Music
Press
Custard/Atlantic recording artist James Blunt scored two BRIT Awards last night at ceremonies held at London’s Earls Court Arena. Blunt, who was presented with the Best Pop Act and Best British Male Solo Artist trophies, also performed his #1 single, “You’re Beautiful.”
“BACK TO BEDLAM,” which broke into the top ten on the Billboard 200 album chart in January and hit #1 on the Top Digital Albums chart, has been certified gold by the RIAA and has now scanned over 623,000 copies in the U.S. Its first single, “You’re Beautiful,” is #1 for the second week in a row on Billboard’s Hot Digital Songs chart, and has sold over 675,000 downloads to date. With over 111,000 digital sales this week alone, the song sold double that of the #2-ranked title. “You’re Beautiful” is also #2 on this week’s Billboard Hot 100.
Blunt was in the U.S. last week for a special sold-out pre-Grammy show at the House of Blues in Los Angeles. He returns to North America next month for his first full-fledged cross-country headlining tour. Kicking off March 13th, the eagerly awaiting itinerary is already SRO, with every show instantly selling out the day that tickets were put on sale.
- Press Release
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
JUNE 18, 2007
JAMES BLUNT RETURNS WITH “ALL THE LOST SOULS”;
SECOND ALBUM SET FOR SEPTEMBER RELEASE;
FIRST SINGLE, “1973,” OUT JULY 23RD;
LIVE EARTH PERFORMANCE SLATED IN LONDON
Custard/Atlantic Records has announced the forthcoming release of the eagerly awaited second album from multi-platinum singer/songwriter James Blunt. Entitled “ALL THE LOST SOULS,” the album will be released outside the U.S. on September 17th, with its North American release slated for the following day. The first single from the album, “1973,” will premiere worldwide on July 23rd. “ALL THE LOST SOULS” comes nearly three years after the original October 2004 UK release of Blunt’s breakthrough debut, “BACK TO BEDLAM,” and two years following its U.S. release in October 2005.
“ALL THE LOST SOULS” was recorded and mixed in Los Angeles with producer Tom Rothrock, who also oversaw “BACK TO BEDLAM.” The new collection features several songs that became road-tested favorites in the course of Blunt’s marathon touring during 2006 – including “1973,” “I Really Want You,” “Same Mistake,” and “Annie.” Backing Blunt throughout “ALL THE LOST SOULS” is his long-standing live band of keyboardist Paul Beard, guitarist Ben Castle, bassist Malcolm Moore, and drummer Karl Brazil.
“For me, there was absolutely no pressure whatsoever,” says Blunt. “Having sold over 11 million albums, I know that the likelihood of doing that again is really minimal. Instead of setting that as a target, I set out to do and record something that I really enjoy, that I’m really happy with. It was a release, in a way. It’s something that I can say shows my growth and a development as a songwriter and as a musician, shows development in my own life, and records and documents it in that way.”
Among his activities leading up to the release of “ALL THE LOST SOULS,” Blunt will perform at London’s Wembley Stadium on July 7th as part of the monumental “Live Earth” music event. The global concerts will feature 24 hours of music spanning 7 continents, bringing together more than 2 billion people to combat the climate crisis.
* * * * *
The UK release of James Blunt’s debut album, “BACK TO BEDLAM,” in October of 2004 marked the beginning of a remarkable musical story. With his compelling songs, captivating voice, and charismatic presence, Blunt gradually built a passionate following through constant gigging and contagious word-of-mouth.
Two years later, “BACK TO BEDLAM” had sold some 11 million copies around the world and Blunt had become an unlikely chart-topper, evolving from musical obscurity into global stardom. The album held the #1 spot in Blunt’s native UK for a remarkable nine weeks, with the single “You’re Beautiful” topping the charts for five. James became the biggest-selling artist of 2005 in the UK, where he earned two prestigious BRIT Awards.
“BACK TO BEDLAM” went on to hit #1 in 16 territories around the world, and ranked at #1 on the European Top 100 Albums chart for over two months. Blunt garnered two World Music Awards and an MTV Europe Music Award.
In the U.S., “BACK TO BEDLAM” earned RIAA double platinum certification, while Blunt gathered a remarkable five Grammy nominations and two MTV VMA Awards. When “You’re Beautiful” hit #1 on the Billboard Hot 100, James became the first British artist to top the U.S. singles charts since Elton John with “Candle In The Wind 1997.”
James’s breakthrough was documented on the DVD release, “CHASING TIME: THE BEDLAM SESSIONS.” Along with a live concert filmed at BBC Studios in London, it includes over an hour of extras, including video clips and “making of the video” features, a documentary, an interview with James, and a photo gallery.
Blunt is a staunch supporter of Doctors Without Borders/ Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF), the international medical humanitarian organization. He personally witnessed the organization’s life-saving work while stationed with the British army in Kosovo, where he served as a reconnaissance officer with the NATO peacekeeping force. Throughout his 2006 world tour, Blunt worked to increase awareness and generate much-needed funds for Doctors Without Borders/MSF.
# # #
- SECOND ALBUM SET FOR SEPTEMBER RELEASE
Discography
ALBUMS
* 2004: Back to Bedlam
* 2006: Chasing Time: The Bedlam Sessions (DVD/CD)
* 2007: All The Lost Souls
HIT SINGLES
* "High"
* "Goodbye My Lover"
* "You're Beautiful"
Photos
Bio
The way James Blunt sees it, we may get older, but nothing changes much from elementary school. We seem to be in exactly the same state as when I was 8 years old. In the school playground, children gossiped about who kissed who, who said what about who, who wasnt cool because they werent wearing the right clothes. Now, on a global scale, people write about who kissed who, who said what, and whos wearing what clothes.
In the nearly three years since Blunt released his debut album, Back to Bedlam, it has sold 11 million worldwide, going No. 1 in 18 countries and top 10 in 35. A short list of his accomplishments includes being nominated for five Grammys, landing the first No. 1 single in the U.S. (Youre Beautiful) by a British act since Elton Johns Candle in the Wind 1997, and winning two MTV Awards and two Brit Awards.
That seemingly sudden rush to global superstardom and the attendant experiences make up much of the lyrical content of his second Custard/Atlantic album, All The Lost Souls. The 10-song cycle about life and death shows tremendous growth from Back to Bedlam, which Blunt calls a very honest, slightly naïve collection of thoughts, emotions, and experiences. I wrote them without any knowledge that anyone would hear them.
This time around, he knows theres an audience eager to hear his songs about the ups and downs of his journey. Blunt bristles at the notion that his now-lofty perch distances him from his listeners. Just because Ive been given the fickle title of celebrity, it doesnt mean Im any less human. I go through the same things, only my mother hears about them first now, he says, laughingly referencing his frequent appearances in the tabloids.
Indeed, one listen to All The Lost Souls and it is clear Blunt is talking about what unites us, not what divides us. We all crave love, comfort, and security, especially in those times when they seem the hardest to find. Those intersections are the ones that interest Blunt the most, and on All The Lost Souls, he brings a focus, clarity and, at times, urgency to our travels.
We go through this really amazing experience called life, and were trying to understand it and understand why the hell were here, he says. I really love life. I really enjoy it, but it does trouble me. And as it goes and it ticks by its not very long you kind of wonder what youre going to get out of it, where to look for greater depth and meaning, and why we do the things we do to fill it. I think we all experience that.
All The Lost Souls was found as James toured the world in support of Back to Bedlam. He wrote five songs while on the road, testing them before a very willing audience. When it came time to write the remaining songs, Blunt needed to get off the merry-go-round of the last few years and be still. In the summer of 2006, he retreated to Ibiza, off the coast of Spain. After the constant cacophony, the silence took some getting used to. It was the first minute I had to stop and look around at what had really happened over the past three years and have a think about it, he says.
James returned again to Ibiza last winter and received songwriting assistance from a most unlikely source: Someone had stolen my boiler, so there was no heating, he explains. I was in the house wearing an overcoat, a hat, and fingerless gloves playing on the piano. The builder said I lived like a monk. When youre cold, no ones around, and you dont speak the language, then you can write the songs: This is a miserable experience. The songs Id written in the summer, having just stepped out of a club, were much happier.
Seeking some different flavors for the album, Blunt asked his publisher to pair him with people who werent necessarily the obvious writers to just free myself. While James wrote the bulk of the album himself, his request led to collaborations with Mark Batson (Dr. Dre, Dave Matthews Band), Jimmy Hogarth (with whom he also wrote for Bedlam), Steve McEwan, Eg (cq) White, and Max Martin.
Musically, the album draws much of its inspiration from great artists of the 70s: Fleetwood Mac, Don McLean, Elton John, maybe a touch of Steely Dan in there, and if Im lucky, a bit of Bowie, he says, before cheekily adding, and if Im lying I might as well add Zeppelin as well.
The album opens with the layered, rollicking 1973, a nostalgic look back at sharing great times with friends. Songs such as One of the Brightest Stars and Annie deal with the vagaries and distortions that fame can bring. Carry You Home and Ill Take Everything tackle our fragile mortality, while I Really Want You and Same Mistake showcase Blunt at his most vulnerable.
The Sandhurst graduate who served in Kosovo admits that he finds language limiting, but, in song, he finds the freedom to write what he cant speak. My music is autobiographical. Its my expression and its for me, he says. It
Links
