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/)

Who Are You
James Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

How many lives to set you free?
Cats got nine, eight more than me
Near to death when i was 23 All i felt was peace

Am i a man or am i machine?
Punch me in, my clock is ticking
On my knees i count my rosary
Wiping my slate clean

Tell me,who are you?
Tell me,who are you?
Tell me,who are you?
Tell me,who are you?

Mother sing me lullaby
Stroke my head and tell me not to cry
Tell me everything will be alright
Tell me, who am i?

Im a sinner i believe
Self control is killing me
Too much choice, i crave simplicity
Too much structure, spontinaty
In my hive im just another bee

Trying to be myself

Tell me,who are you?
Tell me,who are you?
Tell me,who are you?
Tell me,who are you?

Warning, coming down
Warning, coming down
Coming down over you

Warning, coming down
Warning, coming down
Coming down over you

Warning, coming down
Warning, coming down
Coming down over you

(repeat to fade)

Overall Meaning

The lyrics of James's song Who Are You explore the search for identity, the struggle between opposites, and the need for self-discovery. The opening lines ask how many lives it takes to set oneself free, while acknowledging that cats have more lives than humans. The singer shares the near-death experience he had at the age of 23, which brought him a sense of peace. The following lines question whether he is a man or a machine, with a ticking clock as his only rhythm. He counts his rosary on his knees, seeking to wipe his slate clean. The refrain asks the listener, "Tell me, who are you?" – an existential question that is both universal and deeply personal.

The song then shifts to the singer's relationship with his mother, who sings him a lullaby and tells him not to cry. He begs her to tell him who he is and reassures himself that he is a sinner, while acknowledging that self-control is killing him. He craves simplicity but also spontaneity, struggling to find his place in the world. The repetition of the refrain becomes a plea for help, a call to someone who might have the answer to his question.

Overall, James's lyrics in Who Are You speak to the human condition of seeking one's place in the world, wrestling with the duality of being, and searching for meaning in life. It's a contemplative song that offers no easy answers but encourages self-reflection and empathy.

Line by Line Meaning

How many lives to set you free?
How many chances do you need to find your true self?

Cats got nine, eight more than me
Cats have more lives than I do, and I'm struggling to figure out who I am.

Near to death when I was 23, all I felt was peace
I had a near-death experience which made me reflect on my existence and brought me peace.

Am I a man or am I machine?
Sometimes I feel like I'm just going through the motions of life, like a machine, without truly being alive.

Punch me in, my clock is ticking
I feel like time is running out for me to discover who I am before it's too late.

On my knees I count my rosary, wiping my slate clean
I'm asking for forgiveness and trying to start anew with a clean slate to find my true self.

Tell me, who are you?
I'm searching for my own identity and asking others to help me understand who I am.

Mother sing me lullaby, stroke my head and tell me not to cry
I seek comfort from my mother, hoping she will help me find my way in life.

Tell me everything will be alright, tell me who am I?
I need reassurance that everything is going to be okay while I figure out who I truly am.

I'm a sinner, I believe, self-control is killing me
I am struggling with my own morality and trying to balance my desires with my beliefs.

Too much choice, I crave simplicity
I'm overwhelmed by the number of paths I can take in life and wish things were simpler.

Too much structure, spontaneity, in my hive I'm just another bee
I feel trapped by society's expectations and long for spontaneity, but fear being lost in the crowd.

Trying to be myself
I'm struggling to be true to who I am and not conform to societal norms or expectations.

Warning, coming down, warning, coming down, coming down over you
There is a sense of urgency to figure out who I am before it's too late and life passes me by.

Contributed by Michael N. Suggest a correction in the comments below.

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TRACKS