James Blunt is reportedly ready to change his name — but only under the condition that his new album reaches the top of the charts.
The English singer-songwriter, who is best known for the hit “You’re Beautiful”, is set to re-release the famous album Back to Bedlam on its 20th anniversary. The album contained the aforementioned hit song in its 2004 release, and topped the UK Album Charts while selling 11 million copies globally.
Blunt was interviewed by Chris Moyles on Radio X, where he said “I have signed up to changing my name to whatever the public want – they can change my name. It’s a genuine thing. I swear on my life and the life of my one fan – Brian from Glasgow – I will change my name should it hit number one.”
“I swear on Brian’s life and my life. To whatever the public want –- and of course the public are going to kind, they’re not going to go for (word that rhymes with Blunt). But you know, as long as it’s not, you know, Blunty McBluntface.”
Back to Bedlam, a reference to Bethlam Royal Hospital, a psychiatric ward in London, was based on his own personal experience in the army. The album spent 11 weeks at number one in the UK, and remained in the top 10 for most of 2005.
In addition to the original songs such as ‘High’, ‘Wiseman’, ‘Goodbye My Lover’, and more, the album will also feature previously unreleased songs ‘Standing All Alone’, ‘Close Your Eyes’, ‘Butterfly’, ‘Dancing Days’ and B-side track ‘Sugar-Coated’, in addition to demos from the Bedlam era.
James went further in the interview to explain how the album itself was initially a slow burner, taking off in 2005 despite a 2004 release date.
‘High’ was the first single from the album to reach number one, he recalled, “High was the first single. So we put out High, and that got a bit of radio visibility, all over Radio X at that stage – this is my natural home!”
“And then we put Wisemen out, and the album got into the top 20 and then came the killer, You’re Beautiful, in 2005 at that stage, and the rest is a terrible, terrible history!”
