Second of two “in-store” performance and Q&A sessions, originally scheduled for November 27th 2025 but postponed due to band illness.
First of two “in-store” performance and Q&A sessions, originally scheduled for November 27th 2025 but postponed due to band illness.
Live At The Acropolis, a 2025 Live Album by James.
Recorded live at the Acropolis in Athens on 10th July 2023, this album and bluray release captures James performing with the Orca 22 Orchestra and Manchester Inspirational Voices Gospel Choir.
2CD / Bluray / Black Vinyl / 2 x Colour Vinyl / Boxset
Magic Bus / We’re Going To Miss You / The Shining / Dust Motes / The Lake / Beautiful Beaches / Say Something / Space / Ten Below / Moving On / Nothing But Love / Born Of Frustration / Boléro /Sit Down / Love Make A Fool / Medieval / Someone’s Got It In For Me / Alaskan Pipeline (CD and vinyl only) / She’s A Star / Hello / Riders / Laid / All The Colours Of You / Many Faces / Tomorrow / Sometimes / Top Of The World
| Release Name: | Live At The Acropolis |
| Artist Name: | James |
| Release Date: | 2nd May 2025 |
| Format: | Live Album |
| Catalogue: |
Recorded live at the Acropolis in Athens on 10th July 2023, this album and bluray release captures James performing with the Orca 22 Orchestra and Manchester Inspirational Voices Gospel Choir.
1999 Singles & B-Sides, a 2024 Compilation Album by James.
The eighth of a series of streaming-only compilations of singles and b-sides from James years with Fontana / Mercury. 1999 features three singles – I Know What I’m Here For, Just Like Fred Astaire and We’re Going To Miss You
I Know What I’m Here For / All Good Boys / Imagine Ourselves / Stolen Horse / Downstairs / Just Like Fred Astaire / I Defeat / Long To See / Mary / Goal Goal Goal / We’re Going To Miss You – Radio Edit / Wisdom Of The Throat / Pocketful Of Lemons / We’re Going To Miss You – Eno’s Version / Top Of The World – Live At The Embassy Rooms / Confusion
| Release Name: | 1999 Singles & B-Sides |
| Artist Name: | James |
| Release Date: | 28th June 2024 |
| Format: | Compilation Album |
| Catalogue: |
The eighth of a series of streaming-only compilations of singles and b-sides from James years with Fontana / Mercury. 1999 features three singles – I Know What I’m Here For, Just Like Fred Astaire and We’re Going To Miss You
Magic Bus / We're Going To Miss You / The Shining / Dust Motes / The Lake / Beautiful Beaches / Say Something / Space / Ten Below / Moving On / Nothing But Love / Hymn From A Village / Born Of Frustration / Sit Down / Love Make A Fool / Medieval / Someone's Got It In For Me / Alaskan Pipeline / Of Monsters And Heroes And Men / She's A Star / Hello / Riders / Laid / All The Colours Of You / Many Faces / Top Of The World / Tomorrow / Sometimes
N/A
The gig was later released via as James – Live At The Acropolis
| Song | Artist | Year | Format |
| Magic Bus / Life | James | 2021 | Song |
| We're Going To Miss You | James | 1998 | Song |
| The Shining | James | 2000 | Song |
| Dust Motes | James | 2010 | Song |
| The Lake | James | 1993 | Song |
| Beautiful Beaches | James | 2021 | Song |
| Say Something / Carousel | James | 1992 | Song |
| Space | James | 2001 | Song |
| Ten Below | James | 2010 | Song |
| Moving On | James | 2013 | Song |
| Nothing But Love | James | 2015 | Song |
| Hymn From A Village | James | 1982 | Song |
| Born Of Frustration | James | 1991 | Song |
| Sit Down | James | 1988 | Song |
| Love Make A Fool | James | 2023 | Song |
| Medieval | James | 1985 | Song |
| Someone's Got It In For Me | James | 1999 | Song |
| Alaskan Pipeline | James | 2001 | Song |
| Of Monsters And Heroes And Men | James | 2007 | Song |
| She's A Star | James | 1997 | Song |
| Hello | James | 1999 | Song |
| Riders | James | 1986 | Song |
| Laid | James | 1993 | Song |
| All The Colours Of You | James | 2021 | Song |
| Many Faces | James | 2017 | Song |
| Top Of The World | James | 1989 | Song |
| Tomorrow | James | 1993 | Song |
| Sometimes (Lester Piggott) | James | 1993 | Song |
James’ 17th studio album recorded with the Orca 22 orchestra and Manchester Inspirational Voices choir conducted by Joe Duddell at Blueprint Studios in January 2023.
