Ashcroft one year on

Richard Ashcroft's told Radio 1 his teenage dream of being in a band didn't turn out at all liked he'd hoped - in fact, it was too Spinal Tap to be true! It's almost a year to the day that the Verve split and Richard's already releasing his first solo single 'A Song For The Lovers'.

He said after 15 years it's strange not seeing the rest of the band, but it's a question of getting on with your life and remembering things don't always turn out how you want: "The dream can be a nightmare like anything in life. It's only when the water's under the bridge that you begin to understand."

Liam Gallagher's quoted as saying Richard's the only person outside of Oasis he could record with coz he's the only one he gets on with. Richard says they haven't been in the studio together but it could happen: "We've had some good nights together where we've been singing songs. He's got one of the best voices in rock and roll."

Richard Ashcroft's 'Bittersweet' Post-Verve Dilemma

Quick. Name the guy who sang "Bittersweet Symphony."

You can hear the strings riff, pounded into your head from its use in a shoe commercial and the song's 1998 radio omnipresence.

You remember the group, the Verve, and maybe can picture the singer--his face was even on the cover of Calendar!

But his name?

That's the problem facing Virgin Records with the summer release of the solo debut of Richard Ashcroft. (Right! That's the guy.) The fact is that even many of the 1.1 million U.S. purchasers of the Verve's "Urban Hymns"--which contained "Bittersweet"--don't have much awareness of Ashcroft himself.

So will they care about his album?

"It's always difficult to know what the core market is after you sell so many records on the basis of one hit single," says Ray Cooper, co-president of Virgin's North American operations.

Before "Bittersweet," the core of U.S. Verve fans was somewhere in the vicinity of 150,000--the number who bought the band's previous album, "A Northern Soul."

"Our challenge lies in the education of the 1.1 million consumers who bought 'Urban Hymns,' " Cooper says.

Ashcroft - How he nearly quit

RICHARD ASHCROFT has revealed that he considered quitting music following the split of THE VERVE in 1998, but life now is "beautiful" following the birth of his new baby SONNY and the completion of his debut solo album.

Ashcroft was speaking in an interview with London radio station Xfm 104.9FM, to be broadcast tomorrow afternoon (April 7) from 4pm.

In the interview he says: "There was periods when I thought 'let's sack this', because I've got a beautiful wife, I've now got a beautiful child, and there is a life there, another life."

However, the overriding power of Ashcroft's songs was sufficient to persuade him to go on. He continued: "I really thought about it and thought 'well I can do this'. I've got a talent, and people enjoy my songs, people love my songs, why stop?

"I knew there was a great potential for me to actually enjoy this once the inner angst of the band had gone. It was up to me then, and I can't split up with myself!"

The ex-The Verve vocalist goes on to talk about the demise of his old band, describing it as a "chipping down process".

He said: "I use this analogy, of someone reaching over and turning on the indicator for you when you're driving, and then suddenly there's a big argument and it's over.

"Those little things that start it usually aren't the main reason, it's usually a chipping down process and I just thought that I'd given so much to the band."

Ashcroft makes his live debut as a solo artist at this summer's V2000 festivals. He confirmed his live set will include new material, as well as tracks that featured on The Verve's final album, 'Urban Hymns'. He hinted that 'Lucky Man', 'Sonnet', 'The Drugs Don't Work' and 'Velvet Morning' would all be aired with his new band.

The full interview with Richard Ashcroft is broadcast in London on Paul Anderson's drivetime show from 4pm tomorrow (April 7), on Xfm 104.9FM.