James Blunt has announced that he will release a remastered version of his huge album Back To Bedlam to celebrate its 20th anniversary.
He has also confirmed details of a UK tour including a gig at Manchester’s AO Arena. The Manchester gig is one of five UK dates he has announced.
James Blunt will re-release Back To Bedlam on 11 October 2024, 20 year to the day of its initial release. Included in this special 20th anniversary release comes a special version of the original album remastered for 2024 by Stuart Hawkes at Metropolis, in addition to previously unreleased demos of the core songs from the album, plus previously unreleased songs from the Bedlam era. The album features the global smash hit You’re Beautiful and became one of the top ten best-selling album of the 00s.
Formats include a single red recycled colour vinyl, 2 CD, 6 panel softpak with 16 page booklet, and available digitally.
As James Blunt explains, “I’ve released seven studio albums, but Back To Bedlam was the one people actually bought. So on its twentieth anniversary, the record label and I thought we should repackage it with some early demos, and milk it for all it’s worth. It was one of the biggest selling albums of the Noughties, so here’s hoping it makes a dent in the 20’s.”
On confirming the tour, he added, “I’ve been touring now for twenty years, and really, it’s only Back To Bedlam that people want to hear… so on that album’s twentieth anniversary, what better way to celebrate than to head out on the ‘Back To Bedlam 20th Anniversary Tour’! I’ll play all the songs from Back To Bedlam in full, from start to finish, and chuck in the better known songs from later albums to finish. It’s going to be, well, it pains me to say it… beautiful.”
When does James Blunt headline at Manchester’s AO Arena?
James Blunt headlines at Manchester’s AO Arena on 15 February 2025. The Manchester gig is one of five UK dates he has confirmed:
11 February – Belfast, SSE Hydro
13 February – Leeds, First Direct Arena
14 February – Glasgow, OVO Hydro Arena
15 February – Manchester, Manchester AO Arena
16 February – London, O2 Arena
Image of James Blunt courtesy Michael Clement
