Watching the Detectives (song)

Costello wrote the song while in the suburbs of London before he became a professional musician. He had listened to the Clash's first album, which he initially thought sounded "terrible", but changed his opinion upon listening to it again. "By the end, I stayed up all night listening to it on headphones, and I thought it was great. Then I wrote 'Watching the Detectives'".{{cite web|last=Crandall|first=Bill|date=28 February 2003|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20030602001547/http://www.rollingstone.com/features/featuregen.asp?pid=1563&cf=199|url=http://www.rollingstone.com/features/featuregen.asp?pid=1563&cf=199|url-status=dead|archive-date=2 June 2003|title=Rock and Roll Hall of Fame: Elvis Costello|website=Rolling Stone|access-date=27 February 2025}}

The song, produced by Nick Lowe, was recorded in May 1977. Steve Goulding and Andrew Bodnar played drums and bass guitar on the recording respectively and both were from Graham Parker's band, The Rumour.Gimarc, George (2005) Punk Diary: The Ultimate Trainspotter's Guide to Underground Rock 1970–1982, {{ISBN|0-87930-848-6}}, p.95 Keyboard overdubs were added later by Steve Nason (later known as Steve Nieve), who was 19 years-old at the time of the recording session. Costello suggested a piano arrangement that resembled the work of Bernard Herrmann, although Nieve was unfamiliar with his playing. The end result was what Costello described as a "galloping piano thing that rushes the beat" that still echoed the "sudden jarring gestures that Hermann would use a lot."{{cite magazine |last1=Newman |first1=Melinda |title=Elvis Costello Talks 'Film Stars Don't Die in Liverpool' Song, Playing Vegas & Making More Music With Burt Bacharach |date=3 January 2018 |url=https://www.billboard.com/amp/articles/news/8085961/elvis-costello-film-stars-dont-die-in-liverpool-interview |magazine=Billboard |access-date=29 April 2020}}

Costello considers "Watching the Detectives" his favourite song from the first five years of his career.Harrington, Richard (2006) "[https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/04/13/AR2006041300603_pf.html Elvis Costello's (Really) Big Band]", Washington Post, 14 April 2006 He later performed the song with a big band arrangement, which he admitted was "a desecration to people who love the tenseness of the original recording", but explained that "the story that's going on, and the musical allusions in the original arrangements, relate very much to the realization of this song as an orchestral piece using the film music feeling and the swing rhythms of '50s detective shows."

"Watching the Detectives" was the first top 40 hit in the UK Singles Chart for Costello, reaching number 15 and spending a total of eleven weeks in the chart.Strong, Martin C. (2003) The Great Indie Discography, Canongate, {{ISBN|1-84195-335-0}}, p.36-39 It also charted in several other countries including Australia, where it reached number 35, and Canada, where it reached number 60. In the United States it reached number 108 on the Hot 100.

The UK and US singles (released in October and November 1977 respectively) had different B-sides. The UK single was backed by two live tracks from an August 7 performance at the Nashville Club, and these live tracks were credited to Elvis Costello and the Attractions. (This was the first appearance of The Attractions on a record; the A-side is billed solely to Costello.) The US single is backed by "Alison", the lead track from Costello's second UK single.

In its review of the song, Cash Box said that it had "a subtle reggae beat and a sinister James Bond/Secret Agent guitar."{{cite news|title=CashBox Singles Reviews|date=February 25, 1978|page=18|newspaper=Cash Box|accessdate=2021-12-26|url=https://worldradiohistory.com/Archive-All-Music/Cash-Box/70s/1978/CB-1978-02-25.pdf}} Rolling Stone called the song "a clever but furious burst of cynicism" that was a "indisputably classic"."[https://web.archive.org/web/20091206000041/http://www.rollingstone.com/news/story/6596199/watching_the_detectives/print Watching the Detectives – Elvis Costello]", Rolling Stone, 9 December 2004Conner, Shawn (1999) "[https://www.rollingstone.com/news/story/5928923/elvis_costello_shows_maturity_in_vancouver Elvis Costello Shows Maturity in Vancouver]{{dead link|date=August 2021|bot=medic}}{{cbignore|bot=medic}}", Rolling Stone, 2 June 1999 Allmusic's Mark Deming described the song as "a skeletal minor-key melody that slowly but effectively wound itself into a solid knot of fierce emotional tension, pushing the bitter lyrical atmosphere further into the darkness".Deming, Mark "[{{AllMusic|class=song|id=t2883507|pure_url=yes}} Elvis Costello – Watching the Detectives]", Allmusic, Macrovision Corporation

