James create songs from jams, that’s how they work: nobody controls it. The results combine deeply considered sentiment with total spontaneity. The band’s songs tackle the whole of life, from comment on the times we live through to the deepest emotions we experience as human beings, stuck here together on this beautiful and damaged planet. James’ process is part chaos, part inspiration and part invitation to that third thing, the muse, if you will. No wonder their theme tune is called “Getting Away With It”. After all that applies to all of us, no? Hop on James’ magic bus tour then.

Words & curation by Keith, cover art by Mick Clarke

Finsbury Park, 11 July 1993, two days before my 25th birthday. I went to see Neil Young, supported by Pearl Jam. It was a birthday treat, but it turned out to be the gift that kept on giving, because that amazing day was the first time I saw James live. It was how I first heard the song ‘Five-O’ and I was absolutely taken with it. The song is an emotional plea to someone that you are ready to commit to them, with all that comes with it, even though that means an ending at some point. As a hymn to relationships it’s better than anything else you can hear. The song has better lyrics than the marriage vow. Yet as it happens, this fully-formed song about love was developed from a twenty second improvisation by the band in the studio with Brian Eno.

It sums James up nicely. Deeply considered sentiment combined with total spontaneity. Their album of the time Laid, became the soundtrack to my 93/94, much of which I spent drifting around half the world. The song ‘Out To Get You’ is the theme tune to my own marriage as it happens. I listened to Laid over and over and if it takes me somewhere in the way music does, then that somewhere is Sydney’s Bondi beach. Not a bad place to be. 

At the time of its release, reviewers on both sides of the Atlantic called Laid one of the defining albums of the ’90s. As singer Tim Booth told it to The New Cue recently, it even saved Batman’s life (well, Christian Bale’s anyhow and when he told it to Tim, let’s just say he was Batman in full costume and character). Laid is James’ masterpiece, though the band has come close to matching it a few times over the course of the intervening three decades. Indeed, when I put this to Tim Booth recently on The Art of Longevity podcast, he disagreed with me, pointing out the Laid’s two predecessors Seven and Gold Mother were just as good.

Who am I to disagree? After all I love all three.

It’s not the only time James has been on a roll. They are on another one right now as it happens. However, Laid was the only James record to have real success in the USA, where several years of extensive live touring followed for the band, something that almost broke them. Its title track was a college radio success, something that happens to unlikely British indie bands once every blue moon (XTC’s ‘Dear God’ being another example). The song Laid took on a life of its own and is the band’s only song (so far) to reach a nine figure streaming count. 

Remarkably, as a commercial proposition James stuttered after Laid. Despite three successful (and yes Tim, equally good) UK albums (both Seven and Gold Mother had been UK album chart successes) the band was in financial difficulty: such are the unfathomable workings of the music industry. Their next album was recorded in drummer Dave Banton-Power’s home studio, with improvisation to the fore once again. But the single ‘She’s A Star’ propelled the band into the top 10 of the UK pop charts. With the albums Whiplash in 1997 and then Millionaires two years later (and a ‘number 1 Best Of album in-between) James were riding high, at least in the UK. She’s a Star and Fred Astaire were two songs all over UK Radio, and James was part of the 90s feel good wave across 90s Britainnia (the Britpop years). 

But then, quite suddenly after that it seemed like an ending - the break up of James at the end of 2001, following the release of their 9th studio album Pleased To Meet You. With that flawed record, it seemed like the band had ambitious ideas yet they couldn’t quite be realised (despite Eno being back as producer). However, the album did spawn their self-proclaimed theme tune: the single ‘Getting Away With It’. It was their last chart single. A minor hit that has become a streaming success and a James fan anthem. 

Interlude: James are very good at people’s theme tunes. It’s so obvious when bands try to write anthems, but all James’ peoples anthems are rather unlikely (Sit Down, Better Than That, Out To Get You, Laid and indeed Getting Away With It). Their new song Beautiful Beaches might be another one and in fact, add to that the new song ZERO: an album opener that begins with the words “We’re all gonna die” cannot fail to inspire James fans.

Thing is with James, those hit singles do not matter much. James never needed validation from the charts (though it might have felt nice when they had it). A hit song is nothing more than cheap icing on James’ improvised cupcake. The band has never tried to write to write a hit - even She’s A Star or Fred Astaire. As Tim Booth told me, they “every once in a while we get something that sounds like it might crossover”.

James doesn't need validation from the charts to know when they’ve written a good song. They can literally hear it from the crowd. After the band’s reunion (and comeback 10th album Hey Ma) I remember going to their UK tour London show in Brixton (2007), and the crowd sang along to the new songs - every word. The songs from Hey Ma were going down like old classics.

It just made me grin from ear to ear.

James has always always had that something special going on with the live audience (in fact Tim Booth has a pinned Tweet that the band’s live shows rotate 100 songs, rather than a machine-drilled theatre performance of the same set every night). The fans responds accordingly - grateful for whatever we get on the night. Sure, you might be disappointed on some level if James doesn’t play your favourites on the night, but it’s such a different kind of thrill than seeing a ‘hits’ band. And, there will be other nights. At the Royal Albert Hall in 2014 they played a song called ‘All Good Boys’ - which I loved - a Millionaires B Side that for some reason didn’t make it onto the band’s B-Sides Ultra album. They just brought it back from the dead for that one show (Saul Davies made that particular decision) and it was miraculous, spellbinding on the night. 

The pandemic must have been particularly hard for James fans I feel, because to see them live and to experience Tim Booth’s messiah-like connection with his people, is just so special - a spiritual experience near as damn it. 

I remember at that same show, I think, I had implored the duty manager to let us move from up in the rafters. He obliged and put us in a free box on the other side of the hall. Then, during the encore, Tim Booth came down from the stage and disappeared, only to reappear right where we’d left, singing and dancing with audience members right up there with the gods. That’s Tim Booth, a man who will go to the farthest reaches of his audience. James gigs are famous for Booth inviting audience members up on stage to dance (he’ll often choose a man first, it’s not that kind of connection he craves). On a few occasions Booth has gotten himself into bother with the Health & Safety brigade at various venues, in mortal fear of the stage collapsing under the weight of people. After all their is already between 7-9 members of James up there. And crowd surfing well, Booth is one of the best at that particular form of submission. 

James has had such a brilliant run lately: 2014’s La Petite Mort (possibly the most uplifting album about death you’ll ever hear and another tour de force), Girl at the End of the World, Living in Extraordinary Times and now All The Colours Of You. Mostly, they receive glowing critical reviews for every release and even lately, ever higher chart placements. Indeed, if it wasn’t for Wolf Alice releasing their new record in the same week, James would have landed their first number 1 album. But it won’t matter, as James will soon be back on tour, playing the record to an adoring, discerning crowd, grateful to the last.

James has always been a band for our times and the lives we are living - whether it be through something as huge as a global pandemic or just a normal, boring day - shit still sticking to our shoes and all. If you have forgotten how good they are or you’ve never managed to penetrate their brand of chaos and creation, then you’ve still got time to change that and I recommend that you do.

The thing is, after 40 years they are still getting away with it. And there’s a reason for that. 

Ps. A good friend of mine once had a particular listening ritual whenever one of his favourite bands released a new album. He would first listen to the band’s entire back catalogue, in reverse order, from their last release to their first. I’ve compiled this playlist that way in anticipation that you’ll visit it for James’ next album and with luck and a tail wind, they’ll make another one. They’re already on it…

All The Colours Of You is album number 16 (22 if you include compilations). Tim Booth was my guest on The Art of Longevity.