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Hot new Manchester combo called James, possibly very likely on the verge of signing to home town favourites, the godly Factory.

James offer “an evening of tunes and other entertainment with help from some of their friends” on the 12th.

But to dispel rumours that they’ll be selling out over there and settling in Laurel Canyon to write their albm, they’ve set a couple of gigs for their return. They’ll be drawling at London’s Bloomsbury Theatre on July 17 and hitting the mega-festival circuit at the WOMAD Festival on Mersea Island on July 21.

James have dates at South Devon Hood Festival (7 July), Newcastle Riverside Centre (18) and Bristol Ashton Court Festival (3 August). These are in addition to their reported festival appearances at London Bloomsbury (17 July), WOMAD (21) and Manchester Platts Fields (2 August)

To coincide with this activity, the first two James singles have been remixed by Factory Records and are released this week as a 12 inch single

James play another IVY event at Basildon Gloucester Park on Sunday 4 August. And other new bookings for the band are Sheffield Leadmill (July 30), Bristol Ashton Court Festival (August 3) and Brighton Zap Club (8).

The quartet return to live action with a hometown gig at Manchester PSV Club July 15 before a WOMAD Festival slot on the 19th.

Next month they’ve lined up a short tour at Barrow-In-Furness August 14, Edinburgh Hoochie Coochie Club 15, Aberdeen Venue 16, Dundee Dance Factory 17. More dates will coincide with the album’s release.

James play Manchester PSV Club on 15 July, a warm-up for their appearance in the WOMAD Festival the following Saturday (19).

They’re also set up for a string of four shows in August – at Barrow Bluebird Club (14), Edinburgh Hoochie Coochie (15), Aberdeen Venue (16) and Dundee Dance Factory (17).

The Mancunian four-piece have their new single So Many Ways / Withdrawn issued by Sire next Monday, with the bonus track Just Hipper on the 12″, but it seems likely that their August gigs will coincide with the release of their debut album Stutter.

James break a silence of almost a year with a new single and live dates at Fury Murry’s Glasgow (August 16), The Venue (17) and two nights at the Green Room, Manchester (9 and 10)

Can you tell me what Mancunian popsters JAMES are currently up to? Also can you supply me with the address of their fan club?

Hupsprung Nick, Sutton Coldfleld, W. Midlands

The news is that James are about to fling themselves into non-stop activity in the hope of reaching the front pages of TheSun. A single, ‘Ya Ho’ is promised for mid-September, while an album, ‘Strip Mine’ will be released by Sire just a couple of weeks later.

Tourwise, I haven’t got full details yet but the Jimmies should be in Dublin and Belfast on October 8 and 9 respectively, while confirmed dates include Manchester Ritzy (11), Newcastle Riverside (12), Aberdeen Venue (14), Glasgow QMU (15), Dundee Fat Sam’s (16), Liverpool Poly (20), Sheffield University (21), Nottingham Trent Poly (22), Birmingham Irish Centre (25), Bristol Bier Keller (26) and London Astoria (27). But there are plenty of dates to be added. James don’t appear to own a fan club but messages to the band can be relayed via Karl Badger, Sire Records, WEA The Electric Lighting Station, 46 Kensington Court, London W8 5DP

JAMES, the Mancunian quartet whose debut album is in danger of going rusty in the can, play Warrington Legends October 9, Manchester Ritz 11, Newcastle Riverside 1 2, Aberdeen Venue 14, Glasgow Queen Margaret Union 1 5, Stirling University 16, Liverpool Polytechnic 20, Sheffield University 21, Nottingham Trent Polytechnic 22, Birmingham Irish Centre 25, Bristol Bierkeller 26, London Astoria 27.

JAMES, the Mancunian foursome return with a new single and a tour.

The 45 ‘Ya Ho’ is released by Blanco Y Negro/Sire on Monday and the band then head out on tour taking in Warrington Legends (October 5), Manchester Ritz (11), Newcastle Riverside (12), Aberdeen Venue (14), Glasgow OMU (15), Stirling University (16), Liverpool Poly (20), Sheffield University (21), Nottingham Trent Poly (22), Birmingham Irish Centre (25), Bristol Bierkeller (26) and London Astoria (27).

The album, recorded over a year ago, was repeatedly delayed for remixing and various other reasons.

The Manchester band, who expect to name a new sticksman within the next couple of weeks, are also in the process of launching their own label after leaving Sire Records. The band have a live LP, recorded at Bath Moles Club last November, ready for release but are currently negotiating the rights to some of the songs with Sire.

He’s Dave Baignton-Power, and the band have taken the opportunity to add a new member, guitarist, violinist and percussionist Saul Davies.

After the dates, the new line-up will record a single called ‘Sit Down’, due for release in May, probably on their own label. And they’ll start work on a new album soon after. Their live album, ‘One Hand Clapping’ is out this week on Rough Trade and reviewed on Page 40.

James, le groupe de Manchester invité du festival Inrockuptibles de l’automne dernier et qui s’est fait jeter de chez Sire, sort son nouvel album « One Man Clapping » enregistré live en octobre dernier à Bath en Angleterre.

Depuis, le groupe a changé de batteur avec l’arrivée de David Baynton Power et le recrutement d’un violoniste en la personne de Saul Davies. Le disque sort sur leur propre label One Man Record distribué par Rough Trade outre-Manche.

Best – March 1989

JAMES (above), whose ‘One Man Clapping’ live album (on Rough Trade) has put their vinyl nightmare with Sire behind them, have set up a tour, starting in mid-June.

With new keyboard player Mark Hunter now in the line-up, they play Liverpool Royal Court June 16, Nottingham Trent Polytechnic 17, Bristol Bierkeller 19, Leicester University 20,
Manchester Ritz 27 and London Marquee July 3-4.

James, le groupe de Manchester invite au festival lnrockuptibles de l’automne dernier et qui s’est fait jeter de chez Sire, sort son nouvel album « One Man Clapping , enregistre live en
octobre dernier a Bath en Angleterre.

Depuis, le groupe a change de batteur avec l’ar­rivee de Dave Blaignton Power et le recrutement d’un violiniste en la personne de Saul Davis. Le disque sort sur leur propre label One Man Clapping Records distribue par Rough Trade outre-Man­che

WHATEVER YOU think of their first single since the big split with Sire Records, ‘Sit Down’ (and the Sounds office is pretty split here), there can be no doubting the uplifting inspiration of a James gig.

Though departed drummer Gavan Whelan’s devil-may-care attitude will be sorely missed (not to mention his excellent rhythmic capabilities), the new expanded six-piece- with violin and keyboards – has only served to highlight James’ potential as a giant rock band, whose attention to issues Green and adherence to the Byrne/Gabriel ethic of multi-cultural absorption has given them a magical, almost angelic edge over some of rock’s more morose competitors.

Expect songs from all points on the Factory-Sire-Rough Trade career, and don’t be surprised if singer Tim Booth suddenly comes swimming over your right shoulder. Don’t ‘Sit Down’, get up!

It’s called Sit Down which should be familiar to most James gig goers and is out on Rough Trade.

The single is their first studio recording since their Strip-Mine album.

Are you sitting comfortably? Then the new look freshly beefed James will begin – at The Apollo on December 4th. The Apollo? James? Beefed? Joff Lillywhite checks the changes to the city’s most spontaneous combo.

From the Mancunian fourpiece, so familiar to gig goers around the city centre comes the all-new James, a seven-piece line-up with extra percussion, brass and strings. The usual trademarks of the band, particularly Tim Booth’s distinctive vocals, remain constant. To top off the innovative guitar work of Larry Gott, James have incorporated a rather unusual, but pleasant combination of violin and trumpet, the result being “general orchestral madness” as Tim describes it.

James spent two months this summer in the studio recording for their next Nick Garside produced album Gold Mother which is out in February. Their new single Come Home, which comes from their LP and took only one hour to write and record, has just been released and like the last Sit Down is on the indie label Rough Trade. James ended up on this label after a spell on Factory, followed by a horrific deal at Sire, part of the giant Warner Bros empire. But the difference between Rough Trade and Sire is basically one of feedback. Tim thinks Rough Trade are more into and are interested in James music, whereas Sire were really only concerned with a concept of James that they had thought up. With so much trouble with record companies, it would not be surprising to find James sick of studio work. But, as Saul explains, “We are creative and very spontaneous in the studio, take Come Home, for example : just one hour from the first note written to the completion of the song.”

They are however, currently on tour around Britain and they play the Apollo on December 4th, much to Tim’s regret. He did say that he would never play there, but now there is no venue in Manchester that is the right size. Next year, according to Tim, there will be a shared gig at G-Mex with Happy Mondays. Does playing all-seated venues have any effect on the band’s performance though? Tim believes that non-seated venues are better for atmosphere but that playing seated venues like the Apollo means that the audience are more prepared to listen and notice what the band are playing.

Listening and understanding is all very well, but what about listening and misinterpreting? Does Tim ever worry that his lyrics might be misunderstood? Take the song Riders for example – what exactly does that mean? He explains…..

“Well, Riders is very specific, a very personal song. You see early James was very Happy Mondays-ish, very chemically induced and the situation was really getting out of hand, like one member of the band got really sick. Anyway, one day I was reading this book about dream analysis and thought I’d try and analyse the dream I had that night and the dream was Riders. The ‘sister in uniform’ was Nurse Ratchett from One Flew Over The Cuckoo’s Nest and the listeners were people like Jim Morrison and Nick Cave, people from the ‘rock n roll hall of fame’. Anyway, that was the dream I had and it marked the beginning of our reformation, it took about a year for us to get our act together.”

Heavy stuff maybe, but when mixed with the band’s music, Tim’s lyrics blend in resulting in a sound so unique that it can only be called James.

James and The Charlatans look set to sign new record deals in the latest round of A+R activity surrounding Manchester.

James are reportedly in negotiations with Phonogram although they’ve yet to put pen to paper. Rumours of a Phonogram deal have been in the air for some time, and although official sources are tight-lipped, it’s believed that they are close to signing.

James were previously with a major, having moved to Sire from their early days with Factory. But after an apparently unhappy time with the US-based label moved to Rough Trade, having a couple of minor hits last year with Sit Down and Come Home.

JAMES have been forced to put their forthcoming tour back six weeks because of delays in recording their first single and LP since signing to Phonogram.

But their agents have carefully booked the rescheduled shows with days off so everyone can watch England’s World Cup games.

The new dates are Cambridge Corn Exchange (May 13), Brighton Top Rank (14), Morecambe WOMAD Festival (19), Glasgow Barrowlands (June 5),Lancaster University (6), Hull City Hall (8), Exeter University (9), Bristol Studio (10), Middlesbrough Town Hall (12), Leeds University (13), Sheffield University (14), Liverpool Royal Court (15), Norwich UEA (17), Nottingham Rock City (18), London Kilburn National Ballroom (19),Birmingham Hummingbird (20) and Glastonbury Festival (23).

All tickets are still valid for the rearranged shows. The dates in Belfast and Dublin are likely to be slotted in at the end of May. Vinylwise, James should have a single out later this month with an LP to follow in June.

JAMES release their first Fontana single “How Was It For You”, on April 30. It’s backed with “Whoops”, recorded live at Manchester Apollo at the end of last year, while the 12-inch contains two more live tracks, “Hymn From A Village”and “How”, plus “Lazy”.

The CD single contains “How Was It For You”, “Undertaker” and “Hymn From A Village”. None of the extra tracks will be available on the group’s new LP which is set for release at the beginning of June. At that time James will be about to start their World Cup Tour which includes festival dates at Womad and Glastonbury. They are still waiting to finalise details of a major Manchester show in the summer. Meanwhile, they have added a tour date at Aberdeen Metro Hotel on June 4.

JAMES release their first Fontana single ‘How Was It For You’ on Monday-a taster for the band’s next album due to hit the shops in June.

The revived Manchester band’s latest effort will also feature a batch of live tracks on the flip­ the 12″ version containing a live version of their classic ‘Hymn From A Village’ plus ‘Whoops’ and’How’.

The live tracks were recorded at Manchester Apollo at the end of last year.

JAMES release their new LP, “Gold Mother”, through Fontana on June 4. The 10-track LP features the group’s Top 40 single “How Was It For You?” plus their indie hit, “Come Home”.

The album, produced by the group and Nick Garside, includes a guest appearance from Inspiral Carpets who contribute backing vocals to the title track.

Track listing is: “Come Home”, “Government Walls”, “God Only knows”, “How Much Suffering”, “Crescendo”, “How It Was For You?”, “Hang On”, “Walking The Ghost”, “Gold Mother” and “Top of the World”.

The group have added an extra date to their June World Cup tour at St Andrews Fife University on June 4.

JAMES, currently enjoying their first Top 40 hit with ‘How Was It For You?’,have announced changes to their forthcoming tour, including the addition of two nights at Blackpool’s Empress Ballroom (August 3 & 4), scene of The Stone Roses shows last summer.

Special guests are to be confirmed and tickets are priced £7 from the usual agents. They now start their tour at Aberdeen Ritzy (June 3), and not the previous date, with their re-arranged Irish shows taking place at Dublin McGonagles (27) and Belfast Queens University (28). Their new LP ‘Gold Mother’ is set for release at the beginning of June and they appear at WOMAD this weekend (May 18-20)

Besides James, other acts appearing at this years WOMAD Festival in Morecambe Bay (May 18-20) include Gil Scott-Heron,Thomas Mapfumo And The Blacks Unlimited, Dick Gaughan, Arrow and Jah Wobble And The Invaders Of The Heart.

JAMES, currently enjoying their first Top 40 hit with “How Was It For You”, are to headline the Blackpool Empress Ballroom, the same venue The Stone Roses sold out last summer. James are playing two shows at the venue, on August 3 and 4. Tickets, priced £7, are available from the usual agents. Special guests and DJs will be confirmed nearer the time.

James have also rearranged their Irish shows which now take place at Dublin McGonagles on June 27 and Belfast Queen’s University (28). The tour also now starts at Aberdeen Ritzy on June 3, not 4 as previously announced. The band’s new LP, “Gold Mother”, is set for release by Fontana at the beginning of June.

JAMES release their new album,’Gold Mother’, on Fontana on June 4.

The eagerly awaited artefact contains ten tracks, including the band’s recent hit How Was It For You, plus Come Home, which they previously released as a single for their last label Rough Trade.

The other songs on the album are: ‘Government Walls’, ‘God Only Knows’, ‘How Much Suffering’, ‘Crescendo’, ‘Hang On’,’Walking The Ghost’, ‘Gold Mother’ and ‘Top Of The World.

And adding to the band’s reputation, which has been helped along by the craze for all things Madchester, there’s a guest appearance from men of the moment lnspiral Carpets, who popped on to record some backing vocals on the title track. The album was produced by the group along with Nick Garside.

James have added a date to their June tour,at St Andrews Fife University on June 4.

Out on Fontana on June 25, the single is taken from their “Gold Mother” LP which entered the national chart at 16. It’s backed by the previously unreleased “Fire Away” and a live version of “Stutter” recorded at Manchester Apollo last year.

Weekend tickets for the band’s shows at Blackpool Empress Ballroom on August 3 and 4 are on sale for £12 from usual agents. The band have had to cancel shows in Dublin on June 27 and Belfast (28) due to recording commitments.

JAMES (above) have reportedly been offered the support slot to DAVID BOWIE at his Maine Road gig in Manchester on August 7.

The band, currently in the Top 40 with a remix of ‘Come Home’, are set to play the major show, although there was no official comment from the group as NME went to press.

The James story follows rumours that the INSPIRAL CARPETS had been offered one of the Bowie support slots for his two dates at Milton Keynes Bowl. They turned the gig down because of their headlining appearance at the Reading Festival later in August.

Three major shows including G-Mex

JAMES, who are currently working on new material for a September single release, will round off a phenomenally successful year on the Madchester wave with three mega Christmas shows­ at Glasgow Barrowlands on December 4, London Brixton Academy 6 and everyone’s favourite venue, Manchester G-Mex, on December 8.

Tickets are on sale now from box offices and usual agents, price £8.50 for London and £6.50 everywhere else. More news on the new single to follow soon.

JAMES wind up what’s already become their most successful year to date with three Christmas shows in Glasgow, London and Manchester.

The band, who proved the surprise hit at this year’s Glastonbury Festival and at their support slot to The Cure at Crystal Palace three weeks ago, are currently in the studio. They´re recording with producer Flood (Depeche Mode), and a single looks likely to be released in late September.

After that they’re off to America on a press and promotion trip. They return for shows at Glasgow Barrowlands on December 4, Brixton Academy (6) and Manchester G-Mex (8). Their current LP “Gold Mother” is just about to go silver in the UK.

JAMES release a new single through Fontana on November 26. And they have also this week announced a headline gig in the Life Serenaids series.

The Single offers two previously unreleased tracks, “Lose Control” and a cover of Velvet Underground’s “Sunday Morning”. The 12-inch additionally features “Out To Get You”.

James appear at the Terrence Higgins Trust’s Life Serenaids on November 29 and at Brixton Academy. The three-night event aims to highlight World AIDS Day on December 1. James Will be supported by That Petrol Emotion, Billy Bragg, New Fast Automatic Daffodils and Stereo MCs. Tickets are £10 in advance, excluding booking fee, from the Academy box office, usual ticket agents and a special charity hotline – 071 734 8932.

The band follow on with a short series of British gigs in December, as already announced. Then they fly to Russia for shows in Moscow, Kiev, Arkhangelsk, Vilnyus and Svendlovsk.

James release a brand new single through Fontana on November 26 titled Lose Control. The b-side is a version of the Velvet Underground’s Sunday Morning and the 12″ has an extra track, Out To Get You.

The band are currently working on a new LP, due out next Spring, and have just announced that they will be playing Russia following a short UK tour in December.

JAMES will headline an AIDS benefit show at London’s Brixton Academy on November 29.

The Manchester band(singer Tim Booth pictured right) are the latest addition to the three-day Serenaids Festival in support of the Terence Higgins Trust.They will be supported by That Petrol Emotion, Billy Bragg, The New Fast Automatic Daffodils and the Stereo MCs. Mica Paris has also been confirmed as special uest for another of the shows at the same venue on November 28. She’ll appear on the same billas Marc Almond,Everything But The Girl, Carmel, Jools Holland and Working Week.

Tickets for all the shows cost £10 each and you can book on the credit card hotline by calling 071 734 8932.

JAMES, THAT PETROL EMOTION, MARC ALMOND and THE ADVENTURES OF STEVIE V play London this week to draw attention to World Aids Day on Saturday. The gigs, under the banner ‘Serenaids’, and organised by the Terence Higgins Trust, start tonight (Wednesday) at the Brixton Academy with Almond, Mica Paris, Everything But The Girl, Carmel, Jools Holland and Working Week. They continue on Thursday with James, That Petrol Emotion, Billy Bragg, New FADs and Stereo MCs on the bill and concludes on Friday with The Adventures Of Stevie V, Bass-0-Matic, MC Kinky and Cabaret Voltaire.

JAMES (above) release a new single through Fontana on November 26, the follow up to ‘Come Home’. Called ‘Lose Control’, it sees the culmination of the band’s most succesful year since they formed in 1983.

Their album ‘Gold Mother’ went silver, they played Glastonbury, sup­ported David Bowie and saw their T-shirts become second only to the lnspirals’ ‘Cool As F**k’ as the essential fashion
item for the hip young person.

The band play a series of Christmas dates next month, culminating in two home town shows at Manchester G-Mex. They are currently working on the follow-up to ‘Gold Mother’, due for release next spring.

JAMES venture behind the Iron Curtain (R.I.P.p.e.d.) this week for a seven-date tour of the Soviet Union, which will include gigs at a seaport in the Arctic Circle and an aircraft factory in Kiev.

The band will be braving sub-zero temperatures (minus 20!), playing to average audiences of 2,000 per show.The first gig is tomorrow night (Thursday) at the Culture Palace Of Construction Trust in Vilnius, Lithuania.

Manager Martine McDonagh told NME that the dates were not part of a promotional jaunt, as James’ records are not on sale in the Soviet Union.

“It’s an opportunity for the band to do something a little bit different,” she said. “It’ll be a weird tour. Apart from their own instruments, they will have to use the equipment at the various venues. It’ll probably be pretty bog standard stuff-a real back-to-basics tour.”

James are due to return to Britain two days before Christmas and will have a short break before starting work on their next album in the New Year.

“Nobody’s heard of us in Russia so it’ll be really interesting for the band to see the reaction” Martine added.

With the possible exception of John Major, JAMES were 1990’s most spectacular surprise success. They began the year as indie cult heroes with a spell of failure on a major behind them, and ended it as chart regulars with a massive, obsessive following and a reputation as one of the nation’s most thrilling live bands. For every old supporter who bemoaned the way James smoothed some of the rough edges from their early, quirky noise, there were 100 new converts.

The first obvious sign of the band’s rapidly rising status came when their single “How Was It For You?” went Top 30 in May. It was a glorious, uplifting summer song, a celebration of post-coital euphoria entirely free from laddish sexual boasting. “Gold Mother”, the album released in June, confirmed that it was no fluke. James were just as convincing being coldly furious and determined (“Government Walls”) or achingly lonely and vulnerable (You Cant Tell How Much Happiness (sic) [On A Face That’s Always Smiling)”.

A series of major live triumphs began around the same time. James were one of the biggest hits of the Glastonbury Festival despite an unpromising mid-afternoon time slot, and that was followed by two sold-out, delirious nights at Blackpool’s huge Empress Ballroom. Meanwhile, a remixed version of the surging, anthemic “Come Home” became James second hit single in July.

The year ended with more major label live dates – an AIDS benefit at Brixton Academy, and two nights back on home ground at Manchester G-Mex-and another hit single. “Lose Control” sees James making a diversion into dance music without compromising their character.

James’ big breakthrough was undoubtedly helped by the baggy movement, but they’re too unashamedly intelligent to be part of that tribe. They were unstoppable this year – and their momentum is still building.

Top Manchester band James are busy rushing round city centre shops equipping themselves with stocks of canned vegetables and warm winter woolies – they are the first of the new wave of the city’s pop stars to tour the Soviet Union starting on Thursday.

Singer Tim Booth and the rest of the seven-piece band will brave temperatures of below 20 degrees to play to around 14,000 people in Lithuania, Latvia, Russia, Estonia and the Ukraine in venues that include an aircraft factory in Kiev and “The Cultural Palace of Construction” in Archangel, a port on the Arctic Circle’s White Sea.

It will be a far cry from the massive G-Mex Centre in Manchester where they played to 18,000 fans over two nights on Friday and Saturday.

The band’s record company Phonogram doesn’t have a distribution deal in the Soviet Union.

Manager Martine McDonagh says “It’s not a promotional tour for selling records – the band want to do something different.”

The band play at seven venues in five nation-states, including some trying to secede from the Soviet Union.

But agent Nick Hobbs says : “The band won’t be in any trouble where they’re going. The biggest problem is that they are all vegetarians and in the Soviet Union, being a vegetarian is as useful as speaking Chinese”

Martine assures me that the band are taking adequate supplies. She adds “Our records aren’t sold there, so it will be interesting to see what they make of the band. Apparently, everyone from grannies to little children turn up to watch.”

Last weekend, James packed out the 9,000 capacity G-Mex venue. It was an amazing feat – they haven’t even had a Top 30 single.

James have been around for years and have probably shifted more schmutter than vinyl – rumours are that they have grossed over £1/2 million in T-shirt sales this year alone.

But the charts should beckon with the new single Lose Control. Singer Tim Booth’s charismatic personality, and the powerful rock music of the seven-piece outfit, have been knocking on the door so long that their bad luck has become a cliche on the city’s scene.

If one Manchester band have the potential to become a stadium rock band on the scale of Simple Minds or U2 it’s James. The fact that they, like other guitar-based bands, haven’t had the success of the Mondays/Inspirals/Roses axis says more about fashion than music.

Other brilliant artists without major chart recognition – Yargo, MC Buzz B and The Railway Children spring to mind – soldier on, confident that tastes will come round to their music.

More than 1,000 fans were unable to make it to the sell out concert on December 8 due to the Arctic weather sweeping the North, but the band have pledged to make it up to them by allowing them to swap unused tickets for gigs on their 1991 spring tour.

Full details of the dates will be announced early next year, by which time the group hope to have completed the follow-up to their ‘Gold Mother’ LP.

Like the other Manchester favourites covered this month, the Chameleons, it seemed that James would miss out on success But after recordings for three labels, including a nightmare ordeal with Sire, the band are currently residing at Fontana, which has finally given them the long-overdue taste of chart action that they were always promised. 1990 also saw James touring consistently to encouraging live reviews, which included headlining the Glastonbury Festival, a two-sell-out stint at Blackpool’s Empress Ballroom, and the recent end-of-year bashes in London and Manchester.

Unlike several recent bands who’ve made the crossover from indie to national charts, however, James are anything but a flash in the pan. Centred around a nucleus of Tim Booth (vocals), James ‘Larry’ Gott (guitar) and James ‘Jim’ Glennie (bass), the band have been augmented by a variety of other musicians since their inception in the early Eighties, apparently sparked by Jim Glennie after a school mate bought a stolen guitar!. These early days of the band’s career, which included drummer Gavan Whelan, remain shrouded in mystery to all but a few. And the band always tended to distance themselves from the public eye, so much so that they shunned the chance of front cover prominence on NME’s 1985 new year issue, arguing that they wanted to introduce the band “by music, not by words”. In these formative years, James were rumoured to have led the archetypal wild rock’n’roll lifestyle, until a close friend became ill and ended up in prison. This had a profound effect on the group, who are reputed to have dramatically changed their ways. They became vegans, much to the delight of the press, who often tagged them as ‘loony Buddhists’, but James may have taken matters a little too far by organising teetotal gigs with veggie food on offer!

Numerous low-key local gigs in and around Manchester attracted the city’s premier independent, Factory, and in 1983, James issued their debut EP, ” Jimone”. Engineered by Chris Nagel (who more recently twiddled the knobs on the Charlatans’ excellent debut single}, the record’s child-like cover endeared itself to many, with the gentle sound of “Folklore”, the absurd rhythms of “Fire So Close” and the classic “What’s The World”, which still remains in the current live James set.

Much has been made of Mornssey’s fondness for James, and he too must have been entranced by their aura, since James found themselves supporting the Smiths (fresh from a ‘Top Of The Pops’ appearance for “This Charming Man”), at the legendary “Manchester Explodes” night at the Hacienda. Neatly coinciding with the release of “Jimone”, this event is surely destined to be the stuff of ‘folklore’.

The Smiths paid James the ultimate compliment by releasing an excellent cover version of “What’s The World”. This can only be found on the extremely limited “I Started Something I Couldn’t Finish” cassingle, (Rough Trade RTT 198C), which now commands a price in excess of £10.

For their next single, the aptly titled “James II”, the band employed the excellent production skills of Nick Garside to produce a pop classic, and possibly my favourite single of all time. “Hymn From A Village” was a scathing attack on the pop world and has become a dancefloor favourite for all those who have worshipped its crafted beauty. The plaintive B-side, “If Things Were Perfect”, was equally memorable, and no doubt helped “James II” to enjoy a 31-week residency in the ‘NME’ independent chart, peaking at the top. This was sustained by a later 12″, entitled “Village Fire”, combining both singles, which is still available despite being difficult to obtain in some areas – although watch out for vastly inflated prices on this item.

Fans had also been drawn by the allure of John Carroll’s wonderfully bizarre sleeve drawings, which complement the band’s songs perfectly.

With further live dates with the Smiths (a band they are often compared to, but sound nothing like!), and rave reviews in the press (‘Sounds’ hailed them as “pop gods and saviours of rock and roll”), it seemed that James could do no wrong. Doubtless impressed by their high U.K. profile, they were snapped up by Seymour Stein’s huge American conglomerate, Sire. The band saw this as their path to fame and fortune, but it almost brought about their ultimate destruction. They found themselves locked into a contract where they were owned “throughout the universe” by Sire, and were never to earn more than £30 a week! Problems with lack of communication and funds dogged James throughout their years with Sire, and this sad plight was detailed on Granada TV’s “Out Of Order” consumer watchdog programme. As Jim Glennie phrased it on the show, “We signed to Sire on a high. ..but things stopped, basically”. Indeed, there was a suspiciously long gap before the first fruits of the Sire deal were unleashed on the public. The band’s then manager, Elliot Rashman (of Simply Red fame) later said the band had fallen foul of Sire’s “sign ’em and see what happens. .. but don’t spend any money in the meantime” musical policy. It also seems that the Soup Dragons suffered from Sire’s anti-midas touch – like James, they managed to escape their clutches and bounce back with a truly merited top ten success last year.

By the time “Chain Mail” was issued, the press had moved on, and much of the momentum gained by their Factory singles seemed lost. With its high-pitched vocals, “Chain Mail” was a more polished affair but suffered from Lenny Kaye’s suffocating production that seemed to restrain the band’s free-flowing rhythms. Backed by the funky “Hup-Springs” on the 7″ with additional, almost Caribbean-like “Uprising” on the strangely titled “Sit Down” 12″ EP, the single saw James diversify, but is still a worthy investment. Incidentally, like many other singles, the 7″ and 12″ utilise completely different artwork, which has encouraged fans to seek out both formats. The 12″ of “Chain Mail” is becoming increasingly difficult to find, and is now valued at over £20.

The next single, “So Many Ways”, was obviously a trailer for their debut album, which was to appear later that month, with possibly the finest James sleeve design adorning the 12″. The lead song was almost anthemic, but still contained a moody and reflective ‘dark’ element characteristic of James’ early work. The speedy delights of the forthcoming LP track “Withdrawn” surfaced on the flip, while the 12″ added the bizarre “Just Hipper”, a mish-mash of a song that sounded like an impromptu studio jam. A rarely seen video for the single featured Tim Booth showing his eccentric dancing ‘skills’ (so much a part of the early James live experience) to the best of his ability. Like “Chain Mail”, the 7″ for “So Many Ways” can be found for £10-£12, but again the 12″ is very rare, and probably the hardest to find. Although a price tag of £25 would be reasonable, it could well fetch far more if offered for auction.

James’ debut album, “Stutter”, was an eleven-song collection of erratic and unorthodox rhythms and lyrics, and proved a confusing release that gave many reviewers a shock to the system. Described as ‘too English’ (whatever that means!), the deluge of musical influences, dominated by medieval and folk elements, created a sound that the listener had to become immersed in – and was definitely not one for casual background accompaniment. From the opening track, “Skullduggery”, (which Booth later dismissed as “too wacky”) to the closing cut “Black Hole” (surprisingly resurrected at Blackpool last year), “Stutter” can best be summed up as quirky. All tracks from “So Many Ways” were included (although a calmer “Just Hipper” was renamed), alongside the excellent “Scarecrow” and “Johnny Yen”, and “Why So Close, a moving acoustic rendition of “Fire So Close” from their first EP. After mediocre reviews from confused reviewers, the press turned about tail and praised the band’s WOMAD festival appearance that year.

Then, nothing. James tried to release new material, but Sire wanted them to wait. They tried to tour, but were told not to, because they had nothing to promote. Next, their manager resigned, to add a further nail in the coffin that was seemingly being built for them. Eventually, the band got to work on their second album, “Strip Mine”, which was finished in March 1987. But its release was continually delayed and then halted completely with the arrival of a new manager, Elliot Rashman. He felt the LP needed completely remixing and the band agreed. It was some months before this could be financed, so in the meantime James recorded a John Peel session in August 1987 containing “Yaho”, “What For”, “Whoops” and the as yet unreleased classic “Stowaway”. With virtually no income, band members found themselves testing drugs for £10 per day at a local hospital so they could continue rehearsing full time.

A glimmer of hope came with Sire’s agreement to fund the “Strip Mine” remix. This decision apparently coincided with the Smiths’ demise from the ‘intelligent pop’ end of the market (presumably how Sire saw it); James were seen as successors to some vacant throne.

Almost two years after their last release, “What for” appeared as the band’s fifth single. Remixed by Steve Power, it was a striking uptempo pop song – far more commercial than any previous offerings. Indeed, the accompanying video was even aired on Saturday morning children’s’ TV, and the band performed the song live on Granada’s “Other Side Of Midnight” show, which has consistently supported up-and-coming Manchester bands. Backed by “Island Swing” on the 7″ and an extra track, “Not There” on the 12″ and limited library case cassingle, the single received favourable reviews, which the band celebrated with a handful of dates, including a home- town gig in May 1988, supported by none other than the Stone Roses (“We’ve never supported anyone” indeed!). “What For” is the most common Sire single, but all formats still command a high price, such is the current demand for James product. Completists should note the existence of a 12″ promo combining two versions of “What For” plus a short band interview, which can normally be secured for around £12.

The next single, “Yaho”, was a strange affair. Since it bore an earlier catalogue number than “What For”, it would seem that it was held back only to reappear several months later. Drawn from “Strip Mine”, “Yaho” was backed on 12″ by three amazingly individualistic tracks of an almost hillbilly nature, of which “Mosquito” remains one of James’. finest moments. Both formats are difficult to find, especially the 12″.

Nearly 18 months after completion, the remixed second LP “Strip Mine” reached the light of day, to scathing criticism from manager Rashman. He complained bitterly of the “bog standard promotion” for a group he rightly believed should have reached top international status by then. “Strip Mine” was sadly soon forgotten, ignoring the genius that clearly shone through on the pure pop of “Charlie Dance”, “What For” and “Are You Ready?”, perfectly contrasting darker songs like “Riders” and “Medieval”. The selective live dates to promote the album were supported by the latest Factory hopefuls Happy Mondays, then still relatively unknown, who owed more than a passing debt to James’ sound.

Further disaster struck, when drummer Gavan Whelan left the band. And locked into a horrible contract, the rest of the group were trapped, and feeling at an all-time low. Amazingly, Sire wouldn’t release them, even though the label were showing little, if any, interest in the band. The chips were truly down, and the only advice offered to them was to split up and later reform, which would have meant ditching their name.

Eventually, Sire relented and James were free. Risking everything, they borrowed £12,000 to put out an album by themselves which Sire, at first, tried to prevent. The live “One Man Clapping” magnificently captured the highly charged emotion experienced by both band and audience at many of their gigs. The best tracks were saved for last – the majestic “Burned” possibly took a swipe at Sire (who received royalties for the album), and the frenzied “Stutter”, a band favourite and the final song of many a concert.

Spurred on by the LP’s top spot position in the indie charts, James took the opportunity to introduce the new band members through ensuing live dates. David Baynton-Power took over the vacant drum stool, while the sound was augmented by Mark Hunter (keyboards) and the multi-talented Saul Davies (violin, guitar, etc), who was spotted by Larry strutting his stuff at a local talent night. Friends the Inspiral Carpets, who were breaking in new crooner Tom Hingley, supported. And Tim celebrated the band’s ‘resurrection’ by shaving all his hair off for the London performance!

Shortly afterwards, James signed with indie giants Rough Trade, who had lent a hand with the release of “One Man Clapping”, and what followed was one of 1989’s finest singles. “Sit Down”, with its distinctive Central Station Design sleeve, was a breezy summer pop song, possessing a charm that most acts could only dream of attaining. Accompanied by an Edward Barton-directed video, the single scored highly on the independent scene and John Peel’s end-of-year festive 50. The expanded line-up allowed for a steadier, more solid sound than their earlier, more erratic work. And since it hasn’t been included on album, the deleted “Sit Down” has spiralled in value, especially the 12″ and CD formats which boast a longer version. In addition, early copies of the 7″ and 12″ included a desirable promo postcard, which add some £5 to the value.

As the music press went overboard over the so-called Manchester scene, James still remained the dark horses. Not even their brilliant next 45, “Come Home”, which recalled producer Nick Garside, had them striving for the hype tablets. First aired at John Keenan’s superb Futurama “Indie Pop And Scally Rock” festival, the song was an obvious successor to “Sit Down”. Taking in new member Andy Diagram (erstwhile Diagram Brother, who’d also served with over-looked Mancs the Pale Fountains) on trumpet for a sound which Tim described as “orchestral madness”, the single was a flowing piece with a definite dance feel prompting many a wild stage invasion ever since. The B-side, “Promised Land”, was a harsh stab at the realities of Thatcher’s Britain, while the 12″ and CD added a longer “Come Home”, plus a demo version of “Slow Right Down”. Snap up copies while they’re still easy to find, since all formats are now deleted.

After such a problematic career, James were once more in the ascendency. Doubtless encouraged by the success of North West- based groups storming the charts, James signed to Fontana after much speculation in the press. Any collectors familiar with the House Of Love’s array of limited editions and sales gimmicks might have expected more of the same with the release of James’ first Fontana single, “How Was It For You?”. Indeed, the 7″, 12″ and CD were all necessary to obtain all the tracks – though a later, limited 12″ with free stencil contained the previously CD-only cut, “Undertaker”. Unfortunately, the lead track was disappointedly lukewarm, and those who had bought the Rough Trade 45s must have felt slightly short-changed.

However, any disappointment was shortlived, as within a few weeks, James’ excellent fourth long player, “Gold Mother”, arrived on the scene to rave reviews. The band suddenly became music press darlings, gracing several magazine front covers – an incredible five years on from their first. Regarded as their finest LP, “Gold Mother” had a laid-back feel that suggested the group had finally gelled together technically, as a musical unit. Songs of sexual guilt, childbirth and religious bigotry resonated around teenage bedrooms the nation over, with sales promoted by several chaotic in-store record signing sessions. Sales of the band’s striking merchandise, such an integral part of many Manchester bands’ popularity, shot up. It was impossible to walk down any provincial high street last year without being greeted with the distinctive” JA M ES” and flowers that adorn their T-shirts.

James’ ‘World Cup’ tour to promote the album was a great success, and included superb performances at Glastonbury Festival and the large capacity Blackpool Empress Ballroom, where touts were asking over £20 from those unlucky punters without a ticket! Fans attending the 1990 tour had the chance to pick up a souvenir programme containing an exclusive demo version of a new track “Weather Change”. This is still available from some mail-order outlets. but once stocks are gone, its value is bound to increase.

In the wake of this live and album adulation, Fontana chose to issue an unimaginative remix of “Come Home” by Flood. But at least it gave James their first Top 40 hit, aided by the label’s policy of requiring fans to buy several formats to obtain all the tracks. The best of these was a limited 12″ featuring a live rendition of “Come Home”, “Gold Mother” (Warp Remix) and “Come Home” (Andy Weatherall Boys Own Remix); this last dance-oriented mix benefitted from sampled parts of “Skullduggery” from the first album, This mix was combined with an ‘Extended Flood Mix’ and circulated around the clubs as a two-track white label 12″ housed in a stickered sleeve, valued at around £7.

After a short rest, James returned last November with a new single “Lose Control”, which was previewed live on Channel 4’s “The Word”. With its eerie trumpet and slide guitar, the song is their strongest single so far on Fontana. The back of the 7″ boasts a delightful cover of the Velvet Underground’s “Sunday Morning” , which was recorded for the Imaginary’s “Heaven And Hell: A Tribute To The Velvet Underground” various artists collection.

As for other compilations, look out for the excellent Sarah Champion set “Manchester, North Of England” which featured an early version of “Sky Is Falling” , as well as the usual run-of-the-mill indie ‘greatest hits’ albums and videos, featuring the Rough Trade singles. The video for “Sit Down” surfaced on “Indie Top Video -Take Two” (PMI MVP 991200 3), while “Come Home” qualified for the follow-up, “‘Take Three” (MVP 991215 3). Also watch out for the Futurama 6 video (Jettisoundz JE 200), featuring three live cuts from the Futurama event, plus the earlier Factory Outing video, which also utilises live footage. In the meantime, how about an album from Strange Fruit, combining the band’s sessions for John Peel?

From their humble beginnings on Factory, James’ path to fame and fortune has been a rocky one. But they’ve won through by dogged perseverance and a blinding faith and love for their own, unique music. With a re-recording of the classic “Sit Down” due next month and an album pencilled in for early summer, James look set to reach the dizzy heights that have eluded them for so long.

James re-release their single ‘Sit Down’ on March 18. It was originally out a couple of years ago on Rough Trade and the b-side features an epic nine-minute long live version of the song recorded at Manchester’s G-Mex in September.

The 12-inch and CD contain the extra track ‘Tonight’.

A full length video filmed at G-Mex will be out on April 15. James are currently recording their new album which will be out in the autumn, when they are planning a large tour. And look out for next week’s revealing interview with the band.

JAMES release their debut video, “James Come Home”, this week through Polygram.

Recorded live at Manchester G-Mex, it includes their current single,”Sit Down”. The full track listing is : “Come Home”, “What’s The World”, “Lose Control”, “Sunday Morning”, “Ring The Bells”, “Whoops”, “Government Walls”, “Walking The Ghost”, “Nextlover”, “God Only Knows”,”How Was It For You”, “Bring A Gun”, “Sit Down”, ‘What For” and “Stutter”.

It costs £12.99 and runs for 72 minutes.

James, Carter The Unstoppable Sex Machine, Julian Cope, Dinosaur Jr, Flowered Up and Nirvana are rumoured to be the latest additions to this year’s Reading Festival in August.

The bill continues to take shape following previous NME reports that Iggy Pop, Sonic Youth, Pop Will Eat Itself, Senseless Things and Ned’s Atomic Dustbin are likely to appear.

Dinosaur Jr and Nirvana reportedly back up Iggy Pop, Sonic Youth and the Poppies on Friday, while James have been mooted to lead Saturday’s bill, supported by Carter and Cope among others.

Flowered Up look like being included on Sunday’s set whose star attraction is said to be “a major solo artist.”

GOTCHA! EACH week at extortionate expense and with total credibility, Bizzerk! encourages star-struck rock heroes to assault one another with the now legendary spikey stick. This week
RevCo head ALIEN JOURGENSEN plays part-time lobotomist with JAMES. He’ll nuke ya!!!

YEEHAW, ya scrawny runt-looking baggied assholes, how’s the drug taking? Whaddaya mean ya don’t do any, ya spineless bastards? Don’t ya know that a man ain’t no man unless he’s done some horse- man? You stringy-haired veggie-f**kers.

Whaddaya mean ya don’t eat cows? Over here we roast ’em whole, kill ’em, cut ’em up and stuff ’em with smiley assholes like you. Geez spare me from that no meal nonsense.

Just look what it’s done to you. Look at your sodding single- what kinda an idea is that? ‘Sit Down’? Sit down!! Stand up and sit on my face instead you weight-laden, fat-ass bastards

That’ll teach ya a lesson – that and a few hundred stampeding steers riding roughshod over your buttocks, you sensitive limey disco fags.

And call that a remix? That’s got about as much chance of getting a diehard narcoholic onto the dancefloor as a wet handshake from George Bush. So piss off back to the Manchester outback you pig-ignorant, tousle­-haired buckets of lamb spunk. You and The Stone Roses.

At last it looks as if James may achieve that long-awaited top 20 single and Top of the Pops appearance. Remixed, revamped and getting prime time Radio One airplay with their rereleased single Sit Down, James look to be getting in with the people that matter in the business. They’ve already got an album in the can and if it’s anything like as good as their last album Gold Mother it will make 1991 truly worthwhile.

For fans of James, listen to Jon Ronson’s show in Saturday and Sunday 10pm until midnight – he normally plays at least five or six tracks (the little tinker).

Mark from Moston was on the phone to me during my KFM show last Sunday. Besides casually suggesting that I play MC Buzz B’s “Never Change” single, he said, “Why are you not out on the streets celebrating?”

I thought, what? Have the government abdicated, has my salary been doubled or the poll tax been abolished? “What do you mean, Mark?”

“You should be celebrating because the James single has gone straight into the Top Ten of the national charts at number seven.”

Later on that evening, a dyed-in-the-wool Guns n Roses heavy metal fan hanging round the studio tells me he’s worried he’s turning into a townie. “Why’s that?” I ask innocently.

“Because I really like that single by James, although I prefer that one they had out a while ago, Come Home. Don’t tell any of my mates” he whispers conspiratorally.

So celebrate in the streets if you like, but in the case of James, a top ten hit was inevitable. No band as good as them could carry on with such a huge cult following without hitting the big time.

With the band’s strongest line-up in years and writing the best songs they’ve ever written, it’s all come at exactly the right time.

Currently, their number seven single Sit Down, is being played to death on Radio One, where it’s tipped as a number one single by a number of DJs including Simon Bates and Steve Wright.

JAMES release a re-recorded version of their live favourite ‘Sit Down’ through Fontana on March 18. The single, produced by Gil Norton, is backed by a nine-minute long live version of the song recorded last year at G-Mex in Manchester. 12-inch and CD versions contain an extra track, a previously unreleased James son called ‘Tonight’.

The band are currently working on a new LP, set for autumn release. There will be a “massive” UK tour to coincide.

JAMES release a re-recorded version of the live favourite “Sit Down” on Fontana on March 18. Produced by Gil Norton and mixed by Dave Bascombe, it’s backed with a nine-minute version of the same track, recorded live at Manchester G·MEX last December. Due to its length, the B-side plays at 33rpm. 12-inch and CD versions contain an extra track, the previously unreleased James song ”Tonight’.

James also release a full-length live video, filmed at the G·MEX gig, on April 15, while an hour-long TV version of the show is to be transmitted by Granada TV on March 27.

The group are currently recording their new album which is scheduled for autumn release. An extensive UK tour is being set up to coincide.

JAMES re-release their “Gold Mother” album this week with a new track listing.

The current single, “Sit Down”, and the last single “Lose Control”, are now added in place of “HangOn”and”Cre­scendo”.

Anyone wishing to swap their original LP for the reissue can do so in any Our Price store before May 20.

The band are currently in the studio, recording a new album, due to be released in September.

JAMES play a massive 28-date tour later this year to coindde with the release of the  follow-up to their album ‘Gold Mother’, which ­ the band are currently working on.

The dates are at Carlisle Sands Centre on September 30 then Newcastle City Hall October 1, Sheffield City Hall 2, Birmingham Aston Villa Leisure Centre 4, Hanley Victoria Hall 5, Nottingham Royal Centre 8, Leicester De Montfort Hall 9, Hull City Hall 10, Bradford St George’s Hall 12, Wolverhampton Civic Hall 13, Bristol Studio 15, Exeter University 16, St Austell Cornwall Coliseum 17, Oxford Apollo 20, Folkestone Leas Cliff Hall 21, Portsmouth Gulldhall 22, London Brixton Academy 24 & 25, Brighton Event 28, Cambridge Com Exchange 29, Norwich UEA 30, Newport Centre November 1, Preston Guildhall 2, Middlesbrough Town Hall 3, Glasgow Barrowlands 5, Aberdeen Capitol 8, Edinburgh Playhouse 9, Liverpool Royal Court 11.

Tickets are priced £8.50 for all dates except the two London dates which are £9.50- and they’re on sale now,so get on down to those box-offices and usual agents.

Fans of those Manchester homeboys James are looking forward to April 15.

That’s the date when the full-length, live video of their December G-Mex gig hits the shops.

While their single Sit Down goes up the chart, what are Tim Booth, Jim Glennie, Larry Got, Dave Bayton-Power, Sau Davis, Mark Hunter and Andy Diagram up to?

Well — the word is they are currently recording their new album and bracing themselves for a massive UK tour to co-incide with the autumn release. since they formed in 1983 the band have gone from strength to strength

JAMES head out on a massive UK Autumn tour.

This week’s cover stars play Carlisle Sands Centre (September 30), Newcastle City Hall (October 1), Sheffield City Hall (2), Birmingham Aston Villa Leisure Centre (4), Hanley VictoriaHall (5), Nottingham Royal Centre (8), Leicester De Montfort Han (9), Hull City Hall (10), Bradford St Georges Hall (12), Wolverhampton Civic Hall (13), Bristol Studio (15), Exeter University (16), St Austell Colisseum (17), Oxford Apollo (19), Folkestone Leas Cliff Hall (21), Portsmouth Guildhall (22), Brixton Academy (24 and 25), Brighton Event (28), Cambridge Corn Exchange (29), Norwich UEA (30), Newport Centre (November 1), Preston Guildhall (2), Middlesbrough Town Hall (3), Glasgow Barrowlands (5), Aberdeen Capitol (8), Edinburgh Playhouse (9) and Liverpool Royal Court (11).

JAMES, currently enjoying their first major hit with Sit Down, have lined up their biggest tour to date­ taking in 27 cities and including two nights at the Brixton Academy. The band are currently in the studio working on the follow-up to “Gold Mother”. It should be released in September.

The tour kicks off at Newcastle City Hall on October 1 and continues at Sheffield City Hall (2), Birmingham Aston Villa Leisure Centre (4), Hanley Victoria Hall (5), Nottingham Royal Centre (8), Leicester De Montfort Hall (9), Hull City Hall (10), Bradford St George’s Hall (12), Wolverhampton Civic Hall (13), Bristol Studio (15), Exeter University (16), St Austell Cornwall Coliseum (17), Oxford Apollo (20), Folkestone Leas Cliff Hall (21), Portsmouth Guildhall (22), Brixton Academy (24 and 25), Brighton Event (28), Cambridge Com Exchange (29), Norwich UEA (30), Newport Centre (November 1), Preston Guildhall (2), Middlesbrough Town Hall (3), Glasgow Barrowlands (5), Aberdeen Capitol (8), Edinburgh Playhouse (9) and Liverpool Royal Court (11).

Tickets are priced £8.50 in the provinces, £9.50 in London.

Whisper it if you dare – top Manchester band James have arranged a secret gig at the Hacienda tonight. Now say it loud from the rooftops – it’s been cancelled.

The city’s pop grapevine has been buzzing with the news that the band, whose last single was a top five smash hit, were to play a hush-hush warm-up gig before they headline the massive Reading Festival this weekend in front of 35,000 fans.

Hacienda DJ Dave Haslam, an old pal of the band’s singer Tim Booth, arranged the special one-off concert for around 1,500 in-the-know fans at the top nightclub, even though the band played to 20,000 fans at G-MEX earlier this year.

But Tim has returned from a gig in Austria last week with a sore throat – and Dave is now busy spreading the word that the gig that no-one supposedly knew about is off.

“It was hard enough publicising it through word-of-mouth,” says a disappointed Dave. “But it’s a bit difficult telling people it isn’t on when it wasn’t officially happening anyway. “Tim doesn’t want to give a half-baked show and wants to save his voice for Reading. He decided he couldn’t risk it.”

James career should have ground to a resounding halt in 1988. They had left the Sire label after two singly unsuccessful albums and accumulated debts of £50,000. Instead they ploughed on, building a fanatical following in their native Manchester. The line-up expanded as James’ twisted, almost folky approach was married to a twisted almost dancey beat. “A&R people used to seeing crowds of 30 would see 2000 in our audiences and wonder why we weren’t signed,” remembers singer Tim Booth, once a Bez-type dancer. “They thought there was something wrong with us.”

