Richard Ashcroft psychedelic music and drugs. They also became a part of the Britpop movement. The band split in 1995, and around this time Ashcroft wrote a collection of songs he intended to release as his first solo album. However, by 1997 he had changed his mind and asked McCabe to return (alongside new member Tong), reforming The Verve and releasing the very successful album "Urban Hymns". Ashcroft was at the forefront of the band's popularity, receiving an Ivor Novello Award for his songwriting and being referred to by the press as "the unmistakable face of the Number One rock band in
Richard Ashcroft having previously rehearsed the song in Crystal Palace. Ashcroft's performance of the song was introduced by Chris Martin as "the best song ever written, and here's the best singer in the world", helping to create renewed interest in Ashcroft. At Christmas 2005, a documentary entitled "Live 8: A Bitter Sweet Symphony" was aired on the BBC reliving moments of the day featuring a portion of Ashcroft's performance as the show's opening soundtrack. After the disintegration of Hut Records in 2004, Ashcroft signed to Parlophone where he released his third solo album, "Keys to the World", on 23 January 2006. The