View source for Future Past (Duncan James album)

{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2022}}
{{Infobox album
| name       = Future Past
| type       = studio
| artist     = [[Duncan James]]
| cover      = Duncan james future past.JPG
| alt        =
| released   = 12 June 2006
| recorded   =
| studio     =
| genre      =
| length     = 54:03
| label      = [[Innocent Records|Innocent]]
| producer   =
*[[Andreas Carlsson]]
*[[Stephen Lipson]]
*Matt Prime
*[[Peter Vettese]]
*[[Andrew Lloyd Webber]]
*[[Eg White]]
| prev_title =
| prev_year  =
| next_title =
| next_year  =
| misc       = {{Singles
| name        = Future Past
| type        = studio
| single1     = [[Sooner or Later (Duncan James song)|Sooner or Later]]
| single1date = 5 June 2006
| single2     = [[Can't Stop a River]]
| single2date = 21 August 2006
| single3     = [[Amazed]]
| single3date = 12 March 2007
}}
}}
'''''Future Past''''' is the debut and only solo studio album to be released by [[Blue (English group)|Blue]] singer [[Duncan James]].
==Background==
James' solo career began in October 2004, when he collaborated with singer-songwriter [[Keedie]] on the single "[[I Believe My Heart (song)|I Believe My Heart]]", which was a number-two hit on the [[UK Singles Chart]].<ref>[http://www.everyhit.com/ everyHit.com – UK Top 40 Chart Archive, the UK Singles & Album Charts]</ref> Shortly after, James began recording a solo album, with the help of producer [[Stephen Lipson]], who had collaborated with the likes of [[Boyzone]], [[Ronan Keating]], [[Daniel Bedingfield]] and [[Will Young]].<ref>[[Stephen Lipson]]</ref> The album was released on 12 June 2006, a week after the release of the lead single, "[[Sooner or Later (Duncan James song)|Sooner or Later]]", which only peaked at #35 on the [[UK Singles Chart]]. Upon the week of release, the album only peaked at #55 on the [[UK Albums Chart]]. In an attempt to boost sales, "[[Can't Stop a River]]" was released as the album's second single on 21 August 2006 but this charted even lower than "Sooner or Later", only peaking at #59 on the [[UK Singles Chart]]. "[[Amazed]]" was released as third and final single only in Italy and Germany on September 29, 2006. It was planned for a UK release on March 12, 2007, but was canceled when James was fired from the label in January 2007.
The album sold less than 15,000 copies in the [[United Kingdom]], and 150,000 copies worldwide. However, it found success in [[Italy]], peaking at #2 on the [[Italian Albums Chart]], for sales of more than 80,000 copies.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.discogs.com/Duncan-James-Future-Past/release/3068136|title=Duncan James – Future Past (2006, CD)|website=[[Discogs]]|date=4 August 2023 }}</ref>
==Critical reception==
{{Music ratings
|rev1 = [[AllMusic]]
|rev1score = {{Rating|2|5}}<ref name="allmusic">[{{AllMusic|class=album|id=mw0000465055|pure_url=yes}} AllMusic review]</ref>
|rev2 = [[BBC Music]]
|rev2score = (mixed)<ref name="bbc">{{cite web|first=Talia|last=Kraines |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/music/reviews/4cxm/|title=  Duncan James Future Past Review |website=[[BBC Music]]|accessdate=26 August 2020}}</ref>
|rev3 = ''[[The Guardian]]''
|rev3score = {{Rating|2|5}}<ref name="guardian">{{cite web|first=Caroline|last=Sullivan|url=https://www.theguardian.com/music/2006/jun/09/popandrock.shopping3|title=Duncan James, Future Past |website=[[The Guardian]]|accessdate=26 August 2020|date=9 June 2006}}</ref>
}}
Sharon Mawer of [[Allmusic]] gave the album two out of five stars, stating: "Despite having high hopes after the success of [[Simon Webbe]] and [[Lee Ryan]]'s solo careers, and having a hit single already behind him, Duncan James' "Future Past" was doomed from the outset after the poor performances of the lead singles "Sooner or Later" and "Can't Stop a River", despite the latter being backed by the writing talents of [[Seal (musician)|Seal]]. Every one of the twelve songs fails to break the mid-tempo ballad barrier, with only "Letter to God" being an out-and-out slow ballad. There is definitely a need for greater contrast and stronger imagination, something which this album clearly lacks."<ref name="allmusic"/> Talia Kraines from [[BBC Music]] found that ''Future Past'' "isn't an album full of exciting pop songs to get your blood rushing, but if you're missing [[Darius Campbell|Darius]] and after a bunch of mid-tempo pop songs to ease you through the day then this might just be it [...] Claiming serious pop writers such as Stephen Lipson and Peter Vetesse on his album notes, Duncan's younger fans should stay well away. He's no longer your pin up – but your mum's."<ref name="bbc"/>
==Track listing==
{{track listing
| headline        =
| extra_column    = Producer(s)
| title1    = [[Sooner or Later (Duncan James song)|Sooner or Later]]
| writer1   = {{hlist|[[Duncan James]]|[[Chris Braide]]|Jez Ashurst}}
| extra1    = [[Stephen Lipson]]
| length1   = 3:43
| title2    = Suffer
| writer2   = {{hlist|James|Matt Prime|Tim Woodcock}}
| extra2    = Prime
| length2   = 3:45
| title3    = I Come Alive
| writer3   = {{hlist|James|Braide|[[Andreas Carlsson]]}}
| extra3    = Carlsson
| length3   = 4:03
| title4    = [[Can't Stop a River]]
| writer4   = {{hlist|[[Seal (musician)|Seal]]|[[Peter Gordeno]]}}
| extra4    = Lipson
| length4   = 3:53
| title5    = I Don't Wanna Stop
| writer5   = {{hlist|James|[[Peter Vettese]]}}
| extra5    = Vetesse
| length5   = 4:02
| title6    = What Are We Waiting For
| writer6   = {{hlist|James|[[Eg White]]}}
| extra6    = White
| length6   = 3:52
| title7    = [[Amazed]]
| writer7   = {{hlist|[[Marv Green]]|[[Chris Lindsey]]|[[Aimee Mayo]]}}
| extra7    = Prime
| length7   = 3:59
| title8    = Turn My Head
| writer8   = {{hlist|Jamie Arlon|Timothy Arlon|[[Philip Pickett]]}}
| extra8    = Lipson
| length8   = 3:57
| title9    = Letter to God
| writer9   = {{hlist|Braide|Carlsson}}
| extra9    = Lipson
| length9   = 3:33
| title10    = Breathing
| writer10   = {{hlist|James|Vettese|Pete Francis}}
| extra10    = Vetesse
| length10   = 3:34
| title11    = Frequency
| writer11   = {{hlist|James|Braide|Carlsson}}
| extra11    = Carlsson
| length11   = 3:48
| title12    = Somebody Still Loves You
| writer12   = {{hlist|James|Braide}}
| extra12    = Lipson
| length12   = 3:27
| title13    = Save This Moment for Me
| writer13   = {{hlist|James|Vettese}}
| extra13    = Vettese
| length13   = 4:42
}}
{{track listing
| headline        = Japanese bonus tracks<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.amazon.co.uk/Future-Past-Duncan-James/dp/B000EMSLFU/ref=sr_1_5?s=music&ie=UTF8&qid=1364718534&sr=1-5|title = Future Past|website = Amazon UK}}</ref>
| extra_column = Producer(s)
| title14    = You Can
| writer14   = {{hlist|James|White}}
| extra14    = White
| length14   = 3:34
| title15    = Part Time Love
| writer15   = {{hlist|James|Prime|[[Karen Poole]]}}
| extra15    = Prime
| length15   = 3:58
}}
{{track listing
| headline        = Italian bonus tracks<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.amazon.co.uk/Future-Past-James-Duncan/dp/B003T9OIZC/ref=sr_1_17?s=music&ie=UTF8&qid=1364718286&sr=1-17|title=Future Past|website=Amazon UK}}</ref>
| extra_column = Producer(s)
| title14   = Senza Lei
| writer14  = {{hlist|[[Martin Sutton]]|[[Sean Sutton]]|[[Christopher Neil]]|Annalisa Tripani}}
| extra14   = Lipson
| length14  = 3:50
| title15   = Senza Lei
| note15    = featuring Mafy
| writer15  = {{hlist|M. Sutton|S. Sutton|Neil|Tripani}}
| extra15   = Lipson
| length15  = 4:03
| title16   = [[Can't Stop a River]]
| note16    = Acoustic
| writer16  = {{hlist|Seal|Gordeno}}
| extra16   = Lipson
| length16  = 3:37
| title17   = Simple Love Song
| writer17  = {{hlist|[[Richard Starkey]]|[[Vini Poncia]]}}
| extra17   = Lipson
| length17  = 2:58
}}
{{track listing
| headline        = German bonus tracks<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.amazon.co.uk/Future-Past-Duncan-James/dp/B000H2M24S/ref=sr_1_2?s=music&ie=UTF8&qid=1364719112&sr=1-2|title = Future Past|website = Amazon UK|year = 2006}}</ref>
| extra_column = Producer(s)
| title14   = This Day
| writer14  = {{hlist|James|Vettese|Poole}}
| extra14   = Vettese
| length14  = 3:42
| title15   = [[I Believe My Heart (song)|I Believe My Heart]]
| note15    = featuring [[Keedie]]
| writer15  = {{hlist|[[David Zippel]]|[[Andrew Lloyd Webber]]}}
| extra15   = Webber
| length15  = 3:56
}}
==Charts==
{| class="wikitable plainrowheaders sortable" style="text-align:center;"
|-
! scope="col" | Chart (2006)
! scope="col" | Peak<br />position
|-
{{album chart|Germany4|68|artist=Duncan James|album=Future Past|id=32911|rowheader=true|accessdate=29 January 2021}}
|-
{{album chart|Ireland|55|artist=Duncan James|album=Future Past|rowheader=true|accessdate=27 August 2020}}
|-
{{album chart|Italy|101|artist=Duncan James|album=Future Past|rowheader=true|accessdate=27 August 2020}}
|-
{{album chart|Oricon|29|artist=Duncan James|album=Future Past|rowheader=true|accessdate=27 August 2020}}
|-
{{album chart|Scotland|72|artist=Duncan James|album=Future Past|date=2006-06-18|rowheader=true|accessdate=26 August 2020}}
|-
{{album chart|Switzerland|59|artist=Duncan James|album=Future Past|rowheader=true|accessdate=27 August 2020}}
|-
{{album chart|UK|55|artist=Duncan James|album=Future Past|date=2006-06-18|rowheader=true|accessdate=26 August 2020}}
|}
==Certifications==
{{Certification Table Top}}
{{Certification Table Entry|region=Italy|type=album|artist=Duncan James|title=Future Past|access-date=25 July 2012|relyear=2006|award=Gold}}
{{Certification Table Bottom|noshipments=yes}}
==References==
{{reflist}}
{{Blue (band)}}
{{Authority control}}
[[Category:2006 debut albums]]
[[Category:Albums produced by Stephen Lipson]]
[[Category:Pop albums by English artists]]