Another year has passed, and it's time to look back at the past 12 months and what has happened with and around Coldplay. Check back throughout the next two days (27/28 December) as the Coldplaying.com year review continues. At the end of the review we'll be asking you which month was your Coldplay highlight of 2007..

 

January

February

March

April

May

June

July

August

September

October

November

December

 

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January

 

Coldplay donated items for the 3rd annual Charity Auction for Darfur which raised money for the Save Darfur Coalition and Human Rights Watch.

 

Mark Ronson covered Coldplay’s ‘God Put A Smile Upon Your Face’ on his new album ‘Versions’. Coldplay do the Slipnutz on the Conan O’Brien show.

 

There were rumours that Coldplay would play Glastonbury this year until Coldplay singer Chris Martin that it was unlikely they would play. "I think Glastonbury is bored of us," he told BBC 6Music. "I don't think we can even take a harmonica down there for a good 15 years." Coldplay were among the headliners when the festival was last held in 2005, but chances of a quick return seem slight. "We might go, but you've got to know when you are welcome and when you're not," said Martin.

 

In an interview with Kristy Lang on BBC Radio 4's Front Row program today, producer/musician/artist/god Brian Eno revealed that he would be producing Coldplay’s 4th album . "I think (the album) will be very original and very different from what they've done before," Eno said. Lang and Eno had been discussing the Talking Heads' influence on current pop music, so Lang had to ask if the new Coldplay album will sound at all like that band. Eno laughed and replied, "Funnily enough, I mentioned to David Byrne the other day that we are trying very hard to stay clear of Talking Heads."

 

Coldplay produced a limited edition of X&Y to coincide with their Feb-Mar 2007 mini Latin American Tour. The album is red double-sided which consists of all the tracks from X&Y, together with a bonus DVD containing all the released B-Sides [audio], together with the released singles on video and also a track by track interview with the band. The release date was 30th January 2007.

 

 

Will Champion emailed us to let me know that Coldplay.com would be revamped. Will said, "First of all, thank you so much for your continued support not only of our band but also of the website and our general online presence. Secondly we are about to totally relaunch our website and with it, change the way that our fans can interact with us and each other.

 

Here’s where you come in: the [official] message board will soon be shut down but we really need you to be at centre of the effort to continue to keep the Coldplay community together through as many channels as is necessary. We have a myspace page and i believe that there are other messageboards and Coldplay fan forums which must carry the torch until the new site is ready.

 

Coldplay released a vinyl singles box set. Each single was pressed on heavyweight 7-inch vinyl and sleeved in its original artwork. The box set contained five singles which have never previously appeared on 7-inch vinyl. They include 'The Blue Room EP', Coldplay's rare first release for Parlophone in October 1999, which has been split into two 7-inch singles. The box set also featured the international singles, 'Don't Panic', 'God Put A Smile Upon Your Face' and 'What If', none of which were released in the UK. It will also include 'The Hardest Part', which was previously only available as a download in the UK.

 

 

Chris Martin and Gwyneth Paltrow purchased a $5million penthouse in New York. They signed a contract to buy the last unsold apartment at River Lofts in TriBeCa, a 4,400-square-foot sixth-floor penthouse with three bedrooms, three-and-a-half baths, a library and two terraces. The sale was put at just over $5 million, somewhat below the $5.5 million asking price. The River Lofts project comprises a restored five-story warehouse with new penthouses on top on Washington Street and an adjacent new 13-story building on Laight Street.

 

Chris also appeared in the second series of Extras with Ricky Gervais and said he was mocked badly by Ricky Gervais and being shown as a selfish pop star on an ego trip. He said: "At least now people can assume I do have a sense of humour and it's not all about angst and baby Apple.".

 

http://youtube.com/watch?v=Yrp1OxzC5uk

 

Chris Martin did a guest DJ spot for Radio 1. Before taking over the DJ show, Chris talked to Scott Mills, saying he'd brought a keyboard into the studio to do a 2-hours-jazz-show: "So if you're into jazz - tonight's the night!" In addition, when asked whether drinking your wife's breast milk would be fine, Chris simply replies "Yeah", also saying he'd drunk breast milk himself already.

 

 

He also checked out his favourite band Arcade Fire at Porchester Hall.

February

 

Coldplay 'Live in Toronto' DVD was broadcast on British TV for the first time. It received its first showing on Channel 4 on Sunday night (Feb 11th). The German TV Program "3Sat" broadcasted the Toronto 2006 Concert on January 1st, 2007. Here's what they saw:

 

http://youtube.com/watch?v=SKrceZxL8r8

 

Chris and Jonny spoke exclusively to BBC 6 Music about work on Coldplay’s 4th album and confirmed Brian Eno is working with them. Guitarist Jonny Buckland let slip news of the band’s new signing at an Arcade Fire gig. He said: “We feel that he picked us really, rather than we picked him. If you can persuade him to work with you then you must be doing quite well.”

 

However, frontman Chris Martin was more careful — knowing one word from him can send his record company EMI’s share price flying up or down. He told BBC6 Music: “It’s just too early to talk about that at the moment.”

 

Coldplay were mulling a Timbaland collaboration with Brian Eno for Coldplay's LP4. ''It would give me a new energy; it would take me to a whole other place,'' Timbaland said. ''[Coldplay] are so talented, it would help me as a person. Working with them would be great. It's about the music — not clothes or jewelry, just pure passion for music.''

 

However, representatives for Coldplay declined to confirm or deny Timbaland's participation.

 

 

Even Gwyneth Paltrow added her 2 cents calling it ‘insane, with laserlike precision'. "I will say I think he [Chris] felt that he had so much pressure on him for the last album, that he feels like it was a product of a lot of different energies."

 

Live Earth 2007 was announced and Coldplay were rumoured to be performing [later unfounded].

 

Coldplay embarked on a long anticipated mini tour of Latin America, taking in Chile, Brazil, Argentina and Mexico. Fans were treated to many sightings and encounters, including new pictures of Chris, Guy, Jonny and Will as they arrived in Chile. Even free tickets were given away. "What do you think about the chilean public?" Chris Martin was asked in a meeting with the press, yesterday in the Hyatt Hotel. "Fantastic, we're used to a lot more disgusting, this have been really great" Says Chris Martin, the frontman of the band. "what do you think about guys like Noel Gallagher?"; "we''d never talk about someone in a bad way, even if we'd think that it's just shit" said the singer.

 

 

Lucky Chilean competition winners got to meet and greet Coldplay backstage in Santiago, Chile and received a load of signed memorabilia.

 

However, Coldplay angered their fans in Chile by charging high prices for tickets. Tickets ranged from £41 ($80) to £82 ($160) for the gigs, which took place on February 14 and 15, with the final date taking place on February 16 at Santiago's Espacio Riesco. The average monthly salary in the country is £256 ($500) a month. Frontman Chris Martin said: "We just found out how expensive they are and would like to say we are sorry. We didn't know beforehand. The tickets of course could not have been extremely cheap because we are playing smaller venues here, but the price is a little embarrassing. When you are a famous band, a lot of things happen that you don't know about."

 

 

Chilean fans were further disappointed and surprised when Coldplay didn't play any new songs at their gigs on 14th, 15th and 16th of February. The band has now spoken publically, thanking their Chilean fans and explaining why they didn't introduce any new songs. Frontman Chris Martin explained: "We didn't do that because of internet. If we play something new now, it will mess the big surprise. The album won't be released in a while! Also, we had never been here, so for the people that went to our shows, the song 'Yellow' is new!"

