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/)
She's A Star
James Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Whenever she's feeling insecure
Whenever her face is frozen
Unable to fake it anymore
Her shadow is always with her
Her shadow could always keep her small
So frightened that he won't love her
Oh no, she knows where to hide in the dark
Oh no, she's nowhere to hide in the dark
She's a star
She's a star
She's been in disguise forever
She's tried to disguise her stellar views
Much brighter than all this static
Now she's coming through
Oh no, she knows where to hide in the dark
Oh no, she's nowhere to hide in the dark
She's a star
She's a star
Don't tell her to turn down
Put on your shades if you can't see
Don't tell her to turn down
Turn up the flame
Did you get it?
Did you get it?
She's a star
She's a star
It's a long road
It's a good call
You've got it
You've got it
She's a star
The lyrics of James's song She's a Star talk about a woman who, despite being insecure and afraid of being rejected by the person she loves, has an inner light, a radiance that makes her stand out. The first verse portrays her fragility, the way she struggles to maintain a façade, but then the chorus comes and reinforces her star qualities. The repetition of the sentence "She's a star" is like a mantra, an affirmation of her greatness, despite the darkness that surrounds her.
The second verse reveals that she has been in disguise for a long time, as if hiding her true self. She has tried to hide her amazing qualities to conform to the expectations of society, but now she is ready to come forward and shine. The last part of the song is a call to everyone to celebrate her, to turn up the flame and let her light shine even brighter. The lyrics show that no matter how dark it might get, there is always a star waiting to shine, waiting to be celebrated.
In summary, the lyrics of She's a Star convey a powerful message of self-love and empowerment, encouraging the listener to recognize their own star qualities and let them shine.
Line by Line Meaning
Whenever she's feeling empty
At times when she's not feeling fulfilled or content with her life
Whenever she's feeling insecure
When she's lacking confidence or feeling uncertain of herself
Whenever her face is frozen, Unable to fake it anymore
When she can no longer put on a facade or pretend to be something she's not
Her shadow is always with her
Her insecurities or doubts always follow her
Her shadow could always keep her small
Her insecurities or doubts could prevent her from reaching her full potential
So frightened that he won't love her, She builds up a wall
She's afraid of being rejected or not being loved back, so she puts up barriers to protect herself
Oh no, she knows where to hide in the dark
She knows how to isolate or shield herself from others when she needs to
Oh no, she's nowhere to hide in the dark
Despite knowing how to hide, she can't always escape from the spotlight or attention
She's been in disguise forever
She's been hiding her true self or talents for a long time
She's tried to disguise her stellar views
She's attempted to conceal her excellence or brilliance from others
Much brighter than all this static
She shines or stands out more than any external distractions or noise around her
Now she's coming through
She's finally revealing her true abilities or qualities
Don't tell her to turn down
Don't ask her to hide or tone down her greatness
Put on your shades if you can't see
If you can't handle her radiance or brilliance, it's your problem not hers
Turn up the flame
Keep supporting or encouraging her to excel or be the best she can be
It's a long road, It's a great cause, It's a long road, Its a good call
The journey may be difficult and challenging, but the destination is worthy and important
You got it, You got it, She's a Star
You understand now that she's an exceptional and outstanding individual
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: Timothy Booth, James Patrick Glennie, James Lawrence Gott
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@ruitsgm
Whenever she's feeling empty
Whenever she's feeling insecure
Whenever her face is frozen
Unable to fake it anymore
Her shadow is always with her
Her shadow could always keep her small
So frightened that he won't love her
She builds up a wall
Oh no, she knows where to hide in the dark
Oh no, she's nowhere to hide in the dark
She's a star
She's a star
She's been in disguise forever
She's tried to disguise her stellar views
Much brighter than all this static
Now she's coming through
Oh no, she knows where to hide in the dark
Oh no, she's nowhere to hide in the dark
She's a star
She's a star
Don't tell her to turn down
Put on your shades if you can't see
Don't tell her to turn down
Turn up the flame
She's a star
She's a star
It's a long road
It's a great cause
It's a long road
Its a good call
You got it
You got it
She's a Star
Written by Timothy Booth, James Patrick Glennie, James Lawrence Gott • Copyright © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Warner/Chappell Music, Inc, Universal Music Publishing Group
@rpmusic80
This is the greatest song ever to me. Never fails to send a shiver down the spine. I am a grown man but am proud to state that i struggle to get through this song in one piece its so emotive! Its awesome and was the soundtrack to my youth. Love it.
@dean9325
and then it came back, again. She'll be a star.
@FirstNameLastName-hahaha
Said like a real grown man .. hope you managed to de-sensitize a little over the past 12 years
@KeithSkillen-pc5it
True 😊
@angelantonio1074
I truly remember this song before I understand English, and it just gives me the same sensation 25 years later , dunno what to say , but thank you James 👏👏👏👏
@LS-kx5vj
There is something magical about this band the lead singer has an astounding vocal range and he and they write the badass songs of all time!.... This being the best one ever!!!.. she's a star
@jdloer
man! I was 20 when this was released, i remember when I listened to it at the music store in the new arrivals. I was like Wow! I bought a tape, got out of the mall, went to my car, popped the cassette in, and drove away from the city into the country side and drove for hours listening to the entire album! amazing times! amazing music!
@cgrextreme
wow, this song brings back so many memories form my teenage years. great songs like this will never get old. fantastic
@xxxnaomihannaxxx
bands like these make me proud to be a Mancunian, such a tune!
@jamesmeek754
Tim
Not a Mancunian though . Born in Bradford West Yorkshire