Blur fans just learn band had different name before they signed to label 35 years ago

Fans of the legendary band are only just realising they had a different name before signing their first-ever record deal.

Comprised of , , Dave Rowntree, and , the four-piece would go on to define the 1990s British music scene along with , , and Suede. The band had a very different name before releasing their debut album, Leisure, under the Food Records label.

A change to their name came just before they signed to the label and became Blur. The group actually chose from a list of potential names before signing their contract.

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The 'Parklife' and 'Coffee and TV' hitmakers underwent a number of changes in their early years, with their original name, The Circus, discarded in favour of Seymour.

But Seymour did not sit right with the label either – and after just over a year of using the name, the group opted for Blur. Seymour, their previous name, had been inspired by J.D. Salinger's Seymour: An Introduction.

While the band found some success while under the moniker, they were told to change their name by Andy Ross, Food Records' Artist and Repertoire man. The record company drew up a list of possible names and from it, Blur was selected.

A comment on the r/Blur subreddit revealed some of the other names offered to the band at the time of their contract signing.

They wrote: "The band’s original name was Seymour though this was changed when the group signed with Food Records as they believed it was not marketable enough.

"The label drew up a list of replacement names (which included ‘The Shining Path’, ‘Whirlpool, ‘The Government’ and ‘Sensitize’). The band settled on the name Blur."

Even after the name change and release of their debut album, Blur found themselves in hot water and on the verge of being dropped by their label. The band was in £60,000 worth of debt – a huge sum they say was only paid off four years ago.

Bassist Alex James told the show: "I think part of the problem with ‘Leisure’ was that it was as … I don’t know whether you had this with your band, but our first manager was kind of like our mate and it turned out he wasn’t very good at managing after all.

"And when Leisure was coming out, we realised we didn’t have any money at all. We had to sack the manager and get a sensible business manager, but we had a tax bill that we couldn’t pay. It was really serious, but fortunately, we were on this tiny little indie label called Food Records…

"Fortunately, I think that our record label were able to apply some pressure to the American label SPK for them to back this enormous tour of America. It was a 13-week, steeplechase, going absolutely everywhere.

"But by the fact that the record company would bankroll this incredible tour, which I think we only finished paying off about two years ago. We were paying them for years."