 

But there was one surprise however. They performed 'High Speed' from the Parachutes album, with Chris saying it's a "gift he'd never repeat again". Chris Martin seemed happy with being in Chile, praising the citizens for their warm welcome and also showing his respect for his support act, his "favourite Chilean band: Saiko". During the concert, he sang a line in Spanish: "Hoy corté una flor y llovía y llovía"...

 

http://youtube.com/watch?v=e1q30sels34

 

Coldplay then arrived in Argentina to a barrage of fans and media. Coldplay and its entourage arrived at Faena Hotel on Saturday evening (17th February). Although it had been said that she would be in Buenos Aires, there was no sign of Gwyneth Paltrow, wife of singer Chris Martin.

 

 

It is believed that Coldplay occupied fourteen rooms, all with a view of the river and they requested flowers, chocolate and orange juice and bilberry. At their first opportunity on Saturday night they sampled the delights of Argentine cuisine.

 

During the Coldplay Buenos Aires Press Conference, Coldplay confirmed that they were not yet working on the new album.

 

Coldplay left Argentina and headed for Brazil on February 25th as their Latin America Tour continued on to their the third country, and seventh gig.

 

 

Coldplay arrived in São Paulo for the series of concerts the British band will play in the city.

 

Fans eager to take photos and autographs were waiting for them at the international airport. Chris Martin and his bandmates, however, avoided the main exit. On the whole, just 15 people were at the airport to welcome Coldplay. This may be explained by the heavy rain or the secrecy involving the date of the band’s arrival.

 

 

Coldplay's Chris Martin lost his british good manners and gave ironic answers to journalists during the press conference in Sao Paulo. The dry tone came up when the questions started to involve his wife, Gwyneth Paltrow. First, when questioned about his 3 favourite movies starred by the actress, Chris Martin simply asked for the "next" question and followed by that, asked the journalist what was "his favourite sexual position". After that, when questioned if there were plans of recording some day with Gwyneth (both sang together in a concert, last september), he repeated the ironic question: "What's your favourite sexual position?"

 

Coldplay played their first Brazilian gig and in a change to the regular setlist, they finished with an acoustic version of Shiver (Chris and Jonny only!) and not Fix You, following heavy requests for the song from Brazilian fans.

 

http://youtube.com/watch?v=mqoj0r1yn0M

 

The Coldplayer at Coldplay.com gave exclusives from the tour, including postcards from Chris and Guy, plus audio and video footage of the shows.

Hello

We're in Sao Paulo, it's fun

Buenos Aires was incredible

New song bank getting colorful

Thankyou for my job

Love Chris

 

Meanwhile, back on home soil, Bloc Party's Kele Okereke spelt out his objections to following in the footsteps of one of the world's biggest bands, Coldplay. When asked, "And now you’re getting measured against a new set of artists, like U2 and Coldplay. How do you feel about those comparisons?" he replied, "Equally as idiotic, really."

 

It'll be a while before you're touring South America then, Kele...?

niceeee thread so many good memories :bigcry:

such a great year.

ahh the money i'd pay to see shiver live

March

 

Coldplay continued their tour of South America where Chris Martin celebrated his 30th birthday. The official Oxfam blog followed Coldplay, reporting:

 

It's the morning after another incredible show here in Sao Paulo. The band are loving this tour - the audiences are amazing, and because they're playing smaller venues than normal, the boys are feeling really connected with the audience (mostly because Chris only has to reach out and the front row grab hold of him!). And what's great is that the campaigning here in Brazil is going fantastically well too. We're definitely the most popular stall in the lobby - I feel like we're putting one over the big corporate sponsors who are here too! On Monday night, we had a super team of volunteers, who managed to put tattoos on at least half the crowd. And over 500 people signed the Make Trade Fair petition too - awesome!

 

The continuing tour was a good opportunity for the Coldplaying Charity Club to promote their cause overseas.

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xClNtHxc270

 

As many on Coldplaying know, some members have compiled a CD of music by members of the forum to raise money for the Coldplaying Charity Club. The CD was available for pre-sale in early March. We were looking for volunteers who were going to the Mexico City show, who would be willing to print and hand out fliers announcing the CD's upcoming release.

 

 

Chris Martin said Coldplay working on a new album featuring what he called a quintessential song that everybody should hear "before we die." He spoke hours before the final concert of a Latin American tour that took them to Chile, Argentina, Brazil and Mexico.

 

The band said it planned to return to the studio after a two-year hiatus to record an album that will have a different sound from "X&Y," which has sold more than 2 million copies since it was released in 2005. Coldplay's label, Capitol Records, is part of London's EMI Group PLC. "I think for a long time people felt like we were a band in black-and-white, and now we feel like because we have this incredible job, now we can do whatever we like and try all kinds of new things," Martin said.

 

He added that the record will include what could be Coldplay's best song yet. "In order for us to get excited about a new album, we have to have one song that we feel like everybody has to hear ... before we die, otherwise we'll be terribly depressed," Martin said. "So luckily with this new record we're going to make, we have that one song."

 

"I can't tell you about it, but it's basically genius," he joked. A bold statement indeed.

 

Chris, who celebrated his 30th birthday on a Mexican beach, also said he is proud of Coldplay's activism to raise awareness about free trade practices around the globe and support poor farmers in developing countries. Martin is a spokesman for the British aid group Oxfam's "Make Trade Fair" campaign, and Oxfam volunteers provide information on free trade and distribute petitions at Coldplay's concerts. The singer said he has hope for the future with less than two years left in President Bush's term. "I think we're all excited, everyone in the world is excited about the American elections next year," he said. "Sometimes it's easy to give up all hope."

 

Coldplay finished their Latin American tour 2007 on Sunday with a press conference in front of the Mexican Media. After Will's special postcard he sent before the band headed off to Latin America, Jonny has posted a special message to Coldplay fans on the official website, saying:

 

'It's been a lovely tour, the concert in Mexico City was amazing. Thanks to everyone who came to see us. Love, Jonny'

 

 

http://youtube.com/watch?v=cB42ErZroXk

 

Meanwhile, Coldplay's involvement in Swizz Beatz new album is finally confirmed true and Chris Martin also featured as guest vocalist on Jay-Z’s track Beach Chair.

 

Chris Martin also found time to turn up at the 22nd Annual Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Induction [below] and also appeared as an amazed participant of one of magician Dynamo’s tricks that came out on DVD.

 

 

March ended badly for Chris Martin in particular, after being papped at Ivy On The Shore, LA with Gwyneth Paltrow.

 

X17 reported on this, calling it The least wussy moment in Coldplay history as "Martin Tells Paps to Fuck off!":

 

For someone with a reputation for penning such easy-going songs, Coldplay's Chris Martin certainly has a sharp tongue! Much to the British balladeer's frustration, we spotted Martin leaving with his wife Gwyneth Paltrow after a nice lunch at Ivy On The Shore, with the couple getting in their car separately to prevent the paps from catching them together. As you'll see in the video, Chris certainly wasn't too happy to see us - sorry Chris, we never meant to cause you trouble! They don't want to be filmed getting in a car together? WTF, guys, you're married - I think the world might be on to your secret!

