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  • The Aim Is True - 49th Anniversary Edition 5CD - 1
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Elvis Costello

The Aim Is True - 49th Anniversary Edition 5CD

£149.99

Released: 2nd October 2026. 'My Aim Is True (49th Anniversary Edition)' tells the origin story of how Declan MacManus became Elvis Costello. This expansive 5CD box set features 104 tracks, 52 of them unreleased songs, demos, outtakes, and live performances. The collection also includes a 72 page liner essay by Elvis Costello, with unseen photographs, handwritten lyrics from his notebooks, and diary entries from 1976 as he was making 'My Aim Is True'. Elvis Costello's classic debut album, 'My Aim Is True', has been remastered from the original 1977 analog master tapes. The 13-song album features the singles 'Less Than Zero' and 'Alison', which failed to chart in the U.K.; '(The Angels Wanna Wear My) Red Shoes', a minor hit; and 'Watching The Detectives', which became Costello's first Top 20 single.

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  • Details

    Released:
    2nd October 2026
    Category:
    Rock/Pop, Rock
    Format:
    CD Box Set
    Barcode:
    199957528115

  • Description

    'My Aim Is True (49th Anniversary Edition)' tells the origin story of how Declan MacManus became Elvis Costello. This expansive 5CD box set features 104 tracks, 52 of them unreleased songs, demos, outtakes, and live performances. The collection also includes a 72 page liner essay by Elvis Costello, with unseen photographs, handwritten lyrics from his notebooks, and diary entries from 1976 as he was making 'My Aim Is True'. Elvis Costello's classic debut album, 'My Aim Is True', has been remastered from the original 1977 analog master tapes. The 13-song album features the singles 'Less Than Zero' and 'Alison', which failed to chart in the U.K.; '(The Angels Wanna Wear My) Red Shoes', a minor hit; and 'Watching The Detectives', which became Costello's first Top 20 single.

  • Track listing

    Disc 1

    Track name
    Artist
    1.Welcome to the Working Week (2026 Remaster)
    Elvis Costello
    2.Miracle Man (2026 Remaster)
    Elvis Costello
    3.No Dancing (2026 Remaster)
    Elvis Costello
    4.Blame It On Cain (2026 Remaster)
    Elvis Costello
    5.Alison (2026 Remaster)
    Elvis Costello
    6.Sneaky Feelings (2026 Remaster)
    Elvis Costello
    7.(The Angels Wanna Wear My) Red Shoes (2026 Remaster)
    Elvis Costello
    8.Less Than Zero (2026 Remaster)
    Elvis Costello
    9.Mystery Dance (2026 Remaster)
    Elvis Costello
    10.Pay It Back (2026 Remaster)
    Elvis Costello
    11.I'm Not Angry (2026 Remaster)
    Elvis Costello
    12.Waiting for the End of the World (2026 Remaster)
    Elvis Costello
    13.Watching the Detectives (Single Version)
    Elvis Costello

    Disc 2

    Track name
    Artist
    1.I Turn Around (Hope & Anchor Studio)
    Elvis Costello
    2.Losing You (Hope & Anchor Studio)
    Elvis Costello
    3.Leverman (Hope & Anchor Studio)
    Elvis Costello
    4.Citizen Junction (Hope & Anchor Studio)
    Elvis Costello
    5.I Hear a Melody (Pathway Studios)
    Elvis Costello
    6.Poison Moon (Bedroom Recording)
    Elvis Costello
    7.Wave a White Flag (Bedroom Recording)
    Elvis Costello
    8.Mercury Wings (Ms. Dore's Tape)
    Elvis Costello
    9.Jump Up (Hope & Anchor Studio)
    Elvis Costello
    10.No Star (Hope & Anchor Studio)
    Elvis Costello
    11.Walk On (Hope & Anchor Studio)
    Elvis Costello
    12.Radio Soul (Hope & Anchor Studio)
    Elvis Costello
    13.Clean Money (Hope & Anchor Studio)
    Elvis Costello
    14.Don't Put a Levy On My Love (Hope & Anchor Studio)
    Elvis Costello
    15.Play It Safe (Hope & Anchor Studio)
    Elvis Costello
    16.Imagination (Is a Powerful Deceiver) [Hope & Anchor Studio]
    Elvis Costello
    17.I Can't Turn It Off (Hope & Anchor Studio)
    Elvis Costello

