Aug. 9, 2024
Coldplay - "Yellow"
Tracing Chris Martin's path from poetry-writing childhood to meeting future bandmates at university, this episode explores the cosmic melancholy and atmospheric textures coalescing into Coldplay's inimitable sound. It dives into the wistful lyricism and dreamlike musicality of breakthrough hit "Yellow" - an ode to love's warmth amid uncertainty that resonated globally.
The iconic music video's kaleidoscopic visuals amplified the song's impact, catalyzing Coldplay's stratospheric rise across albums like "A Rush of Blood to the Head." Now over 100 million records later, "Yellow" endures as an existential lodestar evoking the universal yearning for light and connection.
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Unlock an ad-free podcast experience with Caloroga Shark Media! Get all our shows on any player you love, hassle free! For Apple users, hit the banner on your Apple podcasts app. For Spotify or other players, visit caloroga.com/plus. No plug-ins needed!
Subscribe now for exclusive shows like 'Palace Intrigue,' and get bonus content from Deep Crown (our exclusive Palace Insider!) Or get 'Daily Comedy News,' and '5 Good News Stories’ with no commercials! Plans start at $4.99 per month, or save 20% with a yearly plan at $49.99. Join today and help support the show!
We now have Merch! FREE SHIPPING! Check out all the products like T-shirts, mugs, bags, jackets and more with logos and slogans from your favorite shows! Did we mention there’s free shipping? Get 10% off with code NewMerch10 Go to Caloroga.com
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link in the show notes. It all supports us here
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behind the scenes of the show and really appreciate it.
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Thanks Calaroga Shark Media. Hello and welcome to the Hitmaker Chronicles.
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Today we're going to dive into the kaleidoscopic brilliance of
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Coldplay and the song Yellow. In the annals of modern
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rock music, few bands have captured the hearts and minds
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of audiences worldwide quite like Coldplay. Born in nineteen seventy
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seven in Exeter, England, Chris Martin grew up in a
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household steeped in music. His mother was a music teacher
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and his there was a retired Anglican church functionary, exposing
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young Chris to everything from Renaissance choral works to classic
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rock bands like Genesis and the Police. An introspective child,
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Martin found solace in music and poetry, penning his first
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lyrics at just twelve years old. He taught himself to
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play the guitar and piano, his nascent songwriting abilities maturing
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through the influence of artists like Tom Waits, You Two
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and Radiohead. After graduating from the prestigious Sherborne Boarding School,
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Martin had every intention of following a more conventional path,
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enrolling at University College London as a World Society's student
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in nineteen ninety six, but fate had other plans. It
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was during those first weeks on campus that he crossed
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paths with fellow music obsessed student Johnny Buckland, Bonding over
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their shared love for atmosphere drenched guitar bands like U two,
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Oasis and The Verve, The two began writing songs together,
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formative works that hinted at the cosmic melon that would
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become a Cold Play signature. As their collaboration blossomed, Martin
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made the pivotal decision to divert from his scholarly ambitions
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and fully immerse himself in music. He recruited fellow classmates
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Guy Berryman and Will Champion to complete the line up,
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and the quartet began honing their craft, performing at small
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London clubs and pubs like The Bull and Gate and Ulu.
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It was during these halcyon days that Coldplay's distinctive sound,
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anchored by Martin's pension for introspective imagistic lyricism and the
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band's knack for transcendent alt rock dreamscapes, fully coalesced. Their
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earliest shows demonstrated a singular artistic vision and connection with
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audiences that quickly generated buzz on the London scene. When
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their fan funded debut LP Safety was rejected by labels,
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Chris Martin and bandmates doubled down, financing and independently releasing
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the accomplished debut Parachutes themselves in nineteen ninety nine. That
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gamble paid off. The raw emotional power and entrancing atmospherics
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of tracks like Yellow, Shiver and Don't Panic quickly set
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them apart, earning a major label deal. It was during
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the recording sessions for Parachutes that the seeds of Yellow
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were sown. Inspired by the vivid imagery of the Northern
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Lights and the concept of eternal love, Chris Martin crafted
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a melody and lyrics that would become the foundation for
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the band's breakthrough single. The wistful, poetic lyrics of Yellow
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immediately set it apart, with opening lines like look at
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the stars see how they shine for You, evoking a
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sense of childlike wonder. Martin's vocals convey a fragile vulnerability
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as he ruminates on themes of love's enduring power over
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fear and doubt, with lines like and it was All Yellow,
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serving as a metaphor for the warmth of connection. Musically,
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the song exhibits Coldplay's masterful blend of alt rock, post britpop,
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and atmospheric textures. Ey Buckland's shimmering, effects laden guitar tones
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layer atop a melodic bassline and gently driving rhythms to
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create a lush, dreamlike sonic palette. Flourishes like the iconic
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piano riffs and swell of distorted guitar towards the climax
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add an epic anthemic quality. The collaboration process was a
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synergistic give and take, with each member's contributions enhancing the
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track's overarching themes of hope, perseverance, and the healing power
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of human connection. Producer Ken Nelson encouraged the band to
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strip back any slick overproduction, allowing the raw emotion to
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shine through unfiltered. Upon its release in two thousand, Yellow
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quickly became a cultural phenomenon, resonating profoundly with audiences across
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the globe. Its kaleidoscopic music video, awash in surreal, yellow
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tinted visuals and metaphysical imagery, amplified the song's sense of
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wistful escapism and self exploration, cementing it as a definitive
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artistic statement. Yellow catalyzed Coldplay's rise from underground darlings to
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global superstars. It became an ubiquitous part of the early
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two thousand zeitgeist, with its hopeful yet melancholy spirit, capturing
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the mood of a generation grappling with existential questions of identity, purpose,
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and human bonds in an increasingly disconnected world. In the
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wake of Yellow, Coldplay's trajectory only continued skyward. Follow Up
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albums like A Rush of Blood to the Head and
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X and Y solidified their status as one of the
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biggest touring and festival draws worldwide, even as their sound
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continued evolving with each cycle. Hits like Clocks, Viva La Vida,
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and The Anthemic Paradise demonstrate the band's rare ability to
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continually reinvent and redefine their musical identity, while retaining a
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thematic core, exploring the human condition more in a moment.
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Now over two decades into their storied career, Coldplay stands
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among the most commercially successful and critically acclaimed acts of
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the twenty first century. They've sold over one hundred million
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records globally, won seven Grammy Awards, and their atmospheric yet
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deeply emotional brand of alt rock has influenced countless artists
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across genres. Their twenty twenty two eco conscious album Music
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of the Spheres and upcoming world tour further cement Coldplay's
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status as remaining creative forces and cultural icons. And yet
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at the heart of this sprawling legacy is the Yellowed
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Kernel of Inspiration, that breakthrough single that resonated so powerfully
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it elevated the band to the apex of their artistic dreams.
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Yellow remains an indelible part of their live spectacles. Its
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uncanny power to unite arenas full of fans across ages
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and cultures test stament to the song's timeless evocation of
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our universal search for light, love and connection amid life's uncertainties.
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As the hit Maker chronicles chronicles music's most pivotal creative moments,
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Cold plays Yellow shines as a luminous example of a
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song's ability to transcend its humble origins and alter the
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course of cultural history, becoming an enduring load star for
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the journey of the human spirit. I'm Andrew Irons and
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this has been another engaging episode of The hit Maker Chronicles.
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Join us next week as we continue to uncover the
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stories behind the songs and artists that have left an
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indelible mark on the world. The hit Maker Chronicles is
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a production of Calarogus Shark Media executive producers Mark Francis
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and John McDermott. Portions of this podcast may have been
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created with the assistance of AI
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