 

 

Gise's face (the ione next to Chris with a white t-shirt)

:laugh4: hahaha

 

She was so happy for that photo.. :) :blush:

Lucky her... :happy:

April

 

The world of music was shocked at the beginning of April when popular musician Chris Martin said he was leaving the music business to focus work on growing watermelons. "The weight of making a 4th album was getting too much, with the record label wanting to put out a greatest hits to ease it's finanical pressure" said Martin in an press statement. Coldplay's hits include "Ode to Deodorant", "Yellow" and most recent hit "The Hardest Part". There was nobody from EMI records to answer the phone because it was a Sunday.

 

This of course was an April Fool joke. Ode To Deodorant certainly wasn't Coldplay's biggest hit to date. EMI don't answer phones at weekend, they only respond to emails. And X&Y was a very very big album of 2005.

 

 

Chris Martin encountered an old school bully to hilarious results. Speaking to the Sun, Chris told of how he was picked on at the posh Dorset school Sherborne for being, in his own words, "a bit of a swot" that preferred playing the piano and guitar over sports. While out and about with his Hollywood wife Gwyneth Paltrow, who he married three years ago and has two children with, Chris happened to see the boy who made his school days "hell" and couldn't resist a bit of revenge.

 

"He was a bully who always said I wouldn’t make anything of myself," he added. But the Yellow singer left his former school pal red-faced. "I had great pleasure asking what he was up to now. He wasn’t up to much. Then I turned around and said, 'This is my wife Gwyneth.' His face dropped and he looked really embarrassed. It was a proud moment. I’m not one to get my own back and look for revenge — but that was pretty sweet," a smug Chris told the newspaper.

 

Coldplay.com got completely revamped, and on June 18, 2007, the site was relaunched with a new design that resembles a journal timeline with hand written excerpts, pictures, and videos. Based around a timeline of the band’s history, the site was designed to keep you entertained until they return with their next album. Their message read:

 

All four members of Coldplay have been heavily involved in the re-design of the site. Their hand-written accounts will accompany each of the entries on the constantly-expanding timeline, for which the band have opened up their extensive archive of flyers, pictures, videos and audio recordings.

 

WikiColdplay followed Coldplay throughout the year to present to you a complete record of the timeline.

 

 

There was a review/article of Coldplay’s Singles boxset 1999-2006 from Q Magazine May 2007. From students to superstars in 15 magnificent steps, they called it.

 

 

Meanwhile, Guy Berryman celebrated his 29th birthday.

 

Bloc Party frontman Kele Okereke is desperate to work with hip-hop superproducer Timbaland. The exclusive comes only weeks after it was revealed Coldplay would be working with him, and how Kele spelt out his objections to following in Coldplay footsteps. What a difference a few days make.

 

Coldplay drummer, Will Champion, was confirmed as one of the players at an All Stars soccer match in June 9th, in Alvalade Stadium (Lisbon, Portugal). Will, who is a personal friend of Luís Figo, said he's very excited and obviously happy about the invitation. He also said he's already training hard because he knows he'll be playing with big stars and he doesn't want to do bad.

 

Chris Martin's Dolce and Gabbana jacket was up for auction as Oxfam launches a celebrity auction as part of the Darfur appeal.

 

Coldplay (Guy Berryman, Jonny Buckland, Will Champion and Chris Martin, worth £30m each) were named as one of five "super groups" to appear in The Sunday Times Rich List. "We learnt very early on that each part of the band is as important as the others. If you take one part away, the rest collapses," said Coldplay drummer Champion.

May

 

Coldplay announced they were building a new website. Here's the evidence:

 

 

Actress Gwyneth Paltrow and Chris Martin reportedly decided to set up fulltime residence in London.

 

The power couple recently purchased the house next door to the home they already had in London's Belsize Park, The Mail on Sunday reported. Paltrow and Martin, the frontman for Coldplay, said that they want their children, Moses, 1, and Apple, 3, to be educated in Britain. "Gwyneth and Chris have just sold their townhouse in New York's trendy TriBeCa area because they want to be in London full-time," a source in New York told The Mail. "They bought the house next to their London pad so they can have more space and plan to put their children through British schools. Gwyneth is particularly impressed with the English education system."

 

Paltrow and Martin won't have any trouble paying school fees, they reportedly made almost $6 million in profit from selling their New York home.

 

Chris also later that month got Totally Chrissed, as he stunned revellers by downing shots of neat vodka at the Maddox members' bar in London. A spy tells us: "He was mashed. He even sang along to Nirvana's Smells Like Teen Spirit at the top of his voice."

 

Bet he was back on the organic lemongrass smoothies next day.

 

Coldplay star Guy Berryman split from his wife - six months after they celebrated the birth of their daughter.

 

Bassist Guy, 29, was said to be devastated after agreeing to a separation from childhood sweetheart Joanna, 30. He moved out of the couple's £2million home in Hampstead, North London, and moved into a rented flat a few miles away. A source close to the couple said Guy had stayed in constant touch with yoga instructor Joanna, who gave birth to their daughter Nico in September.

 

A friend said: "They are both absolutely devastated but the relationship has been on the rocks for a while. They were delighted when Joanna fell pregnant last year and hoped that a new baby might help them work things out, but at the moment it looks like it's not to be. Guy's moved out of their house for the time being but has stayed close so he can see as much as possible of baby Nico. As far as splits go, it's all been pretty amicable but any divorce is nasty and it's obviously devastating for them both."

 

 

Sir Bob Geldof launched a bitter attack on this summer’s ‘Live Earth’ gigs, calling them “just an enormous pop concert where it's just an enormous pop concert or the umpteenth time that, say, Madonna or Coldplay get up on stage." News Bob: Coldplay didn't play!

 

Kanye West targetted this month for his “Graduation,” which is the title of his third album for Def Jam records. A snippet of the song “Can’t Tell Me Nothing,” featuring Coldplay’s Chris Martin, has found its way onto the Internet. Chris Martin also appears on the title track to “Graduation.”

 

Amerie’s duet with Chris fell through because of the birth of Moses, the singer revealed in May.

 

Fran Healy of Travis opened his gob about why they won’t be eclipsed by Snow Patrol and Coldplay.

 

“Travis were the band that invented Coldplay,” Chris Martin said on Radio 1 the other month, “and lots of other bands.” So, as Travis release their fifth album, The Boy With No Name – the first since the edgier but low-selling 12 Memories – I wondered, are they worried about their place? “No,” replies singer Fran Healy instantly, ''because I think Travis do something that those bands don’t do. We’re far closer to the heart, there’s something more human. You know what it is? Our songs are smaller. Coldplay and Snow Patrol, they go for the big, massive stadium vibe, and that’s great. I’ve seen them live and when you’re in the audience you go, 'Wow, that’s mega.’ And it is awesome – that full stadium vibe.”

 

It was a good month if you wanted Coldplay merchandise. You may remember that back in March, we asked if there was any new Coldplay merchandise that you folks would like - and more than 500 of you were kind enough to reply. Well, the US merch store took on board these suggestions and launched a bunch of new lines.

 

They included mousepads, a kids' t-shirt, a cap, a women's t-shirt, and a new poster. The poster was a re-strike of the original Hatch Show Print from the Ryman Auditorium Show in 2003. The shop also offered a limited amount of them autographed by the entire band (as shown below) of which 10% of the proceeds went to MusiCares.

 

 

Hooded Chris Martin picked up his 3-year-old daughter Apple from a daycare facility in Santa Monica, California. Meanwhile, Coldplay's record company, EMI, had pressing issues of a different kind when British music giant that had drawn heavy takeover interest in the last year, said it had agreed to be bought by Terra Firma, the private equity firm led by the financier Guy Hands.

