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Elvis Costello / Mighty Like A Rose limited edition gold vinyl

1991 album reissued on coloured vinyl

By Paul Sinclair

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31

Elvis Costello’s second album for Warner Bros., 1991’s Mighty Like A Rose is to be reissued as a limited edition gold-coloured vinyl pressing.

The album features the Beach Boys spoofing single ‘The Other Side of Summer’ which got a fair amount of airplay and coverage at the time, although it only managed to reach #43 in the UK album chart.

Mitchell Froom co-produced the album with Costello and Kevin Killen and Mighty Like A Rose was the third long-player (after Spike and Flowers in the Dirt) to feature the fruits of the McCartney/MacManus songwriting sessions with the inclusion of the songs ‘So Like Candy’ and ‘Playboy To A Man’ (both, in demo form, were included on the 2017 Archive Collection reissue of Paul’s Flowers in the Dirt).

The LP is pressed on 180g gold-coloured vinyl, and comes with an insert. These are numbered and limited to 2000 copies worldwide.

Mighty Like A Rose is reissued on 15 July 2022 via Music On Vinyl. Pre-order from the SDE shop using this link or the button below.

EU SHIPPING NOTES: If you are ordering from the EU please be aware that that goods may be subject to import VAT when they arrive from the UK. The prices the SDE shop charge you do not include VAT.

Tracklisting

Mighty Like A Rose Elvis Costello / Gold-coloured vinyl LP

    • Side A
      1. The Other Side Of Summer
      2. Hurry Down Doomsday (The Bugs Are Taking Over)
      3. How To Be Dumb
      4. All Grown Up
      5. Invasion Hit Parade
      6. Harpies Bizarre
      7. After The Fall
    • Side B
      1. Georgie And Her Rival
      2. So Like Candy
      3. Interlude: Couldn’t Call It Unexpected No.2
      4. Playboy to a Man
      5. Sweet Pear
      6. Broken
      7. Couldn’t Call It Unexpected No.4

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31 Comments

31 thoughts on “Elvis Costello / Mighty Like A Rose limited edition gold vinyl”

  1. So, Brutal Youth and Spike both recently reissued on double vinyl, costing around £35. Then the Juliet Letters on single disc for £30, and now Mighty Like a Rose, again on single disc at £30. But, Elvis has himself been critical on Twitter, saying Warner Brothers “did not consult the artist” about this latest reissue, and suggesting it ought to have been a double. Also he even said something along the lines that this album was originally recorded specifically for cd/digital. What the flip is going on! Can’t help wondering what source was used for this latest vinyl release. At least one punter was disappointed with the sound quality, with 30 minutes of music pressed on side one.

  2. To my ears his worst mainstream pop album (can’t speak of ‘North’ and don’t much care for ‘The Juliet Letters’), but the original LP isn’t too hard to find for those who want it. It would be nice if labels focused on reissuing those bits of a back catalogue that are really hard to get – another vinyl issue of his Bacharach collaboration would be much appreciated!

    1. Word is that “Painted From Memory” (his Bacharach collaboration) will be getting some type of reissue or deluxe edition later this year…obviously no clue on formats yet.

  3. After that news I played CD1 of the 2disc deluxe for the 1st time in a very long time. To me, personally, Elvis Costello doesn’t do a thing. I somehow thought I need to get to know his music after Flowers in the dirt demos but there is really not much that really sticks with me. I take Weller over Costello any day. Sorry, but I am glad to see this nice looking gold vinyl.
    I like his version of Full Force Gale though.
    Peace

  4. I was a in my mid-teens when this album was first released. “The Other Side of Summer” got at least some airplay on MTV. I remember being shocked and somewhat bemused over Elvis’ big beard/sunglasses look at the time. A brilliantly overproduced mess of an album and a big favourite of mine. Can’t wait to add it to my vinyl collection and hope Brutal Youth and All This Useless Beauty are also forthcoming.

  6. All these albums you read about ,getting a rerelease on coloured vinyl,I’ve always wondered, is the record company just putting them out to make money,and that’s the only/main reason?

      1. Well, let me reply to myself: to sell is the ‘reason’ to put it out, but there are a myriad of different approaches to that fact. Fi. the motivation to record and distribute a certain amount of organised noise is not unimportant. I believe that for many people in the business, money is not the only reason, or even necessarily the most important. Many independent labels are started out of love of a certain style of music. The famous Blue Note label started in 1939 and clearly, if you read the histories written about it, both founders, after leaving Germany because of nazism, were motivated by a love for that kind of music. It is clear that in the SDE-segment there are quite a few people who have a genuine love for the music and a desire to present it in the best possible way: aesthetically, historically, sound-wise etc. However, I see no other motive than pure, easy profit for colored vinyl. But be my guest to proof me wrong.

    3. It called the “Music Business” for a reason. Of course they aim to make money, and there’s nothing wrong with that. Some titles are difficult to find secondhand – Mighty Like a Rose isn’t too expensive secondhand, but it’s not the cheapest either – so reissues are a great way to get them. Also, a good number of modern pressings are on 180g Vinyl, which is never a bad thing.

