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Milwaukee Marcus Amphitheatre WOMAD – 12th September 1993

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Setlist

Pressure's On / Sit Down / Sometimes / Honest Joe / Walking The Ghost / Ring The Bells / Laid / Born of Frustration / Sound

Support

n/a

More Information & Reviews

None.

Buckeye Lake Centre, Thornville, OH – 10th September 1993

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Setlist

Out To Get You / Tomorrow / Sit Down / Sometimes / Honest Joe / Gold Mother / Laid / Born of Frustration / Sound

Support

n/a

More Information & Reviews

None.

Laid 4-Track Sampler Cassette Promo

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Laid 4-Track Sampler Cassette Promo, a 1993 promo by James.

Summary

A 4-track promotional cassette tape sampler for Laid.

Track List

Sometimes / Laid / P.S. / Out To Get You

Details

ReleaseAboutSongsGallery
Release Name: Laid 4-Track Sampler Cassette Promo
Artist Name:
Release Date: 1st September 1993
Format: Promo Album
Catalogue: n/a

A 4-track promotional cassette tape sampler for Laid.

Songs related to this release:

Sometimes

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Details

This video was filmed in the water tank at Pinewood Studios in London where the James Bond movies were filmed.

Sometimes (Lester Piggott)

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Sometimes (Lester Piggott), a 1993 Single by James.

Summary

Producer Brian Eno describes Sometimes as one of the highlights of his musical career and is a fan favourite. This single from the album Laid reached 18 in the UK Singles Charts.

Track List

7″ JIM13- Sometimes (Lester Piggott) / America
CAS JIMMC 13- Sometimes (Lester Piggott) / America
12″ JIMX 13 – Sometimes (Lester Piggott) / America / Building A Charge
CD JIMCD 13- Sometimes (Lester Piggott) / America / Building A Charge

Details

ReleaseAboutSongsListenVideosGallery
Release Name: Sometimes (Lester Piggott)
Artist Name:
Release Date: 30th August 1993
Format: Studio Single
Catalogue: 7" JIM13; 12" JIMX 13; CD JIMCD 13; CAS JIMMC 13

Billed as James comeback single and a return to James folk-rock roots, Sometimes was producer Brian Eno’s choice as the first single describing the band’s first performance of the song in the studio as one of the highlights of his musical career.

The single was backed with two new tracks. America had been in the James set since the summer of 1992 and the version featured on the single was recorded live using solar power by Greenpeace in September 1992. Building A Charge features an overtly sexual lyric set against a simple musical backing.

Sometimes was seen as something of a renaissance of James by the music press as the general consensus was that James had stepped back from the stadium rock they had been accused of in favour of a more intimate involving sound. Radio 1 had the world exclusive first play of the single a month before the release and soon A-listed it.

The band was out of the country on the US WOMAD tour when the single was released, but had recorded the song for ITV’s The Beat show. When the single charted at number 18 in the first week, the band performed the song by satellite from Pittsburgh for Top of the Pops.

The single’s video was filmed in the water tank at London’s Pinewood studios, scene of many of the sea scenes in James Bond films. James spent the whole day in the water, the band playing their instruments and Tim dancing, singing and acting out the lyrics of the song.

Artwork for the single was provided by Larry’s wife Jane.

Reviews

Melody Maker

He sounds like Loz Hardy. Or is it Liam O’Maonlai? Either way, it rubs me up the wrong way. But despite myself, something here touches me.

Maybe it’s the one chord chiming away metronomically, never changing, like rain on glass. More likely it’s the hilarious attempt at Byronic naked-in-the-rain sensualism (“There’s a boy leaning against a wall of rain, aerial held high / Calling ‘Come on thunder, come on thunder!'”)

I’d be lying if I said it was crap

NME

James usually dreary drone is given a leg up by Brian Eno at the controls who does for this band what he did for U2. Eno has obviously heard something miraculous crying to get out of James past releases and on Sometimes he has managed to pry it loose from its prison. This is a great song with a strong sense of dreamy and ambient grooves flowing through it. It shoots images like bullets from a gun and they hit their target every time. A big surprise.

Press Release

James: Sometimes Single Press Release November 1993

James return with their first single of 1993, ‘Sometimes’ released through Phonogram Records in August 31st.

