Pit5 Music News Cache

By Michael Paoletta Mon Jul 16, 3:16 PM ET

NEW YORK (Billboard) - James Blunt spent the better part of 2006 living and working in Ibiza, Spain, one of the Balearic Islands in the Mediterranean Sea.

Known for its nonstop summer dance parties, Ibiza is not the first destination that comes to mind when thinking of the mellow British singer-songwriter.

Blunt's breakthrough debut, "Back to Bedlam" -- released in 2004 in the United Kingdom and one year later in the United States, where it has sold 2.6 million copies, according to Nielsen SoundScan -- was anything but dance music. In fact, its smash hit, "You're Beautiful," could have passed for a 1970s AM radio staple. But there was Blunt, last summer, making the scene like a veteran of the club community. "You go to Space at 9 in the morning, and you carry on till 9 in the evening," Blunt said with a smile. "I'm a healthy clubgoer."

Following a day -- or night -- of clubbing, Blunt would "head back to mine": to his secluded home "away up in the hills." It was there, with a piano and guitar at his side, that he wrote many of the songs that appear on his second Custard/Atlantic album, "All the Lost Souls," due September 18.

According to Blunt, the album's lead single, the propulsive, anthemic "1973," which makes its worldwide radio debut July 23 (the digital download and accompanying video will be available at iTunes August 7), was inspired by all that dancing and hanging out in Ibiza.

OFF-SEASON SOLITUDE

Blunt stayed in Ibiza beyond the summer season. But during the winter, when the tourists and partiers were nowhere to be found on the island, Blunt describes his daily routine as "alone and secluded -- living like a monk."

It proved to be an amazing experience. "I hadn't been alone for three years," he said. "I'd been sleeping on a tour bus with 12 people. So, it was a real moment to stop and have a look around, to realize what had gone on in my life and find a sense of calm."

He was also able to free himself of competing with the success of his debut album. "There's no way I'm going to sell 11 million copies" of the new album, he said, citing his debut's global sales figure. "That album was a moment and I'm happy for that, but I'm certainly not going to try to emulate it in any sort of way."

Once upon a time -- back before he embarked on a career in the music industry -- Blunt had different issues to confront.

The son of a colonel, Blunt (whose real surname is Blount) served as an officer in the British army -- a stint that included a role in NATO's peacekeeping force in Kosovo. He exited the army in 2002, swapping his gun for a guitar.

Toward the end of 2002, songwriter/producer Linda Perry was in London, "hopping from label to label as a fan" with hopes of hearing some new music that would excite her. "But I was pretty much disappointed," she recalls. That is, until she stopped by the offices of EMI Music Publishing, where she heard Blunt's demos.

At the time, Blunt didn't have a label deal. In Perry, EMI saw a potential collaborator for Blunt. She had other things in mind: "I said, 'He doesn't need a collaborator -- he needs a record label.' Days later, I was having dinner with James and told him I wanted to sign him to my label (Custard)."

Fast-forward to South by Southwest in 2003, where Blunt performed at a showcase in a banquet room at the Crowne Plaza Hotel. Perry was one of about 20 people in the room. Within days, Blunt and Perry had done a deal.

'BEAUTIFUL' RESPONSE

"Bedlam" went on to spend nine weeks at No. 1 in the United Kingdom. "You're Beautiful" was the third single and wound up topping the charts for five weeks. By the end of 2005, "Bedlam" was the biggest-selling album of the year in the United Kingdom.

Eventually, "Bedlam" topped the album charts in 16 territories around the world, and was No. 1 on the European Top 100 Albums tally for more than two months. In the United States, "You're Beautiful" topped the Billboard Hot 100 in mid-March 2006. In the process, Blunt became the first British artist to achieve that feat since Elton John's "Candle in the Wind 1997."

While new songs like "1973" and "I'll Take Everything" feature beats and tempos that would not sound out of place on global dance floors, the bulk of "All the Lost Souls" showcases an artist who has used his debut album as a strong reference point. "One of the Brightest Stars" and "Annie" focus on the ins and outs of fame, while "Carry You Home" comments on mortality. Those seeking Blunt at his most vulnerable need look no further than "I Really Want You" (the album's "You're Beautiful") and "Same Mistake."

Although Blunt penned the bulk of the songs, he asked EMI Music Publishing to partner him with some writers -- but not necessarily the obvious choices. Among the pairings were Mark Batson (50 Cent, Dr. Dre, Beyonce) and Max Martin (Kelly Clarkson, Pink, 'N Sync).

Working on the album, Blunt and his band -- keyboardist Paul Beard, guitarist Ben Castle, bassist Malcolm Moore and drummer Karl Brazil -- played and recorded the 10 songs as a unit, together and live.

"There was strong desire to capture that live-band feel that was so prevalent in the '70s," Blunt said. The recording process was in direct contrast to that of "Bedlam," which Blunt made with studio musicians, overdubbing many of the instruments himself.

BEYOND RADIO

While radio has been good to Blunt, the singer is fully aware that it focuses on tracks more than albums. Because of this, Blunt believes it's not wise to be wholly dependent on the format. "In the digital age, a person hears one song on the radio and then downloads that song," he said. "In my case, they have then missed nine songs, which are just as important.

"So, you need to look at other ways to get your music heard," he continued. "At least, if (people) hear other songs, and not just the ones on the radio, they'll approach the album as a whole. And they'll click on 'buy album' and go on the journey that we recorded."

To get fans started down that road, Blunt sang "Same Mistake" during his July 7 Live Earth set at London's Wembley Stadium. And he'll appear on a handful of morning/daytime and late-night TV shows surrounding the release of "All the Lost Souls."

On September 18, he will perform on "Today." It will mark his fourth appearance on the morning show, which prides itself on being the first TV show in America on which Blunt performed (November 3, 2005). "The Ellen DeGeneres Show" and "Jimmy Kimmel Live" are on his slate as well. Blunt will spend October overseas; then, it's back to the States for more. The goal is simple: to repeat the worldwide success of "Bedlam."

Despite his enormous success at home, Blunt has come in for a mauling from the acerbic British press, which has targeted the troubadour for his high-pitched singing voice, his nonconfrontational music and his well-to-do background. The criticism has been so harsh that Coldplay frontman Chris Martin called for a media truce during the 2006 BRIT Awards.

But now Blunt will step back and hope his fans will stay with him the second time around. "I'm really excited to see the development from an album that was naive and honest and charming in its own way," he said, "to an album that is a bit deeper, a bit richer in its approach."

Reuters/Billboard