Famous Old Painters
From WikiColdplay
Famous Old Painters is a song written during sessions for Coldplay's fourth album, Viva La Vida Or Death And All His Friends, but was ultimately left off the album. The song came about around October 2007 when it was introduced alongside Glass Of Water in Prospekt's journal on October 29.
Prospekt has commented in the journal on coldplay.com that the song features a colliery brass band in the third verse. An excerpt from Q Magazine follows:
- While Q’s in the studio, Eno beavers away on Famous Old Painters, employing a gizmo called a Midi Piano Bar to translate Martin’s signature piano riff onto a variety of other instruments. “We don’t want piano all the way through,” Eno says, flagging up another significant change in the sound of the as-yet-untitled album.
The song title appears to reflect a general theme of the album, its singles and the Prospekt's March EP, which all feature old paintings as their cover artworks. The band also created many other paintings depicting different songs from the album.
So far, Famous Old Painters is one of the few Viva la Vida songs that has not been released or heard in a complete form.
Online Leak
On 28th March, 2011 a 40 second YouTube videoclip [1] was posted on the Coldplaying messageboard with what was believed to be part of the track, along with a cover art picture of the Famous Old Painters title. There were no lyrics to the music and only one layer of sound made the video. Despite this, 70% of Coldplayers thought this video was the real song.
The Oracle on Famous Old Painters
April 11, 2011 - submitted by Stevie, Mexico
Q. Hello.
How likely is it for unreleased songs Famous Old Painters and Don Quixote to be on the fifth album?
Thanks and greetings from Mexico!!! :P
The Oracle replies:
A million to one would still be far too good odds.
Not likely makes it sound like a possibility.
Not a chance, no.
They won't be. Definitely.
March 21, 2011 - submitted by Spencer, United States of America
Q. Dear Oracle, Is Famous Old Painters still being considered for the new album? It sounds like it could be a great song. Thanks!
The Oracle replies:
Still? It has never been considered for the next album. The last one yes, but the Viva era is over... All the tracks will be new to me and you.
| Violet Hill | Viva La Vida | Lost! | Lovers In Japan | Life In Technicolor ii | Strawberry Swing |
| Life In Technicolor | Cemeteries Of London | 42 | Reign Of Love | Yes | Chinese Sleep Chant | Death And All His Friends | The Escapist |
| Postcards From Far Away | Glass Of Water | Rainy Day | Prospekt's March/Poppyfields | Now My Feet Won't Touch The Ground |
| B-Sides/Other Releases |
| A Spell A Rebel Yell | Death Will Never Conquer | The Goldrush | Lhuna (ft. Kylie Minogue) |
| Unreleased Songs |
| LeftRightLeftRightLeft | Famous Old Painters | Lukas | School | The Dubliners |
