This video was never intended for public viewing, but in the end was shown for one week on Coldplay.com to celebrate the birth of Chris’s daughter, Apple.

It was made at Air Studios whilst the band were working on the X&Y record and features guest appearances by many of the studio crew. Soundman Dan Green was visiting that day and can be seen in a rather fetching red wig. Producer Ken Nelson gets his own rap section and guitar tech Matt McGinn busts some natty breakdancing with engineer Mark Phythian.

Many words have been said about the recording of the X&Y album – the pressure, the shareholders and the overarching stress of the whole affair. Now – don’t get me wrong – I’m not saying any of that isn’t true or that they didn’t spend many dark days struggling to get through it. I *am* glad, though, that there is evidence of them having a laugh in amongst it all. Furrowed brows and broken psyches are far more interesting for the journalists, no doubt. I do think being able to be daft together even in the darkness must surely be part of what’s helped them resist implosion

Of course the show here is stolen effortlessly by Sir George Martin. If you’d told me back in my days as a sound-engineering student that I’d be meeting George Martin at Air Studios, I’d have found it hard to believe. If you’d told me I’d be asking him to don a mullet wig and talk about nappies while I pointed a camcorder at him, I’d definitely have been confused.

Never a dull moment…

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