    Disc 3

    Track name
    Artist
    1.Radio Sweetheart (My Aim Is True Outtake)
    Elvis Costello
    2.Cheap Reward (Bedroom Recording)
    Elvis Costello
    3.Mystery Dance (Bedroom Recording)
    Elvis Costello
    4.Stranger in the House (My Aim Is True Outtake)
    Elvis Costello
    5.Running Out of Angels (Hope & Anchor Studio)
    Elvis Costello
    6.Just Like a Jukebox (Hope & Anchor Studio)
    Elvis Costello
    7.I Don't Want to Go Home (Pathway Studios)
    Elvis Costello
    8.Blame It On Cain (Bedroom Recording)
    Elvis Costello
    9.Blue Minute (Ms. Dore's Tape)
    Elvis Costello
    10.Pay It Back (Bedroom Recording)
    Elvis Costello
    11.Exiles Road (Hope & Anchor Studio)
    Flip City
    12.Knockin' On Heaven's Door (Hope & Anchor Studio)
    Flip City
    13.Sweet Revival (Hope & Anchor Studio)
    Flip City
    14.Pay It Back (Hope & Anchor Studio)
    Flip City
    15.Imagination (Is a Powerful Deceiver) [Hope & Anchor Studio]
    Flip City
    16.Living in Paradise (Hope & Anchor Studio)
    Elvis Costello
    17.Welcome to the Working Week (Pathway Studios)
    Elvis Costello
    18.Miracle Man (Bedroom Recording)
    Elvis Costello
    19.Miracle Man (Pathway Studios)
    Elvis Costello
    20.(The Angels Wanna Wear My) Red Shoes (Ms. Dore's Tape)
    Elvis Costello
    21.(The Angels Wanna Wear My) Red Shoes (Pathway Studios)
    Elvis Costello
    22.Waiting for the End of the World (Pathway Studios)
    Elvis Costello
    23.Living in Paradise (My Aim Is True Outtake)
    Elvis Costello
    24.Call On Me (Pathway Studios)
    Elvis Costello
    25.Watching the Detectives (Pathway Studios Trio Version)
    Elvis Costello
    26.No Action (Pathway Studios Trio Version)
    Elvis Costello
    27.Poison Moon (Ms. Dore's Tape)
    Elvis Costello
    28.Stranger in the House (Ms. Dore's Tape)
    Elvis Costello

    Disc 4

    Track name
    Artist
    1.Alison (What's On Granada Reports)
    Elvis Costello
    2.Introduction By Dave Robinson (Live at the Nashville Room)
    Elvis Costello
    3.Mystery Dance (Live at the Nashville Room)
    Elvis Costello
    4.Pay It Back (Soundcheck at the Nashville Room)
    Elvis Costello
    5.Radio Sweetheart (Soundcheck at the Nashville Room)
    Elvis Costello
    6.Sneaky Feelings (Soundcheck at the Nashville Room)
    Elvis Costello
    7.Crawling to the U.S.A. (Soundcheck at the Nashville Room)
    Elvis Costello
    8.Lip Service (Pathway Studios)
    Elvis Costello
    9.(The Angels Wanna Wear My) Red Shoes (With Introduction, Top of the Pops)
    Elvis Costello
    10.Interview No. 1 (Good Afternoon With Mavis Nicholson)
    Elvis Costello
    11.Watching the Detectives (Good Afternoon Broadcast)
    Elvis Costello
    12.Interview No. 2 (Good Afternoon With Mavis Nicholson)
    Elvis Costello
    13.Hoover Factory (Good Afternoon Rehearsal)
    Elvis Costello
    14.I Just Don't Know What to Do With Myself (Live Stiffs Tour, Universaity of East Anglia, Norwich, UK)
    Elvis Costello
    15.Whole Wide World (Live Stiffs Tour, University of Leicester, Leicester, UK)
    Elvis Costello
    16.KSAN Intro (Live at the Old Waldorf, San Francisco, CA)
    Elvis Costello
    17.Pump It Up (Live at the Old Waldorf, San Francisco, CA)
    Elvis Costello
    18.Lip Service (Unknown Field Recording)
    Elvis Costello
    19.Mystery Dance (Live at the Winterland Ballroom, San Francisco, CA)
    Elvis Costello
    20.Blame It On Cain (Live at the Winterland Ballroom, San Francisco, CA)
    Elvis Costello
    21.Less Than Zero (Dallas Version) [live at the Warner Theater, Washington D.C.]
    Elvis Costello
    22.Waiting for the End of the World (The Agora Ballroom, Cleveland, OH)
    Elvis Costello
    23.Miracle Man (Live at the Warner Theater, Washington D.C.)
    Elvis Costello
    24.Watching the Detectives (Live at the Winterland Ballroom, San Francisco, CA)
    Elvis Costello
    25.I'm Not Angry (Live at the Winterland Ballroom, San Francisco, CA)
    Elvis Costello

