Editing This Year's Model (section)

==Background==
[[Elvis Costello]] was backed on his debut album ''[[My Aim Is True]]'' (1977) by the California-based [[country rock]] act [[Clover (band)|Clover]],{{sfn|Hinton|1999|loc=chap. 2}} whose laid-back approach he felt did not fit the sound of the times. Wanting a harder and sharper sound, he decided to assemble a permanent backing band.{{sfn|Thomson|2004|loc=chap. 4}} The first musician hired was [[Pete Thomas (drummer)|Pete Thomas]], former drummer of [[Chilli Willi and the Red Hot Peppers]]; the second hired was [[Bruce Thomas (musician)|Bruce Thomas]], a bassist whose previous involvements included several [[folk rock]] albums earlier in the decade;{{efn|Although they have the same surname, Pete and Bruce are unrelated.{{sfn|Thomson|2004|loc=chap. 4}}}} and last [[Steve Nieve]], who had no prior band experience and had trained at the [[Royal College of Music]].<ref name="2002 liner notes">{{cite AV media notes |last=Costello |first=Elvis |title=This Year's Model (reissue) |others=Elvis Costello |year=2002 |location=US |publisher=[[Rhino Entertainment]] |type=CD booklet |id=R2 78354}}</ref>{{sfn|Costello|2015|pp=231–239}}{{sfn|Gouldstone|1989|loc=chap. 3}} With Costello on guitar, he and the band, now named [[the Attractions]], made their live debut on 14{{nbsp}}July 1977.{{sfn|Hinton|1999|loc=chap. 2}}{{sfn|Costello|2015|pp=237–242}} Shortly after the release of ''My Aim Is True'' eight days later,{{sfn|Hinton|1999|p=426}} the group performed an unauthorised show outside a [[Columbia Records]] convention, which led to Costello's arrest. The stunt attracted the attention of record executive Greg Geller, who months later became integral in signing Costello to Columbia in the United States.{{sfn|Hinton|1999|loc=chap. 2}}{{sfn|Thomson|2004|loc=chap. 4}}{{sfn|Costello|2015|pp=237–242}}

Costello and the band were on tour for most of the rest of 1977. The dates included the Greatest Stiffs Live Tour with other [[Stiff Records]] artists and their first tour of America.{{sfn|Thomson|2004|loc=chap. 4}}{{sfn|Clayton-Lea|1999|loc=chap. 2}} During this time, Stiff co-founder [[Jake Riviera]] departed Stiff due to disputes with the label's co-founder [[Dave Robinson (music executive)|Dave Robinson]]. Per Costello's management contract, Costello followed Riviera and left Stiff for [[Radar Records]] but retained his American deal with Columbia.{{efn|Lowe also left Stiff with Costello for Radar.{{sfn|Hinton|1999|loc=chap. 2}}{{sfn|Thomson|2004|loc=chap. 4}}}} His final release for Stiff was that October's "[[Watching the Detectives (song)|Watching the Detectives]]", his first single to reach the UK top 20. In the meantime, Costello had written a large amount of new material which would appear on ''This Year's Model''.{{sfn|Hinton|1999|loc=chap. 2}}{{sfn|Thomson|2004|loc=chap. 4}}{{sfn|Clayton-Lea|1999|loc=chap. 2}}

According to the author Graeme Thomson, Costello's reputation in the US grew faster than in the UK. He was acclaimed in publications such as ''[[Time (magazine)|Time]]'' and ''[[Newsweek]]'' and approached to appear on [[NBC]]'s ''[[Saturday Night Live]]'' as a last-minute replacement for the [[Sex Pistols]], which took place the day after the tour's end.{{sfn|Thomson|2004|loc=chap. 4}} During the appearance, Costello and the Attractions played "Watching the Detectives" and began "Less Than Zero" before Costello abruptly cut the band off and counted them into the then-unreleased "[[Radio Radio]]", a critique of the commercialisation of broadcasting. The impromptu stunt angered producer [[Lorne Michaels]] and resulted in Costello's banning from ''Saturday Night Live'' until 1989.<ref>{{cite magazine |url=https://www.billboard.com/music/rock/elvis-costello-recalls-snl-performance-stunt-apple-music-interview-9516023/ |title=Elvis Costello Recalls 'SNL' Stunt That Got Him Banned: 'I Just Wanted Them to Remember Us' |last=Mamo |first=Heran |date=25 January 2021 |magazine=[[Billboard (magazine)|Billboard]] |access-date=2 March 2022 |archive-date=21 December 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211221001625/https://www.billboard.com/music/rock/elvis-costello-recalls-snl-performance-stunt-apple-music-interview-9516023/ |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=https://ultimateclassicrock.com/elvis-costello-snl-banned/ |title=Why Elvis Costello Got Banned from 'Saturday Night Live' |last=DeRiso |first=Nick |date=17 December 2015 |website=[[Ultimate Classic Rock]] |access-date=2 March 2022 |archive-date=28 December 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211228155112/https://ultimateclassicrock.com/elvis-costello-snl-banned/ |url-status=live }}</ref>