Coldplay were apparently interviewed on 60 Minutes last night, and as a part of the interview, reporter Steve Kroft wandered around the band’s studio, making mention of a list of band rules hanging on the wall. The camera looked at the list ever so-briefly. The folks at Bumpershine have luckily freeze framed it, and transcribed the rules. Here they are:

1. Albums be no longer than 42 minutes, 9 tracks.

2. Production must be amazing, but with space, not overlayered, less tracks, more quality, groove and swing. Drums/rhythm are the most crucial thing to concentrate on; diff. between bittersweet and science of silence. [A reference to The Verve and Richard Ashcroft solo]

3. Computers are instruments, not recording aids.

4. Imagery must be classic, colourful and different. Come back in glorious technicolor.

5. Make sure videos and pictures are great before setting release date. And highly original.

6. Always keep mystery. Not many interviews.

7. Groove and swing. Rhythms and sounds must always be as original as possible. Once jon has melody twist it and weird it sonical.

8. Promo/review copies to be on VINYL. Stops copying problem, sounds and looks better. [Ed. Note: My Viva La Vida promo was in CD format]

9. Jacqueline sabriado, ns p c c, face forward.

10. Think about what you do with charity account. Set up something small but really enabling and constructive. Ref j oliver fifteen [a reference to Jamie Oliver’s Fifteen Restaurant]

There were other rules, but the the entire list wasn’t shown. I’m sure "jock Radiohead" is on there somewhere. But I find it semi-preposterous that a band would have rules about the rhythms on their studio albums hanging in a wall, and wouldn’t care if it was publicized. It seems kind of desperate and definitely non-rock (which adds insult to injury since Coldplay won Best Rock Album at the Grammys last night).

I also find it interesting that the band has a rule about not doing too many interviews, since Chris Martin did roughly 607 interviews around the time of Viva La Vida, not to mention the one that the list was revealed during. [Bumpershine]