While most U.K. groups go down as easily in America as a plateful of haggis or a mug of room-temperature beer nowadays, there's one band that continues to lead a British invasion all on its own. In fact, with their epic third album X&Y (13 tracks of universally appealing, U2-worthy rock--or "soft rock," as singer Chris Martin puts it), not to mention sold-out stadium tours and a regular spot in the tabloids thanks to Martin's high-profile marriage to A-list actress Gwyneth Paltrow, Coldplay seem on the verge of genuine world domination.

X&Y is influenced by European electronic music pioneers Kraftwerk, as well as 1970s electronica from the likes of David Bowie and Brian Eno. Coldplay received permission from Kraftwerk to use the main riff from "Computer Love" for the track "Talk", while Eno played backing synthesizer on the track "Low". The album's final track, "'Til Kingdom Come", was originally written by the band to be recorded by Johnny Cash, but Cash passed away before he could record the song.

According to lead singer Chris Martin, the title X&Y is based on the ups and downs of his everyday life. Martin says "My whole day is a mixture of optimism and pessimism in its most extreme forms. And that’s what X&Y is to me. It’s two sides. I like the fact they’re very strong letters, very clear." He has also stated that he chose the name X&Y because in mathematics X and Y represent the unknown, and that most of the tracks on the album are about the unknown and life's unanswerable questions.

Watch the Coldplay X&Y interview here

The Beatles' Strawberry Fields and Jeff Buckley's cover of the Leonard Cohen classic Hallelujah feature in a poll to find the 10 greatest tracks.

Fifty songwriters, including Coldplay's Chris Martin and John Legend, took part in the vote for Q Magazine. "Hallelujah is as near perfect as you can get. It transcends your mood. I can listen to it anywhere," said Legend.

Coldplay singer Martin picked The Verve's Bitter Sweet Symphony. "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.

The songwriters were asked to name their top three and from there the list was whittled down to the final top 10. "You can play Strawberry Fields Forever on an acoustic guitar and it sounds beautiful," said Serge Pizzorno, of Kasabian. "But the Beatles took the song to its furthest point, and the results are mind-bending."

Other classic tracks on the list include David Bowie's Life on Mars, The Rolling Stones' Sympathy For The Devil and Bruce Springsteen's Born To Run. "It makes me feel like I'm being dragged away by this euphoric moment that could any moment tip into being corny, but doesn't," said Manic Street Preachers' star James Dean Bradfield of the Springsteen hit.

Bob Dylan's Blowin' In The Wind, Billie Holiday's Strange Fruit, God Only Knows by The Beach Boys and Lou Reed classic Perfect Day complete the list.

More on this story here

Check out the 2007 section of Coldplay.com for a new star.

Singles box set - 26 March 2007

Vinyl rules O.K! Having your music on vinyl makes it seem a) Better

and b) Much better

Plus if you have seen SHAUN OF THE DEAD, this will come in handy if zombies ever attack. CM

More on this here [thanks Joyhannah]

When, last Saturday, a Coldplay "torrent" appeared on the Bittorrent network, it was instantly picked up by any and all who had the good fortune in seeing it.

The torrent (those who don't know about Bittorrent, its peer-to-peer file sharing) was labelled as "After After Before," an unknown name to all. So it was quickly grabbed by everyone who had some previous affiliation with the band, instantly thinking it was the greatly anticipated follow-up to 2005's "X&Y." Unfortunately, unbeknownst to many who were caught up in the furore of it all, Coldplay hinted that the new album would be released in 2007 if not later. While an advance copy of an album is not unusual on Bittorrent, a full year before is quite extroardinary, even for the multi-talented pirates of abroad.

Read at WikiColdplay how an unofficial fan-made collection of B-sides and rare tracks from Coldplay since their first LP, 'Parachutes', got pulses racing, here

As previously reported, Coldplay plates that were available for pre-order are now on sale. The plates matches the charity mug previously sold. Proceeds go to 21st Century Leaders and WaterAid and Oxfam.

Each plate is 8" / 20.5cm in diameter and the price is £9.99 (approx. €14.77). You can order it here.

Read on for full details of the fight against poverty campaign behind these plates.

A new Celebrity-Designed Plate collection featuring designs from the likes of Coldplay, George Clooney and Giorgio Armani is being launched this month by Whateverittakes.org to raise money in the fight against poverty. Whatever It Takes is the charity founded by Charlotte di Vita MBE, one of Nelson Mandela’s Goodwill Ambassadors.

Due to her dedication to raising millions in the fight against poverty, Charlotte di Vita MBE was chosen by Nelson Mandela to be a Goodwill Ambassador for the Nelson Mandela Children’s Fund, along with 36 other influential international ambassadors. Nelson Mandela selected these people, including Will Smith, Samuel L Jackson and Oprah Winfrey, to continue the legacy of the Nelson Mandela Children’s Fund after his retirement.

Struck by such an overwhelming gesture, Charlotte came up with the project ‘Whatever It Takes’. This aimed to use the power of celebrity to generate funds for charity. Famous people around the world are asked to donate a small amount of their time to draw a symbol of hope, a simple self portrait of themselves as a stick person and write a message of hope. So far Whatever It Takes has collated drawings from over 600 celebrities, ranging from George Clooney to Nicole Kidman and Coldplay to Desmond Tutu.

These artworks are used to create ‘merchandise with a meaning’ which has included mugs, wristbands, clothing lines and a new plate collection which launched this month (August 07.)

These plates feature designs such as Sir Michael and Lady Shakira Caine’s sunflower, Giorgio Armani’s Chinese symbol of hope and George Clooney’s caricature self portrait, as well as designs from Coldplay, Minnie Driver and David Bowie. Plates designed by Nicole Kidman, Ewan McGregor, Claudia Schiffer, Sir Roger Moore, Donna Karan and Samuel L Jackson are also being launched soon.

Whether you choose a plate because you are an avid fan of the artist, you adore the artwork, or you support the celebrity’s charity, you are sure to find a plate you love.

Here's a homage to Coldplay in Paris... French style [thanks rouppe14]. To view the full size, click here

Check out the 2001 section of Coldplay.com for a new star.

First Gig in NYC - 16th Feb. 2001

"Chris had a sore throat, but because it was our first gig in New York we didn't want to cancel. Two songs in Chris had completely lost his voice and we had to get someone from the audience onstage to sing Yellow. After that we had to give up and leave the stage."

JMB

More on this here [thanks ColdplayBirdsFly]

Check out the 2005 section of Coldplay.com for a new star.

Balloons.. Sept./05

"We started dropping huge balloons on the audience. They always end up on the stage for Chris to burst. Tempers have been known to fray when the balloons haven't been blown up enough. It's very important to get balloon pressure correct."

GB

More on this here [thanks ColdplayBirdsFly]

Two new tracks from Kanye’s “Graduation” are out. The first is “Homecoming” featuring Chris Martin from Coldplay. The second is only a snippet ripped off the latest episode of Entourage (4×11 - No Cannes Do), where Kanye gives Vinnie and the crew a lift to Cannes. (Release Date: September 11, 2007).

Click here to listen and watch the clips.

(Thanks go to d.B.g, KanyeTalk.com and iTunes UK)

Here’s a wonderfully abstract piece of artwork by David Lewis-Baker. Click here to view full size.

22.00 - 01.00 BST

Monday 27th August

"Tonight Coldplay is the Main Event from Glastonbury 2002. We continue Festival Focus with live tracks from Reading 2002. Plus Session Tracks from the Dick Dale and Blueboy."

Listen live:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/6music/

More on this here [thanks Froggitty]

What do we expect of a sophomore release? This is an important question when considering the release of Rush of Blood to the Head, Coldplay's follow-up to 2000's outstanding Parachutes. Is a maturity of songwriting and diversity expected? Can confidence be assumed? Is the disc considered in vacuum, or does the looming shadow of a breakthrough debut cloud the view?

It can safely be said that Coldplay is cultivating a unique style, and they have grown into it further in Rush: lilting, high male vocals strung over often minimalist but beautiful guitar chords and piano melodies. The sound of Rush is more mature than Parachutes, songs involving more complex guitar work, some slight distortion added at times, more changes in tempo, and more diversion from the typical piano ballad of Parachutes. But do not be confused, Coldplay's bread-and-butter remains light ballads, and that is the meat of this album.

Standout tracks include "Daylight," which involves an almost disco type beat at its base and proves to be a hypnotic, enjoyable exercise. "Amsterdam," the concluding song of the album, waits over four minutes to explode out of a beautiful piano/vocal ballad to polish off the album with a robust minute of music. The single "In My Place" is particularly strong, and its themes of waiting and unrequited love along with its position on the album seem to make it a spiritual reprise of one of the standout tracks of Parachutes: "Shiver." Spiritual, because unfortunately the sound of "Shiver," more straight rock and less ballad, does not appear in much of any form on Rush – but attempting to do so might have been a foolish attempt, asking lightning to strike twice. It is perhaps better to stick with what Coldplay does best.

This isn't necessarily lyrics, as the lyrics of Rush are a mixed bag, often bordering on overly simplistic, and then teetering over into clichéd but truthful, but in a good way. They often involve love and relationships and explore these topics as admirably as can be expected from any pop band. You will find your own moments of sincerity that speak to you. Also of note is the political message of the first song, aptly titled "Politik," which, purposely or not, manages to be "political" while saying nothing at all. Still, their support of Fair Trade in the liner notes is commendable.

In the need to find Rush's standing in Coldplay's now existent oeuvre, I return to the questions with which this review began. Yes, the songs on Rush possess a maturity compared to the first attempt of Parachutes, but it seems in maturation something was lost – innocence. Much of the charm of Parachutes as a whole was that roughness – the songs that ended seemingly halfway through, faltering in the end, and the energetic and unique "Shiver" suggesting a beginning, a source to their current sound. But Rush equals and surpassed Parachutes, establishing Coldplay as a band that should have some longevity, unafraid to evolve while staying connected to the sound their fans love. So perhaps in Rush we learn that maybe not only the band has to grow up and refuse to dwell on the past, but the listener does as well.

Source: http://www.bcheights.com

On this day, 5 years ago... 'A Rush Of Blood To The Head' was released. More on this here [thanks ImInMyPlace23]

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.

Read the full AROBTTH WikiColdplay page here

Chris Martin and Missy Elliot will reportedly join Nelly Furtado in her VMA performance next month.

Nelly Furtado will kick off her performance with All Good Things (Come to an End) and Chris Martin will enter to sing the second part with her, then Chris leaves and she starts singing 'Do It' with Missy Elliot.

More on this exclusive story here [thanks VMA-LasVegas]

The tracklist for Plato and Ubisoft's DS guitar-sim, Jam Sessions, has been announced. Guitar Hero Fans: this is not for you. On offer is a more laid-back selection of tunes, ranging from Coldplay to Johnny Cash's "I Forgot More Than You'll Ever Know". Full tracklist follows.

* Amy Winehouse - "You know I'm no good"

* Avril Lavigne - "I'm With You"

* Beck - "Jackass"

* Blind Melon - "No rain"

* Bob Marley - "No woman no cry"

* Bob Dylan - "Like a rolling stone"

* Cheap Trick - "Surrender"

* Coldplay - "Yellow"

* Death Cab for Cutie - "I will follow you into the dark"

* Jackson 5 - "Never can say goodbye"

* James Taylor - "How sweet it is to be loved by you"

* Janis Joplin - "Me and Bobby McGee"

* Johnny Cash - "I Forgot More Than You'll Ever Know"

* Marvin Gaye - "What's going on?"

* Nirvana - "The man who sold the world"

* Rascal Flatts - "Life is a Highway"

* The Fray - "Over my head"

Those come standard: buy your copy from Best Buy and you also get

* Brad Paisley - "I'm gonna miss her"

* Jimi Hendrix - "Wild thing"

* Tom Petty - "Needles and pins"

Source: http://kotaku.com

Indie label of some standing Fierce Panda are celebrating their 13th birthday with a compilation - The Bakers Arms Dozen.

The release, the label's 50th, shows the brand's diversity - cramming Coldplay, Capdown and Art Brut onto the same disc. Here's the tracklisting:

Shitdisco - 'OK'

You Say Party! We Say Die! - 'Monster'

Dead Disco - 'Automatic'

Art Brut - 'Moving To L.A.'

The Maccabees - 'Bicycles'

The Hot Puppies - 'The Girl Who Was Too Beautiful'

Coldplay - 'Brothers & Sisters'

My Architects - 'Lists'

Apartment - 'Everyone Says I'm Paranoid'

iLiKETRAiNS - 'Terra Nova'

Make Good Your Escape - 'Out Of My Skin'

The Blackout - 'Hard Slammin''

Capdown - 'Keeping Up Appearances'

The record's out on the 2nd of October.

Source: http://www.drownedinsound.com

Check out the 2005 section of Coldplay.com for a new star.

Speed of Sound Video - May 23 2005

This video was made for us by Mark Romanek in the same room where a lot of 'Wizard of Oz' was shot. Behind the light screen Mark built was an enormous staircase that we were racing up between takes (probably in an effort to slim down). Mani from 'Stone Roses' had seen me with cake a few weeks before and said 'Nobody likes a fat pop star'

Chris

More on this here [thanks ColdplayBirdsFly]

Check out the 2000 section of Coldplay.com for a new star.

Cover of Select Magazine - 2000

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

More on this here [thanks alio]

Check out the 2001 section of Coldplay.com for a new star.

Big Day Out 2001 January

A massive festival tour across Australia and the Happy Mondays were playing. Apart from the sunburn, life was perfect. JMB

More on this here[thanks ColdplayBirdsFly & doritji]

The Beatles were one of several acts that boosted British album sales abroad last year – despite not being together any more.

Statistics released by the BPI revealed that British artists were amongst some of the most dominant acts in Germany and France last year, whose markets are the forth and fifth biggest in the world respectively.

In total, British acts such as The Beatles - who released their album of 'new' material entitled, 'Love' - Coldplay, James Blunt and Katie Melua, helped the UK to sell twenty-seven million albums in the two countries in 2006 alone.

The UK’s share of the music market in Germany went from 14.7% in 2005 to 19.9% last year, while in France it went from 10.2% to 10.7%.

The countries gains in France have come as a particular surprise to officials because by law, 40% of artists on French radio must sing in French.

Geoff Taylor, chief executive of the BPI said: "Music is one of the UK's great cultural and economic exports. The fact that UK labels are gaining an increasing share of these major international markets demonstrates the diversity and quality of new British artists."

The BPI also revealed that one in twelve albums sold in the US are by a British artist.

Source: http://www.gigwise.com

Check out the 2003 section of Coldplay.com for a new star.

Jimmy Kimmel Live, 26th January 2003

We played outside the Kodak Theatre on Hollywood Boulevard. We were nervous because Snoop Dogg was watching. Guy chose to mark the occasion by wearing a 'muscle T'.

JMB

More on this here [thanks fudge]

Check out the 2000 section of Coldplay.com for a new star. It's the release of the 'Shiver' music mideo with a comment from Jonny Buckland.

Shiver released 1/3/00

It took us so long to get this song right, when we finally did we thought we'd better release it before we had chance to change our minds.

JMB

More on this here [thanks ColdplayBirdsFly]

More content has been added to the new Coldplay.com site. This time a football match between Coldplay and a bunch of (good) Brazilians.

Maybe it was ambitious to try and play football against a team of Brazilians; we did well until they brought on their star players - the rest was a bit embarrasing. W x

More on this here [thanks WCfan]

Coldplay’s ‘Speed of Sound’ features on a new complition CD entitled ‘Just Great Songs’.

Released 30th April 2007 and currently being plugged on TV and available to purchase from Amazon.co.uk.

The tracklisting consists of the following artists: (read more)

Disc: 1

1. The Fray - How To Save A Life

2. James Morisson - You Give me Something

3. Razorlight - America

4. The Kooks - Naïve

5. Lily Allen - Smile

6. Corinne Bailey Rae - Put Your Records On

7. Norah Jones - Come Away With Me

8. The Zutons - Valerie

9. Coral - Dreaming Of You

10. The Calling - Wherever You Will Go

11. Manic Street Preachers - A Design For Life

12. Travis - Driftwood

13. Shawn Mullins - Lullaby

14. jeff Buckley - Hallelujah

15. Nerina Pallot - Sophia

16. Joss Stone - You Had Me

17. Jose Gondalaz - Heartbeats

18. Alanis Morissette - Ironic (Acoustic Album Version)

19. KT Tunstall - Suddenly I See

20. The Feeling - Never Be Lonely

Disc: 2

1. The View- Same Jeans

2. Coldplay - Speed Of Sound

3. The Killers - When You Were Young

4. Keane - Somewhere Only We Know

5. Evenescence - Bring Me To Life

6. Primal Scream - Country Girl

7. The Magic Numbers - Take A Chance

8. John Mayer - Gravity

9. Train - Drops Of Jupiter

10. Badly Drawn Boy - Journey From A To B

11. Doves - Black And White Town

12. Feeder - Tumble And Fall

13. Kings Of Leon - The Bucket

14. The Stone Roses - Waterfall

15. Nickelback - How You Remind Me

16. Starsailor - Good Souls

17. Turin Brakes - They Can’t Buy The Sunshine

18. Embrace - Nature’s Law

19. REM - Nightswimming

20. Oasis - Wonderwall

Private equity group Terra Firma has succeeded in its bid to buy music firm EMI, the BBC has learned. Ninety percent of EMI shareholders agreed to the £2.4bn takeover offer by the UK company, controlled by buyout specialist Guy Hands.

This means the remaining shareholders are now obliged to accept the 265p-per-share offer. EMI's artists include Joss Stone, Lily Allen, Coldplay, Robbie Williams and the Chemical Brothers.

The bid had been repeatedly extended, but eventually shareholders were given until 1300 BST on Wednesday to decide. EMI had also attracted interest from Warner Music, which had a previous bid rejected earlier this year.

The board of EMI first agreed to be bought by Terra Firma on 21 May. One of the world's big four record companies, EMI has seen sales decline dramatically over the past year. In May, it said that it had made a £260m loss in its latest financial year.

Like all record companies, it has been hit by the trend for more digital downloading of music, while a number of high-profile album releases have badly disappointed. EMI announced a radical restructuring plan earlier this year, resulting in the loss of hundreds of jobs in both Europe and the US.

Source: Various