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/)
Sandman
James Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
He'll bury your head in his hands
Turn into a bland man
Where will you make your stand?
Hup springs, the voice in man
The prophet calls, the master's plan
You resist his true demands
It's an inner thing that calls at you
A voice you can ignore
Find the key that fits the door
Follow that song right to its core
Find the key that fits the door
Follow that song right to its core
But I would rather not go, I would rather stay home
I would rather not go, I would rather stay home
And eat and sleep and think and eat
And eat and sleep and think and eat
Rather not go, rather stay at
Rather not go, rather stay at home
If there's someone outside to see you
You can always run away
But when there's something inside does the calling
There's nowhere you can hide
Jump down an open stair
Fire escape, to the frame and air
Hiding away from the wrong despair
It's and inner thing that calls at you
Makes you do what you must do
A voice you can't ignore
Find the key that fits the door
Follow that song right to its core
Find the key that fits the door
Follow that song right to its core
But I would rather not go, I would rather stay home
I'd rather not go, I would rather stay home
Where I will eat and sleep and think and eat
And eat and sleep and think and eat
Talk to friends having oh such fun
Watching late night television
Other side of midnight
Mike Tyson's feat
Donahue and Nighbeat
Jifeman sends my girlfriend to sleep
And eat
And eat
And eat, and eat, and eat, and eat, and eat...
Sleep and eat, sleep and eat...
The song Sandman by James is a reflection on the struggle between the desire to fall into the easy, routine-filled life offered by the Sandman - symbolic of apathy and complacency - and the call of something bigger, something that cannot be ignored. The lyrics contain a warning of the dangers of choosing a life of ease, encouraging the listener to listen to the voice that calls them to action and to follow their path to its core.
The Sandman in the song represents a sort of collective apathy, a surrender to the mundane routine of our day-to-day lives, and the lyrics explore the frightening prospect of getting trapped in that lifestyle. The singer is presented as someone who could easily give in to the Sandman's call but still has a fighting spirit within, typified in the lyrics "You resist his true demands / It's an inner thing that calls at you / Makes you do what you must do."
Sandman is an energizing and motivating song, urging the listener to take control of their lives and find the "key that fits the door" to their true purpose. It's an introspective song that encourages us to resist numbing the voice that calls to us, a voice that will not be silenced.
Line by Line Meaning
Hitching a ride with the sandman
Going with the flow of life
He'll bury your head in his hands
Submit to the natural process
Turn into a bland man
Lose your individuality
Where will you make your stand?
What is your purpose?
Hup springs, the voice in man
Describing the inner voice
The prophet calls, the master's plan
The call to follow destiny
You resist his true demands
Resisting the natural process
It's an inner thing that calls at you
The inner self calling
Makes you do what you must do
Nudging towards your purpose
A voice you can ignore
Ignoring your true self
Find the key that fits the door
Finding your purpose and path
Follow that song right to its core
Committed to the journey
But I would rather not go, I would rather stay home
Preferring the familiar and comfortable
If there's someone outside to see you
Fear of being judged by others
You can always run away
Avoiding the fear
But when there's something inside does the calling
The inner self beckoning
There's nowhere you can hide
Cannot avoid the inner calling
Jump down an open stair
Taking the leap of faith
Fire escape, to the frame and air
The path to take to escape fear
Hiding away from the wrong despair
Avoiding negative situations
But I would rather not go, I would rather stay home
Preferring the familiar and comfortable
Talk to friends having oh such fun
Observing others enjoying life
Watching late night television
Distracting from the inner calling
Other side of midnight
Late hour of the night
Mike Tyson's feat
A distraction from the inner self
Donahue and Nighbeat
Entertainment that distracts
Jifeman sends my girlfriend to sleep
Distracting from the inner self
And eat
Comfort and familiarity
And sleep
Comfort and familiarity
Sleep and eat
The cycle of comfort and familiarity.
Contributed by Scarlett N. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Colin Caterpillar
Brilliant tune!
Steve K.G.
Thanks for posting, not heard this for a long time :-)
Emmanuel
So rare a tune and so good
Extreme Weather
Hup Springs!
SammytimGaming
I'm trying to find that song about a man being trapped in his house.
Alt/Indie (Post-Punk) song.
There's nowhere to run
There's nowhere to hide
You can't (???)
You can't just ignore(2x)
(1975-1985)
SammytimGaming
I swear it isn't this song, but it's extremely close, lyrically of course!
SammytimGaming
Bro...
Is this that song???