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Graham Coxon

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File:Tender 4.jpg
Graham Coxon singing in the video to Blur's "Tender"

Graham Coxon (born Graham Leslie Coxon on 12 March 1969, in Rinteln, West Germany) is an English singer-songwriter, best known as the former guitarist in the rock band Blur. He contributed to the band's first seven albums, from 1991's Leisure to the 2002 sessions for the following year's Think Tank, though he only features in the last of its 13 tracks.

Coxon is an accomplished musician, capable of playing many instruments. He has released six solo records (half of them while still a member of Blur) - where in a McCartney, Beckish-style he performs nearly all of the instruments. He also appears to have earned the respect of his peers. Radiohead's Jonny Greenwood praised Coxon's musicality and talent: "Anything that has more of Graham's guitar playing, I'm bound to like."[citation needed]

Biography

Work in Blur

Graham Coxon studied Fine Arts at Goldsmiths College, London, for two years, until he chose to quit due to the increasing success of his band at the time - Seymour - who later changed its name and became Blur. Coxon's highly individual style is perhaps best showcased on songs such as "Beetlebum" and "You're So Great" (both from Blur's 1997 album Blur), the latter being his first solo record while in Blur, and "Coffee & TV" (from Blur's 13 for which he designed the cover art). He left the band in 2002 following a dispute with the other members and other circumstances. As he stated in an interview in 2006; “I had a breakthrough, I think my life just became calmer, I gave up drinking. My priorities changed as I had a young daughter. The group didn’t want me to record for the Think Tank album…so I took it as a sign to leave”. His last contribution to Blur was a song called "Battery in Your Leg", the closing song on Blur's 2003 album Think Tank, before leaving the line-up.

Blur reunion

Although Damon Albarn has frequently said that the door is always open for Coxon to rejoin the band it is unlikely that this will happen in the near future. In 2004 it was rumoured that he was rejoining Blur, but both sides have denied this. Coxon stated that although a reunion meeting was a good one, he would not be rejoining Blur and remains firm on his decision. It seems they may have patched-up some differences and continued their friendship, despite the turmoil surrounding Coxon's departure.

Albarn has said that he just can't understand why there is such tension, as they have known each other for twenty years, and when they are in the same room everything's perfect. He explained that there is a horrible hole in the sound and acknowledged Graham as a vastly superior guitarist to himself. In 2005, Albarn said that he felt quite sad about the situation and he really wants Graham to return, so they can start properly working again on Blur albums. However, Coxon is apparently adamant, so Blur as a three-piece are now recording a new album, described by Albarn as a "basic stupid record", due to his own limited perceptions of himself as a guitarist.

In a recent interview coxon had stated that he wouldnt rule out a blur reunion: Coxon was significantly less dour about the possibility of a reunion with Blur. The band's former guitarist admits he hasn't "spoken to them for a bit, [except bassist] Alex [James]. I'm going to see him tomorrow at his birthday...Alex will always be my friend. I guess they all will be in some way, but it's somewhat strange."

"I haven't been approached about it," reported Coxon about getting back together with the Brit-pop titans. But "I think about it, yeah. I think about it: would it be fun? Would it be a bit too scary? What would the dynamic be in a studio? Would I have to do promotion? Would I tour? You know, it's a lot of thinking. So I guess I still mull around and think about it every now and then."

So it's not completely ruled out, then? "No, no."

Solo work

Coxon had already released three solo albums whilst a member of Blur. His first, released on his own Transcopic label was The Sky is Too High in 1998, a ramshackle mixture of English folk music and 1960s-style garage rock, under the influence of Billy Childish. This was followed by the more extreme The Golden D in 2000 and the thoughtful Dylan-Drakesque Crow Sit on Blood Tree (2001).

After going solo full time, he released The Kiss of Morning in 2002. The album proved to be his most accessible to date and was promoted with the single "Escape Song" which proved to be an interesting hybrid of Syd Barrett's "Octopus" and progressive rock trail-blazers The Nice. In 2004, Coxon released his fifth solo album Happiness in Magazines, produced by ex-Blur and The Smiths producer Stephen Street. This proved to be his most successful album to date, and he received the NME Award for 'Best Solo Artist' in 2005.

In March 2006 he released his sixth solo album, called Love Travels at Illegal Speeds, again produced by Stephen Street. As hinted by the title, the album is inspired by Coxon's current on-going romance with a model agent. It marks Coxon's first album away from his now-defunct indie label 'Transcopic'. The LP was preceded by the singles "Standing On My Own Again" on February 27 and "You and I". Coxon embarked on a tour of the UK, starting in March 20 at Newcastle University.

Apart from being a musician, Coxon is also a gifted artist, and he designs all of his album sleeves. He studied fine art at Goldsmiths College for around a year in 1988, leaving to pursue his musical career with Blur. In his time there he mixed with upcoming talents such as Damien Hirst, Michael Landy, Sam Taylor-Wood, and Abigail Lane, some of the future leading lights of the Britart movement.

In July 2006 Graham Coxon wrote and had published a foreword for a new edition of Herman Hesse's novel, Narcissus and Goldmund.

In September 2006 Coxon will reveal a musical soundscape created especially for "Verheaven" an exhibition at London's Riflemaker Gallery of the work of artist Julie Verhoeven.

In October 2006, Coxon released a double live album Burnt To Bitz immediately after his sold-out London Astoria show. The album features 27 songs, with at least one song from each of his albums.

Solo discography

Studio albums

Live albums

Singles

Title Release date Album Peak chart positions
UK
"Thank God for the Rain" / "You Will Never Be" 30 July 2001 Crow Sit on Blood Tree 92
"Escape Song" / "Mountain of Regret" 14 October 2002 The Kiss of Morning 96
"Freakin' Out" 8 March 2004 Happiness in Magazines 37
"Bittersweet Bundle of Misery" 3 May 2004 Happiness in Magazines 22
"Spectacular" 26 July 2004 Happiness in Magazines 32
"Freakin' Out" / "All Over Me" 26 October 2004 Happiness in Magazines 19
"Standing on My Own Again" 27 February 2006 Love Travels at Illegal Speeds 20
"You & I" 8 May 2006 Love Travels at Illegal Speeds 39
"I Can't Look at Your Skin" / "What's He Got?" 17 July 2006 Love Travels at Illegal Speeds (outside top 75)
"Bloody Annoying" / "What Ya Gonna Do Now?" October 23 2006 (outside top 40)

DVD

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