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/)
Whiteboy
James Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Stock markets free fall, dreams shattered
Lost cause, pulled up, a sure winner
Made a few bob, in a new job as a serial killer
You wanna talk to me, whiteboy, man
You wanna talk to me, whiteboy, boy, man
You wanna talk to me, whiteboy, man
Every night microwaved, TV dinners
Mobile phones make her brain shimmer
Don't say the c word she got the all clear
That jokes bad taste and so dog eared
My mum says I look like Yul Brynner
Too old for Hamlet, too young for Lear
Got a shaved head, lost weight, fakir
Got a pierced lip 'cause it's still hip to appear queer
You wanna talk to me, whiteboy, man
You wanna talk to me, whiteboy, boy, man
You wanna talk to me, whiteboy, man
And I'm all mashed up
Mum's droning on and on, and on, and on
And I'm all mashed up
Mum's droning on and on, and on, and on
She wants this, she wants that
She wants bling, she wants tat
She wants creams that can cover the cracks
Wedded bliss, cancer scans
She wants family man
Self esteem and her old body back
She says
You wanna talk to me, whiteboy, man
You wanna talk to me, whiteboy, boy, man
You wanna talk to me, whiteboy, man
The lyrics to James's song Whiteboy contain a mix of social commentary and personal reflection. The opening lines describe a sense of chaos and disappointment, possibly related to financial struggles or economic downturns. The reference to becoming a serial killer in a new job could be seen as a commentary on the pressures of capitalism and the desperation some people feel to succeed at any cost. The repetition of "you wanna talk to me, whiteboy" throughout the song suggests a feeling of being singled out or judged based on one's racial identity.
The next few lines reference the isolating effects of technology and the way it can contribute to a sense of disconnection from the world around us. The mention of a cancer scare and wanting one's "old body back" bring a personal element into the song, possibly relating to the singer's own struggles with illness or aging. The repeated refrain of "you wanna talk to me, whiteboy" takes on a more confrontational tone towards the end of the song, as if the singer is ready to challenge the assumptions and biases of others.
Overall, the lyrics of Whiteboy offer a glimpse into the struggles of modern life and the ways in which identity, politics, and personal experience intersect. The song touches on themes of capitalism, isolation, illness, and aging, while also suggesting a desire for connection and understanding in a complicated world.
Line by Line Meaning
Five nights, no sleep, my mind's battered
I haven't slept properly in days, my mind is exhausted
Stock markets free fall, dreams shattered
The stock market has crashed and my hopes and dreams have been destroyed
Lost cause, pulled up, a sure winner
I was a failure before, but now I'm making a lot of money as a serial killer
Made a few bob, in a new job as a serial killer
I'm making some money from my new job as a serial killer
You wanna talk to me, whiteboy, man
You want to speak to me, a white male
Every night microwaved, TV dinners
I eat cheap, unhealthy microwave dinners every night
Mobile phones make her brain shimmer
Mobile phones have a negative effect on her brain
Don't say the c word she got the all clear
Don't use the word 'cancer' because she no longer has it
That jokes bad taste and so dog eared
That joke is old and in bad taste
My mum says I look like Yul Brynner
My mother thinks I resemble Yul Brynner
Too old for Hamlet, too young for Lear
I'm not the right age for either Hamlet or Lear
Got a shaved head, lost weight, fakir
I've shaved my head, lost weight, and changed my appearance
Got a pierced lip 'cause it's still hip to appear queer
I have a pierced lip because it's fashionable to appear homosexual
And I'm all mashed up
I'm feeling very confused and upset
Mum's droning on and on, and on, and on
My mother keeps talking endlessly
She wants this, she wants that
My mother has a lot of wants and desires
She wants bling, she wants tat
My mother wants jewelry and trinkets
She wants creams that can cover the cracks
My mother wants beauty products to hide her imperfections
Wedded bliss, cancer scans
She talks about both happy and sad topics, marriage and cancer
She wants family man
My mother wants me to start a family
Self esteem and her old body back
My mother wants to regain her self-esteem and her youthful body
Lyrics © Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: James Patrick Glennie, Lawrence Gott, Timothy Booth
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind