The (Real) Blue Room EP

[MellowlikeYellow]

This pandemic has got me very nostalgic for the past. I discovered Coldplay when they released AROBTTH. I can still remember watching The Scientist music video on MTV, and from then on, I was hooked. Up after that, I grabbed Parachutes, and then the Brothers and Sisters EP. I scoured the early 2000’s internet for whatever other b-sides and rarities I could find. I loved their early sound so much.

Which is why the one part of Coldplay’s history that’s always intrigued me is the Blue Room EP. So little is known about this era, other than Will quit at some point (because recording was too hard, they couldn’t get along with the producer, etc.), and then they completely changed course after that. This was the Coldplay that could have been. This was the Coldplay the band themselves and Phil want you to forget about (see here). This was the Coldplay true fans yearn for. 

To look back on simpler times, I created a playlist of all the recordings known to have originated during the Blue Room sessions that I’m dubbing the (Real) Blue Room EP:

https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL8EM_b8sYIzwTvW2CbrRAOJkM7Noe4j32

Track list:

1. Don’t Panic

2. Spies

3. See You Soon

4. High Speed

5. We Never Change

Spies is taken from the “Flavor of the Label” CD released in mid-1999, right after they were signed to Parlophone. If you listen closely during the bands interview with Jo Whiley for Parachutes’ 20th anniversary, Will mentions the drum part for Spies was particularly hard for him to get right. Given it was one of the first songs recorded during the Blue Room sessions, I’m willing to bet you this was the song the band broke up over.

We Never Change is the atmospheric version alleged by Chris Allison (the producer at the time) to exist in storage, which I tried to recreate by overlaying the (purported) backtrack already floating around on the internet with the live debut of the song from March 1999. Surprisingly, they match up very well…..

Enjoy it (while it lasts)!

p.s. Does anyone know what Blue Room refers to?

Edited August 14, 2020 by MellowlikeYellow

[coldplaymakesmyday]

32 minutes ago, MellowlikeYellow said:

p.s. Does anyone know what Blue Room refers to?

According to the Life in Technicolor book, Chris said that it was named The Blue Room because "The studio where we were recording had one of those rooms where you film things on a blue screen and then dub in Hawaii afterwards. We didn't even know what this was, CGI. So, we'd go in there and play cricket and football and what we thought was a tacky set turned out to be really expensive... That's why it's called The Blue Room."

[MellowlikeYellow]

10 hours ago, coldplaymakesmyday said:

According to the Life in Technicolor book, Chris said that it was named The Blue Room because "The studio where we were recording had one of those rooms where you film things on a blue screen and then dub in Hawaii afterwards. We didn't even know what this was, CGI. So, we'd go in there and play cricket and football and what we thought was a tacky set turned out to be really expensive... That's why it's called The Blue Room."

Woah I never knew that! I figured it had something to do with the recording studio.

[I ran away]

15 hours ago, MellowlikeYellow said:

This pandemic has got me very nostalgic for the past. I discovered Coldplay when they released AROBTTH. I can still remember watching The Scientist music video on MTV, and from then on, I was hooked. Up after that, I grabbed Parachutes, and then the Brothers and Sisters EP. I scoured the early 2000’s internet for whatever other b-sides and rarities I could find. I loved their early sound so much.

Which is why the one part of Coldplay’s history that’s always intrigued me is the Blue Room EP. So little is known about this era, other than Will quit at some point (because recording was too hard, they couldn’t get along with the producer, etc.), and then they completely changed course after that. This was the Coldplay that could have been. This was the Coldplay the band themselves and Phil want you to forget about (see here). This was the Coldplay true fans yearn for. 

To look back on simpler times, I created a playlist of all the recordings known to have originated during the Blue Room sessions that I’m dubbing the (Real) Blue Room EP:

https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL8EM_b8sYIzwTvW2CbrRAOJkM7Noe4j32

Track list:

1. Don’t Panic

2. Spies

3. See You Soon

4. High Speed

5. We Never Change

Spies is taken from the “Flavor of the Label” CD released in mid-1999, right after they were signed to Parlophone. If you listen closely during the bands interview with Jo Whiley for Parachutes’ 20th anniversary, Will mentions the drum part for Spies was particularly hard for him to get right. Given it was one of the first songs recorded during the Blue Room sessions, I’m willing to bet you this was the song the band broke up over.

We Never Change is the atmospheric version alleged by Chris Allison (the producer at the time) to exist in storage, which I tried to recreate by overlaying the (purported) backtrack already floating around on the internet with the live debut of the song from March 1999. Surprisingly, they match up very well…..

Enjoy it (while it lasts)!

p.s. Does anyone know what Blue Room refers to?

Interesting idea with the overlay. Syncs up really well imho !

And by the way, welcome (back) to the forum. You're not the only one who loves Coldplay's early sound best :) Check out the Oldplaying thread that I made a couple of years ago to celebrate early Coldplay: 

Also, have you heard Vitamins yet ? This song is from the Safety EP recordings. The AHFOD movie gave us a snippet:

 

[MellowlikeYellow]

@I ran away - Cool thread! Yeah I've heard about Vitamins! One of several songs recorded during the Sync City sessions with Nikki Rosetti. Honestly, I like the production of those earlier songs (Bigger Stronger, etc.) more than for the Blue Room. Can't believe the sound they achieved having barely recorded music before.

[Nikki Rosetti]

On 8/15/2020 at 1:11 AM, MellowlikeYellow said:

@I ran away - Cool thread! Yeah I've heard about Vitamins! One of several songs recorded during the Sync City sessions with Nikki Rosetti. Honestly, I like the production of those earlier songs (Bigger Stronger, etc.) more than for the Blue Room. Can't believe the sound they achieved having barely recorded music before.

Impeccable taste you have there!

[I ran away]

9 hours ago, Nikki Rosetti said:

Impeccable taste you have there!

OMG, what an honour to have you on this forum, Nikki! Welcome!