History

Formation (1996–1999)

The members of the band met at Ramsay Hall, a student halls of residence building at University College London (UCL) in September 1996. Chris Martin and Jonny Buckland were the first members of the band, having met one another during their orientation week. They spent the rest of the year planning a band, with their efforts culminating in a band called Pectoralz. Eventually Guy Berryman, a classmate of the two, joined the band without consideration of what musical direction it was taking. By 1997, Coldplay was performing small club gigs for local Camden promoters. By that time, the band had changed their name to Starfish. Martin also had recruited his erstwhile school friend Phil Harvey, who was studying classics at Oxford, to act as band manager. Harvey managed the band until the release of their second album, A Rush of Blood to the Head.

Finally, on January 16, 1998, the band's lineup was complete when Will Champion joined the band to take up percussion duties. The multi-talented Champion had grown up playing piano, guitar, bass, and tin whistle; he quickly learned the drums, despite having no previous experience with that instrument. Eventually Tim Rice-Oxley, a mutual friend, gave the band permission to use the name "Coldplay", which he had rejected for his band as he thought it was "too depressing". Rice-Oxley also was offered a position as Coldplay's keyboard player, but he refused since he was already committed to the band Keane.

On May 18, 1998, the band released 500 copies of the Safety EP. Most of the discs were given to record companies and friends; only 50 copies remained for sale to the public. In December, Coldplay signed to indie label Fierce Panda. Their first release on the label was the three track Brothers and Sisters EP which they had quickly recorded over four days in February 1999. Released in April, the EP's initial run was limited to 2,500 copies. Interest in the band was slowly growing across the UK, helped by regular airplay from Radio 1's Steve Lamacq.

After completing their final examinations, Coldplay signed to Parlophone for a five-album contract in the spring of 1999. After making their first appearance at Glastonbury, the band went into studio to record a third EP titled The Blue Room. 5,000 copies of the EP were made available to the public in October, and the single "Bigger Stronger", which got airplay on Radio 1, was instrumental in establishing Coldplay.

However, the recording sessions for The Blue Room were tumultuous. Martin kicked Champion out of the band but later pleaded with him to return, and due to his guilt, went on a drinking binge. Eventually, the band worked out their differences and put in place a new set of rules to keep the group intact. First, the band declared an all-for-one approach: Coldplay was a democracy, and profits were to be shared equally, taking a page from bands like U2 and R.E.M. Second, the band would fire anyone who used hard drugs.

Parachutes (1999–2001)

In March 1999, Coldplay focused efforts on their debut album. They went into "Rockfield Studios" with producer Ken Nelson. They also played on the Carling Tour, which showcased up-and-coming acts. After releasing three EPs without a hit song, Coldplay scored their first Top 40 single, "Shiver". Released in March 2000, the single placed at a modest #35 and earned the band their first airplay on MTV. June 2000 was a pivotal moment in Coldplay's history. The band embarked on their first headlining tour, which included a triumphant return to Glastonbury. More notably, the band released the breakthrough single, "Yellow". The song shot to #4 on the UK Singles Chart and placed the band in public consciousness.

Coldplay released their first full-length album, Parachutes, in July 2000, which debuted at #1 on the UK Albums Chart. Along with critical acclaim, Parachutes was sometimes criticised for bearing a strong resemblance to the music of alt-rock band Radiohead in their The Bends–OK Computer era. "Yellow" and "Trouble" earned regular radio airplay on both sides of the Atlantic. Parlophone originally predicted sales of 40,000 units of Parachutes; by Christmas, 1.6 million copies had been sold in the United Kingdom alone. Parachutes was nominated for the Mercury Music Prize in September 2000.

Having found success in Europe, the band set their sights on North America. Parachutes was released in November 2000. The band embarked on a US club tour in early 2001, beginning with a show in Vancouver, Canada, which was coupled with appearances on Saturday Night Live, Late Night with Conan O'Brien, and The Late Show with David Letterman. Parachutes was a slow-burning success in U.S., but eventually reached double-platinum status. The album was also critically well-received, earning Best Alternative Music Album honours at the 2002 Grammy Awards.

A Rush of Blood to the Head (2001–2004)

Coldplay returned to the studio in October 2001 to begin work on their second album. Once again with Ken Nelson producing. With much anticipation, Coldplay released A Rush of Blood to the Head in August 2002. The album spawned several popular singles, notably "In My Place", "Clocks", and the ballad "The Scientist".

Coldplay toured for over a year, from June 2002 to September 2003, visiting five continents including co-headlining festival dates at Glastonbury Festival, V2003, and Rock Werchter. The Rush of Blood to the Head tour showed the band's progression into a bona fide stadium act. Many shows included elaborate lighting and individualised screens reminiscent of U2's recent Elevation tour. During the extended tour, Coldplay also recorded a live DVD and CD, Live 2003, at Sydney's Hordern Pavilion. The compilation featured a new song, "Moses".

In December 2003, they were named by readers of Rolling Stone magazine as the best artist and the best band of the year. At that time Coldplay covered The Pretenders' 1983 hit "2000 Miles", which was made available for download on their official site. It was the top selling UK download that year, with proceeds from the sales donated to Future Forests and Stop Handgun Violence campaigns. A Rush of Blood to the Head won two trophies at the 2003 Grammy Awards. At the 2004 Grammy Awards, Coldplay earned Record of the Year honours for "Clocks". The album was also named to Rolling Stone's 2003 list of the 500 Greatest Albums at number 472.