 

Back at Coldplaying, fans had been petitioning in their droves for Coldplaying.com's petition to revive the Toronto DVD from the EMI grave. You had given your thoughts along with Coldplay fansites Sparks Coldplay and Coldplayzone on how it has been revealed that the already planned and scheduled Coldplay live in Toronto Twisted Logic Tour DVD won't be released after all. 2,480 (and counting) signatures and comments have been registered. To show you what you could have had on DVD, here is another clip of the Toronto gig!

 

http://youtube.com/watch?v=_wySwXebR0g

 

Staying in Canada, Canadian rock musician Neil Young announced that Coldplay lead singer Chris Martin was "the worst rock singer ever."

 

"The guy can't carry a tune," said famous caterwauler Young. "Have you ever heard a live Coldplay recording? Listening to his voice is like listening to a frightened cat trying to escape a pit bull by clawing its way up a chalkboard."

 

Young made his shocking statement while being interviewed on a Canadian public radio program no one listens to. The interview took place two years ago and only came to light this week when a bored Toronto Coldplay fan Googled "Chris Martin Canada" in hope that the singer was touring the country on his own.

 

Back in the UK, Chris Martin was snapped wearing a mock-up of the Time magazine cover naming then New York mayor Rudi Giuliani - Person Of The Year 2001. However, it wasn’t Rudi in the picture. Come on Chris, get in touch and end the debate...

 

June

 

The first day of June saw an article announcing that Coldplay were reportedly heading in a new direction with their fourth album - with a rocky edge to their music. It read:

 

It seems frontman Chris Martin was so excited by their new sound that he got Embrace pal Danny McNamara to listen in. The musician, who penned the official World Cup 2006 anthem, told the Daily Star: "Chris gave me a sneak listen to some of the new tracks and they blew me away.

 

"They are very experimental and much more out-there than what you would expect - they are breathtaking. There are lots of big fat guitar riffs but soulful, emotional moments too. Chris played me a track which was just him and a piano and I just thought, 'Wow'. They haven't planned any dates for releasing it yet. You can't put a deadline on that kinda stuff."

 

He continued: "Whatever your expectations of Coldplay music, throw them out the window."

 

Meanwhile Chris Martin himself was out on the town – in a pair of trainers that doubled as a handy notepad. He emerged from a pint-downing session at London’s Groucho Club with words scribbled on his shoes [below]. Gwyneth Paltrow was also spotted behaving oddly while out and about in LA.

 

 

Coldplay's fourth album was already listed on Amazon and is available for pre-order. The release date is September 3rd, 2007 under the EMI label, both cover and album title unconfirmed. Meanwhile, Debs Wild, editor of Coldplay.com confirmed earlier this week that the 3rd September date was premature. She said: "Nope, this isn't true. It's way too soon. Maybe the record label pencilled it in but as far as I know it's not out this year and was never planned to be. I can't see that decision changing to be honest but as always, we would announce the true facts on the official site (whether that be the new site or myspace)."

 

Chris attended Ash’s secret warm-up gig, as they prepared for the Isle of Wight.

 

Will Champion headed off to Portugal to show us his possible alternative career if he wasn’t in Coldplay! On the 9th June, he played against likes of David Beckham in an All Stars soccer match in Lisbon, Portugal. The match was hosted by Luis Figo in aid of the Luis Figo foundation, which aims to assist young people to improve their opportunities through sport.

 

 

Guy was rumoured to be dating Helena Christensen, following from his split with Joanna which was reported in May. She accompanied Guy and his bandmate, Chris Martin with wife Gwyneth Paltrow for an outing last week. A source close to Christensen said, "Guy's ten years younger than Helena but she always goes for younger men. She thinks Guy is a real charmer and she loves spending time with him. He recently split from his girlfriend, so technically they are both single and free to see whoever they want."

 

Helena's rep denied the rumors, stating, "Helena is happily single. She's known Gwyneth, Chris and Guy for ages and they enjoy hanging out…There's no relationship."

 

Coldplay's 'The Scientist' was voted a Q4Music 'Ultimate Festival Anthem Favourite'.

 

Rumours were flying about recently regarding the release date for Coldplay's follow up album to X&Y. A source close to EMI, Coldplay's record company, said the fourth album will in all probability be on the shelves around February to March 2008. In addition, while unconfirmed, a special DVD containing extracts of the recent Latin America Tour of early 2007, which included Chile, Brazil, Argentina and Mexico, was rumoured to be released simultaneously. This would explain the 'Part I' unreleased material from Toronto in March 2006, which was only previously available as TV footage. Part II perhaps?

 

On 18th June, the URL=" http://www.coldplaying.com/index.php?name=News&file=article&sid=3697"]official site[/url] was re-released. There was no news of the album launch, but the timeline did hold some tantalising clues. Was the name of the album going to be ‘Prospekt’ or were they a person? The debate and speculation raged through our messageboard but on 20th June, 'Prospekt' posted a diary entry confirming their existence as an insider. It read:

 

The control room is tiny. Literally smaller than my bedroom. The live room isn’t much bigger. About the size of the rehearsal room we used to have pre-record deal. Brian Eno sits behind his laptop towards the back of the control room. A benevolent schoolmaster with the unquestioning respect of his charges. When he speaks, we listen. Markus Dravs prowls around the room like a big cat in a zoo. A heavyweight boxer with a paintbrush.

 

Two very different people, both equally formidable. Together Brian and Markus have introduced a sense of discipline that never existed in previous album sessions. The atmosphere is tense and urgent. I’ve never seen the band so willing to be led, to be pushed. Chris just burst into my little room upstairs at the studio. He’s been working on lyrics. Much more abstract, much more visual than before. This is reflected in the music too: less straightforward, more oblique.

 

There’s a long way to go, but the initial auspices are good.

Prospekt

 

The new site continued to spring surprises, with new stars being frequently added to the timeline, providing snippets of information from the past & the present.

 

 

You told us what you think of the new site. And then you told us some more!.

 

Meanwhile, an extract of the song 'So Sad' was uncovered, the first song even written and performed by Coldplay, even before the demo 'Ode To Deodorant'. Relating to a 1998 official video, Debs Wild, editor for coldplay.com said that the song that follows 'So Sad' is 'Panic' divided into 2 different parts (the last one is the last line of the song).

 

Justin Timberlake was interviewed by The Sun and told them that he would love to do a duet with Chris. "Coldplay are the modern Beatles, so I’d love to do a duet with them — especially Chris Martin," The Sun quoted him, as saying.

 

Meanwhile the awe of Coldplay's LP4 left a lasting mark on Gwyneth. She spent the month on crutches following a fractured knee, and was pictured with Apple as she hobbled into an airport.

 

 

There was a sudden surge of sales of AROBTTH following EMI’s decision to release some of their album’s DRM-free. Sales of AROBTTH rose by 115%. A source with access to EMI also hinted that the fourth album may be on the shelves in Feb/March 2008.

 

There was still time in June for Prospekt to release one more journal entry. It read:

 

One aspect of the recording process that I'll never get used to is tension.

 

Tension is an inherent part of recording. Without tension, there's no focus. Without focus, the work becomes shoddy and ineffectual. Tension means that people actually give a shit. I myself am not very good at dealing with tension. That's why I only spend short periods of time in the studio. I dip in and out. I'm too thin-skinned to thrive in the studio atmosphere.

 

If you place six strong-willed men in a small room for ten months, working ten to twelve hour days on something they all care about passionately, friction is inevitable. What is remarkable is that this friction very rarely ignites into flame.

