High (James Blunt song)
Encyclopedia
"High" is a pop rock
song written by British
singer James Blunt
and Ricky Ross
for Blunt's debut album Back to Bedlam. The song was produced by Tom Rothrock
and Jimmy Hogarth and received a mixed reception from music critic
s. It was released as the first single
in the autumn of 2004
and failed to make an impact on the United Kingdom singles chart, peaking well outside the top seventy-five. Following the success of "You're Beautiful
", "High" was re-released in the autumn of 2005
, and became a top twenty hit worldwide, charting at number three in Italy
and at number sixteen in Britain.
", a popular song by U2
. The recording was made on August 5, 2005 at the BBC Radio 1
Unleashed Music Festival in Cornwall. CD2 includes an exclusive US radio session of "You're Beautiful", plus the video and making-of footage for "High". The 7" Vinyl includes an exclusive track entitled "Butterfly".
CD1
CD2
CD1
CD2
7" Vinyl
. The song failed to make an impact on the singles chart, peaking at a low hundred and forty-eight. It was re-released in the UK on October 3, 2005 The song became Blunt's third top twenty single when it peaked at number sixteen on the singles chart
, and spent a total of twelve weeks in the top seventy-five. The re-release appeared on the singles chart a week before the physical release was released, backed by the strength of its digital download sales, charting at number seventy-four. The following week it climbed fifty-eight places on the chart, rising to number sixteen. Outside of the UK, the song was also successful. It reached number three in Italy
and became Blunt's first top ten single. "High" also went top ten twenty in Austria
, Ireland
and Switzerland
. In the United States
, the song debuted at number one-hundred on the Billboard Hot 100
and became Blunt's third single to chart within the top hundred. In Canada
, "High" reached number sixty-six on the BDS
Airplay chart.
Pop rock
Pop rock is a music genre which mixes a catchy pop style and light lyrics in its guitar-based rock songs. There are varying definitions of the term, ranging from a slower and mellower form of rock music to a subgenre of pop music...
song written by British
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
singer James Blunt
James Blunt
James Hillier Blount , better known by his stage name James Blunt, is an English singer-songwriter and musician, and former army officer, whose debut album, Back to Bedlam and single releases, including "You're Beautiful" and "Goodbye My Lover", brought him to fame in 2005...
and Ricky Ross
Ricky Ross (musician)
Ricky Ross, born Richard Alexander Ross is a Scottish singer-songwriter and broadcaster, most famously for his work with the rock band, Deacon Blue.-Biography:...
for Blunt's debut album Back to Bedlam. The song was produced by Tom Rothrock
Tom Rothrock
Tom Rothrock is an international record producer, composer and musician. Tom Rothrock has produced albums with James Blunt, Badly Drawn Boy, R. L. Burnside, Yonder Mountain String Band, Athlete, Sloan and Roman Carter....
and Jimmy Hogarth and received a mixed reception from music critic
Critic
A critic is anyone who expresses a value judgement. Informally, criticism is a common aspect of all human expression and need not necessarily imply skilled or accurate expressions of judgement. Critical judgements, good or bad, may be positive , negative , or balanced...
s. It was released as the first single
Single (music)
In music, a single or record single is a type of release, typically a recording of fewer tracks than an LP or a CD. This can be released for sale to the public in a variety of different formats. In most cases, the single is a song that is released separately from an album, but it can still appear...
in the autumn of 2004
2004 in music
See also:* 2004 in music Record labels established in 2004-January:*January 1**The Vienna New Year's Concert is conducted by Riccardo Muti.**Kurt Nilsen wins World Idol....
and failed to make an impact on the United Kingdom singles chart, peaking well outside the top seventy-five. Following the success of "You're Beautiful
You're Beautiful
"You're Beautiful" is a pop rock song co-written by British singer James Blunt, Sacha Skarbek, and Amanda Ghost for Blunt's debut album Back to Bedlam . It was released as the third single from the album in 2005. In the UK and Australia the song reached number one and number two respectively...
", "High" was re-released in the autumn of 2005
2005 in music
-Events:*During the year 2005, 12 rock music albums scored number 1 in the USA. This was the first time even ten albums have scored number 1 since 1996.-January:...
, and became a top twenty hit worldwide, charting at number three in Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
and at number sixteen in Britain.
Release
The single was released initially on two physical formats. CD1 includes an exclusive non-album recording entitled "Sugar Coated", which was written by Blunt and Sacha Skarbek. CD2 also includes two exclusive non-album recordings, entitled "This Twilight Garden" and "Play", as well as two remixes of "High". The re-issue of the single was released on three physical formats. CD1 includes a live recording of "In a Little WhileIn a Little While
"In a Little While" is the sixth track from U2's 2000 album All That You Can't Leave Behind.-History:The song came out of a jam with the band during the All That You Can't Leave Behind sessions. Bono has noted that his voice was in terrible shape at the time of the recording of this song...
