The Elvis Costello "High Fidelity" B-side that you just gotta hear.

Elvis Costello and the Attractions : High Fidelity

[Purchase]

On April 4, 1980 Elvis Costello and the Attractions released the UK#30 hit "High Fidelity" b/w the Van McCoy song "Getting Mighty Crowded". In his autobiography, Costello described "High Fidelity" as, "an incredibly sad, delusion of a song, in which a couple find themselves in different rooms with different lovers, one of them still irrationally believing their pledge will endure both the initial faithlessness and the solace of revenge.

 I had a bit of a Twitter back and forth with Bebe Buell and came away with the impression that there are a few songs about her affair with Costello, including "High Fidelity". There is certainly a female object of obsession that keeps popping up in these songs.

 From Bebe: Of course- there are so many rumors out there- including some started by EC himself. I NEVER thought or claimed that any of the songs on This Year's Model or Armed Forces held me as the subject. Anything after that? All bets are off! EC is famous for denying!

40 Year Itch: Oh! I’m going to listen to Get Happy!! right now!!!

 BeBe: Now you're on the right path!

"Getting Mighty Crowded" is one of my all-time favorite EC B sides and could actually be an honorable mention in my list of 1980's Best Self Isolation Songs list just for the chorus: So you see, it`s getting mighty crowded/ Too crowded for me /It`s getting mighty crowded

The Betty Everett version is at half that speed.