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 For
James Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
In a white-washed river, hiding a bed of gold
My heart sunk and heavy and drowning in the soil
You came on like a wildfire
Warming me up to a lie
Oh, I must have been blind
To think you were mine
What are you waiting for?
What are you waiting for?
We'll be gone by the morning
What are you waiting for?
What are you waiting for?
For a night, we're the envy of the Perseids
The world counts the days until their light
But we burn so bright
Make no promises to time
What are you waiting for?
Come dance with us, we're burning
What are you waiting for?
We'll be gone by the morning
What are you waiting for?
You're gone by the morning
Must be making love to your man
Feel used as I've ever been
You've got some nerve to make me be the other man
What are you waiting for?
What are you waiting for?
What are you waiting for?
Come dance with us, we're burning
What are you waiting for?
We'll be gone by the morning
What are you waiting for?
What are you waiting for?
The song "What For" by James is a powerful and emotional ballad that explores the disappointment and betrayal of a romantic relationship that has gone wrong. The beginning of the song sets the scene for a situation that is dire and hopeless, with the singer feeling like he is drowning and sinking beneath the surface of the water. He describes his heart as heavy and drowned in the soil, suggesting a deep sense of sadness and despair.
However, as the song progresses, the focus shifts to a new flame that has entered his life, someone who has promised to warm him up and make him feel alive again. Yet, ultimately, this person turns out to be a liar, someone who is using him for their own desires and leaving him feeling used and rejected. The chorus of the song poses the question "What are you waiting for?" as a challenge to the listener, asking why they are still holding onto a person or situation that is toxic and destructive.
The final stanza of the song sees the singer confronting the person who has hurt him, accusing them of making him feel like the other man and expressing his profound sense of betrayal. Overall, the song is a powerful exploration of the human heart and the intense emotions of love, loss, and betrayal that come with it.
Line by Line Meaning
Oh, I was like a rag underwater
I was lost and helpless like a dirty cloth floating in water
In a white-washed river, hiding a bed of gold
In a river that appears pure and clean, concealing a valuable treasure beneath its surface
My heart sunk and heavy and drowning in the soil
My heart was weighed down by sadness and was suffocating under the pressure and weight of my emotions
You came on like a wildfire
You entered my life with unstoppable passion and energy
Warming me up to a lie
You made me feel comfortable with a falsehood, leading me to believe it as true
Oh, I must have been blind
I realize now that I was unable to see the truth for what it was
To think you were mine
Believing that you belonged to me and our relationship was genuine
What are you waiting for?
Asking why there is hesitation or delay in taking action
Come dance with us, we're burning
Inviting someone to join in the passionate and intense experience
We'll be gone by the morning
This moment of perfection is fleeting and won't last long
For a night, we're the envy of the Perseids
We are the center of attention and admiration for one night, like the Perseid meteor shower
The world counts the days until their light
People wait and anticipate the rare and extraordinary event for a long time
But we burn so bright
Our passion and intensity is just as bright and remarkable as the meteor shower
Make no promises to time
We cannot control or predict the future or how long our moment of perfection will last
You're gone by the morning
The person who was once present will have disappeared by the next day
Must be making love to your man
Assuming that the person in question is spending the night with someone else
Feel used as I've ever been
Feeling taken advantage of and manipulated more than ever before
You've got some nerve to make me be the other man
Feeling insulted and disrespected because the person is comparing me to someone they are already seeing
Lyrics © DistroKid
Written by: Jacy Anderson
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind