James Tickets

James
James is an English rock band from Manchester. They formed in 1981 and were active throughout the 80s, but most successful during the 90s.

Their hit singles include Sit Down and Laid. Following the departure of lead singer Tim Booth in 2001, the band became inactive but reformed in January 2007, returning for a nationwide tour and a new album.

History
James was formed in 1982 in Whalley Range, Manchester, when music enthusiast Paul Gilbertson, inspired by the post-punk bands of the era, convinced his best friend Jim Glennie to buy a bass guitar and form a band with him.

Rehearsing regularly in Glennie's bedroom with whatever other musicians were available, their line-up solidified with the acquisition of Gavan Whelan on drums.

Vocalists and other musicians drifted rapidly in and out of their line-up, until the band encountered Tim Booth at a student disco. Intrigued by Booths wild, Whirling Dervish-like dancing style, Gilbertson invited him to the bands Scout hut in Withington to join the band as a dancer. After accepting the invitation, Booth was quickly promoted to lead vocals as well as lyricist.

Debut Release - the Jimone EP
Their debut release, the Jimone EP, was recorded at Strawberry Studios, Stockport, in August 1983 and released on Factory Records in November. It was named single of the week by major music papers in the UK, and led to a tour supporting The Smiths.

Second EP - James II
The bands second EP, James II, was released over a year after the first and accompanied by a feature on the cover of the NME, Gilbertson having been replaced by the bands guitar tutor Larry Gott. (The first two EPs would later be collected as Village Fire.)

Reviews were once again positive, and Factory were eager for James to record an album with it, but the band believed Factory were purely image-based and left the label, striking a deal with Sire Records.

Sit Down EP - 1986
Their third release, the Sit Down EP came out in March 1986.

Debut Album- Stutter
This was followed by their debut album, Stutter in June of that year. Reviews were generally lacklustre and the album only reached number 68 in the UK chart.

Second Album - Strip -mine
Low on money and lacking coverage and promotion, the band recorded their second album, Strip-mine, attempting a more conventional song structure in an attempt to please Sire. The album almost went unreleased, but after undergoing a slight remix to sound more radio-friendly, Sire released the album in September 1988, over a year after it had been initially completed.

However the album only reached number 90. After finding a clause for ending their contract, the band left Sire. James had by this point earned themselves a reputation as a solid live act and had built a solid fanbase. Sales of James t-shirts were particularly successful in Manchester even before they reached the top 40.

Live Album - One Man Clapping
James financed the production of a live album with a bank loan, One Man Clapping, and the help of Rough Trade Records. The album went to #1 in the indie charts, reinvigorating media interest in the band.

Gold Mother - June 1990
Gold Mother was released in June 1990, just as the Madchester movement, with its wave of popular Manchester-based indie bands, focused public attention on James and won them mainstream recognition.

Gold Mother was re-released to include Sit Down and previous single Lose Control, and the album sold ten times more copies than Geoff Travis originally predicted. The song became one of the biggest-selling singles of the year.

Next Album - Seven
The band spent the rest of the year recording their next album, Seven, which was released in February 1992. It reached #2 in the UK album charts and earned the band some recognition in the US as they embarked on their first Stateside tour.

Pleased To Meet You - 2001
The album, Pleased To Meet You, was released in July 2001. The album's artwork featured a composite image of the faces of all the band members to create a new person. The album reached only #11, the lowest position for a James studio album since their signing to Fontana.

Hey Ma - 2008
The new album Hey Ma was released on April 7th 2008, and a three-week tour to promote the album commenced on April 10th 2008.