James - space, 2001

"Space is the opening track from the 2001 James album Pleased To Meet You. It was not performed live during the Autumn 2000 tour when most of the new album was previewed. There are a couple of alternative versions of the song on early promos of the album, which mainly consist of a different opening section with more acoustic guitar. A live version of the song appears on the 2002 Getting Away With It Live cd and dvd. The song featured extensively on the 2011 orchestra tour and remained a regular in the set in 2012 and 2013. It reappeared at orchestral dates in 2023."

James - leviathan, 2018

"Leviathan" began as two jams, one of which had a decent chorus and average verse, while the other had a good verse section and an as not as strong chorus. Andrew went on holiday and telephoned Giles, telling him to edit the jams together and change the key. Andrew and Giles visited several London studios in an attempt to find a specific keyboard sound, which they found at Urchin Studios. The song talks about "hitting a wall" before suddenly moving on to another part of one's life. "Leviathan" opens with a keyboard line before shifting into techno music."

James - trouble demo, 2018

"Trouble (Demo)" is a bonus track by the English alternative rock band James, released in 2018 as part of their 13th studio album, Living in Extraordinary Times. The demo version captures a raw, introspective vibe typical of the band's style, with frontman Tim Booth's emotive vocals layered over atmospheric guitars and subtle percussion. It explores themes of mental turmoil, addiction to overthinking, and finding reassurance amid chaos—the chorus repeats the mantra "Trouble, trouble, trouble / It's gonna be alright" like a self-soothing incantation."

James - moving car demo, 2018

"This is a bonus track from their album Living in Extraordinary Times, capturing a reflective, nostalgic vibe with themes of youth, fleeting memories, and the rush of life. It's a stripped-down demo version, clocking in at about 5:37, with a tempo of 129 BPM in the key of E major—perfect for an energetic yet introspective drive."

James - backwards glances, 2018

"Backwards Glances" is a bonus track by the British alternative rock band James, released in 2018 as part of the deluxe edition of their 15th studio album, Living in Extraordinary Times. The album itself dropped on August 3, 2018, via BMG Rights Management, marking a politically charged and introspective chapter in the band's long career. This track didn't make the standard edition but was included on the expanded version alongside other demos like "Moving Car" and "Overdose".

James - quicken the dead, 2014

"A line in the bible – “the quick and the dead” – refers to the living (quick probably being similar to animated) and the dead. The title of the song “Quicken the Dead” refers to this. It is an appeal for (the dead) people who don’t know what they are doing with life to understand that they are living, and do so fully (quicken/reanimate)."

James - move down south, 2016

"Tim has explained that the song was written sub-consciously about his family moving back to Topanga Canyon after a short time in Berkeley and that his son Luka pointed him to the lyrics of the song as a guide to tell him what to do."

James - all in my mind, 2014

"The mixture of dark, tortured and hedonistic lyrics, the throbbing synths raining down on the beats and Tim’s superb vocal delivery; utterly irresistible."

James - surfer's song, 2016

"Highlights like "Attention" and the churning electro-epic "Surfer's Song" rely on massive, intense crescendos that are another James specialty and a sure sign that their collective gears are well-oiled even after several decades playing together."

James - how hard the day, 2018

"Living in Extraordinary Times marks a band still working at their full capacity, bringing new ideas and sounds while retaining what inherently makes James James – big choruses, danceable tracks, and timely lyrics. While some tracks are on the long side, how can you blame them getting carried away?"

James - better than that, 2018

"EP opener and first single Better Than That is upbeat and fast-paced, an ode to improvement, urging the universe to do its worst with Tim signing “you can do better than that”, kick starting the four tracks into gear. Busted is more mellow and dreamlike, with gentle guitars building in intensity as drums and brass join the fray. Hank with its buzzing guitars and distorted vocals is the most outspoken lyrically, warning of “white fascists in the white house” encouraging listeners to “bend the knee and stand your ground”.

James - interrogation, 2014

"‘Interrogation’ mixes post punk with subtle electronics and you know what? It works pretty well, injecting the song with a memorable dose of urgency and desperation."

James - ring the bells live, 2007

"It is frantic acoustic guitar strumming, accompanied by an explosion of sound that will pick you right up out of your seat and get you dancing in a way that you can’t possibly sustain for its five minutes in length. I don’t even know how the band does it. But somehow we find the energy deep within ourselves and lose ourselves to the pure joy that the sounds evoke."

James - sit down live, 2002

"Filmed at the M.E.N Arena in Manchester, this concert was to be the last appearance of James, the iconic Manchester Indie band in their home town. This didn't prove to be the case as the band reformed and continue to this day, but it doesn't alter the fact that this is a stirring gig featuring many of the songs adored by their fans."

James - feet of clay, 2016

"James have always spun a lot of competing self-variations into their music and that range is a part of their lasting appeal. Between this record and its predecessor, their creativity seems to have entered a fertile new phase."

James - born of frustration live, 2022

"Born of Frustration was the second single off the Seven album released a couple of weeks before the album itself. Weighing in at over five minutes and containing Tim yodelling and a “la, la, la, la” refrain that brought comparisons with Simple Minds “Don’t You Forget About Me”, it was the one song that the critics felt justified all the stadium-rock accusations thrown at the band at the time. It was for sure a bigger more ambitious wide-screen sound that James had never previously achieved and that in many quarters was seen as a crime against indie music."

James - walk like you, 2014

"The tracks on La Petite Mort were influenced by the deaths of frontman Tim Booth's mother and his best friend Gabrielle Roth. It included more pianos and keyboards, drawing comparison to Elbow and Coldplay, with some of the guitar parts were compared to Muse."

James - getting away with It live, 2001

"Getting Away With It (All Messed Up) is the twelfth track on the 2001 James album Pleased To Meet You and was the first and only single to be released from that album. It was previewed on the 2000 Autumn tour under the title Daniel’s Saving Grace and in press pre-release promos as just Saving Grace. It started life as an upbeat romp and is apparently one of Tim’s favourites on the Pleased To Meet You album and very similar in style to 80s classic unreleased track Gregory’s Town. It was slowed down and was released as the first single reaching number 22. It has been a stalwart of James’ live shows over the years and according to Tim their ‘unofficial theme’ song."

James - sometimes live, 1993

"Vocalist Tim Booth left the band after their December UK tour; the final show of which was released as the Getting Away with It...Live live/video album in early 2002."

James - waltzing along live, 2019

"Shortly after their last album release, James reached the end of their contract, and Tim Booth announced he was leaving the band to concentrate on other projects of his own. They played a farewell tour of the UK at the end of the year. Their final hometown gig, at the Manchester Evening News arena on 7 December, was recorded for a live CD and DVD, Getting Away With It... Live. Past members Larry Gott and Andy Diagram rejoined them for the tour, and Brian Eno also joined them onstage at London's Wembley Arena during the tour. The albums Gold Mother, Laid, and Whiplash (each containing bonus tracks) were re-released by Mercury Records the following year, as well as a B-sides compilation entitled B-Sides Ultra."