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One Man Clapping

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One Man Clapping, a 1989 Live Album by James.

Summary

Released 36 years ago, One Man Clapping was a self-funded live album by James that included the classic tracks Ya Ho and Johnny Yen.

Track List

Chain Mail / Sandman (Hup-Springs) / Whoops / Riders / Leaking / Why So Close / Ya Ho / Johnny Yen / Scarecrow / Are You Ready / Really Hard / Burned / Stutter

Details

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Release Name: One Man Clapping
Artist Name: James
Release Date: 13th March 1989
Format: Live Album
Catalogue: LP – ONE MAN 1 LP, CAS – ONE MAN 1C, CD – ONE MAN 1 CD

Frustrated by the lack of support from Sire, James had been advised that the only way they could break free would be to split up and reform under a different name. Spurred on by the new material they had just written, including Sit Down, James found a clause in their Sire contract that stated Sire had to fax the band within six months of the master tape of the second album being delivered to confirm the contract was to continue. An oversight at Sire meant the deadline had lapsed. James were free.

Initially unable to get a deal, James went to the Royal Bank of Scotland to borrow £12,000 to fund the recording and release of their own live album. The bank manager was unconvinced until he was taken to a triumphant show in Manchester after which he agreed. James hired the intimate Bath Moles Club for three nights where they recorded a selection of old favourites and unreleased older tracks.

With the distribution assistance of Rough Trade, the album was released in March 1989 and shot to number one in the indie charts without any significant funds being available for promotion. A national tour supported by Inspiral Carpets helped to push the album’s sales.

The limited run of the album means that it is now deleted and copies can change hands for up to £100, particularly the CD version, although second-hand copies do turn up occasionally for significantly less if the record shop does not recognise the rarity value.

The success of the album saw James sign to Rough Trade in the summer of 1989 for the release of two singles Sit Down and Come Home.

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James: Ya-Ho Les Inrockuptibles Review (French)

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Le voir pour le croire. L’allure de garçons mystiques enrôlés par la foi, qui s’apprêtent à revêtir leur robe de bure pour tourner en rond avec leur méditation dans les couloirs rassurés d’un monastère. L’allure seulement, car sous leur apparence désuète, les quatre de James sont peut-être les doux illuminés les plus en marge de toute la scène anglaise, insensibles aux courants, ignorants des poses et aveugles des modes, je doute même qu’ils connaissent l ‘existence du terme. Ce n’est pas que le temps se soit arrêté pour eux, il  n’existe pas.

Il y a 50 ans, ils auraient porté les mêmes pompes, dans 50 ans ils se rachèteront les mêmes, si elles sont usées.

Rien d’étonnant : ils sont de Manchester, la ville où rien n’est surprenant. Bientôt, il n’y aura pas que chez eux qu’on admirera leur importance, leur pop intemporelle taillée au burin et leur sensibilité exacerbée, habitée par l’épilepsie et la loufoquerie : « Yaho », une ronde sautillante aux accents tyroliens pour attendre un deuxième album en début d’année, déjà un must.

Translation by Google Translate(!)

Seeing is believing. The pace of mystical boys enrolled in faith, who are preparing to take their frock to go round in circles with their meditation in the corridors of a monastery reassured. The only speed, because under their antiquated appearance, the four of James may be mild in most illuminated margin of all the English stage, insensitive to currents poses ignorant and blind modes, I doubt they even aware of the existence of the word. This is not that time has stopped for them it does not exist.

It was 50 years ago they would have worn the same pumps, in 50 years they will buy the same, if worn.

No wonder they are in Manchester, the city where nothing is surprising. Soon, there will not be home that we admire their importance, timeless pop cut and chisel their heightened sensitivity, inhabited by epilepsy and craziness “Yaho” a chugging round the Tyrolean accents to wait a second album earlier this year, already a must.

 

Strip-mine

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Strip-mine, a 1988 Studio Album by James.

Summary

Strip-mine was the second album from James, released 37 years ago in September 1988.

Track List

What For / Charlie Dance / Fairground / Are You Ready / Medieval / Not There / Ya Ho / Riders / Vulture / Stripmining / Refrain

Details

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Release Name: Strip-mine
Artist Name: James
Release Date: 26th September 1988
Format: Studio Album
Catalogue: LP – JIMLP2, CAS – JIMC2, CD – JIMCD2

Following the chart failure of Stutter, James went into the studios in early 1987 to record the follow-up album. Using many of the tracks left over from the Stutter sessions and earlier live performances, the result of the sessions at Rockfield Studios was an album, but one that neither the band or the record company were happy with. Sire were reluctant to do much with the album and initially refused the band’s request for funds to remix it. James stagnated for a year, until they enlisted the help of Simply Red’s manager Eliot Rashman, who persuaded Sire that James could still be an internationally successful band given the right promotion.

A release of Ya Ho was scheduled for September 1987 but was postponed at the last moment. Steve Power was enlisted to remix the album, albeit with limited funds. At this stage, the band were left to rehearse and write new material, only able to afford to play the odd gig as they had little to promote and even less cash to pay for it.

What For was released in March 1988 and failed to chart, partly due to insufficient promotion by Sire who viewed the single as “too indie.” They finally relented to release Strip-Mine in September 1988 but gave it no push at all at a time where James resurrection was beginning in the live arena, selling out 1,500-2,000 capacity venues in Manchester and London despite never having had a whiff of chart success.

