Kojak Variety

 ( Elvis Costello Albums ) 

The first song recorded for the album was "Running Out of Fools", while the last was a new rendering of "Days" by The Kinks, which he had previously recorded for the album soundtrack album Until the End of the World, for the Wim Wenders's film of the same name. The title Kojak Variety refers to the name of a variety store in Barbados near where the album was recorded; Costello was amused by the seemingly random name of the enterprise, and in a similar spirit, decided to apply the name to his album.Larry David Smith - Elvis Costello, Joni Mitchell, and the Torch Song Tradition Page 218 0275973921 2004 "The Kojak Variety project was, no doubt, a wonderful relief for an artist committed to pushing the musical envelope ... close to five years after it was recorded in Barbados (the album's title reflects the name of a department store near the studio)."

• Elvis Costello – vocals, harmonica
• James Burton – acoustic guitar, electric guitar, rhythm guitar
• Jim Keltner – drums
• Larry Knechtel – piano, Hammond organ, electric piano
• Marc Ribot – banjo, electric guitar, rhythm guitar, horn instrument, classical guitar
• Jerry Scheff – bass
• Pete Thomas – drums