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/)
The Shining
James Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
You've been on my mind
When you're not around
I think about ya sometimes
I've put off this moment
But now's the time
So lemme tell ya how I'm feelin'
Lemme tell ya tonight
Tomorrow ain't a promise
So I got nothin' to lose
I had my eyes on you
From Day 1, yeah it's true
Could barely talk to you at first
But deep down I knew
You'd be
Trouble for me, you're stuck in my mind
You're always so kind, you're elegant
And you always look so fine
With the fits, the jeans, the fresh white shoes
And I said you're a genius
But you said it ain't true
You just bein' humble, you make me go OOH
(Baby, I wish we could be a thing)
You just like me, workin' hard all the time
Admit it, we're on that grind,
Tell me ya vision, does it align with mine
(Baby, ya know ya make my heart sing)
(Ya know ya make my heart sing)
You're a
Work of art like a Goya or a Van Gogh
Last night I dreamed we were playing this on piano
I just can't get enough
Of what I feel when I talk to you
Nobody comes close
Nobody, nobody
You're always, in my dreams
Sometimes I wonder, if ya like me and when you
Look at me, it delights me
You're once in a lifetime, your smile always shining
I wish we could be a thing
Cuz your smile makes my heart sing
But when autumn comes around
Ya know I've gotta leave this town
So it was probably kind of strange
For me to tell you I feel this way
But I like you way too much, forgive me
But I just had to say
I just can't get enough
Of what I feel when I talk to you
Nobody comes close
Nobody, nobody
You're always, in my dreams
Sometimes I wonder, if ya like me and when you
Look at me, it delights me
You're once in a lifetime, your smile always shining
I just can't get enough
Of what I feel when I talk to you
Nobody comes close
Nobody, nobody
You're always, in my dreams
Sometimes I wonder, if ya like me and when you
Look at me, it delights me
You're once in a lifetime, your smile always shining
Girl I gotta tell you
Ya know we're gonna be just fine
No matter where tomorrow takes us
You and I both gonna shine
In the song "The Shining" by James, the singer expresses his feelings to a girl he has been thinking about. The lyrics convey his fear of not being able to express his feelings later, making him take the chance to tell her his emotions now. He expresses how he had his eyes on her from day one, but he could barely talk to her. Despite this, he knew she would be trouble for him because she remains stuck in his mind. The singer likens the girl to a work of art like Goya or Van Gogh, saying that being around her, her elegance, and her clothing makes him feel just like a genius. The singer, having felt all these emotions, admits he wished they could be together, but he knows eventually he will have to leave town when autumn comes around. Despite this, he promises that they will shine wherever they are.
The song's meaning revolves around the fear of missing out on love and a fear of not being able to express oneself before it is too late. Sometimes, it is difficult to know whether someone reciprocates our feelings, and like James admits in the song, it can be scary to take the chance to confess. Despite all this, the song seems to have a somewhat optimistic outlook towards their future, assuring the girl that they would shine wherever they go.
Fact 1: The song is from James's album We Can Do Anything, which was released in March 2016.
Fact 2: The song charted on Billboard's Adult Album Alternative chart, peaking at number 22.
Fact 3: The song's music video was directed by Alex Takacs and Joe Nankin.
Fact 4: James has stated that the song is about a real person he met while hanging out with his friends in Los Angeles.
Fact 5: The song was written and produced by James, and it features a sample from the song "Love Theme from Taxi Driver" by Bernard Herrmann.
Fact 6: James performed the song on The Late Late Show with James Corden in March 2016.
Fact 7: The song was included in the movie Sleeping with other People.
Fact 8: The Shining was featured in Spotify's Fresh Finds playlist in 2016.
Fact 9: James performed the song on Conan in 2016.
Fact 10: The song has been described as having a catchy melody and an appealing chorus.
Chords: Unfortunately, the chords for the song are not available as James has not released them publicly.
Line by Line Meaning
Girl I gotta tell you
I need to express something to you
You've been on my mind
I've been thinking about you
When you're not around
In the times that you are not with me
I think about ya sometimes
I ponder about you intermittently
I've put off this moment
I have delayed myself in confessing this
But now's the time
However, now is the opportunity to express myself
So lemme tell ya how I'm feelin'
Hence, let me emote my sentiments to you
Lemme tell ya tonight
At this moment, I would like to convey to you
Gotta keep it real with you
I have to be genuine with you
Tomorrow ain't a promise
No one knows what will happen tomorrow
So I got nothin' to lose
Since the future is uncertain, I do not have anything to lose
I had my eyes on you
I noticed you from Day 1
From Day 1, yeah it's true
It's true that from the very beginning
Could barely talk to you at first
Initially, I was unable to speak to you properly
But deep down I knew
In my heart, I knew
You'd be
You would prove to be
Trouble for me, you're stuck in my mind
A problem for me, as I always think about you
You're always so kind, you're elegant
You are always gentle, sophisticated
And you always look so fine
You always appear excellent
With the fits, the jeans, the fresh white shoes
With your trendy clothes, jeans, and pristine white shoes
And I said you're a genius
I remarked that you are quite intelligent
But you said it ain't true
However, you denied it to be correct
You just bein' humble, you make me go OOH
You are being modest, and it impresses me
(Baby, I wish we could be a thing)
(Darling, I wish we could be in a relationship)
You just like me, workin' hard all the time
You are similar to me, always working hard
Admit it, we're on that grind,
Let's face it, we are focused on achieving our goals
Tell me ya vision, does it align with mine
Share with me your aspirations, do they match mine?
(Baby, ya know ya make my heart sing)
(Honey, your presence brings me happiness)
(Ya know ya make my heart sing)
(You make my heart feel joy)
You're a
You are an
Work of art like a Goya or a Van Gogh
You are an art creation, like Goya's or Van Gogh's
Last night I dreamed we were playing this on piano
Last night, I dreamt that we were playing this song on piano
I just can't get enough
I cannot have enough of
Of what I feel when I talk to you
What I feel when I converse with you
Nobody comes close
No one can match up to you
You're always, in my dreams
In my dreams, I always see you
Sometimes I wonder, if ya like me and when you
Occasionally, I question whether you like me and when you
Look at me, it delights me
It brings me pleasure when you look at me
You're once in a lifetime, your smile always shining
You are a unique person, your smile always brightening
I wish we could be a thing
I desire that we could be in a romantic relationship
Cuz your smile makes my heart sing
Your entire being brings me heartfelt joy
But when autumn comes around
However, when autumn arrives
Ya know I've gotta leave this town
You know I need to depart from this location
So it was probably kind of strange
It might seem illogical
For me to tell you I feel this way
For me to reveal my emotions to you
But I like you way too much, forgive me
But, I have strong feelings for you, please pardon me
You're always, in my dreams
You always appear in my dreams
Girl I gotta tell you
I must tell you
Ya know we're gonna be just fine
We are going to be alright
No matter where tomorrow takes us
Regardless of where we end up the next day
You and I both gonna shine
Both you and I are going to shine
Lyrics © DistroKid
Written by: James Gay
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Steve Lutwyche
Love this song, the whole album in fact, much under-rated
jsimiles
When my wife and I were married, this was the first song we danced to.
antony sloan
He should of won the Ivor Novello award for songwriting all his songs are poetry god bless you for bringing so much pleasure to the people
Stuart Bleazard
They..
nicola dalle mura
Canzone meravigliosa, testo sublime
BILL MARK
αυτο εδω το αγαπαω πολυ
Jesus Maldonado
ufff....
Rui Teixeira
One More...