After a live album, One Man Clapping, Fontana took the plunge. Three singles and the Gold Mother album charted in 1990, James audience extended beyond Greater Manchester and finally they looked poised for the big breakthrough in 1991. It came with Sit Down, a song from 1989, re-recorded and re-released. “The mechanism to reach the public wasn’t ready at the time,” says Booth. “It’s slower than James. We have to wait for it to catch up.”

Sit Down charged towards the top 5 as if making up for 9 lost years and Fontana had the seemingly quirky idea of re-pressing Gold Mother (including Sit Down) and giving purchasers the opportunity to replace it for free. It entered the chart at Number 2 to all-round hosannas, not least because of the precedent-setting marketing ploy.

James are headlining Saturday night at the Reading Festival, their own crowds are larger and possibly more fanatical than before (hence the live version of Sit Down where the song stops and the crowd take over for nigh on 15 minutes), and Tim Booth is confident: “We developed a theory that the longer it took, the bigger we’d be. It took us a long time getting here and now we won’t bloody leave.”

JAMES are set to return with a new single at the beginning of next month and an LP in the new year.

The single is called “Sound”and is set for a November 11 release by Phonogram. It’s backed by “Come Home”and a new song “All My Sons”.

James round off a triumphant 1991 in which they scored a number two hit with Sit Down and topped the bill at the Reading Festival with a new single.

The track Sound will be the first taster of their new album, due out in Spring 92. The track was produced by Youth and mixed by Tim Palmer, and is backed by another new song All My Sons. 12-inch and CD formats also carry Youth’s dub mix of Come Home plus an extended mix of Sound.

Sound is released on Fontana on November 18.

Dave Haslam, prominent Manchester journalist / DJ has been commissioned to write James’s authorised biography, which will be published by Omnibus next year.

James were forced to pull out of a date at Norwich UEA last Wednesday after Tim Booth experienced voice problems.

However, Thousand Yard Stare, currently supporting on the tour, volunteered to headline in place of James, and the show went ahead.

In commercial terms, 1991 was an unallayed triumph for James. The re-released Sit Down reached number two in April and the band’s long metamorphosis from eccentric semi-acoustic indie outsiders to major status, was confirmed when they headlined the Reading Festival in August. Yet, as the year progressed, the band’s critical stock fell as fast as their public popularity rose.

Sit Down weas shamelessly anthemic, with its singalong chorus and its rallying call to misfits everywhere. “Those who find themselves ridiculous / Sit down next to me” sang Tim Booth, as if hoping to gather a stadium-sized congregation of assorted inadequates. And, while that top spot at Reading carried undeniable kudos, most reviewers felt the band had struggled and failed to follow the more effective rabble-rousing from Carter USM that immediately preceded their performance.

In October, James set out on a 28-date UK tour, the biggest to date for a band whose popularity had long been built around live performances. Tickets for the shows were as scarce as reviews that didn’t mention Simple Minds. The success of the tour showed that most old fans stayed loyal; but the new material disappointed many who’d been charmed by the mixture of pop gloss and individual vision that characterised 1990’s Gold Mother LP. James appeared to have responded to their higher status by turning into a pomp-rock band; and these fears were confirmed by the ponderous excesses of Sound, the single released to a barrage of critical raspberries in November.

Once again, however, the record-buying public begged to differ, and Sound immediately soared into the Top 10. James’ year ended with the announcement of plans for a new album Seven to be released next Spring- and, it seemed, with the stadia and lighter-waving citizens of America beckoning.

James guitarist Larry Gott was victim of an armed mugging in Los Angeles last week, just three hours after arriving in the States from Manchester.

Gott was held up at gunpoint outside the band’s hotel on Sunset Boulevard by two men who made off with his money and jacket. After giving a statement to police, Gott, distressed by the incident, took the first plane back to England – missing the group’s three-day US video shoot.

Gott told NME: “The robbery coupled with my subsequent experience at the hands of the Los Angeles police left me with an overwhelming sense of fear, paranoia and suspicion of everyone I came into contact with.”

The band went ahead with taping the video for the new single ‘Born of Frustration’ with their tour manager standing in for Gott.

JAMES are set to chase their Top 20 hit ‘Sound’with a new 45 this month.

‘Born Of Frustration’ is backed with another previously unreleased track,’Be My Prayer’. CD and 12″ formats will carry a Mark ‘Diceman’ Hunter remix of ‘Sound’.

Tim Booth and co are also gearing up for the release of a new LP,’ Seven’, which follows the reissue of their ‘Gold Mother’ album last year, and is accompanied by tours of America and Europe, likely to climax with their own major outdoor UK date this summer.

A first-time dream trip to the United States has turned into a nightmare for Manchester rock star Larry Gott of the hit band James.

The 29 year old lead guitarist was robbed at gunpoint by two men less than an hour after arriving at Los Angeles International Airport.

The armed robbery was followed, said Larry, by “an interview with two disinterested and at times threatening members of Los Angeles Police.”

The experience forced a shaken Larry to return to Britain leaving the band in Los Angeles .. only a few hours after he had arrived.

He is now back at his South Manchester home while the band return this weekend.

James, led by frontman Tim Booth, are currently in America to make a video for their new single Born of Frustration.

Their last single Sound made No 9 in the charts, following the top 3 success of their hit Sit Down.

Last March, before their first hit record, they sold out two nights at Manchester’s G-Mex exhibition centre.

The band’s spokesman Philip Hall says “They are rising stars in America right now. This is an important promotional tour.”

Bespectacled Larry explained: “My decision to return home was based on my first experience of American culture.”

“My experience at the hands of two disinterested and, at times, threatening members of LA police left me with an overwhelming sense of fear, paranoia and suspicion of everyone I came into contact with. I couldn’t imagine having anything to say to a journalist other than what had happened to me. They don’t need me to tell them their society breeds violence. They know that already.”

Larry was at least able to joke about his experience.

“I think the video will be better without me in a bullet-proof vest.”

A roadie stood in for him in the filming session.

James, currently flying high in the singles charts with “Born of Frustration”, have announced details of their fifth LP.

“Seven”, which follows the band’s platinum “Gold Mother” LP, features new mixes of hit singles “Sound” and “Born of Frustration” plus eight additional tracks.

Full track listing is as follows: “Born of Frustration”, “Ring The Bells”, “Sound”, “Bring A Gun”, “Mother”, “Don’t Wait That Long”, “Live A Love Of Life”, “Heavens”, “Protect Me” and “Seven”. Cassette and CD formats of the LP, which is released through Fontana on February 17, feature one additional track, “Next Lover”.

Meanwhile James are planning a giant open air one day festival which they will headline. The event is believed to be scheduled for July 4 at Alton Towers pleasure park in the Midlands.

James who made a low-key appearance at Manchester Polytechnic last Saturday as a dress rehearsal for their forthcoming dates in America, have announced details of a date at Alton Towers in July.

As predicted exclusively in NME last week, Tim Booth and co headline the outdoor gig in the 500-acre theme park in Staffordshire on July 4. The band will be supported by two major acts, yet to be announced.

Tickets for the concert and admission to the park for the day (including free access to all the rides) are available for £25 from Alton Towers box office on 0538-702200.

The Manchester hit band James will give 30,000 fans a rocking rollercoaster ride when they play at Alton Towers.

The concert – on July 4 – will be the band’s only major appearance in Britain this year.

Seven-piece James, fronted by Tim Booth, played a low-key warm-up gig at Manchester Poly on Saturday night.

They have a new single, Born of Frustration, in the Top 20.

And they expect to see their new LP Seven go straight to Number One when it is released next Monday.

Record company Phonogram say it has already gone gold – sold 100,000 copies in advance.

Promoter Simon Moran said: “The band chose Alton Towers site very carefully. They missed out on their hometown on their last tour and they wanted somewhere with easy access from Greater Manchester. They wanted to give their fans the thrill of a lifetime. So the combination of the concert and Alton Towers’ white knuckle rides was perfect.”

Tickets go on sale tomorrow at £17.50. A £25 ticket will cover the concert and theme park rides.

The James band know who its constituents are : “Those who feel the breadth of sadness”, “those who find they’re touched by madness” and “those who find themselves ridiculous. Those are some of the categories itemised in “Sit Down” which became a major hit in England in 1991 and had fans singing along “Sit down next to me” on Tuesday night at the Ritz. (In decorous England, fans sit down, at the Ritz people stayed on their feet)

Heartfelt, straightforward and more than a little plaintive, James speaks to sensitive teenagers (and post-teenagers) who’ll admit if alone with an album or at a concert with like-minded people that they’re not as cheerful and confident as others seem to be.

James was formed in Manchester, England in the early 1980s and has gradually accreted a style that pulls together the confessional bluntness of mope-rock, the high-minded anthems and marches of U2 and the neo-pyschedelic grooves of English rave music.

Crooning in a smooth tenor voice that echoes U2’s Bono and Morrissey of The Smiths (another Manchester band), Tim Booth sings about political disillusionment and private alienation. To battle frustration, the band urges positive action: “Stop talking about who’s to blame when all that counts is how to change.” It also suggests for the moment that listeners “leave yourself behind” temporarily for the pleasures of dancing and music. In “Lose Control” Mr Booth sings “We float on seas of disbelief while singing songs of pain relief”

For the band, relief takes the form of tuneful riffs and multiveiled vamps. James might use folk-rock guitars, percolating keyboards or U2’s martial beat; compared with most current dance bands, there’s very little funk. Its seven members can turn a simple riff into a minimalistic web of overlapping lines, stretching pop songs for dancefloor use while spotlights swivel and flash.

But Mr Booth’s singing and his sentiments hold the foreground of the songs. After a decade he seems surprisingly ingenuous and unguarded, eager to share his feelings and to reassure his listeners that while they may be unhappy, they’re not alone. Good-natured, propulsive and melodic, James never underestimates the importance of being earnest.

JAMES, currently on tour in the US, issue the third single from their Top Ten album ‘Seven’ next Monday, backed with a couple of previously unreleased tracks and two rare remixes of ‘Come Home’.

‘Ring the Bells’ looks likely to be the group’s seventh consecutive Top 40 hit and follows the recent Top 20 success of ‘Born of Frustration’.

‘Fight’, a new track recorded especially for the single, is available on all formats, while both 12’’ and CD formats include ‘The Skunk Weed Skank’ and ‘Hugo Live Dub Challenge’ mixes of ‘Come Home’, courtesy of producer Andrew Weatherall.

Meanwhile, a spokesperson for James’ show at Alton Towers on July 4 stated that tickets for the 30,000 capacity show are likely to sell out within the next month.

Tickets for the concert cost £17.50, while concert and free access to the fairground tickets are priced at £22.50. Postal applications should be sent to James Tickets, PO Box 275.

JAMES, fresh from their Glastonbury appearance last weekend, issue a new EP on Monday, including three previously unreleased tracks.

The band issue a reworking of the title track of their Fontana LP ‘Seven’, backed by ‘Goalies Ball’ ‘William Burroughs’ and ‘Still Alive’. All tracks are available on CD, cassette and 33rpm seven- inch formats.

Tim Booth and co’s 30,000 capacity Alton Towers show this Saturday, also starring PiL and Galliano, has sold out and organisers wish to inform fans that no tickets will be available on the day.

from I Music Interview with photographer Kevin Westenberg

This James photo is an extremely striking photo that I’ve always admired because you chose to put it very small but you also chose to put it in the book.

KW: The main reason that I put it in was because I was trying to decide, I had to go through everything and decide, what types of work people know me for vs. what things I really like. That was one of the albums that got big in America and because this thing is being slightly geared towards America, as well as England and Europe, I had to make a decision between all these things about what to put in. Originally I was just going to put in totally obscure things that only I like, but then I thought well that kind of defeats the purpose — you’re denying people photos that people might know you for. So I kind of compromised on this, and that ended small for various reasons having to do with layout and not really needing to put it much bigger because people have seen it as well. And it worked well with this with this sort of layout.

Do you like that photograph?

KW: Yeah, I do. I think color wise and compositionally it works. My favourite part is the white light on Tim Booth’s feet, because he’s the singer and he’s sort of the leader. He’s barefoot, so it’s kind of a Jesus image. I think it works compositionally as well. It’s a strange thing — I didn’t think it would work when we did it. I was pretty much against the dresses. I just thought, “Well, we’ll try a few and see what it’s like.” Inside I was thinking this is really naff. But we were in Marseilles, and it’s beautiful out, everyone’s happy, and it worked.

JAMES’ singer Tim Booth has been talking exclusively about the bond’s new album, “Laid” , which is scheduled for release in September. He has also revealed that during James’ six weeks in Real Life Studios, Bath, with producer Brian Eno, they recorded a double LPof impravised material, which will be released early next year.

“Eno was wonderful towork with,” says Booth. ‘We’ve always wanted to. We first approached him when we were making our very first LP, ‘Stutter’, and he told us that he was busy for the next few years, but he’d get back to us. And he did – he got back to us!”

Booth considers “Laid” a departure for James. He says, “It’s very different, very naked, big, but also vulnerable.”

He describes the LP as less elaborate than the band’s last album, “Seven”, a development he says was heavily influenced by the James acoustic tour across America last year, supporting Neil Young. The idea for the improvised double album began in the studio, when James found themselves recording songs ata surprisingly prolific rate.

“At one stage, we had 38 songs, and I had three lyrics,” says Booth. “This put a lot of pressure on me. So we got two studios going at once, and we’d just go into the second studio and play, I’d improvise a lyric, and then we’d just knock it into shape later. It’s the most exciting and rewarding thing that James hove done for a while.” Booth has also talked about becoming friendly with Neil Young during James’ support tour, and suggesting to the grizzled one that they should work together.

“He said he’d love to do it, but he didn’t think his patience was up to it!” Booth reports.

James release a single, “Sometimes” , described by Booth as “like magical realism”, on Fontana on August 31

James are back with their first single of the year.

Sometimes, released this week by Phonogram, is taken from the forthcoming album Laid, produced by Brian Eno. The b-side is a new non-album track called America, produced by Bob Margouleff for Greenpeace Records. It was recorded live in LA using solar generated power. The 12-inch and CD versions additionally contain another new track which will not appear on the album, the Brian Eno-produced Building A Charge.

The LP is due for release in September and the band tour the UK in December.

James recorded enough for three albums with Brian Eno.

Less than half of what they recorded with producer Brian Eno made Laid, the new album James is releasing next week. It was the song Sometimes that initially piqued Eno’s interest. James delivered six hours of rehearsal tapes to Eno. Since he only worked with them for six weeks, they don’t know how much of the material he got through, but he picked the ideas he wanted developed into songs. “Sometimes it would just be 20 seconds,” says the band’s singer and songwriter Tim Booth. “We’d jam around on it a little bit.” From those snippets songs like Skindiving and Dream Thrum grew. Booth estimates they have enough material left over from the sessions with Eno for a double album. They may put some of the songs on disc next year. Eno’s involvement was just what they needed this time according to Booth as they were feeling some pressure to come up with something that would be at least as successful as their last album Seven which sold a million copies worldwide. Eno really got the ideas flowing. James just completed Peter Gabriel’s WOMAD tour and will be returning to America later this fall.

Football-mad Manchester group James are hoping to follow fellow pop heroes New Order and supply the England soccer squad with the theme song for the World Cup in America next year.

There’s the small matter of course of whether Graham Taylor’s boys will qualify after tonight’s crunch match with Holland.

Tim Booth, the charismatic singer of the band, whose last LP went straight to Number 1, reckons their song Low Low Low from the new album Laid has just the right anthemic qualities.

“We see it as a football song,” says the vegetarian frontman, who reveals that the recording studio’s kitchen staff crowded around the microphone to chant the chorus.

“If England get through, we will put it forward as next year’s World Cup song.” says Tim, a Leeds fan. “We’d probably change some of the verses and change the chorus from Low Low Low to Goal Goal Goal. It’s one of those classic James anthems that always seem to end up being singles.”

Manchester combo New Order wrote and performed the No 1 hit World In Motion with the 1990 World Cup team.

It was credited with losing the reputation of the soccer songs Chas-n-Dave type singalong – and sold 400,000 copies.

Unfortunately, the Football Association’s David Bloomfield reckons Tim is kicking off too early.

“Selecting the song is not a luxury that we’re considering at the moment, because if England don’t qualify, there won’t be a record,” he says.

So even if the England team packs its bags for the States, will the James gang actually be picked to play for the first team?

“I admire James determination and enthusiasm,” adds diplomatic David. “But we’ll be looking at a lot of bands.”

James is a band that has evolved, since its conception in 1983, from being a folk punk band to the group of great, diverse artists that they are now. They have become not only widely successful, but critically respected, possessing both the talent and ability to break through to the masses.

Unfortunately, James has never quite managed to “hit it big,” as groups such as U2 and REM have managed to do. Perhaps this will change with Laid, James’ fifth formal studio album released this September.

James started as a three-piece outfit, debuting on Manchester’s now defunct Factory label. Their first record was promising in popularity, and it didn’t hurt that the infamous Morrissey had given them a public vote of support. James signed to Sire Records in 1986, and released two albums with them before being dropped by the label. Then came an independent release, One Man Clapping, followed by two albums on Fontana Records, Gold Mother and Seven.

These last two albums were important because they really opened the doors of possibility for the band members, garnering them commercial and critical success.

James’ colourful, expansive sound is now created by six talented musicians: vocalist/lyricist Tim Booth; bassist Jim Glennie; guitarist Larry Gott; drummer David Baynton-Power; keyboardist Mark Hunter and multi-instrumentalist Saul Davies. They recorded Laid in six weeks at Peter Gabriel’s Real World Studios near Bath in southern England. Amazingly, the equivalent of three albums of music was recorded during the sessions, as the band was always using at least two studios (and sometimes four) in order to record and mix.

Recently, I spoke to Saul Davies about the process of recording in the studio with wizard producer Brian Eno.

“Eno brought his own engineer as well as Marcus Draws, who was involved with Eno’s last album,” he explained. “Eno forced us to look at improvisation, so the album was recorded live with all the songs on the first or second take.”

Davies also credits Brian Eno for enabling the band to have such a vast creative output. “He would know after hearing a song where the heart of it lay,” said Davies, “so we could go to work on it and make more out of it. He gave us confidence and the feeling that we were doing something special with each other. We had wanted Eno to produce us since 1986, but at the time he was tied up with U2 on the Joshua Tree,” Davies continued. “He was easy to get along with, but he still made us work hard. He made us look more closely at the relationship between the performers and the producer, which had a profound impact on the record.”

Davies found much in common with Eno and working together gave them a chance to talk over philosophy, art, science, and reportage. These interests were often incorporated in his work in the studio, bringing real-world experiences to the music.

Laid is a serious but subtle album. The sound is delicate and shifting, while the music has a stripped-down, almost naked feeling throughout. It is similar to vintage James, but much more mature, showing a growing boldness and artistic maturity in the band. James could be described as a “patchwork” band, as the band members take inspiration from the many things that they are involved with, but the result is a sound all their own. Watch for them to tour in early 1994, in support of a fine new album.

James arrives triumphantly from Manchester, England, with a hit called “Laid,” an urgent, compelling, slightly barmy rocker.

The song, a fast, wild ride of sexual passion and paranoia, is the subject of probably the most interesting video on MTV right now. The black-and-white clip shows wan, curly-haired lead singer Tim Booth in a dress, handcuffs dangling from one wrist, sitting in what appears to be a laundromat. While the vocal builds and builds until finally he’s howling like a wolf, other members of the band drift through, some of them also in dresses. The imagery manages to be both ominous and funny, making it the kind of video you can watch again and again and still find interesting.

That one song, and its video, have single-handedly redeemed James, which not very long ago was just one more competent, slick English pop group. Its last album, “Seven,” released in 1992, was so imitative of Simple Minds that every other song came across like a remake of “Don’t You Forget About Me.” Most of the time, Booth sounded like a clone of Simple Minds’ Jim Kerr.

James toured with Neil Young last year and his influence shows. The band’s new album, also called “Laid,” has slow, folk-like songs that sound like early Young, and faster rock songs are marked by Young’s slow-building intensity. Brian Eno produced the album and he’s famous for bringing out the essence, the naturalness of a band (plus his productions always have a bright, lifelike sound).

The band has a long, checkered history. It started in 1983 with the release of a couple of singles that sold moderately well in England. Then it disbanded for two years while Booth was ill with a chronic liver disorder. A 1985 folk-punk LP stiffed, but the band bounced back with a new contract with Sire, which led to James’ first American releases.

But Sire eventually dropped the band. It got signed to Rough Trade and released a couple of albums, then was dropped again, and moved to the Fontana label, where it enjoyed a hit in 1991 with “Sit Down.” Its career has been building ever since.

James isn’t like most major rock bands. Its members don’t sell fashion, and they don’t go searching for popularity.

For more than a decade, James has been a cult band content to do its own thing – marry new wave to folk rock in weird but wonderful ways.

The fashion and popularity just happened to follow.

”Laid,” the title track and first single off their new album (which was produced by Brian Eno), peaked at No. 3 on Billboard’s Modern Rock chart.

”Say Something” is the second single off the album to hit the alternative radio airwaves.

James formed in Manchester, England, in 1983 when bassist Jim Glennie spotted singer Tim Booth dancing in his unique, whirling style (think Grateful Dead) in a college bar. Early on, James was welcomed by English teenagers, and the members quickly found themselves on every music magazine cover in England. Morrissey punctuated their fame when he invited them to tour with the Smiths.

With the loss of some members and the addition of others over the years, James’ sound changed, expanded and grew more colorful. Those colors especially shone through on the band’s 1992 album, ”Seven,” which solidified James’ place as a major international rock band.

That same year, James joined Neil Young on an acoustic tour, and the experience put them in the mood to make their mellow new album, ”Laid.” The title is rumored to be a joke (Did you get ”Laid” yet?).

JAMES have revealed details of their “alternative” album, “Frequency Dip”, which they hope will be released by Fontana later in the year. However, problems seem to be emerging with the parent label, Phonogram. Early last week, it was announced that the LP would be released in late July or early August. Days later, James’ press representatives were informed that the album did not appear on any release schedule.

Those who have heard “Frequency Dip” say it’s James’ personal “Zooropa”, a record which will ensure their critical rehabilitation and at the same time enhance their appeal in the market place.

James certainly hope so. In March this year, singer Tim Booth told The Maker that the band felt they were “taken for granted” in Britain, and were all disappointed by the response to their “Laid” LP. But he added: “We’ve got an ‘alternative’ record coming out in a few months, and maybe that’ll stir things up again.”

“Frequency Dip” is still a double LP filled with improvised, experimental music, recorded during the sessions for “Laid”. Both were produced by Brian Eno. Some tracks have already been remixed by Andy Weatherall, including “Jam-J”, which was released as a single earlier this year. Weatherall was responsible for the 33-minute version on the 12-inch.

The band recorded “Frequency Dip” and “Laid” in six weeks at Eno’s Real World studios. The experimental material began as a way of coping with periods of boredom or inactivity.

According to Booth: “We’d put on this one-hour multi-track tape that Brian had specially made and we’d go into the other room and improvise for an hour. We’d take the tape into the other studio where Brian’s assistant was working, and choose four minutes from it.

“The original idea was ‘music for films’, because that way I wouldn’t be pressured into having to come up with lyrics, and we wouldn’t be pressured into making them into songs – they could just be atmosphere tracks. But some songs just turned up anyway.”

At the moment tracks are: “Hammer Strings”, “Pressure’s On”, “Jam-J”, “Frequency Dip”, “Lay the Law Down”, “Burn The Cat”, “Mad Maria”, “Low Clouds”, “Feeling Your Sex”, “Gospel Oak”, “Beefheart Jam”, “Say Say Something”, “Rhythmic Dreams”, “Dead Man”, “Rain Whistling”, “Basic Brian”, “Low Clouds”, “Bottom Of The Well”, “Honest Joe”, “Arabic Agony”, “Tomorrow”, “Laughter” and “Sayonara”

JAMES release a new ‘alternative’ double album, recorded during the making of their last record ‘Laid’.

The album, ‘Wah Wah’ is out on September 12 and was produced by Brian Eno at Peter Gabriel’s Real World studios in bath.

Singer Tim Booth described ‘Wah Wah’ as “an experiment in looseness”.

“James have always been a serious jamming band,” he told NME, “making a racket that nobody apart from us would ever hear. But Brian Eno heard us jamming and said he thought it was wonderful and should be made public.”

The famous Eno, once of Roxy Music, solo and producer fame, is the man you can thank for the new James album, due out on September 12.

He says “I spent some days working with the band in their rehearsal room, seeing extraordinary pieces of music appearing out of nowhere.

“It occurred to me that this raw material was, in it’s own chaotic and perilous way, as much a part of their work as the songs that would finally grow out of it.”

Known for his eccentricity, and weird and sometimes wonderful, music, Eno says “The music was always on the edge of breakdown, held together by taut threads and full of beautiful, unrepeatable collisions.”

Wah Wah follows the Mancunian’s splendid Laid. It’s being called in some quarters the “alternative album,” and is presented in a specially packaged double-album form.

James vocalist Tim Booth offers his thoughts: “It’s an experiment in looseness. We’ve always been a serious jamming band, making a racket that nobody apart from us would ever hear.” Eno has seen behind the humour and the modesty. Expect James to go Top Five.

James singer Tim Booth has teamed up with Bernard Butler to record an album under the name the Bad Angels which will be released in March or April this year.

The album was produced by Angelo Badalamenti, who wrote the music for David Lynch’s Blue Velvet and Twin Peaks. The Bad Angels were joined by Brian Eno who added backing vocals on some of the tracks.

Booth, who is now a New York City resident, was enthusiastic about Butler, who engineered the album.

James are working on new material with producer Stephen Hague, which will either be released at the end of this year or early in 1997.

JAMES plan to return in 1997 with their first single and album in more than two years, as well as embarking on their first UK tour for more than four years. Tim Booth, lead singer of the veteran Manchester band, speaking exclusively to NME, revealed that the new single, ‘She’s A Star’, would be released on February 4 and the new album, ‘Whiplash’, would be out on February 24.

He explained the band had made a conscious decision to take a break from each other and put James on hold, during which time it was agreed he could collaborate with Angelo Badalamenti on the album ‘Booth And The Bad Angel’, which was released earlier this year. “After the last tour we knew we needed to take a long break. We’d never really taken a year or two out for 11 years, so that’s what we did. We felt we’d overdone it, we needed a break and we felt people needed a break from us. Now it feels wonderful,” Booth said.

He added the band had decided they needed a fresh approach to songwriting, especially in the light of the critical mauling the last two James albums (1993’s ‘Laid’ and 1994’s ‘Wah-Wah’) received. “We’re looking to work in a new way, to do songs, then improvise them, smash them up again. The only way we can keep going is make it interesting. I was disappointed with the critical reaction to the last two albums. It can seriously damage your ego,” he explained.

“Will we split up if this album doesn’t do well? No, I think James will go on for a long time. But then, who the fuck knows in this world?” He also hinted there would be more Booth And The Bad Angel material, probably with the release of a re-recorded version of ‘Fall In Love’ from the album next year.

Meanwhile, the new James album, produced by Stephen Hague and Brian Eno, has been described by Booth as very “uptempo”. The tracklisting is: ‘Tomorrow’, ‘Lost A Friend’, ‘Waltzing Along’, ‘She’s A Star’, ‘Greenpeace’, ‘Go To The Bank’, ‘Whiplash’, ‘Avalanche’, ‘Homeboy’, ‘Angel’ and ‘Blue Pastures’. Fans will have a chance to hear the tracks live when the band head out on tour in March, visiting Leeds Town & Country (March 12), Middlesbrough Town Hall (13), Glasgow Barrowlands (14), Newport Centre (16), Exeter University (17), Southampton Guildhall (18), London Shepherd’s Bush Empire (20), Leicester De Montfort Hall (23), Cambridge Corn Exchange (24), Wolverhampton Civic Hall (25), Liverpool Royal Court (27) and Manchester Apollo (28).

JAMES have been coming together with Jacques Villeneuve. The Formula 1 racing driver bought tickets for the band’s gig at the London Shepherds Bush Empire on March 21 and declared himself a major fan when he was introduced to them backstage.

The following weekend, on Sunday, March 30, Villeneuve was told just before his race in San Paulo, Brazil, that a package had arrived for him from James-a fact which clearly put him in a spin, since he lost his lone on the first corner and shot across the grass! After a restart, he won the race.

The friendship between James and Jacques began after his press officer contacted the band’s representatives. She said that Villeneuve had bought tickets for the Empire show and would really love to meet the group.

“He’s a massive James fan,” said Jayne Houghton, spokeswoman for the band. “He came backstage to say hello, and for someone who drives round a racetrack at 200 miles an hour, he was so nervous, really shy. He was a very, very nice bloke. He charmed everybody.

“The band were so chuffed to meet him. It was like a mutual appreciation society. They signed things for each other.

“Afterwards, I got Jacques a package of limited-edition James stuff, and the first thing he said to his PR when he was about to start this race in Brazil was, ‘Did Jayne send me the limited edition records?'”

Villeneuve has returned James’ favour at the Empire by inviting the band to Silverstone at the end of May. There, he will be testing the car for the British Grand Prix.

Meanwhile, James have announced the release of a new single, “Tomorrow,” on Fontana on April 21.Written by James and Brian Eno, this is a reworked version of the “Whiplash” album track.

There will be three separate CDs. The first offers three new songs, “Gone Too Far” (also co-written with Brian Eno), “Honest Pleasure” and “All One To Me.”

The second features live versions of “Lost A Friend,” “Come Home” and “Greenpeace,” recorded especially for the Mark Radcliffe show.

The third features remixes of “Tomorrow” by Fila Brazillia, Archive and Dirty Beatnik.

James go off to the States at the end of April for a sell-out tour, returning in time for their date at Silverstone and a series of outdoor appearances at V97, Glastonbury Festival and T In The Park.

Ja klar, kennt man: Auf und ab, so geht unweigerlich das Leben. Und auch die Karrieren von Popgruppen verlaufen höchst selten gradlinig. JAMES, mit immerhin schon 14 Jahren auf dem Bandbuckel, stellen da keine Ausnahme dar, nur ist man sich bei ihnen nie so sicher, ob es nun gerade auf- oder abwärts geht. Sie waren halt schon immer etwas anders als andere Bands.

1983 unterschrieben die sechs aus Manchester bei „Factory Records“, dem damals eigentlich einzigen für Indie-Bands akzeptablen Label der Stadt. Man veröffentlichte Singles und EPs, wechselte zu „Sire“, zu „Rough Trade“ und schließlich zur „Phonogram“, ohne große Erfolge vorweisen zu können. Die sollten sich erst 1990 mit der Veröffentlichung des Albums “Gold Mother” einstellen. Plötzlich, auf dem Höhepunkt von Madchester, als die Kinder der Rave-O-Lution im Nordwesten Englands und anderswo Hosen, T-Shirts und Augen weit trugen, wurden JAMES zu den Helden einer Bewegung, mit der sie außer der Geburtsstadt nicht viel gemein zu haben glaubten. Doch ihre Hitsingles wie “Come Home” und “Lose Control” besaßen jenen damals angesagten Soul II Soul-Beat und wurden abgemischt von Flood, dem Produzenten, der auch für die wundervolle Eintagsfliege “I’m Free” der SOUP DRAGONS verantwortlich war. Für eine Zeitlang sah es tatsächlich so aus, als sei JAMES die ultimative Studentenband. Sie füllte 10.000er Hallen, als so was für Indie-Bands noch ohne Vorbild war, und wer Anfang der 90er einen Trip nach England machte, mußte unweigerlich auf eines ihrer Blumen-T-Shirts stoßen, von denen die Gruppe insgesamt mehr als eine Viertelmillion verkaufte und daran mehr Geld als mit Schallplatten verdiente. Drei Jahre, zwei Albumveröffentlichungen (“Seven” und “Laid”) und einen riesigen Open-air-Auftritt im Vergnügungspark Alton Towers später ging es mit JAMES in ihrem Heimatland bereits wieder bergab – sicher, ihre Platten verkauften sich noch immer stattlich, die Euphorie des Sommers von 1990 aber war verflogen, und ihre Songs wurden ruhiger -, doch genau zu dem Zeitpunkt begann man in den USA, erstmals von dem Sextett Notiz zu nehmen. Beim schrecklichen Woodstock II durften Tim Booth und Co. zwischen LIVE und den CRANBERRIES auftreten, und die softe LP “Laid” avancierte zum Dreiviertelmillionen-Seller. Die Band mußte, wie in den USA so üblich, Kompromisse eingehen: Viele Hände wollten geschüttelt werden, ein Auftritt in David Lettermans Late Night Show war sogar verbunden mit der Forderung, die Frauenkleider auszuziehen.

In Deutschland hingegen interessierte sich bis auf eine kleine Britpop-Gemeinde niemand für die Lieder von JAMES. Was die Band dazu veranlaßte, das Land bei Tourneeplänen meist zu ignorieren. “Nicht, daß wir etwas gegen Deutschland hätten”, so Sänger Tim Booth, “wenn wir aber in den USA mit der gleichen Anstrengung 100mal mehr Platten verkaufen können, richten wir unser Augenmerk doch lieber auf dieses Land.”

In den letzten Jahren nahmen JAMES erstmals in ihrer Karriere eine Auszeit: Bassist Larry Gott verließ die Gruppe, Steuerschulden mußten bezahlt werden, einige der Bandmitglieder zogen um, andere suchten sich neue Freundinnen …. Tim Booth nahm derweil eine Platte mit seinem Idol ANGELO BADALAMENTI auf, die im letzten Jahr floppte, weil die Plattenfirma sich weigerte, eine Single zu veröffentlichen – um den Erfolg von JAMES nicht zu gefährden. “Das hört sich bekloppt an und ist es sicher auch”, gesteht Booth, “aber die Plattenfirma war von meiner Kollaboration mit BADALAMENTI sehr irritiert. Jetzt, wo das neue JAMES-Album erscheint, wollen sie es auf einmal promoten.”

“Whiplash”, das inzwischen veröffentlichte achte Album, dürfte über die weitere Karriere entscheiden. Erste Anzeichen lassen Positives hoffen: Die Single “She’s A Star” erreichte die englischen Top 10, und für Lettermans Talkshow wurde die Band auch wieder gebucht. Verdient hätte die Platte den Erfolg. Songs wie “Greenpeace”, “Go To The Bank” und “Play Dead” klingen so, wie man sich U2s “Pop” gewünscht hätte. Zuckelnde Breakbeats, harte Gitarren und Elektro-Bleeps wirken angenehm zeitgemäß, ohne typische JAMES-Charakteristika zu zerstören, und nehmen den Faden des ‘94 unter der Führung BRIAN ENOs entstandenen Experimentalwerks “Wah Wah” wieder auf. Zusammengehalten wird alles von Booths prägnantem Gesang. Die Lieder entbehren nicht einer gehörigen Portion Melancholie und Sehnsucht, und dennoch läßt sich fröhlich das Tanzbein zu ihnen schwingen.

JAMES selbst sind noch unsicher bezüglich des Erfolgs: “Das Gute an dem Durchbruch von OASIS – wie auch immer man sonst zu der Band stehen mag – ist, daß sie Gitarrenmusik in England wieder erfolgreich gemacht haben. Nicht zuletzt durch ihren Erfolg verkaufen Gruppen wie die MANIC STREET PREACHERS oder SUEDE heute mehr Platten als je zuvor. Ob dieser Trend auch eine Auswirkung auf uns haben wird, weiß ich nicht. Bisher wird uns aber mehr Respekt entgegengebracht, als ich erwartet hätte.” An Deutschland wird Booth bei dieser Aussage bestimmt nicht gedacht haben. Mit aller Wahrscheinlichkeit dürfte das hiesige Publikum auch “Whiplash” ignorieren. Schade eigentlich.

JAMES may have to cancel their appearances at T In The Park and V97. Their summer touring schedule was thrown into chaos last week when singer Tim Booth was hospitalised in America with a neck injury. The injury forced the band to cancel their entire US tour just four dates in. Booth injured his neck while dancing onstage at the first date of the band’s North American tour in Vancouver on April 30. He played the next two gigs in pain but had to ‘sit down’ during a gig at Seattle’s King Cat Theater on Saturday (May 3). By the time the group arrived in San Francisco a few days later, Booth was unable to perform at a promotional slot at radio station Live 105 where he was replaced by backing singer Michael Kulas.

Booth was taken to a San Francisco medical clinic where he was put in traction for seven days. James’ spokeswoman told NME: “He’s got a ruptured disc in his neck and it’s pressing on a nerve in his back. A physiotherapist told Tim he wouldn’t be able to perform ever again unless he got horizontal for seven days. He said it would be four to six weeks before he recovered enough to play. They’re really gutted. Ninety per cent of the US dates were sold out. But they’ve been offered some of the Lollapalooza dates and if Tim is well enough they will do that.” She added this would mean the T In The Park and V97 shows would probably have to be cancelled.

JAMES have been forced to pull out of this year’s Glastonbury Festival due to the demands of their Lollapalooza schedule in the US. The band were added to the Lollapalooza bill at the last minute after they had to cancel their earlier North American dates when lead singer Tim Booth badly injured his neck dancing onstage in Vancouver. Lollapalooza’s schedule and Tim’s neck injury had already seen off the band’s appearances at V97 in Chelmsford and Leeds. With Glastonbury scratched, the band’s only UK festival appearance this summer will now be at Reading on August 22, as previously reported in NME.

James release a new single ‘Waltzing Along’, the follow-up to their Number 13 hit ‘Tomorrow’, on Monday (June 23). The track, taken from their Top Ten album ‘Whiplash’, is released on three different CDs featuring a number of new songs including ‘Your Story’, ‘Where You Gonna Run’ and ‘Long To Be Right’. There’s also remixes of the A-side by Skint’s Midfield General and drum’n’bass genius Flytronix. As for Tim’s neck injury, a spokeswoman said: “He’s really got to take it quite easily, but he is on the mend. They’re really looking forward to playing Reading, though.”

This year has witnessed an alarming string of events striking at the very foundations of what makes James special and has done so for the past fourteen years. Here is the case for the prosecution.

Let’s start with the set lists. This isn’t a question of die-hards wanting to hear “What’s the World” or “Hymn from a Village”, it’s about challenging the audience’s expectations, doing something different every night – remember all the times the band have boasted how they tear the set list up each night and start again the next day. You set your own standards in this business.

Tim’s assertion that the band need time to ‘re-learn’ the songs and for Adrian to learn them is weak. If his old “E-Street Band” comparison is true, he’s contradicted himself immediately. Anyone who has heard Adrian play can recognise he could quite easily pick up ten or so ‘old’ songs to allow changing set lists. It wouldn’t be so unusual for James to play new songs either would it?

So what is the issue? Laziness, preoccupation with side projects, management direction to take less risks, who knows? Curiously, the set lists for the curtailed U.S. tour were printed on A4 paper – which is not used in the U.S. The mystery deepens.

Next the 3CD singles – taking the corporate game still further. I’m sure if the singles were packed of high quality new material, fans would have no issue. The real rip-off here are the appalling remixes which make up the third CD (and just how many times are we expected to buy “Come Home”?). It’s like putting an unreleased instrumental on a film soundtrack and expecting fans to fork out £15 to hear it. Now who’s just done that?

Festivals- I would take this opportunity to personally thank whoever made the decision to pull out of V97 and T in the Park on behalf of those people who’ve shelled out hard earned cash for tickets on the premise that James were playing. The good news is Glastonbury’s still on – there’s a single to promote so we can’t cancel that can we? Or we could all spend another £75 to see them at Reading.

If the festival cancellations were due to re- scheduling the U.S. tour this would be understandable. But to do it for a travelling freakshow (Lollapalooza), where real American James fans are charged exorbitant prices to see the band play short sets is beyond the pale. If you really want to crack the States boys, re-schedule the tour as soon as Tim is fit and able and market it properly. The local Seattle. San Francisco and LA listings magazines did not run any features on the band in the lead up to the recent tour and my U.S. friends tell me the marketing of ‘Whiplash” has been conspicuous by its absence. And don’t buy the doing Lollapalooza because the tour was cancelled line, as this was being discussed well before Tim’s injury.

I’d hate to speculate what. or who. is at the heart of this malaise. Is it the 15 year old girls who seem to be appearing backstage at shows? Is it the management? Or is it the band themselves -can they be arsed any more? (Brian Eno’s diary in 1995 states they were not even in the same room together for six months)

It’s just as well they’re still making the best music of anyone on the planet. Otherwise it might be all over. And for Gods sake, let’s not have a “Sit Down (97 Remix)” before the Greatest Hits album please.

What is the case for the Defence ?

James kick off the year with news of a Greatest Hits LP featuring two new songs and a short UK tour.

The album was due to be released before Christmas but was put back because singer Tim Booth was still suffering from the neck injury that caused the band to pull out of their Glastonbury and V97 performances last year.

The album called “Best Of” is released by Fontana on March 23. It is preceded on March 2 by a new single “Destiny”, produced by Ott, who has worked with Embrace, Elastica and Gene.

The single marks a departure for James. “It’s a mad little song about the whole notion of fame and success and the machine”, Booth told NME.

“I’m happy putting out a greatest hits album but it’s all part of the machine so the lyrics to the single highlight that. Watching MTV I get the impression that rock n roll is just as manipulative as any crap game show or chat show”

The album features material spanning from the band’s Factory days to the present and includes the single and another new track “Run Aground”

“It’s about general rock band attitudes to women”, Booth said of Run Aground. “When you’re in a band, you’re offered sex on a plate and you get to see what happens if you take that and if you then try to have a relationship of substance”

James play a handful of dates in April, by which time Booth hopes to be fit again.

“The Lollapalooza tour was hell for me” he said. “I was in a neck brace and in a lot of pain. It’s still not healed. I’m hanging upside down a lot at the moment. I’m gonna start doing some training soon.”

James play Manchester Apollo (April 11), Glasgow Barrowlands (April 13), Doncaster Dome (April 14) and London Brixton Academy (17).

It was not so long ago that Tim Booth of Manchester band James was known as one of the most energetic dancers in rock.

Not for him the slow-motion so-called “live” approach of Liam and Noel Gallagher.

A show by James — who have had 13 top 40 hits in a 12-year career — was always notable for the former Manchester university student’s jerky dancing.

Alas, all that livewire frugging caused a nasty neck injury to the frontman not long after their appearance at the Manchester Apollo last year. The mishap was so serious it cut short their American tour. But the band were determined to play last summer’s Reading Festival, at which the poor chap appeared wearing a neck brace to go with his spangly shirt.

Now James are set to roll again with the charismatic Tim braceless but still bouncing. They’ll take the stage again at the Apollo on April 14 — tickets go on sale today — and doctors have told Tim he’ll have to restrain himself.

“He can dance, he can express himself, but he’ll just have to be careful where his neck is concerned,” says a band insider.

Maybe he should take his own advice from one of the group’s biggest hits — and Sit Down.

British rock act James is set to release their greatest hits at the end of the month.

Titled James: The Best Of, the 18-track album will be released on Mercury in the U.K. and Canada on March 24. As of now there are no plans for a U.S. release. The collection culls the band’s greatest hits from the last 15 years, and features two new songs, “Destiny” and “Run Aground.”

James will follow the release of The Best Of with a short tour of England and Scotland. That road trip will start with a two-night stint at Manchester’sApollo Theatre on April 10 and 11. From there, the band heads to Glasgow’s Barrowlands on April 13, Doncaster’s The Dome on April 14 and London’s Brixton Academy on April 17.

Plans for a new studio album, set for a fall release, are currently in the works.

In related news, Money, a James side project, has started to get a lot of recognition. The techno dance outfit — which does not feature James’ quirky frontman Tim Booth — has been seen performing at various clubs around London.

James are playing a free open-air gig on a barge in Manchester on Wednesday M arch 25, in conjunction with a local radio station.

At about 2pm, the band will pull up on the canalside at Castle Quay, behind Key 103FM’s building in Castlefields, and play a selection of their hits, as featured on their “Best Of” album, which is released on Fontana this week.

Fans are invited to the show, which will be broadcast live on the station after the band have been interviewed.

A crowd of approximately 5,000 is expected, so fans have been requested to make their way there on foot, to avoid traffic congestion.

Möchten Sie sich erinnern? Anfang der 80er. Man selbst sah noch gut aus, zumindest jung. Da gab es viel zu erleben: the years that punk broke (first time), JAMES veröffentlichten in England ihre erste EP ‘What’s The World?’, und in Deutschland übernahm Kohl fast zeitgleich die Schirmherrschaft über dieses und jenes. Liebe, Pop, Politik – alles hängt mit allem zusammen.

Ende der 90er. Punk bricht mal wieder aufs neue, JAMES veröffentlichen gerade eine ‘Best Of’ aus 16 Jahren Bandgeschichte, und mag sein, der Kanzler beweist Ende Herbst weniger Sitzfleisch als die britischen Sophistication-Popper. Denn zu dieser Zeit wird ein komplett neues JAMES-Album erscheinen. Wer will da mithalten? Zumal sich auf der ‘Best Of’-Edition just zwei Stücke befinden, die zum Material ebenjenes neuen Albums gehören, das Sänger Tim Booth sowieso großspurig mit dem Vermerk ‘the best ever’ bedenkt – und er kommt damit durch.

Was ist geschehen, und wie stur muß man sein? JAMES – und das wird speziell in der Retrospektive deutlich – haben eine Vorstellung, wie Musik geht. Der Wiedererkennungswert des catchy Chorus oder der smarten Melodielinie bleibt immer irgendwie gleich, ohne dabei langweilig-auf-Dauer zu meinen, vielmehr bezeugt sich in diesen stabilen Kleinigkeiten der Charakter der Band. Das kann man nicht planen, das ist Teil einer guten Sache. So ist das, und so wird’s immer sein: Synthie-Sounds, offensive Hooks und alles original britisch – schließlich kommt man aus Manchester. Auf der Insel sind sie eine Bank, richtig Starstatus, Super-Pop und mehr, in Deutschland dagegen wirkt ihre Reputation eher mager. Zwar sind Hits wie ‘Sit Down’ wohl irgendwie präsent, aber halt nur irgendwie. Vielleicht haben sie zu selten auf dem alten Kontinent gespielt, was sich, so ist zu hören, auch im Zuge der Neuveröffentlichungen kaum ändern dürfte. Das ist für die Ausgehtypen natürlich ein Reinfall, aber immerhin gibt es am Standort Ende der 90er den Pop-Konsens per Musikfernsehen. Mit Hilfe dieses Mediums kann es mittlerweile auch ohne live-dabei laufen. Vor allem, wenn man bedenkt, wie relevant Pop aus England mal wieder oder weiterhin ist. Außerdem ‘haben wir BritPop mit erfunden’, konstatiert Tim Booth in einer unbescheidenen Direktheit. Stimmt sogar. Kennt man SUEDE, sollte man um JAMES wissen. Oder auch SIMPLE MINDS, OMD und dergleichen, all das findet sich in ihrem Rahmen wieder. Doch wer zahlt ihnen dafür genügend Tribut? Noch nicht genug, also wieder an den Start. Unzählige Krisen, Hits, Musiker-Ab- und Zugänge später wollen sie es erneut probieren. JAMES sind back, remember, ‘the best ever’. Keine Alte-Männer-Attitüde, sondern lediglich das, was sie schon immer meinten und konnten, auf den Punkt gebracht. Das Wissen um zwei Jahrzehnte Popgeschichte und die eigene Historie liefern dabei den Background. Die BritPop-Old-School ist aus dem Lehrerzimmer zurück und verteilt dicke Anoraks an diejenigen, die sich warm anziehen müssen. Dazu wenig Live-Präsenz, aber Funk und Fernsehen. Das reicht.

Although it seems the numbers that matter are the SoundScan sales figures in the United States, James managed to dump Titanic from the top spot on the U.K. charts.

The group’s James: The Best Of sold 60,000 copies during its first week out and nailed the No. 1 spot. The album has already gone gold by Brit standards with more than 50,000 albums sold, according to a spokeswoman for James.

In related news, James frontman Tim Booth will be making his first theatrical performance since leaving Manchester University. Booth will play “Len” in an Edward Bond play titled Saved. The play will run for a month. A spokeswoman for James said since Booth has always enjoyed acting, he may pursue other roles.

Sixteen years after their Manchester formation, James might just be the closest thing we’ve got to an English REM. There’s certainly comparisons between the two bands careers : years of cool cult underground status singing witty little ditties before going through a butterfly-like metamorphosis into international stars; both bands with enigmatic and, occasionally, Messiah-like front men and a fan-base which stretches right across the board.

We often underestimate the size and popularity of Tim Booth and James. Their story is that of a band experiencing the very highs and darkest lows of maturing in public : dodgy record deals leaving them testing drugs in the local hospital to earn rehearsal money, to hitting the Number Two spot with “Sit Down” at the same time providing an anthem (and matching T-shirt) for a million students. But the extent of their success lies beyond one single.

Headline shows with over 30,000 people in attendance, touring the States with Neil Young, being banned from TV for blasphemy, yet attracting a horde of Franciscan monk fans who turned up at gigs claiming they were great. From thriving at the heart of Madchester to selling a million records at the end of the Nineties, recent times have seen James go from strength to strength. So much so, in fact, that recent single “Destiny Calling” (taken from their new singles compilation) is possibly their best yet. Ever the cynical but sharp ones, the single is an ironic stab at the music industry which has dealt them injustices which they battled through to survive. It’s an underdog’s anthem which highlights the band’s outsider element, a position they thrive upon.

With songs this good, James, after all these years, are at their peak, winning new fans and, by golly, playing packed out shows like these. Lovely tunes, too. Go see, go see.

JAMES

Why waste time with bands made up of smokin’ and drinkin’ borstal rejects when there are decent healthy specimens of pop star manhood like James? And you can thank tofu, cheese and carob-flavour malt drinks for that. But surely the pinnacle of each hit-packed night comes with the rendition of Manchester’s all-time favourite Sit Down, a song where – believe it or not – everyone actually sits down.

What about that then?

Manchester Apollo (11 April), Glasgow Barrowlands (13), Doncaster Dome (14), London Brixton Academy (17)

Sixteen years on from their first single, James have reached greatest hits time.

After March’s The Best Of album comes this short tour, where they will allow themselves to be persuaded to play Sit Down just a few more times.

Manchester Apollo (April 11) 0161 273 6921;

Glasgow Barrowfands (13) 0141 339 8383 0141 286 5511;

Doncaster Dome (14) 01302 370 777;

London Brixton Academy (17) 0171 924 9999

JAMES (singer Tim Booth pictured) have replaced SIMPLE MINDS as Main Stage headliners at the Guinness Fleadh in London’s Finsbury Park on Saturday, June 6.

A spokesperson for Guinness Fleadh promoters the Mean Fiddler organisation, says Simple Minds are unable to perform due to what is termed “contractual obligations”. The London Guinness Fleadh will mark the beginning of a busy outdoor festival touring schedule for James throughout Europe. The band recently hit the Number One slot in the UK with their ‘Greatest Hits…’ package.

Canadian Michael Kulas is an official member of the Brit-pop septet James, whose Best Of… album entered the British retail charts at No.1 and has remained in the top 10 for eight weeks. “I just received my first platinum album,” says Kulas excitedly.

Kulas had been hired on a 12-month contract by James last March to play acoustic guitar, percussion and sing back-up for the Whiplash tour. But, a year later, as his contract came to an end and visa came up for renewal, Kulas was “officially inaugurated” into the band as the rhythm guitarist and backing vocalist.

“What that means is I’m actually credited and start writing and playing stuff on the records. Before The Best Of…my role was kind of ambiguous,” says Kulas, speaking on the phone from Dollar, Scotland, a town 45-minutes northeast of Glasgow he has called home since leaving Toronto.

His relationship with James dates back to the early `90s, when he met the band’s guitarist/violinist Saul Davies through a mutual friend. Davies, who had a girlfriend in Toronto at the time, would often get together with Kulas to hack away on their guitars. In 1994, Davies produced and played on Kulas’s solo album, Mosquito.

In the summer of 1996, Kulas played electric guitar and sang on James singer Tim Booth’s solo album, Booth & The Bad Angel, in New York. It worked out so well, that when James reconvened to record Whiplash, he was asked to audition as the utility player for the band’s live show. Within a week of auditioning, he joined James on the David Letterman show, then embarked on a full British tour just days later.

The Peterborough, Ontario-born singer-songwriter, who was once in a band with ex Skid Row metalhead Sebastian Bach, has a few credits in the liner notes of The Best Of and limited-edition live album, for contributing backing vocals on several James songs, but is now fully working on the new studio album.

“We’ve been working on the record since last November,” says Kulas. “But at that point, we had to do two new singles for The Best Of, “Destiny Calling” and “Runaground”. Since that was released in March, we’ve been recording at Real World, Peter Gabriel’s studio, and we’ve got songs ready for the next record, but we still have 24 new songs that aren’t fully worked out. So at the end of it all, we’re going to have about 30 songs to choose from. The album release date is sometime in the fall.”

While it is self-produced, says Kulas, Brian Eno, who has worked with James before on Wah Wah, Laid and Whiplash, might “get involved” with recording the album. Stephen Street, of Blur and Suede fame, is also a possibility. A guy named Ott is mixing it.

Ott has also been engineering Kulas’s new solo project. Between touring and recording with James this summer, Kulas plans to finish the album, which he describes as “the Propellerheads meets the Jam” with huge break-beats.

“I went down last week and did some work with (James keyboardist) Mark (Hunter) in Leeds and I’ve been doing some work here with Saul on and off for the last few months,” says Kulas. “I’m going to take those tapes and go down to Bath this summer and just build on them and then come back and do some more work with who ever is around. When every body has a few days off,” he adds, “the last thing they want to do is get back into the recording studio.”

Meanwhile, James is playing some half-dozen U.K. festivals this summer, including Glastonbury (June 26), and concerts in France and Portugal. Because of the recent No. 1 album, the band is already booked to do a U.K. arena tour in December (5th to 15th).

“It’s a really good renaissance for James,” says Kulas. “The band is cool at the moment, following up on the Verve and Texas who have all had a resurgence from slumps and I think James is at the same point.”

With a swift slide tackle or two James snatched one of rock ‘n’ roll’s most coveted titles away from Blur last weekend in London.

In an embarrassing 7-0 victory, the British sextet defeated reigning champions Blur in the fourth annual “Music Industry Soccer Six” — the sporting match dubbed as a cross between Wembley and Woodstock that has featured famous footballers like Oasis, Pulp, Jamiroquai and the Sneaker Pimps.

Approximately 35,000 fans packed London’s Mile End Stadium last Sunday to watch the U.K.’s most celebrated musicians, their managers and roadies suit up in shin guards and goofy jerseys, and slug it out on the pitch. In a round-robin championship, Blur crushed the Levellers in the quarterfinals and Reef in the semifinals before facing James in the final match. “The Six Ego Have Landed” — featuring Leeroy Thornhill of the Prodigy — fell to the trophy-toting James in the semifinals as well.

This year’s notable participants also include Liam Gallagher, the British alternative group Space, the Top 10 trio Stereophonics and Finlay Quaye.

Last year’s event, which crowned Blur as the winner, raised about 10,000 pounds for the Help a London Child charity, according to Mark Abery of CUP Promotions. This year’s figures have not been tabulated yet.

CUP promotions is also circling the globe on a comical jaunt with heavy metal pioneers Iron Maiden as they battle international soccer teams during an odd promotional tour for their come-back release, Virtual XI, Abery told JAMTV on Thursday. CUP also coordinates Def Leppard’s annual charity soccer match, “Stars Cup,” which pits film, television and music celebrities against each other.

JAMES are to voluntarily cut short their set at Glastonbury Festival this weekend so that the crowd can watch England’s crucial match against Colombia in the World Cup.

The band (singer Tim Booth pictured) will “send themselves off ” during their Friday evening set 20 minutes early so fans at the Pyramid Stage can watch the second half of the game uninterrupted. Glastonbury organiser Michael Eavis told NME: “People seem to be preoccupied with football so we’ll be showing the match in the film field and also the second half will be shown on the Main Stage. The band want to watch it anyway; they’re rather reluctant musicians!”

Tim Booth, £ 500,000

Why?

James’s total of only two million album sales over 15 years plus the amount of band members (six or seven). If calculated as a sixth share, Booth would have £ 1.02m of £ 6.16m revenue but costs and years of hardship have reduced that to nearer £ 500,000.

JAMES have announced a massive December arena tour to round off a very successful year.

The band have also started work on their next album, working once again with Brian Eno, who produced 1993’s ‘Laid’. The forthcoming new LP, which is as-yet untitled, is due out early in 1999. This year the band notched up their first Number One with their ‘Best Of’ album, which has now sold 500,000 copies. The new album will be the follow­ up to last year’s ‘Whiplash’ which went Top Ten.

James play Hereford Leisure Centre (December 4), Birmingham NEG (5), Plymouth Pavilions (7), Newport Centre (8), Brighton Centre (9), London Wembley Arena (11), Manchester Evening News Arena (formerly NYNEX) (12) and Glasgow SECC (14). Support has yet to be confirmed. For tickets call the NME 24-hour ticketline on 0870-1212 500

Radio One roadshow rocks Weston’s sands today (Thursday) with a line-up of top musical talent broadcasting live to the nation.

Indie chart-toppers James (lead singer Tim Booth pictured above), singer Karen Ramirez and success-hungry newcomers Ultra are all booked to appear, with station stalwart DJ Simon Mayo presenting the package. Thousands are expected to pack the beach for the event, which is always one of the best attended roadshows in the country. The whole affair goes on air from 11.30am but DJ Chris Hopkins treats the early-birds to tunes from 10.30am, with things winding up at around 12.30pm.

The 1998 roadshows started in Blackpool on Monday, August 3, and end in Bangor, Northern Ireland on Bank Holiday Monday.

Roadshow manager Richard Greeves said: “We are getting really good crowds. They’re bigger than ever this year.”

Their Greatest Hits album reached Number 1, and their singles continually trouble the charts. but it’s as a live act that James come into their own. Their three-guitars-and­ keyboards sound is large enough to fill these arena venues. they have a massive bank of hits to draw on and frontman Tim Booth’s voice is strong and urgent. And even in amongst the hits set there’s room for a touch of
improvisation to keep proceedings edgy.

Tickets £16. *****
Hereford Leisure Centre, December 4 01432 278778

Binningham NEC, December 5 0127 780 4133

Plymouth Pavilion, December 7 01752 229 922

Newport Centre, December 8 01633 662 666

Brighton Centre, December 9 01273 290 131

London Wembley Arena, December 11 0781 902 0902

Manchester Arena, December 12 0761 834 2700

Glasgow SECC, December 14 0141 287 7777

Destiny Calling

FROM GREATEST HITS (MERCURY)

Fifteen years on from their first single, James’s Greatest Hits album topped the charts, while Destiny Calling demonstrated their new added­ clout sound. Their big-band approach creates
a muscular backdrop as Tim Booth’s ferocious. confident vocal blasts the music industry. complete with what sounds like a dig at manufactured pop bands: ‘She likes the black one, he likes the posh one, cute ones are usually gay…’ Soaring. as ever.

James are currently in the studio with Brian Eno working on their next album. due for release in early 1999. Working song titles include Surprise. I Know What I’m Here For, If Anybody Hurts You and Confusion.

This page lists all news item that were originally published on the James official site Jamestheband.com in 1998 that were lost when the band split in 2001 and the site was later discontinued

Random News From the Tour

18-Dec-98: James new album (not yet titled) should be released in late April/early May, and should be preceeded by the first single sometime in February. Most likely, “I Know What I’m Here For” will get the nod as the first single, though the band plan to return to the studio this week to work on “Fred Astaire”, which they’ve been having trouble getting a suitable studio recording of so far.

A tour of smaller UK venues will follow the album release in May, followed by a European tour, and possibly some co-headlining shows at Stirling Castle with the Stereophonics. Another large venue UK tour is tentatively planned for next December. There are currently no plans to tour the US, because of the costs involved.

There are no plans for a video release at the moment, as the band can’t find deal that would actually allow them to make money. This is also why there was no Best Of video release.

There were tentative plans for former James guitarist Larry Gott to make a guest appearance on stage in Manchester, but apparently some sort of problem with his arm prevented him from doing so. Evidently he’s been joining the band in the studio from time to time, and played on the original jam of new song “I Know What I’m Here For”. Word is, he was in the studio with the band on the day the Best Of went to number 1.

Tim has been offered a few acting roles, but hasn’t agreed to anything. Apparently, one of the offers was for a role in Heartbeat.

Both James side projects – Booth and the Bad Angel and Money are now defunct, as both were considered to be serious obstacles to James. Backing vocalist/guitarist Michael Kulas is continuing to write and demo new solo material, but no release is scheduled in the near future. Meanwhile, Saul’s side project, Celtic Cross, which was released in May, has finally been located in the “dance” section HMV stores across England. It is also available (though expensive) at CD Now. Full details, including the catalogue number, should you need to special order it, are available in the Related Releases Discography.

Tim Takes “Best Newcomer” Award

17-Dec-98: Tim Booth took time out from the tour to attend the Manchester Evening News Performance Awards in Manchester last Wednesday, where he was given the award for “Best Newcomer” for his work in the play Saved, in which he starred earlier this year.

James Wrap Up Tour

15-Dec-98: James finished their UK tour in Glasgow tonight, playing their second show at the SECC to a sold out crowd. By all accounts, the December arena tour, which saw the band playing to crowds ranging from just over 2,000 to just under 15,000 per night, was a great success. In the course of the tour, the band introduced a total of eight new songs from their upcoming album (due out in spring ’99), along with playing a variety of greatest hits and non-Best Of… tracks such as “Johnny Yen”, “Heavens”, “Lost A Friend” and “Top of the World”.

And the Tour Begins

04-Dec-98: James kicked off their tour tonight in Hereford, debuting 4 new songs, and playing “Heavens” and “Top of the World”, in addition to a handful of “Best Of” songs.

This page lists all news item that were originally published on the James official site Jamestheband.com in 1999 that were lost when the band split in 2001 and the site was later discontinued

‘We’re Going To Miss’ You Chart Position

20-Dec-99: The third single off ‘Millionaires’, ‘We’re Going To Miss You’ entered the official UK charts this week at number 48. Meanwhile, on the strength of the band’s recent UK Arena Tour and radio airplay of the single, the album itself re-entered the UK Top 75, coming in at number 66.

‘We’re Going To Miss You’ Midweek Chart Position

16-Dec-99: James latest single, ‘We’re Going To Miss You’, came in at a disapointing number 44 in the UK midweek charts yesterday.

James Night in Manchester

08-Dec-99: J.I.M. (the James Information Mailing List) will once again be sponsoring James Night in Manchester following the gig on Saturday 11th December. Like last year the event will be held at Cyberia at 12 Oxford Rd., Manchester M1 5AN, running from 9pm-2am. As Cyberia is a cybercafe, people who are not able to attend will be able to join in the fun via the chat room on this site. More information about the event is available at the J.I.M. website.

‘We’re Going To Miss You’ Release Date Pushed Back

27-Oct-99, updated 29-Nov-99: The release date for the third single off ‘Millionaires’, ‘We’re Going To Miss You’, has been pushed back until Monday 13th December. The b-sides are as follows:

CD 1: We’re Going To Miss You, Wisdom of the Throat, Top of

the World (live at Embassy Rooms)

CD 2: We’re Going To Miss You, Pocketful of Lemons, We’re

Going To Miss You (Eno’s version)

James to Play Live Set on GLR for Children In Need

25-Nov-99: James will be playing a live set on BBC GLR (94.9) on Friday 26 November, between 10am and 1pm, to support the BBC’s Children In Need Appeal. To benefit the campaign, a live CD-R of the session will be auctioned off, as will the chance to introduce the band live on air.

James to Play Accoustic Set on Radio 1

09-Nov-99: James will be in the studio with Jo Whiley on Wednesday 1st December to play a three-song acoustic set. Whiley’s show is broadcast on Radio 1 between noon and 2pm daily.

James Need Your Help

07-Nov-99: James are looking for t-shirt ideas for the upcoming UK tour. They’re interested in new designs, suggestions on old designs to be re-introduced, or any other general comments or feedback fans might have on likes/dislikes, sizes available, quality, colours, prices, etc. More information is available in the Survey section of the site, and a special T-Shirt Message Board has been set up for you to post your comments and suggestions.

James in Ireland

27-Oct-99: James will be playing two shows at the Olympia Theatre in Dublin, Ireland prior to the start of the December UK arena tour. The first will take place on Monday 29th November, the second the following night, Tuesday 30th November. Ticket details will available shortly.

‘Nevermind the Buzzcocks’ Appearance Postponed

20-Oct-99: Tim’s appearance on the music quiz show ‘Nevermind the Buzzcocks’ has had to be postponed due to the band’s promotional trip to Portugal and Germany this week. It will be rescheduled for some time in November. Details will be posted here as soon as they’re confirmed.

James Radio and TV Appearances in Germany

19-Oct-99: Tim, Saul and Michael will be in Germany this week doing some radio press and TV interviews. On Thursday 21st October they will stopping by Westdeutscher Rundfunk in Cologne for an on-air interview and short acoustic set as part of the radio programme ‘KultKomplex’. They’re scheduled to be on between 21.00 and 22.00h. They’ll folow that on Friday 22nd October with an appearance on MTV’ Berlin’s ‘Live Aus Berlin’ between 15.00 – 17.00h.

James Enter the UK Album Charts at Number 2

17-Oct-99, updated 18-Oct-99: ‘Millionaires’ has entered the UK album charts at number 2, tying ‘Seven’ for the band’s highest placing studio album, second only to the ‘Best Of…’ which topped the charts at number 1 last year. For those who are curious, below is are the highest chart positions for each of James ‘ albums thus far:

Album Highest Chart Position

James: TheBest Of… 1

Millionaires 2

Seven 2

Laid 3

Whiplash 9

Wah Wah 11

Gold Mother 16

Stutter 68

Strip-Mine 90

One Man Clapping —

(data courtesy Vox, April 1998)

James Visit Portugal For Album Release

16-Oct-99, updated 17-Oct-99: James will be appearing at the Valentim de Carvalho Megastores in Libson and Oporto, Portugal, on Monday 18th October, in celebration of the Portuguese release of Millionaires. They’ll stop by the Oporto Megastore for an autograph signing session from approximately 3pm, before moving on to the Lisbson location to play a short showcase set at approximately 6pm.

Millionaires Release Details Outside the UK

14-Oct-99: A number of people have been asking about the availability of the Limited Edition, double cd version of ‘Millionaires’ outside the UK. It will be released in limited quantities in Germany, but people outside the UK and Germany who want the limited edition version will need to order it on import. Check the Where To Buy section of this site for a list of shops that stock the limited edition (or will soon), or ask your local importer to order you a copy. As a reminder, ‘Millionaires’ is released worldwide, with the exception of the U.S. and Canada, on Monday 18th October. Unfortunately, there is no news to report yet on a possible U.S. or Canadian release, but we promise to keep you posted.

Millionaires Midweek Chart Position

13-Oct-99: ‘Millionaires’ is listed at number 2 in the UK midweek album charts! If you haven’t bought it yet, what are you waiting for? 😉

James To Play Top of the Pops

12-Oct-99: James will record a performance of ‘Feel Like Fred Astaire’ for Top of the Pops tomorrow. The show will air on Friday 15th October at 7:30pm and again on Sunday 17th October at 2:10am on BBC1. The band follows TOTP with an already-recorded appearance on Later with Jools Holland on Saturday 16th October, during which they will perform a handful of live songs. On Friday, 22nd October, Tim will be a guest on the music quiz show Never Mind the Buzzcocks. Check the TV & Radio section for stations and times.

‘Millionaires’ Released Today!

11-Oct-99: James latest album, ‘Millionaires’ is released today, Monday 11th October in the UK. To celebrate the release the band will be up bright and early for an appearance on Channel 4’s Big Breakfast. They’ll follow that up with a very special, small venue show at London’s Embassy Rooms later in the evening. For more information on the new album, visit the Millionaires section of this site. Once you’ve run out and bought your copy, drop by the message board to let others know what you think.

‘Feel Like Fred Astaire’ Enters Charts at Number 17

10-Oct-99: James latest single, ‘Just Like Fred Astaire’ debuted on the UK Top 40 at number 17 this week.

‘Feel Like Fred Astaire’ at Number 13 in Midweek Charts

07-Oct-99: ‘Feel Like Fred Astaire’, the second single off ‘Millionaires’, was listed at number 13 in the midweek UK sales charts on Wednesday. The official Top 40 charts will be announced Sunday at 7pm UK time, or you can listen to the Top 40 countdown beginning at 4pm on Radio 1.

James Play London Gig to Celebrate Album Release

04-Oct-99: James will be playing a small gig at Embassy Rooms on Tottenham Court Road in London on 11th October, the day ‘Millionaires’ is released. Tickets will be £16 in advance (subject to booking fee). Tickets are available from:

Stargreen (0171 734 8932)

Ticketmaster (0171 344 4444)

Wayahead (0115 912 9000)

Or, you can win a pair of tickets, by visiting the Millionaires section of this site.

‘Millionaires’ Limited Editon Double CD

30-Sep-99: In addition to the regular release of ‘Millionaires’, there will also be a limited edition double cd version, comprised primarily of live material from this summer’s festivals. The track listing for the second cd is as follows:

1. I know what I’m here for (Live at Guilford)
2. Crash (Live at Guilford)
3. Destiny Calling (Live at T in the Park)
4. Someon’s got it in for me (Live at Guilford)
5. Just Like Fred Astaire (Live at the Lighthouse, Glasgow)
6. I know what I’m here for (Enhanced with Video)
7. Fred Astaire (Enhanced with video)

‘Millionaires’ “Launch Nights” Scheduled Around the UK

24-Sep-99: Approximately thirty “Launch Nights” have been scheduled throughout the UK in the week leading up to the release of ‘Millionaires’. The events will give fans the opportunity to hear the new album in its entirety prior to the official release, as well as win tons of promotional items. For a full list of all the venues and locations, click here.

James Play Secret Show in Glasgow

15-Sep-99: James played a very secret, very small, invite-only acoustic gig in Glasgow last night, September 14th. The crowd consisted of approximately 200 music industry folks, friends, and families. The thirteen song acoustic set was recorded to be released at a later date. Included in the set list were: Lullaby, Lose Control, Feel Like Fred Astaire, She’s A Star, Strangers, We’re Going to Miss You, Someone’s Got It In For Me, Destiny Calling, Laid, I Know What I’m Here For, What For, Sit Down and Out To Get You.

James to Play Shows for Album Release

15-Sep-99: James will be playing a small club date at the University of East Anglia, Norwich on Sunday, October 10th to celebrate the launch of ‘Millionaires’. Tickets are £16 and are available on 01603-508050. There is also the possibility of a second club date in West London on the day of the release, October 11th. The show hasn’t yet been confirmed, and no details are available yet on the venue, but it will be “something special”. In the event that the show goes off as planned, you can win a pair of tickets here.

Sinead O’Connor on ‘Just Like Fred Astaire’ B-side

14-Sep-99: One of the B-sides from the upcoming single, ‘Just Like Fred Astaire’, will be an “amazing” duet with Sinead O’Connor. According to Tim, the track should have been on the album, and could very easily stand up on its own as a single. Apparently, the band have made a concerted effort to provide quality B-sides for the ‘Millionaires’ singles, as a result of criticism over the past couple yearsfrom people who felt they were being ripped off by being charged for singles with re-releases and remixes as the B-sides. ‘Just like Fred Astaire’ will be released in two parts on 4th October in the UK. The track listing is as follows:

CD 1: 1.Just Like Fred Astaire, I Defeat, Long To See

CD 2: Just Like Fred Astaire (with video), Mary, Goal Goal Goal

‘Just Like Fred Astaire’ A-Listed on Radio 1

12-Sep-99: James’ next single, ‘Just Like Fred Astaire’ is currently on the Radio 1 A List, which means it’ll be getting tons of airtime. Radio 1 is now broadcast live via the ‘net, so those outside the UK looking to hear the single can have a listen at Radio 1 website. Other stations playing the single which broadcast on the web are London’s Xfm and, believe it or not, Santa Monica, California’s KCRW. DJ Nic Harcourt has been playing it on his show, Morning Becomes Eclectic, which is on the air weekdays from 9am to noon and broadcast live on the ‘net and again from 4-7pm and 2-5am local time.

‘Millionaires’ Release Update

29-Aug-99: According to their management, James’ new album, ‘Millionaires’, is now scheduled for release on October 11th in the UK. Unfortunately, the band haven’t had any luck finding a label in the states to release it yet, so there is no US release scheduled at this time.

James to Play Free Gig in Manchester

27-Aug-99: James have been added to the bill at a free gig sponsored by Radio 1. Radio 1 Live in Manchester will be held on Sunday 12th September in Heaton Park, Manchester. Tickets are free, but you have to win them from Radio 1. Other acts on the bill include Mel C, Supergrass and All Saints, with more big names to join the bill in the coming weeks. See the Radio 1 website or listen to Radio 1 for more information.

James to Play Radio 1 Roadshow

16-Aug-99: James will be playing the Radio 1 Roadshow at Stewart Park, Middlesborough on Monday 23 August. Also on the bill is Martine McCutcheon. For more information, visit Radio 1 on the web, or call the Radio 1 concert line on 08700 100 100.

James Set at Lizard Not Included in Web Cast

11-Aug-99: James set at the Lizard Eclipse Festival was not included in the Lizard web cast yesterday due to objections from their label, Mercury Records. Apparently, Mercury refused to grant Lizard permission to broadcast James’ performance via the internet. Here is the response given when people wrote to Lizard to complain about James set not being shown, despite the fact that it was listed on the schedule:

Unfortunately the record label for James refused permission to broadcast their performance live on the Internet, they gave us no reasons, and did not care about the fans and the publicity involved. We were very disappointed but we did everything we could to try and broadcast them, I am very sorry if this caused you disappointment, I’m sure that other fans were also disappointed with the record label’s decision.

Lizard Eclipse Web Cast Reminder

15-Jun-99, updated 10-Aug-99: James will be headlining the main stage at the Lizard Eclipse Festival, being held at Goonhilly Downs, Lizard Peninsula, Cornwall, on Tuesday, 10 August. The festival, which is being touted as ‘The planet’s ultimate eclipse celebration’, is being held in celebration of the last total eclipse of the sun this millennium, which will take place at the 11th minute of the 11th hour on the 11th of August. Tickets are still available through the box office on 0870 125 2959. Those not able to make it to the festival will be able to watch the entire event via the web, as it will be webcast live by livereality.com.

James Impress at Blackpool and Guildford

29-Jul-99, updated 07-Aug-99: James played a spectacular sold out show at the Tower Ballroom in Blackpool last Friday night, where they delighted the crowd by playing all the hits plus a handful of songs off the new album, including the current single ‘I Know What I’m Here For’, complete with three PVC-clad dancers crowding the stage, and the forthcoming single, ‘Feel Like Fred Astaire’. Other new songs included ‘Crash’, ‘Someone’s Got It In For Me’, and ‘If Anybody Hurts You’, all of which sounded brilliant and garnered a great reaction from the crowd.

The band made a grand entrance, as Mark rose up through the floor of the stage playing the opening strains of ‘Laid’ on the Ballroom’s famous Wurlitzer organ, and the set continued to build as the band moved effortlessly from the old favorites to the new tracks off ‘Millionaires’. They capped of the show with a rousing rendition of ‘Sit Down’, puncuated by a shower of balloons and confetti falling from the rafters. Afterwards, even the band agreed that the show was one of the best, if not the very best, they’d ever played.

The support band for the night were Manchester band ‘Exit 52’, who are made up of two of Jim’s brothers — Dave Glennie on lead vocals and Pete Glennie on lead guitar. Find out more about them at their web site: http://www.wirespider.demon.co.uk/.

Earlier in the afternoon the band held an record signing at the Virgin Megastore in Blackpool, where they spent nearly two hours signing autographs, chatting with fans, and posing for pictures. The band arrived in a custom detailed ‘James’ Roll Royce, pictured to the right.

James continued their successful weekend with a fantastic headlining set at the Guildford Festival on Saturday night, where they again played a near flawless set, again impressing the crowd with well-known favorites and the same selection of new songs as was played in Blackpool. They topped off the night off with an extended version of ‘Sit Down’, during which, at Saul’s direction, the entire crowd sat down.

Perhaps the only disapointment of the weekend came on Sunday night, when the official UK singles charts were announced, with James current single, ‘I Know What I’m Here For’, topping out at a disapointing number 22, despite a tremendous amount of airplay over the past few weeks. The single plummeted to number 39 in its second week on the charts.

Next Single Due in September, ‘Millionaires’ by October 4th

29-Jul-99: James next single, ‘Just Like Fred Astaire’, is tentatively scheduled for release on September 27th. The single, previously known simply as ‘Fred Astaire’, garnered the band quite a bit of coverage in the press recently when it was revealed that the estate of Hollywood legend Fred Astaire was threatening to sue the band if they did not change the title. The band had originally approached the estate seeking permission to use footage of the legendary entertainer in the video for the single, only to be threatened with legal action if they released the song with the original title.

New Album, ‘Millionaires’, Set for October Release

29-Jun-99, updated 29-Jul-99: James’ new album, ‘Millionaires’ is tentaively scheduled for release on October 11th and features contributions from Sinead O’Connor, who lends vocals on ‘Vervacous’, and Faithless, who produced the song ‘Afro Lover’. The album itself was produced in part by Brian Eno, with Steve Osborne, Ben Fenner, and Dave Bascombe also filling various production roles. It has already been voted number 1 new album by Music Week, a British trade paper, and is being widely acclaimed as the band’s best album to date.

James’ Status in the US

27-Jul-99: Numerous people have been asking about the US release date for the new singles and album, and unfortunately, the bad news is that James were dropped by the US arm of Mercury following the North American release of the Best Of, and currently do not have a record deal in the US. As a result, there is no US release date scheduled for either the singles or the new album at this time. However, the band are in the process of trying to re-negotiate a deal with Mercury or to find another label that would be willing to sign them to a US contract. More information on James’ status in the US will be posted here as it becomes available.

‘I Know What I’m Here For’ Released July 19th

29-Jun-99, updated 19-Jul-99: James new single, ‘I Know What I’m Here For’ will be released in the UK today, July 19th. It will be released in two parts:

CD 1: I Know What I’m Here For, All Good Boys, Imagine

Ourselves

CD 2: I Know What I’m Here For, Downstairs, Stolen Horses

The single has been getting a great deal of air time on UK radio, and has been on the Radio 1 A-list for the past few weeks now.

December Arena Tour Dates Announced

12-Jul-99: According to the postcard sent out to promote the new single, ‘I Know What I’m Here For’, James will be playing a short UK arena tour in December, similar to the one they played last year. For a full list of dates, see the tour dates page.

Blackpool Warm-Up, Portuguese Festival Added

27-Jun-99: James have scheduled a warm-up gig for the day before they headline the Guildford Festival, at the Tower Ballroom in Blackpool on Friday, July 23rd. Tickets are £16.00 and are available by calling 01618 321111. Also added to the list of summer dates is the Festival Sudoeste, in Zambujeira do Mar, Portugal on 8th August.

News on the New Album & Single

03-May-99, updated 11-Jun-99: James’ new album is finished, and the tentative release date for the first single, ‘I Know What I’m Here For’, is July 19th. The single will be debuted on Radio 1 during Jo Whiley’s show on Monday, May 24th, sometime between the hours of noon and 2pm. The second single, ‘Fred Astaire’, should be released in mid-August, and will be followed by the new album, titled ‘Millionares’, in early September. A UK tour is tentatively being planned for December.

Liverpool Warm-up Announced

04-Jun-99: According to the Liverpool Echo, James will be playing at the L2 Club in Liverpool on Friday 9th July. The show is scheduled to start at 8:15pm and tickets are £13.50 (subject to booking fee). Tickets can be ordered through the box office by calling 0151 709 4321 or via credit card at 0151 256 5555.

Soccer Six Update

23-May-99: Due to scheduling conflicts, James have had to pull out of this year’s Soccer Six Tournament. Instead, they’ll be heading to France for a photo shoot for album and promo photos.

Tim Booth to Appear at Bolton Octagon

02-May-99, updated 15-May-99: Tim Booth will be appearing at a benefit for at the Bolton Octagon on Sunday, May 16th at 7:30pm. The theatre, which played host to the play Saved last May, in which Tim starred, is facing financial difficulties and may be forced to shut down . The benefit will also include appearances by comedians Peter Kaye and Smug Roberts, actor/folk singer Bernard Wrigley, and poet Hovis Presley. Tim will top off the night with a 30 minute acoustic set including songs from the new James album. More information and tickets (£12.50) are available by calling 01204 520661.

James in Germany

11-May-99: James will be playing the Halderner Open Air festival, in Rees-Haldern, Germany, on August 6-7, 1999. This will apparently be James only appearance this summer in Germany. Tickets are available on 02553 98056. More information can be found at http://www.haldern-pop.de/.

James to Headline Guildford Festival

22-Apr-99: James will be the main stage headliners at the Guildford Festival, on Saturday 24th July. Other main stage acts include Jools Holland, Ian Dury and Bob Geldof on Friday and the Saw Doctors, Shane Macgowan and Bjorn Again. Three day tickets cost £52, Friday tickets, £18, Saturday tickets, £27, Sunday tickets, £25 and camping (per tent) is £20. Tickets are available at (01483) 454159. More information is available at the Guildford Live Music Festival web site.

New Album Release Delayed

10-Mar-99, updated 11-Apr-99: The release of James’ new album has been pushed back until September, and possibly even later. The latest delay is due in part to producer/mixer Chris Potter’s decision to work on Richard Ashcroft’s new solo album instead. The album is currently slated for a September release, but that will depend on who is chosen to replace Potter, and what their schedule is. Two singles are tentatively planned for release prior to the album, the first sometime in May/June, and the second around July, though no release dates have been set as yet.

It is likely that James’ only UK festival appearance this summer will be at T in the Park, in Balado, Scotland, where they will be third on the bill on Sunday, July 11th. The band have decided to concentrate on playing more European festivals this summer, instead of the usual UK ones, since they played most of them last summer, and prefer to wait until after they’ve got a new album out before playing them again. They hope to introduce a few more new songs into the set list at the European festivals, which will form the basis for another tentative UK tour in December.

New Album & Single News

11-Apr-99: James next album is being mixed this week and is still on schedule for a September release. Most of the mixing will be done by Dave Bascombe, who mixed the 1990 release of Sit Down, and has worked with bands such as Depeche Mode, Erasure, Lightning Seeds, Suede, and Placebo, just to name a few. Saul and Mark will be mixing the rest with Ben Fenner, who mixed most of Laid and has worked with the likes of David Bowie, Laurie Anderson, and The Cranberries. The first single will be released to radio at the end of May, with release to the public coming at the end of June. The second single will come out roughly a month or so after that. Which songs will be released as singles won’t be decided until after mixing is completed.

James Lyrics To Be Auctioned For Charity

06-Mar-99: James have donated the lyrics for “Sit Down”, written on a chair, to an upcoming charity auction. The auction, to be held on March 22 at London’s Sound Republic Club, is part of the Hits Under the Hammer campaign, which will raise money for children’s charities Nordoff-Robbins Music Therapy and Norwood Ravenswood. Other high-profile artists who have donated lyrics for the event include the Spice Girls, Madonna, Alanis Morissette, the Rolling Stones, Elton John, and Eric Clapton, among others. Ticket information and further details are available by calling 44-181-420-6849 (fax 44-181-420-6800). An internet auction of an additional 170 items will be open for two weeks starting March 15 at the Interactive Collector site. More information on both events is available from Billboard.

James To Defend Their Title at Soccer Six

01-Mar-99: James will return to the Music Industry Soccer Six this year to defend the championship title they captured last year by defeating Blur in the finals. This year’s event will be held at Stamford Bridge, the home of Chelsea Football Club, on Sunday, 29th May, 1999. Confirmed participants in this year’s event include Robbie Williams, Simply Red, Damon Albarn, The Levellers, and Bush, with more stars added daily. More information, including photos of Saul’s fine treatment of last year’s trophy (now “retired”), is available from Cup Promotions, the official sponsor of the Music Industry Soccer Six tournament. Tickets are now on sale at the venue and through First Call and TicketWeb. Listen to Capital FM or check the sites above for the latest tournament news and ticket information.

New Album and Single Release

11-Feb-99: James’ new album is finished, but will not be released until August, with two singles preceeding its release. One of the two singles will definitely be “I Know What I’m Here For”, and the first could come out as early as April, although no date has been set.

Tim on Faith and Music

23-Jan-99: Lead singer Tim Booth will be featured on the UK television show Faith and Music tomorrow, Sunday, at 11:45pm. The blurb for this week’s show reads:

Series in which musicians discuss their spiritual beliefs. This programme features the lead singer of pop group James, Tim Booth, who discusses his quest for enlightenment and a true relationship with his God.

The show can be seen on most ITV stations. Check ITV Online for local listings.

THE GUITAR’S THE STAR by Adrian Clark

Manchester’s trend-bucking off-spring, James, aren’t adverse to a bit of bottle…

DESPITE HAILING FROM MANCHESTER, James have never really slotted into the ‘Manchester band’ mould. During their first flush of success in the late 80s, they sounded nothing like the trendy ‘Madchester’ bands, such as the lnspiral Carpets and the Stone Roses. Ten years later, James are still going strong, but guess what – they sound nothing like Oasis! Part of their appeal lies in the fact that they’ve always staunchly refused to follow trends, which may explain why they’ve never achieved fame on a huge level – the general public, it seems, just can’t cope with a bit of originality.

Anyway, to fit in with our slide theme this month, I’ve decided to transcribe the lead guitar part from the song She’s a Star, which can be found on the ‘James: The Best Of ‘compilation. This sort of thing would be a good introduction to non-blues slide – it’s reasonably easy, not least because you can play the whole thing on one string! In the transcription below, you’ll see that I’ve placed the part on the third (G) string, but it’s s just as easy on the second (B) string – just move every note down by four frets.

One possible reason for using the G string is that, if your guitar has quite light-gauge strings and low action, the G string provides a little extra resistance to prevent the slide rattling against the frets. For more info check out the Introduction To Slide on page 140…

Theory-wise, the underlying chords are G, Gmaj7 (F# bass), Cadd9 and D. These chords all derive from the G major scale (G A B C D E F# G) and if you scan through the slide part, you’ll see that all of the melody notes do indeed come from that scale. It’s very easy to map out a scale fingering when you’re only dealing with one string at a time, so why not figure out where all of the G major scale’s notes lie on either the B or G string, and then use your new-found slide expertise to improvise some melodies of your own?

You can always use the backing track on the CD. Have a thoroughly slippery month and I’ll see you next issue.

This song appears in James: Whiplash- Guitar Tab. Order no. AM944009, published by Music Sales Ltd. and is available from your local music shop or directly from Music Sales Ltd, Distribution Centre, Newmarket Road, Bury St Edmunds, Suffolk IP33 3YB. Tel: 01284 725725. Visit the Internet Music Shop at www.musicinprint.com

GUITARIST • MARCH 1999

JAMES return with a new single on July 19 called ‘I Know What I’m Here For’, the first to be taken from their eighth album ‘Millionaires’, the follow up to last year’s ‘Greatest Hits’ album.

James headline their first shows since last year’s arena tour at T In The Park on Sunday July 11, before headlining at the Guildford Festival (July 24) and then the Lizard Eclipse Festival (August 11 – 14).

The band’s new album is released in September and will be accompanied by a second single called ‘Fred Astaire’.

JAMES are to play a one-off gig at Blackpool Tower Ballroom as a ‘seaside summer special’ to celebrate the release of their new single.

As reported yesterday on nme.com, ‘I Know What I’m Here For’ is out on July 19, backed over two formats with other new tracks ‘All Good Boys’, ‘Imagine Ourselves’, ‘Downstairs’ and ‘Stolen Horses’.

They play the legendary Blackpool venue – famed for gigs by The Stone Roses and Happy Mondays – on July 23, the day before their appearance at the Guildford Festival.

JAMES have turned once again to Brian Eno to produce the follow-up to 1997’s ‘Whiplash’, Music365 can reveal.

Due for release on Fontana in September, ‘Millionaires’ sees the band working with Eno for the first time since 1993’s ‘Laid’. Already being acclaimed by insiders as “the best album of their 16-year-long career”, ‘Millionaires’ also features contributions from Sinead O’Connor and Jamie Catto from Faithless.

The full tracklisting is: ‘Surprise’, ‘Fred Astaire’, ‘I Know What I’m Here For’, ‘Afro Lover’, ‘If Anybody Hurts You’, ‘Strangers’, ‘Someone’s Got It In 4 Me’, ‘Crash’, ‘Dumb Jam’, ‘Hello’ and ‘Vervacious’.

The album comes on the back of an unexpected new peak in the band’s fortunes generated by the success of 1998’s ‘The Best Of James’ compilation which gave them their first ever Number One album. “We were aware that last year’s success had created an expectation of this record,” says guitarist Saul Davies. “The songs were written just as that was kicking off and it generated a lot of energy. I think we struck a really good balance between being commercial and being interesting and different. We derived enormous encouragement just from Brian Eno being there.”

The first single, ‘I Know What I’m Here For’ is released in late July and will be followed by ‘Fred Astaire’, described as the album’s key track and “the best love song the band has ever written”. The band will unveil material from the new album at the Guildford Festival on July 24. James also appear on TFI Friday on July 2.

British indie band James have a new slick promo from post-production company, Glassworks. It accompanies their latest single, ‘I Know What I’m Here For’ (out on Mercury Records) and features the band and five dancers turning from 3D to 2D amidst bizarre kaleidoscopic effects. Glassworks’ Flame operator Jonny Hicks worked closely with the director, Academy’s David Mould to create the futuristic environment.

“The director asked me if I could create a modern version of Victorian paper theatre, with the characters sliding in and out.” says Hicks.

The band and dancers were shot against a green screen, but when they were put into the proposed textured background they looked too small. In the end the team opted for super futuristic shapes.”

The estate of the legendary actor, Fred Astaire are none too pleased that James want to release a track in his honour. The band have released their latest track, ‘I Know What I’m Here For’, this week, but are keen to follow it with an ode to the late great Mr Astaire.

“We’ve heard from the Fred Astaire estate that if we call it ‘Fred Astaire’ we may suffer the legal consequences”, Tim and Saul explained to Radio 1.

“It’s a love song. It’s about a man who goes to the doctor with a bad temperature feeling really ill and really has all the symptoms of being blindly in love”, say the lads. “We approached them (the estate), we tried to get footage for the video and they were like ‘under no circumstances would we allow the name of the great Fred to be linked with a snotty band of four men from Oxford playing pop music in England. We know all about your type’.”

James play a sold-out show at the Empress Ballroom in Blackpool this Friday ahead of their headline appearance at the Guildford Festival on Saturday: “We’ve been told it’s a nice quiet family festival. People I know that have been say it’s like wonderful, really nice, low-key, you know, very easy-going.”

JAMES have announced that they’ll play an arena tour of the UK at the end of the year.

The dates are: Brighton Centre (December 4), Birmingham NEC (5), Cardiff International Arena (6), Newcastle Arena (8), Glasgow SECC (9), Manchester Evening News Arena (11) and Wembley Arena (12). Tickets are priced £17.50.

In the meantime, you can catch James at the Lizard Eclipse Festival at Rosuic Common on Goonhilly Downs.

The band’s latest single, “I Know What I’m Here For”, which is out now, is taken from their forthcoming eighth studio album, “Millionaires”, which will be released through Mercury on October 11.

The album’s second single, originally entitled “Fred Astaire”, has had to be renamed. The band’s record company legal department suggested the reference to the legendary dancer could cause legal problems. The single is planned for release on September 27 and is now called “Just Like Fred Astaire”.

JAMES release a new single, ‘Just Like Fred Astaire’, on September 27 through Mercury.

It is the second single from the band’s next album, ‘Millionaires’, released on October 11. James have also announced a major UK arena tour for December. The band play Brighton Centre (December 4), Birmingham NEC (5), Cardiff International Arena (6), Newcastle Arena (8), Glasgow SECC (9), Manchester Evening News Arena (11) and London Wembley Arena (12).

Tim Booth, Sänger von James, sieht schön jugendlich aus. Damit war nicht unbedingt zu rechnen. Schließlich datiert die erste James-Veröffentlichung aus dem Jahre 1983. Und trotz knapp 17 Jahren Show-Biz trägt Tim nur einige interessante Linien im Gesicht. Einzig der Kampfanzug, den er trägt, scheint darauf zu verweisen, daß hier gerade ein Unwetter-erprobter Dauer-Künstler Platz genommen hat. Oder ein Vietnam-Veteran.

Der Tarnanzug paßt zu überhaupt nichts – außer zu der olivgrünen Kappe auf Tims Kopf. Denn die Devise von James lautet auch noch kurz vor 2000: „Pomp-Pop with guitar will never die!’ Und zu solch einem Statement wird gewöhnlich eher Bundfalte getragen oder ein geil exaltiertes Hemd. Aber – und das wird im Gespräch mit Tim schnell klar – James dürfen alles. Nicht schlechter Erziehung halber, nein, sie haben es sich verdient. Selfmade-Popstars aus Großbritannien. Aber so was von selfmade. Es war 1989, als sie ihre damalige Plattenfirma verließen, aus Stolz und Überzeugung, um hernach wissentlich mit nichts, wirklich nichts dazustehen. Doch der Wiederaufstieg folgte prompt. Pop machen und tough sein. So konnte es weitergehen, so ging es weiter. Und die unstraighte Vita ist das, was übrigbleibt. Popistische und britische Unbescheidenheit ritt die Band nun bei der Namenswahl ihres neuen Longplayers: „Millionaires’ – schön wär’s. Klassisch ist dieses Album geworden, ohne anachronistische Widersprüche oder Altersweisheit rauszuhauen. Aber vor allem ist es irgendwie Comeback. Denn nach Grübelphasen und der „Lollapalooza’-Tour in den USA sah es aus, als wär’s das gewesen. Gerade auch wegen Tims schwerer Nackenwirbelverletzung on stage. Vor Jahren. Touring, der ewige Feind von James, schien das übergelaufene Faß endgültig umgestoßen zu haben. Doch nun „Millionaires’ – nachdem bereits auf der „Best Of’ letztes Jahr zwei neue Stücke Grund zum Hoffen gegeben hatten. Und „das ist keine Episode, es ist definitiv ein Neuanfang.’ „Meßt sie an ihren Taten’, ruft es vom Himmel. Okay: bestes Zeichen für back in the ring ist die Nummer, daß James wieder auf dem europäischen Festland, gar Deutschland, spielten und spielen werden. Etwas, das seit sieben Jahren nicht mehr geschah und auch der konkrete Punkt ist, warum die Band hier und dort alle irgendwie nur halb kennen. Den Anfang vom Neuanfang machte das diesjährige „Haldern Open-Air’, wo James vom Publikum aufgenommen wurden wie der sprichwörtlich verlorene Sohn. Einfach schön, ihn wiederzuhaben. Daß er dann noch vorgibt, Millionär zu sein, ist doch nur die sexy Sahnehaube. Denn klar, James haben den Pop nicht neu erfunden, ignorieren im Gegenteil eher die eine oder andere Erfindung, aber sie kommen von einer wahnsinnig langen, beschwerlichen Reise, und da dürfen sie ruhig mal ein wenig prahlen. Hauptsache, sie sind zurück. Und gesund.

James have run into problems with legendary dancer Fred Astaire’s estate over the title of their next single.

The group were set to release a tune called Fred Astaire but have been forced to rename it.

A band spokesman said “Fred’s name is a trademark so the boys can’t use it purely on its own.” The track has now been retitled Just Like Fred Astaire.

Chris Cooke looks back at the epic career of James as they release their twelfth album

IT’S HARD to believe that it was in 1990 that a young band by the name of James played an impromptu gig on the roof of Manchester radio station Piccadilly Key 103. “Who’s this James guy?” many a Mancunion asked that day as ‘Come Home’ blared out across the City. Nearly ten years later, however, few can still be unsure of the identity of Tim Booth’s band.

Actually, James have been on the go since 1983. In their early days they were championed as ‘the best band in the world’ by Mo rrissey and soon found themselves touring with the Smiths and becoming favourites at the infamous Manchester club Hacienda. They spent the eighties with a label know as Sire Records where they developed that distinctive James sound but received little lab el support, and pretty much no financial reward for their efforts.

They left Sire behind in 1989 and by selling themselves as human guinea pigs in medical tests at a local hospital managed to raise the cash to record ‘One Man Clapping’ – a fine live album which, despite featuring an early version of nineties anthem ‘Sit Down’ was described by distributors Rough Trade as ‘minority music with no commercial appeal’. But credit where it’s due – it was with Rough Trade’s support that ‘ Gold Mother’ – the album which made the band – was recorded. Once a deal had been struck with major label Fontana, who released ‘Gold Mother’, the James story with which we’re more familiar began.

After an eight year wait the release of ‘Sit Down’ was timed to perfection. With the Stone Roses and Happy Mondays dominating the music scene all eyes were on Madchester for saviours for British rock music, and so the mainstream eye fell on Booth and the boys, and so ‘Sit Down’ became an indie club anthem the country over.

Albums ‘Seven’ and ‘Laid’ followed in 1992 and 1993 respectively – the latter selling well Stateside despite the slow uptake of the Manchester scene across the Atlantic. Then it all went wrong.

The departure, in 1995, of guitarist Larry Gott and manager Martine, leading to a two year absence, gave the impression James has called it a day. An impression strengthened when Booth released a solo project.

But, despite the odds, in 1997 the band returned, with a new guitarist and the boldly melodic ‘Whiplash’ – a surprise return from which both ‘She’s A Star’ and ‘Tomorrow’ achieved single success, the former nearly equalling ‘ Sit Down’ in anthem status. Safely back on stream James released their greatest hits last year, and album which successfully kept the Titanic soundtrack off the top of the album chart in oscar week.

And so to the new album release ‘Millionaires’. Co-produced by Brian Eno, who last worked with the band on ‘Laid’, the album offers a sumptuous set of songs, fully accessible yet encouragingly complex.

“We were aware that last year’s success had created an expectation of this record,” says guitarist Saul Davies, ” The songs were written just as the Best Of album was kicking off and it generated a lot of energy. I think we struck a really good balance between being commercial and being interesting and different.”

“The optimism of last year did give the band a real lift,” Tim adds. “But there were a lot of problems and conflicts at the same time which hadn’t been resolved. This album was made on the back of a mixture of things – the highs and those tensions both feature here. I really believe this is the best album we have ever made”.

While Madchester brought James to the limelight they were never truly part of the Manchester thing. In retrospect that individuality gave the band a longevity that could overcome the fickle nature of rock ‘n’ roll.

“When we made ‘Laid’ we got laid.” Tim explains. “When we made ‘Whiplash’, I got whiplash. This is the best album we have ever done, so we liked the name ‘Millionaires'”

So, assuming you find yourself ridiculous, sit down with Tim Booth and enjoy the next decade of James.

James’ new album ‘Millionaires’ is out now on Mercury

“SURPRISE” habla sobre un amigo de Tim que parecía estar al borde del suicidio, aunque también es una alegoría de la banda y una respuesta a aquellos que los rechazaron en algún momento.

“JUST LIKE FRED ASTAIRE”es una de nuestras mejores baladas. “Estoy completamente enamorado pero también me acompaña ese sentimiento de vergüenza tan característico en los ingleses. De eso se trata esta canción” dice Tim Booth.

“WE’RE GOING TO MISS YOU” es un amuleto de la suerte, “Hay gente que me ha deseado el mal y hay quienes me han echado el mal de ojo. Esta canción es un escudo”. (Tim)

Muchas de las canciones surgieron de palomazos, una forma muy tradicional para una banda que le guste estar cerca de los instintos primarios.

“HELLO” es una canción intuitiva con letras improvisadas que según Tim ni él entiende.

“VERVACEOUS” también nació de un palomazo antes que Sinead O’ Connor fuera invitada para agregar su hipnótica voz.

Jamie Catto de Faithless ayudó en “SOMEONE’S GOT IT IN FOR ME” (cuya traducción no sería “Alguien lo tiene adentro para mí”) y en “AFRO LOVER”, que es una canción anti-guerra con una intensidad casi religiosa acompañada de arreglos muy contrastantes.

La influencia de Brian Eno en el album es inefable ya que se esparce su magia en las 11 canciones del disco. Para algunos tracks él aportó ideas muy valiosas y en otras les sugirió que se dejaran llevar.

TV promotion on TFI, Top Of The Pops, Later and Weekend Watchdog(!) for the rousing, Radio 1 A-listed single, Just Like Fred Astaire, helped to get Millionaires to Number 2, then it dropped like a stone.

Mercury also spent big on adverts in stations and at bus stops, but a large number of those people who bought the Best Of have avoided Millionaires. In December, James release a new single We’re Going To Miss You and set off on a UK arena tour.

The drummers from Stereophonics, Catatonia and James are getting together to record a ‘large’ version of legendary drummer, Cozy Powell’s ‘Dance With The Devil’.

Dave from James says it came about after a drunken night with Aled at the Q awards last year and later, chatting to Stuart Cable from the Stereophonics, they realised they were all influenced by Cozy, who died in a car crash last year: “Years and years ago, when I saw him on Top of the Pops as a wee, small child, you know, it was one of the things that got me into drumming, ‘coz he was at the front, not at the back like they usually are, stuck at the back”, Dave told Radio 1.