Taken from their eagerly awaited, Brian Eno-produced LP ‘Laid’, the seven inch and cassette versions of ‘Sometimes’ are backed by a new song, not on the LP, called ‘America’. This track was produced by Bob Margouleff for Greenpeace Records and was recorded live in Los Angeles using solar power. The twelve inch and CD versions carry ‘Sometimes’, ‘America’ and another new track not on the LP entitled ‘Building A Charge’, also produced by Brian Eno.

James who recently appeared at WOMAD on Saturday 28th August, head out to the US to join Peter Gabriel and the rest of the WOMAD bill for a nationwide tour.

The band return at the end of September for the release of the LP and a major live tour in December.

James hit the road for the first time in over two years when they headline a national tour in December.

December 1993

  • 1st Glasgow Barrowlands
  • 2nd York Barbican Centre
  • 4th Manchester G-Mex
  • 5th Wolverhampton Civic Hall
  • 7th Derby Assembly Rooms
  • 8th Gloucester Leisure Centre
  • 9th Brixton Academy
  • 11th Portsmouth Guildhall
  • 12th Norwich UEA
  • 13th Newport Centre

Tickets are priced at £11 at all venues except for London and Manchester where tickets will be £12.

Songs related to this release:

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Videos related to songs on this release:

Sometimes CD promo

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Sometimes CD promo, a 1993 promo by James.

Summary

One-track radio promo CD

Track List

Sometimes (advance radio edit)

Details

ReleaseAboutSongsGallery
Release Name: Sometimes CD promo
Artist Name:
Release Date: 1st August 1993
Format: Promo Single
Catalogue: JIM DJ13

One-track radio promo CD

Songs related to this release:

Sometimes promo tape

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Sometimes CD promo, a 1993 promo by James.

Summary

One-track promo cassette tape.

Track List

Sometimes (advance radio edit)

Details

ReleaseAboutSongsGallery
Release Name: Sometimes CD promo
Artist Name:
Release Date: 1st August 1993
Format: Promo Single
Catalogue: JIM DJ13

One-track promo cassette tape.

Songs related to this release:

Bath Moles Club – 21st March 1993

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When James went into Real World Studios to record Laid, the plan was to make three albums – the studio album, the improvised album that became Wah Wah and also to record a live album at an intimate show during the sessions. They chose Bath’s Moles Club, where they’d recorded One Man Clapping five years earlier to do this.  However, the band and label were reportedly not happy with the quality of the recording so the idea was shelved.

Setlist

Out To Get You / Pressure’s On / Say Something / Ring The Bells / Skindiving / Chain Mail / Maria / Next Lover / Sometimes / Laid / Sound / Tomorrow / Johnny Yen / Top Of The World / Sit Down

Support

n/a

Review

n/a

Sometimes (Lester Piggott)

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Sometimes is track two on the 1993 James Laid album and was released as the first single from the album.

The amusing sub-title is a reference to the racing beat of the song and carries on the band’s obsession with the tax-dodging jockey which first surfaced at the end of the original Sit Down.

Tim often tells the story of Brian Eno being in tears the first time they played it live in the studio and how he told them it was one of the highlights of his musical life.

The Top Of The Pops performance live from Pittsburgh saw all five members apart from Tim miming playing guitars whilst a mystery female dancer span around the room.

There are a number of live versions of the song released – a Radio 1 session version of the track recorded on the day of album release appeared on one of the Laid cd singles and the 2001 album reissue, a version recorded at Woodstock 94 appeared on the festival’s soundtrack cd and video and there are live versions on the 2002 Getting Away With It Live cd and dvd, the Live In 2008 cd and the Living In Extraordinary Times CD, vinyl and DVD.

