A song that was demoed and recorded for Strip-Mine along with Come And Get Me but was never released.
| Song: | Looking At Me |
| Released: | Unreleased |
| First Heard: | Demoed for Strip-Mine |
Played at UK and German shows in 1986, this track lyrically sounds like a less direct forerunner of Promised Land.
There is also a video on Youtube of a soundcheck performance in October 1986
| Song: | Mr Ex-President |
| Released: | Unreleased |
| First Heard: | Burnley Mechanics, 27th October 1986 |
What For is the opening track and lead single on the 1988 James album Strip-Mine.
A live version of the song appears on the Come Home live dvd. A GLR session version of the track from 1998 appeared as a b-side on the Sit Down 98 single, whilst a live acoustic version recorded at Glasgow’s Lighthouse in September 1999 appeared on the 2012 The Gathering Sound boxset.
The song began life with Tim’s phonetic singing of “Bonjour, bouncy, bouncy bonjour” as the chorus. The lyrics also referred to Sellafield seas in relation to the pollution from the nuclear reprocessing centre on the North West coast. It was initially titled ‘Bonjour’ on setlists.
The meaning of the song is about a man feeling down on his luck in Manchester City Centre and looking up at the birds (“square starlings dancing on air”) circling above him and making him think the world isn’t as bad as he first thought.
Sire refused to heavily promote the single when it was finally released in March 1988, claiming that it was too indie for Radio 1.
The song returned to the James setlist in semi-acoustic form in 2016 after a long absence.
| Song: | What For |
| Released: | 9th March 1988 |
| Main Associated Album (or Single): | Strip-mine |
| First Heard Live: | Burnley Mechanics Club – 27th October 1986 |
Stripmining is track ten on the 1988 James album Strip-Mine. It was first played live at Edinburgh Hoochie Coochie on 15th August 1986.
It was written in 1985 as a response to the devastating Mexican earthquake of that year. It is reportedly Tim’s favourite track on the Strip-Mine LP.
| Song: | Stripmining |
| Released: | 26th September 1988 |
| Main Associated Album (or Single): | Strip-mine |
| First Heard Live: | Edinburgh Hoochie Coochie – 15th August 1986 |
Following the move from Factory to Sire and the release of the Chain Mail (Sit Down) EP, James released their debut album Stutter 39 years ago in July 1986.
Skullduggery / Scarecrow / So Many Ways / Just Hip / Johnny Yen / Summer Song / Really Hard / Billy’s Shirts / Why So Close / Withdrawn / Black Hole
| Release Name: | Stutter |
| Artist Name: | James |
| Release Date: | 21st July 1986 |
| Format: | Studio Album |
| Catalogue: | LP – JIMLP1, CAS – JIMC1, CD – 7599-25437-2 |
Stutter was recorded at Liverpool’s Amazon Studios in the winter of 1985 following James’ decision to leave Factory for Sire’s offshoot Blanco y Negro after the successful EPs Jimone and James II and a protracted bidding war.
James had originally wanted Brian Eno to produce the sessions, but he was unavailable at the time and the role of producer went to Lenny Kaye of the Patti Smith band. On release, he was widely accused by the press of knocking the corners off James sound in the studio.
Looking back, the band recognise that they did not let Kaye do the job he was brought in for. The band’s inexperience in the studio and their bloody mindedness instilled by Paul did not allow outsiders to tinker. Tim refused to allow any effects to be used on his vocals.
Lost Innocence was the original title for Stutter, but this was changed a month or so before the release.
When the album was released, James did not tour to promote it, having toured the UK earlier in 1986. With hindsight the band regret this as being a poor method of promotion. Sire were disappointed by the album seeing it as too English (whatever that means) to reach a mass audience and the promotion of the album was restricted. It still managed to hit number 68 in the album charts, a fairish performance given the less favourable climate for Indie at the time.
Reflecting on the album, James regret now not having done their debut album for Factory – most of the songs on the album were already two to three years old and were familiar from radio sessions and concerts. Tim is still proud of the album but has been quoted on several occasions as wondering what he was singing about at times.
Whoops is track three on the 1989 James live album One Man Clapping and is also a live b-side of the 1990 How Was It For You? single. It also features on the Come Home Live dvd.
It was debuted live and in a John Peel session of 1987 and never had a studio release despite being a regular in the James set-list through to 1990. Its frenetic drums meant it was a live favourite and three different live performances of the song were released in relatively quick succession.
| Song: | Whoops |
| Released: | 13th March 1989 |
| Main Associated Album (or Single): | One Man Clapping |
| First Heard Live: | Manchester PSV Club – 15th July 1986 |
promo tape of the Stutter album. Same tracklisting but different song titles for Summer Song and Withdrawn.
Skullduggery / Scarecrow / So Many Ways / Just Hip / Johnny Yen / Summer Song / Really Hard / Billy’s Shirts / Why So Close / Withdrawn / Black Hole
| Release Name: | Stutter promo tape |
| Artist Name: | |
| Release Date: | 1st July 1986 |
| Format: | Promo Album |
| Catalogue: | tbd |
promo tape of the Stutter album. Same tracklisting but different song titles for Summer Song and Withdrawn.
In-house Townhouse studio acetate for Stutter album.
Skullduggery / Scarecrow / So Many Ways / Just Hip / Johnny Yen / Summer Song / Really Hard / Billy’s Shirts / Why So Close / Withdrawn / Black Hole
| Release Name: | Stutter acetate |
| Artist Name: | |
| Release Date: | 1st July 1986 |
| Format: | Promo Album |
| Catalogue: | n/a |
In-house Townhouse studio acetate for Stutter album.
Mosquito is a b-side to the 1988 James single Ya Ho. It also features on the studio disc of the 2012 boxset The Gathering Sound.
| Song: | Mosquito |
| Released: | 1st September 1988 |
| Main Associated Album (or Single): | Ya Ho |
| First Heard Live: | London LSE – 26th June 1986 |
Riders is track eight on the 1988 James album Strip-Mine and track four on the 1989 live album One Man Clapping.
Riders is about a dream Tim had that included other artists such as Nick Cave, Jimmy Hendrix, Iggy Pop and Jim Morrisson where he was offered the power of the tortured artist in return for drinking a potion by Nurse Ratchett from One Flew Over The Cuckoo’s Nest and Jed Clampett from the Beverly Hillbillies.
| Song: | Riders |
| Released: | 26th September 1988 |
| Main Associated Album (or Single): | Strip-mine |
| First Heard Live: | London LSE – 26th June 1986 |
Charlie Dance is the second track on the 1988 James album Strip-Mine.
The version on Strip-Mine is probably the most radically remixed from the original Hugh Jones produced session.
It was a massive crowd favourite in 1987-8, prompting impromptu stage invasions.
Tim described the song as “a terrible song written just after the Chernobyl accident” hence the references to cows not mooing any more and the governmental cover-ups.
| Song: | Charlie Dance |
| Released: | 26th September 1988 |
| Main Associated Album (or Single): | Strip-mine |
| First Heard Live: | Manchester Town Hall – 7th June 1986 |
So Many Ways was the first music video that James produced.