James was only 18-years old when he captured the attention of guitar legend Stevie Ray Vaughan, who marveled at this prodigious guitar talent, and immediately decided to take him on the road through the Canadian prairies, and later the United States. It wasn't long after that the young musician began opening for the likes of John Lee Hooker, ZZ Top, Steve Winwood and Keith Richards, Colin's 1988 self-titled debut Colin James was the fastest-selling album in Canadian music history featuring the smash hits "Why'd You Lie?”, “Voodoo Thing” and “Five Long Years". It featured a team of three top producers, including Tom Dowd (Eric Clapton, Lynyrd Skynyrd, The Allman Brothers), Danny Kortchmar (Bon Jovi, Billy Joel, Daryl Hall & John Oates, Stevie Nicks, Neil Young) and Bob Rock (Jann Arden, Michael Bublé, Bush, The Cult, Loverboy, Sarah McLachlan, Metallica).
James followed up his record-breaking debut with a strong 1990 release, Sudden Stop, which was produced by Joe Hardy (.38 Special, Steve Earle, The Jeff Healey Band, ZZ Top ). This release has two top forty radio hits: "Just Came Back" and, "Keep On Loving Me Baby", and features Bonnie Raitt singing backing vocals on "Give It Up". This sophomore album further helped established Colin's integrity as an artist to lookout for.
James formed The Little Big Band in early 1990's and would eventually release a trilogy of CDs fronting this 1930's-50's style punchy horn section band, playing classics and originals featuring his stellar guitar fills and confident vocals. The first Colin James and The Little Big Band was released in 1993, and it was produced by Chris Kinsley (The Cult, Duran Duran, Psychedelic Furs, The Rolling Stones). The second Colin James and The Little Big Band II was released in 1998 on Warner Music, while the third, Colin James & The Little Big Band 3 was distributed on Maple Music in Canada and Universal Music Group globally in 2006, and he would eventually do a fourth with the band, a holiday album Colin James & The Little Big Band Christmas.
In 2008 he took home three Maple Blues Awards (Toronto Blues Society), which included Entertainer of the Year, while his release Limelight also went gold in Canada.
James released his twelfth album Rooftops and Satellites on October 6th, 2009, and it was a return to his guitar Blues-Rock roots. The album was primarily co-written by Tom Wilson (Junkhouse, Blackie and The Rodeo Kings, Lee Harvey Osmond) and Thomas "Tawgs" Salter, co-writer and producer of Lights' debut and Josh Groban's Awake, and it has generated four Canadian radio singles, “Man’s Gotta Be A Stone”, “Lost Again”, “Wavelength” and “Johnny Coolman.”
2011's 'Take It From The Top: The Best Of’ pays tribute to James's career's first 23 years and serves as a celebration of Colin’s return back where he started his recordings, Virgin/EMI. This Greatest Hits collection also features two newly recorded tracks, “It’s Gonna Be Alright“ as well as an innovative cover of the Buddy Miles' classic “Them Changes”, that were recorded in Vancouver with veteran producer Bob Rock (Michael Bublé, Metallica), reuniting the two after almost twenty years.
On June 12th, 2012, James released his fifteenth album, appropriately entitled Fifteen, which was produced by Joe Hardy (ZZ Top, Brooks & Dunn, Jeff Healey, Steve Earle), who had handled three of Colin's previous album productions including his successful sophomore release. Colin co-writes with Gordie Johnson (Big Sugar, Grady) on the opener “Sweets Gone Sour” and the rocker “I Need You Bad.” Colin also re-teamed with Tom Wilson and Thomas “Tawgs” Salter on four high-octane tracks, including the bluesy “No Time to Get There” and the driving “Stone Faith,” the album’s first single.
Fifteen also features two beautiful co-writes with Ron Sexsmith that reveal Colin’s seductive side: “Finally Wrote a Song for You”, a soulful love ballad; and “Shoulder to Cry On,” a moving acoustic number that highlights his vocal range, while closing the album. The disc also features some inspiring covers, including John Lennon's "Jealous Guy", Peter Green's (Fleetwood Mac) "Oh Well", [artis]Foy Vance’s gospel-tinged “Shed A Little Light,” and Allen Toussaint's funky "Sneakin' Sally Through The Alley", which has perhaps become best known by Robert Palmer's cover.
On February 3, 2015, James released Hearts On Fire which was produced by Colin Linden at House of Blues Studios in Nashville, and this twelve track collection is distributed by Universal Music. The title track and all but two of the songs were written or co-written by Colin.
In 2016, James was named an inductee into the Western Canadian Music Hall of Fame presented by FACTOR (The Canadian Foundation Assisting Canadian Talent on Recordings). In addition to this honour, Colin headlined the Western Canadian Music Awards Show at Casino Regina on October 13th, 2016, kicking off BreakOut West’s 14th year of celebrating Western Canada’s talent.
James's studio album Blue Highways features thirteen Classic Blues covers from guitar-hero greats like Blind Willie McTell, Freddie King, Peter Green, and Robert Johnson. The CD was released on October 16th, 2016. Recording and Production was primarily handled in Vancouver by Colin James and Dave Meszaros, with recording and mixing assistance from Eric Mosher, Chris Stringer and Jason Jaknunas. Blue Highways is being distributed by True North Records, and iTunes.
Over his illustrious career, James has earned 16 Maple Blues Awards, and he has worked and toured with the 'who’s who' in the international music scene (in alphabetical order): Luther Allison, Jann Arden, The Chieftains, Albert Collins, Robert Cray, Tom Dowd, Buddy Guy, Johnny Hallyday, John Hammond Jr., Gordie Johnson, Albert King, Bobby King and Terry Evans, Danny Kortchmar, Lenny Kravitz, Little Feat, The Memphis Horns, Craig Northey, Bill Payne, Bonnie Raitt, Keith Richards, Bob Rock, The Rolling Stones, Roomful Of Blues, Carlos Santana, Mavis Staples, Roebuck "Pops" Staples, Stevie Ray Vaughan, Tom Wilson, Betty Wright and ZZ Top. In addition to writing most of his own material, his music has been covered by artists like Maria Muldaur, Johnny Halliday and Lucinda Williams.
Photograph
Colin James Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Sing me songs from the radio
Give a toast and raise a glass
I remember that photograph
Memories like the setting sun
Before you realize the day is done
Precious time all gone in a flash
I remember the cool night air on the prairie land
Holding on so tight
We thought it would never end
Coming down like a hard rain
The way it was will never be the same
So hold them close and make it last
Try and remember that photograph
Try and remember that photograph
Yes and I remember the cool night air on the prairie land
Holding on so tight
We thought it would never end
Coming down like a hard rain
The way it was will never be the same
So hold them close and make it last
Try and remember that photograph
Try and remember that photograph
The song Photograph by Colin James is a nostalgic ode to memories and the importance of cherishing them. The opening lines of "Take me back where I used to go, Sing me songs from the radio" are a longing for a simpler time, a yearning for a past that can no longer be revisited but is nonetheless worth remembering. The song speaks of memories being like "the setting sun," where time passes by so quickly that we often forget to appreciate the moments as they happen.
The lyrics also touch on the bittersweet nature of memories, as we recall past events that we may never experience again. The line "The way it was will never be the same" speaks to the idea that the past can never be fully recaptured, and that we must cherish the moments we have as they happen. The song ends with the repetition of the phrase "Try and remember that photograph," emphasizing the importance of holding onto our memories and never forgetting the precious moments of our lives.
Overall, Colin James's Photograph is a poignant and touching reminder to appreciate the fleeting moments of our lives and to cherish the memories they create.
Line by Line Meaning
Take me back where I used to go
I want to go back to the place I used to go to
Sing me songs from the radio
Play me songs from the radio to remind me of the past
Give a toast and raise a glass
Celebrate and toast the good times we had
I remember that photograph
I have a memory of a photograph that reminds me of better times
Memories like the setting sun
Memories fade away like the sun setting at the end of the day
Before you realize the day is done
Memories can fade away quickly without us realizing it
Precious time all gone in a flash
Time flies by quickly and we often don't realize it until it's gone
I remember the cool night air on the prairie land
I have a vivid memory of the feeling of the cool night air on the prairie land
Holding on so tight
I remember holding onto something or someone tightly, not wanting to let go
We thought it would never end
We felt like the good times would last forever
Coming down like a hard rain
Reality hits hard and suddenly, like a heavy rainstorm
The way it was will never be the same
Things have changed and will never be the same as they once were
So hold them close and make it last
Hold onto the good times and make them last as long as possible
Try and remember that photograph
Try and remember the good times captured in that photograph
Try and remember that photograph
Remember the photograph and the memories associated with it
Contributed by Joseph F. Suggest a correction in the comments below.