James has hopes for Blur reunion

BBC Entertainment News

 

Some might say that Alex James is being ambitious by stating that he wants Blur to make one final album with their original line-up.

 

Guitarist Graham Coxon left the indie band in 2002 after being told his services were no longer required - and since then has frequently said that he has no plans to return.

But James - the group's bassist, who is about to present revived music show The Tube - reveals he has been in discussions with Coxon recently.

 

"I've got high hopes that Blur will have a happy four-piece ending," he explains. "I think it would be a shame if it didn't, really.

"I think we'd all like to make another record. We'd all like to do it with Graham.

"I've been talking to Graham a bit and hopefully I can persuade him. I'm going to have to beg him, though," he admits.

 

Blur's members are known for their side projects. Damon Albarn has recorded as Gorillaz plus The Good, The Bad and The Queen, while Coxon has a solo career and James has worked with Stephen Duffy and Keith Allen among others.

But Blur - whose hits include Girls and Boys, Parklife and There's No Other Way - are "too good a thing to let it disintegrate", says James.

 

"One way or the other, there'll be another Blur album, with or without Graham - but hopefully with Graham. I think it's definitely worth trying.

"I'm sure Paul McCartney feels the same, but I still don't think we've made our best record yet. That's one of the things you get when you're a musician.

"You think, 'I'm going to do something brilliant in a minute.' If you don't think that, you've got to stop."

 

 

This Friday sees James joining Konnie Huq to present a new monthly version of The Tube.

 

The alternative music show is being revived by Channel 4 Radio, and online service from the broadcaster which originally screened the show, fronted by Jools Holland and Paula Yates in the 1980s.

 

"I liked the old one," he says. "It was the only counter-culture that really existed in the 80s.

"It was a time of great gloss, glamorous aspirations and yuppies, and that nastiness drove a very strong counter-culture, which was all represented by The Tube.

"Now I think The Tube is a search engine of everything which is good and new and exciting.

"And it's a bit of a laugh. I like Konnie a lot. I think she's a worthy successor to Paula Yates - and very saucy."

 

And as for the future, James - now a father of three - says his tastes are changing as he grows older.

"I'm 38 next month so I've thrown all my trainers away and all my records with loud drums on," he admits.

 

Any Comments?

 

 

I hope they do reform, but, I have doubts if they would be as successful as they were.

 

Thanks for posting, Rich

I REALLY DO HOPE THEY RE UNITE AND WORK TOGETHER AGAIN,but i dont think blur can ever repeat the success they had with album like parklife and the great escape,i hope they do but cant see it happening,the gorillaz are huge now and i think alot of people would like a new gorillaz album over a blur album

I think if they did re-unite it would only be a one-off, maybe for a charity event or something along those lines. I doubt they'd record any new stuff, which is a shame :(