 

The key is communication - on Monday we had a five hour meeting. We discussed our approach, our methods, our timetable, our goals and pretty much anything else that came into our minds. Brian drew up a list of all 25 pieces of music that have been worked on during this session. The four band members, Brian, Markus and I all shared our thoughts on each and every track: how close it was to completion, what needed to be added, what needed to be removed or replaced, what sounded new and exciting, what sounded tired and old. The meeting was a ruthless dissection of all the work done so far. Markus was particularly brutal (as usual).

 

Very little material got unreserved thumbs up from everyone. However, far from feeling dispirited, we all came out feeling a lot more confident. It feels a lot better to check the map and know which direction you're headed and how far you've got to go rather than wander around aimlessly and hope for the best.

 

Prospekt.

 

 

 

 

 

Yay! Thank's for all this info! I didn't know half of it :P!!

July

 

July was a good month for 'Clocks'. It was chosen as number 1 of the top 750 of itunes music store in the Netherlands for the first part of 2007. The track beat 'Angels' by Robbie Williams and 'Under The Bridge' by Red Hot Chili Peppers. Meanwhile Italian fans have voted Clocks as the 'most beautiful song', ahead of Fix You and The Scientist.

 

 

Rolling Stones' Smoking Section was backstage at Wembley Stadium to suck up all the dirt at the London leg of Live Earth. Here is their report after bumping into Coldplay's Will Champion:

 

When we walked out into the VIP bleachers, we ran into Coldplay drummer (and one of the nicest dudes in the music biz) Will Champion, who had a tattoo on his arm of his own baby’s handprint. He told us that Coldplay is still in the studio, with producers including Brian Eno. They spent six months rehearsing their new songs, and, Will says, they’re “60 percent” done with the record. Chris Martin is in New York, working on vocals.

 

Jonny Buckland and girlfriend Chloe Lee-Evans were expecting their first child, it was revealed. They were spotted at an Albert Hammond Junior gig at ULU on 11th July 2007.

 

Miss Lavigne dropped by Jo Whiley's Live Lounge and delivered a song that sounds suspiciously like Coldplay's "The Scientist". In Avril's hands, one of Coldplay's best ballads is rendered truly tepid, and dare we say ... a little pitchy? We're thinking girlfriend should stick to the mall punk.

 

Fran Healy of Travis opened his gob again to say that Coldplay only catapulted to superstardom because of Scottish band's groundwork. Fran Healy is adamant his group's hit 1999 album The Man Who helped forge a demand for similar music. He says, "(We) created a playing pitch for bands like Coldplay and the other dozens of groups who came after The Man Who to sell not just hundreds and thousands of records, but millions of records."

 

Will Champion published a new blog on Coldplay's MySpace profile to say:

 

Hello,

We've just got back from Spain where we've been recording some vocals. It was very hot and very beautiful. We returned to find England under water. Is it just me or does it feel like the world is ending? While we are all still here, there is great music to be listened to: Eugene Francis Jnr. Something to lighten up your day whilst contemplating life in a wet suit.

http://www.myspace.com/eugenefrancisjnr

Love,

Will

 

Media outlets reported that Coldplay had scrapped their entire upcoming album due to lack of inspiration and in-fighting - however, the reports failed to tell the whole story. A July posting made by band insider, Prospekt, on Coldplay's official website had been selectively edited by some media outlets, with quotes manipulated to imply that the band members were arguing due to tension over the recording sessions. Prospekt said:

 

We've been travelling light - an acoustic guitar, a couple of mics, a laptop and some headphones. We're recording in Barcelona - moving from church to church, setting up where we can: in front of the altar, under the pulpit. We've been playing at the feet of archangels. It's an odd scene: a host of saints look down impassively upon four unkept band members, circled around a single mic stand - singing loudly together as recorded guitars reverberate around the church.

 

They're laying down backing vocals. Brian often joints them: group - singing is one of his great joys. Markus operates the recording and playback on his computer, asking for countless takes until he is finally satisfied.

 

The sights, sounds and flavours of Latin America and Spain have definitely infused into this album. The band visited Argentina, Chile, Brazil and Mexico earlier this year. Chris then came up with the idea of recording in Spain. The music and lyrics have begun to reflect the strengthening Hispanic theme. No maracas or castanets, but a vibracy and colourfulness that owes much to the atmospheres of Buenos Aires and Barcelona. The effect is subtle but important.

 

Prospekt.

 

 

 

 

 

Amongst all the kerfuffle Will Champion celebrated his 29th birthday and Coldplay's MySpace got a welcome makeover.

August

 

By August the media were having a field day with Coldplay's new Prospekt entries. Here are just three:

 

Can you picture Chris Martin in a flamenco dress, shaking his maracas whilst blaring out ‘Yellow.’ No? Well you had better get used to it, reported Gigwise Blog.

 

Today Coldplay have gone “Hispanic” on us. Yeah that’s right. As you’ll have seen in the news they’ve gone to Barcelona to record the follow-up to 2005’s mighty X&Y and are currently recording “at the feet of archangels.” We’re not sure whether they were just lacking creativity in their London studio or they just fancied escaping the flooded British Isles to find a bit of sun but it sure is an intriguing prospect.

 

What on earth will the album sound like? Will a collaboration with Enrique Iglesias or even Penelope Cruz, or both, be on the cards? The album and song tiles have got me puzzled though. My current favourite is ‘A Rush Of Paella To The Head?

 

Gwyneth Paltrow decided August was a good time to flaunt herself on the cover of September's W magazine as she prepared for the October release of brother Jake's romantic comedy The Good Night, in which she plays the girlfriend of a washed-up pop star.

 

When was the last time you saw pictures of Gwyneth Paltrow and Chris Martin out and about, giggling with glee and very much in love? Okay, never, but they haven't even been seen together for quite a while, leading to speculation that Paltrow would rather be seen with a weeping coldsore rather than her husband.

 

OK! magazine reported on Paltrow's recent four-hour salon experience (where the staff probably just tied her down and ironed her hair) and her reluctance to talk about all things Martin.

 

 

 

She was even planning on extending their family by adopting a child. Gwyneth has told W magazine that “I have a dream version where I think, maybe in four years I’ll have two in a row really quickly again - how fabulous to have a whole bunch of them! Then she went on to say “But then at that point, when everyone’s potty-trained and sleeping through the night, are you really going to go back? My husband really wants to adopt. So I don’t know - I’m sort of open for anything.”

 

Meanwhile, Coldplay themselves were reminiscing of times in print as they re-published their picture on the front cover of Select Magazine 2000. Will Champion commented:

 

This was the last issue of Select ever printed. It was also the first time I ever said anything vaguely interesting in an interview. The interviewer Dorian was a really nice guy and I didn't mind telling him things that were actually meaningful and that I knew wouldn't be misrepresented.

W x

 

 

Over in Seattle, trouble was brewing. It could have been the Coldplay song "Yellow" that upset the patron of a Wallingford neighborhood bar. Or perhaps it was the karaoke singer who belted it out.

 

Employees at Changes, on North 45th Street, said they don't know, but the ensuing melee just past 1 a.m. Thursday was one unlike anything seen at the bar before. As soon as the man on stage started singing about the stars in his best Chris Martin impersonation, the woman reportedly said: "Oh, no, not that song. I can't stand that song!"

