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/)
I Defeat
James Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
We had broken the spell,
And freedom seemed just within reach
We had managed the bend,
Between lover and friend,
Found a place we could possibly meet
Yes it's me,
I just run headlong to defeat,
Yes it's me,
I can't help myself,
I defeat, I defeat, I defeat, I defeat
I'm so hard on myself,
Don't deserve any help,
So I must let you go, let you go.
So I pushed you away,
While I hoped you would stay,
But I don't let you know, let you know
Yes it's me,
I can't help myself,
I keep running around to this beat,
Yes it's me,
I can't help myself,
I defeat, I defeat, I defeat, I defeat
Yes it's me,
I can't help myself,
I keep running around to this beat,
Yes it's me,
I can't help myself,
I defeat, I defeat, help me
The lyrics to James's song "I Defeat" speak about a person's internal struggles and self-sabotage in relationships. At the beginning of the song, the singer reflects on a past relationship where they and their partner "were doing so well" and had "broken the spell," but despite this progress, the singer feels they could not overcome their own self-destructive tendencies. The singer admits that they are "so hard on myself" and do not feel they deserve any help. This insecurity causes them to push their partner away, while at the same time secretly hoping they will stay. The refrain "Yes it's me, I can't help myself, I defeat" emphasizes the singer's feelings of powerlessness and defeat in their actions towards love and relationships.
The song's chorus, with its repetition of "I defeat" and the singer's admission that they cannot help themselves, highlights a cycle of self-defeat and self-sabotage that the singer is caught up in. Despite their desire to connect with others and find love, the singer's negative self-talk and beliefs about themselves lead to them ruining the very relationships they seek.
Overall, "I Defeat" is a poignant reflection on the struggles many face when trying to overcome their own destructive tendencies and form meaningful connections with others.
Line by Line Meaning
We were doing so well,
Things were going great between us
We had broken the spell,
We had overcome any obstacles in our way
And freedom seemed just within reach
We were close to being free from our issues
We had managed the bend,
We had navigated through a difficult situation
Between lover and friend,
Between being in a romantic relationship and being friends
Found a place we could possibly meet
We found a compromise where we could both be happy
Yes it's me,
I can't help myself,
I just run headlong to defeat,
I am the problem, and I always end up ruining things
I'm so hard on myself,
Don't deserve any help,
I am too harsh on myself and don't believe I deserve any assistance
So I must let you go, let you go.
So I pushed you away,
While I hoped you would stay,
But I don't let you know, let you know
I know that I am pushing you away, but I'm too afraid to admit it to you
Yes it's me,
I can't help myself,
I keep running around to this beat,
Yes it's me,
I can't help myself,
I defeat, I defeat, I defeat, I defeat
I keep repeating the same mistakes over and over again, leading to my own defeat
Yes it's me,
I can't help myself,
I keep running around to this beat,
Yes it's me,
I can't help myself,
I defeat, I defeat, help me
I know I need help, but I can't seem to break out of this cycle of self-destruction
Lyrics © Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: DAVID JOHN BAYNTON-POWER, JAMES GLENNIE, MARK HUNTER, SAUL DAVIES, TIMOTHY BOOTH
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@JohnnyYen-cq7lz
Their voices just go together so well. A few more songs together would have been welcome
@highlevelranter8482
Sinead once had the rare gift of making a grown man cry with a voice that was a gift from God.
@basilvictorhomer
oh I just love this song. Used to play it over and over years ago. With such an accessible melody and emotional lyrics I always felt it could have been a successful a-side in its own right.
@bullyruf
Arguably their best ever. This is perfection. And I don't even like Sinead O'Connor. 'We had managed the bend between lover and friend' - love that line.
@sineadiloveyou
how can you not like her
@johan5943
I agree (and I do like Sinead)
@neilfairhurst4285
Beautiful ❤
@tonycairns6728
Wow, thanks for this! Never heard it before (and I'm a 'James' fan!). Loved SOC in my teens. Check out her collaboration with 'The The' - 'Kingdom of Rain'.
@dolitsa
this is so beautiful!!!!! <3
@CarlosRamos-jn5ri
Que cancion, muy buena james