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It started out as the Great Elvis Costello-Bonnie Bramlett Debate in the bar at a Holiday Inn in Columbus, Ohio. But as frequently happens during barroom debates, things got a trifle out of hand.
After all, Elvis Costello is not known for subtlety in presenting his points of view on matters close to his heart, and no one has ever accused Bonnie Bramlett of being a genteel, fragile creature. So it could hardly come as a great surprise when the debate turned into a brawl.
The altercation took place recently after British rocker Costello and his band completed a show at the Agora, a Columbus night spot, and Stephen Stills and members of his troupe finished their show at Veterans Memorial Auditorium. The two units got together for some drinks and early morning conversation in the bar.
But, according to the account given by Miss Bramlett - a veteran rocker who started out with the Delaney and Bonnie duo and is now singing background in the Stills band - Costello's comments quickly turned rather nasty.
His observations about America and Americans were sharply critical, to put it mildly. "We hate you," he was quoted as saying at one point. "We just come here for the money." He allegedly summed up Americans as "just a bunch of greasers and niggers."
At this point, a member of the Stills crew pulled Costello out of his chair by the collar and advised the hot "new wave" star to cool it. The two men were separated and Stills left.
But Costello, according to Bramlett, was in no mood to cool it. His blast at America's contribution to pop music worked its way to James Brown and finally to Ray Charles, both of whom he put down with what were interpreted as blunt racial slurs.
When Bramlett protested, Costello reportedly replied --- Ray Charles, --- Niggers and --- you."
With this Bramlett slapped Costello. Costello responded by calling her a slut. With this, one of the Stills' roadies slugged Costello, knocking him to the floor. Both groups went at each other until hotel personnel brought the fight to a halt.
"He cursed in my face, my country, my money, and my mentors," Bramlett said. “And that’s why he got his ass kicked. He went crazy on me and he went crazy on the wrong chick."
Needless to say, those involved in promoting the Costello tour – which will bring him to the Tower Theater in Upper Darby tomorrow night - and his record company, Columbia, became somewhat nervous when accounts of the run-in began spreading last week. A press conference was called in New York so that Costello could give his side of the story.
Costello admitted making the statements. but denied being a racist. He said the quotes attributed to him were taken out of context.
He said that he was being verbally abused in the argument and resorted to the hard-nosed comments "because I wanted to say the most offensive, obnoxious thing I could think of to rid myself of those people and end it."
Costello added, "I don't want to leave America with the last thing in the minds of Americans being that I'm a racist. I want to be remembered for my songs,"
Costello declined to apologize for the comments, saying, "I have nothing to apologize for." He called the incident "ludicrous" and suggested that he was being exploited for publicity value.
A Columbia Records representative defended Costello by pointing out that he had been a member of a British organization called Rock Against Racism, "He's not really a mean man," the Columbia spokesman added. "He means well ... he really does. It's just that he had a difficult time of it while growing up and this is his way of getting retribution."
It was also suggested that the American media was too eager to jump over Costello's case because of his unwillingness to talk with the press in this country. But the fact of the matter is that Costello has done nothing to conceal his arrogance and contempt ever since reports labeling him the great hope of "new wave" began drifting to America from England some two years ago.
Small wonder that those with a financial stake in Costello’s career are worried. Despite his considerable gifts as a songwriter, Costello was not easily sold in this country, with his first two albums generating only moderate public interest. And while his third LP, “Armed Forces” has done nicely on the record charts, Costello has yet to reach superstar status.
One can, of course, find certain merit in the point expressed by Costello during his New York press conference in defense of his sticky disposition: “It’s not necessary to have a certificate saying you’re a nice and wonderful person.”
There is, it would seem, a rage burning in Costello that goes back to his childhood. It is evident – aimed at an assortment of social inequities – in most of his songs.
“But he’s also a romantic,” the Columbia representative said. “This is in his songs. You never hear Bruce Springsteen saying ‘I love you’ in his songs. But Elvis says ‘I love you’ a lot.”
Unfortunately, Costello says a lot of other things. And what he must understand is that, taken out of context or not, even if they are desperate, misunderstood manifestations of that rage, his comments will cause opinions to be formed.
He has partially eliminated the problem by avoiding interviews. Perhaps now he is giving some thought to staying out of bars.
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