When The Verve broke up in 1999, everyone already knew Richard Ashcroft would soon launch a solo career. When the 2000 solo debut 'Alone With Everybody' was released, most critics dismissed it as bland and unimaginative. And indeed, without the guitars of Nick McCabe and the dynamics of the other band members, as well as the more interesting results of their collective work, to a lot of ears there has always been something lacking with Ashcroft's subsequent output.With the band's third album 'Urban Hymns' becoming a big seller in 1997, 'Alone With Everybody' was effectively it's long-awaited and highly anticipated follow-up. The first thing to be released from it was the solemnly graceful rush of the string-assisted 'A Song For The Lovers', which came out as a single in April 2000. It reached number 3 in the UK Singles Chart, and was originally demoed for inclusion on 'Urban Hymns' a few years earlier. Three different versions were recorded but the song did not make the final album.