    Disc 5

    Track name
    Artist
    1.Welcome to the Working Week (Live at the Great American Music Hall, San Francisco, CA, November 8th 2007)
    Elvis Costello
    2.Miracle Man (Live at the Great American Music Hall, San Francisco, CA, November 8th 2007)
    Elvis Costello
    3.No Dancing (Live at the Great American Music Hall, San Francisco, CA, November 8th 2007)
    Elvis Costello
    4.Intro to Blame It On Cain (Live at the Great American Music Hall, San Francisco, CA, November 8th 2007)
    Elvis Costello
    5.Blame It On Cain (Live at the Great American Music Hall, San Francisco, CA, November 8th 2007)
    Elvis Costello
    6.Alison (Live at the Great American Music Hall, San Francisco, CA, November 8th 2007)
    Elvis Costello
    7.Intro to Sneaky Feelings (Live at the Great American Music Hall, San Francisco, CA, November 8th 2007)
    Elvis Costello
    8.Sneaky Feelings (Live at the Great American Music Hall, San Francisco, CA, November 8th 2007)
    Elvis Costello
    9.Intro to Red Shoes (Live at the Great American Music Hall, San Francisco, CA, November 8th 2007)
    Elvis Costello
    10.(The Angels Wanna Wear My) Red Shoes (Live at the Great American Music Hall, San Francisco, CA, November 8th 2007)
    Elvis Costello
    11.Less Than Zero (Live at the Great American Music Hall, San Francisco, CA, November 8th 2007)
    Elvis Costello
    12.Mystery Dance (Live at the Great American Music Hall, San Francisco, CA, November 8th 2007)
    Elvis Costello
    13.Pay It Back (Live at the Great American Music Hall, San Francisco, CA, November 8th 2007)
    Elvis Costello
    14.I'm Not Angry (Live at the Great American Music Hall, San Francisco, CA, November 8th 2007)
    Elvis Costello
    15.Waiting for the End of the World/Gloria (Live at the Great American Music Hall, San Francisco, CA, November 8th 2007)
    Elvis Costello
    16.Watching the Detectives (Live at the Great American Music Hall, San Francisco, CA, November 8th 2007)
    Elvis Costello
    17.Mr. Moon (Live at the Great American Music Hall, San Francisco, CA, November 8th 2007)
    Elvis Costello
    18.Intro to the Love Trilogy (Live at the Great American Music Hall, San Francisco, CA, November 8th 2007)
    Elvis Costello
    19.Love Has No Pride (Live at the Great American Music Hall, San Francisco, CA, November 8th 2007)
    Elvis Costello
    20.Love Is Gone (Live at the Great American Music Hall, San Francisco, CA, November 8th 2007)
    Elvis Costello
    21.(What's Funny 'Bout) Peace, Love and Understanding (Live at the Great American Music Hall, San Francisco, CA, November 8th 2007)
    Elvis Costello

  • Delivery and Returns

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    Items marked 'item fulfilled by Exertis on behalf of hmv' are dispatched directly by Exertis via their approved couriers. Your delivery details will be shared with Exertis and their courier to fulfil your order.


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    • We're happy to accept returns for unwanted items within 30 days of receipt, provided they’re in their original condition with all seals intact. Clothing and technology items without a seal may be opened for inspection (as you would in a shop) but must not be used and should be repackaged carefully.  
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