Blur bassist Alex James has revealed that he passed on an opportunity to sign Coldplay because he thought they were “ordinary”.

James went to watch the band in the late-90s with an interest in signing them to a label he ran alongside Damien Hurst and Joe Strummer.

However, in an interview with The Sun newspaper, the bassist said he wasn't inspired by the group, who later signed to Parlophone.

“We all thought they were ordinary and passed on them,” he said. “I think everyone did, except Parlophone, just like happened with The Beatles — and Blur.”

Coldplay have sold over 40million albums since the release of their 2000 debut, 'Parachutes'.

James added that he still thought the group were still “a fairly ordinary band”, although he praised singer Chris Martin.

“It’s quite hard to make a succinct three-and-a-half-minute pop song. The trick, almost no one in town can do, is to write really good words to simple melodies,” he said.

James, who currently appears on a Channel 4 talent show, will take part in Blur's reunion concerts later this year.

(by Jason Gregory)