[Purchase]
It is believed that Elvis Costello recorded "Withered And Died" as an apology to Richard Thompson. He had Thompson waiting in the wings to play on his 1984 album Goodbye Cruel World but it never happened. So before the album was released Costello, credited as "The Imposter", released his cover of the I Want To See The Bright Lights Tonight track as a B-Side to his UK #48 single "Peace In Our Time". That single was probably the best thing Costello did all year. Seriously. To those who purchased the 1995 Rykodisc reissue of Goodbye Cruel World, Costello wrote in the liner notes : "Congratulations! You just bought the worst album of my career!"
