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/)
Do You Know
James Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Do you like the things that life is showing you?
Where are you going to, do you know?
Do you get what you're hoping for?
When you look behind you there's no open door.
What are you hoping for, do you know?
Once we were standing still in time,
And you knew how I loved you but my spirit was free,
Laughing at the questions that you once asked of me.
Do you know where you're going to?
Do you like the things that life is showing you?
Where are you going to, do you know?
Now looking back at all we planned,
We let so many dreams just slip through our hands.
Why must we wait so long before we see
How sad the answers to those questions can be?
Do you know where you're going to?
Do you like the things that life is showing you?
Where are you going to, do you know?
Do you get what you're hoping for?
When you look behind you there's no open door.
In "Do You Know," James reflects on the uncertainty and unpredictability of life, posing the titular question multiple times to challenge listeners to consider whether they truly know their path. The lyric "Do you like the things that life is showing you?" implies that life is presenting experiences and opportunities, but it's up to the individual to determine whether they find them fulfilling or not. The line "When you look behind you there's no open door" serves as a sobering reminder that time moves forward and once opportunities have passed, there's no going back to them.
The second half of the song contains a reflective tone as James looks back on their shared past with a loved one. The lines "Once we were standing still in time, Chasing the fantasies that filled our minds" create a vivid image of two people lost in their dreams and plans for the future. However, the following lyric "And you knew how I loved you but my spirit was free" implies that James had reservations about committing fully to the relationship despite their love for the other person. Ultimately, the song urges listeners to consider what they want out of life and to strive to pursue those things before it's too late.
Line by Line Meaning
Do you know where you're going to?
Do you have a clear plan for your future?
Do you like the things that life is showing you?
Are you satisfied with the way your life is unfolding?
Where are you going to, do you know?
Do you have a specific destination in mind?
Do you get what you're hoping for?
Are you achieving your goals?
When you look behind you there's no open door.
Have you missed opportunities in the past?
What are you hoping for, do you know?
Do you have a strong desire for something specific?
Once we were standing still in time,
We used to be stagnant in our lives,
Chasing the fantasies that filled our minds.
We pursued unrealistic and impractical dreams.
And you knew how I loved you but my spirit was free,
Although I loved you, I valued my freedom more than staying with you.
Laughing at the questions that you once asked of me.
I thought your inquiries were ridiculous and amusing.
Now looking back at all we planned,
Reflecting on our past aspirations,
We let so many dreams just slip through our hands.
We failed to achieve numerous goals.
Why must we wait so long before we see
Why does it take us so long to realize
How sad the answers to those questions can be?
The resolution to our queries can be quite sorrowful.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: Gerry Goffin, Michael Masser
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@gatti_almost_arturo9167
When did we lose our way?
Easier to let it go
So many, can't tell anybody
Harder to let you know
Call me when you made up your mind
But you won't
Caught up in the way that you played my heart
Only love could ever hit this hard
Oh, don't be scared about it
Don't forget it was real
Do you remember the way it made you feel?
Do you remember the things it let you feel?
How do I make you stay?
When it's easier to let you go
Nobody know what we know about it
No one needs to know
Call me when you made up your mind
But you won't
Caught up in the way that you played my heart
Only love could ever hit this hard
Oh, don't be scared about it
Don't forget it was real
Do you remember the way it made you feel?
Do you remember the things it let you feel?
When you love to your limit
You gave all you're given
Who you gonna pray to when you're there
Will you find out that there ain't no other love
No other love for you
Oh, don't be scared about it
Don't forget it was real
Do you remember the way it made you feel?
Do you remember the things it let you feel?
Oh, when you think about it
Do you remember me?
Do you remember the way it made you feel?
Do you remember the things it let you feel?
@rep8392
I have a little story ,
The last time i heard this up until right now, Was as far back as i can remember or in other words i forgot.
I play rust on my pc and during a 6 person clash, as usually happens on a small map server someone was hotmicing the start of this song and then he died the very first 4 seconds is all i had to work with , I knew the song immediately but couldnt remember more then those 4 seconds so i kept mumbling the beat and tried to remember just one correct lyric to unlock even a sentence to be able to know the name, Just for context this song means alot to me and got me through tough times.
Fast forwarding 3 days since the rust encounter i regained access to a youtube account i used back around the time i listened to this song all the time by super slim chance, I went into my history and i scrolled , And i scrolled.... and i scrolled through 7 years of video history , I found it and i cant explain the feeling i have
A beautiful and forgotten song. The twinkle in the background at 1:06 and onwards is just perfect
@stephh7796
Anyone else fkn obsessed with how this sounds??
@dhawkins78412
Me. Its very sexy.
@EzAvABlink
It has the sound of AWOLNATION - Sail, but it's a great sound
@suzyandrade5964
i feel the same way!!
@suzycreamcheesez4371
me
@teamneenbeauty
Kamfam/parodian Aiono hell yeah!
@isaactuifao4722
2023 and I’m still coming back to this banger ✊🏽
@chrisfaasega7536
facts bro
@2Theonemmm
Same here, beautiful song
@tude17
👌🏻