Blur‘s forthcoming LP ‘THINK TANK’ will be the group’s first album to credit additional songwriters.
Throughout their 13-year recording career and six previous studio albums, the band have always shared songwriting credits equally between members singer Damon Albarn, bass player Alex James, now-departed guitarist Graham Coxon and Dave Rowntree.
The only exception to this rule was the 1997 ‘Blur’ album track, ‘You’re So Great’, which was credited solely to Coxon.
Now two new songwriters, James Dring and Mike Smith, have made their way onto the sleevenotes for ‘Think Tank’.
Dring, Albarn’s cousin, is credited as co-writer on ‘On The Way To The Club’.
He has previously worked with Albarn and the band as assistant engineer on ‘Black Book’ (the B-side to 2000 single ‘Music Is My Radar’) and has also worked with Albarn’s successful side project Gorillaz.
Elsewhere, US saxophonist Mike Smith is credited as co-writer of ‘Jets’, and is reportedly thought to be responsible for the sax solo that closes the track.
Coxon – who left Blur last year, though this has never been officially announced – is credited on just one track of ‘Think Tank’, the last song, ‘Battery In Your Leg’.
‘Think Tank’ is released in the UK on May 5. A single, ‘Out Of Time’, precedes the LP on April 14.