So will it be a change of sound for the new track?: “Just modernise…anything can happen. But we don’t want it to sound like somebody building a shed! Three drummers, you know, can make a bit of racket! Gotta keep a cap on it! We’re all from Wales, super drummers, superdrumtastic!” It’s hoped that the track will be released early next year once the three of them have managed to get in the studio.

And James singer, Tim Booth, missed meeting Bono and the Edge at their gig in Dublin the other night – Bono sent a note asking to meet the band but Tim didn’t read it until the end of the gig, by which time the U2 lads had left.

We’ve had Blur sleeping through their latest video and now James have taken it one step further – they’re hypnotised in their new vid for ‘We’re Going To Miss You’.

Tim Booth’s been under before and says he loves the feeling of meditating. He adds that after the vid was shot he had the best night’s sleep he’s had in ages.

Tim says while they were all under they knew what they were doing, they could hear and recognised the song as their single, and just enjoyed the sensation. Two of the band, though, refused to do hypnotised.

Tim told Radio 1 it’s nothing like stage hypnotism where volunteers seem to want to go a bit mad: “When you have normal hypnosis or therapeutic hypnosis, real hypnosis, it’s more like being stoned”, he said.

“And it’s quite internal. It isn’t that dramatic. So we have to kind of work at it to make it dramatic, we actually have to do things under instruction. I’ve been hypnotised many, many times.”

“I’ve actually kind of semi-trained in it myself. That’s why we’re so popular ‘coz our audiences are just mass hypnotised by me, it’s easy. Joke, by the way!”

This page lists all news item that were originally published on the James official site Jamestheband.com in 2000 that were lost when the band split in 2001 and the site was later discontinued

Tour Merchandise Now Available

21-Nov-00: The band’s official merchandise company, Blue Grape, now has merchandise from the recent tour available via their web site. Click here to order t-shirts, mugs, or the band’s official biography, ‘Folklore’.

Additional Tickets for Brixton On Sale Now

08-Nov-00: An additional lot of 30 tickets for tonight’s gig at Brixton Academy have been released due to high demand. People still in need of tickets should try the venue box office or the credit card hotline on 0115 912 9000 as soon as possible as the additional tickets are sure to sell out quickly.

James to Play Radio Show in South Africa

08-Nov-00: James will be “Special Guests” at 5 FM ‘s 25th Birthday Concert in South Africa on Saturday 11 November. The band will play a one hour set to a sell out crowd of 25,000 beginning at 8:00pm, to be followed by the Smashing Pumpkins at 9:30pm. The concert will be held at Supersport Park, Centurion, situated between Pretoria and Johannesburg.

James at the Q Awards

02-Nov-00: James took time out from the current tour on Tuesday to drop by the recording of the Q Awards, where Tim presented the award for Best New Act. This year the award went to Badly Drawn Boy, who according to his acceptance speech, remembered playing pool with Tim at some studio about 10 years ago. The full awards programme will be broadcast at 11:00 PM on Channel 4 on November 4.

Grimsby Gig Cancelled

01-Nov-00: Due to damage to the venue caused by the recent storms, James’ gig at Grimsby Auditorium has been cancelled. The gig had originally been scheduled for Friday 3 November. No further information is available at this time.

Book Signing this Sunday!

20-Oct-00: James will be holding a book signing in Liverpool this Sunday, prior to their gig at the Royal Court. Advance copies of Folklore: The Official History will be available for purchase at the venue, where the band will be on hand to sign them beginning at 2:30pm. Folklore is the first official biography to be written about the band and will not be available in stores until 9 November. Advance copies are also available via the web by clicking here.

Buy James New Bio Weeks Before it Hits the Shops

05-Oct-00: Advance copies of James biography, Folklore: The Official History, are now on sale via the band’s merchandise company’s web site. The book is available exclusively via the web for fans to purchase in advance of the in-store release date of 9 November. To order your copy, for further details, or to read excerpts from the band’s first ever biography, click here.

More News on the Upcoming Tour

26-Sep-00: The band have confirmed the support for their upcoming UK tour. Opening at all dates will be American singer/songwriter Shea Seger. In London, Edinburgh and Blackpool Manchester band exit52 will take the stage before Seger. Many of you will remember exit52 as the opening act for James in Blackpool in July ’99 and because the band is made up of two of James’ bassist Jim Glennie’s brothers.

Tickets for the tour are selling quickly, with Liverpool, Leeds and Norwich nearly sold out, so if you haven’t gotten tickets yet, order them soon.

On-Sale Date for Tickets

31-Aug-00: There was a problem with the credit card ticket hotline, resulting in people being told tickets for the UK Theatre Tour would not go on sale until tomorrow (1 September) and not today, as originally stated. The problem has been resolved now, and tickets for the tour are now available for purchase. As a reminder, the ticket hotline number is 0115 912 9000.

Additional Tour Date

31-Aug-00: The 12th date of of the upcoming UK tour was originally left off the list of dates posted to the web site and sent out via email. The date is at Exeter University on 26 October. For the full list of tour dates, see here.

Autumn UK Theatre Tour Dates

30-Aug-00: The band have confirmed the dates for their upcoming UK Theatre Tour. To see a full listing, check the tour dates page. Tickets will go on sale exclusively to James fans beginning at 9am on Thursday 31 August, before the tour is announced to the general public at 9am on Friday 1 September via a breakfast announcement on Virgin Radio. Tickets will be available from the 24 hour credit card hotline at 0115 912 9000 or online at www.gigsandtours.com. Tickets are £17.50 for all dates except London, which is £18.50 (all dates subject to booking fee).

Buy James Merchandise Online

03-Aug-00, updated 22-Aug-00: James merchanding company Blue Grape is now selling James t-shirts via the web. Check out the James section at at http://www.bluegrape.gb.com/. Click on “Clothing” at the top of the page for a full list of available merchandise.

Vote for Your Favourite James B-sides

25-Jul-00: The band are in the process of putting together a B-sides album, tentatively scheduled for release on 6 November, to coincide with the release of the official biography. They’re in the process of choosing which songs will be included now, but before they make the final call, they’d like to see what fans would choose. So… visit the survey section of the web site and let the band know what you think!

Chat With Tim and Dave Live Tonight

19-Jul-00, updated 20-Jul-00: Tim and Dave stopped by to chat live with fans in the chat room tonight, Wednesday 19 July at 9pm BST (4pm EDT, 1pm PDT). A transcript of the chat is available here for those who missed it. Many thanks to all who joined us…

James in Beijing – The Reaction

05-Jun-00: The response to James’ set at the Heineken Beat Music Festival in Beijing, China continues to be tremendous, with the band getting lots of good press, including two half-hour documentaries, which were shown throughout China last week and the week before. More reaction to the gig will be posted here as it comes in, but for the time being, feel free to check out the following snippet from the Beijing Evening News, China’s most read newspaper. Or, for a taste of the event, you can view photos at JoyDay.com.

Official James Biography Update

17-Apr-00, updated 23-May-00: Work on James’ official Biography, Folklore: James – The Official Story, is progressing well. The book, currently being written/researched by broadcaster/journalist Stuart Maconie, has a tentative publication date of 9 November in the UK and will be priced at £14.99 for paperback. [ click to enlarge ]

MTV Five Night Stand Additional Broadcast Dates

22-May-00: For those of you who missed it the first time around, MTV UK & Ireland will be re-broadcasting James’ set from the Shephards Bush Empire on Monday 12 June at 11:30pm and again on Sunday 18 June at midnight.

Portugese Festivals – Additional Information

08-May-00: Additional information on James’ upcoming festival appearances in Portugal is now available in the tour dates section.

Win Tickets to see James at MTV’s Five Night Stand

30-Apr-00: We’re running a contest to win two tickets to see James’ upcoming appearance at the Shepperd’s Bush Empire in London on Monday 8 May. To sign up, visit the Tour section.

James to Play MTV’s Five Night Stand

21-Mar-00, updated 27-Mar-00: James will be taking part in MTV’s Five Night Stand at the Sheperds Bush Empire in London on 8 May. Tickets go on sale starting 9am on Thursday 23 March. The show will be broadcast on MTV Europe starting at 7pm on Thursday 18 May and again on Xfm at an as yet unspecified date. Further details are available in this press release. As always, you should check local listings for broadcast times and channels.

Confirmed Festival Appearances

20-Mar-00, updated 26-Mar-00: James have been confirmed for a handful of festivals in Portugal, in the days leading up to and following the band’s appearance in Beijing, China on 13 May at the Heineken Beat 2000 Summer Music Festival. More information on Heineken Beat is available here or (in Chinese only) at www.heinekenbeat.com. Also confirmed for the summer is the V2000 Festival in Chelmsford and Staffordshire, England. Further details on V2000 are available below. See the tour dates page for more information on the Portugeuse Festivals.

V2000 Details

22-Mar-00: James will be third on the bill for V2000, behind Richard Ashcroft and Paul Weller. They play Weston Park, Staffordshire on Saturday 19 August and Hylands Park, Chelmsford on Sunday 20 August. Other acts on the bill for the alternate day include Travis, Macy Gray and Ocean Colour Scene. Weekend tickets are £66, £76 with camping. Day tickets are £37.50/day. Tickets are available through the Hylands Park ticket hotline on 0207 287 0932 or the Weston Park ticket hotline on 0115 912 9115.

Unreleased Track to Feature in British TV Series

20-Mar-00: The previously unreleased track ‘Confusion’ will be featured in the British television series called Randall & Hopkirk (Deceased). The show is a comedy about two detectives — one who is killed and comes back as a ghost to help out his former partner — and stars British funnymen Vic Reeves and Bob Mortimer. The song, which some may remember hearing at various live gigs over the past two years, is also featured on the soundtrack for the programme, which is released in the UK on 3 April.

Latest News on James Plans for 2000

05-Mar-00: Details are close to being confirmed for a couple of live appearances for the band this spring/summer, including a festival in Bejing, China in May and V2000 in Chelmsford and Staffordshire in mid-August. The band will not be playing Glastonbury this year, but attempts are still being made to set up a handful of club dates in Europe. A UK university tour is tentatively in the works for sometime around September or October. More details on all the above will be posted as they’re confirmed.

Though you may be seeing promo copies in UK shops, Crash is currently not scheduled for public release. The band’s next release is likely to be an EP of some sort, tentatively planned for release around the time of V2000. It’s likely the next release will not be a track off Millionaires, but rather “something different” — possibly a collaboration or cover of some sort.

The band have been writing material for their next album, and will spend time in the studio at various points during the spring and summer to start recording. If all goes well, a release could come as soon as January 2001.

The only bad news to report is that things are not looking good as far as the band finding a new US record label right away. It’s possible ‘Millionaires’ might not get released in the near future, so if you haven’t already, you might want to buy it on import. At the latest, the band plan to negotiate a new, global record deal once their current contract with Mercury Records is up after their next album. Ironically, MTV in the US has approached the band about the possibility of featuring the band in a spot examining why a band of James’ talent and success has been left without a US record deal. Details will be posted here if anything comes of it.

Tentative Plans for 2000

28-Jan-00: James plan on doing a handful of festivals in the UK this spring/summer, including Glastonbury and V2000. In addition, dates are tentatively being planned in Germany, France, Iceland, and possibly even China. The band hope to put out their next release sometime around May. What it’ll be is not yet known, but they do intend to “try something a bit different”. They also plan to start work on a new album over the summer. More details will be available as they’re confirmed…

James to Receive Portuguese Radio Award

27-Jan-00: Tim and Saul will be traveling to Portugal on Saturday 29th January to attend the Portugese Radio Nova Awards, where they will be picking a career award for Lifetime Achievement.

Official James Biography in the Works

10-Jan-00: James have commissioned broadcaster/journalist Stuart Maconie to write the official James biography. Initial interviews with Tim Booth and Jim Glennie will begin this month, with the book tentatively scheduled to hit the shelves around this time next year.

This page lists all news item that were originally published on the old oneofthethree site in 2000

Update 28.11.00

According to band management, the next six months of next year will see the busiest James release schedule ever – with the new album, the b-sides album and the “Remasters” of previous Mercury albums all in the first six months of the year.

However, posters seen in the MVC chain advertising a release of a James album on January 22 are incorrect as no release is scheduled for that date.

Update 23.11.00

The projected b-sides album will not now be released until after the new album which means release date is unlikely to be before Autumn 2001 at the very earliest.

Update 21.11.00

One Of The Three is being used as the backing music for a TV advert for a product called Tylenol in the US. Don’t ask me what it is because it sounds like a medicine for some kind of embarrassing condition,

Update 15.11.00

According to James management, the video cameras recording last week’s Brixton Academy show were working for the band and the footage used will be offered to any television programmes producing features on James.  It is unlikely at this stage to be used for a live video release.

Update 14.11.00

James played a triumphant set last Saturday at the 5Fm Birthday Party at the Centurion Supersport Park.  The set featured most of James best known tracks including Sit Down and Sound which had been ignored on the recent UK tour.  Pleased To Meet You was the only new song to make an appearance.

Update 9.11.00

James are playing on Saturday (November 11) at Supersport Park, Centurion near Pretoria and Johannesburg to celebrate 5 FM’s 25th Birthday Party.  The band will be on stage at 8pm local time and will play an hour set before headliners Smashing Pumpkins.

James are planning a tour of similar sized venues to the recent tour to coincide with the release of the album in April/May before playing festivals and possibly an arena tour in the summer and autumn.  Everything is still at an early stage though.

Update 5.11.00

James played another storming set at Norwich UEA last night, opening with five new songs and premiering a track called “English Beefcake”

Following the tour, the band are going to South Africa for four days to perform at a radio festival headlined by Smashing Pumpkins before going back into the studio.

Update 1.11.00

Friday’s Grimsby Auditorium show is cancelled due to damage to the roof caused by the storms.  No details yet on a rescheduled date.

Update 31.10.00 pm

The latest from the Grimsby Auditorium is that they expect the gig on Friday to go ahead, but cannot be 100% certain that it will – they advised to phone back Thursday afternoon.

Update 31.10.00 am

Due to the storm damage overnight, there are question marks over the Grimsby Auditorium (Friday 3) and Nottingham Rock City (Tuesday 7) venues.

Placebo’s gig at Rock City last night was cancelled due to damage to the roof.  Embrace’s gig on Wednesday should go ahead as planned so James should be safe unless the weather deteriorates.

Less certain is Friday’s gig in Grimsby, where the Auditorium suffered some damage – it is hoped that the gig will go ahead and more news will be forthcoming in the next day or so.

Update 30.10.00

James continued their adventurous tour and set throughout the week, introducing another new song at Poole Arts Centre on Friday night.

Sources at the aftershow party have posted on the official James site that the band are planning a US tour with other UK bands for the spring of 2001.  More as and when I get it.

Update 23.10.00

James have played two triumphant shows to date with 10 and 9 new songs respectively at Leeds University and Liverpool Royal Court this weekend. See our tour reviews page.

The band have been in the studio writing and recording their new album with Brian Eno and will do the recording proper at the end of the tour over a two-week period in Surrey.

During the break in the tour, James will attend the Q Awards where they were originally due to play, but were taken out of the schedule as the show was shortened. Tim is also due to present an award.  As a compensation, Q TV are recording a special show on the recording of the new album.

Update 20.10.00

James will be doing a book signing at the Liverpool Royal Court on Sunday 22nd October at 2.30. Advance copies of the book Folklore will be on sale at the venue.

Update 28.9.00

Support for the James tour in October / November tour is Shea Seager.  Exit 52, including two brothers of Jim, will also be appearing at Edinburgh, Blackpool and Brixton.  Nepotism rules (they are actually worth checking out!)

Update 12.9.00

The Norwich UEA has, according to the NME, sold out

Update 28.9.00

Support for the James tour in October / November tour is Shea Seager.  Exit 52, including two brothers of Jim, will also be appearing at Edinburgh, Blackpool and Brixton.  Nepotism rules (they are actually worth checking out!)

Update 12.9.00

The Norwich UEA has, according to the NME, sold out

Update 29.8.00

THE TOUR DATES (to be confirmed) ARE :

OCTOBER 21 – Leeds University

OCTOBER 22 – Liverpool Royal Court

OCTOBER 23 – Edinburgh Corn Exchange

OCTOBER 25 – Bristol Colston Hall

OCTOBER 26 – Exeter University

OCTOBER 27 – Poole Arts Centre

NOVEMBER 2 – Blackpool Empress Ballroom

NOVEMBER 3 – Grimsby Auditorium

NOVEMBER 4 – Norwich UEA

NOVEMBER 6 – Sheffield City Hall

NOVEMBER 7 – Nottingham Rock City

NOVEMBER 8 – London Brixton Academy

Update 24.8.00

James b-sides album provisionally titled “The Best B-Sides In The World Ever” has been put back to February 2001 to be followed by a new album with the working title “We Want Our Money Back”  in April or May for which the band have demoed about 30 tracks. Brian Eno will assist in the pre-production stages with Stephen Street taking main production duties.

Update 20.8.00 pm

James Chelmsford set featured the following tracks – Laid, Sometimes, She’s A Star, Coffee and Toast, Stutter, Out To Get You. Someone’s Got It In For Me, Senorita, Johnny Yen, Tomorrow, Sound and Ring The Bells.  For a more detailed review click here.

Tim and Michael had earlier played a keyboard-only version of Laid to an invited audience live to air in the Virgin Radio tent.

The Stafford set the previous night apparently included China Girl and two new tracks – Coffee And Toast and Everyone’s A Junkie.

Update 20.8.00 am

James have announced in the V2000 tour programme that they will be doing a “Theatre Tour” in “Autumn 2000” and that tickets will go on sale in the second week of September.  No more than that at the moment I’m afraid.

Update 18.8.00

James are broadcasting a live session and interview on Virgin Radio on Sunday afternoon from 4.35-5pm.  Virgin is on 1215AM nationwide and 105.8FM in London

Update 15.8.00

James are apparently taking part in the charity football at Stafford V2000 on Saturday, where they will be on stage at about 6.15 for an hour.

Virgin FM are doing a special broadcast from the festival. Apparently, they are transmitting from Chelmsford so James may be on Sunday.  The same applies to MTV.

Update 10.8.00

The James biography “Folklore” written by Stuart Maconie is now complete and is being edited. The release of the book on November 6 will coincide with the release of a b-sides compilation album, tracks for which can be voted for at the band’s official site www.jamestheband.com

Update 3.8.00

James’ merchandise company, Blue Grape, is now selling James merchandise on-line. Check my links page for the address or click here.

Update 2.8.00

The proposed V festival in New York has now been cancelled for this year, so no James shows for all you guys in the US, I’m afraid.

Update 20.7.00

James may be playing a US equivalent of V2000 in New York on September 8. No contracts have been signed as yet. Stay tuned for more details.

It does appear that Mercury are planning to remaster and repackage the Gold Mother, Seven, Laid and Whiplash albums in the near future.

In addition to this, latest rumours on the James official site and a post from Dave Baynton-Power on the message board suggest that a B-Sides compilation album is in the pipeline. Anticipated release date would be November to tie in with the Stuart Maconie authorised book “Folklore” which should now be complete. Will confirm as and when I find out more.

No news on any new material as yet.

First Report 12.7.00

James have recently been in the studio and have demoed about 30 songs for consideration for the new LP. Presumably, these will include the three tracks “Senorita”, “Swell” and “Everyone’s A Junkie” played at the recent Shepherds Bush Empire show. No news as yet on a rumoured EP before the end of the year.

Mercury are apparently considering repackaging Gold Mother, Laid and Whiplash with extra tracks from the b-sides of singles. These releases are not confirmed as yet and no tracklist details are available.

James only scheduled UK shows this year are at the twin V Festivals held in Stafford and Chelmsford over the weekend 19/20 August. A planned warm-up date in Stoke on the Friday night has been canned for some unknown reason, reportedly Tim being on holiday.

The “University” tour originally scheduled for October/November this year and due to include dates in Norwich, Exeter, Blackpool, Folkestone and other towns off the traditional arena circuit has been cancelled without ever having been announced.

In a Q+A reply on the official James site, Mark Hunter intimated that James may do a large city tour of the US with the release of the new album next year.

Dave Baynton Power’s side project with the drummers of Catatonia and Stereophonics has been put on hold due to Stuart from the Stereophonics pulling out. No release date has been set.

JAMES are off to China next month to become one of the few western rock bands ever to play in Beijing.

The band are set to perform at the fabulously named Altar Of The Sun in the Chinese capital over the weekend May 13-14, as part of the Heineken Beat 2000 festival.

Also on the bill is Afrobeat king Femi Kuti as well as local Chinese acts. Last year’s Heineken festival was the first such outdoor event ever held in China.

James’s Chinese fanbase is said to be “small but passionate.” Meanwhile the band also plays V2000 this summer and is due to start recording an early follow-up to last year’s Millionaires album

For every person present in Ritan Park for the Heineken Beat Music Festival, the 90 minutes from 21:30 to 23:00 on May 13th, will be very hard to forget. The explosive atmosphere created by the UK’s James gave people a real idea of the power of popular rock and roll music. At last Beijing had the chance to experience this kind of passionate and exciting live music performance.

The difference between the wild cheers and waving arms and dancing feet at Ritan and the enthusiasm of the thousands of people last year at the worker’s stadium for Zhang Huimei’s concert was fundamental. First of all, on stage was a famous band from one of the original homes of rock and roll and secondly, the music resounding in the arena was far more likely to set the blood pumping in your veins.

When James was announced, the trees just outside the wall surrounding the altar of the sun were full of people. On May 13th there was an audience of more than ten thousand of people in the park, both inside and outside the arena.

James played an unusual gig this weekend because they’re big in Beijing. China’s still a relatively isolated country with credible western bands playing there on rare occasions, but this weekend saw an attempt to change that.

Bands from all over the world arrived to play in the Chinese capital. Tim Booth took the opportunity on stage to criticise the country’s human rights record, saying: “This is a song about tortured artists which may have a different meaning over here.”

Backstage, he said: “This is the way to break down barriers, I think. More than making big bold stands. We could be a young rock’n’roll band and get ourselves arrested, but it wouldn’t really help anybody, would it?”

He explained: “Basically, what you come and do is start, hopefully, a process of communication to start and change things. This is why we do this, to reach people.”

BETWEEN FOUR LETTER OUTBURSTS, JAMES TELL US ABOUT THEIR NEW NO SELL-OUT STYLE

“Remember this when you read the reviews slagging us off” Tim Booth yells at the end of James set, as hordes of happy fans walk slowly away from the stage. Remember, we think he means, that in this particular set on Staffordshire’s V Stage they played none of their best-known hits and none of the singles from last year’s “Millionaires” album and it was still a minor bombshell of a performance.

And, after this outburst, when we go backstage to try and find out what’s eating James, we find them in defiant mood. Tim is calm and friendly, but prepared to state his case. Bassist Jim Glennie wants to explain exactly why James get a raw deal. But guitarist/violinist Saul Davies, eyes bulging, swearing for Britain, is just about ready to explode.

“I just feel like James gets f**king hammered,” he snaps. “We take far more risks than Paul Weller would, or Cypress Hill would take or f**king anybody at this festival. We’ll play new songs that nobody’s even heard of that we don’t even know! Then people go ‘You’re bollocks because you didn’t play Sit Down'”

“There are all these c**ts who are playing around us on the bill – and we’re always the ones who get shit for being corporate f**kers,” he gasps. “We’re here with our f**king balls in our hands going ‘Come on then! Let’s f**king do it!’ We’re not corporate whores, we like to challenge our audience.”

From this you might assume that James new direction involves art-concept Sonic Youthery. At least one new single previewed at V2000 – a frothy pop tune called “Coffee And Toast” – suggests not.

“It’s what I call a scientific love song,” Tim laughs. “It’s about this guy who tries to impress a girl with all this scientific stuff about black holes, when he just wants to get her back home. He wants her to come back home and have coffee and toast, but you know what he’s really after! I find the scientific chat up line works every time, but only with a certain type of girl. There’s another new song called “Everyone’s A Junkie” which is much darker. You know, we’re James, we don’t have one direction. We fire a shotgun and maybe some of the pellets will hit.”

So far, the band have taken this scattergun approach to recording, having demoed 25 tracks, from which they’ll compile their new album in March (working title “We Want Our Money Back”). They’ll also be going back to their roots touring University venues in October. But don’t expect them to play “Sit Down.” Unless it includes a 30-minute jazz odyssey mid-section. Nice.

dotmusic has been treated to an exclusive unplugged James performance at the Virgin Radio tent at V2000.

A handful of delighted revellers were so surprised to see Tim Booth and his keyboard player take to the stage an hour before hitting the main stage that they forgot to applaud, until Tim told them otherwise.

Tim, wearing obilgatory hat and shades as well as headphones, treated us to a sublime rendition of ‘Laid’ as two fans in James t-shirts almost choked on their free lager.

Tim looked relaxed and ready for the main action and revealed to dotmusic that he’d mistakenly said ‘Thankyou Chelmsford’ at the end of last night’s set in Staffordshire.

James have told Radio 1 that they’re bringing out an album of b-sides.

It’ll be released next February – and two months later, there will be a new album from the band with a tour planned for the end of the year.

They’ve just got back from China where they played an historic gig in Beijing. It was the first time the audience were allowed to stand up and dance!

Saul and Jim told Radio 1, the B sides album is one of the best things they’ve ever done: “We’re going to call it ‘The Best B-side in the World Ever: Volume 1’! We’ve got tonnes of stuff, the sound’s fantastic! We’ve got about forty songs.”

Making the album is bringing back memories for the band. They told us: “There are all the associated events that come with listening to those things, going through puberty – things dropping, things falling out – aghhhh!”

LONDON–James has announced an 11-date U.K. tour to kick off in October. The pop group, who released its last album “Millionaires” in 1999, will start the outing in Leeds, England, on Oct. 21 and finish up in London on Nov. 8.

According to its official website, tickets will go on sale “exclusively to James fans” beginning at 9 a.m. on Thursday (8/31) and to the general public at 9 a.m. on Friday (9/1).

The next studio album, for which “30 new songs have been sketched out,” is tipped to be released in May, 2001. The group reports that it will work on the album with Brian Eno (U2, David Bowie) and Stephen Street (The Smiths, Blur).

Led by Tim Booth, James formed in 1982 in Manchester, England, which was also the breeding ground for other “Madchester” acts from the ’80s, including the Happy Mondays and the Stone Roses.

October

21 – Leeds, England – Leeds University

22 – Liverpool, England – Royal Court

23 – Edinburgh, Scotland – Corn Exchange

25 – Bristol, England – Colston Hall

27 – Poole, England – Arts Centre

November

2 – Blackpool, England – Empress Ballroom

3 – Grimbsy, England – Grimsby Auditorium

4 – Norwich, England – University of East Angland

6 – Sheffield, England – City Hall

7 – Nottingham, England – Rock City

8 – London, England – Brixton Academy

You may have to Sit Down after the following announcement.

Indie stalwarts James have announced a 12-date national tour.

You can see the student faves play their vast collection of memorable hits in Leeds, Liverpool, Edinburgh, Bristol, Exeter, Poole, Blackpool, Exeter, Norwich, Sheffield, Nottingham and London throughout October and early November.

James formed in Manchester in 1982, and have successfully outlasted most of their peers to release a plethora of memorable anthems. Early material such as Come Home and How Was It For You? soundtracked many students’ lives in the late 80s and early 90s, and the hits have continued to flow with She’s a Star, Sometimes and Destiny Calling.

In a barren period for indie-pop, where chart rock music has become increasingly anodyne and few bands survive the expectations of the masses, reliable tunesmiths James prove a welcome respite.

1998’s compilation The Best of constituted a timely reminder of the outfit’s rock pedigree, while 1999’s offering Millionaires is probably their most adventurous and rewarding album to date.

The tour will also showcase songs from their next album tentatively titled We Want Our Money Back, which is currently being recorded by their long-time producer Brian Eno.

In a roller-coaster career spanning 18 years, there’s never been a better time to catch them.

JAMES have announced a UK tour in October/November.

Currently working on a new studio album, the group, who attracted much praise for their sets at the recent V2000 festival, are to play 12 dates to coincide with the release of their forthcoming biography Folklore: James – The Official Story.

The full dates for the tour are as follows:

Leeds University Union (October 21)

Liverpool Royal Court (22)

Edinburgh Corn Exchange (23)

Bristol Colston Hall (25)

Exeter University (26)

Poole Arts Centre (27)

Blackpool Empress Ballroom (November 2)

Grimsby Auditorium (3)

Norwich U.E.A. (4)

Sheffield City Hall (6)

Nottingham Rock City (7)

London Brixton Academy (8)

Having postponed the scheduled release of their forthcoming B-sides album until 2001, James will now be releasing two albums next year.

Fans are still being invited to vote for their favourite B-sides on the band’s official website before the final track listing for the that album is finalised, while the band themselves are sifting through the 30 “sketched out” songs they’ve demoed for their next studio album, which they’re hoping to begin with producer Stephen Street following the tour. The band previewed three new songs – ‘Coffee And Toast’, ‘Everyone’s A Junkie’ and ‘Senorita’ at V2000.

Finally, the band’s official biography is to be released on November 9. Fans who’re gagging to read about the Manchester band’s long and winding road to international stardom however, can obtain advance copies of Folklore&ldots; from the band’s website before it officially hits book shelves.

Is James’ ‘Sit Down’ the greatest student anthem of all time? Have the Manchester band really got the acclaim they deserve over the years? And what’s your favourite James’ B-side and why? Email us with your views.

September 2000, © NME
JAMES are abandoning stadiums to test-drive material for their forthcoming album, tentatively titled ‘WE WANT OUR MONEY BACK’, on a tour of medium-sized venues next month, nme.com can reveal.

The band are currently recording the album, due out in April, with their long-time producer Brian Eno and former Blur producer Stephen Street.

Regarding the tour, Guitarist Saul Davies told nme.com: “It’s a deliberate move on our part. Basically it’s come out of the fact that we started work on our next album and we decided we should do something we haven’t done since we did ‘Laid’, which is play the songs out on the road before we record them.

“I’m really looking forward to it cos’ they could potentially be quite special shows. I think a band like us that’s been going on so long, it’s really necessary to invent a way of performing on [a special] occasion. It’s very easy for us to play big venues and take the cash and go away. ”

He added: “Being on top of people where the communication with audience is intense I think will [make it] much easier to play these tunes and dig in and find out what they’re about really.”

James have written 25 new songs for their forthcoming album including ‘Coffee On Toast’, ‘Please To Meet You’, ‘Gaudi’, ‘Senorita’, and ‘Nicola Louder’.

Everyone knows that it rains a great deal in England, but after recent watery events, bands like James and Placebo might be ready to move to Florida. This weekend James was forced to cancel its show in Grimsby due to stormy weather conditions. Slated to take place at the Grimsby Auditorium, James’ show was postponed because prior wind and rain damaged the roof of the auditorium itself. A spokesman for the Grimsby Auditorium explained that the damage that the roof sustained in earlier storms rendered it an unsafe arena for a live show. Although the show will be rescheduled, James is not alone in being a band that has to find a drier date and locale to play. U.K. favorites Placebo was forced to cancel its show earlier this week in Nottingham Rock City due to extensive water damage to the venue.

Although the length of James’ career certainly qualifies its members to be considered the Elder Statesmen of britpop, the band has always managed to sound fresh with every consecutive album it makes. And speaking of making albums, James is currently hard at work on its new effort, which is said to be titled We Want Our Money Back. The band, led by singer Tim Booth, whose enigmatic spinning and furious dervish revolutions remain some of the most arresting and captivating moves in music today, is said to be sifting through twenty-five new songs for the planned disc. James will be touring this autumn before it heads to the studio to record the album. Although nothing is official yet, both Brian Eno and Stephen Street are said to be handling production duties. We Want Our Money Back is being planned for an April release.

part of NME’s feature on bands that have influenced others careers

James – Gold Mother

That was the first record I ever really got into. That was quite a big moment cos I was quite sheltered up until then musically. When I got to big school, all the sixth form were listening to that sort of thing. I tried getting into loads of what the sixth form were into, but that was the only one that really hit me. I could never really get into The Wedding Present and Curve. I worked on a strawberry farm for a week and I earned about £50, which I spent on that record. I was heavily into James. I had two or three T-shirts! Come Home and How Was It For You? especially. It’s just a classic album. The cover and everything was great. But it was the first issue, not the one with Sit Down on it. I liked them before Sit Down.

This page lists all news item that were originally published on the James official site Jamestheband.com in 2001 that were lost when the band split in 2001 and the site was later discontinued

A Big Merry Christmas from Chunny Lad

24-Dec-01: James’ keyboard player Mark Hunter has done a special remix of the track Fine as a little Christmas present for James fans. To download the track, click here. Happy Holidays!

Jim’s Statement Regarding the Future of James

06-Dec-01: Jim has issued a statement to fans regarding Tim’s departure and the future of James. You can read it here.

Manchester Gig to be Filmed for DVD Release

06-Dec-01: James upcoming gig in Manchester, which is scheduled to include special appearances by former James members Larry Gott and Andy Diagram, will be filmed for a DVD to be released sometime next year. Details on the release have not been finialised yet, but will be posted here as soon as they are.

James B-Sides Album Details

14-Nov-01, updated 03-Dec-01: James’ new b-sides album, titled “B-Sides Ultra”, is released today in the UK. The 18-track collection is taken from various singles released since 1990. See below for a full track list. Also released today are re-issued versions of the classic James albums “Gold Mother”, “Seven”, “Laid”, and “Whiplash”. The re-issued albums contain bonus tracks and new sleeve notes. For more details scroll down.

James B-Sides Ultra Track List:

1. Gone Too Far
2. Honest Pleasure
3. Sunday Morning
4. China Girl
5. Still Alive
6. The Lake
7. I Defeat
8. Goalie’s Ball
9. Chunny Pops
10. Tonight
11. Dreaming Up Tomorrow
12. William Burroughs
13. Assassin
14. Stolen Horse
15. Undertaker
16. Egoiste
17. Van Gogh’s Dog
18. Where You Gonna Run?

Before chosing the final set of tracks for the album, the band asked fans for their suggestions in an online survey. To see what fans chose, check out the survey results.

Tim Booth Answers Fans Questions

11-Nov-01, updated 03-Dec-01: Tim agreed to answer some questions from fans regarding his decision to leave James after the December tour and his plans for the future. Fans were given a week during which to submit their questions, and the top questions were sent on to Tim for his answers. His responses can be found in the Q and A section.

Submit Your Questions to Jim Glennie

19-Nov-01, updated 30-Nov-01: Jim has agreed to answer some questions from fans regarding the band’s plans for after their upcoming UK tour. Questions have been sent to Jim and his answers will be posted here shortly.

Mercury to Re-Issue James Albums

16-Nov-01: Mercury Records will release new editions of classic James albums “Gold Mother”, “Seven”, “Laid”, and “Whiplash”, in adition to the new b-sides collection “B-Sides Ultra” in the UK on 3-Dec-2001. All albums have been digitally re-mastered, contain bonus tracks, new sleeve notes, and extra photographs. Additional tracks for each album are as follows:

Gold Mother

Inlcudes 5 additional tracks – Lose Control (Live at GLR), Sit Down (Live at G-Mex), Come Home (Skunk Weed Skank Mix), plus original songs Crescendo and Hang On.

Seven

Includes 4 additional tracks – Protect Me (Live at KROQ), Sound (Live), Heavens (Live), and Don’t Wait That Long (Live).

Laid

Includes 4 additional tracks – Laid (Live at GLR), Sometimes (Live), Five-O (Live), and Say Something (Remix).

Whiplash

Includes 4 additional tracks – Lost a Friend (Live), Greenpeace (Live at S.B.E.), Homeboy (Live at S.B.E.), and Waltzing Along (Flytronix Mix).

James’ Last Tour With Current Line-Up

29-Oct-01: Tim Booth has announced that James’ upcoming tour will be his last with the band. Tim has provided a statement to fans explaining his decision. The official press release announcing Tim’s departure is available here.

The remaining members of James plan to continue making music together, and will make an announcement regarding their plans at a later date.

Tim and Saul to Present Q Award

27-Oct-01: Tim and Saul will present a lifetime acheivement award to Brian Eno at the 12th Annual Q Awards on Monday, 29-Oct-2001. The show starts at 12 noon UK time and can be seen live on the web at Q4Music.com. Visit Q4Music.com for more info and a listing of award categories and nominees.

Additional Date Added to December Tour

17-Oct-01: James have added an extra date to their December UK tour. The band will play Leeds University on Monday 3-Dec-2001. In tour other tour-related news, Ben Folds has pulled out of the opening slot on the tour and will be replaced by UK duo Turin Brakes.

Dates in Spain and Portugal Confirmed

27-Sep-01, updated 30-Sep-01: James have confirmed three shows in Spain and Portugal for the end of November. See the tour dates section for details.

December Tour, Possible European Dates, B-Sides Album

26-Sep-01: James’ UK arena tour is still set to go on as planned in December, with special guest Ben Folds opening. In addition, a few European dates in Spain and Portugal are currently pencilled in for the end of November. Dates and locations will be posted here as soon as they are confirmed.

The band’s previously planned b-sides album, Now That’s What I Call B-Sides Vol. 1 is still planned for release sometime later this year. An exactly release date has not yet been scheduled. Thus far there is no news to report regarding possible future singles from Pleased To Meet You or the band’s efforts to find a new record contract.

James Amicably Part Company With Fontana/Mercury

06-Sep-01: James have announced their departure from Fontana/Mercury Records, a decision which was agreed upon prior to the release of their final album for the label. Read the full press release here.

Festival Date Added in Portugal

21-Aug-01: James have confirmed an additional festival appearance at the Annual Youth Music Festival on Madeira Island, Portugal. The two-day festival, featuring primarily portuguese bands, takes place on 31-Aug-2001 and 1-Sep-2001 on the Funchal pier. James will headline on Saturday 1-Sep-2001.

James Wrap Up Busy Weekend, Next Up: Nottingham

07-Aug-01, updated 08-Aug-01: James topped off a busy weekend with an appearance at Dublin’s Witness Festival on Sunday, where they played a surprise 5-song acoustic set in addition to their main stage performance. After their set an interview with Tim, Jim and Saul was recorded for a special to be broadcast on RTE at a later date (we’ll let you know when as we find out!)

Their sets at Witnness followed a performance in the wee hours of Saturday in Spain at the Bencassim Festival, where they played a celebratory 3am set to a packed crowd. Then it was back to the UK for a rousing headlining performance at Guildford Live, where, because of curfew restrictions, they were forced to disappoint fans who begged for an encore. Photos from Guildford are available here.

Next up for the band is a trip to Nottingham where they’ll play the City in the Park festival on 25-Aug-2001, their last appearance in the UK until their December tour. Tickets are priced £27.50 and can still be ordered at the City In the Park website or by calling the box office at 01159 588484 or 01159 412544.

Official James Merchandise – now at a new web site!

29-Jul-01: James merchandise is now available from Bandmad. Current merchandise includes a wide range of t-shirts, including six brand new designs unveiled earlier this summer, plus the band’s first ever official biography, ‘Folklore’. Prices start as low as £5 and pricing is available in multiple currencies, including British Pounds Sterling, US Dollars, Euros, and Irish Punts. Visa, Mastercard, Switch and Solo and Delta Card are accepted for payment, and a variety of shipping options are available.

To browse the current selection of James merchandise, click here. For more info about Bandmad, payment options, shipping rates, multi-currency support, or security, click on the “?” icon at the top of that screen.

‘Pleased To Meet You’ Enters VH1 Charts at Number 9

15-Jul-01: James’ new album, ‘Pleased To Meet You’ entered the VH1 (UK) charts at number 9 this weekend. VH1 are currently showing the video for ‘Getting Away With It (All Messed Up)’ on spot rotation, so let VH1 know people are watching, and that you want to see James! Call, email, or fax VH1 to request the video. And don’t stop at VH1, keep James on the airwaves by calling or emailing your local radio station and stations like Virgin Radio and Xfm to request ‘Getting Away With It’.

European Festival Dates Confirmed

09-Jul-01: The band have confirmed two festival appearances in Europe: The first takes place on Friday, 3-Aug-2001 in Spain, where the band will headline the Bencassim Festival. For more information on the festival, visit the festival web site. The second confirmed European festival will take place in Greece at the Electron Festival, where the band will headline Friday, 21-Sep-2001. More information to follow. Additional appearances are being planned in Spain and Portugal, but no dates have been confirmed as yet.

Chat Live With Tim This Thursday

08-Jul-01: James’ lead singer Tim Booth will be online to chat live with fans at Dotmusic.com this Thursday, 12-Jul-2001 at 7pm BDT (2pm EDT). To submit a question in advance of the chat, go here. For more information, see this news release from Dotmusic.

‘Pleased To Meet You’ International Release Dates

07-Jul-01: The complete list of international release dates has been confirmed by James’ record company, Mercury Records. All international releases will feature 11 tracks, with the same track listing as previously announced, but excluding ‘Gaudi’ and ‘What Is It Good For’. Fans outside the UK wishing to buy the special edition with bonus CDROM and full tracklisting can do so at AudioStreet.co.uk. For more information on the album, see the Pleased To Meet You section of this site.

World-Wide Release Dates

United Kingdom 2-July-2001

Australia 23-July-2001

Austria 2-July-2001

Belgium 2-July-2001

Canada 10-July-2001

Denmark 9-July-2001

Germany 2-July-2001

Greece 9-July-2001

Holland 2-July-2001

Ireland 2-July-2001

Italy 12-July-2001

Japan 3-July-2001

New Zealand 9-July-2001

Norway 9-July-2001

Portugal 2-July-2001

South Africa 13-July-2001

Spain 2-July-2001

Sweden 2-July-2001

Switzerland 2-July-2001

Please note, the Canadian release has only just been negotiated and is subject to change. No commercial release of the single is planned in Canada.

Purchase Info for US Fans

05-Jul-01: Due to the band’s continuing difficulties releasing albums in the states, US James fans will need to buy ‘Pleased To Meet You’ on import. To purchase the album online, visit AudioStreet.co.uk. The version listed is the “special edition” with bonus CDROM (see below for details). All purchases from AudioStreet will count towards the UK charts. While you’re there, don’t forget to enter AudioStreet’s competition to win signed copies of ‘Pleased To Meet You’.

Pleased To Meet You Midweek Chart Position

04-Jul-01: ‘Pleased To Meet You’ is ranked number 11 in the UK midweek charts. If you plan on buying the album, please do it this week to help the band’s chart debut on Sunday. Virgin stores are giving away limited edition posters with the purchase of the album, but the offer’s only good while supplies last, so hurry up and get your copy soon!

Free Poster With Album Purchase

03-Jul-01: Virgin Megastores in the UK are giving away a free James poster with each purchase of ‘Pleased To Meet You’. The offer is good while stocks last, so hurry up and get your copy now!

James on Top of the Pops

03-Jul-01: James will appear on Top of the Pops this Friday, 6-Jul-2001. The show airs on BBC1 at 7:30pm.

Pleased To Meet You Released Today!

02-Jul-01: James new studio album, ‘Pleased To Meet You’, hits shops today. For everything you need to know about the album, see the Pleased To Meet You section of this site. For the latest news, reviews and interviews, don’t forget to check out the press section.

Discounted Weekend Tickets for Guildford Live 2001

29-Jun-01: Fans planning on seeing the band’s headlining performance at Guildford Live 2001 can purchase weekend tickets at a £5 discount by calling 01483 454 159. The discount applies for purchases paid for by cheque only, and is only valid until 4-Jul-2001. Weekend tickets with the discount are £59. James headline Guildford on Saturday 4-Aug-2001. Visit the Guildford Live 2001 web site for a complete lineup and more information

James’ Gig at Sound to be Broadcast on Xfm

29-Jun-01: An hour’s worth of tracks from James’ set at Sound on June 18th will be broadcast on Xfm this Saturday, 30-Jun-2001 at 7pm. Those outside the London area or who don’t have Sky Digital can hear the broadcast via the web at xfm.co.uk.

December Arena Tour Dates Announced

26-Jun-01, updated 28-Jun-01: James have announced a UK arena tour to take place in December. Tickets for the tour go on sale this Friday, 29-Jun-2001 at 9am. Check the tour section for information on where to get tickets. The dates are as follows:

02-Dec-01 Brighton Centre

04-Dec-01 Newcastle Arena

06-Dec-01 Birmingham NEC

07-Dec-01 Manchester Evening News Arena

09-Dec-01 Glasgow SECC

10-Dec-01 Wembley Arena

Getting Away With It Mid-Week Chart Position

27-Jun-01: ‘Getting Away With It (All Messed Up)’ has been listed in the UK mid-week charts at number 17.

Pleased To Meet You Special Edition

27-Jun-01: A special edition of James forthcoming album, ‘Pleased To Meet You’ will be released in the UK. The special edition will include a bonus enhanced CD-ROM which contains an exclusive screensaver, a ‘Mix the Clone’ game, and a link to an exclusive web download. The special edition will be released at the same time as the regular version, next Monday, 2-Jul-2001. The first single off the album, ‘Getting Away With It (All Messed Up)’, was released this Monday, so go get it!

Getting Away With It Released Today!

18-Jun-01, updated 25-Jun-01: ‘Getting Away With It (All Messed Up)’, the first single off James’ forthcoming album Pleased To Meet You is released today, 25-Jun-2001. The single is being released in two parts, with the following track listing:

CD 1:

1. Getting Away With It (All Messed Up) (03:59)
2. Make It Alright (04:06)
3. So Swell (Ambient Version) (03:26)

CD 2:

1. Getting Away With It (All Messed Up) (03:59)
2. Stand (03:31)
3. The Shining (Live at Ridge Farm) (04:30)

Fans who caught the band’s Autumn 2000 UK tour may recognize a couple of the b-sides, which were premiered during the tour, but didn’t make it on the album. Read what Tim had to say about the b-sides in his exclusive web site interview.

James on VH1 Tonight

24-Jun-01: The band will be appearing on VH1 as part of the Ray Cokes: Still Wanted?… Live Extravaganza. The show airs in the UK from 5:30pm to 7:00pm tonight and will include three live tracks from the band.

Chat Live With Tim Booth

24-Jun-01: James’ vocalist Tim Booth will answer fans’ questions in a live chat hosted by CompuServe on Thursday 28-Jun-2001 at 8pm GMT (3pm EDT). For information on how to access the chat, click here.

Exclusive Interview with Tim Booth Now Online!

23-Jun-01: Earlier this week Tim sat down to talk about the new album, the music industry, working with Brian Eno, and the strange marriage that is James, in an interview done exclusively for the web site. Read it all right here.

James Perform on CD:UK

16-Jun-01: James performance on CD:UK this morning was a great success, with the band discovering some fans amongst the other guests on the show: while walking past James’ dressing room, Wheatus’ singer, songwriter and guitarist Brendan B. Brown strummed the opening bars of the song Laid. Later, when Tim went over to say hello, he discovered another bandmember had a copy of the album. Watch the CD:UK website in the coming days for an interview with Tim, done at the studio this morning. Those who missed show can catch it when it’s rebroadcast on Thursday at 12:35am on ITV.

James to Play Exclusive Set for Xfm

11-Jun-01, updated 12-Jun-01: The band will play an exclusive set for Xfm at Sound in Leicester Square, London, on Monday 18-Jun-2001. The approximately 1-hour long set will start at 8pm, with doors opening at 7pm. If you’re in the London area, and wish to attend, enter here to win a pair of tickets, or visit Xfm.co.uk for even more chances to win. Can’t make it to the gig? Check out James this weekend on cd:uk on ITV this Saturday, 16-Jun-2001 at 11:30am.

Additional Summer Gigs Confirmed

11-Jun-01: James have confirmed three additional shows for the summer, including a T in the Park warmup at the Grimsby Auditorium on Friday, 6-Jul-2001. Tickets are available from Way Ahead on 0871-22-00-260 or at wayahead.com.

Following Saturday’s set at T in the Park, the band head to Liverpool for the Summer Pops Festival at King’s Dock, on Sunday, 08-Jul-2001. Tickets are available by calling 0870 120 0721 or online from the Way Ahead Box Office.

Finally, the band head to Dublin, Ireland for the Witnness Festival on Sunday, 5-Aug-2001. Tickets are available by calling 1890 30 WITNNESS (Republic of Ireland) or 0845 30 WITNNESS (UK and Northern Ireland) or at Ticketmaster.

For a full list of summer gigs and festival appearences, check the tour dates section.

Pleased To Meet You Micro-Site Launches Today!

08-Jun-01: A new James micro-site launches today at www.jamesonline.co.uk. The site is chock-full of exclusive soundbytes and full-length tracks from the band’s forthcoming album, ‘Please To Meet You’, plus the best collection of past James videos available online. In addition, fans can enter an exclusive competition to see James on tour or win copies of the new album. More tracks from the album will be added to the site in the lead up to its release on 2-Jul-2001, so be sure to check back often!

International Release Dates

07-Jun-01: In addition to the UK, James new album, ‘Pleased To Meet You’ is confirmed for release on 2-July-2001 in Spain, Portugal, and Greece. Additional international release dates will be posted as they are confirmed.

Getting Away With It Gets Airplay

04-Jun-01: James’ new single, ‘Getting Away With It (All Messed Up)’ has been getting regular airplay on Virgin Radio, and has been added to the station’s playlist. The track was also voted on to the virginradio.20,  an interactive chart voted on by listeners and broadcast on Saturday evenings. To cast your vote for next week’s chart click here. Fans all over the world can listen to Virgin Radio via the internet at virginradio.co.uk.

The single is scheduled for release in the UK on 25-Jun-2001. To preview the lyrics, click here. For a larger version of the image to the right, click here.

James on Later with Jools Holland

05-May-01, updated 18-May-01: James have been confirmed as the featured musical guests on the BBC’s Later with Jools Holland.

The show was taped live on Tuesday, 15-May-2001 with James playing three tracks: Falling Down, Getting Away With It (All Messed Up), and Born of Frustration.

Other musical guests included Buju Banton, Nelly Furtado, Matthew Jay, The Tiger Lilies, and Eddy Grant. Dom Jolly of Trigger Happy TV was a member of the audience and expressed his love of James, mentioning that James were the only band to have the honour of having not one, but two of their songs included on the Trigger Happy soundtrack.

The show airs this Friday, 18-May-2001 at 11:35pm on BBC2. To see an interview with Tim Booth from the taping, visit the Later Web Site.

