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/)
Catfish Blues
James Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
So I could swim way down
In the sea-ee
I would have somebody, somebody
Settin' out hooks for me
Settin' out a hook for me
A hook for
To my baby's house
She told me to sit down
On her step
'Sir, you can come right on in
Because my
Husband just now left
He just now left
He just now
An I, asked my baby
To let me sit down
'Side her bed
Turn on yo' heater, baby
'Till it turn cherry red
Cherry red
Red an cherry red
That's the reason I rather
Be a little catfish
So I could swim way down
In the sea-ee
I would have netted
Some of these women
Settin' out a line for me
Settin' out their line for me
A line for
You know I went
To the church house
And they called on
Me to pray-ay
I got down on my knees
But I didn't, no
Have no word to say
Not a word to say
No word to say
That's the reason I rather
Be a little catfish
So I could swim
Way down in the sea-ee
I would have somebody, somebody
Settin' out a line for me
Settin' out a line for me
A line for
I don't wanna
Be no tadpole
And I don't want ta be
No bullfrog
An if I can't be
Be your catfish
I won't swim at all
No, I won't swim at all
No, swim at
That's the reason I want ta
Be a little catfish
So I could swim way down
In the sea-ee
I would have these goodlookin' women
Settin' out a hook for me
Settin' out a hook for me
A hook for.
In "Catfish Blues," James Skip expresses his desire to be a little catfish rather than any other water creature because he could swim way down in the sea and have somebody set out hooks and lines for him. He then goes to his baby's house and enters the house because her husband has left. Skip asks her to let him sit by her bed and turn on the heater till it turns cherry red. He repeats the verse about being a catfish again and suggests that he would have netted some of these women if he were a catfish. Then, he talks about going to the church and being called to pray but didn't have any words to say. He repeats the verse about being a catfish again and ends the song by saying that he wouldn't want to be a tadpole, a bullfrog, or swim at all if he couldn't be a catfish.
James Skip's 'Catfish Blues' was recorded on September 26, 1930, in Grafton, Wisconsin. The song was released by Paramount Records, and Skip James played a three-string guitar on the record. The song was re-recorded in 1966 for the album 'Skip James Today' and was covered by many artists such as Muddy Waters, Jimi Hendrix, and Taj Mahal. The song's reference to a "catfish" has generated lots of conversations about the meaning; some suggest the song was about James' search for love while others believe the song was just about him wanting to be left alone. In 2017, the Mississippi State Legislature recognized Catfish Blues as an official state song.
Line by Line Meaning
I would rather, be a little catfish
I wish I were a catfish so I could stay submerged in water
So I could swim way down In the sea-ee
I would love to explore the depths of the ocean
I would have somebody, somebody Settin' out hooks for me Settin' out a hook for me A hook for
I wouldn't mind people trying to catch me since it's just part of life
You know I went To my baby's house She told me to sit down On her step 'Sir, you can come right on in Because my Husband just now left He just now left He just now
My lover invited me over since her husband just left the house and I could visit
An I, asked my baby To let me sit down 'Side her bed Turn on yo' heater, baby 'Till it turn cherry red Cherry red Red an cherry red
I asked her to turn the heater on until the room turned red because I wanted to be cozy with her
That's the reason I rather Be a little catfish So I could swim way down In the sea-ee I would have netted Some of these women Settin' out a line for me Settin' out their line for me A line for
Being a catfish would be great since beautiful women would try to lure me in with their lines
You know I went To the church house And they called on Me to pray-ay I got down on my knees But I didn't, no Have no word to say Not a word to say No word to say
I went to church but couldn't think of words to pray with
I don't wanna Be no tadpole And I don't want ta be No bullfrog An if I can't be Be your catfish I won't swim at all No, I won't swim at all No, swim at
If I can't be with the person I love, then I won't bother existing
That's the reason I want ta Be a little catfish So I could swim way down In the sea-ee I would have these goodlookin' women Settin' out a hook for me Settin' out a hook for me A hook for.
I want to be a catfish so beautiful women can attempt to catch me with hooks
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: TAJ MAHAL
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@bobsteudler1784
incredible! James Son Thomas should be included with Son House, Sleepy John Estes, Skip James, and all the other Blues Masters
@JKRost
Son's son Pat is still hanging out at the Leland Blues Museum and plays his dad's tunes all well as his own. Worth the trip.
@ParadaAngel
Love it !
@panthercap
I’m going to tell you like the dago told the Jew.
If you don’t like me I sure don’t like you.
The lyrics are completely crazy, like nothing that you’ve ever heard, and all accompanied by his brilliant guitar, rhythmic and mesmerising. Sheer genius!
@corinlockery7203
I am blown away, and then I am invited, and swept up into the flow of the groove.
@RussCobleigh
I got to travel a bit through Tennessee and Mississippi in 1975, I got to hear a lot of great music !
@AlBlake
They don't make em like this anymore...TREASURE!!!
@trvppy3277
man I wish I could have met my great grandad
@meet_nick
The weirdest guitar,..Fabulous...:)))
@bobsteudler1784
if you're too whimpy to handle some real in your face blues--don't watch this!