Originally called Seymour, the band was formed in London in 1989 by vocalist/keyboardist Damon Albarn, guitarist Graham Coxon, and bassist Alex James, with drummer Dave Rowntree joining the lineup shortly afterward. After playing a dozen or so gigs and recording a demo tape, they signed on to Food Records and changed their name to Blur. The band has released 7 albums to date: Leisure (1991), Modern Life Is Rubbish (1993), Parklife (1994), The Great Escape (1995), Blur (1997), 13 (1999), and Think Tank (2003). In addition, the band released a best of collection in October 2000.