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/)
Destiny Calling
James Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
So we maybe famous
Come back when we're getting old
Cover us in chocolate
Sell us to the neighbors
Frame us on a video
Sell us to the multitude
Guess that's the price of fame
She likes the black one
He likes the the posh one
Cute ones are usually gay
Here we come this is our destiny calling
We're freaks
This is our destiny calling
Unique
This is our destiny calling now
Don't believe the adverts
Don't believe the experts
Everyone will sell our souls
Get a little wiser
Get a little humble
Now we know that we don't know
Tell us when our time's up
Show us how to die well
Show us how to let it all go
Here we come this is our destiny calling
We're freaks
This is our destiny calling
Unique
This is our destiny calling now
Some fat cat's playing the roulette with lives
This game is fixed it's all a lie
Some fat cat's playing the roulette with lives
This time is good, there's no straight lines
Some fat cat's playing the roulette with lives
Forget myself we're all entwined
There's no straight lines
Here we come this our destiny calling
We're freaks
This is our destiny calling
Unique
This is our destiny calling now
Here we come this our destiny calling
We're freaks
This is our destiny calling
Unique
This is our destiny calling now
This is our destiny calling
Now
The song “Destiny Calling” by the British Alternative Rock band James is a commentary on the fickleness of fame and fortune. The opening lines of the song suggest that the band recognizes their own beauty and potential for stardom, but are aware that these concepts are fleeting. They realize that all things grow old, and the public's infatuation with them will fade eventually. The lyrics speak to the idea that one is only as valuable as their popularity or success, as they describe being covered in chocolate, sold to neighbors, and framed on video. In essence, the band is saying that their worth has been commodified and can be bought and sold for the entertainment of others.
The lyrics go on to suggest that the band is aware that the price of fame is high and that many celebrities are ‘cloned’ as a mass-produced commodity. They also comment on the superficiality of public taste, referencing a preference towards the ‘black one’, the ‘posh one’, and the assumption that the ‘cute ones are usually gay’. The lyrics are a commentary on the celebrity culture and the way fame can come and go in an unpredictable manner.
Throughout the song, the band urges listeners to be cautious and not believe everything they are told. They suggest that one should become wiser and more humble, recognizing that they don't know everything. The chorus repeats the idea that somewhere 'out there' their destiny is calling them, and that they are unique and 'freaks', but they don't necessarily view that as a negative. Rather, the band seems to be embracing the idea that they are different, and that their journey is just beginning.
Line by Line Meaning
So we maybe gorgeous
We may be attractive and physically appealing.
So we maybe famous
We may be well-known and celebrated by many people.
Come back when we're getting old
Please visit us when we are aging.
Cover us in chocolate
Drench us with chocolate.
Sell us to the neighbors
Get us purchased by the people who live next door.
Frame us on a video
Capture us and show us being displayed on a video recording.
Clone us in a test tube
Create copies of us in a laboratory setting.
Sell us to the multitude
Get us sold to many people in society.
Guess that's the price of fame
I suppose that is the cost of being famous.
She likes the black one
She has a preference for the black item.
He likes the the posh one
He favors the sophisticated item.
Cute ones are usually gay
Typically charming individuals are homosexual.
Don't believe the adverts
Do not trust what is being advertised.
Don't believe the experts
Do not trust the individuals who are considered authorities in a particular field or subject.
Everyone will sell our souls
Everyone will betray us and sell out.
Get a little wiser
Become more intelligent and thoughtful.
Get a little humble
Become more modest and unassuming.
Now we know that we don't know
We have come to the realization that we lack knowledge and understanding.
Tell us when our time's up
Inform us when our life has concluded.
Show us how to die well
Teach us how to expire with dignity and grace.
Show us how to let it all go
Demonstrate to us how to relinquish everything unburdeningly.
Some fat cat's playing the roulette with lives
A wealthy individual is gambling recklessly with people's lives.
This game is fixed it's all a lie
The system is biased and dishonest.
This time is good, there's no straight lines
The current condition is favorable, but there are no guarantees.
Forget myself we're all entwined
I need to disregard my self-interest because we are all interconnected.
There's no straight lines
Life is unpredictable and has many twists and turns.
This is our destiny calling
We are getting a call to fulfill our predetermined fate.
We're freaks
We are unconventional and different from the norm.
Unique
We are one-of-a-kind and special.
Now
This is the moment it is all happening.
Lyrics © Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: DAVID JOHN BAYNTON-POWER, JAMES GLENNIE, MARK HUNTER, SAUL DAVIES, TIMOTHY BOOTH
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@suedaygcc
So we maybe gorgeous
So we maybe famous
Come back when we're getting old
Cover us in chocolate
Sell us to the neighbors
Frame us on a video
Clone us in a test tube
Sell us to the multitude
Guess that's the price of fame
She likes the black one
He likes the the posh one
Cute ones are usually gay
Here we come this is our destiny calling
We're freaks
This is our destiny calling
Unique
This is our destiny calling now
Don't believe the adverts
Don't believe the experts
Everyone will sell our souls
Get a little wiser
Get a little humble
Now we know that we don't know
Tell us when our time's up
Show us how to die well
Show us how to let it all go
Here we come this is our destiny calling
We're freaks
This is our destiny calling
Unique
This is our destiny calling now
Some fat cat's playing the roulette with lives
This game is fixed it's all a lie
Some fat cat's playing the roulette with lives
This time is good, there's no straight lines
Some fat cat's playing the roulette with lives
Forget myself we're all entwined
There's no straight lines
Here we come this our destiny calling
We're freaks
This is our destiny calling
Unique
This is our destiny calling now
Here we come this our destiny calling
We're freaks
This is our destiny calling
Unique
This is our destiny calling now
This is our destiny calling
Now
@Daniel-pt2jh
Honesty, this for me is the best band of the 90s. I’m not from the 90s but I just feel like they’re music describes the music from the 90s perfectly! I can’t believe that nobody at my school knows this band smh and they say that they love the 90s. James is forever x
@jl45000019
no Oasis are.
@alasdairross4221
They were popular with students back in the day.
@craigcullen28
@@alasdairross4221that right? - you're clueless pal
@alasdairross4221
@@craigcullen28 Your the clueless one mate 🖕
@ediann
The band is in another stratosphere as far as music goes! A British 🇬🇧 band with charisma, charm, talent and awesome music! I love them! I’d give any money to see them in concert live! Love them! I have their best of James album and listen to it regularly ❤️🙏
@jackmcgregor1983
Seen them live a bunch of times. They never disappoint. I must admit I prefer to see them in a smaller to mid sized venue. Their whole style and music doesn’t sound so great in an arena. I grew up with James. I bought ‘how was it for you’ on its first release and immediately knew they were special.
@ediann
@Jack Mcgregor I agree
@craigcullen28
@@jackmcgregor1983still producing the goods aswell and the best live band.
@Luwoo82
I was 15 when this came out. Me and a lad in my form called Adam used to always sing it to each other and say it was our song. He even wrote the words in my yearbook when we left school. I was so oblivious to the fact he liked me 💔 sorry Adam, I always think of you now when I hear this song.