James Blunt

James Blunt capped a memorable week by returning to the top of the UK album chart with ‘Back To Bedlam’.
The singer-songwriter headed the Brit Award nominations when they were announced last Tuesday after being named in five categories.
And the exposure helped him to dislodge US rockers The Strokes at the top of the charts. ‘Back To Bedlam’ has now sold 5.5 million copies worldwide.
‘The Back Room’ by The Editors took the third spot, followed by Hard-Fi’s ‘Stars Of CCTV’ and ‘Employment’ by the Kaiser Chiefs.

NEW YORK (Atlantic Records) - Custard/Atlantic Recording artist James Blunt continues to surge in popularity in the U.S., as his debut album, “BACK TO BEDLAM,” is certified gold by the RIAA for sales in excess of 500,000 copies. At the same time, the album has leapt into the top 20 on this week’s Billboard 200, landing at No 16 with a bullet. In the past two weeks alone, the album has jumped 33 spots on the chart. “BACK TO BEDLAM” was released in the U.S. on October 4, 2005.In his native England Blunt has made history with “BACK TO BEDLAM.” The UK’s No 1 album of the year, with nearly 2.4 million copies sold, it became the biggest-selling album in a single year since the current sales tracking system began in 1994. He also leads the pack for this year’s BRIT Awards, earning nominations in five categories: British Male Solo Artist, British Album, British Single, British Breakthrough Act, and Pop Act. He previously garnered “Best New Act” wins at both the MTV Europe Music Awards and the UK’s Q Awards.

Blunt will fly to the U.S. for a very special pre-Grammy Awards performance at the House of Blues in Los Angeles on February 7th. He will return to the States in March for his first full-fledged headlining tour. In December, Blunt wrapped up his first major North American concert itinerary, which featured a number of dates with labelmate Jason Mraz, as well as a series of headlining shows - including two sold-out performances at New York City’s Bowery Ballroom.

Having totally controlled the UK charts over the summer of 2005, James Blunt has now well and truly begun his assault on the US. Former number one single You’re Beautiful climbs from 25 to 17 in the Billboard singles charts whilst the multi million selling Back to Bedlam climbs from 30 to 16 in the albums charts.

James Blunt had last year’s biggest selling album - but just why are people not admitting to liking the singer?

James has been nominated for 5 Brit awards and is expected to walk off with most of them, but with many complaining he is dull and boring, just who is supporting the star?

Many critics can’t stand the singer and have been trashing his single ‘You’re Beautiful,’ but his album has already sold two and a half million copies in the UK alone, so he must be doing something right.

Infact, an amazing one in ten households have his album.

Radio DJ Ben Jones says the reality is that James Blunt has been a surprising, yet hugely successful artist:

“The problem with music critics is that sometimes they are a little up their own backside.”

“They are too immersed in the “what’s cool” in music. Clearly they are wrong.”

“Five Brit nominations. Two million album sales. It’s the biggest selling album in a calendar year ever. I mean, that ain’t just luck!”

Kaiser Chiefs singer Ricky Wilson insists James Blunt deserves his five Brit Awards nominations, despite the fact he can’t stand his music.

The Leeds-based rockers and the former British Army captain led the way when the Brit Awards contenders were announced on Tuesday with both acts up for five awards.

The two artists will go head to head in the Best British Album and British Breakthrough categories and although Wilson has never bought any of Blunt’s records, he is not surprised the singer-songwriter is getting some recognition.

He said: “Some people love James Blunt and some people hate him, but I really just don’t care.

“It’s like me being a lawyer or a farmer and being compared to a telesales assistant. I’ve talked to him and we had a right good chat, but let’s just say that I don’t have any of his records.

“We’ve just started out, but our nominations are deserved. I don’t want to sound big-headed, but there aren’t any shocks in there.”

It’s day 502 of James Blunt’s Back To Bedlam world domination tour - a relentless march to victory that began 4 million album sales ago in February 2004 with a slot supporting Katie Melua in Dublin.

Now, many miles later, on a wintry afternoon in Philadelphia, the radio station WXPN 88.5 is proud to present James Blunt, in association with an Illinois-based conglomerate.

