This week we turn our Up All Night spotlight on English alt-rock band James. Formed in 1982 in Manchester, England, the original band members settled on James after a series of names changes, and earned a contract from Factory Records following their discovery at a live gig. Their debut release, the Jimone EP, was released in September 1983. It was named single of the week by major music papers in the UK, and led to a tour supporting The Smiths.
The band's second EP, James II, was released over a year after the first and accompanied by a feature on the cover of the NME. The first two EPs would later be collected as Village Fire. Reviews were once again positive, and Factory were eager for James to record an album with it, but the band believed Factory were purely image-based and left the label, striking a deal with Sire Records.
Their third release, the Sit Down EP (no relation to the song of that name) came out in February 1986, and was followed by their debut album, Stutter in July of that year. The album reached number 68 in the UK Albums Chart. Low on money and lacking coverage and promotion, the band recorded their second album, Strip-mine, attempting a more conventional song structure in an attempt to please Sire.
Strip-mine almost went unreleased, but after undergoing a slight remix to sound more radio-friendly, Sire released the album in September 1988, over a year after it had been initially completed. However the album only reached number 90. After finding a clause for ending their contract, the band left Sire. Desperate for money, the band members were driven to the extreme of participating as human guinea pigs in medical experiments at the Manchester Royal Infirmary, earning them a place on a TV documentary about the desperation of fallen rock stars.
James had by this point had earned a reputation as a solid live act and had built a solid fan base. Sales of James t-shirts were particularly successful in Manchester even before they reached the Top 40. James financed the production of a live album One Man Clapping with a bank loan and the help of Rough Trade Records. The album went to #1 on the indie charts, reinvigorating media interest in the band.
From late 1988 through the following year, the band replaced several early members with new musicians, emerging as a seven-piece outfit. The new line-up went into the studio to record their third album, Gold Mother (James in the US) and new singles "Sit Down" and "Come Home" became strong hits in the independent charts. Gold Mother was intended to be released on Rough Trade but the owner of the label, Geoff Travis, believed James could only reach an audience of 20,000 to 30,000. The band believed they had more potential than this and bought the rights to the album from the label. A successful winter tour in 1989 attracted a deal with Fontana Records, and the band ended a difficult decade on an optimistic note.
Gold Mother was released in June 1990, just as the 'Madchester' movement, with its wave of popular Manchester-based indie bands, focused public attention on James and won them mainstream recognition. Singles "How Was It For You", the remixed "Come Home" and "Lose Control" all made the Top 40, and the band's newfound success was re-affirmed when they played two sell-out dates at the Manchester G-Mex at the end of the year.
In March 1991, the popularity of "Sit Down" led to a re-recorded version being released as a single, reaching #2 in the UK Singles Chart. Gold Mother was re-released to include "Sit Down" and previous single "Lose Control", and the album sold ten times more copies than Travis originally predicted. The song became one of the biggest-selling singles of the year.
The band members spent the rest of the year recording their next album, Seven, which was released in February 1992. It reached #2 in the UK Albums Chart (its lead single, "Sound", had followed "Sit Down" into the top 10 a few months earlier) and earned the band some recognition in the US as they embarked on their first tour of the States. The band's activities culminated in a sell-out show to 30,000 people at the Alton Towers theme park in July, broadcast live on BBC Radio 1. They were then invited on an acoustic tour of the US supporting Neil Young at a series of natural outdoor venues in the autumn. They returned to England refreshed and ready to record their new album, with Brian Eno, who they had originally approached to produce Stutter, but who had been unavailable at the time.
Eno set about bringing out the ambience in James' music, and took them through a recording process that the band later described as a "journey of self-discovery". The process resulted in not one but two albums: the 'song' album, Laid, and the experimental Wah Wah, which showcased the band's improvised jams recorded on the spot, then mixed by Eno. Booth's vocals were then added to the results.