2CD / Download
Disc 1: Sometimes / Love Make A Fool / We’re Going To Miss You / Tomorrow / The Lake / She’s A Star / Lookaway / Sit Down / Alaskan Pipeline
Disc 2: Someone’s Got It In For Me / Hey Ma / Hello / Beautiful Beaches / Why So Close / Medieval / Hymn From A Village / Say Something / Top Of The World / Moving On / Laid
Double Vinyl versions (Black / White / Green / Blood Records Pink and White Pinwheel):
Side A: Sometimes / Love Make A Fool / We’re Going To Miss You / Tomorrow
Side B: The Lake / She’s A Star / Lookaway / Sit Down / Alaskan Pipeline
Side C: Someone’s Got It In For Me / Hey Ma / Hello / Beautiful Beaches / Why So Close
Side D: Medieval / Say Something / Top Of The World / Moving On / Laid
| Release Name: | Be Opened By The Wonderful |
| Artist Name: | James |
| Release Date: | 9th June 2023 |
| Format: | Studio Album |
| Catalogue: |
Be Opened By The Wonderful was recorded at Blueprint Studios in Manchester, orchestrated and conducted by Joe Duddell with the ORCA22 Orchestra lead by Andra Vornicu featuring the Manchester Inspirational Voices choir, directed by Wayne Ellington.
Tim Booth says “Life begins at 40. For our midlife euphoria we recorded a double orchestral album of some of our deepest cuts. If you already have a golden ticket, you’ll be catching this on tour and at Latitude festival. Bring your wings and come ready to fly.”
James’ ability to evoke fragility and triumph remains a thing of wonder
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‘To Be Opened By The Wonderful is a nice retrospective with tracks from the early days like ‘Why So Close’ (1986) until ‘Beautiful Beaches’ from James’ latest and their most critically acclaimed album ‘All The Colours Of You’ (2021). Other impressive reworks are ‘We’re Gonna Miss You’ (now we know where The Slow Show got their sound from), ‘Tomorrow’ (with an amazing horns section) and the critical ‘Hey Ma’ (the boys in body bags coming home in pieces). We’d like to congratulate James with their 40th anniversary and with yet another great album.
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It’s the sound of James’ best-loved songs down the decades, reimagined with a 22-piece orchestra and eight-piece choir; pretty much most of their chart hits and other best-known moments are present, along with some lesser-known gems that will be well known to James’ most ardent followers. But it’s the grand renditions of Sometimes, Star and Tomorrow which stand out the most on Be Opened…; Laid and She’s A Star are ably adapted, too, and there’s a brand new track in the shape of Love Make A Fool.
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The band have certainly hit a sweet spot here, making some exquisite music. It could easily be perceived as a band having a mid-life crisis and being a bunch of pretentious wankers. Nothing could be further from the truth. Seek out this album, listen to it a few times and let it absorb into your soul. If I can’t convince you to do that, then at least listen to ‘Sometimes’ with the volume up high.
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However there isn’t a weak song on this album, some of the rarities are real revelations. It’s not something to put on as background music, it’s too good for that! I missed the recent tour with the orchestra, a fact I’m now bitterly regretting. James have always been at their best live, I’m guessing this was something special to see in the flesh!
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James have really excelled themselves, orchestrating a true time capsule of thought-provoking and memory-laden songs. One of the greatest bands of a generation keep getting better, and Be Opened By The Wonderful is the proof.
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It is clear from this latest album that James have no intention of slowing down. It will be fascinating to see where they go from here.
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So what are you waiting for? Get ready to be opened by the wonderful sounds of James and their double album “Be Opened By The Wonderful.” It’s a must-have for fans of the band and anyone interested in discovering their unique sound. With James’ experimentation, Joe Duddell’s expert touch, and the addition of the orchestra and choir, this album is an experience you won’t want to miss. Let James take you on a musical journey like no other!
