Richard Ashcroft England". However, the pressures of touring and the tensions within the band led to McCabe's departure in mid-1998 and the announcement of the band's break-up in April 1999. In early 2007, Ashcroft made peace with McCabe and Jones and The Verve's reunion was announced in June. The band played gigs later that year and continued touring in 2008, headlining at several festivals around the world. A new album, "Forth", was released in August. In August 2008, The Verve broke up for the third time, though it was not announced until the following year. Ashcroft's first solo single, "A Song for
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