English radio station bans James Blunt songs
(Monday May 29, 2006 11:12 AM)

LONDON (AFP) - An English radio station said it has banned songs by British crooner James Blunt from its airwaves after listeners said they were fed up with hearing "You're Beautiful" and "Goodbye My Lover".

Chris Cotton, programme controller of local radio Essex FM in southern England, said: "We don't have anything against James Blunt and we're pleased he has been so successful, but we really need a break."

The music industry exerts a lot of pressure on radio stations to play certain artists' music over and over again, Cotton said.

"Often this can be out of step with the audience's tastes, which results in songs being overplayed," he said. "We're happy to stand up to this pressure and follow the strong message listeners have given us. We encourage other radio stations to take the same step."

Despite this minor setback, Blunt has enjoyed phenomenal success since his voice first emanated from radio stations across the world last year.

"You're Beautiful" topped the charts in 25 countries.

In March, the former army officer became the first British artist to reach the number one slot in the US Billboard chart in nine years.

His album, "Back To Bedlam" has sold more than seven million copies worldwide.