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/)
Riders
James Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Says the sister in uniform
"Has everybody understood?"
The listeners turn and nod
But I can see their fear, do they know more than me
Do they know why they're here
I don't want that poison in
She passed around a potion - it went from lip to hand
The woman then explained, that this was the juice, the juice that causes pain
That all great singers need
I don't want that poison in
I stumbled from the room
There must be some mistake
I do not want this seed
Think I'm in another's dream
Now I can feel this creature flapping in my throat
Try and throw it up
But my cough turns to a choke
Put my fingers in my mouth
I have it by the head
It dug into my jaw
I threw the sucker to the floor
Sucker to the floor
The lyrics to James's song "Riders" describe a scene where a group of people are gathered in a room, and a woman in uniform is passing around a potion. While some nod and accept it, the singer hesitates and doesn't want to take it. He can sense that there's something more to the situation, something that could cause pain, and he resists. The woman explains that the potion is necessary for great singers, but the singer knows that he doesn't want that poison in his body. As he stumbles from the room, he feels like he's in another person's dream.
The second half of the song takes a surreal turn as the singer feels a creature flapping in his throat. He tries to cough it up, but it's lodged there. It feels like something that was injected in him against his will, a seed that's grown into something monstrous. He eventually manages to extract the creature from his jaw and throw it to the floor. The lyrics suggest that this experience has changed him and made him more aware of the dangers of blindly following others.
Line by Line Meaning
I'm in a crowded room - I've been half-asleep
I feel overwhelmed by the amount of people around me, and I'm not fully conscious of my surroundings.
Says the sister in uniform
A woman dressed in a uniform speaks up.
"Has everybody understood?"
She asks if everyone comprehends what she is saying.
The listeners turn and nod
Everyone else in the room indicates their understanding with a nod of their head.
But I can see their fear, do they know more than me
Despite their apparent understanding, I sense that the others in the room are afraid and possibly know more than I do.
Do they know why they're here
I wonder if the others in the room have a better understanding of the purpose behind their gathering.
I don't want that poison in
I refuse to allow something harmful or toxic into my body or my life.
She passed around a potion - it went from lip to hand
The woman in the uniform distributed a liquid to everyone in the room and it was passed from person to person.
I took a sip, a taste I didn't understand
Despite my reservations, I took a small amount of the liquid, not knowing what to expect.
The woman then explained, that this was the juice, the juice that causes pain
The woman revealed that the liquid was a poisonous substance that causes discomfort or suffering.
That all great singers need
The woman suggested that successful performers require this substance to achieve greatness.
I stumbled from the room
I left the gathering unsteadily, leaving behind the other attendees.
There must be some mistake
I assume that something went wrong with the situation or the substance provided to me.
I do not want this seed
I reject the notion of allowing something harmful or destructive to enter my body or my life.
Think I'm in another's dream
I feel as though I am experiencing someone else's reality, rather than my own.
Now I can feel this creature flapping in my throat
I am aware of a foreign object or entity moving within my throat.
Try and throw it up
I attempt to expel the object from my body through vomiting or coughing.
But my cough turns to a choke
Despite my attempts to remove the object, I am not successful and my breathing becomes restricted.
Put my fingers in my mouth
I resort to using my fingers to try and physically remove the object from my mouth or throat.
I have it by the head
I am able to grasp the object with my fingers, getting a better hold of it.
It dug into my jaw
The object appears to be causing me physical pain, particularly in the area of my jaw.
I threw the sucker to the floor
Eventually, I am able to forcefully remove the object from my mouth and dispose of it.
Lyrics © EMI Music Publishing, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: GAVIN WHELAN, JAMES GLENNIE, LAWRENCE GOTT, TIMOTHY BOOTH
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind