An archive of early Coldplay recordings — studio tapes, alternate mixes and demos from the formative sessions that predated and helped shape the band’s debut album, Parachutes — is heading to auction this week through Wax Poetics, offering a rare look at the band before it broke worldwide.
The bulk of the collection comes from British producer, mixer and engineer Chris Allison and centers on Coldplay’s “Blue Room” sessions at London’s Orinoco Studios, recorded shortly after the band signed to Parlophone.
The auction house describes the material as a window into the period that laid the groundwork for Parachutes — including “High Speed,” which would become the only track on the album not produced by Ken Nelson; Allison produced it alone. The song first surfaced on the Blue Room EP, Coldplay’s first release for Parlophone, in October 1999, before being re-recorded for the album.
The lots also include original DAT mixes, unreleased alternate versions, a previously unheard take of “We Never Change,” and a nine-track cassette holding some of the band’s earliest known recordings — two of those songs never released in any form.
Among the more unusual items, the auction house says the archive contains an acoustic demo that Chris Martin recorded as a pitch for the title song of the 1999 James Bond film The World Is Not Enough. The assignment ultimately went to Garbage, whose “The World Is Not Enough” became the official theme; per Wax Poetics, Martin’s version has never been released or documented.
“This is a window into the writing, recording, production and promotion of some uniquely celebrated music artists – pieces of music history that deserve to be in the hands of fans, not gathering dust in a storage unit,” Allison said in a statement.
The tapes document Coldplay at its absolute starting line. Parachutes was released in July 2000, peaked at No. 51 on the Billboard 200 and was eventually certified double platinum in the U.S., later winning the Grammy for best alternative music album. From there, the band became one of the defining stadium acts of the century, stacking up Billboard 200 No. 1 albums and one of the highest-grossing touring runs in history.
The wider Alt/Indie, Rock & Pop collection also features material tied to the Beta Band, the Wedding Present and Red Hot Chili Peppers, with bidding open through July 19. A percentage of proceeds is earmarked for Restore the Music, a charity funding instruments and equipment in under-resourced state schools.
