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/)

What's The World
James Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

What will you sell
With the glasses and suit
Heart and soul
It won't wear out

That's not enough I want what's inside
Fish fillet knife would cut right through my eyes

I'm looking for some words
To call my own
Not worn-out phrases and hand-me-downs

They'll knock me
In where I stand
Put on its back
In a corned beef can

I'm going under
You can feel them stripping me down
To the rust inside

This is the way
Frankenstar is born

From bits and pieces others have worn
All held together by a management glue
Too much glue, and the stars turn blue
Turn blue
Turn blue
Turn blue
Turn blue

I'm going under
You can feel them pulling me down
To the holes inside

I,I,I,I

I,I,I,I,I,I,I,I
I,I,I

Overall Meaning

The song "What's The World" by James speaks about the idea of selling out and losing one's individuality in the process of trying to find success in the entertainment industry. The first stanza refers to the traditional symbols of power and success: a glasses and suit attire. However, the singer realizes that heart and soul are what really counts, but they aren't something that can be worn out. Thus, the lyrics reveal the struggle between genuine artistic expression and commercialization. The second stanza goes on to emphasize the search for creative expression, not just words, but words that the writer can call their own. The criticism of worn-out phrases and hand-me-downs, which highlights the originality of lyrics, portrays the singer's struggle to find his/her own unique artistic voice in the crowded music industry.

The lines "Put on its back, in a corned beef can" highlight the disregard given to those who fail to make an impact in the entertainment industry. The subsequent lines point to the imminent failure and selling out of the singer to survive in the unfair entertainment world. The chorus further emphasizes the idea of being pulled down and stripped away from one's originality by comparing it to stripping rust inside or digging up holes.

The song's title, "What's The World," speaks to the artist's cynical attitude towards the world, which is full of a fake culture where success and popularity are the only things that matter. Albeit an underlying sadness runs throughout the lyrics, the overall tone is uplifting and hopeful. It speaks to the artist's courage to fight against the mainstream cultural force and try to make a difference by creating something unique.

Line by Line Meaning

What will you sell
What are you offering for sale

With the glasses and suit
Using the image of professionalism

Heart and soul
Authenticity

It won't wear out
Enduring quality

That's not enough I want what's inside
What matters more to me is what defines you on the inside

Fish fillet knife would cut right through my eyes
I cannot conceal my true feelings, I need to see the sincerity of your intentions

I'm looking for some words
I am searching for originality

To call my own
To define my own identity

Not worn-out phrases and hand-me-downs
I don't want clichés and trite expressions

They'll knock me
The social norms will criticize me

In where I stand
My place in society

Put on its back
Restricted, held down

In a corned beef can
Trapped in a situation

I'm going under
I am failing

You can feel them stripping me down
Others can sense my vulnerability

To the rust inside
My inner self is corroding

This is the way
The current situation

Frankenstar is born
An artificial being is created

From bits and pieces others have worn
Composed of what others have discarded

All held together by a management glue
Controlled by outside influences

Too much glue, and the stars turn blue
Over-control suffocates creativity

I,I,I,I
Emphasis of individuality

I,I,I,I,I,I,I,I
Repeated emphasis on individuality

I,I,I
More emphasis on individuality

Lyrics © CAPITOL CHRISTIAN MUSIC GROUP, Universal Music Publishing Group, Capitol CMG Publishing, Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: GAVIN WHELAN, JAMES GLENNIE, PAUL KENNETH GILBERTSON, TIMOTHY BOOTH

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind

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Comments from YouTube:

Sungod

3y↑8

This shit sounds magical. I remember watching an interview from 1985 it was uploaded here on YouTube and Morrissey mentioned he likes what James do as a band and like hearing this I 100% understand why. This is heaven