Editing Elvis Costello (section)

==== Flip City ====
In the second half of 1973, Costello formed a band called Flip City with several slightly older men who, like him, were fans of [[Brinsley Schwarz]] and other [[Pub rock (United Kingdom)|pub rock]] bands. The members of Flip City also shared Costello's enthusiasm for [[The Band]], the [[Grateful Dead]], and [[Clover (band)|Clover]].{{sfn|Thomson|2004|pp=38–39}} For most of 1974, Costello shared a rented house in southwest London with some of his bandmates.{{sfn|Thomson|2004|p=41}}{{sfn |Costello|2015|pp=163–164}} Flip City played the London pub rock circuit until the end of 1975, occasionally opening for more prominent bands such as [[Dr. Feelgood (band)|Dr. Feelgood]], but generally making little money and attracting little notice.{{sfn|Thomson|2004|pp=42, 55, 57–58}}{{sfn|Costello|2015|pp=174–175}} Flip City's performances consisted of a mix of Costello's original songs and covers of rock, R&B, and country songs. Their repertoire of Costello originals included early versions of songs that would appear on his first two albums as "Pay It Back", "Miracle Man", "Living in Paradise", and "Radio Radio".{{sfn|Thomson|2004|p=44}} Costello wrote all but one of Flip City's original songs, did most of the singing, and chose the cover songs they played.{{sfn|St. Michael|1986|p=12}} A friend from those days later told a journalist, "It wasn't so much that he imposed the ideas; he was the one who ''had'' the ideas".{{sfn|St. Michael|1986|p=14}} None of the other members of Flip City shared Costello's commitment to pursuing a career in music and some disapproved of his desire to make money from his music.{{sfn|St. Michael|1986|p=12}}{{sfn|Thomson|2004|p=56}}

Costello became engaged to marry a former schoolmate in late 1973.{{sfn|Costello|2015|pp=152–153}} By then he had found a job as a computer operator at the [[Elizabeth Arden, Inc.|Elizabeth Arden]] cosmetics factory in [[North Acton]], in northwest London, similar to the one he had in Bootle and with similarly low wages.{{sfn|Costello|2015|pp=142–143, 180}}{{sfn|Thomson|2004|p=41}} By early 1975, Costello was a husband and father and was struggling to support his family.{{sfn|Thomson|2004|pp=49–50}}{{sfn |Costello|2015|pp=147, 180–181}} Flip City's live engagements added little to his income, rarely paying more than the band's expenses.{{sfn|St. Michael|1986|p=11}}{{sfn|Thomson |2004|pp=55, 56–57}}

Costello recorded demos with Flip City at several sessions from mid-1974 until mid-1975, hoping to use them to get live bookings, secure a recording contract, or sell Costello's songs for other artists to record.{{sfn|Thomson|2004|pp=50–52}} All but the first of these sessions were at a small studio owned by [[Dave Robinson (music executive)|Dave Robinson]], future [[Stiff Records]] founder.{{sfn|Thomson|2004|pp=50–51, 53–55}} Robinson later said that he thought Flip City "could not play at all" but Costello was talented and ought to "find a real band".{{sfn|Thomson|2004|pp=52, 55}}

After Costello became successful, Flip City's demos were widely bootlegged, often misleadingly labelled to imply they were outtakes from the ''[[My Aim Is True]]'' sessions or otherwise affiliated with Stiff Records.{{sfn|St. Michael|1986|p=28}} The only Flip City recording to have been officially released is Costello's song "Imagination (Is a Powerful Deceiver)", recorded in early 1975, which appeared as a bonus track on the 1993 and 2001 reissues of ''My Aim Is True''.<ref name="Costello-1993">{{Cite AV media notes |title=My Aim Is True liner notes |title-link=My Aim Is True |year=1993 |first=Elvis |last=Costello |type=inset |publisher=[[Rykodisc]]}}</ref> In the liner notes to the 2001 reissue, Costello wrote that, in retrospect, the song sounded to him like "a very early attempt to write a song like '[[Alison (song)|Alison]]{{'"}}.<ref name="Costello-2001">{{Cite AV media notes |title=My Aim Is True liner notes|title-link=My Aim Is True |year=2001 |first=Elvis |last=Costello |type=booklet |publisher=[[Rhino Records]]}}</ref>