Costello: Over 30 Years of Musical Genius
Grammy-winner Elvis Costello has been topping the Billboard charts for more than three decades. His rich lyrics and diverse musical style make him one of the most innovative and influential songwriters of our time.
The second season of his hit TV show, "Spectacle: Elvis Costello With..."debuts Dec. 9, on the Sundance Channel.
Viewers will get a chance to see superstars such as U2's Bono, Bruce Springsteen and Sheryl Crow discuss their love of music and perform side-by-side with the man himself.
Costello stopped by The Early Show to perform his hit, "Everyday I Write the Book" and discuss his children, music and hit TV show with co-anchors Maggie Rodriguez and Harry Smith.
A father of twin boys, Dexter and Frank, it seems like only yesterday Costello's wife, Diana Krall, was on "The Early Show with his children, playing some Christmas songs.
"They'll be 3 on Dec. 6," he said Wednesday.
The twins can be picky about their parents' song choices, however.
"They'll be alright until I start singing. Then it's like, 'Dad, don't sing!' " Costello said.
They're tough on their mother, too. "No, they don't like her singing either. Not until she's playing selections from 'Toy Story' or something," Costello said.
The children are a "tough crowd," Smith pointed out.
"Very, very tough. They like swing music. They like Texas Playboys and Nat Cole and Lou Jordan," Costello remarked.
Costello's hit, "Everyday I Write the Book" has a surprising twist.
"I wrote it as a gag, in ten minutes," Costello admitted. "And then the thing went and was a hit. And I never really liked the record of it that much and I tried different ways to play it. And my friend, Ron Saksmith, is a really great song writer from Canada, and he did an arrangement of it.
"And he made it all gentle. And it sort of reminded me that in there was a little soulful idea and that softened the case. Because you write them alone and then you dress them up and make them all loud and everything so you can get over to a lot of people."
"Spectacle: Elvis Costello With..." features an eclectic array of musical artists who discuss their individual creative processes and love of music with Costello.
"We don't try to shine a light in their eyes and get them to confess. They talk readily about the music they love..." Costello explained.
Costello shared the stage at the Apollo with the legendary Smokey Robinson to sing the classic, "You Really Got a Hold of Me," which was the first record Costello owned.
Thrilled to get the opportunity to sing with Robinson, Costello was even more in awe when Robinson told him to take the lead at the Apollo.
Costello also released a new album, "Secret, Profane and Sugarcane" in June of this year. It debuted at No. 13 on the Billboard 200 and became his highest album chart placement since 1980.