Exclusive ‘Fine’ Remix Now Online

11-May-01: The full-length track ‘Finer’ is now available for fans to listen to online. The song is a remix of ‘Fine’, from the band’s forthcoming album, Pleased To Meet You (see below for details). The remix was done by James’ drummer Dave Baynton-Power. To check out the track, choose the appropriate link below:

Windows Media Player

Pleased To Meet You

06-May-01: James have confirmed the title and running order for their upcoming studio album. The album, titled Pleased To Meet You will be released on 2-Jul-2001 and feature the following tracks:

1. Space
2. Falling Down
3. English Beefcake
4. Junkie
5. Pleased To Meet You
6. The Shining
7. Senorita
8. Gaudi
9. What Is It Good For
10. Give It Away
11. Fine
12. Getting Away With It
13. Alaskan Pipeline

The album is preceeded by a single, ‘Getting Away With It (All Messed Up)’, set for release on 18-Jun-2001.

First Round of Summer Festivals Announced

26-Apr-01, updated 27-Apr-01: James have been confirmed for a handful of UK festivals this summer, beginning with T in the Park on Saturday 7-Jul-01. Tickets for the event, to be held at Balado Airfield, Scotland, are already on sale. Single day tickets are £35.00 and weekend tickets are £59.00 if booked before the end of May (£64 after). Camping tickets are an additional £11. Check the T in the Park website for more details.

Next up on the festival list is the Guildford Live festival on Saturday 4-Aug-01. The band will headline the second day of the three-day festival, held in Guildford, Surrey. Tickets are not yet on sale, and ticket prices haven’t been confirmed. Check the Guildford Live 2001 website for the latest.

Finally, the band will appear as special guests to Bryan Adams at the City In The Park festival on Saturday 25-Aug-01. Tickets for festival, held in Wollaton Park, Nottingham, are £27.50 advance and can be ordered at the City In the Park website or by calling the box office at 01159 588484 or 01159 412544.

Getting Away With It (All Messed Up)

26-Apr-01: The band have confirmed the first single off their upcoming, and as yet, untitled studio album. The track, titled “Gettting Away With It (All Messed Up)”, will be released to radio stations in the UK on 7-May-2001, and appear in shops on 18-Jun-2001. Fans who attended some of the band’s autumn 2000 tour dates may recognize the track, which was originally titled “Saving Grace” on set lists for the autumn tour.

New Album and Single Release Dates Set

11-Apr-01: The release date for James’ new studio album has been set for 2-Jul-2001. The title, tracklisting and running order for the album are still being decided upon, and should be finalised shortly.

The album will be preceeded by a single, tentatively set for release on 18-Jun-2001. The title of the single has not yet been confirmed.

James Finish Work on New Album

07-Mar-01: James have completed work on their upcoming studio album, which is still untitled. The album, which is comprised of 14 tracks, will be presented to the band’s record company, Mercury Records, by Brian Eno on March 14th at a special playback session at an un-disclosed London studio. Once the album has been presented to the record company, the band will choose a title, finalise the track listing, and choose singles. Release dates for the album and first single will be set shortly after that. More information will be posted here as soon as it is confirmed.

Chat Live with Tim Booth

24-Jan-01, updated 02-Feb-01: Tim Booth was online for about an hour and a half to chat with fans on Wednesday, January 31 at 8:00PM GMT (3:00PM EST). If you missed it, you can read the transcript here.

Now That’s What I Call B-Sides!

30-Jan-01: Details on James’ upcoming b-sides album, titled Now That’s What I Call B-Sides Vol. 1, are almost finalized. The album is scheduled to come out later this year and will be comprised of 20 tracks, including ‘Gone Too Far’, ‘China Girl’, and ‘Van Gogh’s Dog’. The full track listing should be available in a few weeks, at which time we will also announce the results from last summer’s b-side survey.

Meanwhile, the band’s new studio album is being mixed in London. Details are not yet finalized, but more information should be available by mid-February. The new album is provisionally scheduled for release later this spring, prior to the release of the b-side album.

James to Play Charity Date in Geneva

04-Jan-01: James will appear as special guests at the GP 24 heures of Villars benefit in Geneva, Switzerland on Saturday 13 January. The event is in aid of Formula Charity, an organization created by driver Jacques Villeneuve and Craig Pollack, the director of British American Racing. GP 24 heures of Villars is a 24 hour ski race held the weekend of 13-14 January and the band will perform a full electric set at the party on Saturday night. Last year the proceeds from the event went to the Notwill Centre for Paraplegics.

This page lists all news item that were originally published on the old oneofthethree site in 2001. Links and images have either been removed or pointed to the new site where internal.

Update 26.12.01

The official James website has an exclusive download of a remix of Fine from the Pleased To Meet You album by Mark Hunter (Chunney Lad). The file is in mp3 format.

Tim Booth’s own website – www.timbooth.net – will now not be up and running until the New Year as opposed to December as was announced in his departure statement.

Update 21.12.01

T-shirts and other merchandise from James recent tour should be available on the official merchandise site www.bandmad.com early in the New Year.  It was originally scheduled to be available from last Monday, but was delayed.

Update 14.12.01

Website Ananova has reported that the DVD of the Manchester show is due for a February release.  As yet there has however been no official release date publicised.

Update 12.12.01

The two solo albums – Mosquito and Another Small Machine – are now available again to buy from Opal Music for £10.95 each.

Andy Diagram’s band The Spaceheads are on tour in Europe over the next couple of months.  Dates confirmed so far are :

December 14 – Nijmegen Extrapol, Netherlands

December 15 – Brussels Action Against Euro Summit – contact novacinema@village.uunet.be for further info

December 16th – Louvain Le Neuve, Belgium

January 12th – Micro Music Theatre, Athens, Greece

February 1st – Espace Julien, Marseille, France

February 20th – Nouveau Casino, Paris, France

February 21st –  Lune des Pirates, Amiens, France

Click here for the Spaceheads website

Update 11.12.01

James played an emotional final show with Tim Booth at Wembley Arena last night to a crowd of about 10,000 people.  The set included guest appearances by Andy Diagram, Larry Gott and Brian Eno.

The setlist was as follows : Laid, Waltzing Along, Tomorrow, She’s A Star, I Know What I’m Here For, God Only Knows, Protect Me, Out To Get You, Hymn From A Village, Someone’s Got It In For Me, Getting Away With It (All Messed Up), English Beefcake, Sometimes, Johnny Yen, Born of Frustration, Ring The Bells / Top Of The World, Sound / Come Home, Sit Down

For a review click here

Update 9.12.01

The b-sides compilation Ultra failed to reach this week’s Top 75 album chart.

Update 8.12.01

Jim Glennie has announced in a statement that James intend to continue following Tim’s departure. 

James played Thursday night at Birmingham NEC to a crowd of about 6,000 people. The setlist ran as follows:

Say Something, Waltzing Along, Laid, I Know What I’m Here For, English Beefcake, God Only Knows, Protect Me (acoustic), Getting Away With It (All Messed Up), Stutter, Vervaceous, She’s A Star, Born of Frustration, Come Home, Tomorrow / Top Of The World, Sound / Out To Get You, Sit Down

For a review click here

The following night, James played a triumphant homecoming show in Manchester in front of a sell-out crowd of 16,000.  Ex-band members Larry Gott and Andy Diagram made guest appearances.

The show was filmed for a DVD release early in the new year.

The setlist ran as follows : 

Say Something, Waltzing Along, Sometimes, Laid, I Know What I’m Here For, God Only Knows, Someone’s Got It In For Me, Vervaceous, Protect Me (acoustic), Out To Get You, Hymn From A Village, Johnny Yen, Getting Away With It (All Messed Up), Tomorrow, Born of Frustration, Ring The Bells / Top Of The World, Sound / Space, She’s A Star, Come Home, Sit Down

For a review click here.

Update 5.12.01 pm

James setlist at Newcastle last night ran as follows : Say Something, Waltzing Along, Sometimes, Laid, I Know What I’m Here For, God Only Knows, Protect Me (acoustic), Walking The Ghost, Hymn From A Village, Tomorrow, Space, Born of Frustration, Getting Away With It (All Messed Up), Destiny Calling, Ring The Bells / Someone’s Got It In For Me, Sound / Out To Get You, Sit Down.

Andy Diagram did not perform at the show, but is reported to be appearing at all the remaining shows on the tour.

Update 5.12.01 am

Tim has answered some fan questions on the official James website

James played their third date of their tour last night at the Telewest Arena in Newcastle.

The setlist included Hymn From A Village, not played since 1994 at least if my memory serves me correctly, and Someone’s Got It In For Me.  Full setlist to come.

Did you go?  If so, we’re looking for reviews – email to oneofthethree@hotmail.com – there’s a prize for the best review on the tour.

Below are a couple of pictures of shirts available on the tour – prices for both are £15 and there’s a skinny version of the “face” shirt   

Musicroom are selling a new Best Of James songbook featuring chords and lyrics to 29 classic James tracks from the Best Of, Millionaires and Pleased To Meet You. 

The tracks are  : Born of Frustration, Come Home, Crash, Destiny Calling, English Beefcake, Getting Away With It (All Messed Up), Homeboy, How Was It For You?, Hymn From A Village, I Know What I’m Here For, Just Like Fred Astaire, Lose Control, Out To Get You, Pleased To Meet You, Ring The Bells, Runaground, Say Something, Senorita, Seven, She’s A Star, The Shining, Sit Down, Sometimes, Sound, Strangers, Tomorrow, Waltzing Along, We’re Going To Miss You

Update 4.12.01 am

Early reports from James gig last night at Leeds University show that James played a very similar setlist to the Brighton show, without any guest appearances, but including I Defeat (which Tim said they’d never played before – Hereford and Glasgow in 1998 spring to mind), Waltzing Along and Top Of The World.

Click here for reviews of the show – if you were there, send me a review to oneofthethree@hotmail.com. There’s a prize for the best review.

Update 3.12.01 pm

Today saw the release of the James B-Sides Ultra and the re-release of remastered versions of the Gold Mother, Seven, Laid and Whiplash.  The stand out track of the extra tracks has to be the previously unreleased Mark Hunter remixed Say Something (The Saying Nothing Remix).  Early reports suggest many people are having difficulty getting hold of them. 

Update 3.12.01 am

James opened their final UK tour with Tim Booth at the Brighton Centre last night.  The setlist consisted of :

Say Something, Sometimes, Laid, Senorita, English Beefcake, Getting Away With It (All Messed Up), She’s A Star, Space, Vervaceous, Johnny Yen, Come Home, God Only Knows, Born of Frustration, Ring The Bells / Protect Me (acoustic), Tomorrow, Sound / Out To Get You, Sit Down

Click here for a review of the show

The show also saw a new tour programme featuring new pictures, a gigography, fans reminiscing about James and the sleevenotes to the remastered albums.  There was also an extensive selection of new t-shirts including James written in the shape of a face, the classic JA-M-ES shirts, a University of Manchester shirt with the James flower in place of the logo, a 3D style flower logo, a sweatshirt with a small daisy on the front and several vests / skinny tops based around the flower.  Mugs and the Folklore book were also available.

Update 26.11.01

James have just completed three dates on their Iberian tour in Madrid, Lisbon and Porto.  For fan reviews as submitted, please check the tour section.

Rumours on the official James chatboard suggest that ex-band members Larry Gott and Andy Diagram WILL be appearing at certain shows on the upcoming UK tour – Larry in Manchester only and Andy at all shows except Leeds and Birmingham, although there has been no official confirmation.

Michael Kulas has just completed a recording session for his first post-James album at Lendalfoot in Scotland.  The official Kulas website has thirty-second samples of four songs from these session.

Update 16.11.01

A James aftershow party has been arranged by the website www.aftershow.co.uk for immediately after the Manchester Arena show on Friday December 7.  The party is at the Quay Bar in Castlefields – advance tickets are £6 plus booking fee from Piccadilly Box Office on 0161-832-111 or www.ticketline.co.uk. The party also includes a DJ set by Dave Haslam.  Click here to see more details from the press release

Update 13.11.01

James B-sides album called Ultra will be released on Monday December 3 in the UK on Fontana.

The tracklisting for the album is

Gone Too Far, Honest Pleasure, Sunday Morning, China Girl, Still Alive, The Lake, I Defeat, Goalies Ball, Chunney Chops, Tonight, Dreaming Up Tomorrow, William Burroughs, Assassin, Stolen Horse, Undertaker, Egoiste, Van Gogh’s Dog, Where You Gonna Run?

This album is in addition to the four remastered albums with extra tracks due for release on the same day

Click here to view/order at Amazon :

Ultra £9.99 ex postage

Gold Mother £7.99 ex postage – bonus tracks : Hang On, Crescendo, Come Home (Skunk Weed Skank Mix), Lose Control (live), Sit Down (live)

Seven £7.99 ex postage – bonus tracks : Protect Me (Acoustic Live), Sound (live), Heavens (live), Don’t Wait That Long (live)

Laid £7.99 ex postage – bonus tracks : Laid (live), Sometimes (live), Five-O (live), Say Something (remix)

Whiplash £7.99 ex postage – bonus tracks : Lost A Friend (live), Greenpeace (live), Homeboy (live), Waltzing Along (Flytronix Mix)

Update 11.11.01

According to Kulas Online, Michael is presently writing songs for his next album, due out next year.  He will not be replacing Tim in James and will not be part of any post-Tim incarnation of James.

Update 7.11.01

Several people have asked about how to get tickets for November’s Portuguese shows – Lisbon Coliseum on November 23, Porto Coliseum on November 24.

Taking a look at the web, there’s a phone line for a company called SIC.24 that has the Lisbon show on their website – http://ondaticket.siconline.pt/. Their telephone number is 00351 21 417 3111. I hope someone there speaks English because the site’s totally in Portuguese!

There seem to be another number as well : Ticketline (Lisbon) 00351 21 712 03 00 

I presume one of these would give you a number for Porto as well. 

For the Madrid show at La Riviera on November 22, this site gives you details of the show and allows you to order on-line for collection on the day from the venue.  It even allows you to do this in English if you click the button in the top left hand corner.  To phone for tickets, use the number 0034 902 15 00 25 from the site to reserve your tickets. 

In Tim’s interview with Channel 4 teletext he revealed he hopes to have some music out in April 2002 – watch this space for more details.

Turin Brakes, previously announced as support for James UK tour, will now not be appearing at the Leeds University show on December 3rd.  They will still appear at all other shows. Replacements have not yet been announced.

A Portuguese band called Plastica, who Tim met during James festival performances in Portugal in May 2000, will be supporting James on their two Portuguese dates in Lisbon and Portugal.

Update 5.11.01

According to US website www.sirencd.com, Mercury are re-issuing four classic James albums with extra tracks on December 3.

The albums with the extra tracks are as follows:

Gold Mother – plus Come Home (Skunk Weed Skank Mix), Lose Control (live), Sit Down (live), Gold Mother (Warp Remix)

Seven – plus Protect Me (Acoustic Live), Sound (live), Heavens (live), Don’t Wait That Long (live)

Laid – plus Laid (live), Sometimes (live), Five-O (live), Say Something (remix)

Whiplash – plus Lost A Friend (live), Greenpeace (live), Homeboy (live), Waltzing Along (Flytronix Mix)

I assume that the live tracks on Gold Mother are from the G-Mex 1990 show, the Seven tracks are from the Seven live video, the Laid tracks from the Radio 1 James Day and the Whiplash tracks from the Radio 1 Mark Radcliffe session (Lost A Friend) and the Shepherds Bush Empire Radio 1 show from March 1997.

Not very inspired choices for extra tracks when we have a surfeit of b-sides and acoustic radio session tracks….

More as it gets confirmed.

Update 30.10.01

Tim Booth will be doing an interview with Channel 4 teletext – index page 450 tomorrow, 31st October

Update 29.10.01

Tim Booth has announced his intention to leave James at the end of their UK December tour.  More details including a full statement to the fans and press release here.

He also indicated that Larry Gott and Andy Diagram will be joining the band at some point during the tour.

Update 28.10.01

Tim and Saul will be presenting an award at tomorrow’s Q Awards in London.  Watch out for Channel 4’s broadcast next week to catch a glimpse of the boys.

Update 18.10.01

An extra date has been added to James December UK tour – they will now be playing Leeds University on Monday December 3rd.

Update 13.10.01

With Ben Folds cancelling his support slots on the December UK tour, Turin Brakes have stepped into the breach.

Update 27.9.01

James have announced three Iberian dates for late November ahead of their UK arena tour

November 22 – Madrid La Riviera

November 23 – Lisbon Coliseum

November 24 – Oporto Coliseum

Update 26.9.01

Despite James and Mercury going their separate ways at the end of their contract, there are still plans to release the b-sides album Now That’s What I Call B Sides Vol 1 through Mercury before the end of the year.  Tracklisting and a release date are still not finalised.

There is still no news on any progress in James attempts at getting a new contract with a new label.

Update 6.9.01

James have announced their amicable departure from Mercury Records following the completion of their contract with the album Pleased To Meet You.  No news yet as to what happens next….. Click here for the press release.

Update 21.8.01

According to Playlouder.com, James have been “released from their contract” by Mercury. Actually, Pleased to Meet You was James’ last album on their present contract, but as usual, the press never let the truth get in the way of an excuse to diss the band.  More to come, no doubt…..

Update 7.8.01

James headlined the Benicassim Festival in Spain on Friday night with the show broadcast live on Spanish radio.  They then flew back to the UK to headline the Guildford Festival – click here for reviews – on Saturday, before an early evening slot at Dublin’s Witness Festival on Sunday where they also performed in the acoustic tent.

Tim hinted at the Witnness Festival that English Beefcake may be the next single off the Pleased To Meet You album.

Update 1.8.01

Pleased To Meet You has dropped out of the Top 75 albums after only three weeks on the chart.

Update 31.7.01

Band-Mad, the new James merchandising company has increased its range of James merchandise, including some shirts on special offer at £5 and a jacket at £15, along with all the new Pleased To Meet You merchandise.

James On Line, Mercury’s James site has a new section with an eight minute video of studio footage of the recording of the Pleased To Meet You album, including an exclusive version of English Beefcake.

Update 26.7.01

Pleased To Meet You slumped to number 47 in the album charts in its third week of release.

Strange Dancing – The Early Years, the Warner compilation of early James material, is now due for release on August 20.  Regular readers will no doubt take this with a pinch of salt and see it when they believe it!

Rumour has it that Orbital have been approached to remix Falling Down for a potential future release.

Update 23.7.01

Strange Dancing appears to have been deleted from the catalogue at HMV which would suggest the release has been delayed or cancelled.  No word from Warners on this (turn the clock back fourteen years or so and it’s a case of deja vu)

Update 18.7.01

James on line merchandise is now on sale at www.bandmad.com.  Only new t-shirts debuted at the recent shows (don’t get too excited, they’re not that great or cheap) are available at present.

Click here to see One Of The Three’s archive of James t-shirts

Update 16.7.01

James have parted company with Blue Grape, their merchandising company, and are presently in negotiation with an as yet unnamed company to take over the manufacture and sale of James merchandise.

Pleased To Meet You dropped out of the Top 20 album chart this week, plummeting to Number 29. Getting Away With It (All Messed Up) dropped to number 69 in the singles charts

Update 13.7.01

Getting Away With It (All Messed Up) dropped to number 48 in the UK single charts last week after entering at 22 the week before despite the band’s appearance on Top of the Pops.

Update 12.7.01

Tim held a forty-minute webchat at Dotmusic.com this evening – click here to see a transcript

According to Tim at Sunday’s Liverpool show, Falling Down will be the next single from the album Pleased To Meet You.

A promotional condom was issued to promote the Pleased To Meet You album.  A picture of the box can be found below. A case of poor old Johnny yen? 

Update 8.7.01

Pleased To Meet You reached a disappointing number 11 in the album charts.

Virgin Megastores in the UK are offering a free poster with all purchases of Pleased To Meet You whilst stocks last. V Shop / Our Price are offering Laid for £4.99 with CD purchases of the album.

James are to play the Electron Festival in Athens, Greece on September 21.

The international release dates for Pleased To Meet You have been confirmed as follows :

2 July : UK, Ireland (13 track limited edition)

2 July : Austria, Belgium, Germany, Holland, Portugal, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland

3 July : Japan

9 July : Denmark, Greece, New Zealand, Norway

12 July : Italy

13 July : South Africa

17 July : Canada

23 July : Australia

All international versions are 11 track albums which exclude the tracks Gaudi and What Is It Good For?  Buyers outside the UK can purchase the album online at Audiostreet and get the full UK version with the two missing tracks and bonus CD material.

The single Getting Away With It (All Messed Up) was released on June 25th and reached number 22 in the Top 40, after peaking in the midweek charts.  The single’s showing was enough to merit an appearance on Top of the Pops on Friday 6 July.

James have announced a December UK arena tour with support from “special guests” Ben Folds

December 2 – Brighton Centre

December 4 – Newcastle Telewest Arena

December 6 – Birmingham NEC

December 7 – Manchester Arena

December 9 – Glasgow SECC

December 10 – Wembley Arena

Update 20.6.01

James compilation album of material from their Sire and Factory days “Strange Dancing – The Early Years” is now scheduled for release on Monday 23rd July.

The album artwork has finally been revealed – see the picture above.  The “man” on the cover is a computer generated image from pictures of all seven band members – click here to read Tim’s explanation to Q of the concept behind the cover.

Update 19.6.01

Last night James played an exclusive “Sessions” set for XFM at the Sound nightclub in Leicester Square.  The 20 song set  featured Alaskan Pipeline, Space, Stand, Senorita, Junkie, Waltzing Along, Sometimes, Just Like Fred Astaire, Pleased To Meet You, The Shining, Falling Down, I Know What I’m Here For, Destiny Calling, Fine, English Beefcake, Born of Frustration and Ring The Bells with an encore of What Is It Good For?, She’s A Star and Getting Away With It (All Messed Up).

For a review of the gig, click here

James have been confirmed to play the Benicassim Festival in Spain on Friday August 3rd, according to the festival’s site www.fiberfim.com

Update 15.6.01

According to Siren CD, the two CD singles of the Getting Away With It single are as follows:

CD1 : Getting Away With It, Make It Alright, So Swell (Ambient Version)

CD2 : Getting Away With It, Stand, The Shining (Live At Ridge Farm)

More details as I get it……

Update 12.6.01

The James official website is running a competition for five pairs of tickets to the XFM gig.  The competition winners will be notified on Thursday 14th so don’t delay with your entry.

Update 11.6.01

James will be appearing on CDUK this Saturday 16th June, starting at 11.30am on ITV.

James are playing an exclusive gig for XFM at Sound in Leicester Square next Monday 18th June.  Tickets can only be obtained by entering a competition at the XFM website.

Mercury have just released a new press biography for the album, which takes a look back at James career from an interesting viewpoint. Click here to read it.

Update 7.6.01

Mercury have updated their James site – www.jamesonline.co.uk – with a news section, audio streams of samples of English Beefcake, Pleased To Meet You and Fine plus a full version of the track Pleased To Meet You.  There is the promise that all tracks will be available on stream before the album release.

There is also the chance to watch the videos for Waltzing Along, Born of Frustration, Destiny Calling, an electronic Press Kit, Laid, Runaground, Sit Down, Say Something, Sometimes, She’s A Star and Tomorrow.

There’s also a competition that you have to enter numerous times to get the various bits of the site and the navigation can be a bit tricky, but go and have a look, you’ll be pleasantly surprised.

Pleased To Meet You will also be released in Spain, Portugal and Greece on July 2nd, the same day as the UK.  No other international releases have been confirmed.  For those outside these countries, CD-WOW are selling the album for £8.99 including free worldwide delivery.

Update 2.6.01

Getting Away With It (All Messed Up) has been added to Virgin Radio’s playlist and was also voted number 14 in this week’s listener charts at www.virginradio.co.uk where you can still vote for it.

Update 30.5.01

The line-up for the Guildford Festival has now been confirmed. James headline on Saturday 4th August supported by Cast, Saw Doctors, Bert Jansch and Bernard Butler, Chumbawamba, The Chameleons and Bjorn Again.  Pulp and Catatonia headline the other two nights.

Tickets are now on sale. Click here for more details

Update 29.5.01

The attached picture shows the promo one-track single on sale at E-bay for the forthcoming single Getting Away With It (All Messed Up) due for release on Monday 25th June.  Radio airplay for the single is reported to be slow so far with no Radio 1 playlisting to date.

The single artwork for Getting Away With It is rumoured to be based around the picture to the left taken from the official Mercury James site.  The site www.jamesonline.co.uk now features a new front page and would appear to be being prepared for relaunch. A full album promo has appeared as well (and no, I don’t have a copy)

James have announced a warm-up gig at the Grimsby Auditorium on Friday 6th July as a warm-up for their performance at T In The Park the following day and Liverpool Summer Pops Festival two days later. More details in the Tour Dates section. The gig replaces the show cancelled in November due to storm damage to the venue.

The Warner Brothers compilation double album Strange Dancing – The Early Years covering James career with Factory and Sire Records between 1983 and 1988 is now scheduled for release on Monday 25 June, according to HMV.

Update 24.5.01

CD-WOW will sell the new album Pleased To Meet You worldwide for £8.99 including postage and packing, including the US. Click here to go to their site

Update 22.5.01

James are one of the bands with memorabilia featured in the new Manchester branch of the Doc Marten’s store in Manchester Triangle (formerly Corn Exchange) – also featured are The Stone Roses, Happy Mondays, Buzzcocks and Oasis. The exhibition runs until August.

Update 21.5.01

Tim gave an interview at Later during the recording sessions for the show, to see and read it, click here

Update 20.5.01

The new single Getting Away With It (All Messed Up) has been delayed by one week and will now be released on Monday 25th June, one week before the album Pleased To Meet You.

Update 17.5.01

James played the three songs – Getting Away With It (All Messed Up), Falling Down and Born of Frustration at Tuesday night’s recording of the Later With Jools program. The band were reportedly very pleased with the way the recording went.

In the chatroom last night, Mike indicated that plans are afoot for festival dates in Greece, Mexico, the US and Canada and that there are still plans for a UK tour in December as reported exclusively here about a month ago. San Francisco, Los Angeles, New York and Toronto were mentioned in the conversation.  Nothing has however been confirmed…….

Mike also appeared to rule out any additional festival dates to those already announced, which are : July 7 T In The Park, July 8 Liverpool Kings Dock, August 4 Guildford Festival, August 5 Witnness Festival, Ireland and August 25 Nottingham Wollaton Park. For more details of these, see the tour dates section.

Fans favourite track Scratchcard is also likely to appear as a b-side after being left off the album’s final tracklisting.

Update 15.5.01

James rehearsed three tracks for tonight’s Later With Jools performance – new single Getting Away With It (All Messed Up), Falling Down from the new album Pleased To Meet You and the classic 1992 hit Born of Frustration.

CD-WOW now have Pleased To Meet You available on pre-order for £8.99 with shipping to the UK, Europe, Asia, Australia and New Zealand. I’m trying to find out if they ship to the US and save you paying exorbitant import prices.  Click here to go to CD-WOW.

Update 13.5.01

Contrary to rumours on the official site messageboard Alaskan Pipeline is not Scratchcard which was played on the Autumn 2000 tour – it is a totally new track.

Laid is being used in the trailers to promote the new movie American Pie 2 in the US. The song also appeared in the theatrical trailer for the original movie, although it didn’t actually appear in the movie.

Update 11.5.01

The official James site now has an exclusive remix of the album track Fine by David Baynton-Power called Finer. Click here to go the site.

Update 10.5.01

James will be playing the Witnness Festival at the Fairyhouse Racecourse near Dublin on Sunday August 5th, the day after their headlining performance at the Guildford Festival. See the live page for more details

Update 6.5.01

James new studio album, due for release on July 2nd will be called Pleased To Meet You. Tracklisting is as follows:

Update 6.5.01

James are confirmed as guests on Jools Holland’s BBC2 Later programme to be recorded on Tuesday 15th May and transmitted at 11.30pm on Friday 18th May and repeated on Sunday 20th May.

Update 27.4.01

James are headlining the Liverpool Echo’s Summer Pops festival at Liverpool’s Kings Dock on Sunday July 8th. The venue will apparently be all seated and in a marquee. Tickets are available from Liverpool Philharmonic, Piccadilly Box Office and other outlets, see the live page for more details

Update 26.4.01

James are headlining the second night of the Guildford Festival on Saturday 4 August. Tickets are not yet on sale. More details can be found at www.guildford-live.co.uk.

James are also to appear as special guests to Bryan Adams at City In The Park in Wollaston Park, Nottingham on Saturday August 25. More details at www.cityinthepark.com

James first single from the new album will be entitled Getting Away With It (All Messed Up), which was formerly known as Daniel’s Saving Grace. The track will be released to UK radio stations on Monday 7 May. It will be released on Monday June 18th.

Update 22.4.01

James have been confirmed as “Special Guests” at T in the Park on Saturday 7 July. The Sunday Mail has run an advert today with James on the bill.

Rumour – I’ve had a tip-off that James are planning an arena tour for December.

A nine-track untitled promo of tracks from the new album has appeared recently at Action Records and also on E-bay.

The promo CD features Space, Falling Down, Saving Grace, Give It Away, Coffee And Toast, Fine, Gaudi, Junkie and The Shining.

The present price (as at 8am, 22/4) is £31 at Ebay.

Update 18.4.01

Michael Kulas has released his second solo album “Another Small Machine” in Canada on 28th March.  The catalogue number is INTER001 and can be ordered from www.hmv.com. A special feature on the album will follow as soon as I have more details.

According to Michael, there will be no promotion of the album due to his commitments with James.  I would imagine that this will mean no UK release at the present time, if at all.

Update 17.4.01

According to their playlist and the reports of James fans in the US, KCRW’s Morning Become Eclectic Show played a demo of a track called “Fine” from the new LP. More if I can find it out…..

Update 11.4.01

According to the official James website, the new as yet untitled James album will be released in the UK on Monday 2 July. A single, also as yet undecided, will precede it on Monday 18th June.

Update 31.3.01

HMV’s release schedules show a yet untitled James single due for release on June 4th.

Update 16.3.01

James new album, provisionally entitled Space, was presented to the record company by Brian Eno on Wednesday evening.

The proposed tracklisting for the album included the tracks included ‘Space’, ‘Falling Down’, ‘Saving Grace’, ‘Give It Away’, ‘Coffee And Toast’, ‘Fine’, ‘Gaudi’, ‘Junkie’ and ‘The Shining’.

The album should contain 11 or 12 tracks and was described by Eno to the NME as “the best they’ve ever made.”

For more, take a look at Oneofthethree’s special Space feature

Update 7.3.01

According to the official James site, James have actually now finished their new album, contradicting what was posted yesterday.

The album, containing 14 tracks, will be presented by Brian Eno to the record company at an unnamed London studio next Wednesday, 14 March. Following that, a decision will be made on the first single and a release schedule, as revealed here two days ago.

Update 6.3.01

According to the band’s press office, there are no plans to release a single on April 16, as previously reported here and advertised in HMV.

The album is now almost completed and the band have just finished a break following the completion of most of the sessions and mixing, leaving one track to finish in the studio over the course of this week – according to the official website.

The press office added that  the band will present the album to the record company, who have not heard the final work yet, over the next couple of weeks.  Any first single from the album would not be released until May at the earliest and no song has been yet identified as the first single. 

The album should follow “in the summer”, probably late June. It will feature as expected most of the songs previewed on the autumn UK tour.  No title has yet been decided on. Read more on the songs here.

The Warner Brothers compilation “Strange Dancing – The Early Years” is now likely to be released in May or June. Legal clearance is presently being sought for some of the tracks that will appear on the double album. 

With Warner taking over the rights to the London/Factory catalogue, the album will include the five tracks from Jimone and James II EPs (Village Fire EP) and should also include the b-sides from the Sire singles (Chain Mail, So Many Ways, What For and Ya Ho) although the tracklisting has not yet been finalised. It is unlikely that there will be any unreleased material on the compilation as a search of the Sire/WEA archives did not pick up any new tracks.

As previously reported, the band have finalised the tracklisting for the b-sides album which compromises of tracks from “early in their career” (which I take to mean How Was It For You? onwards) right through to the Millionaires b-sides. The tracklisting has yet to be presented to the record company and the release strategy (how it fits in with the new album) will be discussed at the aforementioned presentation, but it is still scheduled for this year.

The “Remasters” series is still in the planning stage. Gold Mother, Seven, Laid and Whiplash will get the treatment with new sleeve notes and possibly extra tracks. Gold Mother may feature the two tracks deleted from the original release back in 1991 – Hang On and Crescendo.

There are presently no confirmations of festival appearances – James had hoped to play Glastonbury, but it is probable that they will make an appearance at at least one of the summer festivals.

Update 5.3.01

According to a release schedule in HMV Romford, James have a new, as yet untitled, single due for release on April 16.

Update 23.2.01

Strange Dancing – The Early Years, the Sire/WEA compilation has been put back until April 16th.  Tracklisting and artwork are being finalised as we speak and I should have more details for you at the back end of next week

A tour of the UK is presently “under consideration” but nothing definite has been agreed as yet.  It will be 2-3 weeks at the very least before there is any more news.

News update on James ex-manager and mother of Tim’s son Ben : she is now running a management company in Brighton representing Polak and the comedian Rob Newman.

Update 2.2.01

Tim Booth was online in the chatroom at the official James site – www.jamestheband.com on Wednesday night and gave the following information:

– the album and a UK tour are pencilled in for May / June

– the album is now being mixed in London

– a US release and tour is planned for September.  A new record label boss in the US is said to be more favourably inclined to James than the previous one.

– Tim is presently teaching dance in Brighton and is about to jet off to the Canary Islands to teach dance there for 10 days

– he was unaware of WEA’s plans for the “Strange Dancing” collection

Update 30.1.01

The new James album, tentatively scheduled for release in April / May is presently being mixed at an unnamed London studio.

Due to be released later in the year, the James b-side album is to be titled “Now That’s What I Call B-Sides Volume 1”. The album will contain 20 tracks including Van Gogh’s Dog, The Lake, Sunday Morning, China Girl and Gone Too Far. The full tracklisting will be confirmed soon.

Larry Gott’s design career is taking off in a big way. One of his designs will be available in Conran stores in London, Paris and New York in the next couple of months and Habitat are currently prototyping one of his designs. More on Larry in this exclusive interview.

Update 29.1.01

More information on the “Strange Dancing” album – this is scheduled for release on March 12 as a two-CD Anthology-type package.  Tracklisting and catalogue numbers have not been finalised. I will hopefully get more information on this in the next day or so.

Update 27.1.01

February’s edition of Record Collector features the following “Among the new millenium’s first reissues are ‘Strange Dancing – The Early Years’ covering the pre-fame noodlings of indie popsters James. This was in an article on Warners record label (which Sire is now part of) More as I get it….

Update 24.1.01

Tim Booth will be taking part in a live chat session on the official James website at 8pm UK time on Wednesday 31st January – www.jamestheband.com

Update 4.1.01

James are appearing as special guests at the Villars 24 Heures Grand Prix benefit in Geneva, Switzerland on Saturday 13 January. The event raises funds for Formula Charity, an organization created by racing driver and long-term James fan Jacques Villeneuve and Craig Pollack, the director of British American Racing. James will perform a full electric set at the party surrounding the two-day event on Saturday night.

The event however is press, sponsors and race entrants only according to the official James site.  So if you turn up you may well not get it.  No other shows are planned whilst the band are in Switzerland.

Daybrook House Promotions (DHP) is proud to announce James to play at this years City in the Park. They will be supporting international rock star Bryan Adams. The show will take place on Saturday 25th August Bank Holiday weekend (subject to license).

They have joined the list of stars who have played Nottingham’s annual rock and pop festival. Last year saw pop stars All Saints and Ronan Keating performing to over 20,000 fans on the hottest day of the year and over 30,000 saw the Irish phenomenon The Corrs in 1999.

Musical history is littered with bands who have briefly blazed brightly, to sink prematurely into depressing mediocrity as they repeat themselves with ever-diminishing effect. The path James have forged has taken the band in exactly the opposite direction. Endlessly inventive and always taking risks, James have never been satisfied with the easy option. Digging deep into the wellspring of their creativity they released last years Millionaires – the most adventurous and rewarding album of their roller-coaster 16 year career.

The summer’s day long event organised by DHP will include several other high profile artists, as well as other attractions such as street theatre and funfairs to make this a day out for the whole family.

Wollaton Park is the perfect setting for such an event, with the backdrop of the historical 16th century hall, within the grounds of its natural amphitheatre. The location makes for a breathtaking setting with perfect views from all areas of the ten-acre enclosure.

Says Director Andy Copping “We are in discussions with some big name acts to join the bill, it will be an all-day event and we plan to make the entertainment second to none.”

DHP who own several Nottingham venues, including the award winning Rock City, have staged numerous events at Wollaton Park. City in the Park is now on the maib calendar of UK summer festivals and will see many more fantastic acts brought to Nottingham over future years.

This event is subject to license being granted.

James return on July 2 with new album Pleased To Meet You, produced by Brian Eno. It’s preceded a week earlier by the Getting Away With It single.

The band previewed songs on last year’s theatre tour, recording the 13 tracks as a live band rather than their usual method of letting songs grow from studio jams.

They play T In The Park in July, then with Bryan Adams and Johnathan Wilkes at Nottingham Woolaton on August 25.

James are set to release their 11th studio album, Pleased To Meet You, on July 2.

It will be preceded by the single, Getting Away With It (All Messed Up), on June 25.

The band have also announced two live gigs in addition to their summer festival schedule.

They will play the Grimsby Auditorium on July 6, and Liverpool King’s Dock on July 8.

James will also appear at the T In The Park festival on Scotland on July 7, the Guildford Live festival on August 4, and as special guests of Bryan Adams at the City In The Park festival at Wollaton Park, Nottingham, on August 25.

My excitement here is genuine. I promise you that, sweet reader. A super band, James, is finally going to release a new studio album, Pleased To Meet You, July 2 in the U.K. And yes, once again, Brian Eno is behind the boards. There is no U.S. release date planned at present. The band’s last album, Millionaires, never came out here either. Criminal. This new record will be the 11th studio album to come from these crazy Brits. According to all kinds of fun messages on the band’s website, James will first release a single from the record called “Getting Away with It (All Messed Up),” due out in the U.K. only on June 25. You can visit the band’s website to hear another new track, “Finer,” which is actually a remix of the new album track, “Fine” (mixed by James drummer Dave Baynton-Power). In related news, back in January there was talk of a forthcoming James b-sides album, which the site said was to be called Now That’s What I Call B-Sides Vol. 1. At the time, we were told that the details were nearly finalized and that the album was to come out later this year, and feature 20 tracks, including, “Gone Too Far,” “China Girl,” and “Van Gogh’s Dog.” We have heard nothing about it since. In other related news, James is scheduled to play a handful of U.K. festivals this summer, including T in the Park this July in Scotland, the Guildford Live festival in August in Nottingham, and the City in the Park festival in August, also in Nottingham (with Bryan Adams!). Here’s the tracklisting to Pleased To Meet You.

1. Space

2. Falling Down

3. English Beefcake

4. Junky

5. Pleased To Meet You

6. The Shining

7. Senorita

8. Gaudi

9. What Is It Good For

10. Give It Away

11. Fine

12. Getting Away With It

13. Alaskan Pipeline

If you’re a bit worried that the Mardi Gras weekend is already beginning to look rather more like a bankruptcy weekend, fear not, as you can always rely on POPSTARZ to give you a good deal, and at no time is that more true than this Friday (29 Jun), when the crew will be holding another of their infa­mous giveaways.

This time around, the goodies will be to celebrate the launch of James’ new album, Pleased To Meet You, which we’ve heard is pretty top-quality stuff. There’ll be a massive giveaway, including T-shirts, CD albums, singles and posters, and all you have to do is make sure you run to the stage when you hear that all-time classic James track, ‘Laid’, thundering out of the speakers. It’s as simple as that. So, make sure you get there early, as you don’t want to miss it!

June 2001, © Q Magazine

Q : Who The Hell Is This Guy?

A : His name’s James and, bizarrely, he’s a composite of the band of the same name

“This is about finding a way to represent our collective spirit,” says James frontman Tim Booth, discussing the band’s curious new figurehead. “It deals with the old, Are you James questions, which, yeah, you still get – I still get called James. I suppose people in Travis get called Travis too.”

In order to solve these public image problems, James have cooked up an entirely new public face. Last month, each of the seven members posed for separate portraits, which were subsequently morphed together, with the aid of noted fashion photographer Phil Poynter, design company Blue Source and a good deal of computerised jiggery pokery, in order to create an entirely new person. He’s been christened James, obviously, and will appear on the sleeve of the forthcoming album, Pleased To Meet You. Although he doesn’t play any instruments, he’s so life-like that there’s already speculation about his “personality”.

“I think he looks like he might have a knife in his back pocket.” exclaims Booth. “He has a good edge to him. He’s not idealised.”

As for intra-band arguments over whose bits were used where – did they take place?

“Of course,” acknowledges Booth. “He’s got my knob, and it’s fantastic, obviously.”

James have morphed all seven of their faces together to form the decidedly bizarre image that will adorn their new album, dotmusic can exclusively reveal.

The picture, above, is a computer-generated photograph, taking certain characteristics from the members of the band. The ‘person’ created is called ‘James’.

The decision has been prompted by the constant misunderstanding surrounding the band’s name, as a spokeswoman for the band explained to us today.

It’s all come about because the band/Tim are always asked if they are James. They decided to create an eighth member that they would call James and use that image for the album cover.

The band’s new album, entitled ‘Pleased To Meet You’, is released next month and has once again been produced by electro-ambient pioneer and general legend Brian Eno.

Eno explained how the album had come together: It’s like when people make their first album, they’re full of enthusiasm and excitement and they know what they’re doing and it’s a pleasure. This was like making a first album.

James are marking the release of their new album by unveiling a mystery eighth member of the band.

Photographs of each band member were taken and morphed together to create a character called James.

They came up with the idea after getting fed up with people repeatedly asking which one of them was called James.

The band have created an entire history to the morphed James.

They say he is an elusive, charismatic, engaging individual.

Accounts about his background vary, with some saying he attended public school in Shropshire and others claiming he grew up in Moss Side.

James got into the music industry after getting involved in the punk scene and was inspired by Patti Smith, Joy Division and The Fall.

The band say he supports Manchester City, Leeds United and Barcelona.

James teamed up with producer Brian Eno to make their new album Pleased To Meet You. It is released on July 2.

Rock band James have spent a fortune on new photographic techniques for the cover of their new album Pleased To Meet You.

All the members of the band were photographed and then a digital process was used to blend together all their features to give the image that they used as the album cover.

The lads in the office recognised the face immediately – it’s our crime reporter Simon Walton.

How Simon became the bloke on the album cover is not clear but we certainly know James could have saved a fortune by simply using this picture of young Walton. The effect would have been the same.

If anyone has bought the new James album and would like Simon to autograph the cover they should give him a ring.

JAMES REGRESSAM A PORTUGAL

21 de Setembro de 2001

Tal como se esperava, os James vão regressar a Portugal no mês de Novembro, para dois concertos ao vivo nos Coliseus de Lisboa e Porto.

Consigo trazem o novo álbum “Pleased To Meet You” – que contou com a produção de Brian Eno – naqueles que serão os espectáculos anteriores à digressão dos James no Reino Unido, cujas datas se encontram praticamente esgotadas.

É assim que o grupo liderado pelo vocalista Tim Booth irá subir mais uma vez a palcos portugueses, depois do guitarrista da banda, Saul Davis, ter escolhido o nosso país para estabelecer residência. O músico está a viver em Caminha, no Minho e casou (ou está a planear casar) com uma portuguesa.

Entretanto, os bilhetes para estes dois espectáculos – dia 23 de Novembro em Lisboa e dia 24 de Novembro no Porto – vão ser colocados à venda no próximo dia 26 de Setembro, pelos seguintes preços:

Lisboa: 4000 escudos;

Porto: Plateia Plateia de pé/Tribuna – 4.000$00; Galeria/Geral – 3.900$0

Locais de venda:

Lisboa – Coliseu, Fnac Colombo, Fnac Chiado, Fnac Cascais Shopping, Ticketline no Vasco da Gama, ABEP e agência Alvalade

Porto – Coliseu, Fnac Sta. Catarina e Fnac Norte Shopping

Internet – www.ondaticket.com

JAMES have left their label MERCURY RECORDS.

A spokesperson for the band has told NME.COM that the group have decided not to renew their contract with the label after futhfilling their obligation of six albums and a Greatest Hits compilation.

Describing the departure from the label as “perfectly amicable”, the spokesperson maintained that the group plan to release a B-sides album via Mercury later this year, and work is also in the pipeline to reissue the group’s studio albums in the future.

The band are set to tour their current album, ‘Pleased To Meet You’, in December.

Dear friends,

After much deliberation I have decided it’s time for me to leave JAMES. When we started the band we always said we’d give it a year and see how it went. If you had told me we’d last nearly 20 years I’d have asked you what drugs you were on. I am leaving on a high. The tour is selling well and will be a great farewell party. For the last two years we have been getting on better with each other than ever before. We have made a C.D that I believe to be our best since Laid; yes I have heard that reviews state otherwise but by not reading them I keep myself in a blissful bubble of ignorance. Although some of the Summer gigs were a bit hit and miss the last gig we did, in Athens was one of the best we have ever done.

So why am I leaving? Well because I want to stop while we are on top. To leave great memories knowing that I feel proud of just about everything we have done. And I am leaving because it feels like THE RIGHT TIME. This is an intuitive decision enabling me to let go of a huge commitment and make space for something new to come in. I am sure the press will try and find all kinds of smaller reasons and many of them may be factually true. But this is the greater truth.

I am mid-way through a screen play – which may just be for an audience of one. I am looking forward to teaching creativity workshops, to act and create some new music. If you want to keep in touch, my own web-site should be running by December at timbooth.net.

I don’t know what the rest of the guys are going to do but I want to thank them for an amazing ride and for taking my departure so well. For those of you who hate award acceptance thank you’s turn away now. I want to thank all the musicians who have ever played in James throughout our various incarnations. Also massive thanks to Peter Rudge, Brian Eno, Traci, Geoff, Simon, Louise, Laurie, Nicola, Neil, Richard, Marsha, Martine, Michael, Joyce, Martin, Angelo and other allies too numerous to mention or remember. I’ve also got to thank my own personal crew of Kate, Ben, Mepps and Avril.

And finally you. The quality of your listening has enabled us to produce quality. Your faith in us has lifted us to higher levels. It seems like you have managed to always see us through the smokescreen of hipness and cool that the music industry is drowning in. Thank you for listening. Much love.

Tim

JAMES vocalist TIM BOOTH has announced he is to quit the band.

In a posting on the group’s official website, www.jamestheband.com, it is claimed that the group’s current UK tour in December will be the “last chance to catch the current line-up”. The remaining members of the group are set to continue recording together, with an announcement on the group to follow.

A statement from Tim Booth reads: “After much deliberation I have decided it’s time for me to leave James. When we started the band we always said we’d give it a year and see how it went. If you had told me we’d last nearly 20 years I’d have asked you what drugs you were on. I am leaving on a high. The tour is selling well and will be a great farewell party. For the last two years we have been getting on better with each other than ever before. We have made a CD that I believe to be our best since ‘Laid’; yes I have heard that reviews state otherwise but by not reading them I keep myself in a blissful bubble of ignorance. Although some of the summer gigs were a bit hit and miss the last gig we did, in Athens, was one of the best we have ever done.

“So why am I leaving? Well because I want to stop while we are on top. To leave great memories knowing that I feel proud of just about everything we have done. And I am leaving because it feels like THE RIGHT TIME. This is an intuitive decision enabling me to let go of a huge commitment and make space for something new to come in. I am sure the press will try and find all kinds of smaller reasons and many of them may be factually true. But this is the greater truth.

“I am midway through a screen play – which may just be for an audience of one. I am looking forward to teaching creativity workshops, to act and create some new music. If you want to keep in touch, my own web-site should be running by December at timbooth.net.

“I don’t know what the rest of the guys are going to do but I want to thank them for an amazing ride and for taking my departure so well. For those of you who hate award acceptance thank you’s turn away now. I want to thank all the musicians who have ever played in James throughout our various incarnations…and finally you. The quality of your listening has enabled us to produce quality. Your faith in us has lifted us to higher levels. It seems like you have managed to always see us through the smokescreen of hipness and cool that the music industry is drowning in. Thank you for listening. Much love.”

A UK spokesperson for the group is currently unable to confirm Booth’s departure from the group.

James singer Tim Booth has left the band – but is happy for the band to continue without him.

After presenting their producer Brian Eno with a Q Special Award, Tim told PS: “I came to a decision over the summer that I wanted to leave on a high, I’ll be doing our December tour and that’s it.”

Insisting the split was amicable, Tim added: “The rest of the band can use the name James if they wish.”

TIM BOOTH DEIXA OS JAMES

30 de Outubro de 2001

O vocalista dos James, Tim Booth, anunciou que vai deixar o grupo depois da digressão em promoção ao álbum “Pleased To Meet You”, que irá passar por Portugal no próximo mês de Novembro, nos dias 23 e 24.

Numa declaração à imprensa, Booth justificou-se, despediu-se, fez agradecimentos e adiantou que irá dedicar-se a projectos de outras áreas de entertenimento, embora não pense deixar a música.

“Caros amigos, inimigos, e todos os que estiverem a ouvir”, disse, “Depois de 11 álbuns é tempo de deixar os James. A altura parece certa – 20 anos e ainda cá estamos. Eu sinto-me orgulhoso de praticamente tudo o que fizémos. Os concertos no Natal serão (creio) os meus últimos com os James e eu vou fazer com que seja uma enorme celebração de despedida. Eu quero agradecer aos meus co-conspiradores nos James pela linda aventura. Eu estou ansioso por representar, ensinar dança, escrever e fazer alguma música no próximo ano”.

Também no site oficial do grupo, www.jamestheband.com, o músico publicou uma carta de despedida mais extensa, onde diz que “sai em alta”, numa altura em que os James fizeram “o melhor CD desde ‘Laid'” – “apesar de as críticas dizerem o contrário, mas ao não lê-las mantenho-me num estado de ignorância”, acrescentou.

Tim diz ainda que sai agora do grupo porque estão no topo e quer partir com excelentes memórias, acrescentando que é esta altura certa.

Apesar de Tim Booth sair, os restantes elementos vão continuar a fazer música juntos, esperando-se a qualquer momento uma declaração em relação aos seus planos de futuro. “Eu não sei o que é que o resto da banda vai fazer”, diz ainda Booth na carta de despedida, “mas eu quero agradecer-lhes pela viagem espectacular e por aceitaram tão bem a minha saída”.

Os britânicos James, que em Portugal já tocaram numerosas vezes, regressam em Novembro para dois espectáculos. Nos dias 23 e 24 de Novembro, o grupo liderado por Tim Booth, que abandonou a Universal, apresenta-se ao vivo, respectivamente, no Coliseu dos Recreios, em Lisboa, e no Coliseu do Porto.

