Tag Archives: song-what-for

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

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

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

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of Strip-Mine that finally saw the light of day was not too radically different from the original, Stutter having been replaced by Are You Ready and a revised track listing being the major differences.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

• Are You Ready? :1988
• Charlie Dance :1988
• Fairground :1988
• Medieval :1988
• Not There :1988
• Refrain :1988
• Riders :1988
• Stripmining :1988
• Vulture :1988
• What For :1988
• Ya Ho :1988

• What For

• 1982 – 1989: One Man Clapping
• Melody Maker Tour News
• James Interview – Uptown
• City Life Interview
• Rockin’ In the UK – Interview With Tim And Gavan – October 1988
• James: Ya-Ho Les Inrockuptibles Review (French)
• Strip-Search – NME Interview
• Home James – Record Mirror
• Ya Ho – The Other Side Of Midnight – September 1988
• James New Single – NME News
• James Dates – Sounds News
• Strip-Mine US Press Biography
• James Rejoice – NME Questions
• Naked And The Dead – Melody Maker
• Just Say Yo – Sire Biography
• Sounds – Flying Teacups And Other Broken Crockery
• What For – ITV The Other Side Of Midnight – March 1988
• James Who? – A Talk With James – Sire promo 12″
• Les Inrockputibles – Folklore
• Meltdown Interview
• Just Say Yes – Sire Biography
• Fountains Of Youth – Melody Maker
• Record Mirror News
• City Life Interview

• Paris La Cigale – 30th October 1988
• London Astoria – 27th October 1988
• Bristol Bierkeller – 26th October 1988
• Birmingham Irish Centre – 25th October 1988
• Nottingham Trent Polytechnic – 22nd October 1988
• Sheffield University – 21st October 1988
• Liverpool Polytechnic – 20th October 1988
• Leicester University – 18th October 1988
• Stirling University – 16th October 1988
• Glasgow Queen Margaret Union – 15th October 1988
• Aberdeen The Venue – 14th October 1988
• Newcastle Riverside – 12th October 1988
• Manchester Ritz – 11th October 1988
• Warrington Legends – 5th October 1988
• Ya Ho – The Other Side Of Midnight – September 1988
• Manchester International 2 – 30th May 1988
• Manchester Ritz – 12th April 1988
• Leeds Polytechnic – 11th April 1988
• London Town And Country Club – 10th April 1988
• What For – ITV The Other Side Of Midnight – March 1988
• London Central Polytechnic – 11th December 1987
• Bristol Bierkeller – 4th October 1987
• Birmingham University – 3rd October 1987
• London Astoria – 2nd October 1987
• Manchester International 2 – 1st October 1987
• Manchester Green Rooms – 10th August 1987
• Manchester Green Rooms – 9th August 1987
• Glasgow Fury Murrays – 6th August 1987
• Birmingham Burberries – 28th July 1987
• Sheffield University – 28th May 1987
• Sunderland Poly – 15th May 1987
• Northampton Old Five Bells – 10th January 1987
• London ULU – 9th January 1987