# What is Coldplay thinking? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [September 10, 2003, 5:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-coldplay-thinking/200792 "2003-09-10T17:07:21Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![mhendo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mhendo/32/3159_2.png) [@mhendo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mhendo)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2003, 5:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-coldplay-thinking/200792/1 "2003-09-10T17:07:21Z")
[Link](http://www.smh.com.au/articles/2003/09/10/1063191459547.html) > [@](#): > > Is this the beginning of the end for Coldplay? Actress Gwyneth Paltrow, engaged to lead singer Chris Martin, has cajoled her way onto the British band’s next album, according to The Sun newspaper in London. > > If The Sun report is to be believed, Paltrow will record backing vocals on at least two tracks and has started taking singing lessons. So, _is_ Gwyneth the next Yoko Ono?\* \*Disclaimer: while i like Coldplay a lot, i do not mean to imply that they are as musically significant as the Beatles. ---
**Author:** ![pepperlandgirl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/f17d59/32.png) [@pepperlandgirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pepperlandgirl)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2003, 5:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-coldplay-thinking/200792/2 "2003-09-10T17:18:53Z")
Why does everybody pick on Yoko? Why can’t she be the next Linda McCartney? ---
**Author:** ![lissener](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lissener/32/6139_2.png) [@lissener](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lissener)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2003, 5:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-coldplay-thinking/200792/3 "2003-09-10T17:26:01Z")
Chris Martin is awful damn cute and writes GREAT melodies, and decent lyrics, but he doesn’t strike me as terribly smart. On the other hand, Paltrow has a tolerable voice, so let’s wait and see how it comes out. ---
**Author:** ![SmackFu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/53a042/32.png) [@SmackFu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SmackFu)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2003, 5:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-coldplay-thinking/200792/4 "2003-09-10T17:32:48Z")
Her song from Duets was apparently quite popular in Australia. Or something like that. ---
**Author:** ![Tapioca\_Dextrin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/3d9bf3/32.png) [@Tapioca\_Dextrin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tapioca_Dextrin)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2003, 5:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-coldplay-thinking/200792/5 "2003-09-10T17:42:04Z")
I thought this thread was about Coldplay’s [promtion of fairly traded goods](http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/entertainment/3095854.stm). Oh well. ---
**Author:** ![mhendo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mhendo/32/3159_2.png) [@mhendo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mhendo)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2003, 7:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-coldplay-thinking/200792/6 "2003-09-10T19:01:55Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by pepperlandgirl \* > \*\*Why does everybody pick on Yoko? Why can’t she be the next Linda McCartney? \*\* Don’t blame me; i just borrowed the article’s headline. For those who are interested, [here](http://www.thesun.co.uk/article/0,,4-2003412818,,00.html) is the original article from The Sun. ---
**Author:** ![Gartog](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/22d042/32.png) [@Gartog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gartog)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2003, 8:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-coldplay-thinking/200792/7 "2003-09-10T20:56:17Z")
The Sun: A bastion of accurate reporting in the UK media 😛 I can’t see that a backing singer will have much influence, it could just be a ‘nice thing’ to do for her. She’s much likely to have more influence through just begin married to him, and spending oodles of time together. ---
**Author:** ![mhendo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mhendo/32/3159_2.png) [@mhendo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mhendo)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2003, 9:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-coldplay-thinking/200792/8 "2003-09-10T21:17:08Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Gartog \* > \*\*The Sun: A bastion of accurate reporting in the UK media 😛 > > I can’t see that a backing singer will have much influence, it could just be a ‘nice thing’ to do for her. She’s much likely to have more influence through just begin married to him, and spending oodles of time together. \*\* I take your point, and i certainly don’t think it will have much of an effect on the music. In fact the article noted that it was the latter issue that seemed to be of most concern to the band members. Here’s a suggestion: if they really need a backing singer on the album, why not actually hire a good one from among the thousands of talented, perenially-underemployed singers out there, rather than giving the job to a multi-millionaire dilletante who apparently needs to take singing lessons just to cut the mustard? ---
**Author:** ![Gartog](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/22d042/32.png) [@Gartog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gartog)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2003, 9:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-coldplay-thinking/200792/9 "2003-09-10T21:22:20Z")
Maybe she’s doing it for free, and if she’s good enough why not? Maybe they just needed a little more publicity. ---
