On right path

IF you were to write a novel about a fictional band and put them through the same ups and downs as The Charlatans have faced throughout their turbulent career, the book would be criticised for asking too much of its readers.

The line-up changes several times?

Then a member gets jailed? Then he dies tragically? But they carry on to deliver the best music of their career?

Then sign to a label that closes down?

No thanks, the audience would say, It's just too unbelievable.

All of those things, and more, have happened to The Charlatans since they formed in the West Midlands in 1990.

The original lead singer and guitarist soon made way for Salford lad Tim Burgess and Mancunian Mark Collins to come in.

In 1992, the band's keyboard maestro Rob Collins - no relation to Mark - was jailed for eight months for assisting in an armed robbery and was killed in a car accident in 1996, just prior to completing the band's fifth album, Tellin' Stories.

Of course, there was glorious music in between these incidents, but a curse seemed to rear its ugly head again in 2007 when the band's new home, Sanctuary Records, folded not long after The Charlatans' ninth album, Simpatico, was released.

The fresh start began when the band sacked their former manager while Simpatico was being recorded in 2005.

"I'd been wanting to do it for years,"

says frontman Tim Burgess, staring intently through thick black-rimmed glasses, matching his jet black, dyed hair.

"The others finally agreed, so I asked Alan (McGee, former Creation Records boss, and the man who discovered Oasis) to be our manager. As soon as he took over, the first thing he said was You're doing a Greatest Hits tour'.

Then we did a DJ tour - just me and him - and that was the beginning of something new."

A Greatest Hits album also arrived; a collection of the band's most memorable songs which invigorated Burgess and his cohorts, and raised the bar for the album that would become You Cross My Path.

"We had a remix of You're So Pretty, We're So Pretty from Wonderland done for our Greatest Hits by a producer called Youth. He found the tempo we'd always been looking for, I think, so that made me think I'm going to write a fast album next time'.

"Also, we wanted to make whatever album followed as good as, if not better than, the Greatest Hits. It was quite a smart move in a way, to give ourselves that to aim for."

Of course, this isn't the first time You Cross My Path - which sees the band now signed to independent label Cooking Vinyl - has been made available. In partnership with radio station XFM, the album was online as a free download earlier this year and was a resounding success.

"Yes, it does feel like it's come out twice," admits Burgess. "It's good to look at something, an actual CD or vinyl, though. People were demanding a physical copy, but I think most people who got the record for free are also happy to buy it. You can't sign an MP3 can you? It's still out there as a free download, too. We haven't stopped that.

So you can get the record in any way you want, for free, whatever.

"Digital releases are definitely the way to go, and we've got big plans in that area that I don't want to talk about just yet, but we're excited. In a year or so, everyone is going to be releasing albums like this." The new label, new method of releasing music and new manager aren't the only things that have changed for Burgess recently, either.

"I gave up drink and drugs about two years ago," he says, candidly. "I feel revitalised about everything now, especially going on tour.

"I won't say I've been living a lie in the past, but the gig was just part of the day, and the party after was the main part of it. Now, it's all about the songs, and I'm singing much better. I had to give everything up because it was affecting my physical state, and my voice. I was drinking all day, every day while on tour, but I've always pushed the limit with that side of things.

"I feel amazing now. Alan McGee doesn't drink either, so when he came on board it felt like a great opportunity to give up, a fresh start.

"It's just made for a really honest singer/manager relationship. There are no drunken conversations, mood swings, false accusations - it's just honest. He listens, I listen, and we remember everything."

■ The Charlatans' tenth album, You Cross My Path, is out now.

www.thecharlatans.net