Naturalmente, o pretexto para nova passagem dos James em Portugal é o mais recente álbum do grupo, “Pleased To Meet You”, que, na opinião de alguns, devolveu às canções o brilho que há algum tempo lhes faltava. “Pleased To Meet You” foi produzido pelo respeitado músico e produtor Brian Eno.

Os bilhetes para o espectáculo de Lisboa, no dia 23 de Novembro, custam 4.000$00 e estão à venda no Coliseu dos Recreios, lojas Fnac da Grande Lisboa, Ticketline no Centro Vasco da Gama, e agências ABEP e Alvalade.

Para o Porto, o preço dos bilhetes oscilam entre os 3.900$00 (galeria/tribuna) e 4.000$00 (plateia/tribuna). Os ingressos podem ser adquiridos no Coliseu da cidade e lojas Fnac do Grande Porto.

Ach, diese Sänger. Zu dumm, dass sie so etwas wie das Aushängeschild einer Band sind. Schlagzeuger und Bassisten springen beizeiten ab, na und?! Aber nur wenige Bands können nach dem Auswechseln des Sängers / der Sängerin ihre Fanbasis halten (siehe Dodgy).

Nun steigt eklatanterweise Tim Booth aus der Band James aus. Er gab dies bekannt, bevor die Band auf Tour gehen wird. So nach dem Motto: ein letztes Mal halte ich es noch aus, aber dann ist Schluss. Ob es sich mit einem sich langsam senkenden Fallbeil entspannter auftreten lässt?

In einem Statement von Tim Booth auf der James Webpage bezeichnet er das vor wenigen Monaten veröffentlichte Album “Pleased To Meet You” als ihr bestes, und auch untereinander würde man sich besser denn je verstehen. Dann heißt es: “So why am I leaving? Well because I want to stop while we are on top. To leave great memories knowing that I feel proud of just about everything we have done.”

Diesen persönlichen Erfolg mag man anerkennen, es ist aber auch wahr, dass James von ihrem Label Island Records, das sie seit etlichen Jahren begleitet, schlicht gedroppt worden sind. “Pleased To Meet You” hatte einfach nicht den erhofften kommerziellen Erfolg, der einer ehemals chartversessene Band wie James zugebilligt worden war. Gerade in den für die Musikindustrie angespannten Zeiten wird eben “gedownsized”.

Andererseits, wenn man sich vor Augen hält, dass die Band seit 1983 überwiegend erfolgreich auf dem Musikmarkt präsent gewesen sind, ist es Tims gutes Recht, zu sagen, dass er nicht als Pop-Opa in die Geschichte eingehen will. Im Augenblick schreibt er angeblich an einem Drehbuch und, ist “looking forward to teaching creativity workshops, to act and create some new music.” Good luck von unserer Seite. Was die restlichen Mitglieder in Zukunft tun werden, und ob sie den Namen James weiter tragen werden, ist noch völlig ungeklärt.

PLÁSTICA NA PRIMEIR PARTE DOS JAMES

7 de Novembro de 2001

As primeiras partes dos concertos dos James em Portugal vão ser conduzidas pelos portugueses Plástica, que ficaram conhecidos com o lançamento da colectânea Optimus 2000, onde participaram com o tema “Baby Gasoline”, e que já partilharam o palco com o grupo liderado por Tim Booth em Maio de 2000.

De recordar que os James vão estar em concerto nos dias 23 e 24 deste mês, nos Coliseus de Lisboa e Porto, respectivamente. Os concertos estão inseridos na última digressão que reunirá os James com a actual formação, já que Booth anunciou que iria deixar o grupo assim que as correntes datas terminassem.

Entretanto, noutras notícias relacionadas com os Plástica, o grupo anunciou na passada sexta-feira ter realizado um contrato com a EMI. Através do mesmo, o grupo de Almada irá editar quatro álbuns, sendo que o primeiro está já a ser gravado. A produção está a cargo do britânico Rick Pest, e o primeiro single está previsto para Fevereiro de 2002. Antes, o público poderá conhecer o novo tema através da rádio, onde irá passar já a partir do mês de Dezembro.

James Aftershow Party Press Release

7th December: Quay Bar, Manchester

Gig aftershow parties are for the press, promoters and publicity merchants. Sometimes the band turn up. What about the people who make it all possible, the ones that pour their hard earned cash into the tickets, the merchandise and travelling over massive distances, the ones that excite others through word of mouth, the ones that dedicate themselves to the band – the fans? They are barred from such events. Eleven o’clock rolls around, the gig finished, the night has just begun, leave the venue in a state of ecstacy, out in to a strange city all revved up for a big night out, with no-where to go.

Aftershow.co.uk is changing that by providing parties for the fans. The hugely successful Depeche Mode Aftershow parties in London, Birmingham and Manchester, have caused considerable demand for more. The NEC has even enquired about playing host to the Birmingham parties. Each party is arranged around the fans. Band merchandise is given out, classic band posters are framed on the walls, an avid fan is always in the DJ line up, photo’s of the night’s gig are printed at high speed and made available at the party, and the website displays photos of the parties for fans to download pictures of themselves and their mates having a damn fine time.

Manchester’s next Aftershow party is on December 7th at the Quay Bar (Deansgate, Castlefield. Tel: 839 8803) straight after the James gig at the MEN arena. Ex-Haçienda resident, Madchester oracle and best selling author of Manchester, England, Dave Haslam, will be DJing and has agreed to sign copies of his books for a short time after his set.

Tickets are £6 (plus booking fee) from Piccadilly Box office in Virgin Megastore (tel: 832 1111) or ticketline.co.uk. 50 tickets are always held back for the door in case old friends meet up and only some have bought in advance. To pay on the door, get there as soon as you can as they go very fast.

Le groupe James a confirmé que son prochain album, B-sides Ultra , devrait sortir le 3 décembre prochain.

Ce nouvel album est composé de 18 morceaux choisis parmi les faces B de singles sortis ces dix dernières années. Par ailleurs, le groupe a pour projet la sortie de nouvelles éditions des albums God Mother, Seven ainsi que Laid et Whiplash .

El cantante de James, Tim Booth, ha anunciado su intención de abandonar la banda en cuanto finalicen su actual gira. El resto de los miembros de James continuarán trabajando juntos y darán a conocer proximamente en un comunicado sus planes de futuro.

“¿Por qué me marcho? Pues simplemente porque quiero irme cuando estoy arriba, para llevarme un buen recuerdo y sentirme orgulloso de lo que he estado haciendo todos estos años”, explica Tim Booth en la página oficial de la banda. El cantante cree que éste “es el momento justo” para irse y que su decisión responde a una intuición y a sus ganas de hacer cosas nuevas, aunque ya adelanta que “la prensa tratará de encontrar otras razones”.

Booth está actualmente escribiendo un guión y trabajando en nuevos temas. A partir de diciembre contará detalladamente cómo le va su nueva vida en una página web que lanzará con la dirección de “timbooth.net”. “No sé lo que hará ahora el resto de la banda, sólo quiero agradecerles todos estos años en los que hemos trabajado juntos y que se hayan tomado mi marcha tan bien”, añade el músico. “La calidad de vuestra escucha nos ha animado a producir música de calidad. Vuestra confianza en nosotros nos ha elevado a los niveles más altos. Es como si hubiéseis sido capaces de valorarnos más allá de toda la industria que rodea a la música. Gracias por escucharnos”, le dice a sus fans.

A pesar de todo, James continuarán con su actual gira hasta finales de año. En noviembre serán España y Portugal los destinos de la banda. El día 22 tocarán en Madrid (La Riviera) en un concierto-maratón junto a Eels, Sexie Sadie y Cecilia Ann. El 23 y 24 de noviembre tocarán en Lisboa y en Oporto, respectivamente, mientras que durante el mes de Diciembre recorrerán siete ciudades británicas. El Wembley Arena será la última cita de James con Tim. No podría tener una mejor despedida.

“Las entradas para los conciertos del tour se están vendiendo muy bien, no podría tener una mejor fiesta de despedida. En los últimos dos años nos hemos llevado cada vez mejor y hemos hecho un álbum (‘Please to meet you’) al que considero nuestro mejor trabajo desde ‘Laid’, digan lo que digan las críticas”, se despide el líder de James.

Han sido 20 años en la música, 10 álbumes de estudio, un grandes éxitos que ha llegado a vender un millón de copias… y una actitud de rechazo total de la industria. Tras todo este tiempo, y a pesar de sus altibajos, sólo se han ganado la admiración y respeto de su público y del resto de las bandas. Tim, te echaremos de menos.

Tim Booth has announced James’ upcoming tour will be his last with the band.

The singer says he is ‘midway through a screen play’ and is ‘looking forward to teaching creativity workshops, to act and create some new music’.

The remaining band members are to continue making music together although the future of James itself is uncertain.

Booth begins his statement on James’ official site saying their latest album is their ‘best since Laid’.

He also states the band are ‘getting on better with each other than ever before’.

“So why am I leaving? Well because I want to stop while we are on top. To leave great memories knowing that I feel proud of just about everything we have done.”

He has also sent thanks to everyone connected to the band, including the fans.

“The quality of your listening has enabled us to produce quality. Your faith in us has lifted us to higher levels.

“It seems like you have managed to always see us through the smokescreen of hipness and cool that the music industry is drowning in.”

Un’altra brutta notizia arriva dall’Inghilterra, il cantante dei James (nella foto) ha deciso di lasciare la band a fine anno.

I Coldplay non si sopportano più, i Divine Comedy si sono sciolti, Wes Borland se n’è andato dai Limp Bizkit e anche Xabier ha lasciato gli Afterhours.

Negli ultimi quindici giorni solo Tom Waits e Billy Corgan ci hanno dato delle soddisfazioni.

Adesso il futuro è incerto anche per i James, band non molto conosciuta in Italia ma molto apprezzata in patria; il cantante ha deciso di lasciare il carrozzone dopo quasi 20 anni di carriera: “Se mi dicevate che saremo durati tutto questo tempo vi avrei chiesto che droga usavate” spiega Tim Booth con un comunicato sul loro sito ufficiale.

I motivi della dipartita non sono chiarissimi, spiega invece il momento: “Volevo lasciare i James nel momento più alto della nostra carriera, mi volevo sentire fiero per quello che ho fatto.

Me ne vado perché questo è il momento giusto”.

Booth ha deciso di fare l’ultimo tour con il suo gruppo e a fine Dicembre si dedicherà, molto probabilmente, alla carriera di attore.

I James continueranno a fare musica.

O líder e vocalista dos James, Tim Booth, deverá abandonar a banda britânica após a digressão de «Pleased To Meet You», a qual vai passar por Lisboa a 23 de Novembro.

Num depoimento que se pode ler no site oficial dos James, Tim Booth sublinha que deseja sair enquanto a banda está no topo da carreira: «Quero deixar boas recordações sabendo que estou orgulhoso de quase tudo o que fizemos».

«Após muitas deliberações, achei que chegou o momento de abandonar os James. Quando começámos, tínhamos decidido tocar um ano e ver como corria. Se alguém me dissesse que íamos durar 20 anos ter-lhe-ia perguntado que tipo de drogas andava a tomar», explica Booth.

Na mesma declaração ao site, Tim Booth adianta que está a preparar uma longa-metragem e que espera dar workshops de criatividade, sendo que as novidades da sua carreira a solo poderão ser acompanhadas em www.timbooth.net (a ser inaugurado em Dezembro).

A concretizar-se a saída de Booth, a crise nos James acentua-se, uma vez que a banda está sem editora desde que a Mercury Records decidiu não renovar o contrato que unia as duas entidades.

Formados em 1982 em Manchester (Inglaterra), os James são liderados desde sempre por Tim Booth e ao longo da sua carreira criaram alguns dos temas mais conhecidos da pop da última década como «Sit Down», «Laid» e «Born Of Frustration».

Tim Booth bows out of everyone’s favourite vegan-political-bloke band at the end of this tour…

James vocalist Tim Booth has said that he will leave the band once their current tour is finished.

In an announcement on the band’s website (www.jamestheband.com) Booth said: “After much deliberation I have decided it’s time for me to leave James. I am leaving on a high. The tour is selling well and will be a great farewell party. For the last two years we have been getting on better with each other than ever before. We have made a CD (current LP ‘Pleased To Meet You’) that I believe to be our best since ‘Laid’; So why am I leaving? Well because I want to stop while we are on top. And I am leaving because it feels like THE RIGHT TIME.”

Booth said he was working on a screenplay and planning ‘creativity workshops’.

Further details will be on his web-site timbooth.net. In September it was announced that James had split from their label Fontana after ‘Pleased To Meet You’ fulfilled the demands of their contract. The band will release one more LP on Fontana, a b-sides LP ‘Now That’s What I Call B-Sides Vol. 1’ scheduled for next year.

James tour dates:

Dec 2 Brighton Centre.

Dec 3 Leeds University.

Dec 4 Newcastle Arena.

Dec 6 Birmingham NEC.

Dec 7 Manchester Arena.

Dec 9 Glasgow SECC.

Dec 10 Wembley Arena.

James singer Tim Booth will leave the group at the end of the year. The group’s UK gig in December will be their final one with the current line-up. Booth disclosed the information on a post on the group’s official Web site. “After much deliberation I have decided to leave James. I want to stop while we are on top. I feel proud of everything we have done”, Booth said. However, his departure will not lead to a dissolution because the remaining members of James plan to continue making music together. Booth is currently writing a screen play and is planning to act. The Manchester-based group released 11 albums as well as many Top Forty singles. “When we started the band, we said we’d give it a year and see how it went. Nobody would have thought that we would still be there 20 years later,” Booth said.

Tim Booth, fundador e líder dos James, tornou oficial a decisão de abandonar a banda no final da actual da digressão europeia. Os espectáculos de 23 e 24 de Novembro, nos Coliseus de Lisboa e Porto, são a última oportunidade que o público português tem de ver os James ao vivo, acompanhados pelo seu vocalista de sempre. Ao cabo de vinte anos de carreira, Tim Booth acha preferível retirar-se antes de entrar num período de possível decadência dos James. Tim vai agora entregar-se à formação criativa, através de workshops, e provavelmente vai dar início a uma carreira a solo. Quanto aos restantes membros estão ainda a reflectir sobre o futuro da banda, sendo que a vontade de compôr permanece. No entanto o futuro dos James é ainda incerto.

El cantante quiere explorar nuevos campos dentro del mundo de la música

El cantante de James, Tim Booth ha anunciado que el próximo tour de James será el último que haga con la banda.

Pese al buen momento que vive la banda con su último trabajo Pleased To Meet You, Booth está interesado en explorar otros campos dentro del mundo de la música. Quiere enseñar en un taller de creatividad, actuar y crear nueva música.

El resto de los miembros de la banda, seguirán haciendo música juntos, aunque el futuro de James por el momento sea incierto.

Booth manifestó sus intenciones en la página oficial del grupo, afirmando que su último álbum, era “el mejor que habían hecho desde Laid”.

También declaró que la banda está “consiguiendo superarse con cada nuevo trabajo”.

“¿Qué por qué me voy? porque quiero parar aunque estemos en lo más alto. Quiero dejar un buen recuerdo y sentirme orgulloso de todo lo que hemos hecho.”

James darán un concierto en Madrid el próximo 22 de noviembre.

It may be the end of the road for the current line-up of UK band James with lead singer Tim Booth announcing that he’ll be moving on after the group’s December tour.

A posting on the James website confirms the split with Booth saying that the time is right.

“I want to stop while we are on top,” Booth said in his message. “To leave great memories knowing that I feel proud of just about everything we have done. And I am leaving because it feels like THE RIGHT TIME. This is an intuitive decision enabling me to let go of a huge commitment and make space for something new to come in.”

The six remaining members are said to be continuing with no plans mentioned as yet.

James has a history which spans 20 years and gained notoriety with their 1993 single “Laid”.

James’ Last Tour With Current Line-Up

Tim Booth has announced that James’ upcoming tour will be his last with the band. Tim has provided a statement to fans, included below, explaining his decision. The official press release announcing Tim’s departure is available at jamestheband.com.

The remaining members of James plan to continue making music together, and will make an announcement regarding their plans at a later date.

Ultimo Tour de James con la actual alineación

Tim Booth ha anunciado que el próximo tour de James será su último con la banda. Tim ha dejado un comunicado a los fans explicando su decisión. El comunicado de prensa oficial anunciando la salida de Tim está disponible en jamestheband.com.

Los restantes miembros de James planean continuar haciendo música juntos y anunciarán más tarde sus planes.

Na tarde de ontem, o vocalista do James, Tim Booth, anunciou a sua decisão de deixar o grupo. De acordo com uma nota publicada no site oficial, a turnê que eles farão no mês que vem, na Inglaterra, será “a última chance de ver a atual formação”. Depois, mesmo sem Booth, o James continua em frente. O vocalista acredita estar saindo na melhor fase da carreira e disse que os últimos shows serão uma grande festa de despedida. “Porque eu estou saindo?”, explica em um comunicado, “Porque eu quero parar enquanto estamos bem. Para deixar grandes memórias, sabendo que eu me sinto orgulhoso de tudo o que fizemos. Estou saindo porque sinto que ESTE É O MOMENTO… é a mais pura verdade”. Booth também agradeceu aos companheiros e ex-companheiros de James e adiantou alguns planos para o futuro, como atuar e continuar tocando. Além disso, as próximas novidades a seu respeito serão reveladas no site timbooth.net, que estará funcionando a partir de dezembro.

Und noch ein Split. Die Band James verliert ihren wichtigsten Mann.

Was ist nur auf der Insel los? Catatonia, Divine Comedy, Elastica und jetzt James. Eine wahre Split-Welle greift in der ersten Britpop-Etage um sich.

Sänger Tim Booth hat auf der offiziellen Website von James ein Statement hinterlassen. Er kündigt dort an, dass er nach der nächsten Tour James verlassen wird. Dieser Schritt geschehe nicht aus Unzufriedenheit, betont Booth. Ganz im Gegenteil, ihr aktuelles Album “Pleased To Meet You” sei das beste seit “Laid” und die Tour werde nun eine großartige Abschiedsparty werden.

Die verbliebenen Mitglieder der Band veröffentlichten dazu eine Pressemitteilung, in der sie bekräftigen, dass sie weiterhin zusammen Musik machen werden. Was mit dem Bandnamen geschieht, ist noch nicht entschieden. Mit ihrem charismatischen Sänger und Songwriter verlieren sie allerdings das wichtigste Markenzeichen. Als letztes Gründungsmitglied aus dem Jahr 1983 bleibt ihnen nur noch Bassist Jim Glennie.

Tim Booth le chanteur de James a décidé de mettre fin à l’aventure du groupe après la tournée qui a commencé il y a 2 semaines. Il souhaite arrêter avant la descente aux enfers que subissent tous les groupes et se consacrera à l’ecriture de scénari, ainsi qu’à son nouveau metier d’acteur. La musique refera son apparition dans sa vie plus tard.

The British alt-rock band James will lose its singer of 20 years at the conclusion of its next tour.

Tim Booth announced his impending retirement from the act on the band’s official web site. Booth will play out until the end of the act’s December tour. The remaining members of the band will continue on without him, though there is no word on who will assume vocal duties.

Booth plans to work on a screenplay, teach, act and work on other musical directions.

“I want to stop while we are on top,” he wrote, apparently forgetting about the seven years since Laid came out. “To leave great memories knowing that I feel proud of just about everything we have done. And I am leaving because it feels like the right time. This is an intuitive decision enabling me to let go of a huge commitment and make space for something new to come in.”

Frontman grupy James – Tim Booth poinformowal, ze juz wkrótce zamierza rozstac sie z zespolem

Booth chce odejsc z zespolu James jeszcze przed koncem roku, zaraz po tym jak formacja zakonczy swoja trase koncertowa po Wielkiej Brytanii.

Na temat przyczyn swojego odejscia, Tim zamiescil informacje na oficjalnej stronie zespolu.

“Chce przestac gdy jeszcze jestesmy na szczycie. Chce pozostawic wspaniale wspomnienia, wiedzac, ze czuje sie dumny praktycznie ze wszystkiego co zrobilismy. Odchodze, bo czuje, ze to jest wlasnie ten WLASCIWY CZAS.

Kiedy tworzylismy zespól, mówilismy, ze damy mu rok na to, zeby zobaczyc co z tego wyjdzie. Gdybyscie wtedy powiedzieli mi, ze przetrwamy niemal 20 lat, spytalbym na jakich jestescie prochach” – napisal Booth.

Z informacji podanych na stronie wynika takze, ze pozostali czlonkowie Jamesa, nie zaprzestana dzialalnosci. Sam Booth zamierza popracowac przy nowych projektach i to nie tylko muzycznych. Artysta przyznal miedzy innymi, ze jest gdzies w polowie pracy nad wlasnym scenariuszem

Singer Bows Out Amicably

Tim Booth has announced his decision to leave James. The singer, who presented Brian Eno with the Merit Award at this year’s Q Awards, has said that the band’s forthcoming European tour will be his last as a member of the group. In a statement, Booth said: “After much deliberation I have decided it’s time for me to leave James. When we started the band we always said we’d give it a year and see how it went. If you had told me we’d last nearly 20 years I’d have asked you what drugs you were on. I am leaving on a high. The tour will be a great farewell party. For the last two years we have been getting on better with each other than ever before.

“So why am I leaving? Well because I want to stop while we are on top. To leave great memories knowing that I feel proud of just about everything we have done. And I am leaving because it feels like the right time. This is an intuitive decision enabling me to let go of a huge commitment and make space for something new to come in. I am sure the press will try and find all kinds of smaller reasons and many of them may be factually true. But this is the greater truth. I don’t know what the rest of the guys are going to do but I want to thank them for an amazing ride and for taking my departure so well.”

Booth revealed that he is mid-way through a screenplay and hinted that he would be pursuing musical projects of his own. He also thanked the band’s fans for “Your faith in us [which] has lifted us to higher levels. It seems like you have managed to always see us through the smokescreen of hipness and cool that the music industry is drowning in.”

James’s final tour with Booth takes in the Brighton Centre (2 December), Leeds University (3 December), Newcastle Arena (4 December), Birmingham NEC (6 December); Manchester Arena (7 December), Glasgow SECC (9 December) and London’s Wembley Arena (10 December).

Tim Booth’s recent decision to walk away from fronting James after 19 years should be viewed as a rare example of a rock star behaving with true dignity. Despite their 1998 Best of album selling 1m copies, the band’s last two studio albums – 1999’s Millionaires (arguably the best of their career) and this year’s Pleased To Meet You – fared inexplicably badly. When Mercury Records dropped them after a 10 year relationship, the writing was on the wall, but the number of “classic” groups that are lingering on or reuniting still throws Booth’s decision to quit into stark perspective.

Fans of many different ages are crammed into this warm-up for the final arena shows. James boast one of rock’s most loyal fan bases, and could still have made a very comfortable living as a touring band. As we line up to hear the songs for one last time, the gig has a surreal atmosphere: part funeral, part wake.

But James were never straightforward and the set list reflects their strange trajectory from oddball New Order support act to 1990s stadium giants. Curiously though, there are no songs from their early Factory Records period. Come Home blasts us back to 1990s Madchester; Say Something and Sometimes to the Eno-produced days of chart ubiquity. These songs tug at the heartstrings, and make James success seem all the more remarkable – this is a band that took mental illness on to Top of the Pops.

There was always something of the underdog about James though. They battled industy shenanigans, line-up upheavals, physical problems and personal turmoil, their determination reflected in the hopeful song Tomorrow. The crowd sing along, eyes closed. For years, James provided a precious rock to cling to for the multitudes who felt similarly distressed and alienated by the world.

Booth used to resent the way the press depicted him as a vegan and meditating Buddhist, but now, in vest and skull cap, he looks very much the part, which must afford him some wry amusement. He is subdued for the first half, but grows exuberant as the power of the songs carries him away. James close with the colossus Sit Down and then the seven-piece band walk to the front of the stage and wave goodbye, History will remember them kindly, a uniquely spirited rock band that never knew disgrace.

December 2001, by Robert Meakin, © Manchester Evening News

Frontman bows out recalling his days as a “nerdy wimp”

As singer Tim Booth prepares for a final appearance with his bandmates in Manchester, the James frontman has been recalling his rather less glamorous debut in the group’s home city.

Booth, due to quit the Manchester band after almost 20 years at the end of their current UK tour, performs an emotional swansong in front of thousands at the Manchester Evening News Arena tonight, before pursuing solo material, writing and acting projects.

And the setting is certainly a far cry from the more humble Princess Street venue where he first cut his teeth with the group in 1982 as their new vocalist.

He tells me : “My first gig with James in Manchester was at the Cyprus Tavern to a load of hardcore James fans who didn’t know what to make of this nerdy wimp who’d become their new singer. It was very intimidating!”

The star admits tonight will prove to be a poignant occasion, adding: “It’s highly emotional. It’s really hard not to start crying actually. But at the same time it feels really good, it should be a celebration. Manchester has been our base.”

Nostalgia has been rife in recent days, with the group filming around their home city for a forthcoming DVD release, which will include footage from tonight’s show.

Booth will also be embarking on a rather different tour from next year when he travels around the UK, fronting “creativity workshops” with a system of dance and meditation designed to encourage a flow of ideas.

December 2001, © Manchester Evening News

LOCAL HEROES MADE IT BIG
James were formed in 1982 when Tim Booth was brought into the band as a dancer after he was spotted strutting his stuff on the dance floor in Manchester University’s students union.

Unaware that he could sing, original members Jim Glennie, Paul Gilbertson and Gavan Whelan asked the then drama student if he’d reproduce his rubber man antics to accompany their act.

It wasn’t long before he took over the microphone and the rest, as they say, is history.

So far James 19 years have taken them from the folky eccentricity of Hymn From A Village to the forthright jungle pop of What For and through the baggy-feel of Come Home and on to stadium anthems like Born of Frustration and the heartfelt acoustic pop of Sometimes.

By the early nineties, their quirky brand of guitar pop had won them legions of fans worldwide.

Their real breakthrough came in 1989 with the release of Gold Mother, which spawned the hits Come Home, How Was It For You? and Sit Down.

Sit Down was only held off the UK number one slot by Chesney Hawkes’ The One And Only.

James released Seven, which became a million seller, peaking at number 2 in the UK album charts.

The band were getting stronger with every release and they recruited Brian Eno for their next album Laid in 1993. Laid broke the band in the States, selling 600,000 copies.

However, just as the band appeared to have world domination in their grasp it all started to come apart at the seams.

Guitarist Larry Gott and manager Martine departed followed by a massive back-tax demand.

And it wasn’t until 1998 that the band returned the album Whiplash, containing the hits She’s A Star and Tomorrow.

A year later their Best Of compilation bumped the Titanic soundtrack off the top of the album charts.

Millionaires was released last year and Pleased To Meet You in June this year, both to mixed reviews.

Then in October, Tim Booth announced this was to be his final tour with the band.

Jim and the rest of James have vowed to carry on and Tim Booth says he might be back to play Glastonbury if he’s asked.

James are to release a DVD of the Manchester gig from their latest tour.

The tour was the band’s last with vocalist Tim Booth.

The DVD is expected to be released in February.

Booth has left the group to concentrate on other musical projects, NME.COM reports.

James were joined onstage at the Manchester gig by former band members Larry Gott and Andy Diagram.

James bassist Jim Glennie says the remaining members of the group plan to continue with the band.

He said: “I’m sure you’ve all heard the news that Tim is leaving, and I know this will have had all of us reaching for our Kleenex and wondering what is going to happen next.

“There’s no need for me to state the importance of Tim’s contribution to James over the past twenty years, and I don’t want to downplay the effect of his leaving, but in our true bloody-minded style, James will continue.

“The history of this band has been a battlefield of near-disasters overcome by a passion and self-belief bordering on arrogance, and an unstoppable determination that’s pulled us through the very worst of times…and here we go again!

“It’s difficult for me to give exact details as there is a lot we’ve not decided yet, but rest assured, you haven’t seen the last of James, and I think we’ve got one or two surprises in store for you.

“This just leaves me to thank Tim, and wish him all the very best for the future. Enjoy the rest of the tour and see you in the new year.”

JAMES have filmed their final hometown show with TIM BOOTH and plan to release it as a DVD in 2002.

James have just completed their final tour with vocalist Booth, who walked out on the group to concentrate on other musical projects.

On the Manchester date on the tour (December 7), the group were joined onstage by former members Larry Gott and Andy Diagram. A film of the show is likely to be released in 2002, according to a posting on the band’s official website, www.jamestheband.com.

In related news, James bassist Jim Glennie has issued a statement confirming that the remaining members of James plan to continue with the band.

He wrote: “I’m sure you’ve all heard the news that Tim is leaving, and I know this will have had all of us reaching for our Kleenex and wondering what is going to happen next.

“There’s no need for me to state the importance of Tim’s contribution to James over the past twenty years, and I don’t want to downplay the effect of his leaving, but in our true bloody-minded style, James will continue. The history of this band has been a battlefield of near-disasters overcome by a passion and self-belief bordering on arrogance, and an unstoppable determination that’s pulled us through the very worst of times… and here we go again!

“It’s difficult for me to give exact details as there is a lot we’ve not decided yet, but rest assured, you haven’t seen the last of James, and I think we’ve got one or two surprises in store for you.

“This just leaves me to thank Tim, and wish him all the very best for the future. Enjoy the rest of the tour and see you in the new year.”

Dear James People,

I’m sure you’ve all heard the news that Timothy is leaving, and I know this will have had all of us reaching for our Kleenex and wondering what is going to happen next. There’s no need for me to state the importance of Tim’s contribution to James over the past twenty years, and I don’t want to downplay the effect of his leaving, but in our true bloody-minded style, James will continue. The history of this band has been a battlefield of near disasters overcome by a passion and self belief bordering on arrogance, and an unstoppable determination that’s pulled us through the very worst of times…and here we go again!

It’s difficult for me to give exact details as there is a lot we’ve not decided yet, but rest assured, you haven’t seen the last of James, and I think we’ve got one or two surprises in store for you.

This just leaves me to thank Tim, and wish him all the very best for the future.

Enjoy the rest of the tour and see you in the new year,

Jim

British pop rockers James have officially split. The band parted from their UK Mercury label Fontana Records in September this year. This was followed by vocalist Tim Booth’s announcement at the end of October that after nearly two decades James’ December tour dates would be his last with the band. That tour ended last night (12/10) at London’s Wembley Arena. The band were best known in America for their 1993 Gold record Laid, a collaboration with Brian Eno. “We’ll never say never [re-form], but we’re going to wait until the dust has settled,” says drummer David Baynton-Power.

This page lists all news item that were originally published on the old oneofthethree site in 2002. Links and images have either been removed or pointed to the new site where internal.

Update 23.12.02

Kulas has announced a final gig of the year at Toronto’s Rivoli Club on December 28th – check out the official Kulas site for more details.

Update 4.12.02

Gavan Whelan is set to make a rare public appearance, next Wednesday December 11, as he will be performing Sit Down live at the Band Of The Wall in Manchester with upcoming band Alive!. Gavan produced Alive’s recently released album All Frequencies Covered, which the headline gig is aimed at promoting.  Tickets are £4 in advance or £5 on the door – they can be purchased from the Way Ahead Box Office (0161-237-5554), Polar Bear Records (123 Deansgate – 0161-834-1230) or Fat Cat Records (20 Oldham Street – 0161-237-1181) in Manchester.

Update 3.12.02

Antena 3, a Portuguese radio station, is holding a Nirvana tribute concert on December 9.  Saul is taking part in this concert along with many other famous Portuguese musicians at the Antena 3 Auditorium in Lisbon.   The radio station, as far as my Portuguese can make out, are giving away free tickets to the event.

More Fame Academy news articles here.  I highly recommend watching the video clip for this one. The kids will wonder why he’s getting so excited and who the hell James are.

Saul and Mark wrote a song with Ainslie called Look But Don’t Touch (Take My Time).  To listen to it, go to this link and select Watch.   There’s also a second version of it – to listen to that, click here and select Watch.

Interestingly another article refers to Saul as the ex-guitarist of James, seemingly confirming what Saul told the Portuguese magazine Blitz earlier this year.  Click here to read a translation of that article.

Update 1.12.02

Saul and Mark appeared over the weekend on the BBC TV programme “Fame Academy”.  Their role was to assist one of the contestants, Ainslie, a self-professed James fan who has already sang Laid once on the show, to write a song in the next day or so as part of one of the tasks the four remaining contestants have been set. 

For the article from the BBC News site, please click here.  You can listen and watch Saul, Mark and Ainslie playing Laid (you’d have thought he’d have learnt the words if he was that big a fan but never mind)

Oneofthethree found a promo 12 track James CD entitled Space at a London record fair at the weekend.  This would confirm that the original title for the album was indeed Space despite strenuous denials at the time.

The tracklisting is different from the final album.  It runs Space, Falling Down, Getting Away With It, Senorita, Fine, Beefcake, What Is It Good For, Junkie, Pleased To Meet You, Give It Away, The Shining and Alaskan Pipeline.

Apart from the English being dropped from the title of Beefcake, there are a couple of other changes.  Whilst still clocking in at 4.49, Space has the intro from the 4.31 version off the 9 Tracks promo issued earlier in 2002.  Give It Away clocks in at 3.37, half a minute longer than the album version and fifteen seconds longer than the 9 Tracks version.  Pleased To Meet You is also about 10 seconds longer.

Update 1.11.02

Adrian Oxaal is playing a solo gig at Brighton’s Evening Star pub in Surrey Street at 8pm on Sunday 24th November.  More details at www.eveningstarbrighton.co.uk

Update 21.10.02

Getting Away With It Live has been awarded Platinum status in Portugal due to its phenomenal sales success.  Saul collected the award on behalf of the band last week.

The latest Guinness Book Of Hit Singles lists James as the 357th most successful chart singles band in terms of weeks on the chart with 89 weeks.

Update 16.10.02

Michael Kulas is presently in the studio recording a new album with his new band which should be finished by Christmas in time for an early 2003 release.  He plans to come back to the UK early next year and will hopefully play a gig while he’s here.    He is also producing an album by Toronto actress / singer / songwriter Katie Griffin.

Update 6.10.02

According to US online sites Bestbuy and CDNow, the US release of the Getting Away With It Live DVD has been put back until October 22.  There’s been no official confirmation as yet – but these sites listed the DVD well before the release was confirmed so are likely to be accurate.

Update 3.10.02

Getting Away With It Live is now at number 4 in the Portuguese album charts, down from its recent peak of number 2.

Saul performed live on violin on a track entitled Blue Song with the band Ez Special at a concert in Matosinhos near Porto in Portugal last week. The concert was to promote the forthcoming Ez Special which Saul is reportedly co-producing.  Blitz, the major Portuguese music paper, criticised Ez Special for sounding too much like James live.

The debut album by upcoming band Alive, entitled All Frequencies Covered and produced by ex-James drummer Gavan Whelan, is now available – it can be ordered online through HMV and will be also available in selected HMV stores.  Samples of the album can be downloaded from the revamped official Alive website.

Update 26.9.02

The release of the DVD Getting Away With It Live has now been officially confirmed for Tuesday October 8 for North America in Region 1 NTSC format.

In a statement to the official James site, the band confirmed that they are still going as an entity and that they will be looking for a replacement soon. No specific comment was made on Saul, Dave and Mark’s album and Saul’s future plans which Saul revealed to the Portuguese magazine Blitz in July

Update 20.9.02

Listings on CD Now and BestBuy.com have an October 8 release date for the Getting Away With It Live DVD in the United States, one week later than the Canadian release.

Update 19.9.02 pm

The Portuguese music paper Blitz is giving away a 2 track cd single featuring EZ Special produced by our very own Saul Davies who also performs backing vocals and plays guitar on the track Daisy.

Archambault.ca an online store in Quebec, Canada now have the James DVD Getting Away With It Live on sale for CAD 30.98 with a release date of October 1, seemingly confirming the growing evidence of a region 1 NTSC release.

Update 19.9.02 am

Getting Away With It Live has risen to number 2 in the Portuguese charts this week.

Jam Music, a Canadian website, is listing a release of the DVD Getting Away With It Live in Canada on October 1.   This would be Region 1 and NTSC and should therefore play in all standard US DVD players and televisions.  Siren Disc are taking pre-orders for the DVD (under Future Releases), but it hasn’t as yet been listed on Amazon Canada.

Update 10.9.02

Ez Special, the Portuguese band that Saul is producing and helping promote, have a track called Daisy available to listen to on Radio Comercial, a leading Portuguese radio station.

Update 9.9.02

Almost three months after its release, the live album Getting Away With It Live is sitting at number 3 in the Portuguese album charts, up two places from last week.

The film Jade Love with the soundtrack provided by Michael Kulas has been chosen for the Vancouver Film Festival.  Samples from the album can be heard on the official Kulas Online site.

Gavan Whelan has produced the forthcoming 13 track album by upcoming North West band Alive.  The album entitled All Frequencies Covered will be released on Effin Records on October 7th.  Gavan is credited with “Special Thanks to Gavan Whelan whose inspired production has not only succeeded in capturing the sound but also the personality of Alive”.  More information can be found by visiting the Alive site.

Update 2.9.02

Siren CD, a US online record store is advertising a region 1 NTSC Canadian release of the Getting Away With It Live DVD for September 30.  To find more details on their site, click on Future Releases and then scroll down to James.  Price is $25.49.   There’s been no official confirmation to date.

Update 27.8.02

Kulas played another Toronto show at the weekend at the Reverb Club.  Click here for a review.  It now appears that his second album Another Small Machine will not be repressed on his own Interloper label.   Negotiations are still ongoing with several labels about the release of his forthcoming third album.

Update 30.7.02

Update 29.7.02

Kulas has announced another live show in Toronto, this time at the Reverb Club in Toronto on Friday August 23rd.  The Red Light Music night which he hopes will become an annual event will also feature Mommy and Round 2.  Kulas will be on stage at about 10.30pm.

Although there are no news yet on any musical activity, Tim reportedly ran an Intimacy Workshop at Hampstead Town Hall in London over the weekend with fiancee Kate as part of his ongoing dance teaching.

Update 10.7.02

Tim has given an interview with the Greek magazine Pop And Rock. Click here for a translation.

It would appear likely his solo album will not now be released until next year as he is still negotiating a record contract.  The album is almost complete and most of it has been recorded with KK, the engineer who worked on some of the tracks off Pleased To Meet You.

Saul’s program N Sons on Portuguese TV station NTV goes out on Saturdays between 4.08 and 4.30pm. The channel is only available on cable apparently and broadcasts out of Porto.

Update 6.7.02

James on Big Brother shocker! The housemates were talking about their record collections early this morning and there was a long discussion about James with housemate Johnny singing We’re Going To Miss You (from “the album with the big pig on”) and Tim singing Sit Down.  Recognition and fame at last!!!

Update 5.7.02

Kulas has announced another live show at the Mermaid Lounge in Hamilton, Ontario on Friday 2nd August.  He will be onstage at about 10pm.

Update 1.7.02

The live video / DVD Getting Away With It Live dropped from number 5 to number 7 in this week’s UK video chart.  The album dropped out of the Indie Top 20 albums chart.

Update 27.6.02

Saul Davies is presenting a music program called N Sons on the Portuguese television channel NTV which broadcasts out of Porto.  The program is described as “A space dedicated to music where Alvaro Costa and Saul Davies present biographies of well known bands, through videoclips”  Click here to go to the NTV site. There’s also an article here on EZ Special (in Portuguese), the band Saul is producing.

Update 26.6.02

Andy Diagram will be performing in Hat, described as “four new legends about knitting” at Islington Union Chapel in London on Friday October 11.  Read more about this at the official site www.knit.co.uk – it sounds intriguing and very unusual.

The press release reads “From the avant garde to the W.I. – a performance of words, music and knitting. A child’s woollen hat is knit and placed on the head of a new born world; four monologues written and performed by Ian McMillan with music composed and performed by Billy Jenkins. Featuring Andy Diagram(ex James) on cornet, loops and samples and Angie Harrison (ex Hallé) on viola and knitting needles.”

Update 24.6.02

The live video / DVD dropped from number 3 to number 5 in the official UK music video charts on its second week of release. The album dropped from 10 to 17 on the independent album chart.

Kulas played an acoustic set on Saturday evening at Toronto’s Rancho Relaxo club supporting Mommy. Click here for a review.

Update 19.6.02

BBC Choice are broadcasting a one-hour special on Saturday night, 22 June, from 11.30 – 12.30 entitled “James Getting Away With It” featuring live tracks from the DVD and video and interviews.

Kulas is playing a solo acoustic support slot for Mommy at Toronto’s Rancho Relaxo on Saturday 22nd June at about 9.30pm.  He’s still in negotiation with record companies in Canada over a new deal.

According to Warner Music Vision, the DVD Getting Away With It Live sold 1,949 copies in its first week and the video 465 making a total sales of 2,414.

Update 18.6.02

The new James video/DVD made number 3 in the official UK music video charts on Sunday behind Iron Maiden and Eminem.  The album fared less well failing to enter the official Top 75 although it made number 10 in the official indie chart – nine places lower than One Man Clapping, James previous live album from 1989.

Tim was interviewed by BBC Teletext over the weekend.  Click here to read the interview.

Q magazine has named the Getting Away With It Live DVD the “Music DVD of the Quarter” in its latest issue. Click here to read the review.  The CD also received a four-star rating. Click here to read the cd reviews to date.

Update 14.6.02

Kulas played an acoustic set at Healey’s in Toronto on Wednesday night – click here for a review

Update 13.6.02

BBC Liquid News are running a competition to win a signed copy of the Getting Away With It live DVD. Click here to enter. The competition closes next Monday, June 17th.

Update 12.6.02

Tim has been interviewed for this month’s What DVD (with Cate Blanchett on the cover).  Click here to read the interview and here to read the DVD review.

The Canadian release of Getting Away With It Live (cd version) appears to have been delayed until next Monday June 18. This also explains why some Play.com customers are getting a June 18 release date for their cd.  As yet, there is no confirmation of a Region 1 DVD release.

If you’re considering buying One Man Clapping on CD off ebay, beware the seller bass2971. He is selling cdr copies of the album, usually starting with a £10 bid price.  Ebay have been informed but refuse to do anything about it as the listing doesn’t actually say it’s a cdr. Don’t get ripped off!

Andy Diagram will be playing live with David Thomas and The Two Pale Boys on Saturday June 22 at Exeter Phoenix Arts Centre. They are still performing in Shockheaded Peter at London’s Albany Theatre until this Sunday June 16.

Update 12.6.02

A second “hidden bit” has been found on the DVD.  Go to the “promos” section, move down to Laid and then press the “left” button on the DVD to find out all about Adrian’s nocturnal habits. Click here for all the extras found to date.

There are also brief “track introductions” for God Only Knows, Out To Get You, Johnny Yen, Born Of Frustration and Sit Down.  To access these go to the “Setlist” section and scroll down to each track. When you do, a series of dots should appear by the track, click “select” and the intro will play before the song.

The DVD is positioned at no7 in the HMV and MVC DVD charts and at no16 in the HMV video chart.

Click here for the feature on the DVD

Update 10.6.02

Tim Booth has cancelled today’s Radio 6 interview.  They are presently trying to reschedule for later in the week.

Update 10.6.02

To find the “hidden bits” on the DVD, go to the “Songs” from the main menu, then onto setlist B (via “Next”), scroll down to the bottom and across right to “Main” menu and then left again to “Back” and a flower will appear.  Click on “Select” (or the equivalent key on your DVD) and you get extra backstage footage about the band’s nicknames.  Thanks to Deano for this information.

Update 10.6.02

Just a reminder that the UK release of the CD, video and DVD Getting Away With It Live is today.  If you want to send me your review, please send it to oneofthethree@hotmail.com.  Or check out the dedicated DVD section here.  Scroll down this page to link to competitions to win copies.

The CD will be out in the US on Tuesday.  As yet there is no word of a US (Region 1) release of the DVD.

Update 9.6.02

Following his performance to close the NXNE Music Festival in Toronto last night, Kulas has scheduled another show at Healey’s in Toronto for Wednesday 12th June.  Kulas will also be interviewed by MuchMore music later this week.

Kulas has also written the soundtrack for a new UK movie called Jade Love. Samples will be available on the official Kulas site very soon.

Update 8.6.02

Tim Booth will be appearing next Monday between 4pm and 7pm UK time on Andrew Collins show on BBC Radio 6 which is available to listen to online. It’s unclear as present as to whether Tim will just be interviewed or whether there will be any musical content.  I will attempt to get a transcription of the interview up here on Monday evening.

The website – www.timbooth.net – now appears to have been registered for a client, rather than giving an error message, which suggests that something may be in the pipeline soon.

Update 7.6.02

There are a number of competitions to win copies of the Getting Away With It Live DVD, follow these links

This Is Local London

Bucks Free Press

Harrow Times

Kulas has given an interview with the Toronto Star, one of Canada’s largest circulation daily newspapers.  Click here to read it.

Update 4.6.02

Andy Diagram’s band The Spaceheads have just released their seventh album Low Pressure on Merge Records, a US-based label.  The ten track album features 10 tracks – Low Pressure, On A Clear Day, The Lugano Affair, Astro Temple, Pressure Front, Fog, The Hut, Storm Force 8, Red Shift and Over The Moon.  The album can be ordered for $13 plus postage from www.mergerecords.com where you can also buy the Angel Station album and Spaceheads t-shirts from the site.

The Merge Records site describes the album in the following press release : “LOW PRESSURE is the much anticipated new album from the UK’s one and only SPACEHEADS. On this their 7th LP, Andy Diagram (trumpet) and Richard Harrison (drums/percussion) take their unique sound to even greater sonic extremes. Based on live trumpet loops, drums, and assorted electronics, the Spaceheads reside in their own musical realm; not quite jazz, not quite electronica, and not quite rock, but deftly hovering somewhere between the three. Low Pressure hangs on lazy grooves and thick harmonized trumpet chords, sleazy deep beat bass and crushed-up metallic drumbeats. Spaceheads mix the raw emotional sound of breath with the banging of wood on skin, pushing both through the blips, crackle and distortion of pixelated electronic noise. Dig in.”

Andy is still performing with David Thomas and The Two Pale Boys in Shockheaded Peter at London’s Albany Theatre until June 16th. Performances are at 8pm om Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday and Saturday, 6.30pm and 10pm on Thursday and there are matinee performances at 3pm on Saturday and 4pm on Sundays.  Ticket prices range from £7.50 to £32.50.  Tickets can be booked direct from the theatre on 0207 369 1730.

Update 3.6.02

The esteemed music paper, the NME has given the Getting Away With It Live cd 0/10.  Click here to read the review.  Unfortunately, I don’t have their circulation figures to hand to give you all a real laugh.

Update 1.6.02

The Greek website www.flash.gr has the whole of the Getting Away With It live cd available through streaming audio.  Click here to go to the index page and scroll down to the tracklistings.

The album and the accompanying DVD are released in the UK on Monday June 10th, the album in the US on June 11th.  Click here for more details on the DVD and here for the album.

Update 31.5.02

Confirmation of the article in the Portuguese magazine Blitz that Saul, Dave and Mark have formed a new band can be found in the (rough) translation of the article below :

After the end of a career spanning 20 years, the various elements of James are now working on different projects.  Now living in Portugal, violinist Saul Davies spoke to Blitz about the last days of his old band and his new band, still in its infancy, with other ex-members of James.

The authors of Sometimes, James finished its activities in December last year with a concert at Wembley Arena, where Brian Eno, producer of many James albums, was present on stage. “He hadn’t been on stage with a  band since 1979  Someone said “he dances like your Dad”. That was the end of James as an identifiable entity. There was very much good about the band, but also things that were wrong and that’s what motivated the end.”

That doesn’t exclude, admits Saul, some kind of future version of James. “Bassist Jim Glennie, who formed the group 20 years ago, decided to try and continue James in some form, but that doesn’t interest me.”  Saul Davies joined James in 1989 and was part of the band that produced Gold Mother, the album that launched James internationally with Sit Down.

Still without a name, Saul’s new project includes Mark Hunter on keyboards and Dave Baynton-Power on drums. They’ve done half an album so far and plan to complete it soon for a late 2002 or early 2003 release.  “I love what I’m doing, it’s going to be something completely different from James,” says Saul. “There are lots of points of contact, as I did co-produce the last two James albums with Eno.  But there’s a different type of approach, it’s much more studio-based.”  Is there any reference point? “It could be described as similar to the Beta Band. That sort of area”

The recordings so far have been made with Saul and Mark on vocals. Saul recognises that they need a singer for live performances. “We’ve asked people to come in and sing on one or more songs” Some of these people are Portuguese, reflecting Saul now living permanently in Porto. “Miguel Guedes of Blind Zero, has done some wonderful vocals on one song, in the style of Roy Orbison, it’s fantastic.  Another one was Orlando Pona, vocalist with Feed.  He did sing some songs but the styles didn’t really match.  It’ll be people like that who will be singing at any future concerts in Portugal.”

To see the Portuguese version of the interview, click here

It seems clear from Saul’s comments that Jim will continue with James with a new line-up. Adrian’s comments to a fan in Brighton that he is “getting used to life outside the band” suggest he has left James as well. Rumours that have surfaced in Manchester suggest that he has been writing with Larry again and that Jim’s brothers David and Peter Glennie from Exit 52 will join the new line-up. This is, as I said, rumour but the news on Saul’s departure (and presumably Dave and Mark’s) mean this rumour may not be wide of the mark.  The Exit 52 website appears to be out of action at present. 

There is as present no official confirmation of any of this.

Update 28.5.02

I’ve been informed from a source in Portugal that Saul gave an interview to the Portuguese music paper Blitz this week in which he said James was “over” for him and that he had formed a new band with Dave and Mark and they had completed half an album for release late this or early next year.  They’re still looking for a vocalist, although Saul and Mark had been sharing vocal duties. The music is apparently in the vein of the Beta Band.

Saul has produced the debut album by a Portuguese band called Ezpecial.

I’m trying to get a transcription and a translation of the interview to put up here to confirm this..

Update 27.5.02

Kulas is headlining the final night of the NXNE Festival at Toronto’s Rancho Relaxo on June 8th.

Update 8.5.02

The live album Getting Away With It Live has been confirmed for a June 11 release in the US through Sanctuary Records.  The album is released in the UK the previous day.

Update 29.4.02

For a review of Kulas’ Saturday night gig at Clinton’s in Toronto, click here. Check out this interview with Kulas (and honorary mention for this site!)

Update 28.4.02

The live double CD Getting Away With It, due for release on June 10, will feature all of the tracks recorded at the Manchester Arena last December, including I Know What I’m Here For and Hymn From A Village which are absent from the DVD.

