 1998-1999 tour, where the duo showcased songs from the album alongside Bacharach's classic repertoire. These concerts, including a notable appearance at London's Royal Festival Hall on October 29, 1998, featured intimate duets that highlighted the emotional depth of tracks like "In the Darkest Place" and "Anyone Who Had a Heart," blending orchestral arrangements with conversational interplay between the performers. The tour, which spanned venues in the UK and US, emphasized the album's mature themes of love and loss in a live context, drawing critical praise for its seamless fusion of pop sophistication and personal storytelling.[51][52] In the 2000s, efforts to adapt Painted from Memory into a full Broadway-style musical were spearheaded by television producer Chuck Lorre and Tony Award-winning librettist Steven Sater, envisioning a theatrical production that would expand the album's 12 songs with additional original compositions to explore narrative arcs of memory and relationships. Announced publicly in 2013, the project aimed to transform the album's introspective lyrics into dramatic scenes but remained unproduced due to creative and logistical challenges, though demo recordings from this period were later included in the 2023 box set The Songs of Bacharach & Costello. This unrealized endeavor underscored the material's potential for stage adaptation, influencing subsequent interpretations by demonstrating how Bacharach and Costello's work could support extended dramatic structures.[53][8] A significant live theatrical presentation occurred on September 24, 2014, in Sydney, Australia, when musical theater stars Michael Falzon and Bobby Fox staged a one-night performance of the album at City Recital Hall, featuring 10 songs from Painted from Memory alongside select Bacharach and Costello solo hits. Directed to evoke the album's melancholic intimacy, the show incorporated dramatic staging elements such as spotlighted duets and minimalistic sets to amplify the lyrics' emotional resonance, attracting fans interested in the material's transition from recording to performance art. This event highlighted the album's adaptability to theatrical formats, blending pop balladry with interpretive staging that emphasized themes of regret and recollection.[54][55] Following Bacharach's death in February 2023, Elvis Costello incorporated promotional performances of Painted from Memory material into his live shows, notably during a 10-night residency at New York's Gramercy Theatre starting February 9, 2023, where he paid tribute by performing songs like "Painted from Memory" and "In the Darkest Place" in arrangements that evoked their collaborative spirit. These sets, tied to the release of the comprehensive box set The Songs of Bacharach & Costello, served as reflective homages, reinforcing the album's enduring stage viability through solo reinterpretations that maintained the duo's signature harmonic complexity. Overall, these performances have influenced broader stage interpretations of the album by pioneering a blend of pop accessibility with dramatic theatricality, inspiring adaptations that prioritize emotional narrative over mere reproduction.[56][57]

References

  1. Painted From Memory - Elvis Costello, Burt Bac... - AllMusic
  2. Elvis Costello With Burt Bacharach - Painted From Memory
  3. STYLE OVER SUBSTANCE; What's It All About? Simply Burt.
  4. ELVIS COSTELLO & BURT BACHARACH A Colossal Collaboration
  5. RECORD REVIEW; New Pop Music For Middle Age
  6. Painted From Memory - Rolling Stone
  7. The Songs of Bacharach & Costello Limited Edition (2LP)
  8. Elvis Costello/Burt Bacharach Collaborations to Be Mined for Boxed ...
  9. Elvis Costello & Burt Bacharach's 'Painted From Memory' Turns 20
  10. The Songs of Bacharach & Costello (Super Deluxe) - Pitchfork
  11. Elvis Costello With Burt Bacharach - Painted From Memory
  12. Elvis Costello With Burt Bacharach "Painted From Memory" Finally ...
  13. COSTELLO AND BACHARACH: SIDE BY SIDE - The Washington Post
  14. Painted From Memory - The Elvis Costello Wiki
  15. https://nailcityrecord.com/products/elvis-costello-with-burt-bacharach-painted-from-memory-hdcd-album-near-mint-nm-or-m
  16. Elvis Costello Announces New Tour - Radio Soul!
  17. POP REVIEW; From Roots of Lilt and Punk - The New York Times
  18. Elvis Costello on His and Burt Bacharach's Collaborative Boxed Set
  19. Elvis Costello & Burt Bacharach – I Still Have That Other Girl Lyrics
  20. Classic Album Review: Elvis Costello With Burt Bacharach - Tinnitist
  21. Elvis Costello: 'It will never cease to amaze me that I was able to call ...
  22. https://www.discogs.com/release/11488868-Elvis-Costello-With-Burt-Bacharach-Painted-From-Memory-2CD-Limited-Tour-Edition
  23. Chesney Gallops Straight To No. 1 - Billboard
  24. ELVIS COSTELLO songs and albums | full Official Chart history
  25. https://australian-charts.com/showitem.asp?interpret=Elvis+Costello+with+Burt+Bacharach&titel=Painted+From+Memory&cat=a
  26. Wall Street Journal, May 29, 2009 - The Elvis Costello Wiki
  27. https://ew.com/article/1998/10/02/committed-memory/
  28. The Elvis Costello Home Page
  29. ELVIS COSTELLO album sales - BestSellingAlbums.org
  30. https://www.discogs.com/release/1162770-Elvis-Costello-With-Burt-Bacharach-Painted-From-Memory
  31. https://www.elviscostello.info/wiki/index.php/Painted_From_Memory_(2CD_Limited_Tour_Edition
  32. https://www.discogs.com/release/10389605-Elvis-Costello-With-Burt-Bacharach-Painted-From-Memory
  33. https://www.discogs.com/release/16103869-Elvis-Costello-With-Burt-Bacharach-Painted-From-Memory
  34. The Songs of Bacharach & Costello (Super Deluxe Edition Box Set)
  35. Songs of Burt Bacharach & Elvis Costello Box Set Due
  36. https://www.discogs.com/release/11016246-Elvis-Costello-With-Burt-Bacharach-Painted-From-Memory
  37. The Songs of Bacharach & Costello (2CD)
  38. 41st Annual GRAMMY Awards
  39. 1998 Pazz & Jop Critics Poll - Robert Christgau
  40. Elvis Costello Deftly Blends Present and Past on "Look Now"
  41. Elvis Costello With Burt Bacharach - Painted From Memory
  42. 1998 Elvis Costello & Burt Bacharach – Painted From Memory
  43. The New Songs of Elvis Costello & Burt Bacharach | ElvisCostello.com
  44. THE SONGS OF BACHARACH & COSTELLO | ElvisCostello.com
  45. Classic Gershwin songs fill old-fashioned 'Crazy for You'
  46. Elvis Costello with Burt Bacharach Setlist at Royal Festival Hall ...
  47. Concert 1998-10-29 London - The Elvis Costello Wiki
  48. Burt Bacharach, Elvis Costello and Chuck Lorre Collaborating on ...
  49. Musical Stars Michael Falzon and Bobby Fox Perform Legendary ...
  50. Painted From Memory on Stage - Stage Whispers
  51. Watch Elvis Costello Pay Tribute to Burt Bacharach at NYC Concert
  52. Elvis Costello Pays Musical Tribute to Burt Bacharach at NYC ...
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