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/)
Ten Below
James Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Far from my broken home
And it costs
Feels like ten below
Pack me off to school
Innocence and trust are all lost
Where did my childhood go?
Trying not to cry
Feeling I am dying
Telling you I'm fine
You tell me it's the making of me
That's a fucking lie
When's the holidays?
Holidays
Holidays
I'm at the bottom of my bed
Headphones on my head
John Peel show
Feels like ten below
The sky's a dull gun metal
Where did the sun go?
And it rains, and rains
Feels like ten below
Turning on the weaker ones when we were bored
I used to have feelings but all I feel's a
Hole is where the heart is
And the organ praise the lord
When's the holidays?
Holidays
Holidays
He's at war
He's at war
With himself, at the world
He's at war
He will strike first to anticipate
He's at war
Don't know how to relate
Feels like a cold war spy
If I'm caught
Take the easy way out
The lyrics of "Ten Below" by James reveals a sense of isolation and detachment that comes when growing up. The singer of the song feels far from home, lost and detached from his childhood, as he continues to navigate the ups and downs of life. The feeling of detachment and loneliness is intensified by the imagery the song paints; the grey sky, repeating rain, and the feeling of it being ten below, all show a state of emotional numbness.
The singer struggles with expressing the pain he feels, calling from a payphone and trying not to cry as he speaks to someone he cares about, and they reassure him that this is just him growing up. The final lines of the song reveal the deeper struggle the singer faces, being at war with himself and the world, and not knowing how to relate.
Overall, "Ten Below" is a song about the difficulties, detachment, and loneliness that comes with growing up, as well as the resulting internal struggles one may face.
Line by Line Meaning
So I'm on my own
I am alone
Far from my broken home
I am away from my damaged family
And it costs
It is emotionally draining
Feels like ten below
It feels extremely cold and uninviting
Pack me off to school
Send me away to school
Innocence and trust are all lost
I have lost my innocence and ability to trust
Where did my childhood go?
I miss my childhood
Calling from the pay phone
I am making a call from a payphone
Trying not to cry
I am attempting to hold back tears
Feeling I am dying
I feel like I am falling apart
Telling you I'm fine
I am pretending that I am okay
You tell me it's the making of me
You say that this experience is making me better
That's a fucking lie
That is not true
When's the holidays?
I am looking forward to the holidays
Holidays
I want to be on vacation
I'm at the bottom of my bed
I am laying at the foot of my bed
Headphones on my head
I am wearing headphones
John Peel show
I am listening to the John Peel radio show
Feels like ten below
It is so cold, it feels like ten degrees below zero
The sky's a dull gun metal
The sky is a dark, gray color
Where did the sun go?
I miss the sun
And it rains, and rains
It is raining excessively
Turning on the weaker ones when we were bored
We used to bully people who were weaker than us because we were bored
I used to have feelings but all I feel's a
I used to be emotional, but now I just feel
Hole is where the heart is
I feel empty inside
And the organ praise the lord
I rely on my heart to keep me alive and I pray for strength
When's the holidays?
I am counting down the days until vacation
Holidays
I want to be on vacation
He's at war
He is battling inner demons
He's at war
He is fighting a battle
With himself, at the world
He is struggling with his internal battles and the challenges of the world
He's at war
He is in a constant state of conflict
He will strike first to anticipate
He acts aggressively to avoid being hurt
He's at war
He is battling with himself and the world
Don't know how to relate
He struggles to connect with others
Feels like a cold war spy
He feels like he is involved in a covert conflict
If I'm caught
If someone finds out about his inner conflict
Take the easy way out
He would rather avoid the battle and end his life
Contributed by Joshua J. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Ramon Gibbs
Just another great, classic and powerful James song. These guys have been pumping through my speakers for a long, long time.
Max Mileski
This one always makes me get all choked up...man, what a song. "you tell me that's the making of me, that's a fucking lie" or "I use to have feelings but all I feel is a hole is where the heart is is, the 'organ' praise the lord". wow. Tim often has such searing & evocative lyrics.
Virginia78704
Can't wait for the new CD. Heard 4 tracks from their Facebook page, and all 4 songs were amazing. No surprise there. This band is just so outrageously good.
Elena B. Acuña García
So I'm on my own Far from my broken home And it costs Feels like 10 below Pack me off to school Innocence and trust Are all lost Where did my childhood go Calling from the payphone Trying not to cry Feeling I am dying Telling you I'm fine You tell me it's the making of me That's a fucking lie When's the holidays I'm at the bottom of my bed Headphones on my head John Peel's show Feels like 10 below The sky's a dull gun metal Where did the sun go And it rains and rains Feels like 10 below
Michal Marek
Amazing song ! Amazing band ! I love it..i
Vervaceous
This song has an amazing Crescendo ... "The sky's a dull gun metal, Where did the sun go, And it rains, and rains, Feels like ten below..
death trex
This song corresponds with my whole life...
bogota69
agree with jemmarghh... it means so much to so many people, the lyrics are amazing...
JohnnyCagePro
hey ppl, i'm new into this wonderful band, any other album recommendation ?
Johnny G
Turning on the weaker ones when we were bored I used to have feelings but all I feel's 'a hole is where the heart is'