Kulas played a triumphant set at Toronto’s Clintons last night including an impromptu run through Sit Down – the full tracklisting was Glasgow Rain, Anyone Else, Beautiful Day Part Two, She’s All The Rage, The Only One, Sleep, Pavement, Thanks To Fast Eddie / Sit Down, Burning Down Hollywood, Beginning Of The End, Hallellujah (solo electric), Clever Mess (solo acoustic), Starland, Lust For Love

Update 26.4.02

Amazon.co.uk have listed for a June 10 release a double album entitled James – Getting Away With It on Sanctuary Records – cat no SANDD119.  More details soon.

Update 23.4.02

Gavan Whelan has produced the 12-track debut album for the up-and-coming North West band Alive. The as-yet-untitled album is scheduled for a September 23 release on Effin’ Records.

Update 21.4.02

For more on Shockheaded Peter, click here for a Time Out preview

Update 19.4.02

Kulas has announced a solo acoustic show next Tuesday, March 23, as part of a Musicians Benefit for Musicians evening at Toronto’s Rivoli Club.

As part of David Thomas and the Two Pale Boys, Andy Diagram is providing musical backing to a play called Shockheaded Peter at the Albany Theatre in London.  Performances are at 8pm om Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday and Saturday, 6.30pm and 10pm on Thursday and there are matinee performances at 3pm on Saturday and 4pm on Sundays.  Ticket prices range from £7.50 to £32.50.  The play runs until June 15th and the tickets can be booked direct from the theatre on 0207 369 1730.

www.play.com have advertised the DVD Getting Away With It Live for £14.99 delivered to the UK, the cheapest price online to date.  Beware though you may not get the DVD on the release date as they ship from Jersey and it takes 3-7 days from them getting stock in.

Update 14.4.02

The liner notes for the upcoming DVD have now been released – click here for the special section on the DVD

Update 4.4.02

James have unveiled the cover for the DVD and VHS – Getting Away With It  Live- due for release on June 10th.  The DVD features tracks recorded at last December’s Manchester Arena show, two documentaries – Individual Stories featuring the band’s stories of how they came into James and Single Piece featuring the band’s unique songwriting methods. It also includes the Laid, Say Something and She’s A Star promo videos and other surprises are promised.

One Of The Three has set up a special section devoted to the DVD – click here to view

Tim has co-written a track called Ghosts, with Jaime Catto of Faithless and Duncan Bridgeman for their 1 Giant Leap project – www.1giantleap.com – which aims to “capture and share with others, the unique fusion of sound, image and spoken word from some of the world’s most influential artists and musicians” 

The track is performed by Eddie Reader, ex of Fairground Attraction.  To listen to the track in Windows Media Player, click on this link.

The album entitled also features contributions from Michael Stipe, Robbie Williams, Grant Lee Buffalo, Baaba Maal, Michael Franti and many more artists from around the world.  It was released in Europe in February and there will be an accompanying DVD in May. The album can be bought from the website. Tim also makes an appearance in the film.

Rumours still abound that Tim has distributed a demo cd that is very different to James to record companies in the hope of securing a deal.  More as and when news is available.

Update 2.4.02

The forthcoming release of Getting Away With It… Live on June 10th will also see a VHS video release.

Jim Glennie has answered a series of questions on Tim’s departure, the history of James and what happens next for the band.  Click here to go to the official site

Update 1.4.02

According to the DVD website www.r2-dvd.org, Warner Music will be releasing the long-awaited James live DVD on June 10th entitled “James Getting Away With It…. Live” The site contains the following press release:

“Warner Music Vision have announced “JAMES Getting Away with It… Live” for release on the 10th of June priced at £19.99.This is James’ homecoming gig recorded at the Manchester Arena on 7th December 2001 and marked not only frontman Tim Booth’s but also James’ last ever live performance ending a 19 year association and making it a must see event for fans. The disk features both a DD 5.1 sound track and a L-PCM stereo soundtrack. The picture uses various ratios. Extras will be:

Documentary – ‘Single Piece’ – (25 mins) 

Individual Stories – (20 mins) 

Laid, Say Something & She’s a Star Promo Videos – (10 mins) 

Track Intros – (7 mins) 

Hidden Bits – (9 mins) 

The Track list is : Say Something, Waltzing Along, Sometimes, Laid, God Only Knows, Someone’s Got it in For Me, Vervaceous, Protect Me, Out To Get You – False Start, Johnny Yen, Getting Away with It, Tomorrow, Born of Frustration, Ring the Bells, Top of the World, Sound, Space, She’s A Star, Come Home, Sit Down”

More as it gets confirmed…..

Update 25.3.02

Tim Booth held his first Creativity Workshop based on the Five Rhythms system of movement at Manchester Metropolitan University last Saturday March 23.  He also spoke with Manchester’s City Life magazine about the workshop – click here to see the interview

Update 22.3.02

Kulas has announced another Toronto date, this time at Clinton’s on April 27. He is also in talks about touring the UK at the end of June / beginning of July.

Update 21.3.02

Kulas played the last of his scheduled Toronto dates at the Horseshoe Tavern – click here for a review

Update 16.3.02

Kulas played a full band set at Toronto’s Rancho Relaxo last Thursday – click here for a review

Update 7.3.02

Kulas will also be playing at the Rancho Relaxo in Toronto on March 14th. Both this show and the Horseshoe show on the 19th will be full band sets.

Update 6.3.02

Kulas has announced another show at The Horseshoe in Toronto on March 19th as part of CFNY’s Dave Bookman’s New Music Night.  Michael will be on stage at 10.35pm.  Michael will be returning to the UK in April “to begin a new recording project.”

Update 17.2.02

Kulas played another small acoustic set at Toronto’s Rancho Relaxo last night – for a review click here

Update 16.2.02

Allen James will be appearing as Tim Booth performing Sit Down on Stars In Your Eyes on ITV in the UK tonight at 6.20pm.  Better than Pop Idol anyday.

Update 7.2.02

Kulas played a short acoustic set at Toronto’s Kathedral last night previewing some new songs from his forthcoming third LP as well as tracks from Mosquito and Another Small Machine and a cover of Jeff Buckley’s Hallelujah – click here for a review

Update 3.2.02

Michael Kulas has added another Toronto date to his touring schedule at the Rancho Relaxo on February 16th. For full tour dates, click here or visit Kulasonline

Andy Diagram’s band The Spaceheads have just completed recording sessions for their new album, entitled Low Pressure, scheduled at present for an April release. They have also announced a series of tour dates in France – click here or visit the official Spaceheads site

Update 30.1.02

More on the Alive single, Gavan also plays drums on one of the tracks on the single called Do You Love Me. Gavan has also recently signed a new publishing deal.  Details soon on how to get hold of the single.

The Warner Brothers compilation of early James material is now scheduled for a September release but as before, this date is probably subject to change.

Update 29.1.02

Gavan Whelan, James drummer up to 1988, has produced the new single by Alive, due for release very soon.  More details about the single as I get them. Or visit Alive’s website at www.alive.org.uk

Update 27.1.02

Bandmad, the band’s official merchandisers, are now selling James mugs and programmes as sold on last month’s tour.  Mugs are priced at £5 and the programmes at £8.  Other t-shirts from the tour have also been added.

Andy Diagram will be playing with David Thomas and the Two Pale Boys (picture left) at three UK dates in February

8th York Fibbers, 9th London – Barnet Arts Centre, 28th London – Hackney Ocean

More details can be found at http://www.projex.demon.co.uk/calendar.html

Update 19.1.02

Ex-James guitarist and backing vocalist Michael Kulas has announced some additional dates in Canada.  These are as follows :

24.01     The Rivoli, Toronto, Ontario (Jeff Buckley tribute)

06.02     The Kathedral, Toronto

19.02     The Gordon Best Theater, Peterborough, Ontario

21.02     The Rivoli, Toronto, Ontario

24.02     Zaphod Beeblebrox, Ottawa, Ontario

Check out Kulasonline for more information.

Update 9.1.02

Merchandise from the recent James tour is now available on the internet at Bandmad

Michael Kulas is playing his first solo show for almost five years at Toronto’s on January 24th as part of a Tim Buckley tribute evening.  He will also be playing the same venue on February 21st.  More dates and radio promotion to support the Canadian release of his Another Small Machine album are presently under discussion and will be announced when confirmed.  Check out Kulasonline for more information.

The Rivoli Club is a 150 capacity venue at 332-334 Queen St West.  The telephone number for the venue is +1 416 596 1908.

article on Tim’s Creativity Workshop at Manchester Metropolitan Uni 23.3.02

Tim Booth the frontman, the pop star, the manc muso-ego apparently won’t be in attendance today, the flyer for the event goes as far to forewarn us of this. “These workshops are not for James fans who want to hang out with Tim.” (!) Instead Tim Booth the Five Rhythms facilitator / mediator will. That’s not to say Tim’s better known talents will be entirely off the menu, in his own words, “This is, if you like, a more rock n roll method to achieve altered states.”

The Creativity Workshop is based on a system of movement, ‘The Five Rhythms’ and is about ‘finding your own dance, getting beyond ego to something bigger,’ Those tempted to leave their cosy inhibitions at the door might be encouraged by the knowledge that the rock biog thankfully comes complete with Tim’s training in Psychotherapy and long-term study of alternative healing techniques. “The workshop is about achieving ecstatic creative states without damage.” Tim continues, “to access full potential, it releases your fears and terrors, your raw spirit.” The idea of uninhibited dance is perhaps terrifying enough for some, but as Tim counters, “It’s nothing new, people in Manchester were doing it in the 80s and in New York before then. Everyone is encouraged to express however they feel even if it’s shyness.”

If the rock n roll route to self development still sounds a bit too much like cheap thrills, Tim is keen to make clear that these techniques are simply up to date. “The 5 Rhythms is almost a modern experience of ancient systems, like meditation and yoga. We live in a fast, funky society with constant action and distraction, these forms share the ultimate goal through different methods, the last of the Five Rhythms for example is stillness.”

It is one of the joys of Shockheaded Peter that the musicians who sing with such relish of naughty children reaching grisly ends are so unorthodox themselves. Martyn Jacques and the Tiger Lillies, the cult cabaret combo who composed the junk opera’s songs, have been replaced for this production by avant-garde veteran David Thomas and his improvising Two Pale Boys. Thomas voice defies convention, rumbling and swooping as trumpeter Andy Diagram and guitarist Keith Moline employ a series of effects to warp and enhance each melody. These idiosyncrasies transform the texture of the songs in fascinating ways. Harriet’s dress burns to flickers of trumpet and beautifully glowing guitar, while Flying Robert soars on the otherworldly sound of Diagram singing through his trumpet’s distorting microphone.

Thomas doesn’t screech ‘dead’ with Jacques maniacal relish, and occasionally he renders the lyrics unintelligible, but his macabre wail and lovely baroque flourishes have a variety that Jacques never attained. And, unlike Jacques, he is a huge presence, dominating the toy box set and contrasting comically with wiry Julian Bleach, with whom Thomas appears to be curiously furious throughout. There are some terrifying volatile moments, particularly during Johnny Head-in-Air, when it seems Thomas will actually attack Bleach. This crackling tension, Thomas’ dark intonations and the Two Pale Boys’ creepy creaks and chords render the show far scarier than in previous productions, the scenes between songs, following Struwwelpeter’s parents, seem lethargic by comparison.

Ainslie couldn’t believe his luck this morning when he discovered he’ll team up with Mark and Saul from indie band James in a mammoth songwriting session later today.

Stamping his feet with joy, Ainslie clapped his hands and danced around the lounge sporting a grin like a Cheshire cat and repeatedly shouting “Yes!”

Four pairs of professional songwriters will enter The Academy today at 3pm for a three-hour composition session. James’ Mark and Saul will team up with the excited Scot.

Other songwriters joining the students later today include Steve Duberry (credits include Liberty X and Heather Small) and John Mclaughlin (Billie and Five).

Ainslie bounded into the dining room to join Sinead and Lemar at breakfast and treated them to another triumphant yell.

“I thought you would be happy,” Lemar commented, before adding, “Didn’t they do Sit Down?”

“That was the worst song they did,” said the jubilant Scot. “When we get out of here, I will play you some of their albums.”

Referring to his girlfriend’s love of the Manchester band, Ainslie proclaimed “Bern’s gonna love me for this!”

“You know you have a band that you fall in love with?” Ainslie asked with a glint of nostalgia in his eyes.

“Well, James was that band for me.”

With that, a more than happy Ainslie got back to the task at hand of devouring breakfast.

Ainslie couldn’t believe his luck when he sat down to sing James’s hit song, Laid, with two members of the band.

The remaining four students were given a couple of song writing masters to work with individually this afternoon, as they split off into groups of four.

And Ainslie, always vocal about his love of the band James, got to show off his song writing skills with members Mark Hunter and Saul Davies.

Sitting in the lounge during a tea break, the three suddenly burst into song, playing the band’s hit Laid with Ainslie providing the vocals.

And the 23-year-old’s face said it all… He was beaming from ear to ear!

The students’ task is to come up with four individual songs for an acoustic session tonight with Pam.

And Ainslie looked like he could have died and gone to heaven as he got to sing with his idols.

James front man, Tim Booth, was absent from the proceedings, so there may be hope for the ambitious Scottish songwriter yet…

This page lists all news item that were originally published on the old oneofthethree site in 2003. Links and images have either been removed or pointed to the new site where internal.

Update 27.12.03

Universal (Mercury’s parent company) are planning a mid-price James release in 2004 comprising singles, stand out album tracks and rarities.  The album is tentatively entitled The Collection although an alternative is being sought. More details as they come available.

It is rumoured that Dave Baynton-Power is to join The Alarm as their live drummer on their forthcoming UK tour. Oneofthethree is trying to get official confirmation of this.

Apologies to all those trying to download the mp3s.  Not sure what the problem is – the server is up and I can upload and download via ftp.  Trying to resolve this as soon as possible.

Update 9.12.03

Tim Booth has cancelled his support slot for The Lovegods at Brighton’s Komedia club this Friday.  No reason has yet been given.

Update 27.11.03

Tim Booth is playing a support slot to the award-winning and Tim favourite The Lovegods at Brighton’s Komedia Club on Friday 12th December.  Doors are at 8pm and tickets cost £7 and £5 for concessions and can be obtained from the Komedia website or box office on 01273 647100.

The Brighton date is the last date of the Lovegods “Big Mamma Is The Daddy” UK tour which starts this Sunday in Manchester and takes in Liverpool (Dec 2), Preston (Dec 3), Nottingham (Dec 5), Leeds (Dec 8) and Norwich (Dec 9) – check their website for more details.  They are also currently in second place in the Radio 1 Unsigned Bands poll – follow this link to listen to, support and vote for them.

Kulas’ show at Toronto Tequila Lounge tonight has been cancelled. He has however scheduled more gigs for the new year.  He plays Toronto Rivoli on Friday 20th February 2004 and the Toronto Reverb on Thursday March 25th.

Music chain FOPP are selling the single CD edition of the Best Of for a remarkably cheap and David Dickenson bargainesque £5.  Get down there and stock up for Christmas presents.

Update 1.11.03

James are the headlining act on BBC’s digital radio station Radio 6’s Dream Ticket programme on Wednesday night (November 5) between 10 and 12pm.  The program is dedicated to classic live performances from the BBC’s archives.  The 1993 Brixton Academy show has featured on previous shows, but there is no indication as to which show is being broadcast this time (Belfast 91, Alton Towers 92, London acoustic 92, Brixton 93, Shepherds Bush 97, Manchester 98 or Heaton Park 99 are the contenders). Follow this link for the Dream Ticket website – you can listen to the show online as well.

Update 30.10.03

Tim’s performance in Brighton supporting The Lovegods on September 26th can be confirmed by this rather bizarre review / story.

Update 27.10.03

Tim Booth played another solo show on Saturday evening at New York’s Fez Club – to read a review of the show, click here

Update 24.10.03

Kulas has re-released Another Small Machine in Canada.  Talks are still ongoing about a European release in the near future and at the moment the release is planned for 17 countries through United One Records.   Warrior, from Katie Griffin’s Kulas-produced debut album Kiss Me Chaos, with Kulas playing all the instruments, has been featuring in the opening titles of American TV movie “Hollywood Wives” this week.

He has also announced a new show at Toronto’s Tequila Lounge on November 27th.

Update 23.10.03

Tim Booth is playing a show at New York’s Fez Club this Saturday evening as part of a CMJ Music Marathon festival.   The venue is situated at 380 Lafayette Street at Great Jones.  The doors open at 7.30pm and admission is $12.   More details can be found at the Fez’s venue website.

Tim also apparently played a solo slot supporting The Lovegods at their show at Brighton’s Sussex Arts Centre on September 26th.

Follow this link for another review of Tim’s solo slot at the ICA on October 15th.

Update 17.10.03

Pictures have now been added from Tim’s performance at the ICA on Wednesday night.  Click here to view them – they’re a bit grainy.

Update 16.10.03

Last night, Tim Booth performed a forty-five minute nine-song acoustic set at the London ICA as part of Tony Wilson’s Last Night A DJ Saved My Life concert for Amnesty International.  The setlist included two James classics Laid and Sometimes and the Booth and the Bad Angel track Fall In Love With Me, plus six songs he has co-written for his new solo album with guitarist Lee.  For a full review and setlist of the show, follow this link.

We will hopefully have some pictures from the show later today.

Did you go?  We’d love to post your review of the show? Email to oneofthethreewebsite@yahoo.co.uk.

There’s also a rumour that Tim might also be doing a show in Brighton as part of Radio One’s One Live festival there later this month.  I have no details or any confirmation of this and it could well be someone putting together the fact the festival’s on and Tim lives there and is playing unannounced gigs and coming to their own conclusion.  But if anyone lives in the area, keep an eye out in the local press and let us know if anything is advertised.

Update 7.10.03 pm

As at lunchtime today, the ICA box office did have a few tickets left for the Tim Booth performance supporting The Music next Wednesday.  Click here to go to the ICA website.

For confirmation of Tim’s performance, check out this Amnesty International website.

Update 7.10.03 am

Tim Booth is playing a gig at London ICA next Wednesday October 15 as first on the bill as part of Amnesty International’s Last Night A DJ Saved My Life week of events.  He is supporting The Music and Crank.  Tickets are sold out as the venue only holds about 350 people and they went on sale at the beginning of September.  Trust me on this one, I’ve tried!

But if anyone has a spare, think of all the lovely mp3s and mpegs you’ve got off this site over the past three years 🙂

Update 6.10.03

Tim Booth has now updated his website with latest news.  He is presently putting together a band and playing unannounced secret gigs.

He will be co-teaching a weekend workshop called “In.To.Me.See” in Manchester on 21-23 November 2003. Friday 21st is an open evening before the full weekend.  As usual, the workshops will not be simply for people to “hang out” with Tim.

Tim Booth’s official website is www.timbooth.net

Update 28.9.03

Time to get your early Christmas presents in.  Both HMV and Virgin in the UK are selling the single disc version of the Best Of for £6.99.  At that price it could even propel it back into the charts.  So get buying and tell all your friends.  Also suitable for birthdays, weddings, barmitzvahs and divorces.

Update 23.9.03

More details on Tim’s live performance on Sunday 14th September at Manchester’s One Central Street. Tim played eight songs acoustically, seven new compositions and a piano-led rendition of the James classic Sometimes.  He was accompanied by Moody Baker on guitar, with whom he has written several tracks for his album, and Lisa aka Xan (www.xanmusic.com) on piano. 

Speaking to fans after the gig Tim revealed that his album is now about three-quarters finished and that Moody Baker plays all instruments on the album.  Both he and Xan are likely to form part of Tim’s live band when he tours in future.  It is presently planned to release the album and to tour next year but no firm timing for either were forthcoming.  He claimed that the album is more “funk and groove” than James and will be an album of “proper pop songs”, even though this couldn’t be put across in the intimate acoustic environment of the performance.

Included in the set was Down To The Sea, which was previewed back in March on Dom Joly and two other tracks possibly called Bones and Fear Of Commitment.  Obviously if anyone who went picked up a setlist, please share it with us.

Update 23.9.03

Update 22.9.03

In line with rumours that had been floating round James messageboards, it appears Tim Booth did play an acoustic showcase during the recent In The City festival in Manchester.  The event was a joint showcase and took place at the One Central Street venue on Sunday 14th September.  We hope to get more details soon from someone fortunate enough to attend the event and speak to Tim.

Update 18.9.03

Band Mad appear to be selling three James t-shirts not available on the final tour.  Prices range from £15-£17.

Update 16.9.03

Speaking exclusively to fan-site Ainslieonline, Ainslie Henderson spoke of working with Mark and Saul on his new album and the suggestion that he might replace Tim in James.

Here are excerpts :

“I continued by asking if he has at any point felt in awe of working with Mark and Saul, whose music he’d grown up with

“I was at first, it took about five or six meetings to get over. They’re two of the best people, lovely supportive guys, two heroes, and to have them respect me as a singer songwriter is a real ego boost, heroes absolutely.”

With Tim having left James, did the question of Ainslie potentially replacing him ever come up?

“No! Can you imagine what the James fans would think of me?” he laughed, adding: “I’ve met Tim a couple of times, he’s a lovely man, a lovely brilliant man.”

He also revealed that he had asked Mark and Saul about the possibility of them playing in his live band, most likely a tour early next year.   No indication was given as to their response.   For the full interview, click here.   Thanks to Dave at Ainslieonline for the information.

Update 12.9.03

Play.com are selling the Getting Away With Live DVD for £9.99 including free delivery as part of their music sale.  Ideal for those of you who haven’t taken the plunge yet.

Update 29.8.03

Kulas played a night of shows at Toronto’s El Mocombo club last Thursday 23 August.  He played guitar with Katie Griffin and Robbie Roth’s bands then performed his own solo set featuring Anyone Else, Star Land, Instamatic Camera, Glasgow Rain, Having and Losing It All (solo acoustic), Beautiful Day, Pavement, All The Rage, Beginning of the End and Hallelujah (solo acoustic)

Adrian Oxaal is scheduled to play another solo gig at Brighton’s Evening Star pub on Sunday October 5th.

Update 16.8.03

Tim has written the foreword for a book entitled “Vodou Shaman” by Ross Heaven which covers the subject of Haitian healing and power methods.  Amazon.co.uk has a January 2004 publication date for the book.  

According to Heaven’s website “In his foreword, Tim will concentrate on one of the key themes in The Way of the Houngan: the need for healing and community in the West in order to avert the sort of negativity that leads to breakdown and conflict on a personal and global scale. He will also reveal something of his own spiritual path.”

Tim has also contributed to a book called Generations where famous people “reveal the strange and beautiful truth about themselves and their grandparents” to support two charities Railway Children and Age Concern.  Click here to find out more.

Update 15.8.03

The James original version of Laid is being used on UK TV trailers for the American Wedding film that is released in the cinemas here today.  The film itself features a cover by new US artist Matt Nathanson.  If you want to hear it follow the link to this Matt Nathanson messageboard for a radio capture of the track.

Kulas has renamed his new band The Vinyl Dolls.  It appears the Dead City Radio monicker was already taken.  He will continue to perform under the Kulas name until the forthcoming album is ready for release.

Update 2.8.03

James classic tune Sit Down features as the opening track on the Friends Reunited 2cd set of classic 90s songs to remember your school or university days by.

Update 31.7.03

Kulas will be performing 2 acoustic songs as part of a night of George Harrison music to raise money for The Princess Margaret Hospital and Cancer research in Toronto at the Rivoli, Friday August 8th.

Update 11.7.03

Kulas’ second album Another Small Machine is going to be released by Berlin’s United One Records and distributed in 15 countries including the UK in September

He will also be playing in Katie Griffin’s band at C’est What in Toronto on Wednesday, July 23rd and also doing a few tracks of his own.  He will then be playing in Robbie Roth’s band at The Horseshoe Tavern in Toronto on Thursday, July 31st

He will then be playing a KULAS show at The Elmocambo (again in Toronto) on August 23rd.

He has also written a few original songs for director Park Bench’s new film “The Death Of Alice Blue” which will premiere at the Toronto Film Festival  in September.  The songs are “Sweet Lips”, “You Only Come Out At Night” and “Gothdance”.

Update 3.7.03

Mark and Saul have been confirmed as producers of Ainslie’s debut album, which he has just completed recording in France.  Mixing will take place next week and the album is due for release shortly before Christmas.  They have also co-written several songs on the album.

Update 2.7.03

James video for Sit Down appears on the “We Could Be Kings” DVD compilation.  The DVD also features The Charlatans, The Las, The Wonder Stuff, Ocean Colour Scene, Shed Seven and more.  Play.com are selling the DVD for £11.99 including delivery – simply follow this link.

Update 30.6.03

Despite the song being covered by American singer/songwriter Matt Nathanson for the soundtrack of the movie, James’ original and, of course, vastly superior version of Laid is being used for the trailer of the movie American Wedding, the third in the American Pie series of films.  To watch the trailer, follow this link.   Follow the link below to hear the cover.

Update 22.6.03

Kulas played a set at Toronto’s Free Times Cafe on Friday evening.  He played the following tracks : Starland, Pavement, Having & Losing It All, Sleep, The Only One, Shine, Glasgow Rain, A Clever Mess, Anyone Out There, In My Life.  Click here for a full review.

Update 15.6.03

Singer / songwriter Matt Nathanson is covering Laid for the soundtrack to the third instalment of the American Pie series “An American Wedding” which is released in US cinemas on August 1.  The cover version will also feature on the film soundtrack out on July 15.  His official site is running a campaign to get as much radio play as possible for the song in the US as it is also being released as a single. 

If you want to hear it follow the link to this Matt Nathanson messageboard for a radio capture of the track.

Hopefully people will hear this version and then go away and track down the original.  Laid did appear in trailers for the first two films so why they’ve brought this guy in I don’t know.

According to an article in the Southern Press, Mark and Saul have been spending time in France working with Ainslie Henderson on his debut album due out in September.  The next single from the Fame Academy star is expected to be Pretty Boys and Pretty Girls which was co-written with Mark and Saul.  It’s due out in late August on Mercury Records.

Update 14.6.03

Kulas is performing at a Songwriters Series at the Free Times Cafe Club on College Street in Toronto this Friday, June 20.  Doors open at 8pm and these events usually sell out pretty quickly.  Admission is six Canadian dollars.

Adrian Oxaal is playing another gig on Sunday 27th July at the Evening Star pub in Brighton.

Update 29.5.03

Kulas played a show at the Rivoli Club in Toronto on May 16 as part of the launch evening for the Katie Griffin CD produced by Kulas.  The setlist was Anyone Else, Star Land, Instamatic Camera, Glasgow Rain, Having and Losing It All (solo acoustic), Shine (solo acoustic), Beautiful Day, Pavement, All The Rage, There’s Nothing Wrong, Beginning of the End, Sit Down.  For a full review, click here.

Update 23.5.03

After the success of their nation-wide t.v. appearance on the Mike Bullard Show performing the Echo and The Bunnymen song “Killing Moon”, Kulas and Katie Griffin have been asked back tonight (Friday, live to air 7:00 p.m. and again at midnight on CTV) to perform the song with Echo and The Bunnymen frontman Ian McCulloch who will also be performing his new single with his band to promote his upcoming Toronto show.

Update 16.5.03

Tim Booth has made a statement via the James official messageboard on his current activity.  He is still writing his album with KK and Lee Baker who are assisting with the production.  His film script has now been optioned by two producers and he is seeking funding for the project.  For a full transcription click here.

One Of The Three has conducted an exclusive interview with Michael Kulas where he talks about the highlights and lowlights of his time with James, his heros in the music business, his two solo albums, his work as a producer and his plans for his new band.  Click here to read the interview in full.

Update 9.5.03

Kulas played live with Katie Griffin on the track Killing Moon on Canadian TV’s Mike Bullard Show (apparently similar to David Letterman).

Update 2.5.03

Getting Away With It featured for the second time in a matter of weeks in the Queen Vic pub in the BBC soap Eastenders.  It must be the only pub in the world with Pleased To Meet You on the jukebox!

Tim Booth’s official website www.timbooth.net has been updated with the following rather curious message:

“Tim Booth’s website is not ready yet, as he hasn’t a clue what to say.  He should have rediscovered the art of communication in a few months time.”

Update 22.4.03

Jade Love, the film for which Michael Kulas composed the soundtrack, recently won Best Short Film at the Toronto Film Festival.

Update 21.4.03

Kulas played an acoustic show at the Elmocambo Toronto last Thursday on April 17.  The setlist was A Clever Mess, The Only One, Pavement, Starland, Having and Losing It All, Shine, Anyone Out There (featuring Katie Griffin), Laid, Hallelujah.  For a full review, click here.

Kulas will be played a full band set with his new band Dead City Radio at Toronto’s Rivoli Club on May 16 as part of the launch night for Katie Griffin’s album “Kiss Me Chaos” which was produced by Kulas.

Update 13.4.03

Kulas played a show at the Oasis Lounge Toronto on April 10.  The setlist was A Clever Mess, The Only One, Pavement, Starland, Anyone Out There, Shine, Eating Beets in Madoc (truncated), Having and Losing It All, Laid, Hallelujah, Glasgow Rain.  For a full review, click here.

Update 9.4.03

Adrian Oxaal is playing another solo show at the Evening Star in Brighton on Sunday April 27th.   For more details, click on the Evening Star website.

Update 31.3.03

Kulas is playing two solo acoustic shows in Toronto in April.

April 10 – Oasis, College Street

April 17 – Elmocambo, Spaldina

Both shows start at 9.15pm

He will also be playing a full live set at Toronto’s Rivoli on Friday May 16 as part of the launch night for Katie Griffin’s album “Kiss Me Chaos” which was produced by Kulas.

He is also continuing writing and recording with what will be a new band release this year.  The band is called Dead City Radio.  The album titled “American Cheerleader” will include the songs Glasgow Rain, Pavement and Starland as well as the new songs Instamatic Camera, Ghost, Something About You, Dead Rock Star, The Man That Nobody Wanted, Day and Night, Night and Day and Twenty Two.

Update 21.3.03

Larry Gott played at a local acoustic unsigned musician’s night at the Blue Cat Cafe in Heaton Moor, Stockport near Manchester last night.  Since leaving James, Larry has played in several bars and clubs around Manchester either solo or with friends.  Earlier this year he also played a concert in Crosby near Liverpool with one-time James associate Ed Barton.

Update 16.3.03

For those of you who haven’t bought the DVD Getting Away With It Live yet, CD-WOW are selling the Region 2 version for the bargain price of £10.99 including postage.  Click here to go direct to the site.

The Ainslie Henderson version of Laid has been added to the MP3 section.  His next single, due out in May, is called Pretty Boys and Pretty Girls and is co-written with Mark and Saul and described as “having a crunchy Jeff Buckley-esque guitar riff, a big groovy beat and a big shouty chorus”

Update 15.3.03

Ainslie Henderson, the James fan who Saul and Mark performed with on BBC’s Fame Academy and whose album they have been co-writing tracks for, has been performing Laid acoustically at promotional events around the country.  I will try and get an mp3 uploaded in the next few days for those interested in hearing it.

Update 12.3.03

Saul and Mark produced and play on an acoustic version of Ainslie Henderson’s Keep Me A Secret on the cassette single of the same name.  They have also been recently working on Ainslie’s forthcoming album.

James are actually in this week’s NME.  Or at least one of their t-shirts is.  Olly Knights of Turin Brakes is pictured in the review section wearing a JA-M-ES style shirt.

Update 10.3.03 pm

The MP3s of Racing Away and Down To The Sea have been added to the mp3 section of the site.  I’ve also added the lyrics to Down To The Sea.

The March edition of Record Collector claims in its “In The Pipeline” section that Sanctuary Records are planning the release of a live James Best Of in the near future.  There is no official word on this to date.

Update 10.3.03 am

Tim Booth appeared on the This Is Dom Joly show on the UK digital channel BBC Three last night.  He sang a track called Racing Away with Horace Andy (who performed the track on the 1 Giant Leap album with Grant Lee Buffalo) with backing music by 1 Giant Leap and then a self-penned track, which Dom said was written last week, called Down To The Sea.

The program will be repeated next Friday night / Saturday morning, 15 March, at midnight for those of you in the UK with Sky, cable or Freeview.  It’s well worth watching just to see Tim’s disdain for the guys in animal suits who are dancing at the end.

One Of The Three hopes to bring you mp3s of the performances very soon.

The One Giant Leap DVD which features Tim on one track is now being sold for £5.99 at CD-WOW. 

Update 24.2.03

Kulas played a set at the Hershey Arena in Mississauga near Toronto on Saturday evening.  Click here for a review of the show.

Update 21.2.03

Speaking to Designer Magazine, Ainsile Henderson has discussed working with Mark and Saul:

“It’s f**king amazing. They were one of my favourite bands and they’re still one of my favourite bands and the three of us are still writing together for my album. It took me a couple of days to get over the F**K factor and stop asking them about how they wrote “Sit Down” and where were you when you recorded “Made” (sic) and stop asking all these silly questions. But they’re brilliant and it’s great working with them because it’s made me feel like I’m in a band again.”

Click here to see the whole interview.

Update 17.2.03

Mark and Saul recently spent a week writing songs with Ainslie Henderson, one of the contestants in BBC’s recent Fame Academy program.  The sessions are likely to have produced many of the tracks off Ainslie’s forthcoming debut album.

Take Out Time, the track Ainslie, Saul and Mark wrote during Saul and Mark’s appearance on the Fame Academy program, is featured on Ainslie’s debut single Keep Me A Secret which is released on February 24.  To watch the performance on Fame Academy, click here.

Ironically, Ainslie is signed to Mercury Records.

Update 4.2.03

Today is Tim Booth’s 43rd birthday.  Many Happy Returns!

Update 29.1.03

Update 19.1.03

Tim Booth’s June 1999 interview for ITV’s Faith and Music show is repeated in the early hours of Sunday night / Monday morning (20 Jan) at 12.20am.  To read a transcript of the interview click here.  The interview is interspersed with clips of James and Booth and the Bad Angel promo videos.

Update 15.1.03

Ex-James trumpeter Andy Diagram features on two tracks of Lemon Jelly’s acclaimed album Lost Horizons.  He is credited with “Train sound effects” on Return To Patagonia and trumpet on Experiment Number Six.

Update 12.1.03

Larry Gott last week played a gig with vocalist Mark Curtis and James associate Edward Barton at the launch of a new bar called SixtySouth in Waterloo near Crosby.  In an interview with the Crosby Herald, Larry described the music thus “our style fuses tribal, folk, jazz, classical and R + B music to create a totally unique genre”.  Larry and Edward are planning to write more songs with a view to releasing an album.

Kulas has announced that he is to play again at this year’s For The Love Of Jeff Buckley tribute show on January 25 at Toronto’s Rivoli Club. He will also be opening for two well-known Canadian bands 54-40 and The Pursuit of Happiness at the 4,000-capacity Hershey Centre Arena on Saturday February 22.

He has also completed the recording session for the Katie Griffin album and will be involved in the mixing process over the next few weeks before recommencing sessions for his own forthcoming album.

The British chain store Argos have at present an in-store tape featuring a female singer covering the James single Waltzing Along amongst other songs.  One Of The Three has no details as to who the vocalist and band are, but if anyone knows, please tell us.

Update 10.1.03

Update 6.1.03

Adrian Oxaal is playing another solo gig at the Evening Star pub in Brighton on Sunday 26th January.  For more details check out the Evening Star website.

This page lists all news item that were originally published on the old oneofthethree site in 2004. Links and images have either been removed or pointed to the new site where internal.

Update 26.11.04

Reviews of Tim’s UK shows and some pictures from Porto have been added to the special section on the tour.  We still would love to print your reviews and pictures if you want to share them.  Tim’s gigography has also been updated with setlists where available.

James are now on Itunes in the Music Store.  You can download the Best Of, Laid, Ultra and Getting Away With It Live plus selected tracks from Millionaires and Pleased To Meet You.

Update 11.11.04

Tim Booth’s gig in Thessaloniki, Greece, this Saturday (November 13) has been moved from the Fix venue to the Principal venue.   Tickets are still valid and there are apparently free buses laid on to the venue from the White Tower in the city as Principal is close to the city’s airport.

Tim and the Individuals complete their UK tour at the ICA in London tonight.   A full UK tour report will be published in the next few days.

Update 1.11.04

Andy Diagram, ex trumpeter with James, plays on Black Francis from the Pixies latest album “Frank Black Francis”.  The two-disc set features Black’s demos from 1987 on disc 1 plus a set of recordings of Pixies classics with Andy and Keith Moline on disc 2 and is out now.

The sleevenotes read “I first met the Two Pale Boys, Andy and Keith, at a gig some years ago in West Hollywood, the trumpet and guitar members of that trio formed with David Thomas.  When David asked me to perform at UCLA as part of his Mirror Man improv-opera in early 2003, Andy and Keith were in the band again.  The two pale fellows from England offered their studio and input on some undefined project in the undefined future. In the hot summer of 2003, July I think, I went down to the Hackney section of London and belted out the numbers and let the boys do their things. I enjoy their work with me or with others. I like these guys a lot.  Sure, we’ve messed with the gospel, but I am satisfied with it.”

Tim Booth starts his European tour in Portugal tomorrow night (2) at Lisbon’s Aula Magna before continuing at Porto Hard Club (3), Madrid Moby Dick (4), Barcelona Razzmatazz (5), Glasgow Cottier Theatre (7). Leeds City Varieties (8), Manchester Royal Northern College of Music (9), London ICA (11). Athens Gagarin (12), Thessaloniki Fix (13) and Istanbul Venue Meslak (14).  According to reports, the Portuguese and Glasgow shows have now sold out.

Update 20.10.04

Update 14.10.04

Update 11.10.04

James – The Collection is released today.   The compilation of James tracks from the Mercury years features two songs only available on compilation cds  – a cover of Leonard Cohen’s So Long Marianne and Confusion from the Randall and Hopkirk Deceased Soundtrack  – two previously vinyl-only tracks Lazy and Once A Friend and the download-only Coffee And Toast.

Sadly the album doesn’t include the single versions of Seven and  Lost A Friend nor the original version of Out To Get You or the Live At The Lighthouse version of I Know What I’m Here For but is extremely good value at £4.99 (HMV stores or online).

Full tracklisting is Sit Down, English Beefcake, Seven, Lazy, So Long Marianne, Getting Away With It (All Messed Up), Lost A Friend, Once A Friend, Coffee And Toast, Laid, Confusion, Heavens, She’s A Star, Five-O, Out To Get You, I Know What I’m Here For, Lose Control (McGuire Mix) and Gold Mother.

Update 5.10.04

Tim Booth has announced a series of UK dates for November

November 7 – Glasgow Cottier Theatre

November 8 – Leeds City Varieties

November 9 – Manchester Northern College Of Music

November 11 – London ICA

Update 28.9.04

Tim Booth has announced a series of European dates for November

November 2 – Lisbon Aula Magna

November 3 – Porto Hard Club

November 4 – Madrid Moby Dick

November 5 – Barcelona Razzmatazz 3

November 12 – Athens Gagarin 204

November 13 – Thessaloniki Fix

November 14 – Istanbul Venue Meslak

The Bristol show advertised on Gigsandtours has been removed from sale.

Update 21.9.04

Gigsandtours are selling tickets for a Tim Booth concert at Bristol St Georges on 17 November. There has been no official confirmation from Tim’s management but an announcement ius expected in the next day or so.

Update 20.9.04

James release a new album called “The Collection” on Spectrum Music on Monday 11th October.   To order in the UK, click here to order from Amazon or in the US here to order from Siren Disc (search under Future Releases).  The album tracklisting was compiled by me with the instruction to have singles, album tracks and rarities.   The tracklisting below is my final submission although this may have changed since.  I’ll get confirmation in the next day or so.

The provisional tracklisting for the album is as follows :

Sit Down

English Beefcake

Seven (single version)

Lazy (vinyl-only b-side)

So Long Marianne (from Leonard Cohen tribute album I’m Your Fan)

Getting Away With It (single version)

Lost A Friend

Once A Friend (vinyl only b-side)

Coffee and Toast (only available as download on the enhanced section of Pleased To Meet You)

Laid

Confusion (from the Randall and Hopkirk Deceased soundtrack)

God Only Knows

Heavens

She’s A Star

Five-O

Out To Get You (original version)

I Know What I’m Here For (live at the lighthouse) 

Lose Control (McGuire Mix)

Gold Mother (Warp Remix)

According to post on the Tim Booth forum, Tim is scheduled to play two shows in Greece at the Gagarin 205 Club on November 12 and Thessaloniki Fix Club on November 13.  Neither date has been confirmed by Tim’s management.

Update 5.9.04

First of all, apologies for the lack of activity here over the past two months.  It started off as being off on Tim’s tour and then things got a bit heavy at work.  Add to that, the worst kept secret in the world – that I am also running Tim’s official site – which meant a lot of additional work and of the three, this sadly gets lowest priority.  However, there are some updates and I will try and chase down some news of other band members.  Obviously running Tim’s site means there won’t be too much exclusive news here, but when there are tours and stuff, we will review them here.  And your contributions are always welcome – whether they be gig reviews, photos, interviews or just links to material not referenced on here. That includes anything I may have missed in the past month or two.  And if anyone has some free space they can provide to us free-of-charge to host mp3s, it would be greatly appreciated.

The following sections have been updated : News Archive, Tim Gigography, details of Tim’s singles.

Down To The Sea was released on June 28 and reached number 68. The single was released on 7″ featuring Bring It On and CD featuring Remember Me.

Wave Hello was released on August 16 on CD single only featuring an exclusive b-side Si Tu Veux recorded with the band’s live monitors man Stuart Smith.  However, the single never appeared in the shops and only appears to be available through Amazon and Pinnacle on-line stores.

Tim and the band performed an XFM session earlier in the year which can be heard through this link.

Dave Baynton-Power played with The Alarm at the Guilfest on July 17.  Oneofthethree spoke to Dave and can reveal he’s well and has been spending time with his family as well as standing in at various gigs and tours for The Alarm’s regular drummer when he has commitments with other bands.

Update 24.6.04

Tim Booth played a fantastic concert last night at Bedford’s Esquires Club.  The setlist was Discover, Down To The Sea, Five-O, Wave Hello, Eh Mamma, Sometimes, Dance Of The Bad Angel, Bone, What Goes On, Butterfly’s Dream, Monkey God, What’s Goes On (second version) and Fall In Love.   Drummer Milo also did an impromptu stand up routine between the main set and the encore.  Click here for a review.

Update 22.6.04

James are playing a gig in London at the Betsey Trotwood pub on July 14th.   Unfortunately it’s not the rebirth of THE James, it’s an Icelandic band that appears to have taken James name.

Tim Booth has been confirmed as playing the Music Choice Stage at the V Festival on Saturday 21st August at Chelmsford and Sunday 22nd August at Stafford.  He appears to be clashing with UK chart-toppers Keane’s appearance on the NME Stage.

Tim’s debut solo album Bone charted at number 98 this week.

Update 11.6.04

Tim Booth is playing a session tomorrow morning – 12 June – on London’s LBC radio station (97.3FM) during Paul Ross’ show from 10am to 1pm.  He is also appearing on Simon Mayo’s BBC Radio 5 show on Monday afternoon between 1 and 4.

Tim and the band will also be performing live on BBC3’s Glastonbury Calling programme between 8pm and 9pm on Monday 14 June.

Tim is also going to be doing radio promotion in Spain on the 15th and 16th of June and in Portugal on the 21st to 23rd June.  Lee and Lisa are travelling as well so there will be radio sessions involved, not just interviews.

During an interview on Andrew Collins Radio 6 show (see mp3 section for more), Tim ruled out the possibility of a James reunion in the near future, mentioning that they had been approached to reform for last year’s Isle of Wight Festival, but he turned it down.

Update 3.6.04

Tim Booth is playing a warm-up for his Glastonbury Festival appearance at Bedford Esquires on Wednesday 23rd June.

Tim’s official site – www.timbooth.co.uk – now has links to samples of the album Bone and the whole video for the single Down To The Sea.

Update 1.6.04

Tim Booth is playing the New Stage at the Glastonbury Festival on Saturday 26th June.  He is second headliner behind Zero 7.

Tim is also playing “Thug” in the Batman Returns film due out in 2005.

Update 31.5.04

Down To The Sea has now been delayed until 28 June.  Bone is still being released on 14 June.

Update 25.5.04

Tim Booth is confirmed as playing the AV Festival in Malaga between 1-4 July.  There are also unconfirmed rumours of a Glastonbury warm-up show although date and venue are unknown.

Update 6.5.04

Update 5.5.04

Gigsandtours are selling tickets for two Tim Booth shows at London’s Piccadilly St James Theatre on Wednesday 14th July and Birmingham Carling Academy 2 on Friday 16th July.   Neither gig has been officially confirmed yet.

Ents 24 are also listing a gig at Norwich’s Waterfront on Sunday 18th July.  Their listing for the Bristol Fleece And Firkin show is however incorrect.

Update 2.5.04

Michael Kulas played an acoustic set at Toronto Healy’s last Thursday.  Click here for a review.

Update 30.4.04

Tim Booth has been confirmed for the Move Festival at Manchester’s Old Trafford Cricket Ground on Saturday 10th July.  He will be appearing on a bill that also features Stereophonics, Pixies, Goldfrapp, The Stands and 22-20s.  Tickets are available from most ticket agencies.

Tim has also been confirmed as playing at the V Festival in Chelmsford and Stafford on 21-22 August.  However, no details are available yet of which site on which date.

Update 29.4.04

Pictures from Tim Booth’s gig at Liverpool Academy have been added to the site here.

Update 28.4.04

Tim Booth is playing the Guilfest on Saturday 17th July.

He is also heavily rumoured to be playing at Glastonbury as well, although there is as yet no official confirmation of this yet.

Update 26.4.04

Tim Booth is playing the King Tut’s Wah Wah Tent at this year’s T In The Park festival on Sunday July 11th.

Reviews of the Cardiff and London shows have been added to the Tim Booth tour dates section.

Update 22.4.04

Tim Booth and his new band completed their four-date UK tour with a sold out show at London King’s Cross Water Rats last night.  The set included Careful What You Say, Discover, Down To The Sea, Five-O, Wave Hello, Eh Mamma, Sometimes, Love Hard, Dance Of The Bad Angel, Bone, Butterfly’s Dream, In The Darkness, Monkey God and Fall In Love.   A review will follow shortly.

Tim Booth’s own website www.timbooth.co.uk is now up and running.

Update 20.4.04

Shootingmymouthoff has reviewed Tim’s gig in Liverpool last night. Follow this link to read it.

Update 19.4.04

Tonight’s gig at Liverpool Academy was by all accounts a resounding success with a much larger crowd than the Portsmouth gig.  Five-O and Butterfly’s Dream made appearances again.  More to come.

Tim Booth and his band played the opening night of their minitour at Portsmouth’s Wedgewood Rooms last night. The set included Careful What You Say, Discover, Down To The Sea, Five-O, Wave Hello, Eh Mamma, Sometimes, Love Hard, Dance Of The Bad Angel, Bone, Butterfly’s Dream, In The Darkness, Monkey God and Fall In Love.

Click here for a full review.

Update 14.4.04

Next Wednesday’s gig at the Water Rats in London has now sold out.  Tickets are still available for gigs in Portsmouth on Sunday, Liverpool on Monday and Cardiff on Tuesday.

Update 12.4.04

One Of The Three has an exclusive first review of Tim’s forthcoming album Bone.  Follow this link.

Update 8.4.04

The date at Bristol’s Fleece and Firkin mentioned below for July 6th is NOT taking place.  The listing is wrong and no gig is being planned for that date, in Bristol or anywhere else.

Update 7.4.04

Ents 24 are advertising a Tim Booth show at Bristol’s Fleece And Firkin on Tuesday 6 July – tickets are priced £13 plus booking fee.  There’s no official confirmation of this however.

Update 6.4.04

Tim Booth’s London show on April 21st is at the Water Rats Theatre near Kings Cross station.  Tickets are £10 plus booking fee.  Follow this link to order.  Remember they are extremely limited – less than 100 on sale to the public.

Update 5.4.04

It appears that promo copies of Tim Booth’s solo album “Bone” have been released in the past week or so.  The artwork for the promo cd is pictured on the left.

The album’s tracklisting is Wave Hello, Bone, Monkey God, Redneck, Love Hard, Discover, Fall In Love, Falling Down, Down To The Sea, In The Darkness, Eh Mamma and Careful What You Say.  Fall In Love is a reworking of the Booth and the Bad Angel track.

As soon as we get a copy, there will be a One Of The Three exclusive review of the album.

Unfortunately, there has been a delay in announcing details of ticket sales for Tim Booth’s London show on Wednesday 21st April.  I’ll get an update tomorrow and keep people posted here and on the official James board.

According to Channel 4 teletext’s Planet Sound, Tim Booth’s debut solo album Bone will be released on Monday June 14th.

Update 1.4.04

According to the Sanctuary Records website, Tim Booth will be releasing Down To The Sea as his debut solo single on Monday 7 June.  More details as they become available.

Tim will be playing an extremely intimate show in London on Wednesday 21st April.  Less than 100 tickets will be made available to the general public.

Details of how to get tickets will be announced on Monday here, on the official James messageboard and on the Stutter yahoo group only, they will not be advertised anywhere else.

Update 29.3.04

Kulas played a hometown show at Toronto Reverb Club on Thursday night.  The set included an impromptu encore medley of Laid and Sit Down.  For a full review, click here.

Update 27.3.04

Another Tim tour date announced, this time at Liverpool Academy on Monday 19th April.  Tickets are available from www.seetickets.com

Update 24.3.04

Whilst browsing record stores in London, I came across a single called Playing With The Nu by Xan, aka Lisa, the keyboard player in Tim’s band.

The four-track EP features Chrysalis, My Child, Tried So Hard and Age and is released on Lai Lay Recordings.

No details are available on whether this is a promo or official release I’m afraid, but it doesn’t appear to be available to buy online anywhere.

Some not very bright photos of Tim’s performance at Sussex Arts Centre on 6th March have been added to this page.

Update 23.3.04

Another Tim Booth show has appeared on www.ticketweb.co.uk  This show takes place on Tuesday 20th April at Cardiff’s Engine Room (formerly MS1).

Tim Booth is playing at Portsmouth’s Wedgewood Rooms on Sunday 18th April.  Tickets are available from www.seetickets.com.   More gigs are likely to be announced soon.

Update 12.3.04

Ainslie Henderson, who has worked with Saul and Mark in the past year on his debut solo album, has spoken exclusively here about his experience of working with the two.  Thanks to Secret for the scoop on this. The remainder of the interview can be found here

Kulas is playing another show in Toronto at the Reverb Club on Thursday March 25.

Support comes from Sister Someone and Salt Peter.

Doors are at 9pm.

Update 8.3.04

A review of Saturday night’s show has been added to the site here.

