Elvis Costello and T Bone Burnett have used the names Howard and Henry Coward as occasional noms de plume, dating back to the 1980s. But not until now did they turn the pseudonymous singing siblings o of their imaginations into fully fledged characters. Now those fictional personas are springing fully to life in “The True Story of the Coward Brothers,” a scripted musical-comedy audio series arriving as an Audible Original exclusive on Nov. 21. A 20-track soundtrack album is also on the way from New West Records.
Christopher Guest directed the three-part series, which was scripted by Costello. Beyond having Burnett and Costello as voice talent in the title roles, the audio comedy also features Guest’s “Spinal Tap” partner Harry Shearer as a radio host interviewing the brothers, with additional roles played by actors Rhea Seehorn, Edward Hibbert, Stephen Root and Kathreen Khavari.
The soundtrack album, with the shorter title of “The Coward Brothers,” will be issued as a CD and double-LP on Nov. 15, with the digital version following on all streaming services one week later, on Nov. 21, the date of the Audible series’ release. The soundtrack will be available on CD, regular black vinyl, limited-edition “Licorice Red” vinyl and Barnes & Noble-only “Pink Bubblegum” vinyl, those latter variants tying in with satirical song titles on the release.
The first single being released from the project, “Always,” is out today on all digital music services. The Audible series can be pre-ordered here. The New West album is up for pre-order here.
Among the other song titles promised for the comedy series and its accompanying album are “A Lotta Money,” “World Serious,” “Tipsy Woman,” “Like Licorice,” “Pure Bubblegum” and “My Baby Just Whistles (Here Come the Missiles,” the last of which is described as the show-biz-veteran brothers’ “failed attempt at Cold War topicality.”
Fans of Burnett and Costello will recall that they released just one single as the Coward Brothers in the very distant past: the original song “The People’s Limousine,” backed with a cover of the country classic “They’ll Never Take Her Love From Me,” issued as a 45-rpm single in 1985. (The tracks subsequently appeared as bonus tracks on Costello reissues.) Most of the pair’s collaborations have not been in character, though. Burnett has produced several Costello albums, including 1986’s “King of America” and 1989’s “Spike.” Together they were nominated for a best original song Oscar for co-writing “The Scarlet Tide” for the 2003 film “Cold Mountain.”
Elvis Costello and T Bone Burnett seen backstage during the 2019 Americana Honors & Awards at Ryman Auditorium on September 11, 2019 in Nashville, Tennessee.
Getty Images for Americana Music
There have been rumors of the Coward Brothers concept coming to fruition, and Burnett mentioned it in a Variety interview earlier this year about his latest album, “The Other Side.” He stated at the time that he had changed his singing style to more of a “chest voice” while working on the Audible project, and found that range so comfortable, he continued in that vein when he returned to recording his more serious solo work.
When it comes to the official press announcement, however, both singers issued statements disclaiming responsibility. Said Costello in a press release, “With regard to the ludicrous assertion that this person, Howard Coward, and I are one and the same, I have to say: this is the work of a bounder, a rounder and a charlatan, and I shall be examining my legal options forthwith.” Burnett, for his part, claimed to have once heard “Pure Bubblegum” on Fort Worth radio, and “the disc jockey played it once and got such a bad response from listeners that they burned it the next morning in front of the station.”
In the audio series, the “brothers” — one of whom is British, one American — “bitterly retrace” to radio interviewer Shearer the tale of being “duped out of their royalties and rightful place in pop history by their cutthroat manager who, among other things, persuaded them to fake their own deaths. Their sometimes poignant and heartrending story reveals an improbable love triangle involving their publisher’s secretary, Phyliss Dandy,” played by Seehorn.
Both Costello and Burnett have a history of nonfiction, non-satirical projects for Audible’s Words + Music series. Costello wrote and narrated “How to Play the Guitar and Y,” while Burnett did the same with “he Confederacy: Truth and Reconciliation.”
Audible Original is active in producing original comedy series, with other projects including “Trust Fall,” starring Colin Jost and Wanda Sykes, “Hot White Heist,” starring Bowen Tang, “Hit Job,” starring Keke Palmer and Pete Davidson, and “Yes We Cannabis,” starring Sam Richardson and Method Man.
Burnett is currently supporting “The Other Side” with tour dates through Nov. 15, his first tour in nearly 20 years. The Grammy-winning producer of the “O Brother, Where Art Thou?” soundtrack and the Robert Plant/Allison Krauss collaborative albums also recently revealed he has a project in the works with Ringo Starr.
Costello has been on a European tour with his longtime pianist Steve Nieve. He recently announced a forthcoming archival boxed set, “King of America and Other Realms,” that will especially spotlight his work with Burnett from the mid-’80s forward. The 97-track collection, a mixture of previously released and unheard material, comes out Nov. 1.
The full track list for the “Coward Brothers” album, as seen on Bandcamp:
1. Always
2. Like Licorice
3. My Baby Just Squeals (You Heel)
4. The Devil’s Wife
5. Tipsy Woman
6. My Baby Just Purrs (You’re Mine, Not Hers)
7. My Baby Just Whistles (Here Come The Missiles)
8. World Serious
9. Early Shirley
10. Yesteryear Is Near
11. Birkenhead Girl
12. Smoke Ring Angel
13. Wooden Woman
14. (I Don’t Want Your) Lyndon Johnson
15. Lotta Money
16. Pure Bubblegum
17. Cathy Come Home
18. Bygones
19. Row Me Once
20. Clown Around Town
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