Details

LyricsListenReleaseAvailable OnGigsGuitar Tabs
There's a storm outside, and the gap between crack and thunder
Crack and thunder, is closing in, is closing in
The rain floods gutters, and makes a great sound on concrete
On a flat roof, there's a boy leaning against the wall of rain
Aerial held high, calling ""come on thunder, come on thunder""
Sometimes, when I look deep in your eyes, I swear I can see your soul
Sometimes, when I look deep in your eyes, I swear I can see your soul
It's a monsoon, and the rain lifts lids off cars
Spinning buses like toys, stripping them to chrome
Across the bay, the waves are turning into something else
Picking up fishing boats and spewing them on the shore

The boy is hit, lit up against the sky, like a sign, like a neon sign
And then he crumples, drops into the gutter, cut strings, legs twitching
The flood, swells his clothes, and delivers him on, delivers him on

Sometimes, when I look deep in your eyes
I swear I can see your soul
Sometimes, when I look deep in your eyes
I swear I can see your soul

There's four new colours in the rainbow
An old man's taking Polaroids
But all he captures is endless rain, endless rain
He says listen, takes my head and puts my ear to his
And I swear I can hear the sea

Sometimes, when I look in your eyes I can see your soul
(I can reach your soul)
(I can touch your soul)
(I can hear your soul)
Sometimes

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BBC Session 1993

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Live In Extraordinary Times

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Orchestral Version

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Live At The Acropolis

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Song:Sometimes (Lester Piggott)
Released:30th August 1993
Main Associated Album (or Single):Laid
First Heard Live:Bath Moles Club – 21st March 1993
Played at:
James - Sometimes

Taken from the album Laid

Written and performed by James

=====================================================================
Note: Capo at the 2nd fret. All notes/chords given relative to capo.
=====================================================================

Solo:

e-------------------------------------------------------
B-------------------------------------------------------
G------------------------------------------------------- x2
D-0-0-0--0-0-0-0----------------------------------------
A-----------------3--2-2-2-2--3-2-0-2-0-----------------
E---------------------------------------3--3~-----------

e-------------------------------------------------------
B------------------------------------0-0-0--------------
G-----------------------0-0-0--2-2-2--------------------
D--0-0-0-0-0--2-2-2-2-2---------------------------------
A-------------------------------------------------------
E-------------------------------------------------------

e------------------ e--------------------3~-----
B--3--0-0-----0-0-- B--------------------3~-----
G----------0------- x2 G---0----------------0~-----
D------------------ D------2-2--0--------0~-----
A------------------ A-------------3-2----2~-----
E------------------ E-----------------3--3~-----

(~ = vibrato)

Song Structure:

Two acoustic guitars in this song, and I think both play the same chords. The verse is just a single, quickly strummed, chord of G, the chorus G Em C. In live versions they sometimes play G Em C progression in the verse at certain points, or maybe only one guitar does and the others stick to G. Now there are 3 guitarists it's just complete madness! But whatever you do, keep up the pace!
To play the solo above play it as written, i.e. first bit twice, second bit once, third bit twice and fourth bit once. This particular solo was played by Adrian at the MTV 5 Night Stand gig, and is different to the once on the record which just repeats the first bit three times. If you listen very carefully you can just make it out in the background. Oh, and the chord for the solo is G.

Lyrics/Chords:

G
There's a storm outside, and the gap between crack and thunder

Crack and thunder, is closing in, is closing in

The rain floods gutters, and makes a great sound on concrete

On a flat roof, there's a boy leaning against the wall of rain

Aerial held high, calling "come on thunder, come on thunder"

Em
Sometimes,

C
When I look deep in your eyes,

G
I swear I can see your soul

Em
Sometimes,

C
When I look deep in your eyes,

G
I swear I can see your soul


It's a monsoon, and the rain lifts lids off cars

Spinning buses like toys, stripping them to chrome

Across the bay, the waves are turning into something else

Picking up fishing boats and spewing them on the shore



The boy is hit, lit up against the sky, like a sign, like a neon sign

And then he crumples, drops into the gutter, cut strings, legs twitching

The flood, swells his clothes, and delivers him on, delivers him on



Sometimes,

When I look deep in your eyes

I swear I can see your soul

Sometimes,

When I look deep in your eyes

I swear I can see your soul

----------------------------------------------------
[Solo goes here, incase you can't here where it is] ----------------------------------------------------

There's four new colours in the rainbow

An old man's taking polaroids

But all he captures is endless rain, endless rain

He says listen, takes my head and puts my ear to his

And I swear I can hear the sea



Sometimes,

When I look in your eyes

I can see your soul

[Repeat to fade]


Transcribed by Alex Carter 2001.

alex@shandy3000.fsnet.co.uk