"There's a Guy Works Down the Chip Shop Swears He's Elvis" | ||||
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SinglebyKirsty MacColl | ||||
from the album Desperate Character | ||||
B-side |
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Released | May 1981 | |||
Genre | Country pop | |||
Label | Polydor | |||
Songwriter(s) | ||||
Producer(s) | Barry Farmer | |||
Kirsty MacColl singles chronology | ||||
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"There's a Guy Works Down the Chip Shop Swears He's Elvis" is a song by British singer-songwriter Kirsty MacColl, which was released as the lead single from her debut studio album Desperate Character. The song was written by MacColl and Philip Rambow, and produced by Barry Farmer. It reached No. 14 in the UK Singles Chart and remained in the charts for nine weeks.[1] In the US, the song's British chip shop reference was changed to truck stop.
Norwegian singer Elisabeth Andreasson covered the song on her 1981 country album Angel of the Morning, with lyrics in Swedish by Hasse Olsson as『Killen ner' på Konsum svär att han är Elvis』("The guy down Konsum swears he's Elvis").[2]
On its release, Simon Ludgate of Record Mirror considered the song a "catchy little number" and "ultimately a tale of betrayal". He added, "Imagine Dave Edmunds singing a song by Chris Sievey and you'll get the idea".[3] Fred DellarofSmash Hits considered the song "just an average sample of rocked-up country music" but commented on the "wonderful" title.[4]
Production
Other
Chart (1981) | Peak position |
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Belgium (Ultratop 50 Flanders)[5] | 37 |
Netherlands (Dutch Top 40)[6] | 16 |
Netherlands (Single Top 100)[7] | 31 |
Sweden (Sverigetopplistan)[8] | 13 |
UK Singles (OCC)[9] | 14 |
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Studio albums |
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Compilations |
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Singles |
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With The Pogues |
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Related articles |
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