 

Witnesses said her distaste for Coldplay quickly took a violent turn, and she leaped at the would-be crooner, shouting expletives and telling him that his singing "sucked," while expressing the same opinion of the song, according to a Seattle police report. She pushed the man and punched him, all in an effort to stop his singing. Other patrons went to the singer's aid and hauled the 21-year-old woman outside. "It took three or four of us to hold her down," said Robert Willmette, one of the bartenders at Changes.

 

Kanye West revealed a September 11th release date for his album 'Homecoming'. On “Homecoming,” a sparse, piano-and-drum driven track co-written by and featuring Coldplay’s Chris Martin, Kanye continues to pay homage to his native Chicago as Martin asks “Do you think about me now and then? Well, I’m comin’ home again….maybe we can start again.”

 

One blog even reported that Kanye's shades protect him from the harmful UV rays emitted by Chris Martin's pale English face.

 

 

Away from such frivolities as Gwyneth and Kanye, Coldplay fans were getting restless. A ponderous blog entry hit the interweb that summed things up perfectly:

 

Dear Chris,

 

You’ve had me waiting months for a sign that Coldplay’s 4th Album was on the horizon. And now I sit and wonder how you’ll back up your words, stating the album “is going to be the greatest piece of music ever made.”

 

Really, Chris? Don’t you think that might be just a tad premature? You hadn’t even started recording when you made those claims. You finished recording around the first of this year, and did not speak about the album. Now, you’ve been mastering it for six months… still nothing. I’m tentative now, because there have been no signs of what you are doing. Nothing in the press, message boards, or blogs. Shouldn’t there be something out there? Like, an article from some shitty entertainment website saying, “We caught up with Martin at his local bakery where he was purchasing a cinnamon roll. He said the album sounded great, and they were still working hard to compile – The Greatest Piece of Music Ever Made.”

 

Chris Martin was not in a position to respond. He was being 'manhandled' at a Gwyneth Paltrow Screening. He was left red-faced when he was refused entry to the premiere of wife Gwyneth Paltrow's new movie by a security guard who didn't recognise him as he tried to get into the private New York screening of The Good Night. The New York Daily News newspaper reports: "One security guard, who apparently isn't a Coldplay fan, manhandled Chris when he tried to sneak by the waiting mob on the red carpet."

 

Luckily, Gwyneth - who stars alongside Danny DeVito and Penelope Cruz in the romantic comedy directed by her brother Jake - came to the rescue and her 30-year-old husband was allowed in.

 

Good news was at hand though - Coldplay fans were able to celebrate AROBTTH's 5th birthday. For those who have stumbled drunkardly over this 2007 review, A Rush of Blood to the Head is the second album by Coldplay, released on August 26, 2002 in the UK and on August 27 in the U.S.. It was as successful as its predecessor, Parachutes, debuting at #1 in the United Kingdom, moving 273,000 copies, and at #5 in the United States, moving 144,000 copies in the first week.

 

A Rush of Blood to the Head won the 2002 Grammy for Best Alternative Album. The album received generally good reviews, and many critics considered it better than Coldplay's first album, Parachutes.

 

Back at Coldplay HQ, the band were still adding at least two items a week to the timeline at the new coldplay.com, each accompanied by a hand-written note from the band. Over the last few weeks, they had included a note from Jonny on the band's first ever US show in 2001, a mini-documentary about the band's habit of dropping huge yellow balloons on their audiences and a note from Chris about the singles box set which came out earlier this year.

 

 

Prospekt declined to comment in the month of August.

Good idea Ian :wink:

Still gotta laugh at the april fool's joke :lol:

Best one so far!

September

 

September began with a fashion tip for Chris Martin, courtesy of the English gutterpress.

 

Pinstripe suit trousers, a washed-out black top, curly blonde locks swept back under a cap and white trainers. Let’s hope the new Coldplay album sounds better than frontman Chris Martin looks at the moment, reported The Sun. The singer was snapped out strolling in London looking a bit, well, dishevelled. In fact, they reckon his resemblance to shaggy Seventies crooner Kevin Godley in his 10CC days is more uncanny by the day.

 

The Sun also commented that Chris’s stylish missus, Gwyneth Paltrow, needs to sort out his wardrobe – fast.

 

Kevin Godley & Chris Martin... which one is which?

 

Coldplay singer Martin picked The Verve's Bitter Sweet Symphony as his greatest track. "Bitter Sweet Symphony is as perfect a song as there is. And I say that as somebody who believes perfection is the enemy of imperfection," said Martin.

 

Jonny Buckland celebrated his 30th birthday.

 

 

Prospekt was back with a new entry. In it Coldplay revealed the first details of their new album including a number of songs up for consideration for the final track listing. Writing on their official blog the band announced that they had just returned to the studio after a month off:

 

All back in the same room after a month off. I’ve missed the buzz. We’re still a few months from finishing, but already the arguments about tracklisting have begun. The plan has always been to make a short record. No more than 42 minutes, 9 songs (give or take) selected from the following:

 

Lost!

Cemeteries Of London

Violet Hill

Poppy Fields

42

Yes!

Leftrightleftrightleft

Rainy Day

 

To use a tired analogy, it’s like picking a football team. It’s not simply about individual talent, but overall cohesion and combined effectiveness.The bigger picture. An album that you can listen to from start to finish. The danger of this is that great songs may get left off the album because they don’t “fit”.

 

I have to confess that, as a confirmed non-musician, this approach slightly worries me. My feeling is that the album should be made up of the nine best recordings. If that means eight thrash metal tracks and one ballad then so be it. However that’s not the way the band see it and I have to respect their integrity.

 

Expect a short, concise record, with no fat and at least two top-division songs released independently.

 

Prospekt.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Coldplay revealed on their website the video for Bigger Stronger from September 1999, Will saying:

 

We asked our friend Mat Whitecross to do a video for us. Originally he wrote the treatment for Spies, but when we changed it to Bigger Stronger it was too late. Mat is now a very famous film maker (Road to Guantanemo) and needless to say, his work has got much better!

WC

 

 

http://youtube.com/watch?v=b3fxsmW_xB8

 

Coldplay also reported on of pictures from Coldplay's 2006 Australian tour and a mini-documentary from Chris's trip to Ghana with Oxfam in 2005.

 

As ever, each item is accompanied by a hand-written note from one of the band.

 

Meanwhile, Jonny was having fun at home, the guitarist with the right-on ‘green’ Coldplay, sent a rush of blood to the heads of conservationists in his manor.

 

He had been given the go ahead to chop down two trees at this house in leafy Hampstead, North London, so he can build an extention. Perhaps he ran out of room for all the band’s discs and awards.

 

 

We had a peek inside Gwyneth Paltrow & Chris Martin's Amagansett home. The first thing actress Gwyneth Paltrow bought for her shingle-style Amagansett house was a $37,500 Boontje Blossum chandelier, but her "major splurge" was on a yoga and pilates studio that she used every day. Paltrow and husband, Coldplay rocker Chris Martin, bought the unfinished home for $5.4 million in 2006. First, they added bedrooms to accommodate their "big families," which includes children Apple, 3, and Moses, 18 months, mother, actress Blythe Danner, and brother, director Jake Paltrow.

 

Before the month was out, Prospect was back giving the latest on LP4:

 

This is the album I always dreamed they would make. It's the sound of a band realizing their own strength. The sound of four men with total confidence in themselves and one another.

 

It's the sound of a songwriter at the peak of his ability. Lyrically and melodically, Chris seems to have broken through past constraints. There's a new confidence to venture beyond the limit of the known and comfortable. An urge to explore and discover. His energy is electrifying - sometimes intimidating. A manic bundle of love, passion, and rage. A veracious appetite for life, eagerly devouring every minute of every day. He knows that time is short.

 

Jonny, too, has explored a whole new universe of sounds magicking up a new world for each song. His guitars are all over this album. Will has manipulated, mashed and spliced beats and time signature to produce rhythms that lead rather than follow the song. Guy - always the tastemaker and musical authority of the band - has guided and shaped the whole process always pushing but unafraid to rein things in when necessary.

 

The four of them together make up a formidable unit, and this is the album people will remember them by.

 

Prospekt

 

 

 

 

this is great, thanks!

October

 

Coldplay star Chris Martin made an emotional journey to Scotland for the funeral of his beloved uncle.

 

He travelled alone to bid farewell to Angus Fleming on Arran. Ferry passengers spotted the rocker on his way to St Molio's Church in Shiskine, Blackwaterfoot, on Friday.

 

Chris went home after the funeral tea and was so exhausted he slept on the deck of the ferry between Brodick and Ardrossan. Chris said: "I'm very upset. My uncle has just died and I've been to his funeral. It's very difficult."

 

 

Gwyneth Paltrow opened the doors to her $5.4 million dollar Long Island home to House & Garden magazine. Gwyneth and her rocker hubby Chris Martin purchased their trendy East End home back in 2006, and let's just say 'amazing' doesn't even begin to describe their magnificent home.

 

 

Coldplaying.com came 11th in the BT Digital Music Awards 2007 and NowPlayit.com - the website created by Outside Line, who also created Coldplay.com also won Best Digital Service at this year’s BT Digital Music Awards.

 

Chris Martin, talking about Coldplay's 4th album praised the producers working on the record. The Rolling Stone magazine reported:

 

Coldplay's website reports that the band has been recording its new album in Barcelona, incorporating "sounds and flavours of Latin America and Spain." So far though, frontman Chris Martin has said squat about the opus, until he broke his silence to update the Smoking Section (of Rolling Stone). "I don't want to say too much," Martin tells us. "But I'll say that the producers we're working with" - that would be Brian Eno and Marcus Dravs - "are fucking amazing."

 

Martin loves technology as much as Kip Dynamite - he and the band have spent hours on their computers referencing their favourite works, for their own sordid purposes. "We can be working on something and go, 'we should steal this from My Bloody Valentine and this from Rammstein and this from Jay-Z's first album, and then listen to this classical piece by Holst,'" he says. "It's a plagiarist's paradise. We used to just be able to steal off Radiohead. Now we can steal off everybody."

 

 

Meanwhile, in Holland, Dutch Guitarist Peter Van Houten (alias Peter Van Wood) accused Coldplay of plagiarism, in respect of the song 'Clocks'.

 

The guitarist, who lived in Italy for several years, was looking for a million Euros from the British band due to plagiarism. According to 83 year old Van Wood, Coldplay’s 2002 single ‘Clocks’ is identical to his song ‘Caviar & Champagne’ which he wrote in 1982. Meanwhile Van Wood has called in a lawyer and seems to have the support of most of the callers to Italian Broadcaster RAI in his claim against Chris, Will, Jonny and Guy.

 

You voted Cemeteries Of London as your favourite new Coldplay track title.

 

 

Wednesday 24th October 2007 saw new pictures of Chris Martin, sporting a 'shortcut' just in time for the cold London weather.

 

 

Coldplay announced a further two songs via Prospekt, 'Famous Old Painters' and 'Glass Of Water'. The journal read:

 

The self-imposed deadline looms and new songs have arrived. Famous Old Painters and Glass Of Water. It's as if the pressure is a catalyst. The pressure to finish has triggered a new writing surge. However, the deadline still stands...

 

With two new songs to explore and record, there's a lot of extra work. But it can still be done. The sense of focus, in the studio, is palpable. Much credit must go to producer Marcus Dravs for pushing to the point of exhaustion but never beyond.

 

It feels like a very dense record. There are so many melodies and colours packed into a relatively short space (42 mins). As you'd expect with Brian Eno, there's experimentation, and exploration. But the music still has integrity. It's real and honest. There's no posturing or bombast.

 

The next few weeks will be intense. There's no doubt about that. I've already developed (a) a small patch of alapecia on my hand. Guy's got insomnia and Chris is up and down like a yo-yo. But when the deadline comes and the work is done, this will be the album I always dreamed we'd make.

 

Prospekt.

 

 

 

 

ah, i love reading this! thanks so much!!

 

[and i didnt know about jonny hacking down trees for an extention on his house! i must have missed that!]

November

 

November started with a stark warning to Coldplay et al as the new owners of major record label EMI warned artists they could be dropped if they do not work hard enough for the company.

 

Guy Hands, chief executive of private equity group Terra Firma, which agreed to buy EMI in May for 2.4 billion pounds ($4.9 billion), had written a memo to staff calling for "fundamental change" in the way it does business. "There is no reason why we should not be more selective in whom we choose to work with," Hands wrote in an internal memo, according to the Financial Times on Friday. "There has been a lot of talk about what labels offer to artists and to the consumer. However, there is not much talk about how artists should work with their label," he added.

 

Chris Martin wasn't worried as he announced that there was "still incredible merit in making albums". He said "We think it's all about quality over quantity now, because there's so much noise everywhere, there's no point in putting anything out unless it's fucking amazing. I still think there's incredible merit in making albums. pieces of work that are the same length as Beethoven's symphonies used to be. There's something pleasing about that amount of music from one artist."

 

 

The music biz buzz was that Coldplay would come out of self-imposed exile to headline the Main Stage at next year's T In The Park 2008 festival.

 

Chris Martin wants to unveil the next studio album - the first since X&Y in 2005 - at Balado. They'll follow up with a European arena tour. An insider said: "Two years ago, Coldplay staged their own open air gigs at Bellahouston Park in Glasgow. This time, they want to be part of the whole summer festival vibe and T In The Park would be automatic choice."

 

Meanwhile a new video was available on coldplay.com about which Will Champion called it "a very short film."

 

Speculation then grew that the short video of a collection of stills was actually a hidden message with details of the forthcoming record. Messages that had been discovered so far were hand signals from Chris Martin that reads similar to "viva la vida", which roughly translates in to "Live the Life". This is backed up by lip readers that say Will Champion says the same thing. This may have links to Spanish influences, recently announced as part of Coldplay's Barcelona visits. Other messages include various other rantings, a picture of Nick Cave, and other unknown people.

 

 

 

Will Champion talked to The Rhythm Studio about the new album, life on the road and his beloved Saints.

 

Nicole Scherzinger [pictured] was praying Chris Martin could complete a holy trinity of Brits writing songs for her. Nicole, 29, said: “I just need to work with Chris Martin to complete my British songwriting mission. That would be amazing.”

 

 

You voted that Brian Eno have the biggest influence on Coldplay's next album [below].

 

 

Meanwhile an old favourte AROBTTH was featured on Guardian's top 1000 albums. It read:

 

Coldplay

A Rush of Blood to the Head (2002)

After the winsome acoustic pleasantries of their first album, Chris Martin's indie anthemists comprehensively upped their game for this follow-up. From the moment the album bursts to life with the pounding Politik, its songs are bigger, bolder and more affecting than its predecessor's. Coldplay were bedwetters no more.