• Release date: October 1977
• Catalogue No.: BUY20

1. "Watching the Detectives"
2. "Blame it on Cain (live)"
3. "Mystery Dance (live)"

• Release date: November 1977
• Catalogue No.: 3-10705

1. "Watching the Detectives"
2. "Alison"

• Elvis Costello – vocals, guitar
• Andrew Bodnar – bass
• Steve Goulding – drums
• Steve Nieve – piano, organ

The song was not included on the original UK releases of either My Aim Is True, which preceded it, or This Year's Model, which followed in March 1978. It was, however, added to the US release of My Aim Is True (March 1978) and to the Scandinavian release of This Year's Model the same year.{{cite AV media notes|author=Anon.|title=This Year's Model|others=Elvis Costello|year=1978|location=Scandinavia|publisher=Smash Records|type=LP sleeve notes|id=SLEPT 2}} Two live versions of "Watching the Detectives" from 1978 were released, one from 6 March on the Canadian promotional album Live at the El Mocambo, and another from 4 June on the Live at Hollywood High EP, which came with initial copies of the Armed Forces album (January 1979).

A later live version was included in the Costello & Nieve box-set in 1996. A live medley of "Watching the Detectives" and "My Funny Valentine" recorded in Tokyo was included on the Cruel Smile album by Elvis Costello & the Impostors in 2002. The studio version was also included on several 'best of' compilations of Costello's work, including Ten Bloody Marys & Ten How's Your Fathers (1980, Stiff), The Best of Elvis Costello – The Man (1985, Telstar), Girls Girls Girls (1989, Demon), The Very Best of Elvis Costello and the Attractions (1994, Demon), and The Very Best of Elvis Costello (1999, Universal TV). It was also included on the Argentinian print of This Year's Model in 1978.

Jazz singer Jenna Mammina covered the song on her debut album Under the Influence in 1999.Richardson, Derk (2001) "[http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/g/a/2001/08/30/derk.DTL&type=printable It's 'Dirty Work,' But Jenna Mammina's Got To Do It: Bay Area jazz vocalist reworks new rock standards]", SF Gate, 30 August 2001 Toto covered the song on Through the Looking Glass in 2002. The Henry Girls covered the song on their album December Moon in 2011. Duran Duran covered the song on their 1995 album Thank You.

The reggae beat of "Watching the Detectives" provided Swedish pop band Gyllene Tider with inspiration for the composition of their debut single "Flickorna på TV2" ("The Girls on Channel Two") in 1979,{{Cite news |date=24 October 2013 |title="Alla tiders Gyllene Tider" |url=https://www.hn.se/noje/bocker/alla-tiders-gyllene-tider-jan-owe-wikstrom.6ee2d656-6525-43a7-8675-fc1a234af84c |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250118202731/https://www.hn.se/noje/bocker/alla-tiders-gyllene-tider-jan-owe-wikstrom.6ee2d656-6525-43a7-8675-fc1a234af84c |archive-date=18 January 2025 |access-date=18 January 2025 |work=Hallands Nyheter |language=sv}}{{Cite book |last=Andersson |first=Kjell |page=46 |title=Ingen går hel ur det här: mitt liv i den svenska musiken |publisher=Bonnier |year=2021 |isbn=978-910-0181-567 |edition=1st |location=Sweden |language=sv}} which reached number one on the Swedish singles chart in February 1980,{{cite web |date=1980 |title=Flickorna på TV2 |url=http://swedishcharts.com/showitem.asp?interpret=Gyllene+Tider&titel=Himmel+No%2E+7+%2F+Flickorna+p%E5+TV2&cat=s |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221217205719/https://swedishcharts.com/showitem.asp?interpret=Gyllene+Tider&titel=Himmel+No%2E+7+%2F+Flickorna+p%E5+TV2&cat=s |archive-date=17 December 2022 |accessdate=17 January 2025 |publisher=Sverigetopplistan}} launching the career of the band and vocalist Per Gessle.{{Cite book |last=Wikström |first=Jan-Owe |page=10 |title=Alla tiders Gyllene Tider: en roadmovie-biografi |publisher=Roos & Tegnér |year=2013 |isbn=97-89-186-691-608 |edition=1st |location=Sweden |language=sv}}

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Category:Elvis Costello songs

Category:1977 songs

Category:Reggae rock songs

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Category:Stiff Records singles

Category:Columbia Records singles

Category:1977 singles