Tag Archives: The Roots

Elvis Costello And The Roots: Wise Up Ghost

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On September 17, 2013, “Blue Note” label released “Wise Up Ghost”, a collaborative album by Elvis Costello and the band The Roots. It was recorded 2012 – 2013, and was produced by Elvis Costello, Questlove and Steven Mandel.

Personnel:

  • Elvis Costello – vocals, Ampeg Baby bass, baritone, distortion, wah wah and rhythm guitar, horn arrangements, melodica, organ, piano, Wurlitzer piano
  • The Roots
  • Ray Angry – bells, clavinet, Farfisa organ, keyboards, organ, piano
  • Kirk Douglas – vocals, acoustic, electric and rhythm guitar
  • Drew Dembowski, Mark Kelley, Pino Palladino, Ken Wild – bass
  • Questlove – drums
  • Damon Bryson – sousaphone
  • Alex Budman– bass clarinet
  • Matt Cappy – flugelhorn, horn arrangements, trumpet
  • Bob Carr – bassoon, contrabassoon
  • Chris Farr – flute, horn arrangements, saxophone
  • Sally Berman, Mark Cargill, Sam Fischer, Alex Gorlovsky, Anna Kostyuchek, Mike Ferrill, Elizabeth Wilson – violin
  • Robert Berg, Roland Kato, Kazi Pitelka – viola
  • Miguel Martinez, Kevan Torfeh, Cecilia Tsan – cello
  • Colin Nairne – session coordinator
  • James Poyser- keyboards, piano
  • Frank “Knuckles” Walker – bells, chimes, percussion, tambourine
  • Bill Reichenbach- contrabass trombone, euphonium, tuba
  • Korey Riker – horn arrangements, baritone and tenor saxophone
  • Marisol “La Marisoul” Hernandez – vocals, translation
  • Steven Mandel – engineer, horn arrangements, mixing
  • Brent Fischer- conductor, orchestration
  • Assa Drori – concert master, contractor
  • The Brent Fischer Orchestra
  • Steve Hughes – euphonium
  • Diane Birch– backing vocals
  • Sebastián Krys, Richard Stolz – vocal engineer
  • Brendan Steele – engineer assistant
  • Mike Cashin – engineer assistant
  • Dave Kutch – mastering
  • Coco Shinomiya – art direction
  • Nicole Frantz – creative director
  • Ben Greenman – liner notes
  • Danny Clinch- photography
  • Guadalupe Jolicoeur – translation
  • Zach Hochkeppel – product manager
  • Eric Eylands, Keith Horn, Frank Rodriguez, Felix Romero, Claris Sayadian-Dodge – production assistant

Track listing:

All tracks by Elvis Costello, Ahmir Thompson and Steven Mandel, except where noted

  1. Walk Us Uptown
  2. Sugar Won’t Work
  3. Refuse To Be Saved
  4. Wake Me Up
  5. Tripwire
  6. Stick Out Your Tongue
  7. Come the Meantimes – Elvis Costello, Ahmir Thompson, Steven Mande, Ronald Dunbar, Daphne Ann Dozier, Edythe Vernelle Craighead
  8. (She Might Be A) Grenade
  9. Cinco Minutos Con Vos
  10. Viceroy’s Row
  11. Wise Up Ghost
  12. If I Could Believe – Elvis Costello