From a battered case, the most played, most successful British artist of 2005 gets out his favourite 1966 Gibson acoustic guitar. In torn and frayed Levi’s, sensible jumper and knackered Asics trainers, Blunt perches on a stool in this windowless bunker. He’s short and slight but with a hint of bicep bulge. This rosy-cheeked former captain in the Life Guards looks like a scruffy mature student who needs a haircut.

The only thing bling about the 28-year-old responsible for the biggest-selling album of the year is a gold signet ring on his left pinkie, bearing the family crest of the Hampshire Blounts - the original spelling of his name. (No, he didn’t change his name to appear less posh. “Blunt” is simply how you pronounce “Blount”.)

For the benefit of WXPN’s listeners, he runs through You’re Beautiful, the neverending ballad of last year, the single even Blunt got so sick of that he had his record company delete it.
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Coldplay, Kaiser Chiefs and James Blunt are among the artists announced to play at the Brit Awards. Paul Weller will also perform on the night and will receive a lifetime achievement award.

Other artists confirmed for the event include KT Tunstall, Kelly Clarkson and Kanye West.

The Brit Awards will be held at London’s Earl’s Court on 15 February and will be broadcast on ITV1 the following evening.

DJ and TV presenter Chris Evans will be hosting the awards for the second year running.

The nominations will be announced on Tuesday.

Last year’s big winners were the Scissor Sisters, Franz Ferdinand, Keane and Joss Stone.

Rachel Stevens is hoping that James Blunt can help her to revive her solo career.The former S Club singer has asked for Blunt’s advice and inspiration on what direction she should take for her next album.

“Her recent material just hasn’t sold,” a source told The People. “In this climate, an artist needs to be consistently in the top ten to be financially viable.”A spokesperson for the star insisted, “Rachel is still very much a Polydor artist. There is nothing definite but she may even release another single from her album.”

Singer-songwriter James Blunt helped the British music industry to one of its best-ever year for sales in 2005. A record 126.2 million artist albums were sold last year, with Blunt’s Back To Bedlam topping the chart, according to the British Phonographic Industry.

Single sales were up by almost half to 47.9m, with the growth coming from the rapid growth in internet downloads.

The BPI said the final week of 2005 saw download sales top one million for the first time.

Tony Christie’s revived (Is This The Way To) Amarillo was the top-selling single track of 2005.

Album sales also hit a weekly record in the week before Christmas, with 10.4 million albums being sold, a 40% increase on the same week in 2004.

James Blunt has confessed to vomiting all over his tour bus.

The ‘You’re Beautiful’ singer admitted when he was on tour he can’t always make it to the toilet in time when he has over-indulged on alcohol.

He revealed: “When you’re on the move, the bus toilet isn’t ideal. There’s been a number of occasions when you don’t make it to the lavatory and throw up everywhere.”

You can catch James Blunt in action tomorrow night, December 9th, on “Late Night with Conan O’Brien.” The 28-year-old British singer-songwriter will play a song off his debut album “Back To Bedlam,” which includes his breakthrough hit “You’re Beautiful.”

Tina Fey from “Saturday Night Live” also guests on the show.

“Late Night with Conan O’Brien” airs weeknights at 12:35 am ET/11:35 pm CT on NBC. As with all shows, guests are subject to change, so check your local listings for additional details.

James Blunt and Tony Christie released the biggest selling albums and singles of 2005 in the UK, it has been confirmed.

Blunt’s “Back To Bedlam” was the number one album of 2005, while Christie’s “(Is This The Way To) Amarillo” topped the list of singles.

“Back To Bedlam” sold 2.37 million copies across the year, putting it markedly ahead of “X&Y” by Coldplay, which shifted 1.999 million, reports Music Week.

Christie’s “…Amarillo” sold 1.10 million copies, ahead of Shayne Ward’s “That’s My Goal”, which is reported to have sold 874,000 copies in just 11 days, to claim the UK Christmas Number One.

The top five albums of 2005 were as follows:

01 James Blunt - “Back To Bedlam”
02 Coldplay - “X&Y”
03 Robbie Williams - “Intensive Care”
04 Kaiser Chiefs - “Employment”
05 Gorillaz - “Demon Days”

The top five singles were:

01 Tony Christie - “(Is This The Way To) Amarillo”
02 Shayne Ward - “That’s My Goal”
03 Crazy Frog - “Axel F”
04 James Blunt - “You’re Beautiful”
05 McFly - “All About You” / “You’ve Got A Friend”