Back to Bedlam
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Back to Bedlam is the debut album from British singer-songwriter James Blunt, released by Custard Records in 2004. Much of the album is acoustic-tinged rock and folk pop. Tom Rothrock produced and mixed the album, he and Jimmy Hogarth produced the track "Wisemen", and Linda Perry produced the final song, "No Bravery". Blunt had a part in the writing of every song on the album. The album had a slow climb in the UK Albums Chart, but eventually reached #1 in July 2005 and has since become the best-selling album of that year and of the 21st Century in Britain. It has been on the New Zealand album charts for 32 weeks and has gone #1 with a 6× Platinum certification.
The album also reached #1 on the Billboard Heatseekers chart and subsequently broke into the top ten of the American Billboard 200 (its highest position there so far is #2). It has been certified double platinum in the United States. It has also been listed by Soundscan as the 6th best selling album for 2006 with sales of 2.14 million copies.
In Australia, it reached #1 on the ARIA Albums Chart where it's certified 8x Platinum with sales of over 560,000 copies. ARIA also certified it as the best selling album of 2006.
To date the album has sold about 14 million copies worldwide. The album also entered the Guinness Book of World Records, with most albums sold in a year in the UK, when it sold 2,368,000 copies in 2005.[1] However, the album was awarded as a 'worst album of the year' by the NME magazine.[2]
Track listing
- "High" – 4:03 (James Blunt; Ricky Ross)
- "You're Beautiful" –– 3:33 (J. Blunt; Sacha Skarbek; Amanda Ghost)
- "Wisemen" – 3:42 (J. Blunt; Jimmy Hogarth; S. Skarbek)
- "Goodbye My Lover" – 4:18 (J. Blunt; S. Skarbek)
- "Tears and Rain" – 4:04 (J. Blunt; Guy Chambers)
- "Out of My Mind" – 3:33 (J. Blunt)
- "So Long, Jimmy" – 4:24 (J. Blunt; J. Hogarth)
- "Billy" – 3:37 (J. Blunt; S. Skarbek; A. Ghost)
- "Cry" – 4:06 (J. Blunt; S. Skarbek)
- "No Bravery" – 4:00 (J. Blunt; S. Skarbek)
(All lyrics by James Blunt; assistance on music except for "Out of My Mind", music by James Blunt)
Album information
James Blunt played a large portion of the instruments on the album, and also collaborated with several other musicians:
- Matt Chait - sample guitar, electric guitar, guitar
- Mike "Leroy" Tarantino - lead guitar, electric guitar, Mississippi guitar
- Mr. Nau - Wurlitzer, piano, Hammond, sustain guitar, backing vocals, tack piano
- Sasha Krivtsov - bass guitar, backing vocals
- C. Paxon - drums, backing vocals
- E. Gorfain and The Section - strings
- Jimmy Hogarth - acoustic guitar, keyboard
- S. Skarbek - Mid 8 Rhodes
- A. Ghost - backing vocals
- "Gumby" Goodwin - electric guitar, backing vocals, slide guitar
- G. Chambers - guitar feedback
- Tom Rothrock - backing vocals, slide guitar
- W. Vincent - bass guitar
- Linda Perry - guitar
- P. Ill - bass guitar
- B. McCloud - drums
Licensing of tracks
Eight of the ten songs on the album were licensed for use in television shows, movies, advertising campaigns and/or promo/trailer spots a total of 34 times. This included "Tears and Rain," "So Long Jimmy" and "Cry," tracks that had not been released as singles.[3]
Charts
Back to Bedlam was released in October 2004. However, it didn't chart until late March 2005 (No. 56). It fell off the chart after a week, but then re-entered fourteen days later (No. 73), but then fell off the charts again. Due to the success of its single "You're Beautiful", the album re-entered for a second time at No. 71 in late April 2005. It eventually climbed to No. 1, as did "You're Beautiful". The album stayed there for 10 non-consecutive weeks, and was the best selling album of 2005 in the UK. By the end of the year, the album had sold 2.5 million copies and was certified 8x platinum. To date the album has sold 3.0 million copies, therefore is now certified 10x Platinum in the UK.
In Canada the album has sold more than 600,000 copies, and was certified 6x platinum.[4]
Certifications, peaks and sales
| Country | Peak Position | Certification (If Any) | Sales/shipments |
|---|---|---|---|
| Australia | 1 (12 Weeks) | 8x Platinum [5] | 560,000+ |
| Austria | 1 (2 Weeks) | Platinum [6] | 30,000+ |
| Belgium | 1 (3 Weeks) | Platinum [7] | 50,000+ |
| Canada | 6x Platinum [8] | 600,000+ | |
| Denmark | 1 (3 Weeks) | 2x Platinum [9] | 80,000+ |
| Finland | 10 | ||
| France | 2 (7 Weeks) | Diamond [10] | 1,000,000+ |
| Germany | 1 (1 Weeks) | 7x gold [11] | 700,000+ |
| Greece | 1 | 2x Platinum [12] | 70,000[13] |
| Ireland | 1 (14 Weeks) | 14x Platinum [14] | 210,000+ |
| Japan | Platinum [15] | 250,000+ | |
| Mexico | Gold [16] | 50,000+ | |
| Netherlands | 2 | Platinum [17] | 80,000+ |
| New Zealand | 1 (12 Weeks) | 7x Platinum [18] | 105,000+ |
| Norway | 1 (5 Weeks) | ||
| Portugal | 2 (3 Weeks) | 2x Platinum [19] | 40,000+ |
| Spain | Gold [20] | 40,000+ | |
| Sweden | 1 (1 Week) | 2x Platinum [21] | 120,000+ |
| Switzerland | 1 (10 Weeks) | 3x Platinum [22] | 120,000+ |
| United Kingdom | 1 (10 Weeks) | 10x Platinum [23] | 3,045,780+ |
| United States | 2 | 2x Platinum [24] | 2,200,000+ [25] |
References
- ^ Daily Express: The World's Greatest Newspaper :: News
- ^ James Blunt Wins “Worst Album” at NME Award - It was high time this happened - Softpedia
- ^ Poletta, Michael (2007-07-21). "Beautiful and the Beat". Billboard (magazine). Billboard.
{{cite news}}: Check date values in:|date=(help) - ^ "Canadian Recording Industry Association". September 2006 publication. Retrieved December 24 2006.
- ^ ARIA
- ^ IFPI Austria
- ^ IFPI Belgium – July 1st, 2006
- ^ CRIA
- ^ IFPI Denmark
- ^ Disque En France
- ^ IFPI Germany
- ^ Warner Music Greece
- ^ http://www.ticketnet.gr/blunt.html
- ^ IRMA – Irish Charts Certifications
- ^ RIAJ Certification Awards May 2006
- ^ AMPROFON
- ^ NVPI
- ^ RIANZ – September 11th, 2006
- ^ AFP – Week 11, Year 2007
- ^ PRMUSICAE
- ^ IFPI Sweden – Hitlistan Top 60
- ^ IFPI Switzerland
- ^ BPI
- ^ Billboard – Ask Billboard
- ^ Billboard – Ask Billboard