David Gray News

Fans of David Gray who want to hear his biggest hit "Babylon" performed live as he tours to promote his latest album may be disappointed because the singer-songwriter is sick of playing it.

At early shows on a North American tour promoting his September release "Life in Slow Motion," Gray played almost exclusively new songs, despite audience calls for old hits.

Fans at New York's Webster Hall on Tuesday grumbled at the noticeable absence of "Babylon" -- the song which made him an international star.

"I only want to sing things that I can feel and if I don't have a feeling for a song ... then I'll pass it over," Gray said in an interview on Wednesday. "Babylon is not very alive for me at the moment.

"It killed me. I try to resuscitate from time to time, but how many times did I have to play that thing -- 10 times a day, 300 days a year in all kinds of garish situations."

But Gray, 37, isn't saying never: "It's not my song any more. It's very much the audience's song, so if I'm feeling generous I'll wheel it out one night."

After three major-label albums that won over critics but sold few copies, the Manchester, England-born singer's career was floundering in the mid 1990s when he parted company with EMI.

Then he recorded "White Ladder" at his London apartment and self-released it in Ireland in 1998. It eventually sold over 6 million copies, largely thanks to the single "Babylon."

Like "White Ladder" and the 2002 follow-up "A New Day at Midnight," Gray's latest effort blends melancholic musical arrangements with poetic lyrics and uplifting melodies.

DRIVEN TO MAKE DEFINITIVE ALBUM

Now Gray is on a tour that could last for 18 months -- something he said was almost a "betrayal" of his wife.

"Being separated from my family is the worst part. If my wife had her way, I wouldn't be going on a world tour," he said. "This is where it gets a little bit uncomfortable, because I know I am leaving her in the lurch. She's basically being left with two young kids."

Gray said he still feels driven to make his definitive album, saying Van Morrison's "Astral Weeks" is the gold standard he hopes to match. "That's the Holy Grail," he said. "I can just about touch it now."

After the success of "White Ladder," Gray certainly has all the tools at his disposal in that quest.

His latest album, featuring the first single "The One I Love," was recorded in a lavish, top-notch studio in a church. Gray bought the studio from Eurythmics songwriter and famed producer Dave Stewart. The studio has previously been used by artists including Paul McCartney and Mick Jagger.

Saying his recent fame has left him with little time for anything but his family and his work, Gray described himself as "a frustrated political person" who does not know what to do to make a difference in the world.

But one thing he certainly did not approve of was July's Live 8 concerts, organized by Bob Geldof to pressure world leaders to reduce debts of the world's poor.

"It's a garish sight to me to have people who don't know what they are talking about, patronizing their audience about changing the world. I don't believe in sound-bite politics."

Instead, Gray would rather people take concrete action -- such as paying more in taxes to alleviate poverty.

"Otherwise where does this money come from? World leaders? Do they go to the special 'world leader' pot and get the money? It's just ... ridiculous," he said.