James emerged from their native Manchester in the mid-'80s playing a brand … Read Full Bio ↴James emerged from their native Manchester in the mid-'80s playing a brand of urgent, ringing guitar pop distinguished by Tim Booth's keening, insistent vocals. Booth's dramatic stylings and James' dedication to textured guitars earned the group the designation of "the next Smiths," a connection strengthened by Morrissey's endorsement of the band. By the dawn of the '90s, James shook off these comparisons by embracing acid house, the first of many adventurous left turns the band took over the decades. "Sit Down," an old open-hearted tune re-recorded for the age of "baggy," proved to be their breakthrough, reaching number two in the U.K. in 1991 and becoming an alternative rock hit in the U.S. With its singles "Sound" and "Born of Frustration," Seven consolidated that success in 1992, but it was 1993's Laid that established the group's mature sound. Working with Brian Eno, the group took aural risks that paid off artistically and commercially: the title track became their biggest American hit. From there, James had a flurry of activity in the late 1990s before entering a hiatus in 2001. The band regrouped in 2007, releasing Hey Ma the following year and then settling into a groove where they alternated tours with ambitious album projects such as 2010's two-part The Night Before and The Morning After, as well as 2021's pandemic journal All the Colours of You.

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/)

So Many Ways
James Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

There are so many traps been laid
How can you avoid one
Put your foot down in a moonlit glade
Snap, your ankle's broken

I don't know how decisions get made
Which are the turns to take
It doesn't seem to matter what plans are laid

You can't tell when the wave will break

So many ways
There are so many colorful rays
How are you going to choose one
Bright lights look all right from here
But seduction has to be wrong

So many ways
I don't know which path you're taking,
If it's bent or straight
All I know is I've found something that will take me home again
So many ways
If you keep your wits about you,
Search with an open heart
You'll be sure to find your answers, penetrate the scream in the cynics
So many ways
Lost and if you are looking for foot's path
Floating free in space
There are all these lights coming out the dark
Do they lead to the same place

So many ways

Overall Meaning

The lyrics of James's song "So Many Ways" speak of the many traps that life presents and the difficulty in making choices. The first verse alludes to the dangers that can come from something as simple as walking through a glade with hidden traps lurking. The second verse speaks to the uncertainty that surrounds decision-making and how even the best-laid plans can be derailed unexpectedly. The chorus repeats the words "so many ways" and asks how one can choose a path when there are so many paths to take. The lyrics warn of the seductive allure of bright lights and offer a message of hope that, with an open heart and a clear mind, one can find their way to the right path and find their way home again.

Line by Line Meaning

There are so many traps been laid
The world has many pitfalls to trip us up.

How can you avoid one
It's hard to avoid all of these traps no matter how we try.

Put your foot down in a moonlit glade
We can take risks and make decisions even in the peace of night.

Snap, your ankle's broken
But sometimes these risks can end badly despite our best efforts.

I don't know how decisions get made
The process of weighing options is nebulous and unfathomable.

Which are the turns to take
It's difficult to discern which choices are the right ones to make.

It doesn't seem to matter what plans are laid
Even the most thoughtful plans can go awry due to unexpected consequences.

You can't tell when the wave will break
It's impossible to predict when a sudden event will completely disrupt everything.

So many ways
There are countless paths in life to take.

There are so many colorful rays
Each path has its own unique opportunities and possibilities.

How are you going to choose one
Choosing one path from many can be daunting.

Bright lights look all right from here
The path that seems most desirable from afar may not necessarily be so close up.

But seduction has to be wrong
It's important not to be swayed by superficial appearances.

I don't know which path you're taking,
It's impossible to know which path others are following.

If it's bent or straight
It's unclear whether these paths are straightforward or circuitous.

All I know is I've found something that will take me home again
All we can do is trust our own instincts and hopes for what will bring us fulfillment.

If you keep your wits about you,
We can help ourselves navigate these paths by staying alert and thoughtful.

Search with an open heart
It's important to approach these paths with curiosity and a willingness to learn and grow.

You'll be sure to find your answers, penetrate the scream in the cynics
By actively seeking and being open to new experiences, we can penetrate the negative voices telling us success is impossible.

Lost and if you are looking for foot's path
When we're feeling uncertain and adrift, we must remember to keep seeking guidance and direction.

Floating free in space
The experience of being unmoored can be scary, but we can still be open to the possibilities ahead.

There are all these lights coming out the dark
Even in the darkest moments, there are always glimmers of hope.

Do they lead to the same place
It's hard to tell whether these paths all lead to one ultimate destination or whether each path is its own journey.

Lyrics © Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: ANDRE GRAY, LLOYD JAMES, ROWAN SMITH, VICTOR PAUL EDMUND

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind

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