JAMES BLUNT
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 James Blunt
James Blunt (born in Tidworth, Wiltshire) is a British musician whose debut album, Back To Bedlam, and single releases - especially number one hit "You're Beautiful" - brought him to fame in 2005. His style is a mix of jazz, rock and soul, and comparisons have been made between him and early Elton John. Along with the vocals of the album, Blunt plays: guitar, keyboard, marimba, acoustic guitar, classical guitar, Rhodes, organ, piano, 12-string guitar, Wurlitzer, church organ, pump organ, grand piano and Mellotron.
James Blount (the name was changed for his music career) was born at a British Army hospital, the son and grandson of senior army officers. He was sent to boarding school at seven and at thirteen was accepted into Harrow School. While there, and aged only sixteen, he became one of the youngest holders of a UK Private Pilot Licence. He read aeronautical engineering at Bristol University on an army bursary which required him to enlist on graduation. He joined the Life Guards the senior regiment in the British Army. During his four years service he was promoted to Captain with the British Army and served as a NATO peacekeeper in Kosovo, one of the first to enter those areas where war crimes had been committed. It was this experience that led to his writing of the song "No Bravery". After his tour of duty in Kosovo he was sent to Switzerland where he became the captain of the Household Cavalry downhill ski team. One of his final duties in the army before retirement was the funeral of the Queen Mother on April 9, 2002, where he carried her coffin. He has said that he had been shot at more times than 50 Cent.
Early Success
James Blunt's debut single in the UK, "High," peaked below the Top 100 of the UK Singles Chart. However, the song was chosen to appear in a Vodafone commercial in Italy, and as a result ended up becoming a Top 10 hit in that country. His second single "Wisemen" improved upon that position with a #44 peak.
However, it was the third single "You're Beautiful" that became James' breakout hit. The song debuted at #12 in the UK, and demonstrated a rare trend of upward mobility on the UK charts, rising all the way to the #1 position, six weeks after its debut. The song also received massive airplay in the UK which was able to propel Back To Bedlam to #1 on the albums chart, with the special feat of unseating the record-breaking album X & Y by Coldplay from the pole position.
After the success of "You're Beautiful" in the UK, the song crossed over to mainland Europe, becoming one the biggest hits of summer 2005 across the continent. In the USA, "You're Beautiful" has not been released to radio, but despite that it is getting airplay at WPLJ, a prominent radio station in New York City.
The videos for all three of James Blunt's singles to date feature symbolism and dark imagery. In the video for "High," James is buried in a desert. In the video for "Wisemen," James is kidnapped and held hostage. In the video for "You're Beautiful," James alludes to suicide.
Blunt has recorded a new, less 'controversial' video for the re-release of the single 'High', which is slated for release on 3rd Oct 2005. The new video contains several lingering close ups and scenes of him running at full speed through a forest.
Discography
Albums
* Back To Bedlam - 11 October 2004 #1 UK, #1 AUS, #1 NEW ZEALAND, #1 NORWAY, #1 IRELAND, #1 SWITZERLAND, #1 DENMARK, #2 SWEDEN, #2 FRANCE, #2 GERMANY, #3 NETHERLANDS
Singles
From Back To Bedlam:
* "High" - 18 October 2004 #65 AUS (2005 release)
* "Wisemen" - 7 March 2005 #44 UK
* "You're Beautiful" - 30 May 2005 #1 UK, #1 NETHERLANDS, #11 AUS
* "High" - October 2005 re-release
Download: James Blunt - You're Beautiful (Clean Edit)
Download: James Blunt - You're Beautiful (Album Version)
James Blunt downloads from Rhapsody:
Growing up in England, James Blunt had a "traditional" childhood, which essentially means he was shipped off to boarding school at age seven. He excelled in science and math at school, so it wasn't a surprise that his father pushed him along the path of a military career. But school wasn't all bad: Blunt learned how to play the piano there and even tried his hand at school plays. It would be too cliché to say that Blunt's love for music help him fight off the career designs of his over-enthusiastic father. In fact, that would be both cliché and a lie. Blunt did join the military, and in 1999 he served as a peacekeeper in Kosovo. Armed with a gun and his guitar, James did his best to keep an even keel in a place that just experienced one of the bloodiest civil wars on record. Writing was an escape for the singer-songwriter; a way to process the horrors of what he was witnessing, as songs like "No Bravery" attest. When his military time was up, Blunt focused on making music his career, got a band together and recorded some demos. Within months he landed both a publishing deal and a manager. After his performance at 2003's SXSW, Blunt met producer Linda Perry (Pink, Christina Aguilera, etc.) who offered the singer a deal on her very own label, Custard Records. James Blunt's debut, Back to Bedlam was released in the U.K. in January 2005 and in United States later that year, in July.
James Blunt - Back To Bedlam CD
1. High - 2. You`re Beautiful - 3. Wisemen - 4. Goodbye My Lover - 5. Tears And Rain - 6. Out Of My Mind - 7. So Long Jimmy - 8. Billy - 9. Cry - 10. No Bravery
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