James formed in Manchester in 1982, when Paul Gilbertson (guitar), Jim Glennie (bass), and Gavan Whelan (drums) met Tim Booth (vocals) at Manchester University and asked him to join their fledgling band. During the next year, James became regulars on the local club circuit, and by 1983 they had signed to Factory, releasing their debut EP, Jimone, later that year. Two years later, their second EP, James 2, was released, and Morrissey, the lead singer of the Smiths, publicly endorsed the group, asking them to open for his band. By the summer of 1985, Larry Gott had replaced Gilbertson, and the group signed to Sire Records. Working with producer Lenny Kaye, the group recorded its debut, Stutter, that year, releasing it in early 1986 to generally positive reviews.
Over the next two years, James toured constantly, building up a solid fan base. They released their second album, the folky Strip-Mine, in 1988. The record failed to capitalize on their live following, and the band departed Sire the following year, signing with the independent Rough Trade. On their new label, James released the moderately successful "Sit Down" and the live album One Man Clapping, which climbed to number one on the indie charts. In 1990, Whelan was replaced by David Baynton-Power, and James expanded to a septet with the addition of keyboardist Mark Hunter, violinist Saul Davies, and trumpeter Andy Diagram. The new lineup signed to Fontana Records and released Gold Mother in the fall. Following a handful of minor hit singles, Gold Mother finally became a breakthrough success in the spring of 1991, when a re-recorded version of "Sit Down" -- now boasting a contemporary baggy beat -- climbed to number two on the U.K. charts and became a staple on U.S. modern rock radio. Although the success of "Sit Down" was a blessing, it also was a curse, as the single became all James were known for. The band began to rebel in concert, playing almost nothing but new material, and its next album, 1992's Seven, was perceived as a misguided stab at big arena rock.
For the follow-up to Seven, James stripped away Diagram and worked with producer Brian Eno. The resulting record, Laid, was a quieter, more ambitious album, and it received some of the band's best reviews. While the album was ignored in the U.K., it was an alternative rock hit in the U.S. on the strength of the title track, which became a crossover hit. During the Laid sessions, James recorded another album's worth of experimental music with Eno that was released in the fall of 1994 as Wah Wah. The album received mixed reviews and the group took an extended break throughout 1995, partly due to guitarist Gott's departure. In 1996, Tim Booth recorded a collaboration with composer Angelo Badalamenti (Twin Peaks, Blue Velvet) entitled Booth and the Bad Angel, which received generally positive reviews.
With guitarist Adrian Oxaal in tow, James returned in early 1997 with Whiplash, a more straightforward record that was greeted with mixed reviews. Released in 1999, Millionaires, recorded with new guitarist Michael Kulas, was initially released only in the U.K. Their spectacular follow-up, 2001's Pleased to Meet You, was also available only in the U.K. A few months later, frontman Tim Booth announced his departure from the band he founded nearly 20 years before, and James called it quits following a winter tour of the U.K. in December 2001. The break was short-lived, however, as the band re-formed in 2007 and embarked on a tour in support of the double-disc compilation Fresh as a Daisy: The Singles. The following year saw the release of Hey Ma, James' tenth studio album.
The band returned in 2010 with a pair of "mini-albums" called The Night Before and The Morning After, respectively, before late 2011 brought a short, but novel, U.K. tour (the Orchestra of the Swan and the Manchester Consort Choir were their backup bands). In 2012, the lavish and long-awaited box set The Gathering Sound was issued, and included previously unreleased audio material alongside long-unavailable video concert footage. Details of the Max Dingel-produced La Petite Mort emerged in February 2014, and this first post-Mercury studio album was released four months later in June. Dingel then returned to produce their 2016 record, Girl at the End of the World. Written in Scotland and recorded in London, the album was described by the band as "big but personal, abrasive but warming" and "ultimately uplifting." Two years later, James teamed with producers Charlie Andrew and Beni Giles for Living in Extraordinary Times.
During the 2020 pandemic, Tim Booth teamed up with his Topanga Canyon neighbor Jacknife Lee to construct the basic tracks the rest of James completed while in quarantine. The resulting All the Colours of You was released in June 2021.
