12 Coldplay Months Of 2008: JANUARY (Twelve Rumoured Release Dates)

[busybeeburns]

12 Rumoured Release Dates

 

2008 starts with glossy Coldplay...

 

The Q Magazine article featuring Coldplay hit the shelves in early January and contained some more information on the new album that we didn't already know at the start of the year. The new release date was rumoured to be May/June 2008. Here is what was reported on Coldplaying on 3rd January:

 

Another thing that helped them out of the rut was hypnosis, with the band's new found adventurousness extending to writing music while in an altered state. Some might conclude they've misplaced their marbles, but Martin seems unconcerned. "Everything over this past few months has been about taking off any shackles," he says. "We feel like we have so much to prove and so many ideas that we'd like to try - sometimes you need a hypnotist to give you the bravery to do it." For the record, he insists the experience, "was fun and interesting, and we wrote some nice things."

 

'They've also tried to keep things brief, with the album designed to come in at 9 songs and just over 42 minutes.'

 

'The final nine songs will be chosen from a shortlist of 20, with mixing having been completed before Christmas. Favourites include the handclap-laden possible first single Cemeteries Of London, the string-assisted Yes! and Lost!, which, according to Will Champion was "drastically" reinvented by ditching its "big hip-hop beat".

 

Will Champion also says many of the songs share a theme: "Trying to remember what's important in your life, rather than being carried away by the trappings of other things."

 

Chris Martin added to Q magazine: "We've been locking ourselves away and stopping worrying about what anyone might say. It's been about just trying anything without worrying. It's been about just trying anything without worrying. It was fun and we wrote some nice stuff as a result."

 

 

 

In the article Brian Eno has altered Coldplay's approach to making music, encouraging them to consider rhythm, experiment with time signatures and, during one eureka moment, transpose Glass Of Water's piano riff onto three different guitars. "It sounded very African, which we liked," says Guy Berryman.

 

Brian Eno beavers away on Famous Old Painters, employing a gizmo called a Midi Piano Bar to translate Chris Martin's signature piano riff onto a variety of other instruments. "We don't want piano all the way through," Eno says, flagging up another significant change in the sound of the as-yet-untitled album.

 

He also acknowledges that, "The band wanted to move away from a way of working that had built up on the previous three albums." So while X&Y germinated in the studio, this one draws on their live shows. "We've tried," says Eno, "to base this one around live performance."

 

Unrest at EMI...

 

Meanwhile, back at EMI HQ, The new owner of record label enforced tight restrictions on new artist signings and marketing budgets in a bid to get the firm back on track. There were also fears that job losses could happen among the 5500 workforce at EMI, which is home to artists including Kylie Minogue, Lily Allen and Coldplay. Guy Hands' private equity firm Terra Firma completed the takeover of the record label for £4 billion including debt in August. In the same month as the takeover first-quarter revenues had slipped by 5.1 per cent.

 

We asked if Coldplay should leave EMI - you voted in your droves and 73% said "yes".

 

These reports were quickly dismissed by a source at the label. Stories had been appearing yesterday (January 8) suggesting that the band only had one more album to deliver following the release of their next studio album, rumoured to be called ‘Prospekt’ and due out later this year. The stories speculated that a greatest hits collection would follow and then the band would be free agents. However, a source at the label told NME.COM today (January 9) that was not the case and the band remain in contract with the label.

 

“In reality Coldplay are signed to a long-term record deal with EMI and are committed to produce a number of studio albums," they explained. “The band's relationship with EMI is both long-term and very healthy and positive. Any suggestion to the contrary is incorrect and unfair on both parties.”

 

The Daily Star apologised for printing “a misleading story” that indicated the band would be leaving EMI, after they had delivered their next studio album, rumoured to be called ‘Prospekt’ and due late 2008. The piece suggested that Coldplay would then follow that up with a ‘Greatest Hits’ LP.

 

We Are Feeling Very Sleepy...

 

An interesting article about Chris Martin's hypnotic spell emerged courtesy of HolyMoly (nice of them to use a photo of Chris Martin returning from his uncle's funeral!):

 

Chris Martin, the sour-faced 'Spider from Coronation Street' lookalike who has been bothering our ears for many years as singer of Coldplay has been speaking to Q magazine, which sounds like a marriage made in dull muso heaven. Thrillingly, he revealed that he feels under pressure to create another hit album, so enlisted the services of a hypnotist to help with the recording process, though perhaps a songwriter or someone passing with a bag full of jolly tunes might have been a better bet. It was always pretty obvious that he was under some sort of mind control, having named his children 'Apple' and 'Moses' and now we know for sure that it was an evil hypnotist who made him do such things. Anyway, evil or not, the hypnotist helped shape new album 'Prospekt' into the shimmering wave of beige that it is sure to be. "We feel like we have so much to prove and so many ideas that we'd like to try - sometimes you need a hypnotist to give you the bravery to do it," said Chris sagely, propping his ego against a retaining wall for safety, "It was fun and interesting and we wrote some nice things as a result of it."

 

Nice things. I'll bet. Superb plan, though. Now all Chris needs is an army of hypnotists across the globe to convince all right thinking people to buy the melancholic dirge.

 

 

Coldplay Miss out on Glastonbury 2008 - Michael Eavis told BBC 6Music: “For one thing, the bands aren’t available. Radiohead are doing their own thing and Coldplay aren’t around this year either. All other regular headliners, they just weren’t there basically, so we had to look elsewhere and we’ve found some stuff that we’re absolutely thrilled about."

 

Coldplay also missed out on a V Festival headline slot, despite being tipped to appear.

 

Coldplaying told you to watch this space as Coldplay were set for giant O2 Arena gigs this summer... The London Paper reported that Oasis, Coldplay and U2 could all be set for residencies at London’s O2 Arena if the venue get their way. David Campbell, European Chief Executive of the venue’s promoters AEG, says that all three bands are amongst his “dream bookings”.

 

It was a false rumour - Coldplay played the O2 Arena on 14th, 15th and 16th December 2008... which was in winter!

 

Coldplay Track Titles Leaked... so the media thought...

 

Midway through January, XFM and NME reported that the new track titles for Coldplay's new album had been leaked online. However their report gave us no new information that Prospekt hasn't already provided.

 

Gwyneth Paltrow & Chris Martin In Hospital Drama

 

Gwyneth Paltrow was admitted into hospital - sparking new concerns for her health. According to US reports, the 35-year-old actress was taken to New York's Mount Sinai Hospital "slumped in a wheelchair". While a spokesman for the Oscar-winning star refused to elaborate on her condition, US Weekly magazine revealed she was taken to casualty by Coldplay frontman husband Chris Martin. She checked in under her married name Gwyneth Martin, with one onlooker adding: "She looked not well."

 

 

However, the story did not end there. Far from it. Chris Martin was later caught attacking a photographer after his hospital visit. He is seen chasing down a photographer trying to get shots of his wife Gwyneth Paltrow as she left a New York hospital earlier this week. With an anorak hood covering his face, angry Martin repeats, "Have some respect," as he wrestles the photographer to the ground and snatches his camera. But the snapper's pal retaliates as Martin climbs into the back of an awaiting silver sports utility vehicle, and hisses, "You give it (camera) back to him or this door's getting broken."

 

[ame=http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=yiydTEbGRz4]YouTube - Chris Martin Attacks Paparazzi at Cedar's Sinai Hospital, NYC - (14-Jan-08)[/ame]

 

We asked: Was Chris Martin Right To Attack The Paparazzi in NYC?... and you voted:

 

 

Gwyneth Paltrow vowed to avoid the US after the paparazzi scare. A friend of the couple told U.S. publication the Chicago Sun Times that the star has vowed to rarely "cross the pond, unless I absolutely have to for work". The source added, "Gwyneth was truly frightened by the intensity of the whole thing. She was feeling fragile and didn't need to face that." The couple was overwhelmed by photographers when they left the New York medical centre where Paltrow was being treated for "a gastrointestinal situation".

 

Coldplay LP4 Will NOT Be Called 'Prospekt' Official Source Confirms

 

In 2007, content found on Coldplay's new site hinted that the new album title may be Prospekt. The site also included notes on sessions with Eno and Markus Dravs, stating that the lyrics are "much more abstract, much more visual than before," and that the music is "less straight-forward, more oblique."

 

However, in response to someone named Travis on Coldplay's official Facebook page that referred to the album as Prospekt, Coldplay's online editor reported that: "...the album will NOT be called Prospekt. The name did initially have relevance to the album, but not anymore. It's a pseudonym, if you will, of the person who writes the studio journals."

 

On Coldplaying we asked: What do you think Coldplay's new album will be called, given that the last three albums including the now-distant X&Y (above) were all named after tracks within? You posted your thoughts on the messageboard!

 

Coldplay's 10th Anniversary!

 

Stars continued to fall on Coldplay.com - particularly in the 2008 section where Coldplay turned 10 years old! Here's Jonny Buckland:

 

Our 10th Anniversary 16/1/08

It's ten years today since our first gig in the Laurel Tree. We can't believe how long its been. We're going to celebrate in New York where we are mixing the album.

JMB

 

 

Back to the new album, The Mirror revealed that Beth Ditto and Coldplay had to fit in around each other at Air Studios in London's Hampstead after both wanted to use the same room. You asked who Beth Ditto was. We still ask, "Where is she now?"

 

Prospekt Sneaks In A January Entry

 

Wednesday 30th January (2008) - Devon, UK

 

Back home for a few days. A brief rest before the final push. Another four or five weeks and we should be home and dry: another ten mixes + re-recording one of the songs from scratch. In times gone by I would have set aside a month to re-record a track. However, the week before Christmas, we recorded two tracks in four days - Lovers In Japan and Strawberry Swing. On the fifth day (Friday), Chris put down new lyrics (and new melodies) on two other tracks. It was far and away the most productive and exciting week we've ever had in the studio. I was buzzing all through Christmas. Since then, mixing has been slow and painstaking but that's just the nature of the beast. So... give us another month or so and we might just have an album worthy of your patience.

 

 

[ricardo]

oh god!!! June is gonna be loooooooong!!!

thanks btw :D

[but a dream]

:stunned:

 

Awesome entry Ian ;)

[Pseudonym]

Sweet. This is gonna be so cool Thanks much Ian!:D

 

 

I voted the best was Chris flooring the paparazzi. I only didn't vote for LIJ and SS because when those were first revealed I hated both names and wanted different songs.:lol:

[LittleMissMessy]

WOW!!!

 

It's like a late advents calendar, except that we don't get any chocolate, but loads of nice photos, handwritten messages and other 'to the point' information :)

 

Oh ... I will so love the next 12 days :)

[iPsy]

Yep, Very cool Ian !:D

[melanieau]

Wow, so much happened in January...:stunned:

 

Thanks Ian!

[Black Rose]

Ditch EMI!

[A RUSH OF VIDA]

I dont get it

[Pseudonym]

^just vote for the best moment of each month, this is January

[ApproximatelyInfinite]

aww, i forgot about these years-in-review! :nice:

 

thanks ian!

 

march and june are going to be NUTS. does anyone remember the march craze, week of march 17? that was the best week EVER.

 

oh yeah, and june...my calendar! wow, a lot happened then.

[Stefan8]

Really nice to read this all back :)

 

A lot of Coldplay stuff has happened this year, so I'm looking forward to read more of these recaps!