**Author:** ![Boo\_Boo\_Foo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e274bd/32.png) [@Boo\_Boo\_Foo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Boo_Boo_Foo)\ **Post date:** [September 11, 2003, 12:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-coldplay-thinking/200792/10 "2003-09-11T00:22:52Z")
Ben and J-Lo in the making. ---
**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\ **Post date:** [September 11, 2003, 1:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-coldplay-thinking/200792/11 "2003-09-11T01:32:37Z")
> [@](#): > > if they really need a backing singer on the album, why not actually hire a good one from among the thousands of talented, perenially-underemployed singers out there, rather than giving the job to a multi-millionaire dilletante who apparently needs to take singing lessons just to cut the mustard? Pu. Bli. Ci. Ty. 😉 Besides, she’s his fiancee, she gets privileges like that. ---
**Author:** ![Wordy\_One](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/d2c977/32.png) [@Wordy\_One](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wordy_One)\ **Post date:** [September 11, 2003, 6:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-coldplay-thinking/200792/12 "2003-09-11T06:12:10Z")
Ack. Dilemma. What do I do when the next Coldplay album comes out–snap it up the day it’s released like the rabid Coldplay fan I am, or continue my personal policy of doing nothing that will advance the fame, fortune or influence of Gwyneth Paltrow? ---
**Author:** ![butter\_pie](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/aca169/32.png) [@butter\_pie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/butter_pie)\ **Post date:** [September 11, 2003, 6:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-coldplay-thinking/200792/13 "2003-09-11T06:19:26Z")
Boy, I’m glad I just think they both suck and have no such dilemmas. 🙂 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Apos](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/838e76/32.png) [@Apos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Apos)\ **Post date:** [September 11, 2003, 6:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-coldplay-thinking/200792/14 "2003-09-11T06:32:55Z")
Could be like Trent Reznor’s cameo on Tori Amos’s “Under the Pink” i.e., barely audible. Background vocals can actually be done by so-so singers, since they aren’t front and center, and often you can dub them in afterwards with as many takes as you need to make it work. ---
**Author:** ![Boo\_Boo\_Foo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e274bd/32.png) [@Boo\_Boo\_Foo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Boo_Boo_Foo)\ **Post date:** [September 11, 2003, 11:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-coldplay-thinking/200792/15 "2003-09-11T11:50:45Z")
Or, alternatively, it could be a priceless backing vocal like Mick Jagger’s on Carly Simon’s “You’re So Vain”. But I kinda doubt that it’ll ever be THAT good. ---
**Author:** ![gex\_gex](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/94ad74/32.png) [@gex\_gex](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gex_gex)\ **Post date:** [September 11, 2003, 12:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-coldplay-thinking/200792/16 "2003-09-11T12:10:46Z")
> [@](#): > > _originally posted by SmackFu_ > Her song from Duets was apparently quite popular in Australia. > > Or something like that. You’re right… but… really? It was only popular here? What’s wrong with us??? > [@](#): > > _from mhendo’s link_ > If The Sun report is to be believed, Paltrow will record backing vocals on at least two tracks and has started taking singing lessons. Paltrow’s gonna need them. And remember, I’m from the country where she had her hit. Oh the shame. ---
**Author:** ![coyasicanbe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/bcef8e/32.png) [@coyasicanbe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/coyasicanbe)\ **Post date:** [September 11, 2003, 1:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-coldplay-thinking/200792/17 "2003-09-11T13:54:31Z")
Give the guy a break. If Gwyneth were rubbing her fleshy goodness on me at regular intervals, I’d let her sing backup on my album as well. ---
**Author:** ![Capt\_B.Phart](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/9fc29f/32.png) [@Capt\_B.Phart](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Capt_B.Phart)\ **Post date:** [September 11, 2003, 2:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-coldplay-thinking/200792/18 "2003-09-11T14:00:54Z")
At least we know there’ll be no Dobly on the next album ---
**Author:** ![jjimm](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ba8739/32.png) [@jjimm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jjimm)\ **Post date:** [September 11, 2003, 2:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-coldplay-thinking/200792/19 "2003-09-11T14:07:27Z")
It’s Lyle Lovett & Julia Roberts all over again. Gaah. ---
**Author:** ![TeaElle](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/8491ac/32.png) [@TeaElle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TeaElle)\ **Post date:** [September 11, 2003, 2:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-coldplay-thinking/200792/20 "2003-09-11T14:07:31Z")
Gwyneth has a passable voice, but when will musicians figure this out? Non-singer girlfriend/wife on the album, in the video or otherwise involved in the record = Greatly increased chances of the marriage going up in flames making a huge swath of your work unpalatable to you by association. (See, by way of example: Jackson Browne + Daryl Hannah; Bruce Springsteen + Julianne whosis; Billy Joel + Christy Brinkley; Adam Duritz + Courtney Cox) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-coldplay-thinking/200792.md?page=2)