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Be Opened By The Wonderful is a perfect capture of the evolution of a project that might well have had a different tracklisting and arrangements had it been recorded after the recent tour which saw over a dozen more songs performed. It eschews the easy path of an orchestral Best Of, giving Joe the freedom to select the songs that he feels work best with the addition of orchestration and a choir and allowing his ear and love of the band to combine to create magic. James are at their best when they work with kindred spirits who understand the unique and complex DNA that make up a band that has shape-shifted through four decades refusing to stand still and compromise.
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I cannot stop listening to this album. The themes covered – such as war, climate change and death are at total odds with the beauty of the songs and the music, with the emotions and feelings of these new versions intensified ten fold by the orchestra and choir. By working once again (and this time recording with) Joe Duddell, James have given themselves and their fans the opportunity to make new musical memories whilst revisiting old ones. There are so many layers and details to these songs and I am still discovering more after numerous listens. My advice is to shut yourself away, pop on some headphones and lose yourself in the pure musical magic – let yourself be Opened By The Wonderful.
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Listening to these two records, reminded me of how still the old can be guardians of a past, yet delivering it in a whole new way, becoming reborn and invigorated wearing new clothes that you can actually see. I love that the band had the balls to do this and quite brilliantly they have captured each and every song in a way that embraces their youth and turned them into the musical adults they have always wanted to be.
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James have announced details of their “Be Opened By The Wonderful – 40 Years Orchestrated” album and revealed the first track to be taken from it, a version of their 1997 Top 10 single She’s A Star. The album was recorded at Blueprint Studios in January 2023 with the ORCA22 Orchestra lead by Andra Vornicu and the Manchester Inspirational Voices choir, directed by Wayne Ellington. The album was orchestrated and conducted by Joe Duddell, who performed those duties with the band on their 2011 orchestral tour.
Tim Booth says of the album which celebrates forty years since the release of James’ first single Jimone on Factory Records – “Life begins at 40. For our midlife euphoria we recorded a double orchestral album of some of our deepest cuts. If you already have a golden ticket, you’ll be catching this on tour and at Latitude festival. Bring your wings and come ready to fly.”
Joe Duddell commented “Having attended the first 6 years of Latitude Festival, I’m excited to be involved in James’ special Main Stage Show this year in a UK Festival exclusive. James have always been a great band at Festivals, mixing their extensive well loved back catalogue with newer songs which immediately sounds as they too have been around forever.”
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“There’s then a really emotional moment as Debbie steps forward to the microphone to tell us that her Dad passed away the night before after a long struggle with cancer. She tells us that there being so much joy in the room will help her celebrate him and that they’re going to play her favourite song. We’re Going To Miss You is another song that feels like this was exactly the moment it was written for, particularly when the instruments drop out and the song’s chorus line is sung by Tim, the choir and half the band a cappella.”
Read the full review at EvenTheStars.co.uk
“Never a band to go through the motions, James are constantly challenging themselves and it’s part of the reason that they’ve had such a lengthy career. The band’s 2021 arena tour was their biggest and most successful tour to date and with Summer dates and a double orchestral album on the way, it’s safe to say that James are showing no signs of slowing down.”
Read the full review at God Is In The TV Zine
“James are renowned for their improvisation during their live performances and Tim announces “lets do another one”, much to the audiences delight. It would be easy for James to finish with one of their hits which is often the case at a standard James gig, but as we have already learnt this tour is about much more than that. The band’s final song of the night is Top Of The World, which brings the evening to a hauntingly beautiful and emotional close.”
Read the full review at Louder Than War
“The crowd move into the aisles to dance and some head down the front for the final two songs of the main set Getting Away With It (All Messed Up) and Born Of Frustration as James seek to finish the night on a bang. The security are a little unsure of what to do but as there’s no danger of a stage invasion a la 1989 they try and keep the front free without being heavy-handed. People just want to be a bit closer, Tim lets the audience sing the chorus which they do with gusto and the whole Apollo is now on their feet, not to sit down again until they leave. Born Of Frustration’s ecstatic windswept moments are even more so with the choir and orchestra augmenting the band and the audience casting off any remaining inhibitions that might have reigned them in earlier in the evening.”