Biography by Stephen Thomas Erlewine
There are other artists using the same name:
2) James is the vocalist of popular Bangladeshi band Nagar Baul. He was a member of the band Feelings and later formed the band Nagar Baul. James was raised in Chittagong and later moved to Dhaka for his singing career. Stylishly longhaired James--overwhelmingly known as the Nagar Baul (the City Bard), was the pioneer of psychedelic rock in Bangladesh. Originally a lead singer and guitarist, he has always been respected for his solo projects. He became affectionately called Guru by his fans. His tunes were bright and his singing a divergence from the archetypal tunes preferred by the commercial-type directors. His songs expressed love, rage, discontent, frustration, and happiness.
3) A Dutch rapper connected to the Fakkelteitgroep.
4) James Lee - known as James - was a former member of Royal Pirates, a South Korean band. On 2015, he got into an accident that caused him unable to play bass any longer. Hence, he decided to left the band.
James moved back to Los Angeles and decided to release music written post accident in a project called ’the Light EP’ consisted of 5 tracks. (http://jamesleeofficial.com/)
Laid
James Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
The neighbors complain about the noises above
But she only comes when she's on top
My therapist said not to see you no more
She said you're like a disease without any cure
She said I'm so obsessed that I'm becoming a bore, oh no
Ah, you think you're so pretty
Caught your hand inside the till
Slammed your fingers in the door
Fought with kitchen knives and skewers
Dressed me up in women's clothes
Messed around with gender roles
Line my eyes and call me pretty
Moved out of the house so you moved next door
I locked you out, you cut a hole in the wall
I found you sleeping next to me, I thought I was alone
You're driving me crazy, when are you coming home?
Laid
Laid
The song "Laid" by James is one of their most popular songs and was released in 1993. The song starts with the lyrics "This bed is on fire with passionate love", which seems to describe a very intense and passionate relationship. However, the second line "The neighbors complain about the noises above" indicates that the lovers are quite loud and they are disturbing their neighbors. The third line "But she only comes when she's on top" implies that the woman has dominance in the relationship and is in control.
The next verse talks about the singer's therapist who advises him to stop seeing the person he is singing about. He is described as a "disease without any cure" and the singer is warned that he is becoming too obsessed with this person. The chorus "Ah, you think you're so pretty" seems to be directed at the person he is singing about, who may be arrogant and self-centered.
The third verse describes some violent events that have occurred in the relationship. The person has caught their hand inside the till (cash register) and slammed their fingers in the door. They have also fought with kitchen knives and skewers and dressed the singer up in women's clothes, which suggests that they have been experimenting with gender roles. The verse ends with the line "Line my eyes and call me pretty", which suggests that the singer is willing to do anything to be with this person.
The final verse talks about how the person the singer is singing about has moved next door after the singer moved out of their house. The person has cut a hole in the wall to get inside and has been sleeping next to the singer without their knowledge. The song ends with the repeated chorus "Laid", which seems to be a reference to the physical intimacy that the two people share.
Overall, the song "Laid" describes a very intense and complicated relationship that is based on passion and dominance. The lyrics suggest that the singer is willing to do anything to be with this person, even if it means dressing up in women's clothes or enduring physical pain. The song has a catchy melody and a memorable chorus that has made it one of James's most popular songs.
Line by Line Meaning
This bed is on fire with passionate love
The bed is full of burning desire and intense love
The neighbors complain about the noises above
The neighbors are complaining about the sounds of lovemaking coming from above
But she only comes when she's on top
She only reaches orgasm when she's on top during sex
My therapist said not to see you no more
My therapist advised me to stop seeing you
She said you're like a disease without any cure
My therapist believes you're a harmful influence that can't be cured
She said I'm so obsessed that I'm becoming a bore, oh no
My therapist thinks I'm becoming boring due to my obsession with you
Ah, you think you're so pretty
You're vain and think highly of yourself
Caught your hand inside the till
You were caught stealing money from the cash register
Slammed your fingers in the door
You injured your fingers by slamming them in a door
Fought with kitchen knives and skewers
We had a violent altercation involving kitchen utensils
Dressed me up in women's clothes
You put me in women's clothing against my will
Messed around with gender roles
You played with gender roles and norms
Line my eyes and call me pretty
You put makeup on me and called me pretty as a form of humiliation
Moved out of the house so you moved next door
You moved out of our house but still live next door to me
I locked you out, you cut a hole in the wall
I locked you out but you found a way to get in by cutting a hole in the wall
I found you sleeping next to me, I thought I was alone
I woke up to find you sleeping next to me, thinking I was alone
You're driving me crazy, when are you coming home?
Your behavior is causing me to lose my mind, when will you come back home?
Laid
Repeatedly having sex without any emotional connection
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: Timothy Booth, Lawrence Gott, James Glennie
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind