Elvis Costello & The Attractions - Armed Forces (1979, Pitman Pressing)

1979 US pressing, Columbia JC 35709, pressed at Pitman

Columbia issued Armed Forces in America in 1979 under license from Riviera Global Record Productions, and this copy was pressed at the Columbia Records plant in Pitman, New Jersey. Its runouts carry the matrix PAL 35709 on side A and PBL 35709 on side B, each followed by a lacquer suffix.

The object

The American jacket fronts Barney Bubbles's drip-paint design, with the band name and title scrawled across the splatter, and moves the painting of an elephant herd that fronted the British edition to the back cover. The back cover and the printed inner sleeve number the record 35709; everywhere else it reads JC 35709. The label matrices are AL 35709 and BL 35709.

Context

The American running order differs from the British Radar edition by one song. At Columbia's request, Sunday's Best was dropped, and Nick Lowe's (What's So Funny 'Bout) Peace, Love And Understanding closes side B in its place. Lowe also produced the album, recorded at Eden Studios in London in 1978. This Pitman copy was pressed in 1979, the year Columbia first put the album out in the US.

The album

The history of Armed Forces as a record lives on its album page.

Tracklist

Side A

1. Accidents Will Happen
2. Senior Service
3. Oliver's Army
4. Big Boys
5. Green Shirt
6. Party Girl

Side B

7. Goon Squad
8. Busy Bodies
9. Moods For Moderns
10. Chemistry Class
11. Two Little Hitlers
12. (What's So Funny 'Bout) Peace, Love And Understanding