      The whole “colored vinyl” thing though, kind of passes me by. I can’t imagine I’d buy a recording just because it’s on colored plastic. I’d like to see the labels work harder at getting us to buy again than simply changing the color of the pellets. 45RM, One-Step, a bonus disc of tracks, etc. Those are more enticing. Most of the Costello catalog got 2CD releases a few moons ago, and to see the extra material on Vinyl would be nice, imo.

    4. Like all businesses, any record company’s main objective is to make money and this is the only reason they put product out.

  7. It’s a brilliant album. Costello was on a good run when this was made. I have the original vinyl of this, so no need for a new copy. However, if they make it to All This Useless Beauty – likely on red vinyl, let’s face it – I’m in.

    2. But there’s no point in releasing them on CD. All the classic albums got a 2CD release years ago, and those are definitive. CD’s of Mighty Like a Rose are available for less than a fiver, and the mastering is excellent. Given this is a simple reissue with no extras, it doesn’t make a lot of sense to reissue it on that format.

      1. I’m referring to his recent reissue of Armed Forces. It had 47 bonus tracks. All vinyl. At the time he proclaimed the cd is a dead format and reissued the box on vinyl only. Someone who helps killing off my -and many others- preferred format of music doesn’t get my support nor should he get any support (IMHO) from anyone else supporting the physical format. I don’t even understand why Paul supports him by posting this but it’s his website so power to him but it’s not ok what Costello is doing.
        https://www.discogs.com/release/16191785-Elvis-Costello-And-The-Attractions-Armed-Forces

        1. Be cool, Elvis Costello is not responsible for the downfall of the CD format. He’s a minor figure in the music industry, compared to Drake, Kanye West or Doja Cat. If you want to blame someone, don’t blame him !

        2. Armed Forces with all the bonus tracks in CD quality is available to buy as a download for £21.59. That is a lot cheaper than a CD box set would be. You could even buy some CDRs and burn it to disc and it would be cheap.
          The new album is on CD. I don’t think it is reasonable to demand every re-issue in all formats for artists who don’t necessarily sell in large quantities. If you are after the music then downloads can be a good way to get it and can be cheap. Certainly compared to the vinyl box price.

        3. I’m aware of the Armed Forces release, and it was indeed a kick in the teeth. I suspect it’s not Costello’s choice though. I imagine the label is dictating things. Coincidentally, I found a used copy of the box cheap on Ebay a couple months ago. I picked it up, and it’s a very very nice set. Still, if you don’t do Vinyl, that’s neither here nor there.

      2. It’s been 31 years since the last LP pressing and 21 years since the excellent 2 CD reissue of this title. I’d be game for another 2 CD reissue…but as already mentioned, Costello has no interest in the viable (not quite dead yet) compact disc format. The 2002 2 CD set can’t be found for less than $60.00 new anywhere – the demand is there for his fans. There’s always “Compact Disc Day 2032” to look forward to and maybe by then, he’ll change his tune.

    3. And yet ‘The Boy Named If’ deluxe book version came with the CD, not the vinyl. The man is either conflicted, or sales/marketing is dictated by perceived consumer demand for whichever format, not the opinions or whims of the artist. But if the ‘Armed Forces’ super deluxe was re-released on CD, I’d buy it in a flash.

      1. Also, Elvis has recently recorded six songs with Allan Mayes to celebrate the fiftieth anniversary of when they played together in Allan’s band Rusty back in 1972 – “Let’s make the record we would have cut when we were 18” said Elvis. The release, “The Resurrection of Rust”, is out shortly on digital download and CD – but not on vinyl which is surely how it would have appeared if released 50 years ago!

  9. I love this album – but really in the arc of his career, Imperial Bedroom was his Sgt. Pepper. This one is kind of like his Walls and Bridges or Band on the Run… which I guess makes Brutal Youth his Tug of War. (ok, this is a bit silly….)

  11. It’s a 54 minute album, that’s a bit of a stretch – it’s no different to the original vinyl release. Spike got bumped up to a two-record set. And why not rose-coloured?! (Great album though)

    1. Indeed – if they’d made this one a double LP like Spike I might have considired repurchasing the album (for the 7th time …). As it is, I still have my ‘Music On Vinyl’ re-issue of 2013 (waw – 9 years ago?!) – which this new release will be virtually identical to, I imagine? Hopefully they’ll do a better job with the colour scheme of the artwork (which ended up very yellow last time), but since they did improve the quality of the sleeve of Spike 2012 vs. 2021, I expect they’ll try to do the same for Mighty Like A Rose. Ah, I’m tempted after all :)

  12. Elvis Costello’s ‘Sgt. Pepper’! A delighful album, beautifully overproduced, tacky, weird, sarcastic, extreme, full of melody, dark and bright. Every track takes the album in a completely different direction. Definitely oneof my favorites.

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