Interesting question. I think this explains it pretty well:The imposter wrote:I was wondering if Elvis' obscure choice of track was really the choice of a dedicated fan plundering his huge bootleg collections of Prince or really a back handed compliment relating to Elvis' obvious sadness and disappointment that Prince refused to allow a sample of his lyrics to be used on one of "The Bridge I Burned" mixes.
Choosing a song an artist hasn't even released at a tribute concert plus giving it a title different to the known bootleg, to me appears a little bizarre and also controversial.
It was certainly the most unexpected thing I can remember from him since his Live Aid appearance in 85.
Then again he has been playing a medley featuring "Purple Rain" regularly fairly recently, so maybe it's nothing. Anybody else surprised by that song choice ?
http://www.rollingstone.com/music/news/ ... z2NjxGLVbr
At least some of those curves had to have come from Questlove, the Roots' drummer and musical director for the show. The Roots provided unwavering support for most of the acts, accompanied on guitar by Wendy Melvoin of the Revolution, the band that backed Prince on Purple Rain. In many cases the performers took chances on well-known songs. Or not-so-well-known, as was the case with Costello, who near the end sang an unreleased Prince song called "Moonbeam Levels" (known to many bootleg collectors as "A Better Place to Die"). Which of these two ultra-music-geeks onstage decided on that one – Costello, the man who once wrote a listener's guide to a 24-hour cycle, or Questlove, with his complete collection of Soul Train episodes? Either way, the song scored big, as did much of the night.
Here's another reference:
http://www.billboard.com/articles/news/ ... llo-bettye
And noted crate-digger Elvis Costello performed the most obscure song of the night (probably the result of a deep-cut geekout with Questlove), the unreleased mid-'80s song "Moonbeam Levels," which is usually called "A Better Place 2 Die" on bootlegs.
Clearly both EC and Q share a love of music history and obscurities. They were in this together.
Here's someone trying to reconcile what happened in 1997 with 2013:
http://www.rocknycliveandrecorded.com/2 ... tchet.html
Back in the day Prince recorded a (great) song called "Pop Life" and planted it on his Around The World album and it was a hit single swipe at all things pop from back when Prince could do it in his sleep. I am among those who believes Prince us slipping and Costello has slipped, but I also believe in second acts and…
Around 1997, Costello asked Prince to allow him to cover "Pop Life" for his Greatest Hits compilation culled off his Warner brothers years. Debatable true, but who are we to judge. Prince, being the dick he is, refused, and Costello replied with "The Bridge I Burned" using the same chords and the payoff line "You mutter underneath your breath – it echoes round the world".
And then all was silence for year after year, the two egomaniacs miles away from each other never to walk back across that burning bridge until… WHAT HAPPENED?
Yes, we had heard that Costello was recording an album with the Roots and the Roots would be the house band for the Carnegie Hall Prince tribute: all well and good. But the leap from that to Costello covering a Prince song at a tribute is huge, it is mammoth, it rocks the world!!!
So I ask again, how did it happen. Is Costello just being a good guy or have the pair decided to keep the peace. My bet is Costello just decided to drop it out of friendship for ?uestlove.
And now the next question is… WHAT WILL COSTELLO SING???? He wouldn't go there, would he? I can't believe he would do it but man will that make for an interesting side plot pn what feels like too much funk and not enough pop type of evening.One thing for sure, it should give us a glimpse into the psyche of Costello 2013!!