Halfway through Unfaithful Music and Disappearing Ink, Elvis Costello’s hefty autobiography, the songwriter recounts a conversation with Bob Dylan about a new U2 single that bore an uncanny resemblance to Costello’s barnstorming ode to hedonism “Pump It Up”.“How could they do that to you? How could they take your song like that?” Dylan asked.
It took a minute before Costello twigged that Dylan was putting him on, given that his song’s single-note barrage of words and images was itself an echo of Dylan’s “Subterranean Homesick Blues”.
Costello reflected in his book that the history of rock and roll is one of shared lineage. “U2’s ‘Get On Your Boots’was probably to ‘Pump It Up’ what ‘Subterranean Homesick Blues’ is to Chuck Berry’s ‘Too Much Monkey Business’,”he wrote.
Back in 1978 he had a spikier response. When asked by Melody Maker about comparisons to Dylan and Neil Young, he shot back: “I don’t give a shit. I’ve already forgotten who Bob Dylan was.”
That attitude was compounded in the video for “Pump It Up” as a gap-toothed, bespectacled agitant leered aggressively into the camera and stomped around on the sides of his feet like a wounded bird. It is still how many like to think of a singer who has long since abandoned his new wave shtick.
“Pump It Up” was composed one night on the fire escape of the Swallow Hotel in Newcastle upon Tyne. It is often mistaken as an anthem celebrating the joys of indulgence. But the rallying cry is hiding its true intentions.
“All it took was some gin, some tonic, some blue pills, and a red pen to write ‘Pump It Up’ during my first exposure to idiotic rock and roll decadence,” he later wrote. “I thought myself above and beyond it, but quickly found it easier to indulge than to sit in judgment.”
Elvis Costello and the Attractions were the biggest draw on the 1977 Stiff Records bus tour of the UK that acted as a showcase for the provocative label. Yet he vied with Ian Dury and the Blockheads for star billing as their anthem “Sex and Drugs and Rock and Roll” was the obvious choice to close each show. “Pump It Up” acts as an “answer song” from Costello who endured, rather than enjoyed, the Stiff tour which lived up to Dury’s lyrics. That much is evident in the song’s most memorable couplet: “She’s been a bad girl, she’s like a chemical. There’s no use trying to stop it, she’s like a narcotic.”
The track was captured quickly in the studio by producer Nick Lowe. Key to the sound was the use of the Vox Continental organ. The “Connie” had underpinned 1960s hits such as “Light My Fire” by The Doors and “The House of the Rising Sun” by The Animals but had since become extremely unfashionable. The brittle edgy sound was however perfect for the Attractions and keyboardist Steve Nieve’s frenetic style; he was at the forefront of a revival of the Vox, with Madness, Blondie and Tom Petty among those to rediscover its kooky tones.
The Vox added intrigue to “Pump It Up”’s basic descending chromatic riffthat was thrashed out on Costello’s Fender Jazzmaster guitar and underpinned by a bass that sounds like it is about to walk off. By the fade-out, the guitar is out of tune and missing strings. Costello said he was trying to keep up as his new backing band sped out of sight.
The song has served Costello as an aisle-filler at his shows ever since and has also provided an easy cover for bands looking to capture some of the Stiff attitude. Mudhoney,the proto-grunge band, captured a wearily heavy version, while Melbourne band Automatic sounded lascivious when tackling it. Geordie rockers The Wildhearts abolished the organ in favour of a tougher guitar sound and distorted “industrial”-style vocals.
Thrash-metal veterans Exodusalso pumped out a heavier version, replete with double kick pedals, with guitarist Gary Holt squeezing extra power out of the riff. Twinned with Anthrax’s hit cover of Joe Jackson’s “Got the Time”, the nexus of thrash and British new wave is fertile ground. Status Quorecorded a likeable cover that falls into submission with their stodgy brand of boogie-woogie but Shakin’ Stevenssounds out of his comfort zone when taking it on.
The riff’s rhythmic itch has also been sampled by The Beastie Boys in “Egg Man”,while Rogue Tradersand Girl Talkcarved out the riff and built on it.
Last month, singer Olivia Rodrigo was accused of pinching the “Pump It Up” motif for her song “Brutal”. Costello took to social media to defend her. He argued that he had used the broken pieces of other songs to craft his most enduring riff. “It’s how rock and roll works,” he said.
What are your memories of ‘Pump It Up’? Let us know in the comments section below.
‘The Life of a Song Volume 2: The fascinating stories behind 50 more of the world’s best-loved songs’, edited by David Cheal and Jan Dalley, is published by Brewer’s.
Music credits: UMC (Universal Music Catalogue); Columbia; Universal-Island Records Ltd.; Puzzle Productions; ASTRALWERKS; Capitol Catalog; BMG Rights Management (UK) Ltd; Illegal Art
Picture credit: Redferns