Coldplay’s Early Recordings Auctioned, Including Unreleased Tracks and Bond Demo
A trove of Coldplay’s embryonic work—studio tapes, alternate mixes, and demos from the band’s 1999 “Blue Room” sessions—will go under the hammer this week, offering a rare look at the group’s pre-Parachutes era. The archive, sourced from producer Chris Allison, includes material recorded at London’s Orinoco Studios after the band signed with Parlophone, according to auction house Wax Poetics. Among the items: a nine-track cassette featuring two previously unheard tracks and an acoustic demo of a James Bond theme pitched by Chris Martin.
A Lost James Bond Pitch and Unreleased Tracks
The auction’s most tantalizing piece is an acoustic version of a song Chris Martin submitted as a contender for the title song of the 1999 James Bond film The World Is Not Enough. While Garbage’s “The World Is Not Enough” became the official theme, Martin’s demo—described by Wax Poetics as “never released or documented”—is part of the collection. The cassette also contains early iterations of songs that would later appear on the Blue Room EP, including “High Speed,” a track produced exclusively by Allison.
How the “Blue Room” Sessions Shaped a Legacy
The materials center on the “Blue Room” sessions, which preceded Parachutes, Coldplay’s 2000 debut. “High Speed,” originally recorded during these sessions, was reworked for the album. The EP, released in 1999, marked a turning point for the band, paving the way for Parachutes—which peaked at No. 51 on the Billboard 200 and earned a Grammy for best alternative music album.
Auction Highlights Rare Studio Artifacts
The collection includes original DAT mixes, unreleased alternate versions of songs, and the 1999 cassette. Chris Allison, who collaborated with the band during the sessions, called the archive “a window into the writing, recording, production, and promotion of some uniquely celebrated music artists.” The auction, running through July 19, also features items from the Beta Band, the Wedding Present, and the Red Hot Chili Peppers. Proceeds will fund Restore the Music, a charity supporting under-resourced state schools.
The Blueprint for Stadium FAME
Coldplay’s rise from the “Blue Room” sessions to global stardom underscores the cultural weight of the archive. The Parachutes era laid the groundwork for the band’s subsequent stadium-filling success. With this auction, fans and historians gain a tangible link to the origins of one of modern music’s most enduring acts.
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