Laid was released in September 1993 to positive reviews. As well as being a success in the UK, the album also broke the band in the US, shipping over 600,000 copies and charting at #72 in the Billboard 200, propelled by the immense popularity of its risqué title track on US college radio. The band spent most of 1994 touring the States. Wah Wah was eventually released in September 1994 to a lukewarm reception.
The next James album, Whiplash, was released in February 1997. The album proved a successful comeback, reaching the UK Top 10 as did the single "She's A Star". Lead singer Tim Booth suffered a neck injury while dancing on stage in the US, resulting in a series of tour dates being cancelled as he underwent emergency surgery, and the band being offered a place instead on the Lollapalooza tour.
In March 1998, a greatest hits album, The Best Of, was released, compiling all the band's hits since their signing to Fontana. The album reached #1 in the UK Albums Chart, and sell-out tours throughout the year followed.
The band returned to the studio to begin work on their next album, Millionaires, released in October 1999. The album did not reach the phenomenal sales level predicted, but still entered the chart at #2, and sold over 150,000 copies.
After the disappointing performance of Millionaires the band chose to start anew in their approach to their next album, working with Eno once again. They spent most of 2000 recording the album; writing the songs, then performing them live before actually recording them. They embarked on a small-scale tour in the autumn of that year on which their set lists consisted almost entirely of new material. The album, Pleased To Meet You, was released in July 2001. The album's artwork featured a composite image of the faces of all the band members to create a new person. The album reached only #11, the lowest position for a James studio album since their signing to Fontana.
Shortly after its release, James reached the end of their contract, and Tim Booth announced he was leaving the band to concentrate on other projects of his own. They played a farewell tour of the UK at the end of the year. Their final hometown gig, at the Manchester Evening News arena on December 7, was recorded for a live CD and DVD, Getting Away With It...Live. The albums Gold Mother, Laid and Whiplash (each containing bonus tracks) were re-released by Mercury Records the following year, as well as a B-sides compilation entitled B-Sides Ultra.
A planned compilation of material from the band's Factory and Sire years was announced in 2001, but the album, Strange Dancing was never released. The first two James albums, Stutter and Strip-mine, were re-pressed in June 2007, but without any additional rarities.
Booth continued as a solo artist in 2004 with the release of his solo album Bone, co-written and produced by Lee Muddy Baker.
A new compilation album, The Collection, was released in late 2004, and Seven - The Live Concert (a DVD version of a previously released video) in 2005.
In January 2007, music magazine Filter cited an announcement on singer Tim Booth's personal website, saying that "Tim will be rejoining James in early 2007 for a series of live shows to be announced very soon.” The initial five dates of the tour were expanded to seven on the day tickets went on sale (26 January) due to high demand; the whole tour had sold out by close of business.
The tour took place during late April 2007, and was followed later in the year by more live shows, including festival appearances at T in the Park and V Festival. The band also appeared at Summercase, Barcelona's top music concert in Spain during July 2007. April saw the release of a new compilation album, Fresh As A Daisy - The Singles, accompanied by a DVD compilation of all the band's promo videos.
The new album Hey Ma was released on April 7, 2008, and a three-week tour to promote the album commenced on April 10. An arena tour of the UK called We Are Sound followed in December, on which two new songs (“Porcupine” and “Look Away”) were previewed as tasters for a new studio album. A live album with a selection of songs recorded during the 2008 spring tour was exclusively sold at the merchandise stalls of the We Are Sound tour. Live in 2008 was limited to 5000 copies.
The band announced plans to release two mini-albums by April 2010. The Night Before was released on the April 19, which was followed by The Morning After on August 2. The same year, the band performed a UK tour, the Mirrorball Tour, in April and announced plans for another UK tour in December. In the US the band released the two EP's together as a 2CD set called The Morning After the Night Before on September 14 to coincide with a 19-date North American tour.
DJ Mark says “James have always managed to capture a fresh, pure sound filled with hope and introspection. Over the years, I have developed an increasing admiration for their stellar songwriting and sublime performances. I hope you enjoy this look back, and forward, at the career of a truly remarkable band, well deserving of our showcase here on Up All Night.”
Acknowledgement: Wikipedia.com
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