Elvis Costello - THE COMEDIANS

First performance: 30/09/1987

Coverinfo

1987-09-30 - COCOANUT GROVE, AMBASSADOR HOTEL, LOS ANGELES, CA (Roy Orbison's Black & White Night)
Bruce (and others) join Roy Orbison for the filming of Roy Orbison & Friends: "A Black & White Night", shot in beautiful black and white and broadcast on Cinemax in January 1988. The film is shot in the Cocoanut Grove, a nightclub in the now-torn-down Ambassador Hotel in Los Angeles. Orbison's cover of Elvis Costello's "The Comedians" requires three takes. Backing group is the TCB Band (who accompanied Elvis Presley between 1969-77) . The resulting film is later released on Roy Orbison & Friends, A Black & White Night .
 
 
 
  • Roy Orbison: lead vocals, guitar, harmonica
  • T Bone Burnett: acoustic guitar; musical director

TCB Band:

  • Glen D. Hardin: piano
  • James Burton: lead guitar
  • Jerry Scheff: upright bass
  • Ronnie Tutt: drums
Guest performers:

  • Bruce Springsteen: guitar, vocals
  • Elvis Costello: acoustic guitar, electric organ, harmonica
  • Tom Waits: electric organ, acoustic guitar
  • Michael Utley: keyboard
  • Lyle Lovett: keyboard
  • Alex Acuña: percussion
  • Ezra Klinger & Pavel Farkas: violin
  • Jimbo Ross & Peter Hatch: viola
Guest Vocalists:

  • J. D. Souther: backing vocals; acoustic guitar; vocal arrangements
  • Steven Soles: backing vocals
  • Jackson Browne: backing vocals
  • Bonnie Raitt: backing vocals
  • k.d. lang: backing vocals
  • Jennifer Warnes: backing vocals 

Songinfo

The song is written by Elvis Costello and taken from the album "Goodbye cruel world". (1984).  The song was covered by Roy Orbinson for his 1989 album "Mystery Girl".
 
 
 
 
 

Other cover versions

Bruce on the artist

Lyrics

I fell under such gentle persuasion
You can't refuse it's like a home from home
Meanwhile in the motorcar kingdom
They're finding all that glitters is not chrome
The social circle have these cardiac complaints
Their hearts are empty when their hands are full
All these new found fond acquaintances
Turn out to be the red rag to my bull

And I'm up while the dawn is breaking
Even though my heart is aching
I should be drinking a toast to absent friends instead of these comedians

I've looked into those eyes upon reflection
They've seen the face of love, they've seen a few
What kind of love is this upon inspection
You'll be the last to know who's fooling who

And I'm up while the dawn is breaking
Even though my heart is aching
I should be drinking a toast to absent friends instead of these comedians
And I'm up while the dawn is breaking
Even though my heart is aching
I should be drinking a toast to absent friends instead of these comedians