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/)
Confusion
James Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Lovers from A to infinity
But I couldn't remember the names
Of half of them
I remembered bit's of bodies and
What they did for me
And whether or not I got it
Up and made them hum
Oh, confusion confusion reigned over me
Oh, confusion
It bleeds and breathes and breeds all over me
Well you used your mouths in
Ways I only dreamt of
You walked the line between acrobat and nun
You took me to the edge in public places
Then took me home to share me with your mum
Oh, confusion confusion reigned over me
Oh, confusion
It bleeds and breathes and breeds all over me
I lost my mind in a hotel room in Texas
All I recall is an awful face and features
And when you came you
Transformed into some creature
Now I'm strange i'm so strange
Oh, confusion confusion reigned over me
Oh, confusion confusion reigned over me
Oh, confusion
It bleeds and breathes and breeds all over me
The James Reyne's song "Drifting Away" is a poignant reflection on youth and the strains and challenges that come with it. The opening lines, "These boys are torn and tired / They used to burn so bright," suggest a sense of disillusionment or exhaustion. The Boys are likely to be Reyne's contemporaries who have experienced the highs and lows of life that come with young adulthood.
As the song progresses, Reyne elaborates on the idea of contrasting emotions and experiences in life, with "All of their battles are happy / And all of their songs are sad." The confusion of the slow novas is a metaphor for the conflicts and confusions experienced in life. The boys' lives are unique and different, represented in the lines, "Their life is like no other / Their world is like no one."
The final lines of the song, "Those boys are torn and tired / They used to burn so bright / They staggered into love or sin one night / Turn down that light," imply a sense of nostalgia and a longing for simpler times. The image of turning down the light suggests a desire to slow down and reflect on the past. Overall, Reyne's lyrics speak to the universal experience of growing up and navigating the complexity of human emotions.
Line by Line Meaning
These boys are torn and tired
The boys in the song are exhausted and emotionally drained
They used to burn so bright
They used to have immense energy and passion for life
They staggered into love or sin one night
They made impulsive decisions in the past, leading them towards love or wrongdoing
Turn down that light
The boys want a change in their current state, and are possibly seeking solitude and darkness
All of their battles are happy
Despite facing challenges, they've had successful and fulfilling lives
And all of their songs are sad
Their music reflects their melancholy state and experiences
Confusion of slow novas
They feel lost and uncertain, like stars slowly fading away
Burning clear and fade away
Their lives were once bright and intense, but have now dimmed and weakened
Drifting away drifting away
The boys feel like they're slowly drifting away from their past and uncertain towards the future
Their life is like no other
Their experiences and emotions are unique and distinct from others
Their world is like no one
They feel disconnected from society and the world around them
They wandered out to scream and shout and run
They went on an adventure in search of excitement, fun, and freedom
Forever young
Despite growing older, they still maintain a youthful spirit and energy
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Segi gise
the best there ever will be! their b sides are a universe for itself...i mean, the lyrics?
well, i made me a list of lovers from a to infinity, but i couldn’t remember the names of half of them
i remembered bits of bodies and what they did for me, and whether or not I got it up and made them hum
the best page, tim booth lyric a day! <3
alex wright
Number 45 in the alphabetical list of James songs. I can see why Tim hates the lyrics, the dirty, dirty boy.