Be Opened By The Wonderful is a perfect capture of the evolution of a project that might well have had a different tracklisting and arrangements had it been recorded after the recent tour which saw over a dozen more songs performed. It eschews the easy path of an orchestral Best Of, giving Joe the freedom to select the songs that he feels work best with the addition of orchestration and a choir and allowing his ear and love of the band to combine to create magic. James are at their best when they work with kindred spirits who understand the unique and complex DNA that make up a band that has shape-shifted through four decades refusing to stand still and compromise.
Author Archives: Dan Starr
EvenTheStars.co.uk – TRACK OF THE DAY: James - She's A Star (Orchestral)
James have announced details of their “Be Opened By The Wonderful – 40 Years Orchestrated” album and revealed the first track to be taken from it, a version of their 1997 Top 10 single She’s A Star. The album was recorded at Blueprint Studios in January 2023 with the ORCA22 Orchestra lead by Andra Vornicu and the Manchester Inspirational Voices choir, directed by Wayne Ellington. The album was orchestrated and conducted by Joe Duddell, who performed those duties with the band on their 2011 orchestral tour.
Tim Booth says of the album which celebrates forty years since the release of James’ first single Jimone on Factory Records – “Life begins at 40. For our midlife euphoria we recorded a double orchestral album of some of our deepest cuts. If you already have a golden ticket, you’ll be catching this on tour and at Latitude festival. Bring your wings and come ready to fly.”
Joe Duddell commented “Having attended the first 6 years of Latitude Festival, I’m excited to be involved in James’ special Main Stage Show this year in a UK Festival exclusive. James have always been a great band at Festivals, mixing their extensive well loved back catalogue with newer songs which immediately sounds as they too have been around forever.”
Sheffield Tramlines Festival – 22nd July 2022
Setlist
Come Home / Isabella / Born Of Frustration / Curse Curse / All The Colours Of You / Walk Like You / Sit Down / Beautiful Beaches / Laid / Getting Away With It (All Messed Up) / SoundSupport
N/A (Festival)More Information & Reviews
None
Rhyl Events Arena – 8th July 2022
Setlist
Walk Like You / Ring The Bells / Sit Down / Live A Love Of Life / Wherever It Takes Us / Moving On / She's A Star / Five-O / Lose Control / Zero / Curse Curse / Isabella / Beautiful Beaches / How Was It For You / Sound / Stutter / Come Home / SometimesSupport
Lightning Seeds, The K'sMore Information & Reviews
None
Manchester Castlefield Bowl – 2nd July 2022
Setlist
Johnny Yen / What's The World / America / Hymn From A Village / Heavens / Seven / Live A Love Of Life / God Only Knows / Stripmining / Lose Control / Say Something / Goalie's Ball / Maria's Party / Next Lover / Gold Mother / How Was It For You / Born Of Frustration / Stutter / Come Home / Ring The Bells / Sit Down / Sound / Laid / Waltzing Along / Beautiful Beaches / Getting Away With It (All Messed Up)Support
The Snuts / Troy Hawke / SurmaMore Information & Reviews
Sounds of the City event that marks the 30th anniversary of James’s legendary Alton Towers gig.
Edinburgh Big Top Royal Highland Centre – 11th June 2022
Setlist
Johnny Yen / Born Of Frustration / She's A Star / Say Something / Come Home / Five-O / Lose Control / Top Of The World / How Was It For You / Destiny Calling / Runaground / Sit Down / Waltzing Along / Ring The Bells / Laid / Out To Get You / Sound / Tomorrow / SometimesSupport
Shed Seven, The K'sMore Information & Reviews
The show was advertised as James recreating their classic 1998 Barrowlands setlist (albeit in a different order).
2022 Gigography
Wolverhampton KK Steel Mill – 23rd November 2021
Setlist
Zero / Isabella / Sound / She's A Star / Gold Mother / Curse Curse / Wherever It Takes Us / Miss America / I Wanna Go Home / Born Of Frustration / Hymn From A Village / Beautiful Beaches / Maria / All The Colours Of You / Many Faces / Tomorrow / Getting Away With It (All Messed Up) / Come Home / Sometimes / Sit DownSupport
Bryony WilliamsMore Information & Reviews
James warmed up for their Winter Arena tour with a two-hour career-spanning set at Wolverhampton’s KK’s Steel Mill. They covering ground from 1985’s second single to 2021’s sixteenth album with curveballs aplenty from across their catalogue. Bryony Williams opened up the evening as support.
Review: EvenTheStars.co.uk
There’s time for one last new one before the onslaught of hits that finish the show. All The Colours Of You has really come to life live, its references to lockdown feeling particularly appropriate as we (hopefully) come out the other side whilst its references to the political and social upheaval that coincided with it have a real resonance still. To emphasise they add the refrain to Many Faces on to the end and the audience sing back the important message – “there’s only one human race, many faces, everybody belongs here” to Tim as he stands atop his monitor and it’s the band’s turn to watch their audience.
“We needed that, we all need that” he tells us before they launch into Tomorrow, which has Tim singing right in Saul’s face and Getting Away With It (All Messed Up), their unofficial theme tune, to bring the main set to an end. The crowd are rewarded for their patience and attention and respond in kind, letting loose.
Read the full review at EvenTheStars.co.uk
The Campfire EP
Summary
A limited edition, numbered EP CD recorded around the campfire during practice sessions at Broughton Hall in May 2021.
Track List
Miss America / Recover / Magic Bus / Just Like Fred Astaire
Details
Release Name: | The Campfire EP CD |
Artist Name: | James |
Release Date: | 19th November 2021 |
Format: | Studio EP |
Catalogue: | |
Related Release(s): | All The Colours Of You (Album) |
Filmed at Broughton Hall Estate in Yorkshire in May 2021, the EP features intimate versions of three tracks from James’ latest album, All The Colours Of You along with the classic Just Like Fred Astaire, taken from their 1999 album, Millionaires.
In the band press release Tim Booth said “The beginning of the new James 9 piece began at Broughton Hall. The sessions there felt magical. This is a slice of the magic that we created around a campfire one evening…”
Review: EvenTheStars.co.uk
The Campfire EP is a success on many levels, it feeds the James’ fanbase’s love of them taking songs and twisting, turning and breathing new life into them by adjusting the perspective on them. For the All The Colours Of You tracks it’s a companion piece to the album that we’d love to see them explore for future records whilst the inclusion of Just Like Fred Astaire in this form is a welcome alternative take.
Read the full review at EvenTheStars.co.uk
- Just Like Fred Astaire :1999
- Magic Bus :2021
- Miss America :2021
- Recover :2021
James – Magic Bus (Campfire Session)
Details
Lyrics:
‘Magic Bus’ Lyrics:
All aboard magic bus
Take a ride become one of us
Here we all bring our minds to accord
We had maps we got lost
We had plans they got tossed
We dropped out for the love and the trust
Pledge you my troth
By these bones
By this blood
Who we are is enough
By these bones
By this blood
We exist for the buzz
By these bones
By this blood
We’re divine we are dust
We’ll find god when we’ve lost all we’ve got
Only fools ride this bus
Uninsured, we are driverless
We aspire to the heights of a ziggurat
Spirit moves through the cracks
Our guru is a cat
Who lives both in this world and in that
Pledge you my troth
By these bones
By this blood
Who we are is enough
By these bones
By this blood
We create for the buzz
By these bones
By this blood
We’re divine we are dust
We’ll find God when we lost all we got
James – Miss America (Library Session)
Details
Library Session version of ‘Miss America’, from the up & coming ‘The Campfire EP’
Lyrics:
Miss America’s wearing thin
She’s all tiaras and glamour
Can’t stop the boss from keeping his hands off
Its all snakes no ladders
Miss America says live the dream
So long as you’re born white
Killed the natives and jailed the slaves
Move more to the right
May God bless you
And your golden sons
May God bless you
And your love of guns
May God bless you
And your passion for freedom
Sold to the man with the tan
Looked so good in the photograph – just smile
Not so good when the lights go dark
Heels about to break
She’s not straight
Her judge cries
Fake
Miss America’s rescue plan
Rocket ships to Mars
Fouled the nest so we’ll start again with
Billionaires and film stars
London Metropolis Studios Session – 24th August 2021
Setlist
All Good Boys / Maria's Party / Isabella / Johnny Yen / ZERO / Recover / Five-O / Walk Like You / Beautiful BeachesSupport
N/A (Session)More Information & Reviews
The stream session, part of the Mastercard Priceless programme of events, was performed and streamed live from Metropolis Studios in Chiswick, London. The first two songs, All Good Boys and Maria’s Party, were recorded live directly to vinyl as a limited edition double sided single for stream purchasers.