The version of Strip-Mine that finally saw the light of day was not too radically different from the original, Stutter having been replaced by Are You Ready and a revised track listing being the major differences. By the time it hit the shops some of the songs were five years old and the band had stacks of new material ready to unleash including a little number called Sit Down. The album reached number 90, a credible performance in the circumstances but then sank without trace.

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Ya Ho

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Ya Ho, a 1988 Single by James.

Summary

Although originally scheduled for release in 1987 and having an earlier catalogue number than What For, Ya Ho wasn’t released until September 1988 to coincide with the Strip-Mine album.

Track List

7″:  Ya Ho (7″ version) / Mosquito
12″: Ya Ho (12″ version) / Mosquito / Left Out Of Her Will / New Nature

Details

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Release Name: Ya Ho
Artist Name:
Release Date: 1st September 1988
Format: Studio Single
Catalogue: 7" NEG 26- Ya Ho; 12" NEG 26T - Ya Ho

Originally scheduled for release in September 1987, hence the earlier catalogue number than What For released in March 1988 and the 1987 copyright on the sleeve, Ya Ho was released to coincide with Sire’s eventual agreement to release the Strip-Mine album.

The version of the track on the single is different to that released on the album. It is the original mix of the song produced by Hugh Jones before Steve Power was drafted in to remix the album to make it sound more commercial.

The three b-sides, recorded and produced by the band themselves at Sheffield’s Fon Studios revealed an almost country-like element to the band’s music not previously seen before.

With neither band or record company interested in promoting the single for widely different reasons, the single received no promotion and no video was made. James had found a get-out clause in their contract and were about to secure the funds to record the live album One Man Clapping and they had just written a song called Sit Down.

No-one was credited the single’s artwork on the sleeve.

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What For

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What For, a 1988 Single by James.

Summary

What For was the first release by James after Sire had blocked them for 18 months.

Track List

7″ NEG 31- What For / Island Swing
12″ NEG 31T- What For / Island Swing / Not There
CAS NEG 31C- What For / Island Swing / Not There

Details

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Release Name: What For
Artist Name:
Release Date: 9th March 1988
Format: Studio Single
Catalogue: 7" NEG 31 / 12" NEG 31T / CAS NEG 31C

When What For was finally released in March 1988, it was more of a relief than anything else. Sire had finally relented after blocking any James release for almost eighteen months.

What For was amazingly regarded as too indie for Radio 1 by the record company, a frankly ridiculous assertion, but this meant that the single, viewed by the band as critical to their future, was given little promotion by Sire.  The music press which had previously championed James had lost interest during the band’s period of inactivity and paid the single only a passing interest.  The band did however manage to squeeze together the funds to tour the country again.

The b-sides of the single were Not There, later to appear on the Strip-Mine album and Island Swing, a side-swipe at colonialism.  In addition to the traditional 7″ and 12″ formats, the single came in a video-style jewel case cassette.

The single was accompanied by a video which starts with the band on a Manchester council estate before driving out into the Lake District where the panoramic rolling views of the countryside complemented the environmental edge to the song’s lyrics.

Artwork for the single was provided by Peter Lomax.

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Stutter

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Stutter, a 1986 Studio Album by James.

Summary

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.

Track List

Skullduggery / Scarecrow / So Many Ways / Just Hip / Johnny Yen / Summer Song / Really Hard / Billy’s Shirts / Why So Close / Withdrawn / Black Hole

Details

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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.

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So Many Ways

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So Many Ways, a 1986 Single by James.

Summary

Single released to promote the Stutter album.

Track List

7″ JIM4 – So Many Ways / Withdrawn

12″ JIM4T – So Many Ways / Withdrawn / Justhipper

Details

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Release Name: So Many Ways
Artist Name:
Release Date: 1st June 1986
Format: Studio Single
Catalogue: 7" JIM 4, Blanco Y Negro ‎– 928 715-7; 12" JIM 4T, Sire ‎– 920 481-0

By the time the Stutter album was released in June 1986, the band – record company relationship had deteriorated to a level where the release of the single was more of an afterthought than a conscientious attempt at promoting the album.

Given the quality of previous EPs, the track listing was disappointing, two tracks taken straight from the album and the third a slightly longer take on another album track.

Without much promotion and airplay the single bombed and is thus one of the most difficult to get hold of today.

It did however mark James first attempt at a promotional video for the single. Set in a large wheat field, the video involves Tim in a ill-advised white suit, orange shirt and white hat and the rest of the band running through the fields, creating human crop circles and singing nose pressed into the camera.

John Carroll’s artwork once again adorned the singles, different watercolours again being used for the 7″ and 12″ formats.

Reviews

Melody Maker

The slightest, most beguiling, most mesmeric, slightly hurried release of the week and their grandest slur since ‘Hymn From A Village’. Whiff the fragrant simplicity all ye naturists. Sublime.

NME

They get weirder and more problematic with each single. Producer Lenny Kate seems to have sorted out the widescreen setting well enough but the dispersal of their early engaging energy has led them to become unbearably pompous; plummy hippyesque prosaics abound here. The song could be about anything; a trip down a moonlit mile fraught with traps and the smell of deadly nightshade, the peculiar snares of the music industry, the dilemma of love, or, gulp, life itself. With some bands this inscrutability is a plus factor, the listener’s interpretation being a vital link in the Esperanto developed by such as The Fall and The Screaming Blue Messiahs. But James haven’t managed that yet and the glimpses you get leave me suspicious of the attitude beneath. Suzanne Vega’s style of cloying introspection doesn’t seem too far away and that’s always likely to make this listener throw up.

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