X&Y (2004–2006)

2004 was a quiet year for Coldplay, as they spent most of the year out of spotlight resting from touring and recording their third album. In terms of musical influences for this particular album, bassist Guy Berryman has said, "We were listening to lots of different stuff during the early stages [of X&Y], from Bowie, Eno and Pink Floyd to Depeche Mode, Kate Bush and Kraftwerk. And U2 as we usually do." In May, Coldplay teased fans with a new song and music video on their official site to celebrate the birth of Apple, Martin's daughter with his wife, actress Gwyneth Paltrow. Famed producer Sir George Martin introduced the promo as Coldplay and their producer, Ken Nelson, performed as The Nappies, a satirised rap/glam rock outfit. Martin joked that this music had been inspired by Jay-Z.

Coldplay's third album, X&Y, was released on 6 June 2005 in the UK. This new, delayed release date had put the album back into the next fiscal year, actually causing EMI's stock to drop. It became the best-selling album of 2005 with worldwide sales of 8.3 million. The lead single, "Speed of Sound", made its radio and online music store debut on 18 April and was released as a CD on 23 May 2005. The album debuted at #1 in 22 countries worldwide and was the third-fastest selling album in UK chart history. Two other singles were released that year: "Fix You" in September and "Talk" in December. In May 2006 the band released "The Hardest Part" in several countries outside the UK. Despite the commercial success, the critical reaction to X&Y was less unanimous in its praise than the reviews for its predecessor, with New York Times critic Jon Pareles describing them as "the most insufferable band of the decade."

From June 2005 to July 2006, Coldplay went on their Twisted Logic tour, which included festival dates like Coachella, Glastonbury and the Austin City Limits Music Festival. For the 2006 tour, the band completed a third visit in the same tour to North America, with dates from late January (Seattle) to early April (Philadelphia).

In July 2005, the band appeared at Live 8 in Hyde Park, where they played a rendition of The Verve's "Bitter Sweet Symphony" with Richard Ashcroft on vocals. In September, Coldplay recorded a new version of "How You See the World" with reworked lyrics to War Child's charity album. In February 2006, Coldplay earned Best Album and Best Single honours at the BRIT Awards.

Fourth studio album (2006–2008)

As early as December 2006 work for the band's fourth album started. It is expected to be released on 19 May 2008. It has been quoted as "the album people will remember them by" as well as a concise record "with at least two top-division songs being released independently." Brian Eno is the producer. In addition, music producer Timbaland told GQ magazine that he would be collaborating.

The band took a break from recording and toured in early 2007 around South America for the first time, including shows in Chile, Argentina, Brazil and Mexico. The band has also revealed that the album seemed to be shaping up with Hispanic influences, after having recorded in churches and other areas in Latin America and Spain during their tour.

After that they spent the rest of the year recording the new album, mainly with producer Brian Eno. On 6 December 2007 a post appeared on the band's website suggesting that the group had nearly finished recording, stating that "the creative momentum keeps on gathering." Coldplay are currently mixing the record in New York as announced on their site since late 2007. According to Coldplay's update on 30 January 2008, the album will not be entitled Prospekt.

Political and social activism

Despite Coldplay's large worldwide popularity, the band have remained protective of how their music is used in the media, refusing its use for product endorsements. In the past, Coldplay turned down multi-million dollar contracts from Gatorade, Diet Coke, and Gap, who wanted to use the songs "Yellow", "Trouble", and "Don't Panic" respectively. According to Martin, "We wouldn't be able to live with ourselves if we sold the songs' meanings like that."

Coldplay are a supporter of Amnesty International. Chris Martin is also noted as one of the most visible celebrity advocates for "fair trade", supporting Oxfam's Make Trade Fair campaign until its dissolution in 2005 after the G8 summit in Gleneagles. Martin has been on trips with Oxfam to assess conditions, has appeared in its advertising campaign, and is known for wearing a "Make Trade Fair" wristband during public appearances, including at Coldplay concerts.

Martin was outspoken against the 2003 invasion of Iraq, and he endorsed Democratic presidential candidate John Kerry in 2004. Although he is not a U.S. citizen, Martin's wife, Gwyneth Paltrow, is; both currently live in London and Los Angeles.

In the band's early years, Coldplay were also widely noted in the media for their claim to give 10% of the band's profits to charity. Bassist Guy Berryman said, "You can make people aware of issues. It isn't very much effort for us at all, but if it can help people, then we want to do it". The band also asks that any gifts intended for them are donated to charity, according to a response on the FAQ section of Coldplay's website.

Coldplay parodied their own highly publicised stance on political and social issues with a cameo in the 2004 film Shaun of the Dead, appearing on TV within the film to support the charity "Zombaid" (a pun on Live Aid), a charity dedicated to giving zombies better political rights. Martin also played himself on an episode of Extras in which he shamelessly took advantage of a public service announcement shoot to promote a fictitious Greatest Hits album.

Books

• Roach, Martin (2003). Coldplay: Nobody Said It Was Easy. Omnibus Press. ISBN 0711998108.
• Spivack, Gary (2004). Coldplay: Look At The Stars. MTV/Simon/Pocket Books. ISBN 0743491963.

Mass media

• Coldplay concert review The Guardian 16 April 2003.
• Fair Trade's Front Man Mother Jones January 2004.

Websites

• Recording Coldplay's Parachutes Retrieved 22 March 2005.
• Coldplay History Retrieved 22 March 2005.
• Amnesty International (USA) — Coldplay Retrieved 22 March 2005.
• Coldplay help put a smile on the Teenage Cancer Trust's face Retrieved 22 March 2005.
• "Coldplay warm to Hong Kong media" A South China Morning Post podcast of the band's press conference, recorded at The Landmark Oriental hotel in Hong Kong in July 2006.

External links

• Official Site
• NME Artist page featuring news, reviews, videos, and photo galleries