 

Coldplaying.com speculated on a new album title of 42 and at the same time Wikipedia.com featured four brand new song titles in the probable tracklist of Coldplay's forthcoming album - 'Forward In Time','The Let Out Cry', Double Sunset, Snow Covered Window and Sleeping On The Minefield. As these tracks had not been confirmed by Prospekt it was highly likely that they are hoaxes, fabricated by one of Wiki's many thousands of 'fixers'. The confirmed tracklisting was:

 

 

And as someone on the Coldplaying messageboard put it:

 

Prospekt, CP or whomever it concerns....

When is the release date?

my patience is running thin.

December

 

Coldplay were in the news at the start of December without even doing anything. In New Zealand, John Key was in copyright trouble over music used in his DVD to mark his year as National Party leader.

 

The party has been warned it is walking a fine line by using a newly created piece of music very similar to Coldplay's Clocks. The similarities are enough to have prompted the Australasian Performing Right Association, which manages copyright issues and licences for many international bands in New Zealand, to notify the copyright holder for Coldplay frontman Chris Martin.

 

Key later ordered a recall of 20,000 of the DVDs.

 

 

Rap superstar Jay-Z was desperate to start a family with girlfriend Beyonce and was all thanks to Coldplay frontman Chris Martin.

 

Chris Martin showed Jay-Z the benefits of married life while the odd couple was working together on a track for Jay-Z's album Kingdom Come. He said, "The guy's humble, and he has a lovely family. It's rare to meet such a genuinely good person... I don't go to people's houses and hang out, but I go to his house and hang out."

 

And spending time with Martin's family made Jay-Z realise he wanted marriage and children too. He adds, "Of course I want to have a family. Chris Martin has got a whole family. I'm like, `What am I doing?'"

 

Back at the unstable EMI headquarters, bosses were desparate for a new Coldplay album release. EMI's new owner Terra Firma had told executives at the music group they will receive no bonuses unless the music company hits a £150m underlying earnings target by next June. Terra Firma had also asked EMI to present a sample of around a dozen different artists - from international stars such as Robbie Williams, Coldplay and Norah Jones to breaking stars and local acts - to study which type of artists produce the best returns.

 

In the spirit of the season, The Coldplay official merchandise store was giving back. They were offering free mousepads and free shipping.

 

 

Chris Martin was up for sexiest male at the 2008 Shockwaves NME Awards and Coldplaying.com was up in the Best Band Blog category.

 

Prospekt chipped in on the December fun with a new journal entry, arguably the most exciting of the year. It read:

 

Mixing, New York

 

The ups and downs come thick and fast at this point in proceedings. One minute we're all buzzing about the mix of Prospekt's March; the next we're crippled by doubt over the drum track for Lost!

 

One minute we're over the moon about a new artwork idea; the next, we're all gloomy about our slow progress in designing the live show. Later today, we've got a meeting about coldplay.com and how to make it the best darn website out there.

 

So, as you can gather, there's a lot going on... we're trying to pull all the threads together and get these songs (and all the hoopla that goes with them) ready to present to the big wide world. The funny thing is (and this is always the case), the creative momentum just keeps gathering. There's no sense of consolidation or winding down. In a couple of hours, we've got a colliery brass band (tubes, trumpets, French horns etc) coming in from Brooklyn to reinvent the third verse of Famous Old Painters. Hats off to producer Markus (Dravs) for finding a group of musicians playing a style of music unique to a small area of Northern England in New York City at 24 hours' notice. And Chris just keeps on writing... he's shown me five new songs in the last two days. I seriously don't know when he sleeps.

 

Prospekt.

 

 

 

 

 

Coldplay were the top band search on AOL for 2007, the top ten being - 1) Coldplay; 2) Fall Out Boy; 3) My Chemical Romance; 4) Jonas Brothers; 5) Linkin Park; 6) Van Halen; 7) Nickelback; 8) Rascal Flatts; 9) U2; 10) Evanescence.

 

Gwyneth Paltrow and Chris Martin sorted out their marriage problems (assuming there were any in the first place) as pals said they had got over a rough period in the summer when the actress was filming new flick, Iron Man, in Los Angeles. A crew member revealed: “Gwyneth wanted the entire family with her on-set, so Chris would bring [their children] Apple and Moses to her trailer with him almost every day.But Chris turned his wife’s dressing room into a gathering place to hang out with friends and smoke and invited the crew in for little parties. That drove her crazy, and there were fights.”

 

Madonna, Chris Martin, Guy Ritchie and Gwyneth Paltrow sighting at Morandi restaurant on December 8, 2007

 

Coldplay Posted 2000 Miles online, allowing fans to listen to it in full. The track was initially available for download on their official site in 2003. It was the top selling UK download that year, with proceeds from the sales donated to Future Forests and Stop Handgun Violence campaigns. Writing on the site, frontman Chris Martin writes: “We love Christmas songs, but every time we try and write one it’s awful. So we cover them. Well, once or twice actually. The one song I would most liked to have written is ‘Fairytale of New York’ by de bloody Pogues of Ireland.”

 

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F05v70Dvbzo

 

Coldplaying rounded up tidbits about Coldplay's forthcoming follow-up to 2005's 'X&Y'. Writing on their website, Chris Martin and co. indicated that they’re having some trouble sorting out the logistics of the tour, report NME and plans for the entire campaign are up for discussion at the moment, report Yahoo. “One minute we’re over the moon about a new artwork idea - add yours! - the next we’re all gloomy about our slow progress in designing the live show,” the band wrote. “We’re trying to pull all the threads together and get these songs (and all the hoopla that goes with them) ready to present to the big wide world.”

 

Sir Paul McCartney called Coldplay "EMI's Armchair" as he spat his dummy out complaining that the British record company had become too bureaucratic.

 

Coldplay themselves meanwhile took second place again in the 'Young Music Millionaires List'. Chris Martin wasn't worried about cash when he used his skills to help out at a temporary shelter for alcoholics in London. A source at the shelter, run by the Crisis charity, told Britain's Daily Express newspaper: "Chris has been doing their plumbing for them. He does this every year, for free. Apparently he's quite a dab hand with it all."

 

Chris was also spotted on London's Oxford Street buying three red Henry hoovers on Friday 21st December. His bizarre last-minute purchases are said to be worth around $200 (£100) each. But he wouldn't reveal who they are for. He told Britain's The Sun newspaper: "Some of them are gifts and one's for me. I love to do the housework. I don't really see the point of getting someone else to do all your day-to-day chores."

 

 

Coldplay saw out the year by wishing all their fans a Happy Christmas and Chanukah and Eid-ul-adha.

 

 

http://youtube.com/watch?v=26CgH9InRJc

 

And finally, a warm thank you to all who have donated to the $1.36 Campaign!

 

Zali

 

It doesn't matter if you've donated once or 10 times; if you've donated $1.36 or $100 - the fact is that we appreciate your thoughtful contributions and want to acknowledge your kindness. In just a little over a year and a half, we've raised an amazing sum of more than $1200.00 USD.

 

This money has gone to aid Zali Djiré and his friends. Because of your donations, Zali and his community in Gouaran (a small town in southeast Mali) have received early childhood development, health care and primary education. We hope you will keep up this giving spirit by continuing to give to the $1.36 Campaign in 2008 and the future.

 

Happy new year 2008!

Poll now added... ;)

Hey, in the press article (December review part) about hoovers, Chris is a Tony Blair look alike!!!! :laugh3:

 

Nope?

bump for the poll ;)