Elvis Costello to Celebrate 49th Anniversary of ‘My Aim Is True’ With Five-Disc Box Set
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Elvis Costello is marking the approaching 50th anniversary of his 1977 debut album My Aim Is True with an expansive five-disc box set, due for release on 2 October. Titled My Aim Is True (49th Anniversary Edition), the collection gathers 104 tracks, 52 of them previously unreleased, spanning a remastered version of the original record alongside early demos, live recordings and rare session material from the era. It offers fans and collectors an unusually deep look into the formative period that launched Costello's career, backed by new reflections from the singer and original producer Nick Lowe.
The set opens with a remaster combining the UK and US track listings, followed by The Blue Print, 17 pre-album recordings from 1975-76 including home tapes and a newly unearthed early version of "Radio Radio". A third disc, The Stranger in the House, compiles surviving demos and outtakes, while Becoming the Attractions features early live shows with his backing band. The final disc, Covered in Clover, presents a previously unreleased 2007 reunion concert with Clover, the band that played on the original album. To promote the release, Costello has shared four early renditions of "Watching the Detectives", and he continues his ongoing US and Canadian tour with the Imposters from 10 September to 24 September.
- Costello releases five-disc My Aim Is True box set on 2 October.
- Set includes 104 tracks, 52 previously unreleased.
- Features demos, live shows and a rare 2007 reunion concert.
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Elvis Costello released his debut album, My Aim Is True, in 1977, and it became a defining record of the era, blending pub rock, punk energy and sharp songwriting. It launched his career as one of Britain's most respected singer-songwriters, known for his witty, often barbed lyrics and restless musical style across the decades since. Nick Lowe, who produced the original album, remains a well-known figure from that same period of British music.
Anniversary box sets like this one are a common way for record labels and artists to revisit landmark albums, typically adding remastered audio, demos, live recordings and other archival material aimed at longtime fans and collectors. They offer a fuller picture of how a well-known record came together, including the false starts and alternate versions that did not make the final cut.
Costello continues to perform regularly with his band, the Imposters, and this release sits alongside his ongoing live touring schedule.
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