Tag Archives: song-undertaker

After signing to Fontana, taking the Gold Mother album with them, How Was It For You? was identified as the first single. Tim Palmer was drafted in to mix the single and give it a more commercial edge.

Signing to a major label inevitably meant that James would have to play some of the corporate games they had avoided previously. The single appeared in five formats with new and live tracks split across them all meaning that the committed fan would have to buy four formats to get hold of all the tracks.

Whoops and Hymn From A Village had been recorded by Manchester’s Key 103 at the band’s triumphant hometown Apollo show from December 1989. Lazy and Undertaker were outtakes from the Gold Mother sessions which had been unveiled live in the spring of 1989 but which had both failed to make the final cut for the album.

The single’s video featured the band eating fruit suggestively and Tim singing underwater. This meant that the video was deemed unsuitable for children’s TV and Top of the Pops.

Artwork was kept simple, the James moniker complete with daisy on a plain background (different colours for different formats) appeared on all formats.

The release of the single was accompanied by a promotional blitz in the music press who were championing the band even more than ever before. TV and radio appearances including a Peel Session also helped to push the single.

There was relief all round when the single reached number 35 in its first week, peaking at number 32 the week after. The video problem meant that the single could not be featured on Top of the Pops denying it vital additional exposure that could have pushed it higher.

Press Release

James are one of the original wave of new Manchester bands, they appeared at the same time as The Smiths, and were accorded the ‘Morrissey’s favourite band’ label. Previously the band have released three albums, and built up a sizeable live following, enabling them to sell out large venues across the country.

Their first single for Fontana will be ‘How Was It For You?’ produced by the band and Nick Garside and mixed by Tim Palmer.

Each format of the single will feature a previously unavailable James track, and will be very much in demand from their very loyal fan base.

James play an extensive UK tour right through June and three shows in May, Cambridge, Brighton and the WOMAD Festival.

The band are guaranteed extensive music press coverage around the release of the single and are recording a John Peel session to transmit in May.

The band’s last single on Rough Trade was a Mark Goodier hit-lister on Radio One and they are no strangers to daytime radio.

Previously Unavailable Tracks:

• 7″ ‘Whoops’ (live) Recorded in Manchester
• 12″ ‘Hymn From A Village (live)’ Recorded in Manchester, ‘Lazy’ – New Track not on forthcoming LP
• CD ‘Hymn From A Village’ (live), ‘Undertaker’ – New Track not on forthcoming LP

RELEASE DATE: 30th APRIL, 1990

• JIM 5 How Was It For You? / Whoops (Live)
• JIM 512 How Was It For You? / Hymn From A Village (Live) / Lazy
• JIMCD 5 How Was It For You? / Hymn From A Village (Live) / Undertaker

James: How Was It For You Press Biography

Dated 9th April 1990

James release their first Fontana single – ‘How Was It For You?’ – on April 30th. The b-side of the 45 features ‘Whoops’ recorded live at Manchester Apollo at the end of last year, while the twelve inch contains two more live tracks – the legendary ‘Hymn From A Village’ and ‘How’ – plus ‘Lazy’. The CD line-up reads ‘How Was It For You?’, ‘Undertaker’ and ‘Hymn From A Village’. None of these extra tracks will be available on the group’s new LP, which is set for release at the beginning of June.

James began their recording career in 1983 with Factory Records, producing two acclaimed singles ‘What’s The World’ (later to be covered by The Smiths) and ‘Hymn From A Village’ plus the ‘Village Fire EP’.

Signing to Sire Records in 1985, the group put out two albums ‘Stutter’ and ‘Strip-mine’ during an awkward three year relationship with the label. Leaving Sire, James pursued an independent path, releasing a live album – ‘One Man Clapping’ – through Rough Trade in February 1989.

Following the departure of original drummer Gavan Whelan the nucleus of James – vocalist Tim Booth, bass player Jim Glennie and guitarist Larry Gott – toughened up their sound with the addition of Dave Baynton-Power on drums.

Enjoying two indie hits with ‘Sit Down’ and ‘Come Home’ and a sell-out tour, the group expanded their line-up to a seven piece with multi-instrumentalist Saul Davies, keyboard player Mark Hunter and Andy Diagram on trumpet, joining James ranks.

The group started 1990 taking several coaches from Manchester over to Paris to play the Hacienda’s Temperance Club night out.

James set off on their World Cup tour in June, which includes festival dates at WOMAD and Glastonbury. The group are still waiting to firm up details for a major Manchester summer show.

• How Was It For You? :1990
• Hymn From A Village :1985
• Lazy :1990
• Undertaker :1990
• Whoops :1989

Open in Spotify

• How Was It For You?