Read the full review at EvenTheStars.co.uk
“The last third of the show takes place with the audience entirely on our feet, swaying, singing, and hugging to songs like the heady ‘Born of Frustration’. At the end of a well-received encore, James finish with ‘Hymn From a Village’, the perfect jangly closer to an evening filled with elation and mad-cap energy. As hometown gigs go, you simply can’t get better.”
Read the full review at The Mancunion
“Booth never seems to age, and at 63 works the stage like he did 40 years ago, and equally strong are his vocals which cut through the huge ensemble perfectly. It wasn’t just the classics we we treated to, the band rolled out some new material, a track called ‘Love Make a Fool’, which will feature on their upcoming album ‘Be Opened by the Wonderful’.”
Read the full review at RGM
“The Lake is simply stunning, a woman behind us comments that she’d watch a gig of that song being played over and over and over again and nothing else. The poignancy of the original, hidden away on a b-side of the Laid single, still underpins it but the stings, brass and the gospel vocals elevate it to a different plain completely. It’s a million miles from the 90s hit machine side of the band that grants them the commercial power to do this type of thing in 2023, but it’s the true essence of this band and one that is quite often easily overlooked by fools.”
Read the full review at EvenTheStars.co.uk
“The Lake is simply stunning, a woman behind us comments that she’d watch a gig of that song being played over and over and over again and nothing else. The poignancy of the original, hidden away on a b-side of the Laid single, still underpins it but the stings, brass and the gospel vocals elevate it to a different plain completely. It’s a million miles from the 90s hit machine side of the band that grants them the commercial power to do this type of thing in 2023, but it’s the true essence of this band and one that is quite often easily overlooked by fools.”
Read the full review at The Scotsman
“It’s testament to the bloodymindedness of the band that they hadn’t played She’s A Star, the lead single from the orchestral album Be Opened By The Wonderful, until tonight. This version is stripped back to let the orchestra take over whilst Tim sings the build into the final chorus stood facing Chloe. As it finishes he tells us they only chose the set within the last hour before they go on stage, which Saul says is a sign that they’re not over. Jim adds that you’d think after forty years they’d know what they’re doing by now to which Saul jokes that this is a celebration of their inadequacy. In many ways this is absolutely perfect.”
Read the full review at EvenTheStars.co.uk
“Festival instincts are hard to trample though; Sometimes arrives with a burst of wild euphoria, before an unplanned Top of the World diverges from the setlist to play them out. Four decades in, there’s plenty of new light through old windows here.”
Read the full review at Yorkshire Post
“James have ‘Lasted’ 40 years in this music business and have decided to bust out an orchestra and choir to celebrate this and the release of an album of orchestral re-working of some of their best tunes. Tonight was the 3rd date of an extensive tour of concert halls, where they have traded down from their usual arena and festival appearances, but upped the intimacy and quality and variety of performance by 50%.”
Read the full review at York Calling
“He seems gentle, humble, generous, and appreciative tonight and creates an almost spiritual experience drawn from the harmonies of his poetic and timeless lyrics. Hearing the band, orchestra and choir was a truly exceptional way to hear James perform their rich back catalogue with sensational choruses and a community of rising sounds carried beautifully by Booth’s distinctive and textured voice. A night to remember.”
Read the full review at York Press
“Tim acknowledges the audience’s listening capability and promises that the famous Welsh singing voices will be needed later on. The magic of these orchestral shows isn’t in the big hits, although some of the singalongs are memorable moments, but the way in which Joe Duddell has sought out songs that have sat gathering dust in the band’s repertoire a million miles away from a setlist and bringing them back to life. The Shining is one such example, it positively explodes in the chorus with the orchestra and the lift the choir gives it. Some of these songs feel like they’ve found their true home and live to their full potential with Joe’s arrangements and the energy that comes with so many people on stage. Lookaway, a song that felt it all the hallmarks of one of those big James songs but had an ingredient missing in the recorded version, has found the secret blend.”
Read the full review at EvenTheStars.co.uk