Update 7.3.04

Tim Booth played another triumphant show at Brighton’s Sussex Arts Centre last night.  Tracks played were : Words, Laid, Discover, Wave Hello, Into Darkness, Redneck, Hard Love (Love Is Addiction), Sometimes, Falling Down Again, Dance Of The Bad Angel, Mama, Monkey God, Bone, Down To The Sea, Fall In Love With Me.

Tim’s “silent partner” on the forthcoming album “Bone” – Lee “Muddy” Baker played a seven-song solo set.

The evening was attended by Scottish football legend Gordon Strachan.

A review will follow later.

Update 3.3.04

Another review of Tim Booth’s show in Brighton has been added here.

Tim has now removed most of the content from his website www.timbooth.co.uk and now just has a simple announcement that he has an album out in June.

Update 29.2.04

Tim Booth was an onlooker last night at the launch party and gig last night for the new nine-track mini-album “Between Dogs and Wolves” (pictured left) by The Lovegods at Brighton’s Komedia club, returning the compliment as Deah and Art attended Wednesday’s launch of Tim new’s band at the Arts Centre.  Tim and The Lovegods presently share the same soundman as well.

The mini-album is available for the bargain price of £7 including postage through The Lovegods website at www.thelovegods.com. They are also about to embark on a short UK tour in support of the mini-album.

Update 28.2.04

The review of Tim’s gig on Wednesday is now up here.  No apologies for how positive it is either.

Sanctuary Records official website is listing Tim’s as yet untitled debut solo single for release on April 26.

Update 26.2.04

Tim Booth played a successful first show with his new band at Brighton’s Sussex Arts Centre last night.  

The tracklisting was as follows : Words (acoustic), Laid (acoustic), Discover, Into Darkness, Wave Hello, Monkey God, Redneck, Love Is Addiction, Mama, Sometimes, Falling Down Again, Bone, Down To The Sea and Fall In Love With Me.  A full review will appear here in the next day or so.

Tim’s new band consists of Lee (Muddy) on guitar, Robin on bass and occassional sax, Lisa (Xan or “Sid to her friends”) on keyboards and Milo on drums.

The album Bone is now scheduled for a release in June on Monkey God Records, Tim’s own label through Sanctuary Records.  There may be more gigs scheduled before the album release, although there are no definite plans at this point in time.

Update 24.2.04

Kulas played another live show at Toronto’s Rivoli Club at the weekend.  Click here for a review. The set included two new songs.

Update 13.2.04

Tim Booth has launched his website – www.timbooth.co.uk – and has updated this with news on the recording process for his new record, details of his inspirations, his dance workshops and a gallery section. More is promised in the near future.

Update 12.2.04

Tim Booth’s solo album “Bone” is due for UK release on May 3, 2004.  The album is co-written with KK, who had production credits on Pleased To Meet You, and Muddy Baker.  Keyboardist Xan, aka Lisa, who played on the acoustic shows Tim did last year, is also in his band.

No tracklisting is yet available, but Tim unveiled six tracks at acoustic shows last year – Discover, Shame, Hold You To Your Words, One, Down To The Sea and Falling Down.

Update 9.2.04

Tim Booth is playing two shows at Brighton’s Sussex Arts Centre on Wednesday 25th February and Saturday 6th March.  Follow this link to buy tickets.  More details to follow.

Update 7.2.04

Tim Booth was due to play a free show in Doncaster on 29th January at the Lakeside Village to support a new film called Kiss And Tell by Squillion Films.  In true Tim tradition, the gig was cancelled late in the day and Tim was replaced by Lisa Scott-Lee, ex of Steps.

Update 1.2.04

Bandmad, suppliers of official James merchandise, are presently reducing prices on all James merchandise.  T-shirts are down to £12, jackets to £18, tea-towels to £6 and the rather lovely flower jumper from the last tour to £22.

Update 29.1.04

At the first show of The Alarm’s UK tour at Bristol Bierkeller last night, the band, including Dave Baynton-Power, played a cover of the James classic Tomorrow.  Dave is presently touring with The Alarm – see below for the dates.

Update 28.1.04

Dave Baynton-Power has been confirmed as the drummer for The Alarm on their forthcoming tour of the UK and Europe.  The dates are below.

For tickets, either call the Alarm’s MPO Hotline on 01745 571571 between 11am and 4pm on weekdays or online through www.thealarm.com.

28th January – Bristol Bierkeller

29th January – Norwich Waterfront

30th January – Portsmouth Wedgewood Rooms

1st February – Nottingham Rescue Rooms

4th February – Caerphilly Castle

5th February – Leeds Cockpit

6th February – Scarborough Kazbah

7th February – Wolverhampton Wulfrun Hall

8th February – Liverpool Academy

11th February – Haarlem Patronaat (Netherlands)

12th February – Hilversum Tagrijn (Netherlands)

13th February – Sneet Bolwerk (Netherlands)

14th February – Helmond Plato (Netherlands)

15th February – Verviers Spirit of 66 (Belgium)

17th February – Aschaffenburg Colos-Saal (Germany)

18th February – Bielefeld Elfenbein (Germany)

19th February – Hildesheim Vier Linden (Germany)

22nd February – Bochum Matrix (Germany)

23th February – Stuttgart Rohre (Germany)

24th February – Hamburg Logo (Germany)

25th February – Newtown Mid Wales Theatre

26th February – Pontypridd Muni Arts Centre

27th February – Narberth West Wales Queens Hall

28th February – Stoke Sugarmill

1st March – London King’s Cross Scala

4th March – Cleethorpes Winter Gardens

5th March – Blackburn King George’s Hall

6th March – Middlesbrough Town Hall

7th March – Glasgow Garage

Update 27.1.04

James track Laid is being used on UK television adverts for Tesco and the American Wedding DVD / video that was released yesterday in the UK.  The film itself features a rather ropey cover of the track by Californian Matt Nathanson over the opening and closing credits.

Sit Down is also being used currently in a Sky Sports advert in the UK for its forthcoming programming.

Update 24.1.04

Adrian Oxaal is playing another solo gig at Brighton’s Evening Star pub on Sunday February 29th (the day after the Lovegods play the Komedia in town). For more details check out the Evening Star website.

Update 15.1.04

James are the headline act on 6 Music’s Dream Ticket tonight at 11pm UK time.  The show can be heard on digital radio and also on the 6 Music website where the shows are usually archived for a few days afterwards.

Update 3.1.04

Kulas has announced the following live dates for the first few months of 2004 :

January 24 – Toronto C’Est What (third annual Jeff Buckley tribute)

February 20 – Toronto Rivoli

March 11 – Ottawa Zaphod’s

March 25 – Toronto Reverb

April 28 – Toronto Healy’s

Michael will also be performing on Mike Bullard’s TV show Feb 16th as part of Katie Griffin’s band. 

This page lists all news item that were originally published on the old oneofthethree site in 2005. Links and images have either been removed or pointed to the new site where internal.

Update 13.10.05

The final two Kulas tracks have been added to the mp3 section.  Michael also played his first show for ages in Toronto last week, click here for a review.

Update 24.9.05

As promised, the mp3 section now includes two tracks from the Kulas four-track sampler.  Instamatic Camera and Starland are now available and the other two tracks will be available in a couple of weeks time.

James song Laid has been covered by Better Than Ezra as a new track on their recent Best Of album.  The band had regularly included the song as part of their live set, but decided last year to record the song for their Best Of.  You can listen to a 30 second sample and buy the US version of the album here or buy it on import in the UK here.

Meanwhile, Final Fantasy played a short section of Hymn From A Village while supporting Arcade Fire in Liverpool at the end of August.  Click on this link to hear it. (note with yousendit.com, files are only valid for 1 week or a certain number of downloads)

Update 9.9.05

This page lists all news item that were originally published on the old oneofthethree site in 2006. Links and images have either been removed or pointed to the new site where internal.

This page lists all news item that were originally published on the old oneofthethree site in 2007. Links and images have either been removed or pointed to the new site where internal.

Update 13.12.07

James have announced an additional date for the tour that was announced earlier this week.  They will play Oxford New Theatre on Saturday 19 April.

Tickets go on general sale tomorrow at 10am.

Update 11.12.07

James have announced a theatre tour to support the release of the as yet untitled new album due out on April 7.  Tickets go on sale from the numbers below, www.gigsandtours.com and other outlets from 10am on Friday December 14.  There is an exclusive presale for members of the wearejames.com mailing list from Thursday, but I’ve been asked to keep this private and exclusive, so please don’t post it on this forum or others.

Thursday 10th – Derby, Assembly Rooms – 01332 255 800

Friday 11th – Lincoln, Engine Shed – 0871 4244 555

Saturday 12th – Liverpool, University – 0151 256 5555

Monday 14th – Newcastle, Academy – 0844 477 2000

Tuesday 15th – Sheffield, Academy – 0844 477 2000

Thursday 17th – London, Shepherds Bush Empire – 0844 477 2000

Friday 18th – Norwich UEA – 01603 508 050

Monday 21st – Bristol, Colston Hall – 0117 922 3686

Tuesday 22nd – Blackpool, Empress Ballroom – 0871 2200 260

Thursday 24th – Edinburgh, Corn Exchange – 0870 169 0100

Friday 25th  – Aberdeen, AECC – 0870 169 0100

It was also confirmed that James slot at the Isle of Wight Festival is on the Sunday night, June 15. Headliners that night are The Police.

Update 10.12.07

According the official festival website and the Naively Moronic Editor, James have been confirmed to play the Isle Of Wight Festival between Friday 13 and Sunday 15 June.  No night or slot has yet been announced and there has been no official confirmation from the band of their appearance.  Other acts appearing include headliners Kaiser Chiefs, Sex Pistols and The Police with appearances from Lily Allen, KT Tunstall, The Enemy and Kate Nash.  Ticket details can be found here.

Update 27.9.07

Tim has responded to a number of complaints about the recent secret gigs all being performed in London.

“Just want you to understand the reason why the secret gigs were at Hoxton and not in Scotland or Manchester etc.

We were working on the songs at a studio round the corner. We chose London because Saul and Mark have the toddlers . We have always tried to cater to the fathers in the band. Being so close, it hardly disrupts our rehearsals and allows us to keep prices down.

Hoxton is a great little venue that puts us on at short notice. Most small venues don’t have big enough stages for us to hear ourselves properly or sound as good as Hoxton..

The tickets go on at short notice because we like spontaneity and we don’t want to encourage people to disrupt their lives and travel half- way round the world to be at a non-performance (though we are touched when they do so !).  We want it to be a ” No shit, this just falls into place for me” kinda thing.  And, hopefully it catches the touts relatively off guard.

Thanks for your support and feedback. Just starting to build a studio and record in France.

Tim”

Update 15.9.07

The Twang performed a cover of Say Something on Radio 2 this afternoon.

Update 12.9.07

James played their second secret gig last night, performing a 16 song set of unreleased material.  They dropped Pure Beauty and Fear from the previous night and replaced it with previously unheard track Start A Fire and two “old” new songs Not So Strong and Upside Downside.

The full set read Child To Burn, Good Mood Sunday, Out Of Our Heads, Hey Ma, Waterfall, I Wanna Go Home, A/B, Mother’s A Clown, Better In Black, Start A Fire, Oh My Heart, White Boy, Bubbles, Boom Boom, Not So Strong, Upside Downside.

Review here.

Update 11.9.07

James played a rather wonderful 15 song set comprised entirely of new material, of which only 2 songs had been played live before – Bubbles at Edinburgh and Belladrum and Hey Ma at Edinburgh.  The crowd were handed out setlists before the show to ensure they were aware of what to expect.

The full set read Child To Burn, Good Mood Sunday, Out Of Our Heads, Hey Ma, Waterfall, Pure Beauty, I Wanna Go Home, A/B, Mother’s A Clown, Better In Black, Oh My Heart, Fear?, White Boy, Bubbles, Boom Boom.

A mini review can be found here.

James play a second night at Hoxton tonight.

Update 6.9.07

James are playing two very low-key shows at Hoxton Bar And Grill in London, next Monday and Tuesday 10 and 11 September.   The following announcement was made on the official James site.

“You are cordially invited to an intimate non-performance at the Hoxton Square Bar & Kitchen in London next week.

A non-performance because the band will be attempting to play you new songs they are preparing to record.

Expect chaos, re-started songs and read rough lyrics. No hits.

The band have respectfully asked you do not record the event in any medium…or it will be difficult for them to undertake such gigs again. Experience the moment.

Tickets for James at the Hoxton Square Bar & Kitchen on the 10th and 11th of September will go on sale via the following links.

Limit 4 tickets per person. Doors open 8:30pm.

Monday 10th September

http://www.ticketweb.co.uk/user/?region=gb_london&query=detail&event=236295&interface=pr1v8t3

Tuesday 11th September

http://www.ticketweb.co.uk/user/?region=gb_london&query=detail&event=236297&interface=pr1v8t3”

Update 21.8.07

NME have added  pictures from the signing tent in Stafford and an NME TV interview.  In the interview, Tim says that the new album will be “tender, insecure, ecstatic, triumphant, cocky – all those qualities that we embody” and confirmed that Andy will likely perform on the record due out, hopefully, early next year.  A transcript is available here.

Key 103 are broadcasting the Cloud 23 gig from Manchester’s Hilton Hotel in May on Sunday 26 August at 8pm.

Update 20.8.07

James played the Stafford and Chelmsford V Festivals over the weekend to complete their festival appearances for the summer..

The Saturday set in Stafford featured the following songs : Born Of Frustration, Tomorrow, Sit Down, Out To Get You, Bubbles, Upside Downside, Ring The Bells, Gold Mother, Getting Away With It (All Messed Up), Laid, Sometimes, Come Home.  For fan reviews click here.

The NME reviewed the show with their usual appalling level of journalistic integrity and factual inaccuracies, getting the set wrong in both reviews and reusing bad anomalies from their last review.

The Sunday set in Chelmsford featured : Born Of Frustration, Tomorrow, Come Home, Out To Get You, Getting Away With It (All Messed Up), Say Something, Upside Downside, Ring The Bells, Gold Mother, Sit Down, Sometimes and Laid.   Tim finished the set by coming down to sing on the barrier, breaking the rather draconian Health and Safety edict that had prevented them inviting members of the crowd on stage for Gold Mother.  For oneofthethree’s review, click here.

The NME, bless them, however have pictures from the signing tent in Chelmsford.

At both shows, Tim dedicated songs to Tony Wilson, whose memorial service was held on Saturday and whose funeral took place today.

Update 16.8.07

James will be onstage at 6.10pm at the V Festival in Stafford on Saturday and Chelmsford on Sunday.  The set should last an hour.

Update 15.8.07

James will appear in the NME signing tent at both V Festivals in Stafford on Saturday and Chelmsford on Sunday at 3.30pm.

Update 12.8.07

In a quick chat at Inverness Airport, Tim revealed that ahead of recording for the new album, James have jammed over 100 Wah Wah style pieces from which they hope to distil 20-25 songs for consideration for the album which they plan to record in September and October with a view to an early 2008 release.  It is hoped that Andy can play a full part in the recording process. The two new songs on Friday were only first played by the full band during the soundcheck. There are currently no plans to tour the UK in December as had been rumoured on message boards recently.

With the work on the new album, Tim’s solo work has been put on the back burner for now although he still hopes to complete his second solo album at some point.

James played a rain-sodden headlining set at the Belladrum Festival in Scotland last night.   The set mainly compromised of singles but included two new songs – Bubbles and Upside Downside.

The full set read : Born Of Frustration, Tomorrow, Sit Down, Chain Mail, Play Dead, Out To Get You, Bubbles, Upside Downside, Say Something, Laid, Gold Mother, Ring The Bells, Sometimes, She’s A Star, Getting Away With It (All Messed Up) and Come Home.

Click here for a review

Update 10.8.07

James played a stunning sold out show at Edinburgh’s Corn Exchange including two first plays of new songs – Bubbles and a second which could be called Hey Mom.  The first was dedicated to Tony Wilson, founder of Factory Records and long-term supporter of the band, who sadly passed away yesterday.  The second is based around the events and aftermath of September 11.

The full set was Born Of Frustration, Tomorrow, Sit Down, Chain Mail, Play Dead, Out To Get You, Bubbles, Not So Strong, Hey Mom, Say Something, Laid, Gold Mother, Ring The Bells, Sometimes, Upside Downside, Getting Away With It (All Messed Up) and She’s A Star.

Click here for a review.

Update 6.8.07

Sudoeste TV have a online interview with Larry and Jim, pictures of a meet and greet session and a brief excerpt of Tomorrow from last night’s headline slot at the Sudoeste Festival online for viewing.

The Sudoeste set was as follows : Born of Frustration, Tomorrow, Sit Down, Chain Mail, Play Dead, Out To Get You, Not So Strong, Johnny Yen, Say Something, Upside Downside, Laid, Gold Mother, Ring The Bells, Sometimes, Getting Away With It (All Messed Up) and She’s a Star

Update 5.8.07

The rumours have turned out to be true as Xfm can confirm that Manchester legends James have announced a full UK tour including a London headline show at Brixton Academy.

While James never actually spilt, following the departure of lead singer Tim Booth in 2001, the Manchester outfit famous for singles like and ‘Come Home’, ‘How Was It For You?’, ‘Star’, ‘Born Of Frustration’ (of course) ‘Sit Down’ went into seemingly permanent shutdown.

Now the band have regrouped and will be playing a five date UK tour in April kicking off at the Glasgow Academy, taking in a headline show at Brixton Academy and culminating in a hometown show at the Manchester MEN Arena.

Speaking to Xfm, Booth explained that he isn’t really sure how the reunion happened, saying, “I don’t really know. If you had asked me in the summer would James get back together I would have said absolutely not, not a chance. It was kind of a load of synchronistic events that took place over about a month.

“And finally I ended up in Manchester and Larry [Gott] the guitarist who left in about ’93, had been ringing me up saying let’s meet. He’d been one of the initial founders with me and Jimmy [Glennie] and somehow I found myself in a room with with instruments and microphones and we just started jamming.

“We jammed for a few days and found that it was really fantastic, so we said ‘Alright let’s see how this goes’. We didn’t tell anyone, we didn’t even tell our manager. But it went so well musically that we felt we had to see how far it could go. And then the rest of it sprung from there really.”

I CAN reveal Madchester band JAMES have been back in the studio and are reuniting for a UK tour.

The band, who got every uni student to Sit Down, are returning to give us a blast from the past.

The classic Laid line-up of TIM, LARRY, JIM, SAUL, MARK and DAVID will perform some new material in their first live gig for six years.

A five-date April tour kicks off at Glasgow Academy on 21. Then it’s on to Newcastle Academy, 23, Birmingham, 24, and London’s Brixton, 27, before a huge finale at The MEN Arena on April 28. They will be supported by THE TWANG.

Tickets will be on sale from Friday on 0871 2200 260 or buy online at www.gigsandtours.com.

English pop group James could be getting back together and playing a few dates this year.

According to website oneofthethree.co.uk, the band is getting ready to reappear and is writing new material.

“It appears that the James line-up for the reunion will be the Laid line-up of the band : Tim, Jim, Larry, Saul, Mark and Dave.” The fan site says.

There is a new website up ready to go at www.wearejames.com, so either a defunct band is getting ready to hold a website for no reason, or James fans can rejoice.

More details as they come to hand.

English rock band James have announced they are reforming. Singer Tim Booth’s official website posted the following message last week:

“Tim will be rejoining James in early 2007 for a series of live shows to be announced very soon.”

Fansite One Of The Three has followed-up with news that the lineup will be of the Laid era: Tim Booth (vocals), Jim Glennie (bass), Larry Gott (guitar), Saul Davies (guitar), Mark Hunter (keys), and Dave Power (drums).

Announcements will be made in the next few weeks for the first set of shows and there will be releases planned for later in the year as well – whether this will be brand new or reissued material (with the possibility of unreleased tracks) has yet to be confirmed.

Manchester indie band James, best known for their anthemic single Sit Down, are to reform after a five-year hiatus.

The group, who scored a string of top 40 hits in the 1990s, will play five arena concerts in the UK this April.

According to their website, the band have also written their first new material since 2001’s Pleased to Meet You album.

James’ Best Of collection, released in 1998, went to number one and stayed in the charts for more than a year.

The band formed in 1982 when 16-year-old bass player Jim Glennie found singer Tim Booth dancing wildly at a student disco.

They struggled for several years, even releasing the sardonically-titled live album One Man Clapping in 1989.

But they achieved mainstream success as part of the early-1990s indie movement that also produced The Stone Roses and The Inspiral Carpets.

After nine studio albums, the band split in 2001 amid falling sales and reports of acrimony between Booth and Glennie.

Booth pursued a solo career and also appeared as Judas in the BBC’s Manchester Passion last year.

The reformed band will have the same six-piece line-up that featured on the top 10 albums Laid and Seven.

Manchester favourites James have announced they are getting back together for a reunion tour later this year.

The indie rockers, who enjoyed massive hits such as ‘Sit Down’ and ‘Laid’, have been working on new material and have announced five comeback shows for April.

The band have announced the line-up will consist of the same six members that played on their 1993 album ‘Laid’, which suggests singer Tim Booth will return after quitting the group in 2001, alongside Mark Hunter, Jim Glennie, David Baynton-Power, Saul Davies and Larry Gott.

The band’s comeback show will be at the Glasgow Academy on April 21 and they will play shows in Newcastle, Birmingham and London ahead of a huge homecoming gig at Manchester’s MEN Arena on April 28.

Announcing the news on their official website, a band statement said: “James are back. Still fresh as a daisy. Ready to be the bride not the bridesmaid.

“With a back catalogue to die for and a bunch of new songs the ‘Laid’ six will be playing live for the first time in six years.”

The tour dates are as follows:

Glasgow Academy (April 21),

Newcastle Academy (23),

Birmingham Academy (24),

London Brixton Academy (27),

Manchester MEN Arena (28).

Frontman Tim Booth rejoins James with a “bunch of new songs.” We hope they’re so prettyyyyyyyyyyyyyy.

Manchester, England’s six-piece James, who’ve been on hiatus since 2001, have announced they’ve reunited via a band website post. “James are back. Still fresh as a daisy…with a back catalogue to die for and a bunch of new songs,” the post read. On his website, frontman Tim Booth further confirmed the reunion, stating he’ll “be rejoining James in early 2007 for a series of live shows.”

Having risen to fame in England’s vibrant post-punk scene in the late ’80s and early ’90s, James capped a career replete with numerous U.K. chart-toppers and a U.S. breakthrough single, “Laid,” when Booth left the group to focus on other projects. James will hit the road for a brief tour of England in April.

Good Lord, there we were with the metaphorical ink still wet on our fingers from writing about The Jesus and Mary Chain getting back together, when what should happen but we stumble on the news that James are to reform too.

A brand new James website here gives details of an April tour, and reveals that the line-up will be the peeps who played on ‘Laid’, arguably James’ finest hour.

“James are back. Still fresh as a daisy. Ready to be the bride not the bridesmaid. With a back catalogue to die for and a bunch of new songs the ‘Laid’ six will be playing live for the first time in six years.”

The dates run as follows:

April 21st – Glasgow Carling Academy (DF Concerts)

Apr 23rd – Newcastle Carling Academy

Apr 24th – Birmingham Carling Academy

Apr 27th – London Brixton Academy

Apr 28th – Manchester MEN Arena

And here’s the video for ‘Laid’. Doesn’t Tim Booth look a hell of a lot better than when he was poncing around Manchester in that dodgy popstar Easter story thing?

We’d like to thank all the people who bought those tickets. It blew us away. We couldn’t believe it would sell out in a couple of hours. That was incredible for us, it really shocked us. We’re not usually shocked.

We also want to apologise. We’ve seen on the messageboard how some of the fans wanted to get to the first James gig. We hadn’t anticipated that at all, that’s why the other gigs got put in. And just to say, there will be some warm-up secret gigs. After six years of not playing, we need some serious practice before we want to be judged on what we’re doing. So I’m afraid there will be some more gigs going in earlier, but they’ll be secret, last minute, very small, but I have no idea where they’ll be yet. They haven’t been booked. They’ll hopefully be announced through the mailing list.

This whole thing came about in November when Jimmy, Larry and I first met in Manchester. I was seeing my mum up in Yorkshire and I said I’d go along and see the guys. They’d asked me a year or two earlier and it hadn’t felt right. But now things were starting to happen and I felt as if my life was taking me towards them. James kept cropping up everywhere.

Larry rang me a week later and asked me to call in and meet up and I said “OK, but let’s meet up and jam”. That’s how we communicated best so it was “let’s go and do that” and we did it for a couple of days. And we came up with lots of songs or beginnings of songs. And it was great fun. We communicated very differently and we’d really moved on. The six years had done us good. We were really enjoying each other’s company which had not always been the case.

Peter (Rudge, James’ manager) heard about it and got excited and spoke to Simon Moran (SJM Concerts) about a possible tour. The thing just escalated like a snowball. And I was saying “yes” to most things that came my way at that point. Larry and Jimmy were first very against doing a tour, they wanted to get the music together, maybe get an album together and then do a tour. But it just kind of fell into our laps and we agreed to do it.

It was hard for a few weeks because the whole business side had to wake up again as it had been asleep for six years so a lot of business had to be done, a lot of relationships had to be formed and a new structure established with Larry back in. The structure has gone back to the three of us making the major decisions for this incarnation. But that’s the amazing thing about James is that the dynamic always changes.

We’re taking it one step at a time. It’s because we’re working on the music and seeing where it takes us. We’ve got lots of songs boiling, we’ve got two we’ve finished demos of and they’re cracking. They’re going to take us in a different direction. We might go quiet publicly to allow us to concentrate on the music but there should be more to come. The feeling is that we’re enjoying what we’re doing and the music is going in a strong direction.

It’s one step at a time. We would love to go out and play Portugal and Greece because we had so much fun and felt such appreciation and support out there. But we need to make a new record. We’d rather go out to play when people have heard the new stuff and can enjoy it a lot more. There will be other opportunities to see us though. We’d love to go to America as well, but that’s not dependent on us, it’s dependent on record sales and getting the support to do it and there being a demand.

We hope we’re going to be able to build on the tour selling out. We believe we put a lot into the records and people have relistened and reappreciated them and that’s why the tour sold out, in the same way as the Pixies did. We’re hoping to shift things around a bit, there will be the well-known songs but we’ve got a few weeks rehearsal and we want to look to play ones that people aren’t expecting and play a few new songs. It won’t be a repeat of the last gigs. We want to move forward and find new ways live to heighten connection. To see how far this new version of James can go.

This page lists all news item that were originally published on the old oneofthethree site in 2008. Links and images have either been removed or pointed to the new site where internal.

Concerto é no Parque da Cidade.

Os James actuam no Super Bock Super Rock no Porto, a 4 de Julho. A banda inglesa deverá apresentar, em Portugal, as canções do novo Hey Ma , que sai em Abril.

A notícia é avançada pela edição de hoje do Correio da Manhã.

Segundo aquele jornal, o «acto» portuense do Super Bock Super Rock acontece no Parque da Cidade nos dias 4 e 5 de Julho.

A 9 de Julho, o Parque Tejo, na Grande Lisboa, recebe os Iron Maiden, Slayer e Avenged Sevenfold. Apesar de não terem sido confirmados pela organização, também os australianos Rose Tattoo deverão marcar presença no «acto» lisboeta do festival.

Na próxima Segunda-feira, 10 de Março, a Música no Coração e a Super Bock anunciam mais nomes para o Super Bock Super Rock no Porto.

MANC indie veterans James have finally confirmed details of their comeback album.

The sextet, whose triumphant return to the fray culminated with last April’s sell out show at the M.E.N. Arena , will release their first LP of new material on April 7.

Entitled Hey Ma, the six-piece’s 10th studio LP features 11 new tracks and a controversial sleeve of a baby reaching for a gun.

On the record guitarist Larry Gott had this to say on the band’s official website : “Yes, we know that some of your faves aren’t there, and you will no doubt moan about the ones that got away, but the process of making a James album is a strange and mysterious one that even baffles us at times.

“Some of them will return no doubt, and some will be available as a limited special treat.”

Hey Ma is the band’s first since 2001’s Pleased To Meet You – flamboyant singer Tim Booth quit soon after its release.

Gott added: “The album has been a wonderful, and at times very intense, journey. I assure you that now it is out of the way our main priority is to wake up the designers and roll it out in the next couple of weeks.”

The band, who showed just how imbedded they were in the public’s affections when their 1998 ‘Best Of’ shot to number one in 1998, announced their return on Booth’s official website at the start of last year – a subsequent arena tour sold out in a matter of hours and fans have been eager to see just what direction the new material will take them in.

A theatre tour has been confirmed for April, with Blackpool Empress Ballroom on April 22, the closest to a hometown date.

If the record receives a healthy response though, don’t bet against hearing the anthemic opening chimes of Come Home in Manchester again later this year.

A Queima das Fitas de Coimbra 2008 naquilo que é s sua aposta na qualidade e diversidade do seu cartaz das noites do parque acaba de fechar contrato com uma banda de renome internacional de enorme sucesso para o dia 10 de Maio.

Assim temos o prazer de confirmar a toda a comunicação social a banda inglesa James na edição deste ano da maior festa de estudantes do país.

A banda conta com enormes sucessos na sua carreira, principalmente nas décadas de 80 e 90, tais como “Laid”, “Somethimes”, “Come home”, “Sit down”, “Seven” entre outros.

Tim Booth e companhia voltam assim a Portugal depois da longa paragem que os afastou dos palcos desde 2001 até ao início de 2007, sendo Coimbra a cidade que escolheram para a estreia nacional dos temas do novo álbum, Hey Ma, com lançamento previsto para o dia 7 de Abril.

A banda de renome internacional é uma das apostas da Queima das Fitas de Coimbra 2008, que tem por objectivo afirmar-se no panorama musical português como um dos seus grandes palcos.

Fica a garantia, no entanto, que a organização continua a trabalhar para obter o melhor cartaz dos últimos anos, esperando-se para próximos dias o anúncio de outros grandes nomes do panorama musical internacional, sendo James uma aposta muito forte mas não a única.

MANC rock legends JAMES have had their new album artwork banned.

The cover of the outfit’s comeback LP Hey Ma, which you can see exclusively here, features a baby and a handgun.

And advertising chiefs have run a mile from its controversial subject manner.

Consequently, don’t expect to see any billboards carrying the image as nervous ad execs have slapped a complete ban on the artwork.

Nevertheless the unrepentant veterans are going ahead with the image despite the objections.

Hey Ma is the group’s first new studio album in seven years and their tenth in a career that has seen them shift a whopping 12 million units.

It’s out on April 7.

Outdoor media owner JC Decaux has banned a poster campaign for the new James album because it goes against the company’s policy of depicting guns in posters.

The James album cover for Hey Ma has been designed by Manchester creative agency Love and launches in stores on the 30 April.

The cover depicts a baby with a handgun at its feet with the albums title spelt out on building blocks.

The cover was designed by Manchester creative agency Love. Darren Hughes, creative head at the agency said that the idea behind the cover was to show the “boldness and curiosity” of gun culture “to engage in the debate”.

Hughes said: “You need only to have a passing acquaintance with the headlines to be aware of the unfolding horror show of gun culture amongst kids in the UK. Whilst the media are quick to show condemnation and, in the governments barricading of not just our airports but now our train and bus stations and schools with metal detectors, armed police and dogs, their strong armed ‘climate of fear-inducing’ response.

“But we seem less able, less curious to raise the vital question, as to what has brought our country, our culture our kids to be so taken with Guns?”

Hey Ma is the group’s first studio album in seven years. Since their debut, James has recorded 10 albums and sold more than 12 million units since the band first formed in the mid-80s.

MediaCom was responsible for the media planning and buying and said that different creatives were being prepared in order to be featured at JC Decaux sites.

The ads will also appear in music magazines and there are no planned in-store or POS creatives.

Love was first appointed by James last year to design a new logo for the band to aid their re-launch and nationwide tour.

The band get political…

by Scott Colothan on 14/03/2008

Indie veterans James have unveiled the controversial artwork to their new album ‘Hey Ma’ which features an image of a baby about to pick up a handgun.

The hard-hitting image has apparently seen advertising execs give the album a wide berth, meaning that it is very unlikely to feature on major PR campaigns.

The record itself, released through Fontana/Mercury Records on April 17, also deals with very poignant subject matter and the current hostile world climate.

Story continues below…

There’s imagery about 9/11 through lyrics about “falling towers” and “dust in the air”, while the Afghan and Iraqi conflicts are brushed upon in the lines “1-2-3. What are we fighting for?” and “Hey Ma, the boys in body bags.”

‘Hey Ma’ is James’ tenth album and the follow-up to 2001’s ‘Pleased To Meet You.’ It was recorded at Warsy Chateau in northern France with producer Lee ‘Muddy’ Baker.

‘Hey Ma’ controversial cover already banned

James have announced details of their first album in seven years.

‘Hey Ma’, the band’s tenth LP, will be released on April 7.

The LP’s cover art has already caused controversy, as it features an image of a baby reaching to pick up a handgun.

Outdoor media owner JC Decaux has already banned the album’s poster campaign because it goes against the company’s policy of depicting guns on posters Mad.co.uk.

The album’s tracklisting is:

‘Bubbles’

‘Hey Ma’

‘Waterfall’

‘Oh My Heart’

‘Boom Boom’

‘Semaphore’

‘Upside’

‘Whiteboy’

’72’

‘Monsters And Heroes And Men’

The artwork for James’ first album for seven years has been banned from being advertised on street billboards by the Advertising Standards Authority.

The artwork for ‘Hey Ma’ features an image of a baby reaching for a gun, following a story that a ten-month old child had been issued a US fire arms certificate.

In an exclusive interview with Xfm, lead guitarist Larry Gott admitted he’s been surprised by the scale of the reaction, but said the artwork is meant to make ‘people stop and think about the ease of access of firearms’.

He said: “We talked at length about hitting a problem with the Advertising Standards Authority, but it’s such a strong image we decided it go with it anyway.

“The scale of the reaction has been a surprise, but we kind of expected there’d be some ripples. We were looking at lots of ideas with the designers and they came up with an image of a baby and a gun that related to a story in America of a ten month old child that had been issued a firearms certificate.

“Firearms are dangerous, they’re not to be taken likely, and we as a society are becoming over familiarised with the image of gun and gun culture.”

Gott revealed the band may go with a more innocent image to use for the advertising billboards.

“There is a slip case that goes over the album that shows the child playing with a toy gun. It’s like a joke. The toy gun is on the front cover and then you reveal the real album artwork underneath.”

James forthcoming tenth studio album ‘Hey Ma’ will be released on April 7, followed by a tour of the UK kicking off April 8 at Bradford’s St. George’s Hall.

The cover for the new James album has been banned by the Advertising Standards Authority, it has been confirmed.

The artwork for “Hey Ma” (pictured), the band’s first record in seven years, features a baby reaching for a gun.

The watchdog have decided the image is unsuitable and will not be featured on billboards to promote the LP.

Guitarist Larry Gott said the band had decided to go with the “strong image” despite its controversial tone.

He explained: “We talked at length about hitting a problem with the Advertising Standards Authority, but it’s such a strong image we decided it go with it anyway.

“The scale of the reaction has been a surprise, but we kind of expected there’d be some ripples”, said Gott.

“We were looking at lots of ideas with the designers and they came up with an image of a baby and a gun that related to a story in America of a ten month old child that had been issued a firearms certificate.

“Firearms are dangerous, they’re not to be taken likely, and we as a society are becoming over familiarised with the image of gun and gun culture”, he continued.

James release “Hey Ma” on April 7.

The hit-making seven piece line-up of James are back in the saddle. How goes the “big dysfunctional family” reunion?

A little older, a little less intense, the seven-strong “glory years” line-up of James are back touring and recording together. The Word’s photographer is gently persuading them to restage an old press photo from 1990. Singer Tim Booth got into a fight with their drummer on stage in the 80s, and when he auditioned a new one, a pianist and a trumpet player turned up too. Which is how they came by the big-top festival sound that defined hits like Sit Down and Come Home.

After further personnel change they ceased recording in 2001, by which time they had become “a big dysfunctional family”. Have they deliberately reformed the line-up that had the biggest hits? “I would never shape anything I do in order to please a commercial public,” declares Booth. (“Head to the left, that’s it!” the snapper barks)

Age hasn’t withered them much. “Maturity’s a funny word,” says Larry Gott, fingering roll-ups on the fire escape. He’s just happy the band can bear to be in the same room again. But Tim Booth has a faraway look in his eyes. He’s found a spiritual home in the hills of Topanga, LA County, where he’s worked with Twin Peaks composer Angelo Badalamenti. “Topanga’s full of amazing things – fires, snakes. I want to be there all the time…” Catch him before he disappears back up the mountain.

MANCHESTER James are to play a set in their home city to mark the release of their new album.

The band, who reformed last year, will play at the HMV store on Market Street on Monday at 12.30pm and then sign copies of their 10th studio album, Hey Ma.

The group formed at Manchester University when the trademark dancing of frontman Tim Booth, pictured, attracted the attention of bassist Jim Glennie.

The veteran outfit, whose biggest hits during the Madchester years included Sit Down and Come Home, played their first show together at Eccles British Legion in 1980.

Fans need wristbands to get into the HMV gig. They will be available at the store from 8am.

WHILE The Courteeners are indisputably the ‘new’ sound of the Rainy City, one of their biggest fans is the singer of one of Manchester’s most legendary pop bands.

Tim Booth, the frontman of James, even compared Courteeners frontman Liam Fray to Manc legend Morrissey when he spoke to the M.E.N.

After a special in-store gig at the HMV store in the city centre – which hundreds of fans queued for hours to watch – Tim said: “It is fabulous to be back with a new album. The music scene here is so healthy these days and there are some amazing bands around.

“I love the Courteeners album. Liam has the swagger but he is also a really perceptive lyricist too. I think he is very much like Morrissey when it comes to his lyrics.

“To have Liam quoting us and name-checking James is great. It means a lot of young fans are now coming on board who probably wouldn’t have listened to James otherwise.”

Winning over new young fans doesn’t seem to be a problem though.

Caitlain Smith could well be the youngest fan of the band. Aged 6, she is such a huge fan that she and her mum Dawn, 36, from Droylsden, pitched up a tent and camped outside HMV in Manchester from 5pm on Sunday – just to make sure they got to se the band perform yesterday (Monday).

Mum Dawn says: “She knows all the songs on the new album – and it’s only just been released today [Monday].”

Joining the Smiths for a chilly overnight stay outside the store was another mum and daughter – Michelle Sutherland, 38, from Stockport, and daughter Natalie, 18.

Michelle said: “Natalie was a fan before she was even born. She came out singing Sit Down.”

The reunited band was in Manchester for the launch of their new album, Hey Ma – their first recording for seven years.

Recently reunited British rock band James’s 10th studio album, Hey Ma, hit stores in the U.K. on April 8, courtesy of Mercury Records. While the band’s sound hasn’t changed much from early albums like 1993’s Laid, the band takes a decidedly political tone this time around; Hey Ma’s anti-war title track laments “the boys in body bags,” and “Upside” tells the tale of immigrant workers trying to provide for their families back home.

The Hey Ma cover art—a baby reaching for a handgun next to a pile of building blocks that spell out the album’s title—is perhaps its most political statement, and has already stirred up a storm of controversy across the Atlantic. The U.K.’s Advertising Standards Authority banned the artwork from appearing in any billboard campaigns promoting Hey Ma.

Despite the advertising ban, the band elected not to change the album cover. Guitarist Larry Gott said the art was inspired by the story of an American infant who was accidentally issued a firearms license, and is meant to convey a powerful message. “The scale of the reaction has been a surprise, but we kind of expected there’d be some ripples”, guitarist Larry Gott told Dotmusic. “Firearms are dangerous, they’re not to be taken likely, and we as a society are becoming overfamiliarised with the image of guns and gun culture.”

James will kick off a full-fledged European tour tonight in Bradford. No U.S. dates have been announced at this time, and Hey Ma has yet to be picked up by a Stateside distributor.

Where the neighbors will complain about the noises above:

April

8 – Bradford @ Bradford St. George’s Hall

10 – Derby @ Derby Assembly Rooms

11 – Lincoln @ Lincoln Engine Shed

12 – Liverpool @ Liverpool University

14 – Newcastle @ Newcastle Carling Academy

15 – Sheffield @ Sheffield Carling Academy

17 – London @ Shepherd’s Bush Empire

18 – Norwich @ Norwich UEA

19 – Oxford @ Oxford New Theatre

21 – Bristol @ Bristol Colston Hall

22 – Blackpool @ Blackpool Empress Ballroom

24 – Edinburgh @ Edinburgh Corn Exchange

25 – Aberdeen @ Aberdeen AECC

May

2 – Murcia @ SOS Festival Murcia

10 – Colmbra, Portugal @ Praca da Cancao

11 – Braga, Portugal @ Braga Municipal Park

June

15 – Isle of Wight @ Isle of Wight Festival

28 – Athens, Greece @ Ejekt Festival

December

11 – Leeds @ Leeds Carling Academy

12 – Glasgow @ Glasgow SECC

13 – Birmingham @ Birmingham NIA

15 – London @ Brixton Academy

16 – London @ Brixton Academy

19 – Manchester @ G-Mex/Manchester Central

Hey Ma tracklist:

1. Bubbles

2. Hey Ma

3. Waterfall

4. Oh My Heart

5. Boom Boom

6. Semaphore

7. Upside

8. Whiteboy

9. 72

10. Of Monsters And Heroes And Men

11. I Wanna Go Home

James formed in Manchester, England back in the early 1980s, and throughout that whole decade struggled to “make it.” The decade also was full of upheaval as the band changed managers, and members, finally settling into the line up that would become known as The Magnificent Seven. With the’90s came success and a string of hit singles like “Sit Down” and “Laid.” The mid-‘90s found the band in a series of critically acclaimed area shows supporting Duran Duran followed by an exhaustive touring schedule of their own. Lead singer Tim Booth took a break in ’01 and though James never announced a break up, the band became inactive.

James produced nine studio albums between 1986 and 2001, as well as a series of EPs, soundtrack appearances—“Laid” was featured in the movie American Pie—two live recordings and several compilation albums. “The Best Of,” a 1998 James compilation hit #1 in the UK. IN 2006, Tim Booth, Jim Glennie and Larry Gott got together for some jam time and inspiration struck. The trio and the remaining four of the seven matched back up for a series of 2007 European Festivals.

With their tenth studio album, “Hey Ma,” and a tour kicking off, James are back. They’ve been around since the early ‘80s, always indie, and always at the forefront of British music. The band has an extensive discography, including Top Ten placers “Gold Mother,” “Seven” and “Millionaires,” and now in 2008 with the new album “Hey Ma.” The album was recorded with producer Lee “Muddy” Baker at Chateau Warsy in France and boasts 11 songs by the seven members most commonly identified as the definitive James lineup.

James has always been a band that was better live—they’re known for their improvisational style and spontaneous jams, an ambience that comes across better on stage. Their early albums feel almost restrained when compared to later releases where the band had more control, and the guys were able to let their unique blend come through.

Veteran U.K. rock act James has inked a U.S. deal with Decca Records for the release of its first new album in seven years. “Hey Ma” will be released Sept. 16 and will be supported by as-yet-unannounced North American tour dates.

“Hey Ma,” which debuted at No. 10 on the U.K. album chart last month, is the follow-up to 2001’s “Pleased To Meet You.” Sources say there will be an upcoming U.S. TV ad campaign featuring album track “Whiteboy” for an as-yet-unnamed major car manufacturer.

James will introduce the new material to U.S. listeners during a June 5 performance and interview on KCRW’s “Morning Becomes Eclectic.” Additionally, U.K. dates are on tap for mid-December.

Veteran U.K. rock act James has inked a U.S. deal with Decca Records for the release of its first new album in seven years. “Hey Ma” will be released Sept. 16 and will be supported by as-yet-unannounced North American tour dates.

“Hey Ma,” which debuted at No. 10 on the U.K. album chart last month, is the follow-up to 2001’s “Pleased To Meet You.” Sources say there will be an upcoming U.S. TV ad campaign featuring album track “Whiteboy” for an as-yet-unnamed major car manufacturer.

James will introduce the new material to U.S. listeners during a June 5 performance and interview on KCRW’s “Morning Becomes Eclectic.” Additionally, U.K. dates are on tap for mid-December.

Reunited British rock band James, who enjoyed cult success in America during the early ’90s, played their first U.S. concert in Los Angeles on Friday since ending a lengthy hiatus last year.

The hourlong gig at Spaceland, a 260-capacity club near Hollywood, showcased a handful of tunes from James’ new album “Hey Ma,” including the anti-war title track.

The album will be released in the United States on September 16 via Decca Records. It came out in Britain in April, the band’s first studio release since 2001’s “Pleased To Meet You.”

James fell apart after singer Tim Booth quit at the end of 2001, and pursued a solo and acting career. Now living in Los Angeles, he announced early last year that he would rejoin James, and the band subsequently toured the UK and Europe.

Five of the Manchester band’s seven members were in the United States this week, primarily to play at an iTunes event in San Francisco, and then at Los Angeles public radio station KCRW-FM.

The Spaceland show was a last-minute addition to the itinerary, but the budget-related absence of keyboardist Mark Hunter and drummer David Baynton-Power forced the band to improvise a bit during its ballad-heavy set.

“Even more than usual, we won’t know what we’re doing,” joked Booth, who now resembles R.E.M. frontman Michael Stipe after ditching his curly locks for a shaved head and goatee.

Besides “Hey Ma,” which Booth said was about “the over-reaction to 9/11” by President George W. Bush and former UK Prime Minister Tony Blair, other new tunes included “Waterfall,” “Oh My Heart” and “Whiteboy.”

The band dusted off several tracks from its 1993 breakthrough album “Laid,” including the hit title track; “Out To Get You,” in which Booth showcased his manic dance style; and the encore “Say Something.”

Next on the agenda is a high-profile slot at the Police-headlined Isle of Wight festival in the UK on June 15. Booth said the band would return to the United States in September-October, although no dates have been announced.

Reformed indie rockers James play Birmingham NIA on December 13. Singer Tim Booth talks to Ian Harvey about his school days in the Midlands and one life-changing concert in Wolverhampton.

In May 1977 a group of teenage public schoolboys from Shrewsbury School organised a trip to Wolverhampton Civic Hall to see one of the seminal events in rock history – The Clash’s White Riot tour, with support from The Buzzcocks, The Slits and Subway Sect.

It was a life-changing moment for one of them, Tim Booth, who would years later go on to perform on that very same stage himself as frontman with his own band, indie-rockers James.

Although he had a miserable time as a boarder at Shrewsbury, Booth – who brings James to Birmingham NIA on December 13, 2008 – remembers that chaotic night as a highlight.

“They hardly ever allowed you to go to concerts,” he explains.

“It was like the second punk tour ever and we’re taking a party of about 15 public school boys dressed in school uniforms to watch The Clash, the Subway Sect The Slits and The Buzzcocks.

“It was a riot. Chairs were thrown and it was completely amazing.”

After that it took a bit of persuading for the Shrewsbury schoolmasters to allow the young Booth to attend his next gig.

“They nearly banned us after that first one,” he says.

“But we convinced them that Iggy Pop was not a punk because he’d been around a lot longer. So the second gig we organised was four of us going with the choirmaster to see Iggy Pop at the Manchester Apollo.

“That also had quite an impact when he came out covered with blood and with a devil’s tail between his leg and I got punched out by bouncers at the age of 16 and was like totally in love with Iggy.”

Bradford-born Booth was studying drama at Manchester University when he was spotted gyrating in the students union bar and asked by bassist Jim Glennie, guitarist Paul Gilbertson and drummer Gavin Whelan to join their band as a dancer.

It wasn’t long before Booth was promoted to singer and chief lyricist and the band decided on the name James.

Catching the wave of the 80s “Madchester” music scene, James signed to Tony Wilson’s Factory record label, later leaving for Sire records and, via a series of line-up changes, going on to huge success in the 90s with songs like the anthem Sit Down, Laid and She’s a Star and albums including Gold Mother, Seven and Millionaires.

The band came to a halt in 2001 when Booth quit to concentrate on solo musical projects as well as scriptwriting and acting stints which included a part in the Christopher Nolan film Batman Begins.

But six years later James reformed to embark on a rapturously received tour which then led to the release of this year’s Hey Ma album.

About to embark on a British arena tour with James, Booth pauses when asked about his memories of Shrewsbury.

“I had quite a traumatic time at Shrewsbury School. I think quite a lot of my wounds come from their which has been quite good material,” he laughs.

“I think sending a child away against their will to be in an institution like that is akin to sending someone to prison. And unfortunately I wasn’t able to get out of that mindset and reap the benefits which I’m sure are there and which I’m sure some kids got from it.

“I just felt very alone in an environment which was very alien to me.”

His escape was music.

“Music became this incredibly important, liberating thing that the authorities were trying to stop me listening to and I think that had quite an impact on me becoming a singer by default, because it gave me something to fight against.

“We weren’t allowed to watch telly very often at all and I used to sneak down at night and put Old Grey Whistle Test on the TV and sit on the window ledge in case anybody came down so I could fall out of the window and get away and not get caught.

“We even moulded a key so we could break into the science laboratory and use their TV.

“I used to listen to John Peel down my bed with the radio set because you weren’t allowed to listen to music after 10 o’clock.”

Having just returned from an American tour with James, Booth pronounces himself “shattered but good”.

“On the American tour I think we were playing the best I’ve ever heard us play. It was the most enjoyable tour I’ve ever done, which is kind of bizarre, seeing how long we’ve been together.

“It was amazing. People drove thousands of miles and drove from south America as well and we played to 10,000 people in Mexico.”

James are famous for their method of auditioning song ideas in jamming sessions – an amazing 127 such improvised sessions producing the 11 tracks on Hey Ma – and Booth says they already have “50 or 60 songs” under way for an album they plan to record next year.

“Improvisation leads to some really amazing accidents,” he says. “If you’re a singer songwriter sitting down with a guitar, you can’t do that. In our view it leads to an honest, unconscious originality.

“Next year we’ll be more focused on a new album. We might do festivals but there might not be a major tour, so this could be the last chance to see us for a while. We’re going to throw a few things at this tour and have fun. It’s going to be a celebration really.”

With an ever-changing set-list – the band never performs the same set twice – there might be the chance for fans to hear some of the new material.

“I think we’ll preview at least one or two over different days,” says Booth.

Once off the road his thoughts will turn to the new James album plus a new solo album and the possibility of more acting work.

“There’s so much to fit in at the moment,” he says. “I’m on fire with the band and I’m enjoying singing again having had that break in having a child and acting and writing film scripts too.

“I had a two-or three year break from music which was really good for me. I’m just so loving it again, that’s where I’m at. I’m so busy I don’t know when the hell I’m going to fit any of it in.”

James play at Birmingham National Indoor Arena on Saturday, December 13, 2008, with support from Athlete.

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