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/)
Born Of Frustration
James Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Wooooowooooowoooowooo
All this frustration
I can't meet all my desires
Strange conversation
Self control has just expired
All an illusion
Only in my head you don't exist
Don't need a shrink or an exorcist
Lalalala
lalalala
lalalala
la
Wooooowooooowoooowooo
Show me the movie of who you are and where you're from
Born of frustration
Caught upon the webs you spun
Where's ther confusion
A vision of what life is like
Show the movie that does't deal in black and white
Talk talk talkin 'bout who's to blame
But all that counts in how to change
Stop stop talkin 'bout who's to blame
When all that counts in how to change
Lalalala
lalalala
lalalala
la
All this frustration
All this frustration
Who put round eyes on a butterfly's wings
All this frustration
All this frustration
Who gave the leopard spots and taught the birds to sing
Born of frustration
Born of frustration
Wooooowooooowoooowooo
Wooooowooooowoooowooo
I'm living in the weeds where nothing is the way it seems
Where no one is who they need to be
Where nothing seems that real to me
'Bout time we filled our lives
Upon the walls of gold no solid ground
The world is spinnin' endlessly
We're clinging to our own beliefs
Born of frustration
Born of frustration
Wooooowooooowoooowooo
Wooooowooooowoooowooo
The lyrics to James's song "Born of Frustration" are about feeling unsatisfied with life and struggling to find a sense of control over one's desires. The first verse reflects on the illusions and self-delusions that hold one back, and the frustration that comes along with them. The chorus is a plea to see someone for who they really are, to transcend the webs of confusion and prejudice that hold us captive. The second verse brings up the ways in which we talk about blame and change, urging listeners to focus on making actual changes rather than just talking about them. The final verse is about the disillusionment of living in a world that seems like a fantasy, where nothing is as it seems and no one is who they need to be.
Line by Line Meaning
Wooooowooooowoooowooo
Expression of frustration, confusion and desperation
All this frustration
Feeling of dissatisfaction due to unfulfilled desires
I can't meet all my desires
Feeling of inability to achieve all personal wants and needs
Strange conversation
Unusual and puzzling dialogue
Self control has just expired
Inability to maintain discipline and composure
All an illusion
Perception of reality that is not true, only existing in one's mind
Only in my head you don't exist
Belief that someone or something is only a figment of one's imagination
Who are you foolin'
Question of someone's dishonesty or lack of self-awareness
Don't need a shrink or an exorcist
Rejection of help from professionals for personal issues
Show me the movie of who you are and where you're from
Desire to understand someone's background and identity
Born of frustration
Result of feelings of discontent and unfulfillment
Caught upon the webs you spun
Captured by someone's deceit and manipulation
Where's the confusion
Questioning the lack of clarity in life
A vision of what life is like
Imagining the ideal life situation
Show the movie that doesn't deal in black and white
Desire for a depiction of life that includes different perspectives and complexities
Talk talk talkin 'bout who's to blame
Blaming others for problems and not taking responsibility
But all that counts in how to change
The importance of focusing on solutions rather than blaming others
Stop stop talkin 'bout who's to blame
Urging others to stop blaming and start finding solutions
All this frustration
Continued feeling of dissatisfaction and unfulfillment
Who put round eyes on a butterfly's wings
Question of the origins and purpose of nature's beauty
Who gave the leopard spots and taught the birds to sing
Question of the origins and purpose of nature's characteristics
I'm living in the weeds where nothing is the way it seems
Living in a situation where reality is distorted
Where no one is who they need to be
Feeling of people not meeting their potential or living up to expectations
Where nothing seems that real to me
Feeling of detachment from reality
'Bout time we filled our lives
Urging others to live life to the fullest
Upon the walls of gold no solid ground
Acknowledgement that material possessions are not enough for true fulfillment
The world is spinnin' endlessly
Feeling of the unending cycle of life and existence
We're clinging to our own beliefs
Holding onto personal ideologies and perspectives
Born of frustration
Result of continued feelings of discontent and unfulfillment
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd., Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: TIMOTHY BOOTH, LAWRENCE GOTT, JAMES GLENNIE
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@beardydave926
My 18yr old son came to me a few days ago and asked if I'd heard of a band called "James". I told him this is one of my favourite songs of all time. He was amazed that a dinosaur like myself had such good taste in music. Faith in humanity restored.
@LuisCarlos-pi6kz
Muito bom gosto 🤘. Bresil
@jambobee
Self control has just expired
@jambobee
@@phuckewe5876🧀
@JasonAllen
Awesome.
@daniellalucchesi5145
Haha I had the same scenario with my eldest in his teens with Nivarna and smells like teen spirit, he was rather impressed with his old ma haha.
@petechampoux8664
In 2003 I bought a gently used 2001 GSXR 1000. Put the buds in the ears and 10 seconds into this song I was at 100 mph topping out in third gear on a great 2 mile stretch of a straight road near Warsaw Ohio. If you ride it is still an amazing song to play while ripping it or just cruising. Yea I'm 62 and lived to tell the tale.
@knighty875
Epic
@salahad-din4114
That my friend is exactly why I stopped listening to slipknot on my gsxr. Something about it just cranks the wrist down 😁.
This is exactly the music for a long cruise. Crap day, buds in helmet on and down the road. Hour later forgotten about the day
@miguelinglesserrano1777
I am physically disabled by a car accident 18 years ago since then, music is my support, thanks :-))