", a popular song by U2
U2
U2 are an Irish rock band from Dublin. Formed in 1976, the group consists of Bono , The Edge , Adam Clayton , and Larry Mullen, Jr. . U2's early sound was rooted in post-punk but eventually grew to incorporate influences from many genres of popular music...
. The recording was made on August 5, 2005 at the BBC Radio 1
BBC Radio 1
BBC Radio 1 is a British national radio station operated by the British Broadcasting Corporation which also broadcasts internationally, specialising in current popular music and chart hits throughout the day. Radio 1 provides alternative genres after 7:00pm including electronic dance, hip hop, rock...
Unleashed Music Festival in Cornwall. CD2 includes an exclusive US radio session of "You're Beautiful", plus the video and making-of footage for "High". The 7" Vinyl includes an exclusive track entitled "Butterfly".
Track listing
- 2004
CD1
- "High" - 4:03
- "Sugar Coated" - 3:56
CD2
- "High" (Single Version) - 3:57
- "This Twilight Garden" - 3:06
- "Play" - 4:18
- "High" (Higher Mix) - 5:11
- 2006
CD1
- "High" - 4:03
- "In A Little While" (Radio 1 Jo Whiley Session) - 3:46
CD2
- "High" - 4:03
- "You're Beautiful" (U.S. Radio Session) - 3:18
- "High" (The Making Of The Video) - 3:00
- "High" (Video) - 4:02
7" Vinyl
- "High" (Album Version) - 4:03
- "Butterfly" - 4:44
Music videos
Blunt has made two music videos for "High". The first video, which is associated with the first release as a single, shows him buried in a desert and then chasing an illusional girl while drunk. In the video for the re-release of "High", Blunt is sitting on a plastic chair in a warehouse-like room, playing the guitar and singing the song; these scenes are intercut with scenes where Blunt is running in a forest.Chart performance
On October 18, 2004, "High" was released in the United KingdomUnited Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
. The song failed to make an impact on the singles chart, peaking at a low hundred and forty-eight. It was re-released in the UK on October 3, 2005 The song became Blunt's third top twenty single when it peaked at number sixteen on the singles chart
UK Singles Chart
The UK Singles Chart is compiled by The Official Charts Company on behalf of the British record-industry. The full chart contains the top selling 200 singles in the United Kingdom based upon combined record sales and download numbers, though some media outlets only list the Top 40 or the Top 75 ...
, and spent a total of twelve weeks in the top seventy-five. The re-release appeared on the singles chart a week before the physical release was released, backed by the strength of its digital download sales, charting at number seventy-four. The following week it climbed fifty-eight places on the chart, rising to number sixteen. Outside of the UK, the song was also successful. It reached number three in Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
and became Blunt's first top ten single. "High" also went top ten twenty in Austria
Austria
Austria , officially the Republic of Austria , is a landlocked country of roughly 8.4 million people in Central Europe. It is bordered by the Czech Republic and Germany to the north, Slovakia and Hungary to the east, Slovenia and Italy to the south, and Switzerland and Liechtenstein to the...
, Ireland
Ireland
Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...
and Switzerland
Switzerland
Switzerland name of one of the Swiss cantons. ; ; ; or ), in its full name the Swiss Confederation , is a federal republic consisting of 26 cantons, with Bern as the seat of the federal authorities. The country is situated in Western Europe,Or Central Europe depending on the definition....
. In the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, the song debuted at number one-hundred on the Billboard Hot 100
Billboard Hot 100
The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday...
and became Blunt's third single to chart within the top hundred. In Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
, "High" reached number sixty-six on the BDS
Jam!
Jam! is a Canadian website, which covers entertainment news. It is part of the CANOE online portal, owned and operated by Quebecor through its Sun Media division....
Airplay chart.
Charts
| Chart (2005) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Austria Top 75 Singles | 13 |
| Czech IFPI Chart | 48 |
| Ireland Top 50 Singles | 18 |
| Italy Top 50 Singles | 3 |
| Switzerland Top 100 Singles | 15 |
| UK Top 75 Singles | 16 |
| World Chart Show | 28 |
| Chart (2006) | Peak position |
| Australia ARIA Top 50 Singles | 42 |
| Germany Top 100 Singles | 22 |
| Japan Tokio Hot 100 | 13 |
| U.S. Billboard Hot 100 | 100 |
| U.S. Billboard Pop 100 | 92 |
| U.S. Billboard Adult Top 40 | 12 |
| U.S. Billboard Adult Contemporary | 37 |