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/)
Frozen Britain
James Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Out of our heads
Escaping the coffin
We're waking up the dead
Come dance with me
Birth through the mud
I'm dying to get you
Bone, bone, bones
Emily come to bed,
Emily come to bed,
Emily come to bed,
Make a boy out of me!
Emily come to bed,
Emily come to bed,
Make a boy out of me!
Come dance with me
The dead don't breathe
Kiss of life freely given
How long was I asleep?
Lift up your dress,
Give me your lips,
Dance the dead into living
Your love is killing me
Emily come to bed,
Emily come to bed,
Emily come to bed,
Make a boy out of me!
Emily come to bed,
Emily come to bed,
Make a boy out of me!
La petite mort pour toujours!
La petite mort pour toujours!
La petite mort pour toujours!
La petite mort
Come, come, dance, come, dance with me!
Come, come, come, come, come, come dance!
Make a boy, make a boy, Emily, Emily!
The song Frozen Britain by James contains lyrics that are somewhat cryptic and difficult to interpret at first glance. The repetition of the line "Come dance with me" throughout the song suggests an invitation to some sort of ritualistic dance or celebration, possibly to escape the bleakness of a frozen landscape. The lines "Escaping the coffin, We're waking up the dead" suggest a desire for rebirth or renewal, possibly in the context of a winter that feels like death.
As the song continues, the lyrics become more explicit in their sexual undertones. The line "Make a boy out of me!" suggests a desire for a sexual awakening or a return to a more innocent or playful state of being. The repeated line "La petite mort pour toujours" which translates to "the little death forever" in French, is a reference to sexual climax and adds to the sensual atmosphere of the song.
Overall, Frozen Britain appears to be a song about the desire for renewal in the midst of a frozen, lifeless landscape, and the transformative power of sexuality and sensuality to revitalize the soul.
Line by Line Meaning
Come dance with me
Let's enjoy life and forget our troubles by dancing together
Out of our heads
Let's escape our worries and concerns and just have fun
Escaping the coffin
Freeing ourselves from the monotony of everyday life
We're waking up the dead
Revitalizing our lives and bringing back excitement
Birth through the mud
Starting anew and being reborn from difficult experiences
I'm dying to get you
Wanting to connect on a deeper level with someone
These bones are all that's left
Feeling vulnerable and exposed, but also open to new experiences
Emily come to bed, Emily come to bed
Addressing someone, possibly a lover, and inviting them to be with them
Make a boy out of me!
Expressing their desire to be vulnerable and surrender to another person
The dead don't breathe
Acknowledging the hardships of life and the experience of feeling 'dead inside'
Kiss of life freely given
Finding hope and comfort in a gesture of affection
How long was I asleep?
Realizing that they've been missing out on life and its opportunities
Lift up your dress, give me your lips
Expressing their desire for physical intimacy and affection
Dance the dead into living
Using movement and passion to bring excitement and energy back to life
Your love is killing me
Feeling overwhelmed and consumed by their emotions for another person
La petite mort pour toujours!
Invoking the idea of 'little death' as a metaphor for the intensity of physical intimacy
Come, come, dance, come, dance with me!
Reiterating the invitation to escape and enjoy life through dance
Make a boy, make a boy, Emily, Emily!
Affirming their desire to be vulnerable and let someone else take control in a relationship
Lyrics © Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: JAMES LAWRENCE GOTT, JAMES PATRICK GLENNIE, MARK HUNTER, SAUL DAVIES, TIMOTHY BOOTH
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Tlacaelel Tlatuani
Alguna vez escuche decir a morrisey que, james simplemente la mejor banda, ya lo dijo él y lo digo yo también...Gracias James por la música y por mostrarnos más honestidad...
Angelica Vega
@solange csparrzo si lo dijo Mozz, es cierto
solange csparrzo
Eso es muy cierto de hecho más de alguna vez actuaron en un mismo concierto
Dilvsy
so so happy!!!! ♥♥♥ this band's music has deep meaning for me. Tim Booth's words have helped me through many rough times throughout my life.
Herbie Shine
Ditto to the Max!!!!
Steve Duffy
👍👍
Michael Deckert
couldn´t put it any better!
kitesurf1979
I couldn't agree more. Grew up on James and this album has sent shivers through me, just as there music did 20 years ago!!
ريكاردو خيمينيز
Ditto! :)
Jay
thanks for all your work! so glad you are still making new music...a fan since '92!