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/)
Just Hip
James Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
But the fuses are two, you can't tell them apart
When the bodies collide, the bodies emerge back into one
The only urge all change, all change etc.
Change your paths
But you can't help the thought that when nothing stays still
The tiger moves on when it's taken it's fill
When the part doesn't last there's pain, but no one to blame who's to blame?
Fail to achieve a basis for collaboration
Fail to achieve a basis for collaboration
But you cling to the part like a shark to it's prey
The preacher looked out on my doing today
And he said, "oh, this looks curly to me."
The lyrics to James's song "Just Hip" explore the complexities of human emotions and relationships. The opening line, "An emotional charge like an electrical spark," sets the tone for the rest of the song. The idea that emotions can be powerful, almost like a spark that ignites a flame, is powerful.
The second line, "But the fuses are two, you can't tell them apart," presents a problem. The song outlines that when two bodies collide, they become one, but there is still a separation caused by the two fuses. The image of two fuses that can't be untangled is a metaphor for the difficulties that can arise when two people try to come together emotionally.
The repetition of "Fail to achieve a basis for collaboration" drives home the idea that while people may try to come together, they may ultimately fail to connect on a deeper level. The imagery of a preacher looking on and calling the situation "curly" is a suggestion that the situation is complicated and difficult to navigate.
Overall, "Just Hip" is a powerful exploration of the complexities of human relationships and emotions.
Line by Line Meaning
An emotional charge like an electrical spark
The feeling is intense and sudden, like a jolt of electricity.
But the fuses are two, you can't tell them apart
There are two separate things creating the feeling, but they are indistinguishable from each other.
When the bodies collide, the bodies emerge back into one
When two things come together, they become one entity again.
The only urge all change, all change etc.
The only impulse is to keep changing, constantly seeking something different and new.
Change your paths
You need to change your ways or approach in order to find what you're looking for.
But you can't help the thought that when nothing stays still
Even though you know that everything changes, it's still hard to accept and deal with.
The tiger moves on when it's taken it's fill
Animals move on once they've satisfied their needs, but humans often cling to what they have.
But you cling to the part like a shark to it's prey
You hold on tightly to what you have, even if it's no longer serving you.
When the part doesn't last there's pain, but no one to blame who's to blame?
When something ends, it hurts, but there's no one specific person to blame for it.
Fail to achieve a basis for collaboration
You can't work together with someone else when your priorities or goals are too different.
Fail to achieve a basis for collaboration
You can't work together with someone else when your priorities or goals are too different.
But you cling to the part like a shark to it's prey
You have a hard time letting go of what you've already gained.
The preacher looked out on my doing today
Someone else is judging your actions or choices.
And he said, "oh, this looks curly to me."
The judgment was not positive, and the person is critiquing you for not being straightforward or honest.
Lyrics © Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: GAVIN WHELAN, JAMES GLENNIE, LAWRENCE GOTT, TIMOTHY BOOTH
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind